All or Nothing

Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY-D) has released a statement advising Republican governors who thought they could pick and choose those parts of the stimulus package they liked that they better think it over. Schumer's statement basically says this: 'Take It All or You Get Nothing.'

Elidor at the Democratic Underground has posted this from TPM:

February 24, 2009

Dear Director Orszag:

In recent days, a small minority of governors, mostly Republicans, have publicly weighed the possibility of foregoing certain emergency provisions provided under the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed last week by President Obama. I believe this prospect not only would undercut the stimulative effect of the recovery package, but also is inconsistent with a key provision included in the law passed by Congress. To protect the integrity of the recovery program, I urge the administration to issue implementation guidance clarifying that while any Governor may exercise his or her discretion to accept or reject the federal funds provided in the stimulus, no Governor should have the authority to arbitrarily adopt a select subset of the overall package. As you know, Section 1607(a) of the economic recovery legislation provides that the Governor of each state must certify a request for stimulus funds before any money can flow. No language in this provision, however, permits the governor to selectively adopt some components of the bill while rejecting others. To allow such picking and choosing would, in effect, empower the governors with a line-item veto authority that President Obama himself did not possess at the time he signed the legislation. It would also undermine the overall success of the bill, as the components most singled out for criticism by these governors are among the most productive measures in terms of stimulating the economy.....

Thanks, Sen. Schumer, for putting these upstart GOP governors in their places!

>>>>>> Here is a big question: Where in the world is Karl Rove???? He has once again ignored a subpoena. I just wish they would bring him into Congress wearing his usual smirk and these:

Out of Work in South Carolina?

Too bad for you if you live in South Carolina! Your governor doesn't want to take the stimulus money for your state, but Gov. Sanford will say a prayer for you. His prayers won't pay your mortgage or rent, feed the kids, or pay your bills. Think Progress has more.

Gov. Sanford and other Republican governors seem like complete fools. While their unemployed citizens are on the bring of total financial collapse, these GOP governors are spewing right wing propaganda. These guys are a bunch of buffoons. If your Republican governor refuses to take the stimulus package money while your family suffers, call your respective governor and give him a piece of your mind.

President Obama has structured this plan to get our people back to work. Why are these Republicans against helping their residents get back on their feet again? Shouldn't every state share in the benefits of rebuilding and fixing our country?

Jindal's Beliefs Keep Scientists Away

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, has some very far right beliefs about a lot of things. He would like to have creationism taught in Louisiana's public schools. This is keeping scientists away. As Nola.com explains, "....The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is already committed to New Orleans for this year, but that will be it. Its president Gregory Petsko has declared, "No future meeting of our society will take place in Louisiana as long as that law stands."

"That law" is the Louisiana Science Education Act, which is named for what it is designed to destroy. Jindal signed it last year, clearing the way for creationism to be taught in biology class....."

As a result, scientific conventions and meetings that might normally be held in New Orleans or other major cities in Louisiana are canceling and rescheduling their functions out of the state. Mr. Jindal, who appears to have presidential aspirations, does not believe in science.

Republican Governors Stand in the Way of Recovery

Republican governors are thinking about rejecting their states' shares of the stimulus plan. How arrogant of them! While these Republican governors enjoy the lap of luxury in their mansions, chauffeur driven limousines, and meals provided by the state, people in their states have lost jobs and health insurance. These same Republican governors are putting their right wing ideology ahead of the safety and survival of the people. See LA Times for a related story.

It should be noted that each of these Republican governors has intentions of running as the Republican candidate for President. Who are the GOP governors?

Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana (unemployment rate January 2009 = 5.9% via Newsstar.com)
Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina (unemployment rate January 2009 = 9.5% per MSNBC)
Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi (unemployment rate December 2008 = 8.0% BLS.gov)
Gov. Rick Perry of Texas (unemployment rate rate December 2008 = 6.0% BLS.gov)

The people in each of their states should call the governors and give them a piece of their minds.

Budget Cuts to Hit State Employees in Ohio

Columbus Dispatch:

State employees won't have to take a salary cut, but will have 10 days of leave a year without pay, under a tentative contract agreement worked out by state and union negotiators....

...The rank-and-file membership of the OCSEA, the largest state employee union representing 35,000 workers, would have to vote to approve the new pact before it could take effect.....

...State employees work 2,080 hours annually, meaning the loss of 10 days, or 80 hours of pay, would be roughly equivalent to a wage cut of just under 4 percent.....

This type of leave without pay is hitting other states across the country because of the recession. It is part of the legacy of the Bush administration.

Lies from the Dark Side (GOP)

The Republicans are at it again. They are lying about people and their records:

(1) Newsmax claims that Democrat Jennifer Brunner is an "Acorn loyalist." Brunner, who is currently Ohio Secretary of State, has announced her plans to run as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Bush loyalist, George Voinovich. Brunner kept Ohio's voting fair and open, even though the Republicans filed nuisance lawsuits to throw a wrench in the process. Brunner doesn't work for Acorn. She is not a member of Acorn. Brunner has protected Ohioans' right to vote.

(2) Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn was on the TV with CNN's Rich Sanchez when she started to spew lies. Rich Sanchez put her in her place. Democratic Underground reported this video from The Young Turks on You Tube:



Blackburn was one of Bush's most adoring rubber stampers.

Take Note!

* General Motors and Chrysler want more money from the federal government, but then they'll also layoff tens of thousands of autoworkers (see NYTimes). There is something wrong with this picture.

Democratic Underground has a great video of the Mayor of Lansing, Michigan, Virg Bernero, swatting down an attack from Fox News. (See You Tube video.)


Awesome. Way to go, Mayor Bernero. I'm glad to see someone with the chutzpah to swat down Fox and the rightwingers who hate American workers.

* The one U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota remains empty, and the Republicans want to keep it that way for as long as possible. The GOP wants to prolong the Norm Coleman legal challenges until forever. Check out the latest from Politics in Minnesota:

Are Republicans in the U.S. Congress forking over big bucks to help pay for Norm Coleman's recount challenge against Al Franken in an effort to keep his Senate seat empty for as long as possible -- and, in the process, stall or derail the Obama administration's agenda?

A story on The Nation's website this week quotes a GOP senator from Texas as saying that that strategy is exactly what's happening, and a video being distributed by Coleman's campaign bolsters the idea.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn told the magazine that he's glad that Coleman understands that he "owes it" to his former Senate colleagues to kep the seat vacant. "He realizes how important retaining that seat is to us," said Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is spearheading the fundraising effort.

Congressional Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, are paying $10,000 apiece (the maximum allowed under election laws) "to maintain their power to obstruct Congress," The Nation reported....

I feel sorry for the people of Minnesota who've had to deal with Coleman, Pawlenty, and the rest of the do-nothing, out-of-ideas, Republicans.

Republicans and the Stimulus Package

The stimulus bill passed and was signed into law by President Obama. However, the Republicans keep the public entertained with lies about the stimulus package. The Michigan Messenger debunks the "sin express" that Republican Reps. John Boehner and Thad McCotter continue to repeat:

...Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stashed a “necessary” high speed rail project in the bill. But how does this $8 billion “Sin Express” from Los Angeles to Las Vegas put someone like Greg from Milford back to work?

This is a nearly verbatim repeat of a statement made by House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, who said, “Tell me how spending $8 billion in this bill to have a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is going to help the construction worker in my district.”

The problem, as Matthew Yglesias points out, is that there is no such project and there likely will not be. The $8 billion is not for a rail line between L.A. and Las Vegas, it is for the development of high-speed railroads between major cities all across the nation. The money will be targeted at areas that the Federal Railroad Administration has designated as “high-speed rail corridors.” There are ten such corridors identified that are ideal candidates for a high-speed rail system. And guess what? L.A. to Vegas is not one of them.....


I think that it would be hilarious for any Republican that tells a lie to have his/her nose grow by an inch. Boehner, McCotter, Lindsey Graham, John McCain and other GOPers would not be able to fit into a car.

Most of us know that the stimulus package is not going to be the magic solution to our country's economic problems. The Bush administration had eight years of Republican members of Congress rubber stamping every piece of free give aways and de-regulation legislation that came their way. President Obama has been in office for one month, and it will take a lot of serious hard work to fix the mess Bush & the GOP left behind.

Did you know....?????

Goldman Sachs owns Burger King. I learned this after watching this YouTube video by Brave New Films:



The average Burger King employee earns $14,000/year (below the poverty line).

>>>> Recovery.org shows the estimated job effect from the stimulus/recovery plan. For Ohio, 133,000 jobs will be created/saved with this program. That is a good start. Of course, every Ohio Republican in the U.S. House and Senate (we know exactly who you are), voted against this.

>>> Republican Rep. Eric Cantor's wife works at a bank that received bank bailout money. How nice.

Give it up, Norm!

I think it is time for Norm Coleman, former Republican U.S. Senator from Minnesota, to give up his legal challenges in his state and just admit that he lost his recent election. Coleman and his legal team, continue to tie up the courts in Minnesota with his ballot challenges while his state has an unfilled seat in the Senate. DFL candidate, Al Franken won. Norm should do the honorable thing and stop his embarrassing, ridiculous lawsuits over ballots that were disqualified for voter mistakes. There is work to be done in this country and Coleman's shenanigans are slowing down the process. Will these protracted lawsuits be Coleman's legacy? Are the Republicans and Coleman doing this just to make passage of laws difficult in the Senate?

Get over it, Norm! You lost! Be a man and concede!

Contact the Republican Party of Minnesota and tell them to have Norm concede!
*Republican Party of Minnesota--- phone: (651) 222-0022 | fax: (651) 224-4122 | info@mngop.com

Remember A Few Things

As the Republican propaganda machine continues to tear apart any Democratic solutions to this country's economic mess, let me remind you of a few things:

> The laissez-faire attitude that the Bush administration took regarding banking, business investments, and Wall Street, are all contributing factors to this current recession. While the Bushies promoted de-regulation and self -regulation, our financial, pharmaceutical, and food safety were all ignored.
> Losing over 4,244 American lives in Iraq for no other reason but personal political payback, has cost us heartbreak and billions of dollars.
> The Bush administration's unfunded mandate, No Child Left Behind, left states scrambling to find millions of dollars to adhere to uncompromising regulations.
> With "tax cuts" for the wealthy and large corporations, there were no other concerted efforts to create new jobs.
> Republican "tax cuts" do not solve problems. "Tax cuts" do not repair infrastructure, re-train the unemployed, create new jobs, take care of our young and elderly, and improve schools.

With a Democratic President, a Democratic majority in the U.S. House and Senate, my words to the Dems are these------

Forget bipartisanship!!! Just fix what needs to be fixed!

When the Republicans were in power, they did not allow Democratic participation in anything. Do you recall the hissy fit thrown by Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner in June 2005?
JSonline:

Following repeated Democratic criticism of the Bush administration, House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) on Friday gaveled a hearing to a close and walked out while Democrats continued to testify - but with their microphones shut off....

...House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in a statement, said the hearing was an example of Republican abuse of power and that she would ask Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to order an apology from Sensenbrenner.

"Chairman Sensenbrenner proved again today that he is afraid of ideas, and that Republicans will stop at nothing to silence Democrats," Pelosi said. "It is quite ironic that at a hearing on the impact of the Patriot Act on civil liberties, the Republicans attempted to suppress free speech."

Since recent polls show that most Americans consider themselves Democrats, President Obama should take care of repairing the country. With his landslide victory, President Obama need not concern himself with the whining Republicans. Until Republicans start thinking about real people and real solutions, we need to ignore them.

Republican Goals: Obstruct, Delay, Say "No"

> Why would anyone vote against this bill--- HR 448: The Elder Abuse Victims Act?????
The Library of Congress
To protect seniors in the United States from elder abuse by establishing specialized elder abuse prosecution and research programs and activities to aid victims of elder abuse, to provide training to prosecutors and other law enforcement related to elder abuse prevention and protection, to establish programs that provide for emergency crisis response teams to combat elder abuse, and for other purposes.


According to the Washington Post, the following Republicans voted against The Elder Abuse Victims Act:
Todd Akin, J. Gresham Barrett, Kevin Brady, Paul Broun, John Carter, Michael Conaway, Nathan Deal, Jeff Flake, Virginia Foxx, Trent Franks, Scott Garrett, Jeb Hensarling, Bob Inglis, Steve King, Jack Kingston, John Linder, Cynthia Lummis, Tom McClintock, Randy Neugebauer, Ron Paul, Dana Rohrabacher, Jim Sensenbrenner, John Shadegg, Mac Thornberry, Lynn Westmoreland

What kind of human being votes against a bill that concerns elder abuse? Do these GOPers support elder abuse? Do they care? Are they so caught up in their own lives that they refuse to care about those who are most vulnerable? If you are elderly or have a loved one in a nursing home, it might be good to call these Republicans and tell them how disgusted you are with their vote against this bill.

> Republicans are making up lies about what is in the stimulus package. Guess they want our recession to go into a depression. Recent lies include stories about health care, Nancy Pelosi, and even funding for projects.

> What is it with Republican John Boehner? Does he even know about the job losses in his district? Why is he against anything that doesn't include tax cuts? Is he just a spoiled brat who whines when he doesn't get his way?

Steve Austria: Ohio Republican Doesn't Know History

"Congressman Steve Austria was the Worst Person in the World" on tonight's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Why? Apparently Steve Austria, Republican Representative for Ohio's 7th district, doesn't know history. Austria, IMHO, is an idiot.

Huffington Post:

...as Austria was explaining his opposition to the huge federal stimulus package backed by President Barack Obama, he told The Dispatch editorial board: "When Roosevelt did this, he put our country into a Great Depression. ... He tried to borrow and spend, he tried to use the Keynesian approach, and our country ended up in a Great Depression. That's just history."

Oooooooops! He really said that. Then Austria had to say this:

"I did not mean to imply in any way that President Roosevelt was responsible for putting us into the Depression, but rather was trying to make the point that Roosevelt's attempt to use significant spending to get us out of the Depression did not have the desired effect. Roosevelt did not put us into the Depression, but rather his policies could not pull the nation out of the recession."

The Huffington Post indicated that the following graph was on the Rachel Maddow Show:



Wow. Before Steve Austria opens his mouth the next time, he should consult a middle school history book. I have an idea that some of his constituents may want to school him on what life was like during the Republican Hoover administration. You may contact Steve Austria at---

****Washington, DC Office

Washington, D.C. Phone: (202) 225-4324 Fax: (202) 225-1984

******District Office

Springfield, OH 45504 Phone: (937) 325-0474 Fax: (937) 325-9188

By the way, even Austria's hometown newspaper, The Springfield News-Sun, gave him a scolding.

The New Hooverites

Yes, my friends, the Republicans are just like modern day Hooverites. These GOPers don't care if you are out of work, on the brink of bankruptcy, can't feed the family, living without heat, can't afford to visit the doctor. They'll just continue to hold on to their failed "tax cuts" policies until the entire country goes down the drain.

For the record, here are the Republicans that voted against H.R. 1 (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ), AKA as the Economic Stimulus plan. (Source: U.S. Senate legislative site.)

NAYs ---37
Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID)	DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Kyl (R-AZ) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL)	McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Wicker (R-MS)

If your Senator appears in this list, give him/her call and offer your two cents. I'm sure that they'd
love to explain why they voted against getting Americans employed again.

You may contact your Senator through this website-----> http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

I'll give you a head start:

Voinovich: http://voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm

DeMint: http://demint.senate.gov/public/

Inhofe: http://inhofe.senate.gov/public/

Vitter: http://vitter.senate.gov/public/

The rest is up to you!!!!

Obama

> What a difference an election makes! I watched President Obama's press conference last night and I was so impressed with his detailed, thoughtful. and intelligent responses to the questions. It was such a contrast from the previous resident of the White House.

One correspondent asked if the President was overstating the economic conditions in the country by saying that things were in "dire" shape. (You almost wonder if the reporter has been living under a rock. Don't these people see what is going on here?) The President explained that 3.6 million people lost their jobs in 2008 and things could get worse unless that stimulus package gets passed. I think that he meant that instead of a recession, we could get an economic depression.

> Late yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Senate voted for cloture on the economic on the recovery bill (the stimulus package).

The following list of U.S. Senators voted against cloture (to end debate) and set up a vote:

NAYs ---36
Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN) Crapo (R-ID)	DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Kyl (R-AZ) Lugar (R-IN)	Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Wicker (R-MS)

Did you notice that they are all Republicans? Sen. Gregg did not vote because he is under consideration for the President's Cabinet. However, Sen. Cornyn was in New York. (source). How nice. While the country goes down the tubes, Cornyn had other things to do.

Your Job is Just "Bling" to the Republicans

Face it. These Republicans just have no understanding about regular working people. According to the leader of the Republican Party, Michael Steele, those jobs and work projects in President Obama's stimulus plan are just "bling." (see Politico) Really. The fact that you can't feed or clothe your family, means nothing to the Republicans because they can still have dinner at the country club. The GOP hasn't seen any misery---- at the country club. Everyone seems happy there. Now Michael Steele, the Chairman of the Republican Party thinks that creating new jobs, fixing our country's infrastructure, and helping people work again, is just a bunch of fluff.

These GOPers must have their heads somewhere. Is Steele serious? With unemployment rates rising higher every month, Steele and his Republican buddies would like to just let it ride. It means nothing to them. They want to see Obama fail. They want this country to fail so they can win the next election. The Republicans may have been good at winning previous elections, but they don't know how to get people back to work. The Republicans are out of ideas, so they'll just complain about the Democrats. To heck with bipartisanship!!!!!!

Pass the original Economic Stimulus Bill!

Have you called your Republican Senator today? Do it again.

The Republican Legacy

Don't you find it incredible that the Senate Republicans are refusing to help our country get people back to work? What is wrong with the GOP? Do they hate this country? While the Republicans ask for the same old tax cuts that got us into this mess, the country's economy continues in a downward spiral. Now even business leaders, chambers of commerce, and others in the private sector are pushing for approval for the President's economic stimulus package.

Call/email your Senators and tell them to support the President's economic stimulus plan. Start here for names and numbers --- http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and don't forget to also call local office numbers of your Senators.

If the Republicans still refuse to support this package, their legacy will be even further damaged. After the miserable failures of the last eight years, the Republicans will see their entire party go down the tubes if they refuse to budge. The Republicans will be remembered as obstructionists who refused to help our country and the people when we needed it most.

Would you buy a used car from these losers?

(pic from Huffington Post) These Republicans are responsible for the national debt that was increased during the Bush administration.
CBS News (9/29/08):
With no fanfare and little notice, the national debt has grown by more than $4 trillion during George W. Bush’s presidency.
It’s the biggest increase under any president in U.S history......

The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.
The Republican tax cuts don't work. The Republican tax cuts don't work.

The Republicans are clueless as to how to fix the mess we are currently experiencing. They won't own up to the fact that their relentless rubber stamping of the Bush policies created this financial disaster. Bush's Iraq War is costing us $10 BILLION PER MONTH. While those costs continue, our own infrastructure is falling apart. Our country has fallen behind because of the waste of a war and the worthless policies of the Bush administration.

President Obama is correct to say that the GOP is responsible for these financial disasters.

I have some advice for President Obama and the Democrats-----

Forget about bipartisanship. Ignore the Republicans. Get Americans back to work ASAP.

Local Weatherman Doesn't Believe in Global Warming

I had no idea that local TV weatherman, Jym Ganahl, was a wing nut! Ganahl has been a weatherman at WCMH-TV Channel 4 in Columbus for thirty years. Ganahl calls global warming "a fallacy." Here is an excerpt from The Other Paper about Ganahl's beliefs:

Just when you thought it was safe to assume that everyone had pretty much accepted climate change and moved on, here comes rogue NBC 4 chief meteorologist Jym Ganahl to blow your freaking mind.

“Just wait 5 or 10 years, and it will be very obvious. They’ll have egg on their faces,” Ganahl said this week of global warming advocates....

...Back in 2007, the take-no-prisoners field of meteorology was split over the issue of climate change. Prominent Weather Channel meteorologist Heidi Cullen called for those who deny the so-called truth about global warming to be stripped of their American Meteorological Society credentials....

There is even a YouTube video with Ganahl spouting his views.

Channel 4 in Columbus, Ohio, is owned by Media General and has recently gone through two waves of layoffs. Right now the station is practically down to bare bones. Apparently, in their rush to layoff people, they've decided to continue to employ someone who doesn't believe in science.

CEO Money

USA Today has a very informative page on money being paid to CEO's and other corporate big shots:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/graphics/ceo-comp/flash.htm

Here is an example for the site under financials:
Washington Mutual's executive, Kerry Killinger had a salary of $1,000,000, no bonus, other compensation was $397,752, stock and options awards $12,967,131, total compensation $14,364,883, change from '06 -21%, shareholder return -68%. Pretty amazing.

If I read these tables correctly, your company can lose money but your CEO will still get his/her bonus. Must be nice. It might be time for all shareholders to pay particular attention to the money paid to these CEO's. While many Americans have lost jobs, these outrageous salaries and bonuses that are paid to these executives, appear obscene. If any of these companies received taxpayer bailout money, this is wrong.

Hey, Get Over It

Ok, I get that Tom Daschle didn't pay all his taxes. I understand that he withdrew his name from nomination. Enough reporting about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TV and other media people need to cover other stories like-----

-- Why do Republicans continue to support their tax cuts when we all know that they are ineffective tools for getting people back to work?

-- How many Americans are unemployed? How can the rest of us help these families?

-- What infrastructure projects are ready to go if funding comes from the federal government through a stimulus package?

-- What solutions does the GOP have for getting millions of people back to work?

-- Why do members of the Republican Party worship at the fat feet of a 3x's divorced, former drug addicted, gas bag, racist, college drop out? Is this their god? Is this their all-knowing leader? Is this the best they have in their dying, regional political party?

President Obama has been in office for two weeks. He has been busy shoveling through the messes of the previous administration. There has been one little bump in the road. Get over it. We need to talk about important issues.

Duckworth: VA Assistant Secretary

This story makes sense on so many levels:
PRNewswire:

President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"Effective communications with Veterans and VA's stakeholders is key to improving our services and ensuring Veterans receive the benefits they deserve," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "Tammy Duckworth brings significant talent, leadership and personal experience to this important work."

As assistant secretary, Duckworth will direct VA's public affairs, internal communications and intergovernmental relations. She also will oversee programs for homeless Veterans, consumer affairs and special rehabilitative events.....

Duckworth will definitely bring credibility to the post. Congratulations!

Get Down to Business

The Obama administration's stimulus package is meeting strong opposition from the Republicans. However, many of us on the left side believe that President Obama should just get on with pushing the legislation through the Senate.

Here are the facts, as I see them:

(1) The Republicans lost the right to set an agenda when their candidate for President lost.
(2) Overwhelmingly, American voters elected Democrats to the House and the Senate.
(3) The Bush administration left a mess, both domestically and internationally.
(4) People want jobs, a change of approach for solving our nations problems, and real leadership.

I've said it before and I'll say it again------ Ignore the Republicans! The GOP's failure to respond to the needs of their country just shows their self-absorbed, country club, pro-right wing philosophical differences. They don't give a damn. If we don't need the GOP to get things accomplished, forget about their assistance.

My neighbor lost her job last week. She had worked with the company for over two decades and was part of a second round of layoffs. It is just very sad to see her and others put in this situation.

Here is my advice for President Obama and the Democrats---

Pass the legislation and get people working again.

Ignore the Republicans

While President Obama and his team continue to push the stimulus package, the Republicans in Congress refused to support it. Do the Republicans don't see the need? Are the Republicans so stuck in the mud, so backward-thinking that they are unable to think in a direction other than their usual "tax cuts" for the rich?

Democratic Rep. Barney Frank had a response to the Republican naysayers.
Raw Story:
.....Rep. Frank placed blame once more with deregulation for creating the worsening economic conditions that led to banks receiving hundreds of billions of dollars in government aid. "The complete absence of regulation in the financial area has, I think, been a disaster," he said. "And I think we're back to where we were when Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson stepped in or Franklin Roosevelt...No tax cut builds a road. No tax cut puts a cop on the street. No tax cut educates a child in the way that it ought to be done."

When DeMint cited the proposed package the "largest spending bill in history," Frank indicted the occupation of Iraq on its costly consequences to the treasury. "The largest spending bill in history is going to turn out to be the war in Iraq," he charged of the effort, which was widely supported by Republicans throughout the George W. Bush years, which also fostered three major tax cuts and the addition of $4.9 trillion to the national debt. "And one of the things, if we're going to talk about spending, I don't -- I have a problem when we leave out that extraordinarily expensive, damaging war in Iraq, which has caused much more harm than good, in my judgment....."

I'm glad he said it. Bush's war in Iraq is currently costing us TEN BILLION DOLLARS PER MONTH! The Republicans would rather continue the war and the spending of American lives and money in Iraq because they don't want to make it seem that their beloved George W. Bush was wrong. The Republicans just want to give more tax breaks. That is their solution for everything. Tax breaks won't work because it won't put money in your pocket like having a job will.

Barney Frank is right. If we can't get some of our people back to work, we will continue to remain in our present condition, with the chance that things will get worse.

Yesterday on Meet The Press, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison were guests. Sen. Kerry clearly supported the stimulus package. However, Sen. Hutchison continued to push for tax cuts, a cut in the capital gains tax, and refuted the claim that the Bush administration had not spent enough money on infrastructure. Is Hutchison unable to see that those tax cuts didn't work?

Hutchison also appeared to be against expanding high speed internet access throughout the country. (This is all part of the pre-historic thinking of the Republican Party.) Opening the internet to all communities in the U.S. could benefit everyone. It encourages people to set up web based businesses, education, commerce, communication, etc.

Sitting around letting the Republicans lead the conversation won't get anything accomplished. We've had an election and we voted for change. We must let our elected officials in Congress hear our voices in support for the stimulus package. We cannot delay because we must make progress as soon as possible.

Friday

* This morning President Obama and Vice President Biden had an announcement about labor and the middle class.
NY Times:

On yet another morning of grim economic news, President Obama on Friday sought to further distance himself from his predecessor as he announced steps that he said would strengthen organized labor and improve the lot of middle-class Americans.

At a White House ceremony, the president signed three executive orders that he said would “reverse many of the policies towards organized labor that we’ve seen these last eight years, policies with which I’ve sharply disagreed.”

-I saw something the other day that made me physically ill. It was a Palin-Jindal bumper sticker on a car in Columbus, Ohio. Yuck.

* Huh? Does George W. Bush believe he still has presidential powers?
Raw Story:
...Fielding's letter reflects President George W. Bush's decision to continue to argue that "[t]he President and his immediate advisors are absolutely immune from testimonial compulsion by a congressional committee," even after leaving office, citing a 2007 memorandum the Justice Department prepared. Ironically, the memo was prepared by the very department that Congress is trying to garner information about.

Rove's immunity, Fielding says, thus "arises from the President's position as head of the executive branch and from Mr. Rove's position as a senior advisor to the President."

A similar letter was sent to the attorney for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers telling her not to appear at a scheduled deposition with the House Judiciary Committee. Miers, the Bush White House argues, also has "absolute immunity" as a presidential advisor...

Do these Bushies just make up laws as they go along? Has anyone told him that Bush that he is no longer the President? If Karl Rove continues to refuse to obey his subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee, I'd love to see him brought to the committee in handcuffs and chains.

* Do the Republicans think that they'll just ignore the President for the next four years? I think it was a major mistake for the GOPers to vote against the stimulus package. We know that their 'tax break' philosophy has not worked. We know they've done nothing to encourage the economy and hiring. How do Republicans think things will get fixed? I think that so many of the Republicans are so removed from real jobs, shopping, and normal life that they have no idea about what is going on in the country.

Voter Fraud?

Do you remember the charges that Republicans made about voter fraud in Ohio? Here is the result of an investigation as described at Cincinnati.com:

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he had allegations last fall of widespread voter fraud – allegations a special prosecutor reported Tuesday were wrong, noting the only voter fraud found was from a Connecticut man who told on himself.

“Ultimately,” Special Prosecutor Michael O’Neill wrote in a report, “the investigators discovered ‘get-out-the-vote’ practices, sponsored by community organizations, which took full advantage of this unique absentee-voting period, but no evidence these practices violated Ohio law.”

....Deters claimed his office had concrete allegations that people were offered booze and cigarettes to vote specific ways, suggesting they were voting for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama....

Deters must have a very low opinion of the people who voted for Barack Obama. Deters, a Republican, must think that people had to be bribed to vote for Obama. What Deters doesn't understand is that the large numbers of people that showed up to vote in Ohio was due to the fact that people wanted change---not the same old crap from the Greedy Old Party.

Joe Deters served as John McCain's regional chairman. Really.

*** Last night, David Letterman had some kind words for President Obama. Letterman said something like, "....God love President Obama because he really is trying to get things done...."

>>>> Do you know the best part about Super Bowl weekend? The Puppy Bowl will be on Animal Planet!!!!! The Puppy Bowl will run from 3pm-5pm EST and repeat until 5am. If you have young children, it is a great alternative to the sports hype. Check out the Animal Planet website for activities to keep your youngsters busy.

Are Republicans like Nero?

Don't you wonder if the Republicans even care about what is going on in this country? Are the Republicans like Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned? Will Republicans in Congress continue to do nothing while our nation tries to respond to the disaster left by the Bush administration?

It doesn't seem to matter to the Republicans that over two million people lost their jobs in 2008. They just want to keep talking about their worthless, ineffective tax breaks. The GOP is clueless. Clueless. The Republicans couldn't find their way out of a paper bag.

While the Republicans stall and complain about President Obama's recovery plan and stimulus package, things continue to get worse. More people lose their jobs and the future bad without something to get us working again:

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): (Note: This is just a sampling from the ASCE website.)

Roads D-

Americans spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic at a cost to the economy of $78.2 billion, or $710 per motorist. Poor road conditions cost motorists $67 billion a year in repairs and operating costs, and cost 14,000 Americans their lives. One-third of America's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 36% of major urban highways are congested. The current spending level of $70.3 billion per year for highway capital improvements is well below the estimated $186 billion needed annually to substantially improve the nation's highways.

Schools D

Spending on the nation's schools grew from $17 billion in 1998 to a peak of $29 billion in 2004. However, by 2007 spending fell to $20.28 billion. No comprehensive, authoritative nationwide data on the condition of America's school buildings has been collected in a decade. The National Education Association's best estimate to bring the nation's schools into good repair is $322 billion....

We have unsafe bridges in Ohio. On Campus:

...There are hundreds of bridges in Ohio that are considerably structurally deficient. An example of an unsafe bridge is the Orange Road bridge near where I live. A steel-truss bridge designed in 1898, it has not been maintained properly for over a century....

We Voted for Hope and Change

Last night on MSNBC's the Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel Maddow had this to say about the Republican reluctance to support President Obama's stimulus package:

"......the election was a de facto referendum on the economy...."

Correct! The American voters rejected the do-nothing, tax cuts for the rich, sit on your hands, deregulating, policies of Republican Party. Because of the ultra-loyalty of the Republican Party, George W. Bush and the Republicans created this financial mess we are in now. We don't want to go down the same road again with Mitch McConnell and John Boehner leading the way. Americans voted for hope and change. If the Republicans don't want to support the country's recovery, then let them be viewed as obstructionists.

It is time to stand up and let McConnell, Boehner, and the rest of the GOPers know that we are pushing for change and jobs, with or without them.

Monday's Notes

> On the Today Show this morning, there were knock-offs of Mrs. Michelle Obama's dresses from the Inauguration. They were very impressive.

> The Obama White House has been working quickly to take care of overturning some of Bush's EPA standings. Thank goodness!

> It appears that the tech-savvy staff have had problems with the draconian computers found in the White House. Washington Post:

..."It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of his new digs.....
....One member of the White House new-media team came to work on Tuesday, right after the swearing-in ceremony, only to discover that it was impossible to know which programs could be updated, or even which computers could be used for which purposes. The team members, accustomed to working on Macintoshes, found computers outfitted with six-year-old versions of Microsoft software. Laptops were scarce, assigned to only a few people in the West Wing. The team was left struggling to put closed captions on online videos....

Wouldn't that be frustrating?

> Is anyone else concerned about the Republicans obstructionist behavior? Haven't they read the papers? We have a Democrat in the White House with Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate. Let us keep pressure on the GOPers to help support change in this country.

Seriously

* These recent stories about bank CEO's spending millions and millions of dollars re-decorating their offices and mansions with their company checkbooks and our taxpayer bailout dollars, has just gotten me sick. Corporations and companies need to set up things called "budgets" on re-decorating CEO's offices and other business holdings. I realize that some big shots in big industries may not have ever heard of the word "budget" but most Americans deal with it every single day of our lives. Besides, there is no reason why a CEO should spend $87,000 on a rug. That is just obscene. Stockholders should rise up and try to institute some fiscal restraint in the area of corporate spending.

* I read a few articles that said that the Bush loyalists thought that the press and the new administration had been too critical of former President George W. Bush. Seriously? George W. Bush has left us with the largest financial disaster since the Great Depression. We have two wars, an attack on our country that occurred on his watch (9/11), massive unemployment, American auto industries on the brink of failure, over 4,000 Americans killed in Bush's unnecessary war in Iraq, New Orleans still recovering from the "handling" of Hurricane Katrina, our military stretched to the limit, states finding it difficult to maintain services, the public schools tied to a worthless and underfunded "No Child Left Behind", our diplomatic relations with foreign countries almost nonexistent, etc., etc., etc, and these Bushies think we should be praising Bush's catastrophic conditions he left for President Obama? Enough already!!!!

The Republicans--- Ain't What They Used to Be

This update from MSNBC may even show more evidence of the young voters fleeing from the Neanderthal-thinking GOP, as reported in a new survey of college students:

• The proportion of incoming students calling themselves liberal rose to 31 percent, the highest in 35 years. Another 21 percent called themselves conservative, down from 23 percent in 2007.
• Just under two-thirds (66 percent) support the right to same-sex marriage.
• The proportion of freshmen calling it "essential" or "very important" to help clean up the environment jumped from 22 percent in 2006 to about 30 percent last year. Nearly three-quarters said addressing global warming should be a federal priority....

If you look over the entire survey, you'll see that young voters tend to disagree with a majority of the
GOP platform and agenda.

> With the entire Republican Party seemingly lost in the wilderness, you almost wonder if they'll ever be a majority party again. On MSNBC this afternoon, Norah O'Donnell interviewed Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty. O'Donnell pointed out some recent statistics. While the GOP attracts mostly white, older individuals, the country as a whole is becoming more ethnically diverse. Those ethnically diverse American voters tend to be Democratic voters. The Democratic Party had a majority of the younger voters. Will these enthusiastic younger voters continue to support Democratic candidates? Probably.

Over at BoingBoing there is a posting of Thomas Fuchs and Felix Sockwell's 'Deconstructing Dumbo':
....illustrator Thomas Fuchs and designer Felix Sockwell have put together 100 iconic mini-tales of a GOP in disarray for their 'Deconstructing Dumbo' book, self-published and available via Fuch's site.....

The GOP's behavior in blocking legislation and in delaying approval of President Obama's cabinet members, shows their desperation and pathetic response to the voters' desire for change. The Republicans could go the way of the Studebaker and the Edsel if they are unable to go along with the change that Americans are demanding.

Down to Business

President Obama was very busy last night. Yes, it is true that President and Mrs. Obama danced through the night at 10 inaugural balls, but something more happened.

CNN:
In one of his first acts in office President Obama has ordered the U.S. government to suspend prosecutions of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for 120 days, military officials said Tuesday.

Papers filed at the U.S. prison camp said the request is made "in the interest of justice and at the direction of the president of the United States." It seeks a delay in proceedings until May 20....

Philly.com:
In one of his first acts in office, President Obama yesterday ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review. The action comes after George W. Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.....
....Obama was summoning his holdover defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, to the White House today, along with other members of his National Security Council, to discuss a way ahead in the war, according to two senior military officers who spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had not publicly announced the meeting....

President Obama has been left a pile of problems. He won't have the luxury of taking naps or exercising twice per day or riding a mountain bike, as some of our previous Presidents have done. (I won't mention any names!) President Obama is ready to work and he'll need our help and support.

Update: It appears as though Republican Rep. John Boehner and his Republican friends are going to do all they can to stop President Obama's agenda for change.

A New Day

The excitement is building in Washington, DC and in my home. We are all very excited about the beginning of the Obama administration. I'm awed by the crowds in Washington, DC. It will be a busy and historic day for Barack Obama. Let us offer our new President our prayers and best wishes.

Missing Liberal Talk Radio

Here in Columbus, Ohio, we lost liberal talk radio a few weeks ago. WVKO has become an affiliate of Catholic radio. Their gain is our loss. Now, those of us in central Ohio, are forced to listen to Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz on the internet. We also lost our sense of community. Events, meetings, and special announcements kept us aware of what was going on here. However, it is gone.

I find it very sad. At a time when we could be celebrating the inauguration of the President that many of us worked for, we find ourselves unable to share our joy with each other on the radio dial. Hopefully, liberal talk radio will return to Columbus in the near future.

Friday's Notes

* Great information on Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot of the U.S. Airways that landed in the Hudson River: Huffington Post. He is the type of pilot that you'd like to have driving your plane.

A posting at DailyKos reminds everyone that the people who were responsible for saving lives and the rescue (including the pilot), are all members of unions:

....Sullenberger is a former national committee member and the former safety chairman for the Airline Pilots Association and now represented by US Airline Pilots Association. He--and his union--have fought to ensure pilots get the kind of safety training to pull off what he did yesterday.....

...The ferry captains and crews are .....represented by the Seafarers International Union. They provide safety training to their members so they're prepared for events like yesterday's accident....

The pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, fire fighters, and the police officers are all members of unions. Their training and professionalism resulted in an amazing day of survival for the people on that flight.

* According to what I've read at the Star Tribune, the court fight over the senate election in Minnesota could go on for several more months. Al Franken won, but Norm Coleman wants to drag lawsuits through the courts until the tulips bloom. Give it up, Norm. Be a man and take the defeat!

* We've had quite a bit of snow here in central Ohio and now we are suffering through some serious wind chill temperatures. Many school districts have had to cancel classes for Friday.

* The tcNEWSnet indicates that Republican Ohio Sen. Jon Husted finally testified before the Montgomery County Board of Elections. Husted's residency has been called into question because he lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio with his wife and kids but calls Kettering his residence. Apparently, the investigation continues.

* I confess----- I did not watch President Bush give his "farewell" address to the nation. I've had enough of his presidency, his wars, and his failed economy.

* President-elect Obama visited a factory in Bedford Heights, Ohio today. We need to get more people back to work.

Really, Really Like Him

It appears that a majority of Americans approve of President-elect Barack Obama, according to a WSJ/NBC News Poll. WSJ:

A strong majority of Americans approve of how President-elect Barack Obama is handling the transition and preparing for the Oval Office, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Some 71% said they approve of the incoming administration’s efforts, while just 14% disapprove. Those ratings have held steady since the previous WSJ/NBC News poll in December, when slightly more (73%) approved and slightly less (13%) disapproved.....

Americans are desperately needing change. This change will come with intelligent leadership and thoughtful, and purposeful steps to get America working again.

While we had hoped that President Obama would be able to get the financial situation moving quickly in the right direction, Republican Sen. Jon Kyl pulled out some procedural shenanigans to delay the hearing and approval of President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner. Sen. Kyl and a few other Republicans should stop putting up roadblocks to our country's financial recovery. If you'd like to let Kyl know how you feel about his obstruction, you may contact him:

>>>WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE, 730 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4521 Fax: (202) 224-2207

>>>PHOENIX OFFICE, 2200 East Camelback, Suite 120, Phoenix, Arizona 85016-3455Phone: (602) 840-1891 Fax: (602) 957-6838

>>>TUCSON OFFICE, 6840 North Oracle Road, Suite 150, Tucson, Arizona 85704
Phone: (520) 575-8633 Fax: (520) 797-3232

>>>>United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224- 3121

President Obama had hoped to sign legislation on inauguration day to get things moving. Republicans had other ideas. Call Kyl and let him know that he must not stand in the way of our nation's recovery.

Take Note

> Do you have UnitedHealth insurance? You need to read this story from MSNBC.com:

One of the nation’s largest health insurers has agreed to pay $50 million dollars in a settlement announced today after being accused of overcharging millions of Americans for health care.

The New York attorney general’s office launched an investigation after receiving hundreds of complaints about Oxford Insurance and its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, which claims to rely on “independent research from across the health care industry” to determine reimbursement rates. In actuality though, it relies on Ingenix, a research firm owned by UnitedHealth Group.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says Ingenix has been manipulating the numbers so insurance companies pay less. In a just-released report, he contends that Americans have been “under-reimbursed to the tune of at least hundreds of millions of dollars.” Although UnitedHealth Group and Oxford Insurance were the only entities investigated, other major insurers use Ingenix, including Aetna, CIGNA and WellPoint/Empire BlueCross BlueShield.....

The New York Times has another article about this case. Included in the article is information about class-action lawsuits:

...No criminal charges have been sought in the case. Nor was UnitedHealth required to pay restitution to consumers, although the disputed reimbursements are the subject of class-action lawsuits around the country....

You may need to review this with your lawyer if you have UnitedHealth and you have a lot of problems with reimbursements.

Ohio's Republicans in U.S. House

Do you remember how a majority of Americans voted for change? Apparently, certain Ohio Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives haven't gotten the message. Once again, the Ohio Republicans are playing the old game of obstructionism and promoting their anti-worker agenda.

CantonRep:

..Members voted, 247-171, to give plaintiffs more standing to file pay-bias suits. A yes vote was to pass a bill (HR 11) allowing claims to be filed within 180 days of the last infraction, thus voiding a Supreme Court ruling that suits must be filed within 180 days of the first infraction.

Voting yes: Steve Driehaus, D-1, Charlie Wilson, D-6, Marcy Kaptur, D-9, Dennis Kucinich, D-10, Marcia Fudge, D-11, Betty Sutton, D-13, Mary Jo Kilroy, D-15, John Boccieri, D-16, Tim Ryan, D-17, Zack Space, R-18.
Voting no: Jean Schmidt, R-2, Mike Turner, R-3, Jim Jordan, R-4, Robert Latta, R-5, Steve Austria, R-7, John Boehner, R-8, Pat Tiberi, R-12, Steve LaTourette, R-14.....

...Wage discrimination
Members voted, 256-163, to strengthen the federal law that bans pay discrimination based on gender. The bill empowers women alleging bias to sue for recovery of back pay and to receive punitive and compensatory damages. A yes vote was to pass HR 12.

Voting yes: Driehaus, Wilson, Kaptur, Kucinich, Fudge, Sutton, Kilroy, Boccieri, Ryan, Space.
Voting no: Schmidt, Turner, Jordan, Latta, Austria, Boehner, Tiberi, LaTourette....

*******

In conclusion, we can summarize and state that Ohio's Republican Members of the

House of Representatives are

1. against allowing people to file pay-bias suits

2. for wage discrimination.

The Republicans are once again clueless.

Exactly!

Joe Conason is exactly right when he says that those accusing Al Franken of stealing the election need to show proof or shut up.

SALON:
If Al Franken were not a longtime public figure -- and thus severely handicapped by American jurisprudence -- he could file a powerful complaint for libel or slander against several of the most prominent wingnuts in the United States. From Rush Limbaugh to Bill O'Reilly to Richard Mellon Scaife, a chorus of familiar voices is loudly defaming the Democrat whose razor-thin win in the Minnesota Senate race will now be tested in that state's courts. Ever since Election Day, on radio and television, on the Internet and in print, they've screamed that Franken is stealing, rigging, pilfering, scamming, thieving and cheating his way to victory.

These media figures, some of whom occasionally pretend to be journalists, have spewed such accusations repeatedly, without offering any proof whatsoever -- in plain contradiction of the available facts. Not only is there no evidence that Franken or his campaign "cheated" in any way during the election or the recount, but there is ample reason to believe that the entire process was fair, balanced and free from partisan taint.....

....Here's a challenge to all those lying liars. In essence, they have accused my friend Franken of a felony under Minnesota law. If they know of any evidence that would show he has stolen votes or violated any election statute, let them report it to the state law enforcement authorities. And if they don't, perhaps they will at last have the decency to shut up.

These right wing nut jobs (as mentioned by Conason) need to shut their mouths. They know nothing about the details of the recount process and they continue to yell, scream, and lie about what happened. Coleman was a special friend of President George W. Bush. Coleman even went to visit the Bush "ranch" in Texas. Many Republicans just don't want to admit that the Bush and Coleman days are gone. It is time to move on and get to work cleaning up the mess they left.

Don't You Wonder.....

* How is it that Bernie Madoff can send "gifts" worth millions of dollars to friends and relatives while he remains on house arrest because of the "ponzi" scheme? Seriously, this guy took money from his clients and used it for his personal gain. Now, according to the NY Times, Madoff ".....is under 24-hour house arrest in his $7 million Manhattan apartment....." $7 million dollars? How can he mail diamonds and watches to relatives as gifts while he remains under investigation? Besides, who sends gifts worth millions of dollars to friends and family? I think the government should take those items to pay back his victims.

* Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman (his term has expired) is doing his part to tie up the courts in order to overturn the vote in the senatorial race in his state. Why, Norm? Why do you bother? Give it up, Norm!

* What was that chainsaw carrying man thinking when he attacked his neighbor's door?
Philly.com: An eastern Pennsylvania man may face up to 37 years in prison for tearing open a neighbor's door with a chain saw. Police say 34-year-old Robert Kane began sawing through the front door of Jamie Zaleski's apartment in Scranton while Zaleski and several friends ran out the back.

Kane was angry because a friend of Zaleski's parked in front of his house across the street. Police said when Zaleski asked who was at the door, Kane said it was his worst nightmare, told him, "Open the door or I'll cut it down," and started sawing.....

Why did he need a chainsaw to communicate with his neighbor?

* Don't you wonder what your family and friends would say if you bought a replica of the White House? The New York Times is reporting that a house that is a downsized duplicate of the White House is for sale. This might be your lucky day if you have $9.88 million.

Tuesday's Topics

* On C-SPAN right now, Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House for the 111th Congress. Yipeeee! Speaker Pelosi is giving her acceptance speech and she has noted that in two weeks a new President will take the oath of office. :)

* Despite a hard fought game, the Ohio State Buckeyes lost to Texas last night. Win or lose, I'll always love the Buckeyes. Thanks for great season!

* If you lived in Columbus for any period of time during the 1950's until the early 1990's, you probably remember a TV sportscaster with the loud print sports jackets. The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Jimmy Crum has passed away.

* Have you seen "Whale Wars" on Discovery? The program shows how environmental groups attempt to stop large Japanese ships from whale hunting in protected waters. According to an article posted at the Star Tribune, Japan calls these whale protector ships "like pirates." Star Tribune:

Japan said Tuesday it plans to ask Australia and possibly New Zealand and Chile to ban an anti-whaling protest ship from using their ports to refuel, heightening a cat-and-mouse game in Antarctic waters between Japan's whaling fleet and the conservationists.

The Sea Shepherd group has said its anti-whaling ship, the Steve Irwin, has left pursuit of Japan's whaling fleet after chasing it for 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) and is now headed to port to refuel. It suggested on its Web site it will seek a port call in Australia, but has not provided further details.....

.....Last year an Australian customs ship tracked the Japanese fleet in the Antarctic Ocean, gathering evidence for a possible legal battle against whaling.

Check out Whale Wars at Discovery Channel.

Monday's Notes

Earthtimes:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy left Paris on Monday on a two-day visit to the Middle East in a unilateral attempt to negotiate a ceasefire in the fighting in Gaza. Traveling in his capacity as co-president, with Egypt, of the Union for the Mediterranean, Sarkozy is scheduled first to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the resort of Sharm el-Sheik. He will then travel on to West Bank city of Ramallah to hold talks with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late Monday in Jerusalem......

Where is Bush while the world falls apart?

*** Are you looking for inauguration gear? Buy your stuff at the official inauguration store. There are plenty of choices.

Never! Never! Never!

From UPI:

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush said Sunday he would like to see another of his sons, Jeb, become president.

Jeb Bush, a former governor of Florida, is contemplating a run for U.S. Senate, but the elder Bush said during an interview from his Texas home aired on Fox News Sunday he'd like to see a third Bush in the White House, even as another son, George W., is about to leave the presidency with record-low approval ratings.

"I'd like to see him run," Bush said of Jeb. "I'd like to see him be president some day......"

Haven't the Bushes done enough damage to the country? There is no reason why we should have Jeb Bush or any other Bush family member in the White House. I think you'll agree with me when I say we've overdosed on the entire Bush family and the disasters they've left behind. No more Bushes. No Jeb in the White House. Never. Never. Never!

Reason and Intelligence

With the incoming Obama administration, I'm hoping that we see somethings that we haven't seen in a very long time: Reason and Intelligence. I'm sure that the Obama administration will use both to solve the myriad of problems left behind by Bush.

I've written before about the laundry list of problems that the new administration will face, but I'd like to state a few things I'd like to see taken care of in the near future. Here are my suggestions:

* Please adhere to the Kyoto Treaty/Protocol which was largely dismissed by the Bushies.

* We need to have a more open conversation with the people of Cuba. If Americans are able to visit and communicate with average Cubans, a move away from the Castro brothers would certainly happen.

* Push for greener cars, transportation, and manufacturing. We would save money and help the environment.

* We need a team of constitutional lawyers to go over the "signing statements" that President Bush created. There will be lots of things to undo.

* Take care of our men and women in the military. They've gone through so much and they deserve our thanks, respect, and care. We can no longer let the mismanagement of veterans' affairs and medical facilities continue. Clean it up and fix it.

* Throw away the abstinence education program. It is totally worthless, and unfortunately, billions of dollars have been wasted. Sex education based on science should be taught in our schools.

* End the war in Iraq ASAP!

* Start conversations with those countries and regions that have been neglected by the Bush administration. Encourage those countries to work with us instead of against us.

* Rebuild America. Get people back to work fixing roads, bridges, and schools. Make community participation cool again.

I'm certain that hundreds of more items could be added to this list, but I don't have the time or energy to name them all. It is without question, that those reading this could add even more. I think it is important that we watch the Senate and the House of Representatives and make sure that legislation gets passed to get America working again. We need to take time to make our elected officials work for us.

I may only be a wife/mother/grandmother/retired teacher/dog owner, but I wish that some of my hopes and dreams are shared by you and the new administration. We must make sure that things are accomplished to help our people and the world.

The Road Ahead

This holiday season, our family shopping was guided by cost and practicality. Even though our children are older and are not into toys, we stayed away from going overboard on spending. Although we did shop at Target, Macy's, and Best Buy, we stayed with gift cards. We all understood that it was inappropriate, given the country's economic situation and high unemployment, to spend lots of money and go into debt.

Once again we did not spend a penny at Wal-mart. My philosophy about Wal-mart is that until they treat their employees fairly with pay and benefits, we will not give them any money. Millions of Americans may think I'm crazy, but I do not want to award Wal-mart's less than stellar record of fairness in dealing with their employees.

With less than three weeks to go until Inauguration Day, I'm trying to stay calm and hopeful. Like many Obama supporters, I am very excited about Barack Obama becoming President. However, given the mess left behind by the current administration, Obama will have to deal with a boatload of problems almost immediately. You almost wonder if any other modern President has had to face such a massive laundry list of problems, wars, and financial disasters. The friends of supporters of President George W. Bush are trying to re-write his legacy at this very moment. Given the state of affairs and the lingering financial crises, W will long be remembered as the Herbert Hoover of the 21st century.

The only obstacles that could possibly stop or derail the Obama administration are those Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate who are against progress. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. John Boehner, and others will do their part to delay or block legislation designed to get people working again. We must respond immediately with phone calls, and e-mails to thwart their obstruction. We've been saddled with the Republican "trick down economics" that has brought us disasters. It is time to get things done.