These are the rants and raves of a stubborn-headed, midwestern, baby boomer, liberal, wife, mother, and grandmother. My goals are to speak my mind and educate others about some of the events in our world.
Looks like the for sale/lease signs will be going up at one or more of the seventy state parks in Ohio. Governor-elect John Kasich appears willing to use state property to drill for oil and gas.
Ohio Gov.-elect John Kasich (KAY'-sik) says the natural gas formation known as the Marcellus Shale could give a needed economic boost to the state.
The gas riches of the vast Marcellus Shale — which underlies Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and part of Ohio — have attracted a rush of drillers to the region in the last two years....
.....Kasich says Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp., a leading U.S. producer of natural gas, has big plans in Ohio. A message was left with Chesapeake seeking comment....
Did Kasich make these plans himself before he took office? Were these projects set up by the Strickland administration? What kind of influence is Kasich using to get the job for Chesapeake Energy? Does it have anything to do with the $2,500 campaign contribution made by Scott Rotruck, of Chesapeake Energy in West Virginia on 9/27/10 to the Kasich Taylor for Ohio Committee? For documentation, see Ohio Secretary of State website. I'm just asking.
If you are interested in the damage to the air, water, and environment done by the shale drilling, check out Bob's Blog for details, including this picture:
Drill Baby, Drill! Gas drilling rig near Hickory spewing rock dust everywhere..
a layer of dust covered the entire farm, inside and out!
This is what we have to look forward to during the Kasich administration.
Climate includes patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons. "Climate change" affects more than just a change in the weather, it refers to seasonal changes over a long period of time. These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them....
Just because it snowed doesn't mean that climate change is not occurring. People on the right who are supported by right wing, pro-polluters, are trying their best to discount the dramatic changes we are seeing. Those on the right want you to be stupid so that you'll believe anything and everything they say.
Here is a report from the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company):
A researcher with New Brunswick's Environment Department says severe storms that hit the province this month may be examples of climate change.
Robert Hughes said Wednesday that the provincial Climate Change Secretariat is working to identify erosion rates and make projections of future rises in the sea level.
That's to prepare for weather events and to plan development accordingly...
Why do Republicans refuse to acknowledge that climate change is real? Have they become drunk on the money from right wing groups like Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, and other anti-science/pro-pollution groups? Just asking.
* A letter to the editor of the Dayton Daily News suggests Ohioans impeach John Kasich so that Ohioans can get back money for jobs and development that he refuses.
Are those Kasich inauguration tickets still available? They were supposed to go fast, since only 2,000 people could attend.
* NYMagazine has a list of triggers for John Boehner's tears:
...LOEM = Level of Eye Moistness Trigger: The Children
Cries during a 2004 visit to a Washington, D.C., Catholic school he helps raise money for; cries during a speech to Dayton businessmen about education in their city that same year; cries during 2001 congressional debate of the No Child Left Behind bill, which he co-sponsored.
LOEM = Trigger: The American Dream
Sobs on Election Night when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives. “I’ve spent my whole life chasing the American Dream,” he says tearfully.
LOEM =
Read the entire article. Even though Boehner says he has a soft spot for children, his lack of support for children's health initiatives has not always demonstrated it. Personally, I think some other thing is the cause of these emotional highs and lows.
* John Kasich and his good old white boy network are positioning themselves to take over the state government. We've already seen hints of what is to come. Kasich will refuse federal funding for rail, and we've already lost 16,000 jobs and an untold number of businesses. Don't worry. Kasich thinks he knows everything. What will Ohio miss?
A news story at NPR about rail service shows that rail has more pluses than minuses:
It's hard to find a city in America that isn't planning, proposing, studying or actually building a light rail system. Cities as diverse as Dallas, Seattle and Washington, D.C., all see light rail as part of their future — a way to reshape their development.
There are 35 light rail systems operating in the U.S. today. At least 13 metro areas are currently building others. Many more are being planned.....
......"Light rail stops create nodes and create opportunities for denser development," says Frampton. "So you don't end up using up roads and using up sewers, and building new police stations and water lines and so on."
Kasich doesn't want redevelopment in Ohio. He just wants to do things his way by slashing education, medicaid, libraries, and anything most Ohioans think is important. While Kasich slashes and eliminates parts of Ohio government, he'll move to privatize areas of government and sell off everything else.
* People have noticed that "death panels" do exist in Arizona with Republican Governor Jan Brewer in power.
Pressconnects: .....In a recent round of budget cuts, the Republican-controlled Legislature cut all funding for organ transplants, leaving at least 98 low-income patients to die because now they cannot receive life-saving treatments. Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has refused to reinstate $10 million in funds that could help save these individuals....
What does Sarah Palin think of Brewer's death panels?
* John Boehner cries too, too much for a grown man. What could possibly cause these emotional problems?
* President Obama and Democrats delivered on DADT. Thank goodness!!!
* We should thank God everysingleday that John McCain is not President. McCain continues to show he is a cranky, bitter, out of touch, old man, who cares about no one but himself. (See more at the DailyBeast.)
* Our first responders deserve our respect. It is outrageous that the 9/11 first responders were denied additional health coverage by some mean, disgusting, Republicans. Thank goodness a final push for passage was successful.
* As the newly elected Governor of Ohio, John Kasich will do all he can to completely destroy public education, the state, and the lives of every teacher, firefighter, and police officer in the state. While he is at it, he'll sell off state buildings, state parks, state prisons, and state assets he'll deem unnecessary and wasteful. Could Kent State University be sold to Chase Bank? Will prisons be sold to private companies and endanger the lives of our citizens?
At this point, before even being sworn into office, Kasich has no plans other than repealing the state income tax. Kasich doesn't care about the damage he'll cause to people's lives by removing 75% of the state's funding. He just doesn't care.
Why are Sen. Coburn and so many Republicans against the health bill for the first responders of 9/11? NPR has the story:
There's word now that "Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn will not allow a proposal that would cover health-care costs for ground zero workers to go through the Senate before Christmas" (via The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire blog).
Politicosays ilt's been told by Coburn that "he wouldn't allow the bill to move quickly, saying he has problems with parts of the bill and the process Democrats are employing."
Shame on Coburn! Time and time again, Coburn has done everything he could to slow down the progress of this legislation to help those who helped out on 9/11 and the days and months that followed.
Let Coburn know that his opposition and purposeful blocking of this legislation is disgusting.
Washington D.C.:
172 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-5754
Fax: 202-224-6008
Tulsa:
1800 South Baltimore
Suite 800
Tulsa, OK 74119
Main: 918-581-7651
Fax: 918-581-7195
Oklahoma City:
100 North Broadway
Suite 1820
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Main: 405-231-4941
Fax: 405-231-5051
I'm so happy that the U.S. Senate voted to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. All those member of the military who were forced to resign should return to service, if they desire. Those translators who were fired by the Bush administration need to be rehired immediately!
Public Policy Polling (D)
12/10-12/10; 510 likely voters, 4.3% margin of error
Mode: Automated phone PPP release
2012 Senate 43% Brown (D), 43% DeWine (R)
43% Brown (D), 38% Husted (R)
43% Brown (D), 35% Jordan (R)
40% Brown (D), 38% Taylor (R)...
Favorable / Unfavorable John Kasich: 36 / 40
Rob Portman: 35 / 62
Mike DeWine: 30 / 43
Jon Husted: 17 / 21
Jim Jordan: 11 / 16
Mary Taylor: 19 / 16
Ohio voters are probably wondering if Husted, Taylor, and even Mike DeWine will jump into the fray of running for U.S. Senate against Senator Sherrod Brown. Husted seems to hate being in any political job for any length of time. His ambition is obvious. Taylor hasn't even been sworn in as Lt. Governor and rumors are flying over the state that she would love to move up the power ladder. Old Mike DeWine, former lapdog of President George W. Bush, will probably get bored staying in Ohio and hunger to get back into the U.S. Senate.
*** Tim Grendell is wincing under criticism from Ohio Republicans. Dispatch: Sen. Tim Grendell and his state party's top leader traded caustic jabs this week after the Republican State Central and Executive Committee condemned Grendell's decision to remain in the Ohio Senate rather than take the House seat to which he was elected....
....Democrats pounced on a portion of Grendell's letter related to his committee hearings this year looking into a canceled drug sting at the Governor's Residence.
"I worked hard to facilitate John Kasich's election," Grendell wrote. "My diligent pursuit of the Ohio Senate's investigation of the Strickland administration's politically motivated mishandling of the drug drop at the Governor's mansion had a detrimental impact on Gov. Strickland's re-election effort. I do not recall receiving any affirmative recognition from you or the Central Committee for my hard work."
Grendell's political witch hunt wasted time, money, and smeared Gov. Ted Strickland and his staff. Consequently, Ohioans should regard anything that comes out of Grendell's mouth with great suspicion. Grendell can aptly be called a pompous, self-serving, a**hole.
By the way, the good people at Plunderbund had published the Grendell story on December 14th. What took so long for the Dispatch to get to the story?
I’ve had a chance to read Judge Hudson’s opinion, and it seems to me it has a fairly obvious and quite significant error. Judge Hudson assumes that the power granted to Congress by the Necessary and Proper Clause — “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers” — does not expand Congress’s power beyond the Commerce Clause itself. The key line is on page 18:
If a person’s decision not to purchase health insurance at a particular point in time does not constitute the type of economic activity subject to regulation under the Commerce Clause, then logically an attempt to enforce such provision under the Necessary and Proper Clause is equally offensive to the Constitution.
Judge Hudson does not cite any authority for this conclusion: He seems to believe it is required by logic. But it is incorrect. The point of the Necessary and Proper clause is that it grants Congress the power to use means outside the enumerated list of of Article I powers to achieve the ends listed in Article I. If you say, as a matter of “logic” or otherwise, that the Necessary and Proper Clause only permits Congress to regulate using means that are themselves covered by the Commerce Clause, then the Necessary and Proper Clause is rendered a nullity. But that’s not how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Clause, from Chief Justice Marshall onwards. Indeed, as far as I know, not even the most vociferous critics of the mandate have suggested that the Necessary and Proper Clause can be read this way.....
....University School of Law professor Kevin Outterson questioned Hudson's ruling that Congress had overstepped its constitutional powers.
"That's clearly wrong, and everyone recognizes it," he said. "I think there's a strong [chance] the Fourth Circuit will recognize that error and send it right back."
We'll see what happens. Those who are against the health care law should not start celebrating yet.
* Oh, my. Looks like a Tea Party sweetheart has been getting some big money. Boston.com: Campaign contributions to Senator Scott Brown from the financial industry spiked sharply during a critical three-week period last summer as the fate of the Wall Street regulatory overhaul hung in the balance and Brown used the leverage of his swing vote to win key concessions sought by firms.
From mid-June until the Fourth of July, according to a Globe analysis of his campaign finance reports, the Massachusetts senator took in $140,000 from banks and investment firms and their executives, including companies based in the state, such as MassMutual and State Street Corp. That is 400 percent more than the $28,000 received on average by all Republican senators during the same three weeks.
As the money poured in, Brown and his Senate staff were working both publicly and behind the scenes to scuttle $19 billion in fees on the financial industry that would have paid for part of the regulatory overhaul, and to weaken a provision intended to curb certain types of investment activities by banks and insurance companies....
Looks like those bank contributions helped bankers get what they wanted - courtesy of Sen. Scott Brown.
_________________
* The judge who ruled against health care has some very interesting ties. TPMMuckraker: Federal judge Henry E. Hudson's ownership of a stake worth between $15,000 and $50,000 in a GOP political consulting firm that worked against health care reform -- the very law against which he ruled today -- raises some ethics questions for some of the nation's top judicial ethics experts. It isn't that Hudson's decision would have necessarily been influenced by his ownership in the company, given his established track record as a judicial conservative. But his ownership stake does create, at the very least, a perception problem for Hudson that could affect the case.
"Is Judge Hudson's status as a shareholder coincidence or causation? Probably the former, but the optics aren't good," James J. Sample, an associate professor at Hofstra Law School, told TPM. "Federal judges are required by statute to disqualify themselves from hearing a case whenever their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. It's a hyper-protective rule and for good reason. At the very least, his continued financial interest in Campaign Solutions undermines the perceived legitimacy of his decision."
The rules are pretty straightforward: if a judge is invested in a company that is a litigant in a case, he or she can't be involved. But in cases where a company owned by a judge has an interest in the outcome of a case but is not a direct litigant, the lines get much more murky....
Isn't that interesting?
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* This just in----- CNN: Richard C. Holbrooke, the high-octane diplomat who spearheaded the end of the Bosnian war and most recently served as the Obama administration's point man in the volatile Afghan-Pakistani war zone, has died, officials said.
The 69-year-old diplomat died Monday at George Washington University Hospital in Washington. He was admitted last Friday after feeling ill. Doctors performed surgery Saturday to repair a tear in his aorta.
One of the world's most recognizable diplomats, Holbrooke's career spanned from the Vietnam War-era to the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, coinciding with presidencies of the past five decades, from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama.....
Holbrooke will be missed.
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>>>> Lt. Gov.-elect Mary Taylor might become the Director of Ohio's Department of Commerce, according to the Plain Dealer. Seems as Kasich has been thinking about the appointment. If she becomes the Director of Commerce, and even if she just remains the Lieutenant Governor, will she spend more time in Columbus instead her "satellite" office near her home?
Joseph at Plunderbund has a possible conflict of interest if Mary Taylor leads Commerce:
...who would have thought John Kasich would have the balls to appoint Mary Taylor to head the agency responsible for approving plans, verifying compliance and issuing licenses for the construction industry – knowing full-well that her husband is the CEO of a large Ohio-based construction company.
Even worse, Mary Taylor faced two scandals back in 2006 when she was still a State Rep., both based on her association with her husband’s company Welty Building Co.....
Visit Plunderbund for the details of the scandals.
* Carroll County Ohio wants more funding for agricultural education, even though they've had voters reject tax levies to support the programs, according to Cantonrep.com. Instead of looking for citizens to raise their taxes, it might be time to see if a local business, volunteers, a charity, or a wealthy individual is willing to sponsor the 4-H programs and OSU extension services. Since the program serves a small group, those who want it should find a way to provide it.
* Central Ohio was visited by a snowstorm yesterday. We have a few inches on the ground and some wind. My dogs were very confused by the arrival of the snow but now enjoy playing in it.
Senator Sherrod Brown is seeking funding through U-S Department of Agriculture for restoration of the Seneca County courthouse. The request had previously been approved, but the funds for the Courthouse, and about twenty other Ohio projects were reallocated....
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has worked diligently to help citizens in Ohio.
* Last night, CBS's 60 Minutes had a story on Republican leader, John Boehner. Of course, my husband and I changed the channel to avoid vomiting.
The Washington Post has a few things about Boehner this morning.
*** What is the fascination with Sarah Palin's hunting show on TLC? I've only seen a minute of it before I realized she was shooting at a poor animal, and rapidly changed the channel. Yuk!
I've been watching Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (on C-SPAN2) as he continues his filibuster against the extension of the Bush tax cuts. Go, Bernie!!!!
Sen. Sanders has been talking about people who are struggling in our nation while others are suggesting that tax cuts are needed for millionaires and billionaires. I agree with Sen. Sanders. Millionaires and billionaires don't need more tax cuts.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Elizabeth Edwards was a brave woman who fought against cancer and showed us all how to remain strong no matter what life throws at you. She was a model of grace and strength. I offer my sympathy to her family and friends.
Some people are worrying about what happens with the Republicans controlling the House of Representatives. According to the Toledo Blade, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat, has provided earmarks to help the 180th Fighter Wing get some renovations. Colonel Mark Bartman said the following about Kaptur in the Toledo Blade:
...He said of Miss Kaptur, "She has been very pro-180th, very pro-Air National Guard, and very pro-the military."
It seems that others, like Bob Latta and Jim Jordan, have not been as supportive. ( Perhaps Bob Latta should spend more time drafting legislation than playing on his Twitter accounts.) Bob Latta has only had some of his resolutions passed in this Congress. None of his actual bills have passed. Here are some of Latta's resolutions (Library of Congress):
8.H.RES.734 : A resolution expressing support for the goals and ideals of "Constitution Day". Sponsor:Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 9/10/2009) Cosponsors (61) Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform Latest Major Action: 9/29/2009 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
9.H.RES.940 : Recognizing and honoring the National Guard on the occasion of its 373rd anniversary. Sponsor:Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 12/1/2009) Cosponsors (85) Committees: House Armed Services Latest Major Action: 12/8/2009 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 401 - 0 (Roll no. 934).
These are nice, but it certainly won't create a job. Latta seems to waste a lot of time doing nothing.
* I have had a week from hell. First, my elderly mother fell and required surgery. Then, I was in a car accident. I'm fine, but my car will need major reconstruction. I'm thinking of blaming it all on the Republicans.
* The Republicans who are against helping the unemployed really have their priorities screwed up. What do they expect people to do that have no money coming in?
Here is something posted at the Economic Policy Institute that compares tax cuts for the rich vs. unemployment compensation:
.....Increasing the take-home pay of low- and moderate-income families will lead to more spending and a boost in demand for goods and services and, thus, more jobs. By contrast, tax cuts for the wealthy are more likely to be saved, providing a relatively ineffective response.
Economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics estimates that every dollar spent making the Bush income tax cuts permanent generates only 32 cents of economic activity. Comparatively, every dollar spent on unemployment assistance generates $1.61 worth of economic activity, a dollar of spending on infrastructure yields $1.57 and a dollar in assistance to states to prevent layoffs of teachers or first responders yields $1.41. Tax cuts for the wealthy are simply not a good way to stimulate the economy.
A much more economically sound approach to supporting the economy would be to let the tax cuts expire for those at the top of the income scale and to use the revenue to fund more cost-effective job creation policies....
It might be a good idea to send a copy of the article to every single member of Congress. Then again, some of them don't even read legislation.
* Doesn't it just make you absolutely sick that Republicans are concerned about keeping tax rates low for millionaires and billionaires?
Rachel Maddow just explained that the deficit expanded by 186% under Reaganomics (aka "Trickle Down Economics" aka "Voodoo Economics").
* The headline in today's Dispatch shows how incredibly out of touch Sen. John McCain is:
"McCain: Keep gays out"
Someone should wake up McCain and explain to him that gays have served and are serving right now in our military.
How is it that Republican Sen. John McCain seems to be wrong about nearly everything? McCain has found yet another reason to stop the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT). McCain has a habit of voicing an objection at ever hearing when DADT has been discussed. Here is another example of McCain's latest from the SunHerald:
....In tense exchanges with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, McCain and other Republicans dismissed a Pentagon study on gays as biased and said objections by combat troops were being ignored.........
...Gates shot back that asking troops if they want to serve alongside gays would amount to issuing a referendum on a policy decision that should be made by Congress or the courts. The goal of the study, he said, was to find out it if it could be done without hurting the military's ability to fight.
"Are you going to ask them if they want 15-month tours? You going to ask them if they want to be part of the surge in Iraq? That's not the way our civilian-led military has ever worked in our entire history," Gates said....
McCain's bias is really sickening. Gays have served and continue to serve in the military. McCain is wrong to block the repeal of DADT. > Andrew Sullivan has his view in The Atlantic on McCain - The Shamelessness of John McCain.
Rep. Bob Latta (OH-5th) continues to post to his Twitter accounts and other social network sites. Does this guy have time to talk to the thousands of unemployed in his district? Where are the jobs, Mr. Latta?
Latta is part of the "Stone Age 5" because of his views on climate change: The Stone Agers:
The more we fund oil and dirty energy, the more we fund terrorist organizations and groups that would do us harm. For more info, see EnvironmentOhio.
John Boehner has yet to get the country back to work!
The Republicans will lead the House of Representatives and they are already working hard on their promise to extend the Bush tax cuts for millionaires. It must be really tough for millionaires and billionaires. I'm sure they've had to cut their spending allowances because of their smaller returns on their taxes. How many jobs did these millionaires and billionaires create during the Bush years with all their extra money? Only one million new jobs were created during the Bush years. We lost more jobs than were created. This is proof that the tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires did not help make things better for anyone except those who are wealthy.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Did you hear? The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the U of M wolverines yet again. It makes seven years in a row that the Buckeyes have won the all important Big Game.
* I think that all the fuss about the new safety measures at airports is just too much. Why are some people reluctant to go through a body scan? If people refuse the body scan, then they get the "pat down" by a TSA employee. So what? Just do it for the safety of everyone!
In the 1990's, I flew internationally. On one particular day, all the members of our group were subjected to pat downs by the airport security. Later, we found out that there had been some threats made and the airport was taking extra security measures.
* If you're waiting for the incoming Republicans and Tea Party members of Congress to decline health care, don't hold your breath. Seems like the GOP and Teas are interested in restricting YOUR access to health care, but not their own.
* Republican Rep. Bob Latta certainly has a lot of time on his hands to be able to use Twitter and other social network websites.
* In case you are interested, the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets) has posted the personal finances for members of Congress. You might not believe how rich some politicians are because they always claim that they are just like us.
Why is it that Republican candidates who are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's can be labeled as "Young Guns" even though we all know it isn't true? Just because the Republican Party says something DOES NOT MAKE IT A FACT.
In today's news, Republican Governors Association welcomed what they called "New Faces" - John Kasich (59), Tom Corbett (61), Brian Sandoval (47), Susana Martinez (51), Nikki Haley (38) - at their meeting that introduced recently elected Republican governors. Face it. There is nothing new about any of these people except they are new to their elected office. No one could call Kasich "a new face" by any stretch of the imagination.
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* Haley Barbour may run for President. Apparently some Republicans are hoping he stays out of it because of his alleged corruption problems and his revisionist views about slavery and civil rights. Of course, Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Eugene Robinson, said it best in the Washington Post:
....In a recent interview with Human Events, a conservative magazine and Web site, Barbour gave his version of how the South, once a Democratic stronghold, became a Republican bastion. The 62-year-old Barbour claimed that it was "my generation" that led the switch: "my generation, who went to integrated schools. I went to integrated college -- never thought twice about it." The "old Democrats" fought integration tooth and nail, Barbour said, but "by my time, people realized that was the past, it was indefensible, it wasn't gonna be that way anymore. And so the people who really changed the South from Democrat to Republican was a different generation from those who fought integration."
Not a word of this is true.
Barbour did not attend "integrated schools," if he's referring to his primary and secondary education. Mississippi ignored the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision that was meant to end separate-but-unequal school systems. Eventually, officials implemented a "freedom of choice" desegregation plan -- but black parents who tried to send their children to white schools were threatened and intimidated, including by cross-burnings. Finally, in 1969, the Supreme Court ordered Mississippi to integrate its schools immediately. The long-stalled change took place in 1970....
Read the entire article because, unfortunately, Haley Barbour will be continuing to revise history and his part in it.
* I can imagine that Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY-R) has a list of his goals for the upcoming new Congress. Do you think McConnell's list looks like this???????
My Goals and Goals of the Republican Party
by Mitch McConnell
5. Get people back to work - Involves too much work by me
4. Improve education - Nah!
3. End the wars - what wars?
2. Write a book! - NO! no. no. no.
1.Make Obama a one term President.
If you are looking for McConnell and his party to do anything to help regular men, women, and children, you can forget about it. McConnell's major goal is to make President Obama a one term President. I guess the country's ills will not be solved and then McConnell will blame everything on Obama. Obviously, McConnell and Boehner will not work to move the country forward. What did you expect?
* I want to see that movie about Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson. We know that her undercover identity was released by one or more people involved in the previous administration, and I'd like to learn more. Everything I've read indicates there is plenty of political intrigue. Both lead actors, Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, are receiving rave reviews from people who have seen the movie.
Back in August 2007, I wrote a little piece about the Sullivan Brothers:
Have you ever heard of the Sullivan Brothers? Their lives were given in service to their country in World War II. Albert, Francis, George, Joseph, and Madison all served together on the same Navy ship (USS Juneau). They were all killed. You can find out about the Sullivan Brothers at a Navy history site.
The Sullivan Brothers (pictured left) were real American heroes.
Here is what Wikipedia has on the Sullivan Brothers:
....The brothers' parents were notified of their deaths on January 12, 1943. That morning, the boys' father, Thomas, was preparing to go to work when three men in uniform, a lieutenant commander, a doctor and a chief petty officer, approached his front door. "I have some news for you about your boys," the naval officer said.
"Which one?" asked Thomas. "I'm sorry," the officer replied. "All five."[2] The brothers left a sister, Genevieve. Albert was survived by a wife and son. The “Fighting Sullivan Brothers” were national heroes. President Franklin RooseveltPope Pius XII sent a silver religious medal and rosary with his message of regret. The Iowa Senate and House adopted a formal resolution of tribute to the Sullivan brothers. sent a letter of condolence to Tom and Alleta.
Thomas and Alleta Sullivan made speaking appearances at war plants and shipyards on behalf of the war effort. Later, Alleta participated in the launching of a destroyerUSS The Sullivans, named after her sons...[3]
Many of us have relatives and friends in the current wars or those who served in previous wars. My Mother's brother was a radio man in a B-17 bomber in World War II. His entire crew was killed over Germany. He was just a young man in his early twenties.
While my daughters were teenagers, the Ohio State University Airport had a display of restored B-17's open to the public. We were able to tour one of the planes and I saw a small desk similar to where my uncle worked and typed out the codes. The interior of the plane was so small, we were all amazed by the amount of personnel that fit inside the plane. It was something that I cannot forget.
Last week, we honored our veterans with a special day. We need to acknowledge our men and women in uniform and their families every single day. If you see someone in a military uniform, offer them a smile, a handshake, and a thank you. It will go a long way.
No matter what happened in the election, I'm still hopeful.
I know that the Republicans won the election but, well, here is how they govern. (This is a long video from the Judiciary Committee which was then chaired by Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner. The Democrats wanted to discuss the Patriot Act, but Sensenbrenner had other ideas. At 3:51 minutes into the video and again at 5:08 Sensensbrenner and the GOP thugs demonstrate their lack of civility.)
Republicans can win elections, but they lack knowledge about what real people need.
**** Here is another Youtube video from This Week, April 19, 2009:
You'll become aware that Boehner was not a science major.
Fixing the environment will not raise taxes. By the way, the only plan that Boehner and his crew submitted over and over and over again involves tax cuts for the rich. Tax cuts for the wealthy are the reason we have a massive debt.
You've heard about that large cruise ship that has been unable to make it back to land under its own power. With tug boats pulling it, and no electricity on board, the vacationers on the ship must be roughing it. According to sfgate.com, SPAM will be dropped on the ship for the passengers dining needs. Ohhhhhhhhh............ I think I might choose to drop a few pounds instead.
* I have a conspiracy theory for you. Did you ever think that the Bush daughter was hired by NBC's Today Show so that when former President George W. Bush wrote his book that NBC would have the inside track to getting an exclusive interview? Of course, the Bush interview has been a ratings bust, from everything I've read. The country has had enough of George W. and the entire Bush clan.
* Republican climate change deniers will be in charge of the committees in the House of Representatives. Democrats and Progressives may not have won the majority, but we know that we are right about climate change. While the GOP climate deniers call forward their idiots to testify against any legislation that would reduce carbon emissions, the world will be watching the Republicans. The Republicans will be labeled complete idiots by the worldwide scientific community and intelligent people around the world. For more insight, check out GRIST's article.
* The Republicans used Sarah Palin to drum up support for their candidates, but now the GOP seems to have little use for Palin. With recent criticism of Palin by some right wing pundits and Republican leaders, it aappears that some Republicans are not interested in Palin's ideas or possible campaign for President.
* Which members of Congress have promised to support Social Security? Even though some of the names listed will not be part of Congress in 2011, it is worth noting that there are many members that have signed statements showing their dedication and support for Social Security. For example, here in Ohio's 15th congressional district, Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy lost the election to Republican Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist. Stivers refused to sign the pledge to protect Social Security. You can check out your member's stance at OurFuture.
The Republicans have started to look for someone to blame because they didn't win control of the U.S. Senate. Some members of the GOP are pointing fingers at half-Gov. Sarah Palin and the group of candidates that she endorsed.
The First Post (from the United Kingdom) has some of the bickering:
...Reagan's former speechwriter Peggy Noonan took umbrage with Palin's description of Reagan as "an actor" and described her as a "nincompoop" for the comments made during a Fox News appearance.
Palin was defending her new TV show, Sarah Palin's Alaska, which debuts on The Learning Channel next week, when she said: "Wasn't Ronald Reagan an actor? Wasn't he in Bedtimes for Bonzo, bozo or something? Ronald Reagan was an actor."
However, her off-hand characterisation has infuriated Noonan, who was special assistant to Reagan and wrote many of his most famous speeches during his time in the White House. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Noonan described the comment as "ignorant even for Mrs Palin" and said it illustrated one of the fundamental problems with the Tea Party movement, which needs to field candidates with "dignity and stature".
Don't you just love it?????
* If your state needs an extra $400 million for a rail project, you might want to check with the new Ohio Governor in January. John Kasich, who will become governor in January, has decided not to go ahead with a rail project that would create thousands of jobs in Ohio. Even though Kasich wanted Gov. Strickland to stop the project now, Strickland won't budge.
Cleveland.com: Gov.-elect John Kasich is imploring outgoing Gov. Ted Strickland to halt spending on a passenger train project that Kasich said he will kill when he takes the governor's seat.
Kasich is also asking President Barack Obama if the $400 million in federal stimulus money for the Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati passenger rail can be used for other infrastructure needs....
Here was the reply from the office of Gov. Ted Strickland:
"If governor-elect Kasich wants to return the funds for rail startup and send 16,000 jobs to another state, that will be his decision to make when he becomes governor," said Strickland spokeswoman Amanda Wurst....
Kasich is already killing jobs and he hasn't even been sworn in yet.
* This morning when I noticed that George W. Bush was going to be interviewed on the Today Show, I had to change the channel. It was just too much to watch. I guess I had forgotten that the big interview was going to be on this morning.
For the next week, TV news shows will be focusing on the new book by former President George W. Bush. NBC News will have Matt Lauer interviewing the former President. When I saw the ads for the special, which is on Monday, I couldn't even stand to watch the promos. I changed the channel. Needless to say, I won't be watching the interview.
Sen. Mitch McConnell has big plans. His goal is to keep President Obama limited to one term. Isn't just like a Senator from the South to try to stop someone like Obama? (By the way, what is wrong with McConnell's face?)
* At Politico, McConnell said that he might not be able to repeal the health care law immediately. The problem that McConnell will have is that people will become accustomed to certain medical treatment that will have to be covered by insurance. Women would lose certain types of coverages if the law is repealed. Then again, when have the Republicans ever cared about the rights of women?
Looking for something to throw in the face of those righties you know?
See below.
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(Warning! Some people might be offended by the language of the title of the website.)
If you are a millionaire or billionaire, you should never, ever spend your money trying to "buy" an election. In the end, you'll probably lose the election, and lose a lot of money.
Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina and Linda McMahon had a lot in common.
All sharp, successful businesswomen who made millions as executives in the private sector, they identified 2010 as an apt historical moment for a Republican candidate with no political experience to break into politics. In pursuit of higher office, each committed considerable resources - more than $200 million combined - to challenge seemingly vulnerable Democrats...
Just because a person is wealthy, or made big money in business, does not necessarily mean that they can convince people to give him/her their vote. In the case of these three rich women who've had success in business, they could not relate to the electorate.
There are other factors that may have contributed to their losses, such as hiring an undocumented person to work in their home, promoting a sport that used violence and disrespected women, and not being able to communicate their message to regular men and women.
What kind of a governor would Kasich be?
Here is some evidence about Kasich and his inability to care about people:
> When John Kasich served in the Ohio Senate, Kasich tried to legislate his own feelings about abortions when he made it more difficult for women to have reproductive freedom. (Youngstown Vindicator-November 20, 1981: Abortion Advice Bill Advanced)
> In 1996, when officials from New York complained that Congressman Kasich's cuts made it more difficult to help the poor in their state (which is mandated by their state constitution), Kasich said, (NYTimes: Aug.2, 1996) ".....to stop bellyaching..." Here is more of what Kasich said (NYTimes):
...Mr. Kasich, an Ohio Republican, said states like New York, whose Constitution requires the government to care for the needy, should consider changing their laws....
This is another example of Kasich's lack of empathy for the poor. He just doesn't care.
> The Dispatch listed some of the things that Kasich had done when he was in the House of Representatives:
• Voted against raising the minimum wage, and his budget plan would have slashed food stamps and children's nutrition programs. • "Fought to reduce the Earned Income Tax Credit ...a tax rebate for people who punch in, work hard and don't hide their assets in tax shelters and offshore accounts." • Supported a 1990s "tax loophole that allowed American billionaires and other really wealthy people to evade taxes by renouncing their American citizenship." • "Voted repeatedly to increase the cost of college loans ... He wanted to gut the Small Business Administration, with his budget seeking billions in cuts to programs that help fuel the growth and job creation of small businesses." • Proposed cutting $7 billion from veterans programs, quadrupling veterans' prescription costs, and "cutting benefits for veterans who suffered head wounds and mental traumas and could no longer care for themselves independently."
Does Kasich have compassion?
> I haven't seen it yet in all the years that I've lived in Ohio.
Does Kasich have a group of advisers from all ethnic and racial backgrounds that help him see the ramifications of his proposals?
> No. Kasich's advisers are primarily white men, and some of them have followed him from Lehman Brothers.
> We know that cuts will need to be made in Ohio's budget. I'd rather have Strickland overseeing those cuts, because I know that he'll be fair. Kasich, on the other hand, cannot be trusted. Remember - pushed Ohio's public pension funds to lose over $400 million when he introduced them to Lehman Brothers.
An undetermined number of McDonald's employees in the northeast Ohio city of Canton received handbills in their most recent paychecks suggesting they vote for three Republican candidates.
The fast food chain's corporate headquarters quickly condemned the action, saying it violated company policy. Allen Schulman, an attorney representing one of the employees, said Friday he had forwarded the paycheck insert to Canton's city law director, citing an Ohio law against corporate advocacy in elections....
Is this an example of Republican strong armed tactics?
* NPR provided a hint about what kind of a leader John Boehner would be as Speaker of the House:
...During an appearance with conservative talk show host Sean Hannity this week, Rep. John Boehner, (R-Ohio) the House Speaker apparent, uttered the rallying cry. From The Hill:
"This is not a time for compromise, and I can tell you that we will not compromise on our principles," Boehner said during an appearance on conservative Sean Hannity's radio show..
John Boehner is an arrogant, lobbyist-loving, fool. We'll be able to add some other descriptions after Boehner campaigns with Richard Iott, Republican and Nazi SS reenactor. Boehner will be helping Iott, Republican candidate for Ohio's 9th congressional district, on Saturday, October 30th, at the Lucas County Nazi Victory Center, 10 S. Superior St., Toledo (source: TPM).
TPM has provided a picture of Richard Iott as published by The Atlantic:
Richard Iott is a disgusting human being. Boehner's campaign support for Iott just shows you what kind of person Boeher really is.
* If you look at some of the ratings put up at Project Vote Smart, Kasich had some very low ratings in some very important areas. Project Vote Smart: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
NOTE:* The "Campaign for a Color Blind America" is actually a right wing, conservative group opposed to affirmative action.
** On Guns For some reason, John Kasich has gone out of his way to make it seem like he has some endorsement from gun owners. He doesn't. The Kasich campaign has made such a spectacle of themselves over the gun issue, that the campaign looks just plain foolish.
The DailyBellwether blog has another screw up by the Kasich campaign related to gun issues: The pro-gun Buckeye Firearms Association says John Kasich, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has stooped to using a photo of a fake Ohio hunter in his campaign literature. It calls him a gun-rights phony. Or, as Ken Hanson, the group's legislative chair put it today, "Kasich is finding religion like a nervous whore in church on Sunday." Hanson said the picture of a hunter in a recent mailer wasn't from Ohio -- the hunter depicted is aiming a scoped rifle. But hunting with such weapons is illegal in Ohio. Rifle slugs can travel too far from open fields and stray into populated areas. So the scene was staged. Or it was purloined from some other state. Either way, it proves that Kasich knows nearly nothing about hunting or guns. In other ads this year, Kasich has used a fake steelworker and a fake journalist....
...Strickland talks about the days when his family had to hunt for food when times were hard. The Buckeye Firearms Association says Kasich's mailer has another distortion -- it claims Kasich has NRA support....
UPDATE: 2:10 pm --At Ohio Daily Blog, which has linked to The Daily Bellwether, Kasich's hunter photo is being compared to a golfer teeing off with a putter. Only idiots would try to play like that. And only the Kasich campaign would try to fool sportsmen with an idiotic photo. Says Ohio Daily:"There are numerous reasons why Ohio sportsmen reject John Kasich. First, is his F rating from the NRA. That's right. I said it. F! F! F! The Ohio Elections Commission today dismissed Kasich's claim that somehow he didn't receive an F. He did. And we're repeating it in case you skimmed over it. F! Second, Kasich forgets that many of Ohio's sportsmen and sportswomen are hard-working, blue collar, union-workers. And John Kasich just called those people 'thugs' earlier in the week. Third, Kasich forgets that many of Ohio's sportsmen and sportswomen are residents of rural areas. They don't go hunting as part of some junket paid for by some lobbyist that starts with mimosas & eggs benedict and ends with strippers & cigars. They go hunting to provide for their families. And John Kasich's campaign mocked those same Ohioans, with humble, rural roots, in a statement a few months ago."
In another vote for HR 5297: Roll Call Vote 539 (Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010) Ohio Republicans Austria, Boehner, Jordan, LaTourette, Latta, Schmidt, Tiberi, and Turner, all voted "NO" for a bill that helps small businesses. I guess, these Ohio Republicans don't really want to help small businesses.
Will you be going to see John Boehner campaign with the Nazi SS imitator, Rich Iott? According to the Huffington Post, Boehner and SS-lover Iott, will be at the Lucas County Republican Headquarters. If you go, please take plenty of pictures (and post them on the web) because we need to see Boehner supporting a Nazi-loving candidate like Iott. (See picture from The Atlantic.)
Our military fought against the Nazis and many were killed, were wounded, or taken as POWs. Every veteran should be insulted by Iott's "hobby" that glorifies a group that did so much damage and cost so many lives.
Can you imagine your first grader coming home from elementary school with this question, "Mommy, what is an abortion?" In Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt's district, children as young as a 6 years old were given a lecture about abortion by none other than Jean Schmidt. Ohio Daily Blog had information about Schmidt's appearance at a Catholic school in her district and the fallout. You might wonder why the voters in Schmidt's district haven't heard the whole story.
> Ken Rudin is still talking about Kasich's no show for yesterday's Talk of the Nation radio program:
...Yesterday's segment focused on the Ohio gubernatorial race with Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland. John Kasich, his Republican opponent, was scheduled to appear but canceled 15 minutes prior to the show.
**** Republican Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist has been forced to take down his campaign ad that seemed to have some McCarthyism in it. Stivers had applied for and accepted stimulus funds for an organization with which he is associated.
>>> Has anyone seen John Kasich or is he still running away from people?????
Starting today, there will be a series of "mini-Political Junkie" segments on NPR's Talk of the Nation on most days between now and the Nov. 2 elections.....
Today, at 2:40 p.m. Eastern: Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat seeking his second term, and Republican challenger John Kasich, a former congressman.
UPDATE: With about 15 minutes before we went on the air, Kasich canceled; his campaign said they did not want to field questions, but from the beginning the Talk of the Nation staff made it clear that there would be questions from listeners. The segment was only Strickland, which you can listen to here:
It figures. Kasich did not want to take questions from callers. Kasich is afraid of random questions from the public and must feel more comfortable hanging out with the Fox News right wing propaganda machine.
As Gov. Strickland said in today's interview, Kasich got a $400,000 bonus. Strickland said that because of the President's leadership and Democrats, the auto industry was saved.
Strickland said that when he became governor, Ohio only had 4 wind turbines that provided electricity, but now there are 500.
* Head for the hills! Newt Gingrich, the multiply married and divorced former Republican leader who bounced 22 checks when he was in the House of Representatives, is coming to Ohio to campaign for John "I work on Wall Street" Kasich.
Those of us who have money in the Ohio pension funds want to know what happened to the nearly $500 million that Kasich lost for us at Lehman Brothers. Kasich used his contacts in Ohio to get the investments for Lehman. Why hasn't Kasich properly answered questions about why Lehman was offering toxic assets for investments? How many other pension funds lost money with Lehman?
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* * * Steve Stivers, Republican candidate and former bank lobbyist, said the stimulus plan did not work, BUT he applied for and got stimulus money for an organization with which he is associated.
Here is the latest from Brad Bauman of the Kilroy campaign-
".......Stivers sits on the board of an organization that received stimulus funds and created jobs right here in central Ohio.
“In 2009, I served on the Board of Directors for IMPACT community action, with Steve Stivers who is both Treasurer of the organization as well as Chair of the Finance Committee,” said State Representative Carlton Weddington. “Steve Stivers, didn’t just KNOW about the grant, he helped approve it, and helped steer it. Stivers can talk all he wants about his opposition to the Stimulus, or how its not working…its not true. He’s lying.”
In 2009, IMPACT Community Action received a grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which directly led to the creation of 42 new full-time jobs with benefits weatherizing houses in central Ohio. Those jobs were made permanent through a public-private partnership. Stivers, as Treasurer and Finance Chair of the organization had a hand in procuring and disbursing this grant money....."
I think that Stivers can appropriately be called a liar.
Republican congressional candidate, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, has been running a campaign ad that has been called "red baiting" by newspapers, bloggers, writers, political analysts, and news outlets. Stivers, who seems willing to go to any level to win an election, has made false accusations against Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th). Putting out false information about a candidate is against Ohio law.
Recent developments tonight have indicated that the Kilroy campaign has moved on the Stivers campaign ad.
Lawyers for the Kilroy for Congress campaign sent a letter to Columbus area TV Stations and cable providers asking for them to stop airing a new television ad paid for by Steve Stivers which contains false statements, about which we wrote earlier today....
...As we noted earlier today, the ad claims that Congresswoman Kilroy voted to use taxpayer funds to create and grow jobs in China.
It "questions Congresswoman Kilroy’s loyalty to her country,” the letter says....
Shame on Steve Stivers and his entire campaign staff.
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John Kasich, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has been on a personal crusade to anger and disenfranchise public school teachers, union workers, health care workers, hospital administrators, and now members of the State Medical Board of Ohio. In an interview with WSAZ, Kasich reviews how he'd "fix" the state:
...To fight the public outcry from the southern Ohio pain pill epidemic - the overdose deaths - the crime - the candidate said to shut down dirty doctors offices, perhaps the Ohio medical board was the doctors policing doctor’s problem.
"If the medical board doesn't want to do it, maybe we need new members, or get rid of the board all together," Kasich says...
Despite what Kasich thinks, he cannot just get rid of the State Medical Board of Ohio. This isn't Lehman Brothers! Kasich, who seems to be completely ignorant about how the state government works, is unaware that members of the State Medical Board of Ohio, are appointed by the governor for five year terms. The board members have terms that expire in the following years:
1 board member's term expires in 2011
4 board members have terms that expire in 2012
4 board members have terms that expire in 2013
2 board members have terms that expire in 2014
1 board member's term expires in 2015
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Louie Gohmert of Texas is today's "Worst Person in the World" on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. I think Gohmert should be the "Worst Person in the World" for more than one day. Gohmert is the originator of the stupidest conspiracy theory in recent history, "terrorist babies." Science blogs has the video, the text, and some interesting comments from readers.
Republican leader, John "I'd rather be golfing" Boehner, is coming to the rescue of Tea Party favorites, according to the Washington Post:
House Minority Leader John Boehner has long had a knack for raising campaign funds from Wall Street firms and blue-chip corporations, which he typically spreads among rank and file House Republicans to bolster loyalty.
But this year, Boehner is using a different strategy as he tries to position himself as the next House speaker. He's diverted more than a quarter-million dollars of his business-funded war chest to 29 avowedly anti-establishment candidates who have been endorsed by elements of the tea party.....
....Boehner has given another $14,000 to another candidate, Steve Stivers, a former state lawmaker and lobbyist for Ohio's Bank One who has accused his Democratic opponent of wrongly supporting "taxpayer-funded bonuses given to failed Wall Street executives." Stivers's spokesman John Damschroder said that he thinks the funds were given because "speaker-to-be Boehner knows how critical Ohio is to control of the House."
Boehner personally hand-picked Stivers as the candidate for Ohio's 15th. Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, is being supported by bank lobbyists, the Chambers, and major polluters (oil, utilities, mining).
Boehner is soooooooooo greedy for power he'll support anyone.
Why is Tom Ganley trying to claim an endorsement from the
NRA when he never got it?
Why is Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, accepting
money from a group that teaches companies how to outsource
their jobs?
Why are so many people so unwilling to trust Kasich? Sure
he lost Ohio pension funds of almost a half a billion dollars.
He even signed off on allowing Invacare to outsource to China.
Kasich just doesn't care about average people. It is all business.
If Kasich wins, the secret deals will skyrocket.
Mary Taylor, the running mate of Republican, John Kasich, admits she went too far, according to the Dispatch. Mary Taylor was acting as a Republican, not as an independent State Auditor.
* Have you noticed the attempts by Republican candidate John Kasich to vilify the public school teacher? A quick search of the internet can bring up many speeches by Kasich in which he attacks classroom teachers, even those in his home district of Westerville, Ohio. (See Ohio15thblog for video and points to ponder.)
Some of the Kasich videos that you see on the web are sponsored by Kasich's organization, Recharge Ohio. In examining the Kasich's organization, Recharge Ohio, Tammy Chabria is listed as the treasurer. Tammy Chabria is Jai Chabria's wife. Jai Chabria is Kasich's buddy from Lehman Brothers. This is how the Kasich business connection scenario will work for Ohio. Did you know that Kasich has lobbyists working within his campaign organization? (See this Dispatch link.)What do they hope to gain for themselves and the companies/groups they represent?
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* If you are interested in explaining to your child how the gulf oil spill impacted the lives of wildlife dependent on the sea, visit a story written by a child at EDF/Lucky Seagull.
