Last night I listened (AGAIN) in horror as Dick Cheney was given the “platform” to speak publicly, this time to a cheering crowd at the so-called “C-PAC” convention, as he predicted that Barack Obama will be a “one term president.”  Well, I’ve made the same prediction on this site – but with the caveat that if Obama continues his RIDICULOUS policy of “looking forward instead of back” regarding the crimes of Bush/Cheney et al – he is risking his reelection in 2012.  One of the main reasons I said that is the FACT that our “liberal media” (which, of course is almost totally controlled by conservatives) continues to give Cheney’s voice credibility – when the man SHOULD BE AT GUANTANAMO with the rest of America’s “enemy combatants.”  When someone says to me “how low can they go” when referring to politicians, the first thought that ALWAYS comes to my mind is Dick Cheney.

This man is a thug!  And, that’s putting it nicely.  There’s NOTHING about him that should cause any American who has a clue about what transpired in the eight years prior to Obama’s winning the White House to give Cheney even an ounce of credibility.  I even HATE writing about the guy – but, each time I hear him spewing his CRAP I feel an obligation to respond, even if the democrats – who should be outraged at every word the man says and should be DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT (remember, Congress has the right to investigate no matter what the president says) – won’t do anything to shut this thug up.  Let me start with a little refresher course on how Cheney does things, especially for all of you out there who are thinking President Obama is the “fascist.”

When George W Bush won the nomination of the republicans in 2000, he chose Cheney to “vet” the prospective vice presidential candidates.  Cheney (and, I have to admit, this was brilliant strategy on the part of a true authoritarian personality) collected boxes upon boxes of information on ALL the leading republicans (something in the high teens or twenties) – telling ALL of them they were on the “short list” of 3 or 4 candidates (remember, Cheney’s a pathological liar – meaning he’ll lie to anyone to get what he wants) – telling each one of them they MUST include ALL information, including anything that might prove embarrassing in order to prevent a selection which would backfire in the press.  THEN Cheney CHOSE HIMSELF and “outed” (he’s really good at “outing” people) one of the candidates by leaking info to the press that ruined the guy (I believe it was a governor in a place like Nebraska – a very safe person to SCREW).  Subsequent to ruining this person’s career he reminded the other “candidates” that he had the “goods” (the contents of all the “boxes” of info) on them and they had better “toe the line” or he would ruin them as well.  A beautiful plan, huh?  If you’ve been following this guy for any length of time, this shouldn’t surprise you.  When I read this in Barton Gellman’s book “Angler” for some reason it absolutely didn’t surprise me, other than my thinking that I wouldn’t even be capable of such a dastardly deed.  It takes a REAL SPECIAL person to become a successful republican these days (you can surely see why Rush Limbaugh loves the guy so much!)

Well, that’s just for starters.  It gets “better” (or worse, depending on your perspective).  GW Bush – the great CEO president – gave Cheney the responsibility of filling his cabinet posts.  Hence people like Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, and a host of other “neo-cons” in key places in Bush’s White House right from the start.  Cheney started off with the now famous “energy summit” of which the participants were NEVER exposed to the public, but SURELY was headlined by Ken Lay of Enron – this was prior to Enron’s famous demise which took the 401 K’s of millions of Americans into the “tank.”  As a sidenote, I was always curious why the republicans in Congress spent eight years investigating “Whitewater” which was nothing more than a stupid investment by the Clinton’s and spent ZERO time investigating a failed business venture which was clearly ILLEGAL and caused hardship to MILLIONS of American citizens.  I guess it must have had something to do with what was in those boxes – virtually EVERY committee chairman in Congress had been on Cheney’s “short list.”  Are you getting the picture here?

Then there was the nine months that Bush/Cheney was in the White House prior to 9/11.  During that time there are sufficient records showing that both Cheney and his chief of staff I. lewis “Scooter” Libby spent enough time at the CIA “sniffing” out intelligence on Saddam Hussein that they couldn’t possibly have missed ALL the warning signs the CIA had to the impending “bin Laden to attack America” scenario.  In fact, the more I read about what happened in those days, the more I’m convinced that Cheney (and Bush, for that matter) were willing to absorb an attack in order to have an excuse to invade Iraq.  I’m convinced that Iraq’s oil was a big part of the discussion of the “energy summit” that we will hopefully someday know about – which is why Cheney went to such extremes to keep EVERYTHING including who was there a SECRET.  Clearly both Dick Cheney and George W Bush (plus Wolfowitz, Feith, Perle, and others) were planning an invasion of Iraq LONG BEFORE 9/11 ever happened.  The evidence of that is OVERWHELMING – which is why I’m so disappointed there’s NO INVESTIGATION of these thugs.

But, hang on, it gets worse.  Not only were Bush/Cheney planning to invade Iraq, but it appears they never had any intention of capturing Osama bin Laden from the start of the invasion of Afganistan.  US forces (along with others) had bin Laden TRAPPED AT TORA BORA and LET HIM GO.  This appears to have been a calculated decision.  Had they captured bin Laden, there would have been no justification to invade Iraq – SO THEY LET THE GUY WHO KILLED 3000 AMERICANS GO!  And, of course, getting back to our “liberal” mainstream media – there’s PLENTY of evidence of this, but you have to go to the book store and find the books, read them, and figure it out on your own – which apparently, not too many Americans are doing (including Obama, because otherwise there would be at least investigations of these people).

I’m sure you’ve figured this out, but it KEEP’S getting worse!  Both Dick Cheney and George W Bush OPENLY LIED over and over again to “gin” up public support for an invasion of Iraq.  They knew that Saddam Hussein had NOTHING to do with 9/11, had no weapons of “mass destruction,” did not have a nuclear capability, and was NOT a threat to the United States WELL BEFORE THE INVASION.  There was even a memo FORGED by the CIA and “discovered” in some European country suggesting a meeting between Mohammed Atta and someone from Saddam’s government that was ordered out of the Vice President’s office – yep, you guessed it, Dick Cheney ordered the CIA to do something TERRIBLY ILLEGAL. 

Of course, if you’ve been following this guy for any length of time, you know that doing stuff that’s illegal comes naturally to Cheney.  Much of what’s been discussed earlier in this post is more like REALLY unethical, but probably not illegal.  But, once our troops crossed the Kuwaiti border into Iraq, the illegal stuff started happening with ABANDON.  (well, I should say that it appears that the illegal wiretapping actually started PRIOR to 9/11 – and, of course, that would be a felony each time someone was wiretapped without a warrant – everything I’ve been able to find out about this would suggest that Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby were at the forefront of the illegal wiretapping – some of the CRIMES that Obama doesn’t want to investigate for some odd reason)

Let’s look at the “outing” of a CIA agent – which is TREASON – remember, Cheney’s good at “outing” people.  Valerie Plame (Wilson) was the head of a covert CIA group which was in charge of finding and verifying the so-called “WMD’S” (weapons of mass destruction).  Her group had been hard at work for over a year before Bush/Cheney publicly started “pushing” the invasion without them finding ANYTHING.  Bush/Cheney were so “fixed” on this invasion that they had members of the CIA smuggled into Iraq with the “mission” of undermining Saddam to hopefully cause him to strike out at a “target” which would allow our government to “retaliate.”  Well, no one knows to this day how many people died due to Plame’s group being exposed publicly, but the TRUTH is – as mentioned above -disclosing the identity of an undercover CIA agent is TREASON.  This whole scheme came right from the vice president’s office, and most of what I’ve read suggests that President Bush was complicit in the CRIME as well.  Again, NO CONGRESSIONAL OR JUSTICE DEPARTMENT investigation beyond the Patrick Fitzgerald investigation where Scooter Libby was prosecuted for perjuring himself to protect Cheney – which was clearly Fitzgerald’s finding.  Fitzgerald even suggested that Congress should investigate further to uncover how this crime actually happened.  There is NO DOUBT in my mind that Plame was “outed” because her husband, Joe Wilson, wrote an OP Ed in the NY Times which exposed the abusrdity of Bush’s claim, in his state of the union message of 2003, that Iraq had purchased a substantial quantity of “yellow cake uranium” from Niger in Africa.  THE ENTIRE NUCLEAR SCARE WAS FABRICATED – an out and out LIE!

But, we’re not done yet, AMAZINGLY.  You’d think by the time one government official had broken that many laws someone would do something about it.  However, not in today’s America.  Even with all I know – and I’m sure there is MUCH, MUCH more – Cheney is still going around spouting off his lying mouth.  I haven’t even got to the “enhanced interrogation” which was “championed” by Dick Cheney.  In fact, he’s still going around “championing” it – which is one of the main reasons I continue to encourage President Obama to start the investigation of this guy – does anyone think the republicans won’t continue with their “enhanced interrogations” if they get back in power simply because Obama said “we don’t torture.”  Let me remind you, both Bush and Cheney said, “We don’t torture” too!  That is, despite the FACT both Bush and Cheney publicly ADMITTED to authorizing WATERBOARDING on national TV.  Well, let me put it this way, “Earth to Cheney, WATERBOARDING has been considered torture since the inception of the Geneva conventions.  We’ve (the United States) prosecuted Japanese for waterboarding our troops during WW II and we’ve prosecuted our own soldiers for doing it during Viet Nam.  According to the Geneva Conventions WATERBOARDING is a WAR CRIME.  Therefore, both Dick Cheney and George W Bush admitted on national TV to authorizing WAR CRIMES.  If you’re not sure, WAR CRIMES are illegal!

And, in my view, the waterboarding isn’t the worst thing they authorized.  Khalid Shiek Mohammed was known to be afraid of bugs.  So the “enhanced interrogators” put him in an enclosed “box” – supposedly the size of a small casket – filled with bugs – for an extended period of time.  This was the guy who was waterboarded 183 times in one month.  What they (Bush/Cheney) accomplished with all of this was that Sheik Mohammed stopped giving information and they made it virtually impossible to prosecute him in a REAL court of law – due to the “cruel and unusual” punishment they put him through that is a violation of everything this nation stands for.  It appears that Dick Cheney was quick to decide that revenge on the few “enemy combatants” who were really enemy combatants was far more valuable than the liberties our troops have been dying to defend for the past 200+ years.  Dick Cheney is a stong proponent of the Nixon “doctrine” that “if the president does it, it must be legal” and our new president is allowing him to get away with this.  He was so arrogant in breaking one law after another, that it’s SHAMEFUL our democratic leaders seem totally AFRAID to do anything about it.  Do you remember Cheney shooting one of his hunting partners in the face – clearly out shooting a rifle while DRINKING – and putting off the authorities for 24 hours so that he could sober up prior to giving his deposition.  I’m not saying that he was trying to shoot his friend, but the reality is it’s a crime to shoot someone in the face, even if it’s your friend, if you’re DRUNK!  This man has NO BOUNDARIES!

And, speaking of arrogance.  What about the three prisoners who were found DEAD, hanging in their cells at Guantanamo.  There was NO INVESTIGATION of this either.  But, just for the sake of me trying to give a clear picture here, let’s look at the facts of these three “suicides” – at least according to Bush/Cheney.  ALL THREE prisoners were found with a wad of cloth JAMMED so far down their throats that their jaws had to be broken to get the cloth out (I’ve written about this before, so please indulge me on this one).  Furthermore, evidently after JAMMING the cloth down their own throats so far that another breath would be IMPOSSIBLE they, ALL THREE OF THEM, managed to tie their own legs together, then tie their hands behind their backs, then climb onto boxes or something, put their heads in a noose, and then HANG THEMSELVES – ALL THREE OF THEM!  To make it even more interesting, there were guards patrolling the corridor where ALL THREE cells were located REGULARLY (meaning every 10 minutes or so).  The coroner’s findings suggested that ALL THREE men had been DEAD at least 2 hours prior to being noticed HANGING in their cells.  I wasn’t surprised that much that Bush/Cheney saw nothing “curious” about this – but, I was shocked when I heard that Eric Holder, Obama’s Attorney General, saw nothing worth investigating here as well.  It’s like they don’t want to confirm to the WHOLE WORLD what the ENTIRE WORLD already knows, and that is Bush/Cheney authorized their surrogates to commit WAR CRIMES!

I’ll conclude what could seemingly go on forever by wondering what people think everytime they hear republicans complaining about the budget deficit President Obama is “wrestling” with as he tries to “right the ship” – meaning the economy – left behind by Bush/Cheney.  By most accounts it is GW Bush who deserves the blame for almost taking us back into a 1930’s type Great Depression.  However, the reality is it was Dick Cheney who was in charge of all the tax cutting measures that were passed during the Bush administration which led to the RECORD DEFICITS.  In fact, Cheney – with his considerable connections with republicans in the house – managed to get more tax cuts through than even Bush wanted.  Cheney is famously quoted as saying “Ronald Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter.”  Well, once out of office he’s been spouting quite a different tune – as if to suggest to republicans, tea partyers, and the general public that these HORRIBLE DEFICITS are the work of Barack Obama.  While that kind of rhetoric is not ILLEGAL, it is such blatant B__ SH__ that it makes my stomach curl.  And, the fact that the media and the public gives it ANY TRACTION at all, is very discouraging.  Cheney is a PATHALOGICAL LIAR and by allowing him to continue doing this – as far as I’m concerned – our justice department, our Congress, and our sitting president  – NONE OF THEM – are showing the leadership that would restore the respect for the rule of law, the “concept” of honesty, and the general belief in our system of government that is missing from the public debate today.  Dick Cheney is a lying thug and “we the people” are forced to listen to him repeatedly by this timid government which is presently in charge.

But, of course, Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limbaugh, and others on the “right” (wrong) continue to give this man a “platform” from which to spew his vitriol and they think he’s the “cat’s meow.”  In fact, I even heard someone say the other day that Cheney’s contemplating a “run for the White House.”  (as Bush once said about Muslim terrorists, “bring em on”) The ironic thing to me is that if Cheney is correct about his latest “charge” – that Obama will be a one term president” – it will be because the very man he’s trying to “undo” is – FOR SOME STRANGE REASON – allowing him to go free.  It is the president’s duty – he takes an oath to defend the constitution and enforce the laws – to make sure that people like Cheney are not allowed to get away with crimes against this nation.  I could go on and on about Cheney – the war profiteering, the encouraging Halliburton to relocate to the middle east to avoid investigation AND taxes, the sweatheart “no-bid” deals with his “buddies,” and his botched ideas about the Iraq invasion which will end up being one of the worst decisions EVER made in the history of this nation – but, suffice it to say;  If President Obama ends up a one term president, one of the main reasons why will be his refusal to allow an investigation of Dick Cheney!  I’ve  said it before (will probably again): Want to shut Dick Cheney up?  Put him in front of a Grand Jury!  If you’re a regular here, forgive me – but everytime I hear this man spewing his garbage, I can’t help but write about it.  Kind of makes me feel a bit better.

I’m a sixth grade school teacher and I know first hand what it’s like to explain things to people (well, students) who either don’t “get it” or who don’t WANT to get it.  As I’ve been observing politics much closer since starting this little “rant outpost” – sometimes referred to as a blog (I didn’t even know what a blog was when I started writing) – I’m more and more seeing parallels between my sixth grade students and our political leaders in Washington DC.  One of the main areas of comparison would be in the “don’t get it” category, whether intentional or not.  That is to say, it appears to me that our political leaders “don’t get it” and it’s MUCH MORE FRUSTRATING for me to see politicians who aren’t listening than to see 11 and 12 year old students who aren’t listening.

And, you can categorize our political leaders somewhat similarly to how I do the same with my students.  There’s a small number who can ALWAYS be counted on to do the “right thing.”  In the case of school, the “right thing” would be fulfilling their obligations on time and to the best of their ability without allowing themselves to be influenced by the many students around them who are only out for themselves.  Look or sound familiar?  (there are a few congressional leaders who would fall into that category – just not many ie, Dennis Kucinich, Alan Grayson, etc.)  Some of the students can only be counted on for one thing and that is LYING!  Again, sound familiar?  (many congressional leaders fall into this category)  And, then there is the group of students who seemingly will do ANYTHING to get what they want, no matter how it affects those around them – they are constantly trying to draw attention to themselves without regard to “the better good” of the entire class.  OK, I’m guessing you have an idea of where I’m going with this. (this last category is dominated by republicans)

I could write a post about politicians of either party in this regard – for instance, I, like most Americans for that matter, got my fill of democrats OPENLY trading HUNDRED’S OF MILLIONS in taxpayer dollars for votes in the now dangling on a thread health care legislation.  I, like many progressives, have had my fill of President Obama “reaching out” to republicans through the same messed up procedures that so many are sick of (filibusters, etc.) – when we voted for “the change we could believe in.”  In fact, I don’t think the majority of unhappy progressives are complaining that “nothing’s getting done” – even though it seems that way – what they’re complaining about is that nothing seems to be changing – and, in that we’re talking about the process.

So, as I’m comparing 6th grade students with politicians let me focus on the latter two categories mentioned above – because those two categories seem to have a predominance in the classroom and in the congress.  And, I’m going to focus on republicans – not that the democrats get a free pass – but, in my view, the republicans ARE THE PROBLEM – it’s just that it seems as if the democrats don’t have the wherewithall to overcome their obstructionism (in reality, they have some of the problem characteristics as well).  However, I’d just like to take a closer look at what – according to what I’m reading in the “liberal media” – we might end up with again after the next election or two if the pundits are accurate.  I feel compelled to write this because I’m still not seeing any signs that the democratic party – from Obama on down – have any compulsion to properly DEAL with the deeds of these republicans.  Let’s start with the first of the two categories I’m comparing our dear republicans to – and that would be them as pathological liars!

What is a pathological liar?  Well, by definition:  “Pathological liars have little regard or respect for the rights and feelings of others. A pathological liar often comes across as being manipulative, cunning and self-centered.  A pathological liar is usually defined as someone who lies incessantly to get their way and does so with little concern for others.” (I got that definition off of the internet)  Well, I believe you could pretty much call this part of the republican platform.  In other words, they’ve long had the mantra that the “end justifies the means.”  That is, they will say ANYTHING which might get them what they want.  In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that when the republicans say one thing, the truth is usually something approaching the opposite.  Let me give some examples.

Let’s start with education – now, I’m a teacher and obviously biased, but the education of our children is important.  When President GW Bush came into office he got his “signature” legislation passed (with the unsuspecting help of people like the late Senator Ted Kennedy) called “No Child Left Behind.”  As a teacher, when I originally saw that legislation all I could do was shake my head and wonder “what’s wrong with these people?”  Of course it was ridiculous to think that ALL STUDENTS would be achieving at the same level come 2014.  I mean, stop and think about this for a second;  how are the “learning support” students going to achieve at the same level as the proficient students?  If schools are accurately identifying students with learning disabilities it would be preposterous to put the same expectations on those students as the ones without disabilities.  That one should be A NO BRAINER!

What this legislation was REALLY attempting to do was to destroy PUBLIC EDUCATION.  The right wing Christians, the wealthy republicans, and I’m sure others don’t want their children to have to go to school with the students “on the other side of the tracks.”  The way to prevent that is to defund the public schools and transfer the money to “vouchers” for the families who could afford to send their kids to private schools.  I “get” that they don’t want to pay taxes to support schools that their students aren’t attending – but, the reality – in most cases – is that someone paid taxes for them to go to school in “their day” and a free public education is one of the things that made this country and it’s middle class the ENVY of the entire world (that is until the republicans started undoing everything good from the “New Deal”).

Additionally, the testing requirements of the “No Child” law were so ridiculous that schools inevitably become “failing schools” which creates all kinds of challenges that are unreachable and whose remedies are NOT FUNDED by the government which sets the requirements.  It really is a nice little trick from the republican point of view – and it remains to be seen how the democrats go about “fixing” it – because the title “No Child Left Behind” sounds so ……….. “right.”  It’s just that it’s LEAVING MORE children behind, it’s causing one school after another to focus on nothing but the “high stakes testing” at the expense of programs like woodshop, machineshop, art, music, home-ec, civics, etc.  The schools are now focused more on their own survival than what is best for their students.  “No Child Left Behind” is designed to help create that permanent UNDERCLASS of people who will be happy with the minimum wage jobs “left behind” by the other republican (and democratic – thanks Bill Clinton) laws which are responsible for the mass exodus of manufacturing jobs from America to overseas.

That leads me to the “Free Market” philosopy of the republican party.  WHAT A JOKE – and, unfortunately Americans have bought this one HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.  This is the “I’ll give you (really your rich uncle) a tax cut and I’m going to balance the budget” philosophy.  What would you call free market about the government giving BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to oil companies to subsidize their oil drilling which leads to TENS OF BILLIONS in profits – sometimes with little or no taxes coming back to the government?  (and then giving tax cuts to the CEO and investors who are making those BILLIONS) Or, what is free market about our government agreeing to a drug policy with “Big Pharma” regarding the Medicare Part D plan that FORBIDS them from negotiating the best price  for our senior citizens?  Most estimates are that the pharmaceutical industry will reap additional profits of 600 BILLION DOLLARS in the first 10 years of the program.  Or, what is free market about the Bush administration offering NO BID contracts for their contributors to the tune of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS – contracts that are nearly devoid of accountability – both in project completion and in financial responsibility?  I mean, there was the mysterious 9 BILLION dollars which disappeared in Iraq – never to be seen again – just for one example among many.  I guess, from the republican point of view, free market means free money from the American taxpayers.

Of course, I couldn’t broach this subject without mentioning the TARP bailout funds which supposedly saved our financial system – you know, the one that includes Goldman Sachs (4+ BILLION in profits just this past QUARTER – that’s THREE months for those of you who don’t understand – about a BILLION AND A HALF per month),  Morgan Stanley Chase (similar profits), Bank of America (you guessed it, similar profits), and others – I’ll leave it at those three (makes me sick just writing this).  Not only did these companies – WHO ALL ARE PART OF THE FREE MARKET PHILOSOPHY – take BILLIONS from the government, but they’ve continued making the RISKY loans that got us ALL in the fix of 2008 with VIRTUALLY FREE MONEY from the Fed.  Oh, now I get it, free market economics must be the banks get the money from the Fed – INTEREST FREE – gamble it in securities markets, make a huge profit, and find ways to avoid paying taxes to the very taxpayers who supposedly BAILED THEM OUT!  In fact, they not only feel that paying taxes is not part of a “free market” but their employees should get MONSTROUS bonuses – and they shouldn’t have to pay taxes on their bonuses either – “because they better know what to do with the money – it will trickle down.”

Just as their “free market” might be “free” to them – but VERY COSTLY – to the rest of us, when republicans tell you they are better at keeping us safe – look out!  I don’t know about you, but I’m SICK of listening to Dick Cheney telling me that he knows how to keep us safe.  THAT IS MORE ABSURD than any of this – and it’s all pretty absurd.  First of all, there were plenty of signals to prevent 9/11 in the first place, but how can anyone who was IN CHARGE when something like that happened on “his watch” go around claiming to be good at “keeping us safe?”  (I’ll tell you how – read my definition above of a pathological liar) That is SO RIDICULOUS you have to question who’s in charge of the “liberal media” that Cheney even gets his voice heard.  Dick Cheney and his “boss” (in name only – at least for the first 6 years) allowed the worst attack on this “HOMELAND” in the history of our nation.  I HONESTLY don’t see how the man can have ONE IOTA of credibility on this subject.  Not only did Bush/Cheney NOT KEEP US SAFE, but their subsequent actions to 9/11 only made MATTERS WORSE.  George W Bush and Dick Cheney not only made the U.S. LESS SAFE, they made the WORLD LESS SAFE!  It still remains to be seen if we, as a nation, will recover from their misdeeds!

And, that brings me to my final example of UTTER PATHOLOGICAL DISHONESTY by the republicans.  They’ve been cramming it down our collective throats that we have a “liberal media” for the past 30+ years.  Of course, as with all their LIES, the reality is almost the opposite.  And, they’ve got the “hated” Bill Clinton to thank for this one as it was on his “watch” that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was passed.  I’m sure that the republicans had convinced Clinton that deregulation of the communications industry would create “more competition,” when in reality I’m ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED it was part of their master plan to do just the opposite – create LESS COMPETITION!  There are now about 9 corporations who control the vast majority  of the public airwaves.  Corporations like NewsCorp (Rupert Murdoch), GE (NBC, etc.), Time Warner, Disney, and Sony are not bastions of liberal thought.  In fact, they are all MAINLY interested in MAKING MONEY, they have international roots in some cases, and their public interest is the interest of their shareholders – CLEAR AND SIMPLE.  The “liberal media” republicans complain about is a “MYTH” – and their reference to it as such is an OUT AND OUT LIE!  To give you a hint into the republican thought process – according to “Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting” a media “watchdog;”  “After World War II, the Allies restricted media concentration in occupied Germany and Japan because they noted that such concentration promoted anti-democratic, even fascist, political cultures.”  Don’t believe me that this could happen in America?  Take an “open minded” listen to Fox “news” sometime, or Rush Limbaugh – can you really call it news when it originates from the republican caucus?  So, when these republicans overuse the word democracy in their public propagandizing it’s again because almost the opposite is true – their policies will lead to an anti-democratic “political culture.” (referred to by Karl Rove as his “permanent republican ‘majority'”)

Aside from the required curriculum – I spend my days teaching eleven and twelve year old kids the importance of telling the truth, showing respect to themselves and those around them, doing the best they can do on their “jobs,” and being aware of and showing compassion for those around them.  As I watch the continuing political debate in this country it drives me “batty” to see our “leaders” acting like my sixth graders who don’t understand these concepts – in too many ways.  People like John Boehner, for example, constantly trying to draw attention to himself, willing to say anything even if it’s OBVIOUSLY A LIE, and showing little or no compassion for others (well, except for the corporations who are funding him).  And people like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin constantly spewing garbage out of their mouths that causes “drama” and never accomplishes ANYTHING positive.  As a teacher, I like to think that I put up a strong fight against this type of behavior.  That’s not to say that I always “win” – meaning I would cause someone to change their behavior – BUT I ALWAYS TRY TO WIN.  It’s in the interest of the student who’s exhibiting the behavior, and MORE IMPORTANTLY the other students who are negatively affected by the behavior – that I do EVERYTHING I can to get the behavior changed.  There is a point where reaching out to misbehaving students becomes counter-productive – you just have to let them know who’s in charge and even exclude them if it becomes necessary.   Like the teacher in the classroom, the president is the authority figure in Washington DC and the congress is like a classroom – it’s where the “real” action takes place.  I believe it’s past the time for President Obama to stop “reaching out” to republicans, and instead – as the LEADER of the democrats – he needs to let them clearly know who’s in charge – this would erase the doubt in the minds of progressives as to whether or not Obama and the democrats “get it.”  If republicans want to continue obstructing EVERYTHING, their FULL AGENDA should be put on public display!  Including the investigation and prosecution – where warranted – of those in the Bush/Cheney administration who violated our laws and committed war crimes! (for those who’ve been around here – I couldn’t help myself on that last sentence – please forgive me! :o)

I really want President Obama to succeed.  And, when I talk about him succeeding, it’s not just winning a second term and getting eight years in the White House – although, that is far preferable to any of the alternatives I can see out there right now.  I’m talking about actually bringing “the change we can believe in” to Washington DC.  While I realize his supporters are championing all the things he’s attempting to do as opposed to Bush/Cheney – and they do have a good point – I simply wasn’t looking for another center-right Democrat when I voted for Obama.  There are those who claim he’s doing exactly what he promised to do, but I would beg to differ.  I also realize – who couldn’t see this – what a TOXIC atmosphere he’s dealing with in the nation’s capital, but how long are we going to use that as an excuse?  Some of the issues which are “pressing” don’t have 30 or 40 years to “grow” as our system struggles with throwing off the mantra left behind by the Reagan “revolution” and what George W Bush did to it.

In fact, I often feel that Obama is trying to be the democratic version of Reagan.  If you were around in the eighties, Reagan could give stirring speeches with the best of them, and the reality of what came out of Congress and WAS SIGNED BY HIM was altogether different from his rhetoric.  Reagan started the “trickle down” economic theory which George W Bush’s own father labled as “Voodoo economics,” that is – it NEVER MADE SENSE to propose cutting taxes and balancing the budget (although republicans are still spewing the same b___sh__ even after piling up 12 TRILLION dollars in debt).  Especially, when the fundamental purpose of their party is to FEED the military industrial complex that our last good republican president – Dwight Eisenhower – warned us ALL about (back in the 50’s).  Clearly, the “engine” of our economy – from a manufacturing point of view is WEAPONS, WEAPONS SYSTEMS, and military hardware.  We supply a lot of the very weapons our troops get attacked with by our enemies as our leaders continue to view us as the “world’s policemen.”  I would be pumped up to participate in the process if I saw Obama as the one who’s going to FIGHT to change all of this.

However, that’s not what I’m seeing – AT ALL!  I listened again, while driving home from work today, as one of the top progressive radio talk hosts championed Obama for “bringing the troops home from Iraq,” and sending them to Afganistan to defend the Afgan people against the Taliban “who would instill an authoritarian government with abusive treatment of women.”  Let me first talk about Iraq.  Evidently, Obama is FINALLY bringing some of the troops home.  However, his CLAIMS that “all combat forces will be home by the end of August” is one of the things that truly PISSES me off!  (sorry to all my friends who never hear me say words like that – but, I’m not at all happy about this one)  The TRUTH is – President Obama has NO INTENTION of having all the “combat troops” home by the end of August.  This abuse of the English language is very “Bushlike.”  There will still be 50 – 75,000 American troops stationed in Iraq after August – and, if our generals have their way, those troops will be in Iraq for the next 10 – 20 YEARS!  Even if President Obama follows through with the latest “PROMISE,” he will have shown ZERO leadership regarding Iraq – remember, this is the war he would have voted against.

While I really struggle with the concept of “non-combat” troops in Iraq, I still CLEARLY remember Obama PROMISING that ALL THE TROOPS would be home from Iraq within 16 months of him taking office.  Well, 16 months from him taking office would be this coming MAY!  So, he’s going to be TREE MONTHS late getting roughly HALF of the troops home from Iraq with the promise now being he’s going to follow the timetable set up by President Bush.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  And, Rahm Emanuel is calling people like me a f___ing RETARD!  Maybe he should go look in a mirror – HE’S THE ONE ADVISING THE PRESIDENT!  The only thing that’s keeping this from being more of an issue RIGHT NOW is the HORRIBLE condition of the economy.  But, I guarantee you – the republicans will be playing back Obama’s own words when it’s time for him to be re-elected.  Of course, the reality is the republicans won’t be talking about how they created the MESS, but the question is – will anyone remember?  It will be Obama’s war if we still have troops there during the next election cycle.  I believe following any Bush directive – but ESPECIALLY REGARDING IRAQ – is politically STUPID!

Then there’s Afganistan.  I’m surprised at how many of Obama’s supporters now think it’s a good idea to escalate this war.  After reading Greg Mortenson’s books “Three Cups of Tea,” and “Stones into Schools” I can certainly see how anyone could have a “soft spot” for the Afgan people and all the grief they’ve experienced in the past several decades.  In fact, the United States has essentially abandoned them twice – once after the Mujahideen had kicked the Russians out in the late 80’s (it was the Reaganites and the first Bush who abandoned them then) and then again after “WE” kicked the Taliban out while supposedly going after Osama bin Laden in 2001 (OK, you guessed it – that was the second Bush).  And, I have to TOTALLY ADMIT that I hope my instincts are completely wrong on this one because I would love to see America help the Afgans set up a functioning central government.

The problem with that, however, as I see it is that WE CAN’T DO THIS FOR THEM.  President Obama is going to be spending another $65 BILLION dollars per YEAR in this endeavor that could conceivably go on indefinitely.  The issues in that part of the world are HUGE, and most everyone over there HATES Americans.  Well, I need to restate that, because Mortenson is totally welcomed over there, because he understands the culture and the people.  His approach is COMPLETELY NON-VIOLENT, he shows respect for the Afgan people, and he recognizes that nothing of consequence will happen there unless THEY buy into it and DO IT THEMSELVES.  If you’re interested in this area of the world, I would recommend you read these two books – they were the kind I couldn’t put down until finished!  I can’t help but believe that the $65 BILLION could be spent much more effectively and could produce MUCH BETTER results, if we had people helping the Afgans to help themselves.  Whatever we do, we’ve got to totally HONOR their culture to have any chance of helping them, but unless we want to have our troops there indefinitely, I believe a different approach is in order.  I know President Obama stated that this buildup would be for just 18 months, but do you really believe that – based on the promises made in Iraq?  They’ll find ways to twist the English language to make it look like they’re doing what they said they would – but, people like bin Laden (or his compatriots – should he be dead) would like nothing better than to provide the opposition necessary to keep the United States MIRED in Afganistan until our nation is totally bankrupt!  We don’t have the money to provide health care for our own citizens, or an effective jobs bill, but we can squander a couple hundred BILLION dollars per year in Iraq and Afganistan!  Ughhhh!

Getting back to the “home front” things are going to get tougher SOON instead of easier.  I’ve noticed that President Obama is still playing the “cat and mouse” game with the republicans over what they (both democrats and republicans) most certainly must view as the “court of public opinion.”  Obama’s still courting republicans, and I’ve heard some people suggest that he’s “playing chess” with them.  I certainly hope that’s correct.  However, if I’m even close to understanding the recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, where the court essentially gave “free speech rights” to corporations and struck down key elements of the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform legislation which was designed to limit corporate donations in elections, Obama’s game of “cat and mouse” could ultimately be a real loser.

The reason the republicans had such big smiles on their faces when the verdict was read was because they fully intend to be the recipients of MOST OF THE MONEY that is going to be flowing into the process.  If the fears of many are realized, this next election could be a MAJOR TURNING point in the governance of this nation.  Remember, fascist society’s are ones where the politicians (and, indirectly the people) are beholden to the large corporations.  We saw the effect of huge amounts of corporate money flowing into Washington during the health care debate.  When 70+% of Americans wanted a “robust public option” – with a clear majority willing to go so far as to favor SINGLE PAYER health insurance reform – and then we end up with a bill that is a boon to the very companies who are suppposedly being regulated – AND, these companies spent OVER A BILLION dollars to FIGHT REFORM – well, what do you think the future holds?  The large corporations are making money in the TENS OF BILLIONS of dollars.  It will just be “good business” to “invest” in the best politicians MONEY CAN BUY!  Do you really think our present congressional leaders are going to vote against Wall Street’s interests, or the interests of the major oil companies NOW?

So, I’m saying that President Obama doesn’t have time for a “game of chess” with the republicans.  He needs to DEFEAT THEM while he still can.  Maybe that’s what he’s trying to do in a nice passive way.  However, I can say with certainty that there’s a better way – and, it would be embarrassing if another country had to do this for us – something we should be doing for ourselves.  I’m reading another book on the Bush years which puts this into perspective, it’s titled “The Greatest Story ever Sold” by Frank Rich and it’s a wonderful, sequential report of the PURPOSEFUL LIES used to get us MIRED into Iraq at the cost of thousands of American and Iraqi lives and approaching a TRILLION dollars of DEBT (not one cent of this war has been paid for as yet – it’s been prosecuted with ALL BORROWED money!)  Both President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and many others are legally VULNERABLE based on their decisions surrounding this misadventure.  People all around the world are ANGRY at what the Bush administration did – including the torture.  And, some of them are talking like “they’re not going to take it any more.”

First it was the Spaniards who wanted to hold American leaders accountable for the torture which EVERYONE knows took place under the authorization of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and others.  Somehow, the Obama administration managed to get them (the Spaniards) to back down.  At the time, I was hopeful that this meant President Obama would follow through on his promise that “if laws were violated, people would be prosecuted – NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”  That turned out to be a “false hope” on my part and has led me to write a lot of these posts and has turned me into a “f___ing retard” according to Rahm Emanuel because I’m in the “I hope Obama succeeds, but I’m not going to vote for him” camp – due to the FACT that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES can I condone TORTURE – no matter who the guilty party is (do you find it as cruel as I do that the only Americans EVER held accountable for our HORRIFIC treatment of prisoners from Iraq and Afganistan – many of whom were totally innocent – was a few Army “grunts” who made the mistake of taking pictures of what they were doing at Abu Ghraib?).  In my mind, despite Obama’s claim that “the US doesn’t torture” – by letting Bush/Cheney and company off the hook, he becomes complicit.

The worst part of this is that if Obama had allowed the investigations THAT WERE TOTALLY WARRANTED to proceed, the republican party would be right up front and center WHERE THEY BELONG regarding their past behavior.  The American public would get a clear view of the alternative to the democrats.  And, these republicans are a lot like the sixth graders I teach – if you don’t hold them accountable for their misbehavior, they will then think “it must be OK.”  (and they’ll do it again, the first chance they get)  Has anyone heard an “I’m sorry” whimper from these brutal thugs?  The new senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, campaigned saying that he believes torture works!  The only way these people will get the message is in a court of law.

Now, we have another embarrassing situation on the horizon.  The BRITISH of all people are threatening to call American leaders of the Bush/Cheney era to testify about the “run-up” to Iraq.  And, they have something like 10,000 classified documents to use to verify who’s telling the truth and who’s lying (they’ve already put Tony Blair on the spot as he tried to lie his way out from the reality of the decisions he participated in).  I don’t know about you, but I find it embarrassing that our own leaders – of an entirely different party from Bush/Cheney (I would understand this – although it would still be wrong – if it was republicans ignoring the lawbreaking of the Bush administration) are ignoring INVESTIGATIONS of the lies which led to the Iraq invasion and that now the British are threatening to hold these investigations for us.  Again, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  What is wrong with our politicians?

Reading “The Greatest Story ever Sold” is just a HUGE REMINDER that Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz/Feith and others were planning the invasion of Iraq well before Bush’s inauguration day in January of 2001.  I’m not going to say that they ignored the OBVIOUS WARNING signs of 9/11 in order to get an excuse to do what they had planned to do all along in Iraq, BUT IT SURE LOOKS LIKE A POSSIBILITY.  If you’ve ever read Naomi Klein’s book “The Shock Doctrine” you would understand how these thugs work.  Based on the unmistakeable theory that comes from that book, the “shock” of 9/11 gave the perfect “cover” for the planned excursion into Iraq.  And, book after book (I’ve read a BUNCH of them) on Iraq would imply EXACTLY that – the Bush administration was just waiting for a circumstance that would “justify” their ambitions to take out Saddam Hussein (and get Iraq’s oil).  So, where’s our new president on all of this?  I don’t think I will be able to forgive President Obama if he fails to allow the investigations of Iraq and the torture that was condoned by Bush/Cheney et al.  Do we really need the British to investigate the Bush White House for us?  To me, “the change we can believe in” doesn’t include decsions which will allow the policies which so desperately need changed to HAPPEN AGAIN! 

(It’s almost getting to the point where, even if Obama came to his senses, the investigations of Bush/Cheney would be strictly for political reasons and not because they are the “right thing to do” which is why they should have been initiated last year)

I’ve been speaking out about the racist nature of the republican party for years, on this site since its inception.  Many people I know just can’t bring themselves to believe this, despite the outward ABSURDITIES of people like Rush Limbaugh almost every day on the public airwaves.  However, this past week at the so-called “tea party” convention, did you hear what Tom Tancredo said?  It was unbelievable to me, and almost as unbelievable was the lack of blowback from the media (although I did see something from Keith Olberman and heard Thom Hartman refer to Tancredo’s remarks on the radio).  Tancredo, in front of “Tancredo for President” signs, said that we should re-institute literacy tests for voters.  He went on to OUTRIGHT say that the result of having voters voting who “couldn’t spell the word vote was the man we have in the White House.”  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  Shouldn’t someone be calling him out BIG TIME for that remark if our media is truly LIBERAL?

I recently wrote about how, with the help of Bill Clinton, the republicans have managed to put the control of 90 some percent of the media in this country in the hands of about FIVE corporations – none of them LIBERAL.  There was a time in my life when I could have been confident that remarks such as Tancredo’s would have received some MAJOR CRITICISM.  Well, that time seems to have passed.  Bush/Cheney managed to get rid of Dan Rather after he correctly called out GW Bush on his erratic behavior in the “Air National Guard for important government officials in order to keep them out of Viet Nam sqad.”  That’s quite a mouthful, and that was quite a unit.  It allowed our 43rd president to continue his drinking abuse and drug abuse while those around him were being sent off en masse to Viet Nam.  Bush/Cheney, through this type of intimidation, created a situation where no one in the media was going to challenge them, or Rather’s fate might fall on them as well.  And, things haven’t changed much since the inauguration of Barack Obama.  In fact, I’ve often wondered if Obama’s “looking the other way” regarding the crimes of Bush/Cheney is due to his fear of this “liberal media.”  Remember, the media is the “fourth” branch of government – and like the other branches – there’s supposed to be a system of “checks and balances” designed to prevent what the republicans are openly trying to pull off – and, that is their so-called “permanent republican majority.”

But, aren’t the republicans even getting too outrageous for many republicans?  I mean, I’m hoping that some of my friends, who somehow manage to identify with the republican party – mostly because of the abortion issue – are smart enough to distance themselves from Tancredo’s remarks.  I don’t listen to the “right wing” too much anymore, but so far, I’ve heard no one condemming him for such an outrageously OVERT racist comment.  One thing about Tancredo, he’s more honest about the fact a Black president is an abonination to him.  HE COMES RIGHT OUT AND SAYS IT!  And, I guess you could say that Rush Limbaugh does the same – everytime I gather my strength to listen to him for only a few TERRIBLE minutes he throws in a racist comment about Obama – some much more subtle than others – MOST more subtle than Tancredo.  Although, his campaign to make sure President Obama “fails” is pretty overt racism – he calls it policy differences, but I can’t buy that because Obama is a centrist at best, so all that socialist CRAP coming from the mouths of Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, etc. is just designed to work up the fringe elements of their party (which they are the standard bearers for).

Of course, the Democrats aren’t without fault here.  Recently myself, and millions of other “progressives” were referred to as f___ing retards by President Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.  Here is one place I can agree with Sarah Palin.  Emanuel should be FIRED.  Now, the truth is that I believe he should be fired for giving Obama a continuous barrage of BAD ADVICE since before the president took office.  Emanuel is the consummate Washington politician and he ABSOLUTELY does not represent “change we can believe in.”  If you check back on my posts of around a year ago, I was pointing out my displeasure with President Obama’s choice of Emanuel for such a key position.  His “R” word comment just goes to show why Obama’s “ratings” continue to drop.  I’m 99% sure it is Rahm Emanuel who is PUSHING President Obama to kiss up to the republicans.  I’m also guessing it was Emanuel who talked the president into violating his fiduciary responsibility to enforce the laws of this land by calling for complete investigations of the Bush/Cheney administration.  If Obama doesn’t get rid of him soon, I believe his presidency is potentially doomed (although, the “people” may take out their wrath totally on Congress).  It’s almost as if Obama and Emanuel and the democrats want to be the minority party – so that they have more excuses for not getting anything substantial done.

Before I go any further, OK – I get it – Palin’s criticism of Emanuel was far different than  her willingness to take on Rush Limbaugh who has used the so-called “R” word many more times than Emanuel ever has (as far as I know there’s only been one public disclosure of Emanuel calling me [or other progressives] a f___ing retard).  However, as a 6th grade school teacher, I would have to scold Rahm by telling him that the fact Rush used the inappropriate word more than him doesn’t make it right for him to use it.  In fact, I’d love to talk to him about his phraseology, because I’m feeling that a couple years down the road we may be referring to him in the same vane.  Randi Rhodes thinks “progressives” who are disappointed in Obama are “stupid” and Rahm Emanuel thinks they (we) are retards.  Great, I hope you see why in my letter to President Obama I asked for my money back (of course, without success).

Getting back to the racism in the republican party and Tom Tancredo for president, it’s hard for me to imagine that there’s enough voters to put thugs like him into national office.  I’m sure that someone recorded the video of him proposing  the reinstitution of literacy tests for the right to vote – and, making the incredible racist comment about our sitting president.  I can’t point out how ANGRY the republicans would be if that happened to them, because they would NEVER nominate an African American (or any other minority figure) to be president – so, that ‘s pretty safe ground for their “corner.” 

Then, at this same “convention” you had Sarah Palin reading a speech from the teleprompter – obviously written by one of the invisible donors mentioned above or some other republican “operative” who’s bought the “coolaid” – and, in the speech, criticizing President Obama for his speech making prowess and blaming it all on his ability to read teleprompters.  Yes, I know that it says in the Bible “judge not, lest ye be judged” – but, I can’t help myself here.  Isn’t Palin’s actions there the HEIGHT OF HYPOCRICY?  And, Palin – the right wing’s hope for 2012 – was, at one time affiliated with the Alaska Successionist Party (ASP) – she’ll deny this, but how could she not be affiliated with them if her husband was a member for 6 or 7 years and she gave the Keynote address at one of their conventions?  I don’t know how she can deny this connection with a straight face, but then ……..  I understand why she’s doing this – because the ASP was closely associated with the white supremicist group The John Birch Society.  The next thing you might see from this “tea party” movement will be a call to return to segregation!

So, how do these republicans get away with this constant stream of lying?  Well, I can see two main parts of the “system” which are failing miserably.  But, before I point this out, let me just clarify how bad the problem has become – because you’ve now got Palin trapesing around the country spewing one lie after another (I wouldn’t buy her book, but I’ve even heard her former Alaskan associates – republicans mind you – pointing out the plethora of lies she published in there).  Of course, politicians have been lying in public (at least to my knowledge) since I was a kid (I’m a “baby boomer”) – but these republicans have taken it to a new level.  I’ll just give a few examples:  The worst SET OF LIES, in my view, because we’re talking about maybe more than ONE MILLION DEAD from this series of LIES would be the Bush/Cheney misadventure into Iraq.  Everytime I read a new book on their behavior I get angrier (both at them, and Obama for not investigating them), right now I’m reading “The Greatest Story Every Sold” by Frank Rich – I recommend it to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Bush White House and Iraq – lying us into Iraq was TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE, yet it appears they will “get away with it.”  Then there’s the famous, or should I say infamous, Alberto Gonzales who got up before Congress and LIED AND LIED for days (probably weeks, I’ve tried to forget how much he lied because it was so bad) – with ABSOLUTELY NO CONSEQUENCE, and there was the BLATANT LYING coming from the Vice President’s office regarding the “outing” of Valerie Plame Wilson – a covert CIA officer.  This was TREASON, but the only consequence was Lewis “Scooter” Libby taking the “fall” for Dick Cheney and evidently neither the Congress nor the new president had the kahonas to investigate this one.

If you remember, when the democrats first regained control of the Congress, one of the first things to come out of any of their leader’s mouths was Nacy Pelosi saying “Impeachment is off the table.”  That was deflating enough, but after working so hard to get a new president elected who promised “Change you can believe in,” I made the mistake of believing that meant no more BLATANT LYING in our government.  I knew that the media had evolved to the place that if it wasn’t a democrat doing it, there would be no criticism of any government lying.  They went along with EVERYTHING Bush/Cheney wanted, HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER!  The really discouraging part for me was when our new president (Obama) decided that he didn’t want to deal with the “distraction” of him FULFILLING HIS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY to hold Bush/Cheney accountable for their LIES and ILLEGAL activity.  THAT WAS THE DEFLATING PART FOR ME!

I’m a sixth grade teacher and I’m seeing the result of a nation which allows its leaders to lie with no consequence.  The students I work with are more and more seeing lying as acceptable.  They don’t even consider lying to their parents about something as trivial as if they have homework or not as lying.  They see the adult leaders lying, their parents see the adult leaders lying (some of my student’s parents are younger than my two daughters), and they all see it happening not only with no consequence – but, they see liars GETTING AHEAD.  Many of these people then assume that if it works for them (politicians and leaders in Washington DC), it must be OK.  I really don’t believe our leaders in Washington have a clue that their selfish, greedy, and disengenuous behavior is having a mushrooming effect on our nation.  We are becoming a nation of liars.  We are becoming a nation with too many people feeling empowered to do what Tancredo and Palin did at the “tea party” convention.  Tancredo is essentially calling for a return to the racist, segregationist society which condoned preventing poor people and people of color from participating in the process and Palin is doing the same thing she’s criticizing the President of doing.  IT’S ALL RIDICULOUS!

It was just a few months ago that the republicans planted operatives into the offices of ACORN in an attempt to stop them from registering voters who are mostly poor or of color (if you simply follow the “mainstream media” you would believe ACORN to be some disreputible bunch of thugs – which couldn’t be FARTHER from the truth).  They (the republicans) hate these kinds of people who are trying to get more of the disadvantaged people into the process of voting because they know that these people are highly unlikely to vote for them.  I can’t remember which republican said this; “The fewer people who vote, the better our chances” or something like that – but, they are constantly trying to restrict the right of people they don’t like from actually voting.  Tancredo’s call for a return to the Jim Crow days was beyond OUTRAGEOUS.  Somehow, these republicans who are overtly racist need to be publicly challenged.  WHERE IS OUR LIBERAL MEDIA?  When I think of all the grief that has gone into the civil rights gains in this nation, Tom Tancredo’s RACIST remarks seem even MORE DISGUSTING!  These republicans now feel they can say ANYTHING without consequence, only because our media and our democratically controlled government is letting them get away with it!

As stated many times I started writing this post due to my extreme frustration with the Bush administration and the seeming willingness of the media and the democrats to go along with their criminal behavior.  It wasn’t simply the incompetence that REALLY BOTHERED me, it was the fact he (plus Dick Cheney and the rest of them) willingly disregarded the constitution they were elected to uphold in order to further their own interests and those of their immediate “friends.”  I’ve now gotten to the point where I waver back and forth between feeling the need to write about republicans – who are hell-bent on destroying our government – or the democrats – who seem to be more than willing to let them.  The problem I’m feeling, and I’m sure MILLIONS of other Americans are feeling is that there’s only two viable parties in this country.  When the republicans decided to undermine EVERYTHING this nation has stood for in my adult lifetime (almost 45 years) there was no place else for me to turn, realistically (I’m a lifelong independent), than to the Democratic party for help.

Well, that is a decision that I’ve been revisiting since before the inauguration of Barack Obama.  I’m not trying to sound arrogant when I point out that much of what is part of the present national debate – from the standpoint of the “populist” revolt – I’ve been pointing out since before Obama put his hand on the Bible to take HIS oath to defend the constitution.  Despite my INTENSE support of Obama’s candidacy, I started to see what I called at the time “red flags” right from the start.  I would invite you to read some of my earlier posts, if you need evidence of that.  The reason I point this out is that I believe the people in Washington are either totally out of touch with the reality of the people who they have been elected to serve, or the corportate corruption is so pervasive that there’s not much hope for the “change we can believe in.”  As I’ve said many times on this site, I believe if a sixth grade teacher can figure this stuff out, the leaders in Washington should be able to as well.  And, President Obama should FIRE his advisors who have allowed him to continue this wishy washy attempt to engage republicans in his agenda.  Earth to Obama, THAT AINT GOING TO HAPPEN!

Personally, I really like President Obama.  I like everything about the man except his unwillingness to take on the republicans.  He doesn’t seem to understand this is a WAR for the future of the very nation he has at least one (and hopefully two) terms to actually CHANGE.  We have been under an assault for over 30 years by a bunch of right wing fanatics – some of which we are aware – and many, I’m certain, we know nothing about because they’re hiding in the background supplying the “front lines” (that would be the politicians, pundits, etc.) with unlimited supplies of money.  They’ve had a PLAN TO DESTROY OUR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT since the days of Ronald Reagan.  Reagan wasn’t too subtle about his intentions when he said the 9 worst words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”  George W Bush actually hired people to head departments of the government who were opposed to the existence of the very departments they headed!

Of course, these right wing thugs didn’t want to shut down the government entirely, they really wanted to (and have succeeded to a large part) “retool” the government to funnel as many of the tax dollars as they could to their favorite corporations (not to mention their tax cuts for the people who don’t need it).  Hence, the elimination of welfare to poor people and the HUGE increase of welfare to large corporations.  I mean, don’t you find it interesting to have oil companies making something like 40 to 50 BILLION dollars per year, and yet still be the recipients of HUGE government subsidies at the same time.  Or the pharmaceutical industry using grants from the government to develop drugs and then negotiate with the same government to make sure that they get windfall profits on the drugs at the expense of our senior citizens – who, in many cases, can get the same drugs cheaper by going to Canada than by purchasing them here with the help of Medicare.  Or how about this one, the large investment banks on Wall Street almost led us into another Great Depression (still a possibility), but the government provided them with 700 BILLION dollars – OUTWARDLY – in the so-called TARP bailout to keep them solvent and prevent a “collapse” of the financial system, they guaranteed something in the neighborhood of 10 – 14 TRILLION – yes, that’s TRILLION with a T – in guarantees against future losses, AND they are now GIVING them (well, really looaning them, but I believe you get my point) money at near 0% interest which these very same companies are GAMBLING with AGAIN, and making BILLIONS more that they can use to fight the DESPERATELY needed regulation which would again separate the lending institutions from the insurance companies and the investment “banks.”  We need Glass Steagall!  With the democrats we have in congress, it ain’t likely to happen!

Hence, the mounting frustration from all sides.  The republicans are ginning up all the racists out there to get out on the streets and “protest” our “socialist” (or worse) president.  They managed to get control of the Supreme Court (this will be a problem for years to come – generations to come if the democrast totally “blow it” and allow the republicans back in the White House any time soon) and now they’ve managed to get corporations to be classified as “people” with the same rights as “people” – and, for those of you who don’t get this one – trust me – this is the CULMINATION of a lot of scheming on their (republicans) part.  If the democrats and President Obama don’t figure out the dire straights we’re all in (except the corporations, of course) things could change for the worse – and QUICKLY.  It’s obvious that the vast majority of Americans have no idea what is really going on here, and what the stakes are.  Once these corporations get a stranglehold on our government, it will probably take some kind of revolt to turn things around.  For those of you who don’t understand this;  the combination of authoritarian minded politicians (republicans marching in “lock step”) aligned with corporate sponsors and religious fanatics can lead to exactly what the “tea baggers” accuse our present president of, and that is fascism.  For those of you who think something like that is impossible in America, well, I hope you’re right!

By rights, after the damage done by Bush/Cheney and the rest of the republicans in the eight years prior to Obama, the republicans shouldn’t see the “light of day” politically for a generation (or more).  However, they have ABSOLUTELY NO SCRUPLES!  And, the democrats seem to me to be OVERMATCHED.  The continuous FLOW OF LIES coming from republican leaders apparently has no end.  The only way I can see to get this stopped is to FIGHT BACK.  But, unfortunately, as I’ve been saying for several years now, the one thing I can agree with republicans on is that THE DEMOCRATS ARE SPINELESS.  So, the American people have a choice, CORRUPT or SPINELESS.  To tell you the truth, I think there are enough people who don’t understand the depth of the corruption in Bush/Cheney and who see their LEADERSHIP as something that appeals to them to create a MAJOR problem for progressives by 2012 if Obama and the democrats don’t figure this out.  One thing that doesn’t appeal to Americans is SPINELESS.  I don’t know why the democrats don’t get this.

I’ve written to President Obama, I’ve written to the Democratic party, and I’ve even written to the republican who represents my district in the Washington state legislature.  Despite the FACT his response was in total disagreement with me, the ONLY one who wrote back was the republican (that doesn’t mean I’ll vote for him, I just found that interesting).  I explained to both Obama and the democrats why they could no longer count on my meager contributions – OR MY VOTE.  I need to see CHANGE before I will vote for it again.  I’ve even sent them suggestions, to which I got no response as well – evidently they don’t like my suggestions.  And, of course, I’ve written about my suggestions on this site MANY TIMES.  What is very interesting to me, something like 100 – 200 people find this site in the middle of cyberspace every day, I have no idea how, and so far, I’ve only received a couple responses to my thoughts – but, I keep thinking that if enough people keep their voices speaking maybe something good will happen before it’s too late.  Sometimes I even hope that President Obama himself will happen upon this site – because, boy would I love to talk to him, face to face.

Remember, when GW Bush was in office he managed to get a bill through congress (with democratic support) that would, for all intents and purposes, allow the president to lable anyone – even American citizens – as “enemy combatants” – in his so-called war on terror, and, therefore, be eligible for a free ticket to something like Guantanamo or a comparable site.  Despite the constant attacks from the “right” on President Obama, which they now seem to think is OK – during the Bush presidency, if you don’t remember, saying anything against the president “in a time of war” was considered unpatriotic.  Do you really trust people like GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, John Yoo, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Sarah Palin, John McCain, and I could go on?  That’s what we’ll get, only probably worse the next time, if the democrats fail.

So, what can be done?  Well, I’ve stated this OVER AND OVER on this site.  President Obama’s refusal to even allow investigations of the Bush administration – he blocked legal investigations and congressional investigations both – AND THE REST OF THE DEMOCRATS WENT ALONG WITH THIS – could be considered at some point a BLUNDER of comparable magnitude to Bush’s unbelievable invasion of Iraq.  This may seem like a stupid statement to many, but if the republicans get back in control in the next 4 years, saying “I told you so” won’t do a bit of good.  The republicans will be doing the same things that President Obama is, by default, saying are OK.  Yes, he did say that the United States doesn’t torture – but, do you think one single republican heard him?  By “looking forward” Obama opened the door to more torture if another republican makes it to the oval office.  And, it’s this very tepidness to actually do what he took an oath to do – that is defend our laws and the constitution – which makes him look bad in the eyes of millions of Americans.  I’ve stated this before, but if his “looking forward instead of back” analogy held any “water” whatsoever, there would never be another criminal prosecution in this nation.  YOU HAVE TO LOOK BACK to hold people accountable for illegal behavior, because the crime ALWAYS happens prior to the investigation and the prosecution.

It appears to me that neither our president nor our democratic congress have any idea that there is a WAR going on.  And, if one side doesn’t even recognize what’s happening, well – I think you can get my drift – it makes it really easy for the other side to win.  I mean, how much sense does it make that the republicans can be CONTROLLING the nation’s agenda with 40 or 41 votes in the senate.  By the time the democrats figure out what’s happening it’s likely to be too late.  President Obama didn’t want the investigation of Bush/Cheney because he didn’t want the inevitable “distraction,” as he called it, while he was “pushing” his health care legislation.  What he didn’t understand, and seemingly still doesn’t understand, is that he NEEDS THAT VERY DISTRACTION, and he needs it as soon as possible.  It is that distraction which would have prevented the obstructionist activities of republicans and probably allowed the health care legislation to have become law.  Obama and the democrats need the public discussion to return to what the republicans did when they were in control.  The “people” think that if something illegal was done during Bush/Cheney there would have been prosecutions.   So without them, they assume that Bush/Cheney et al were “above board” – which COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

The TRUTH is, in my view, that this feeling of enablement by the republicans to SAY ANYTHING or DO ANYTHING without fear of reprisal even though much of it is TOTALLY FABRICATED – and, worse than being misstatements, they are constantly BOMBARDING the airwaves with the same TALKING POINTS which are absurd purposeful lies designed to FOOL the people listening – is the fault of the spineless democrats.  These guys (republicans) are the masters at manipulating the media through classic propoganda.  As Lee Atwater taught people like Karl Rove, the only thing that matters is the END – don’t worry about the means.  They have been secretly taking control of our “liberal media” (one of the sorriest jokes ever played on any nation has been the conservatives convincing the American public that the media they have taken over is “liberal”) since the days of Reagan and with Bill Clinton’s help (passing the 1996 Telecommunications Act) we now have about 5 corporations controlling the vast majority of the media.  Fox “news” (better termed, in my view, as “noise”) is owned by an Australian (Rupert Murdoch) who owns a whole bunch more of America’s media than most people realize, and it’s run by a right wing republican operative (Roger Ailes) and, the American public – and democratic party – seems to just go along with this.  It’s absurd on its face, to me.

Now, we will have foreign corporations participating in our electoral process pretty much across the board, and those like Alan Grayson of Florida who are speaking out against the corporate fraud in Washington will be the initial targets in the next election.  Most democrats, especially in the senate, seem to be unwilling to put up a fight.  It’s almost as if when they think the republican attack machine is coming after them they just run and hide.  THESE DEMOCRATS ARE GETTING EMBARRASSING!  I don’t know where else there is to turn.  I’d like to think that the populist “rage” could be funneled toward elections where the so-called Blue Dog democrats could be defeated in democratic primaries.  People like Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Evan Bayh, and most famously the democrat turned independent turned turncoat Joe Lieberman need to be “retired.”  And, a bunch more – like Max Baucus need to face challenges in primaries if they can’t vote independently of all the corporate money they’ve already received.  They seem to have no interest in fighting this republican slime machine and putting it in its proper place – which is “out to pasture.”  I’m just not sure there’s time for that strategy at this point, due to the recent Supreme Court decision.  Anything after next November could be too late.

Our representatives have proven en masse that their number one priority is getting re-elected.  And, despite his claims to the contrary, that is what it has looked like to me from the president’s prespective as well.  It seems like the democratic loss in Massachusettes got Obama’s attention, but I’m not sure he got the right message.  He’s still got Rahm Emanuel feeding him advice.  When the pundits were praising President Obama for “taking on” the House republicans at a recent retreat, I was thinking “He’s still reaching out to them.”  When I listened to his comments in the State of the Union speech calling for more offshore drilling, more nuclear power plants, more “clean” coal, and a spending freeze on all “non-military” spending I thought, “he didn’t get it.”  He’s still trying to kiss the republican’s butts.  The republicans aren’t looking to find common ground.  They’re looking to defeat Obama (the thought of a Black president succeeding is very unappealing to them), they want desperately to be back in power (they make a lot more money when they have the White House), and they’re looking forward to the corporatacracy which has been made possible by John Roberts, Sam Alito, and company on their Supreme Court.  The democrats need to expose the misdeeds of the republicans through investigations of Bush/Cheney et al, or Obama’s a one term president.  The worst reality of all, is the next president will be making some incredibly important Supreme Court decisions, and if it’s another neo-con republican doing it, the results will last for a generation.  What if Exxon Mobil decides it would be worth tens of billions to them for Sarah Palin to be president?

Do you remember when the Bush administration started the saying, “We’ll fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here.”  Well, as preposterous as that saying was, there wasn’t much “blowback” from our “liberal media” coming after it was infused into the propoganda “machine” to justify our war mongering in the middle east.  The reality, as with most things republican, is almost the exact opposite.  Yesterday, as I was driving home from work I listened to part of an interview with someone who is “high up” in the so-called Homeland Security department.  His response to the question, “What are the chances the United States will face an attempted terrorist attack in the next 6 months?” was, “CERTAIN.”  That is to say, the more we “fight ‘them’ over there, the greater the chances ‘they’ will fight us over here.

That only makes sense if you try to look at the “big picture” from the eyes of the so-called “enemy.”  They do not have the firepower to defeat the U.S. in a traditional battle.  Therefore, it’s like the guerilla warfare days of Viet Nam all over again – “OVER THERE” – with the nuance that the so-called terrorists are throwing in which is indiscriminate attacks on the American homeland “OVER HERE.”  So far, they’ve failed on a couple of instances where hundreds could have been killed – the now infamous “shoe bomber,” and the “underpants bomber.”  As serious as it is, for some reason I have a hard time keeping a straight face when I think of the “underpants bomber” and the aftermath of his failed attempt.  While trying to understand why someone would choose that “method,” I also envisioned, with the proposed advent of the x-ray machines set up to “catch” the next “underpants” bomber, we will soon be attacked by the “orifice” bomber.  They’re leaving little to our imagination these days. That all being said, a closer examination of the American policy in Iraq and Afganistan post Obama, might explain why the United States is still on high alert for this “CERTAIN” terrorist attempt coming in the next 6 months.

During the years of the Bush administration people in Iraq and Afganistan learned to FEAR the US forces every bit as much as they feared the Taliban in Afganistan or Saddam Hussein in Iraq.  Doors being kicked in, families being rousted from their beds at night, family members becoming “collateral damage” (that’s a U.S. term), and “suspects” disappearing for lenghts of time that could include forever is a policy which leaves behind BITTERNESS no matter what the language or nationality of the victims or the perpetrators for that matter.  Combine that with the KNOWN FACT that when your family member becomes an “enemy combatant” of the U.S. and gets “captured” they are destined for what Bush/Cheney famously termed ENHANCED INTERROGATION. Now, enhanced interrogation Bush/Cheney style didn’t even take into account whether or not the so-called “enemy combatant” was a credible member of al Qaeda, the Taliban, or whatever.  The U.S. forces willingly paid incredibly dishonest people THOUSANDS of dollars for “TIPS” as to who the “enemy” really was.  That’s because, JUST LIKE VIET NAM when you invade another country on the DISENGENUOUSLY FALSE PRETENSE that you’re going to “protect” them – but you have no idea who “them” are – you start relying on people who you TOTALLY don’t understand for “actionable intelligence.” 

In addition to that, EVERYONE in Iraq knew what was going on at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo – it just took some remarkably stupid soldiers to take a bunch of pictures (many of which still have not been shown – thanks to President Obama) to let the rest of us naive people who actually had bought into the idea of the U.S. being the “beacons” of human rights to understand the reality of our own government’s CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR! And, for those of you out there who believe that President Obama’s pledge that “we don’t torture,” fixed everything with the rest of the world, I believe it wasn’t worth the breath he used to say it.  As I’ve stated MANY TIMES on this site, Obama’s decision to, for all intents and purposes, pardon Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Yoo/Addington/Tenet/ and all the others who may or may not have been complicit in HORRIFIC torture was a “game changer” for many, including me (I just finished the book “Game Change” – definitely worth the read) and has left many around the world questioning what’s still going on at the “rendition sites” which still exist to this day to harbor America’s “enemy combatants.” 

So, for some strange reason we (Americans) continue to hang on to the idea that we’re going to be looked upon as “liberators.”  Now, that’s one of the cruelest jokes ever played on United States citizens by our leaders as they lied us into what is approaching an eight year occupation of Iraq and which conceivably will be our next “Korea,” along with what’s looking like an endless commitment to Afganistan. The TRUTH is there was no al Qaeda in Iraq until our troops showed up.  The al Qaeda who attacked us on 9/11 did so because we had troops stationed on Saudi soil – the bin Sultan Air Base – which didn’t go over too well with the fanatics associated with Osama bin Laden. (almost all of the 9/11 attackers were Saudi’s)  Keep in mind, these fanatics were FINE with us when we were helping them drive the Soviets out of Afganistan during the eighties, but – just like with Saddam Hussein, who we armed with all kinds of weapons – (it was the Reaganites who did this, including Donald Rumsfeld himself) – we Americans will find a way to support our military industrial complex in solving world problems – ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

I don’t know what it’s going to take to get the message across to the American people who might then hold our leaders accountable.  Our presence in both Iraq and Afganistan is creating more enemies than we can imagine.  We continue to make indiscriminate bombings on suspected terrorist cells, seemingly with little or no concern for the “collateral” damage.  I wonder how it sounds to someone in Afganistan to have their young son or daughter be referred to as “collateral damage?”  I know how I’d feel.  I’m pretty sure I’d join the Taliban if one of my children fell into that category and I was a citizen over there.  That’s what we’ve been doing for eight years.  Making it EASY for the Taliban and al Qaeda to recruit young fanatics who we have taught to HATE us by our very own STUPID actions.

I’ve read “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones into Schools” by Greg Mortenson.  The man has the right formula for creating peace in the Muslim world.  I appreciate that his books are required reading for our military leaders before they are put into the Afganistan “theater.” And, after reading these books I understand how President Obama could feel a sense of obligation to the Afgan people.  But, does he really think that their behavior is going to change to the point that the Afgans will forget what has transpired over the previous nine years?  There are reports that torture is still happening at the air base “prisons” we have secretly stashed throughout Central Asia.  Supposedly, people in Afganistan refer to the Bagram detention facility as Obama’s Guantanamo.  While it’s honorable to attempt to “win hearts and minds,” it’s very probable that the damage’s been done.

I believe the prudent way to win the hearts and minds of the Afgan people would have been to make a public showing of our disgust for the actions of Bush/Cheney et al.  Publicly investigate them and pull our troops out of both Iraq and Afganistan, and funnel what money we can afford to send to Afganistan and Iraq to their respective governments with strict accountability requirements that the money go toward repairing the damage done by our presence in their countries for the past (nearly) decade.  The reason they’re attempting to fight us OVER HERE is because we continue to leave our troops OVER THERE.  They are virtually helpless to remove our troops.  But, they can – AND WILL – continue to show their displeasure with the United States by trying to attack us over here until we “get the message.”

I could (and probably will) write another post regarding the so-called “surge” in Iraq.  I’ve mentioned my thoughts in passing many times in previous posts – but, I have NO DOUBT that the surge has only put off the inevitable struggle for power between the Sunni and Shia in Iraq.  The invasion itself has created a great dilemma for the U.S. government.  If we help the majority Shia, they will eventually “return the favor” to the Sunni’s that they received when Saddam was in power.  Additionally, I believe they will form an alliance with the Iranians (which is probably already under way) that will further demonstrate how stupid Bush/Cheney were when they initiated this ridiculous misadventure and further destabilize the entire region.  Barack Obama is following the Bush “timetable” for withdrawal – almost to a tee – and, much to my chagrine – with the prospect of a force in the neighborhood of 50,000 “NON-COMBAT” troops there for the indefinite future if David Patreaus and Ray Odierno (our Generals) have their way.  So far, Obama hasn’t shown me the kahoonas to stand up to the generals, and I don’t forsee it happening any time soon.  Everytime he uses the term “NON COMBAT” troops regarding Iraq, I get disappointed.  I was hoping for something more genuine than that.  What are we going to do, leave a bunch of cooks and doctors over there?  What in the H are “non combat” troops in Iraq?  Are they without weapons?  I seriously doubt it. Someday, I hope our leaders figure out that as long as we continue fighting them “OVER THERE” we’re more likely to have them fighting us “OVER HERE.”

My last post related to how President Obama’s lower poll numbers are a reflection of “the sense of betrayal” felt by his base.  In observing the few days since Obama’s State of the Union speech, his direction since then, and the comments coming from both the “left” and the “right,” I’m not at all encouraged that our president has miraculously figured out how to “right the ship.”  I watched the other night as the commentators on MSNBC marvelled at Obama’s performance in front of 140 “hostile” republican members of the House at a retreat somewhere around Washington DC.  Essentially, he faced them off and debunked EVERY ARGUMENT they made.  These commentators, Keith Olberman, Rachel Maddow, and Chris Matthews, were obviously enthralled by Obama’s performance.  Saying things like, who else in America would have the intellect to stand in front of a group – 1 to 140 – and “survive.” (my paraphrasing)  Along these lines, as I’ve been saying from the start, President Obama is VERY INTELLIGENT (Matthews surmised he’s one of the 100 most intelligent people in the country), he’s a good – well meaning man, and he’s an honorable person.

All that being said, I’m STILL questioning whether Obama (and these pundits, for that matter) “get it.”  OK, I “get” that you’re thinking, “who are you to think you ‘get it,’ suggesting that all these brilliant people at the ‘top’ don’t?”  Well, in answer to that, it’s true that I’m just a 6th grade school teacher and I have no intention of giving up my “day job” – well, for a few years anyway – I’m getting really OLD, but it’s also true that there are millions of us feeling the same frustration and, based on my previous predictions, I’m not sure they ‘get it’ more than me – and, it’s also true, that if I’m right that’s a sad state of affairs in itself.  It’s also true that I’m not even aspiring to be a journalist, although it should be fairly clear if you’ve checked out my site before that I love to write.  Writing has helped me to better keep my sanity as I watch the country I love pour BILLIONS of dollars (I’m sure it’s over a TRILLION now) into a middle eastern country (Iraq) in a way that has destabilized an entire region, fueled the flames of the very terrorists our leaders used to justify the invasion, and emboldened the so-called “evil” country of Iran (which, by the way, has a significant block of citizens who are willing to risk their lives to challenge their autocratic government) in a way that makes me wonder if our leaders are that stupid, or is there something else “up?”

As evidence, my (yes, yours too) country has reacted to the terrorist threat by repealing liberties which have stood the test of time since our forefathers founded this nation.  We are now being wiretapped by our government – without “probable cause,” we are a nation which tortures (and we will be until our government prosecutes the offenders – ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE “FOOD CHAIN”), we are a nation who’s Justice Department has become alarmingly politicized (just like the countries we despise), and we are a nation whose leaders have become terrified of our “free” press – to the point where they seem to be effectively stifling it.  As I look at all our troops stationed seemingly EVERYWHERE around the globe, I ponder the FACT our Supreme Court is REPUBLICAN, (they’ve picked a president and now they’ve enabled corporations a free reign on our political election process) and I see a government that is RUN by special interests ALREADY without the help of the court, I get VERY CONCERNED for the future of my children and grandchildren.

I’d like to “fall in line” as Randi Rhodes once suggested when the candidates were selected for office.  In fact, I not only voted for President Obama, I sent him money – that’s a BIGGIE for me.  Of course, there was NO WAY I could have fallen in line behind John McCain had he and Sarah Palin won the presidential election.  But, I did expect myself to do so for Obama.  I supported him for God’s sake.  However, I told myself from well before the election if someone I supported won I wouldn’t do what the republicans were doing and that is support anything.  I heard what President Obama promised, and I expected him to follow through on those promises.

I’m not so naive to think that EVERYTHING he wanted to achieve would be accomplished – especially in such a short time as his first year in office.  The problem I’ve been having, however – and still HAVE – has been our new president’s propensity to try to “bridge” the partisan divide between republicans and democrats.  THEORETICALLY, that’s a great idea.  In reality, it’s a sure loser.  And, what I saw last week was a president who is still trying to do this.  Considering the recent Supreme Court ruling, I feel the chances of bridging that “divide” are less, and the consequences of continuing to try could continue to get worse.  President Obama gives such good speaches that after a “big one,” like the State of the Union,” he gets a bump in his “numbers.”  Everyone – well, most rational people – love what they hear.  The problem Obama faces, and – I believe – the problem that is so hard to get our minds around (I’m talking about those of us paying attention in the “heartland”), is REALITY.  Time is of the essence.

There’s nothing President Obama can do about all the misjudgements of the past year.  It has been HONORABLE to attempt to reform the health care industry.  Looking at that battle alone should put EMPHASIS on the problem and the challenge that lies ahead.  However, if our president continues to take advice from the same people, I don’t have a lot of “hope” (isn’t that Obama’s byword?) that there will be much change.  And, his GREAT performance in front of the “enemy” – the republicans were termed that by Matthews – and, I TOTALLY agree – just bodes that he, in my view, is getting the absolute wrong message from the democratic “defeat” in Massachusetts AND his closest advisors.  What’s that famous definition of insanity?  If you continue to do the same things and expect a different result …….. well, you know where I’m going with that one.  (when I talk about “doing the same things,” I mean listening to the likes of Rahm Emanuel, etc.)

For some strange reason President Obama has chosen to focus his term in office as an opportunity to overcome the partisan “divide” in our government.  Here’s where I think he’s miscalculating.  If there was REALLY partisan divide, you’d have one party voting in “lock step,” and the other party (sadly, at this point, there’s only republicans and democrats) doing exactly the same.  If that was true then how did GW Bush manage to get our country mired up to our necks in Iraq?  How, did he get the patriot bill passed?  How did Bush get (until it was overturned by the Supreme Court) Habeous Corpus rights removed from “enemy combatants?”  How did Bush pass a FISA bill that effectively enabled telecommunications companies who were committing felonies?How did Bush/Paulsen get $700 BILLION for Wall Street?  How did Bush get John Roberts and Samuel Alito onto the Surpreme Court to rule that corporations have the right to take over our political system and act as persons?  I think you get my point, democrats HAD TO VOTE for this legislation to get it passed.  There was not one time where the republicans had even close to a 60 vote caucus in the Senate during Bush’s two terms.  Bush even passed the so-called “surge” when the democrats had majorities in BOTH HOUSES of Congress.  My point?  It’s the republicans who are obstructionist, partisan, zealots!  For crying out loud, the democrats went along with unbelievable CRAP during the Bush regime – making matters worst than they were – which was BAD ENOUGH!

So, here’s my point.  While at times I feel as if I’ve become a whiner – the truth is that I’m MAJORLY CONCERNED with the future of this great nation.  Too many of us seem to take it for granted that our system will just go on forever and that it’s a fairy tale that someone, something, some entity could be secretly trying to upend the greatest example of self-rule in the history of this world.  However, one right, one privilege, one piece of our constitution after another seem to me to be SLIPPING AWAY and those who are doing this are VERY SMART, and they’ve been at it for a LONG TIME.  And, I believe, many of the most important parts of their plan are solidly IN PLACE at this time – and the rest of us better wake up soon, or WE WON’T LIKE WHAT WE SEE.

Just a quick reminder to anyone who has been throwing the word “fascist” around without checking out what it really means.  Well, I won’t go into the authoritarian part of the definition – I think most people “get that,” although I’ve been constantly amazed at the so-called “tea baggers,” calling President Obama a fascist  while giving their support to Dick Cheney.  Now, if you have a clue about the true meaning of the term – THAT IS ALMOST BEYOND ABSURD.  If any politician in this country could be considered a fascist it would be Dick Cheney.  The scarier part is the corporatacracy part of the term.  A fascist country would be one which is controlled by the corporate interests – that is, the large corporations would be instrumental in choosing the “leaders” who were running the government.  It’s been a long time since I studied Mussolini, but if you get the time, check out the fascist government in Italy circa WW II. 

Applying that knowledge, if you check it out, to the probable ramifications of the recent Supreme Court ruling should get your “dander up.”  The republicans have been working for this AT LEAST since the days of Ronald Reagan.  They hate the New Deal, they HATE unions, they HATE the idea of a vibrant middle class, they HATE true public education, they fought against civil rights, they don’t like Social Security and Medicare, they recently showed their true colors as they spent over a BILLION dollars to stop health care reform (they’ve succeeded in at least making sure that any “reform” which passes will be a “boon” for their corporate interests), and they’re voting in a BLOCK to STOP anything President Obama proposes – almost EVERY congressional vote these days has EVERY republican voting against whatever it is.  Personally, I don’t think that’s going to change no matter how many times Obama faces them one on one hundred and fourty!

In fact, I believe there ISN’T MUCH TIME LEFT to actually create the atmosphere for the “change we can believe in.”  I mean, do you honestly think the republicans will “cave” now that their corporate nannies are offering them EVEN LARGER sums as long as they continue to “hold the line?”  The next BIG election is just 10 months away.  This is getting to the REALLY SCARY point, and those of us out here who are simply trying to persuade our president and the democrats to actually LEAD are feeling a genuine sense of frustration.  Our president, and his closest advisors, are hearing the “tea baggers,” but they’re not hearing us.  I’ve mentioned several times on this site that I’ve heard Randi Rhodes – one of Obama’s most die hard supporters and someone with a national presence with a “progressive” radio talk show – refer to progressives trying to express their concern and frustration with this constant sucking up to republicans as being STUPID.  I honestly believe President Obama feels the same way.  I also think that the president and his supporters think that those of us who are disenchanted will still vote for him when the election rolls around, because – “what is the alternative?”  I mean, they ONLY have a majority of 58 or so in the Senate – that will be their excuse.  (I’ve written off Joe Lieberman, I doubt that they will – they’ll continue to suck up to him as well – I believe his name should be changed to Benedict Lieberman!)

So, I’m going to continue speaking my thoughts – I’m sure that Obama, his advisors, and people like Rhodes will call it whining.  But, I have to tell you – while still being unable to listen to the entire State of the Union message because, unfortunately, I’ve come to the point where Obama’s words are empty rhetoric, the parts I’ve heard are disheartening.  The parts about offshore drilling, more nuclear power plants, more clean coal (what the H is that?), and – maybe worst of all – a freeze on non-military government spending was all just – PURE AND SIMPLE – more KISSING UP to the right wing.  These republcans must have a good chuckle every time they caucus – as they pull the democratic party closer and closer to them with ONLY 41 votes in the Senate and without voting for ANYTHING.  In the next election, they are going to have a field day BLASTING the democrats for being unable to govern despite given HUGE majorities in each chamber of the legislature.  And, of course, they’ll then have the unlimited backing of EXON, Wall Street, the Pharmaceutical industry, the insurance industry, and on and on (thanks to the Supreme Court part of their “master plan”).

I’ve called this a WAR many times on this site, and if the democrats don’t figure it out soon – we are all in trouble.  And, that includes the “tea baggers” who are going to wake up one of these days and realize how they’ve been used by the very people who they thought they were against.  This is getting to be like a bad dream.  I wanted to write tonight about the Telecommunications act of 1996 as an example of how these republicans work (it’s another key ingredient of their “master plan”) – how their true objective is almost ALWAYS 180 degrees from their publicly stated objective, that is the reason – YOU CAN’T TRUST THEM!  Doing that obviously would make an already long post absurd in its length.  So, I’ll just point out that the act (passed during Clinton’s years – with “help” from republicans) was designed to create more competition in broadcasting – you know, the famous remove regulation and the “free market” will take over.  This was another of the BLUNDERS during Clinton’s administration where New Deal regulations were repealed (Glass Steagall was another act repealled with disastrous results) and brought the republicans closer to their ulitmate long term goal – which is the “permanent republican majority.”  Of course, instead of more competition in the communications industry, we now have about 5 large corporations controlling virtually the entire spectrum.  Now, our politicians are at the mercy of how these corporations “interpret” their remarks, and combining this with the recent Supreme Court decision – well, in my mind, that should get any “progressive’s” attention, and help him/her to understand why people like me feel that the next few months are CRITICAL to the “change we can believe in.”

It won’t happen with a president “kissing up” to republicans – in fact, it won’t happen with bipartisanship.  The only way President Obama will get republicans to vote for his legislation is to do what Clinton did and “cave” in to their long stated goal of repealing the New Deal.  Clinton went a long way in helping them achieve that end, and for some reason I get the feeling that Barack Obama is trying to “mold” his administration after Bill Clinton’s.  When you look at the consequences of the Telecommunications act, the repeal of Glass Steagall, NAFTA, etc. I don’t know why any democrat would want to emulate Clinton.  What Obama should be doing is emulating FDR – and, if he’s not careful with his waffling, we could be in a Great depression again (the republicans would love this) and Obama could be LITERALLY emulating FDR while the “right” now has everything set in place to BLAME Obama and the democrats for this – plus they have the corporate money turned loose by the Supreme Court to help them do it.   Do you think the republicans will EVER take ownership in the economic MESS THEY’VE created?  Or, do you think like I do – they actually want MORE tax cuts for the wealthy and less regulation helping the middle class!  

So my question for the night is, based on the damage done by Bill Clinton’s decisions, why would Barack Obama be trying to emulate his administration?  Instead, in my view, he should be declaring WAR on this republican philosophy which is destroying our nation from the inside out.  How could this be accomplished?  Well, I can’t seem to write a post without including this:  A great place to start – it will be too late soon, if not already – would be the investigation of EVERY suspicious activity done during the Bush administration – including torture, illegal wiretapping, lying us into war, war profiteering, outing CIA agents (treason), politicizing the Justice Department, refusing subpoenas, corporate welfare through no-bid contracts, and – I’m sure – MUCH MORE.  Until that happens, and while Obama continues to “court” republicans, I will be feeling that our republic – as we know it – is in GREAT jeopardy.  I believe with all my heart that President Obama’s pardoning of the Bush administration, and his constant kissing up to republicans, has energized them to believe they will be “back on track” as soon as 2012.  Every thing they do is designed to “help” Obama FAIL, and, for some reason, this is not sinking in to the President’s and the democratic congressmember’s “thick skulls.”

I didn’t watch the State of the Union speech.  I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I feel really bad that I’ve gotten to the point that I’m just tired of empty rhetoric.  I think that is one of the most disappointing parts of the last year to me.  I bought into the “Obama phenomenon” hook, line, and sinker last year.  For me, it was a big step to send money to anyone.  Both because I don’t have much to send, and because I’ve been so turned off by politics since the Viet Nam war and the assasination of RFK.  Also, the advent of “progressive talk radio” had grabbed my attention and I started listening to the so-called progressive voices in the early days of Air America.  In fact, I’ve continued to listen to “progressive” radio since – sort of as an obligation.  I think it’s important to keep it going.  Recently I was saddened by the news that “Air America” radio had shut down and was liquidating.  To me, this is simply a symptom of the real problem – which is getting to the REAL SERIOUS stage.

I’ve heard commentary about both Obama’s State of the Union speech and the “obligatory” republican response, and I haven’t been surprised by either.  Well, I should rephrase that a bit.  I’ve been somewhat surprised by President Obama’s remarks in that he came out a bit more forceful – again, based only on what I’ve heard. (at some point, I’ll probably be able to bring myself to actually watch the speech)  Of course, everyone I listened to who was describing the speech said it was a “wonderful speech.”  The reality is that Obama gives “wonderful speeches.”  The problem I’m having is that it’s harder for me to watch the “follow through” of a politician that I support than one I don’t.  That is, GW Bush didn’t really surprise me.  If he surprised me at all, it was because he was actually WORSE than what I expected.  Him and Dick Cheney (and, really, the rest of the republicans) was why I was so invested in President Obama.  And, in my mind, Obama reneged on many promises – some MAJOR BLUNDERS – which is why I’m so discouraged.  (I’m not going into any of the broken promises – I have termed them “red flags” – there are over 200 posts for you to read if you’re interested in what I’m not happy about)

Well, I believe even Obama is owning up to the first year not being all that it could have been.  That’s good.  It’s refreshing to have a president who believes that it’s not beneath the dignity of a US president to admit mistakes.  I’m sure if you talked to George W Bush today, he’d still be reluctant to admit that anything he did was a mistake.  I’m positive that he’d still claim that destabilizing the middle east by invading Iraq under falst pretenses was not a mistake.  So, from that standpoint (and many others) Obama is a BREATH OF FRESH AIR.  However, as I’ve stated many times on this site, being better than Bush is not good enough for me.  When I voted for change, I actually thought there would be change.  I was ready for a president who would let the whole system be shut down to call out the republicans on their CRAP!  We still have a democratic party who cowers at the word filibuster (and they have a 58 member caucus!).  FOR GOD’S SAKE make the “you know what’s” ACTUALLY FILIBUSTER!  Bring in the cots (and bring in extra cameras with them) so that the American people can see these republicans for what they are.

For some reason Obama and the democrats don’t want to do that.  They continue to “play nice” with the republicans.  And, I can tell you, the republicans could care less about anything Obama and the democrats do (does anyone picture republicans “playing nice?”).  They will continue what they’re doing until the democrats FORCE them to change.  And, that will only happen when the Amercian people are painfully aware of what these republicans are all about.  Based on the exerpts I’ve heard of Obama’s speech, the commentary I’ve heard from TV pundits, and the hour of Randi Rhodes I heard tonight driving home from my work, I’m convinced that the president and his supporters still “don’t get it” regarding the “populist rage” they’re trying to counteract with their “new” words and proposals.  Randi Rhodes, tonight, did it again to me.  I listen to her a lot, I have a lot of respect for her, yet she continues to call the progressives “stupid” who call her show and tonight, worse than that, she was cow-towing to the “tea baggers” who were calling (claiming GW Bush was a “liberal” of all things).

And, to me, Randi has become the left wing version of the radio talk show host shill.  She can defend anything President Obama does – NO MATTER WHAT.  As Rhodes was essentially calling one of her listeners out, a listener who was a progressive, who was frustrated, and who was trying to get Randi to “tell the truth” to the “tea baggers” who call her show – Randi said something along the lines of “I want to talk TO them (“tea baggers”), not talk AT them.”  It was when she finished speaking to this caller (who, based on the conversation, I had surmised to be a very intelligent Black woman who was tired of President Obama being the brunt of racist garbage from the so-called “tea bagger” movement) that I realized Rhodes was doing to the progressives what she didn’t want to do to the “tea baggers.”  That is, she was talking AT THEM.  She referred to this woman – and in the process progressives (like me) who would agree with the woman – as STUPID.  I have heard Rhodes do this OVER AND OVER.  Presonally, I thought the woman was “right on.”  I’m, like her, tired of giving these right wing republicans and their “tea bagger” people any respect at all.  Contrary to what Rhodes said, they are racist by nature.  Yes, they’re angry about what’s going on in America, but the reason they’re so vulnerable to the scheming slugs like Dick Armey and Larry Klayman of “Freedom Watch” (don’t you just love the names these right wingers give themselves – these guys, ‘Freedom Watch,’ promote the corporatocracy that leads to fascism) is because of their racist tendencies – and, in case you’ve missed it, our President is the son of a Black person.  There’s no other rational explanation for it to me – check out the signs at their rallies – IT’S DISGUSTING – and it’s time we called it what it is!  (if they were really angry about an intrusive government, you’d think they would have been on the streets during the Bush years)

I don’t want to beat up on Obama (OK, maybe a little), but I just don’t agree with much of what he’s doing and I believe that MILLIONS of so-called progressives are right there with me.  Again, based on what I’ve heard of last nights speech, the direction President Obama is being pulled by the democratic defeat in Massachusetts and the so-called “populist rage,” is to the right.  That is what BUGS ME!  For some reason, the president (and people like Rhodes) think all the discontent out there is from the right.  Therefore, I’m seriously afraid we’re going to see MORE attempts to placate conservatives in this next year.  Someone’s forgetting:  THEY (conservatives) WERE THE ONES WHO SCREWED THINGS UP!  These conservatives just won’t go away based on the efforts of our president and his supporters like Rhodes.  I don’t know when Obama, Rhodes, and the democrats are going to figure out that we ARE AT WAR!  The republicans feel empowered because the DEMOCRATS LET THEM!  The republicans are a racist party, they believe in welfare for the rich, their leader – Rush Limbaugh – encouraged Americans NOT to help the Haitians after the devastating earthquake a couple weeks ago (democrats should be reminding voters of that EVERY DAY), the new senator from Massachusetts believes in torture (and believe me, it will be “back” if the republicans manage to get back in power – which will only happen after the democrats PROVE they can’t govern), and the more Obama moves toward them the worse it is for the rest of us.

Some of what I heard last night that bothered me:  a three year spending freeze (on non-military spending) to cut the deficit, (I hope I heard this next one wrong) opening up our coastal areas to more “offshore drilling,”  an increase in “clean coal” energy (is there such a thing?), and I forget the other one (OK, now I remember the other one – nuclear power – did I hear him right, proposing more nuclear power plants?  I hope not), but it all sounded like more placating of the right.  I can tell you one thing – IT WASN’T THE “RIGHT” WHO ELECTED THIS PRESIDENT!  Everytime he tries to reach out to these weird people who will NEVER be in his corner (it would be great if I was wrong on this one – but, I’ve become a realist in my old age) Obama loses support from the “people who got him there.”  That is where the real danger lies, in progressives just getting turned off by the whole process.  Obama, Rhodes, and everyone else who wants to see him be a two term president (that includes ME) need to understand that MUCH of his “base” are people under the age of 35.  THEY WILL STAY HOME IF THEY FEEL THEY’RE BEING IGNORED.  I think President Obama is getting BAD ADVICE from all fronts.  Why else would he still be reaching out to the very people who are “betting” everything on his defeat.  Now, Obama even has Randi Rhodes talking “nice” to these racist thugs.  Maybe someday I’ll come around and understand what they’re doing – but, it hasn’t happened yet.  I believe with all my heart that to turn things around in this nation we need President Obama (and his supporters like Randi Rhodes) to talk AT the “tea baggers” and talk TO their progressive supporters!  It is the sense of betrayal President Obama is giving his “base” that is causing the plummeting pole numbers.

How do you spell disheartened?  Well, however you spell it, I get the sense that a HUGE part of the progressive community in America is either there or heading there.  The “light at the end of the tunnel” that looked so bright to me when Barack Obama was sworn in as President is contracting at an alarming rate.  Actually, the “red flags” as I called it, went up prior to his inauguration as I watched in disbelief while President-elect Obama made one curious selection after another when setting up his cabinet and his circle of advisors.  I knew little about Rahm Emanuel, but what little I had heard was ALL BAD.  Talk about your “consummate” politician – your “political insider” – your “same old same old” Washington politician.  My first thought was, “How can that lead to the ‘change I can believe in’?”

Then there came Tim Geithner.  Again, I knew little about Geithner because I live on the “left coast” and he was the chairman of the New York Fed (as well as – by my understanding – another Treasury Secretary who was a ‘devotee’ of Goldman Sachs).  However, me putting two plus two together led me to believe that Geithner had an unknown complicity in the meltdown that actually guaranteed victory for Obama.  I mean, how could  a majority of voters pick a candidate like John McCain who claimed “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” while it was actually crumbling as he spoke?  (considering McCain’s “great foresight” in his choice for VP – everytime I think of my disappointment in Obama I’m reminded the choice was McCain/Palin – OH MY GOD!)  Since President Obama’s inauguration EVERYTHING I’ve learned about Geithner has further caused me to wonder what it is that our President sees in this guy as our nation is heeving at her sides from the strain of the unemployed and underemployed workers?  Wall Street banks are making BILLIONS yet loans to small businesses which fuel employment are MINISCULE. (OK, you guessed right, the “too big to fail” banks are gambling with cheap money from the Fed again)

Of course, I’ve mentioned several times on this site – I started saying this PRIOR TO THE INAUGURATION – what was Obama thinking that caused him to choose Larry Summers as his chief economic “analyst.”  Again, Summer’s history put him right in the middle of the meltdown that Obama was chosen to “fix.”  Did anyone besides me find it ironic that McCain’s economic advisor (and presumably he would have been Treasury Secretary had McCain won) was Phil Gramm while Obama’s chief advisor was Larry Summers?  These two economic “geniuses” were instrumental in repealing the Glass Steagall Act which had been in place since the years after the Great Depression to prevent banks from doing EXACTLY what they’ve been doing since Gramm and Summers “had their way” with the rest of us.  All these “investment banks” such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and formerly Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers were prohibited from collaborating with commercial banks such as Chase, Bank of America, etc. and insurance companies.   The result of what became known as Gramm-Leach-Bliley has been the merging of commercial banks, investment banks, and insurance companies to form corporations who are now considerd “too big to fail.”  Thus, the rationale for the so-called “TARP” bailout of AIG, Goldman, B of A, etc.  (actually, as far as I can tell, the TARP funds that Bank of America got were used to buy Merrill Lynch – certainly not to get “lending” going again).

I figured out that President Obama’s view of the military changed dramatically once he became “commander in chief.”  Somehow, I felt he was trying to convince republicans that he wasn’t “weak.”  Therefore, we’re still in Iraq at almost pre “surge” levels ONE YEAR after Obama took office.  He has NO INTENTION of getting our troops out of Iraq in the 16 month timeframe he PROMISED in the campaign.  (in fact, it’s unclear to me whether or not he’s bought the military “coolaid” that we need to leave a substantial level of troops there indefinitely)  He’s due for his first “State of the Union” speech and it will be very interesting how he approaches the subject of Iraq.  Will he even mention it?  My guess is that if he does, it will be in passing and he will frame any comments he makes in what a wonderful military we have and what a great job they’re doing over there (where they don’t belong) and he won’t mention that he’s following the “timetable” negotiated by GW Bush (and, likewise, paying for it with borrowed money).  President Obama, when looking at this realistically, has shown not ONE OUNCE of leadership when it comes to Iraq.  (our brave soldiers are still having their lives ruined every day over there – where they don’t (and never did) belong – to “save face” for America – remember Viet Nam – deja vu all over again!)

We’re also about 60,000 troops deeper into Afganistan.  All this to the tune of close to 200 BILLION DOLLARS per year (including Iraq) that “We the people” don’t have.  We’re STILL BORROWING money to pay for military adventurism.  The truth is that the United States CONTINUES to have troops stationed all over the world at a huge expense to the taxpayers – but a CONTINUING BOON to the “military industrial complex” – with NO END IN SIGHT.  President Obama is responding to David Patreaus in the same manner that George Bush did.  I know that Obama is sensitive to the comparisons to Bush – I’ve heard some people call it “Bush-lite” – but, the reality is WHAT IT IS!  And, after all of this, does ANYONE think that Barack Obama has convinced ONE REPUBLICAN that he’s “strong?”  Is there anyone out there who believes there is a republican ANYWHERE who’s going to support this president ON ANYTHING?  Well, I’m sure you can tell, if there is anyone, it sure as heck is NOT ME!

 I was really hoping President Obama would try to convince ME he was not weak.  (I could have said strong)  How could he have done that?  Well, he got off to a good start when he set a ONE YEAR timetable for closing GITMO – of course, this is another timetable that appears to have been words only.  Soon after making his stand on GITMO our new president started a STARTLING string of curious actions which seemed to play into the hands of the republicans.  It  was almost as if Obama didn’t understand there’s a war for the heart and soul of this nation going on and he’s a CENTRAL FIGURE.  He wasn’t elected to make nice to republicans.  He was elected to CHANGE the course of Washington.  Just showing leadership in the FIGHT to “right” the “wrongs” of the Bush administration would have gone a long way to keep my support.  Well, where then has he failed?   I’m not going to go into that in too much detail – if you are interested in my thoughts I’ve got over 200 posts, and curiously (I’m only a 6th grade school teacher) – I think my advice to the president has been much more accurate than what he’s been getting from Emanuel, Geithner, Summers, and the others he’s surrounded himself with.

I’m going to go chronological – because if you’ve been here before you’re likely to know what my number one gripe is.  But, let’s start with the so-called “stimulus” package.  That was an early “red flag” for me, because it was pared back considerably to get 3 republican votes.  The bill could have been passed using reconciliation – EASILY – with a full slate of “projects” to refurbish the sagging infrastructure of this nation – and instead we got a smaller bill with tax cuts for the people still working instead of help for those who weren’t (I’m one lucky enough to still be working – would have GLADLY gone without the $40 or so that came my way from the tax cut each month – it might even be less than that).  Now, the word is out that Obama is going to implement a “freeze” on NON MILITARY (naturally – who would have guessed) government spending – my guess is this will FURTHER EXACERBATE the unemployment situation (is he still trying to please republicans?)  Obviously, the additional “stimulus” that is needed at this time AINT GOING TO HAPPEN – unless you consider the stimulus that will result from the escalation in Afganistan.  As far as I can tell, the Massechusetts senate election has put our president into “panic mode” and we will have more poorly thought out decisions coming.  (I honestly wish I didn’t feel this way – and, as usual, I HOPE I’M WRONG)  It’s almost as if President Obama and the LARGE MAJORITIES OF DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS are afraid of republicans.  I think that is what is most disheartening!

OK, I know I’m repeating myself but this is MAJOR so you know that I couldn’t go without bringing this next thing up.  President Obama chose Eric Holder as Attorney General.  I had NO knowledge of him.  At this point in time, I wish Obama would treat Holder as if he was a fish which was too small – and THROW HIM BACK!  What has this guy done?  Well, his most significant move was to throw out the conviction of Alaska’s Ted Stevens (a republican – of course) for prosecutorial misconduct.  To make matters seem more convoluted, he’s left the conviction of Donald Seigelman in tact – but Seigelman was a democrat who was targeted by Karl Rove and the “Bush Crime family,” so I guess that’s territory that Holder won’t “tread.”  Holder – with Obama’s blessing – has turned his back on our previous president and vice president who ADMITTED on national TV to committing WAR CRIMES.  Bush – everyone knows this – violated FISA THOUSANDS OF TIMES – everytime he did it, he was committing a FELONY – but, for some reason Holder (and Obama) don’t want to go there (are they wiretapping?).  Dick Cheney committed treason (outing a CIA agent) along with being a war profiteer (while if not illegal – deserves investigation and castigation), Donald Rumsfeld authorized torture and was also a war profiteer – as the DEFENSE SECRETARY!  And, this torture led to several deaths – including the recently exposed MURDER of three “enemy combatants” at Guantanamo – and Holder (with Obama’s blessing, evidently) doesn’t want to investigate.  The only explanation for this is that Holder (and Obama) can’t see the “forest for the trees” – or – unfortunately, if not that, then the only other conclusion I can come to is that they are doing the same things that they should be investigating Bush/Cheney for.

President Obama, recently, has come out supporting strictor regulations of the Wall Street Banks that are snubbing their noses at the very taxpayers who bailed them out.  Obama has finally figured out that there’s a lot of “populist rage” out there.  Unfortunately, I’m not at all convinced that he’ll get this right either.  It seems that President Obama sees everything from the “prism” that for him to remain successful he has to placate republicans.  I’m afraid he’ll take the results from Massachusetts and interpret it as some kind of republican “steamroller” on the loose.  I interpret it as a large group of progressive voters in a “Blue” state – doing what I (and MANY OTHERS) have been predicting for months – STAYING HOME, not voting at all.  Then you have all the “independents” who are going to vote against the establishment until they get the message – which, apparently isn’t going to be anytime soon.  And, I’m afraid Obama’s going to increase his attempts to placate “conservatives” as the result of the Massachusetts debacle – when he should be doing whatever it takes to ENERGIZE LIBERALS!  Without his liberal base (I’ve been trying to tell him this since before his election) he’s not only a ONE TERM PRESIDENT, but a TOTAL FAILURE as a president.

Obama’s decision to essentially PARDON Bush/Cheney will go down as one of the MAJOR BLUNDERS of all time.  Here’s why: as the President continues to grapple with where he stands on issues, he will be undermining his own chances for re-election and with that the democratic control of congress.  If the republicans manage to gain control of either the White House or Congress in the near future – THAT WILL BE THE REASON WHY!  If the American public had any idea what had been done under Bush, I’m convinced the republicans would be an afterthought.  THEY’D BE TOTALLY ON THE DEFENSIVE – and, then being the party of “NO” would truly BACKFIRE on them.  As it stands, we have a president who will soon be considered an “empty message” if he doesn’t figure out that trying to be the democratic version of Ronald Reagan is a BAD IDEA!  I’m a school teacher and I’m hearing several of my workmates saying they don’t even want to watch the “State of the Union” speech – the reality is that Obama’s losing credibility with the “ones that got him there.”  And, he seems to be the last one to figure this out.  I have no doubt that Rahm Emanuel is telling him something like, “Don’t worry, they’ll be there when you need their votes.”  Well, I believe the message of Massachusetts is saying just the opposite.  Do you honestly think there’s anything President Obama can say in the State of the Union address that will please republicans?  I’m still waiting for him to do something that pleases me.

One thing that both conservatives and liberals can agree on is that the politicians in Washington are out of touch.  Of course, they view the problem in almost opposite directions, but at least there’s “bipartisanship” on something in America these days.  Myself, falling on the liberal side of the “problem” fail to understand WHAT’S WRONG with these democrats.  I guess the real problem I’m having is that the only place I can go for “relief” from republicans is to the democrats – the reality is that America is a two party system of government and I don’t realistically see that changing anytime soon.  So, we have a real problem here – witness the first year of Barack Obama’s term as president.

Don’t get me wrong.  I REALLY LIKE President Obama.  I think he’s a brilliant, honorable, man of integrity.  I think he’s working his “tail” off trying to fix the MESS he inherited from the despised (even by republicans) Bush administration.  The problem, as I see it, is that Obama and the democrats are WAY TO trusting of the system, and WAY TO stuck on protocal to fully understand the motivations and the methods of republicans.  The republicans are ALWAYS one step ahead of the democrats – EVEN WHEN IT APPEARS the democrats are winning!  Take for example the Obama presidency for starters.

I fully believe the republicans had a “four year” strategy for Obama’s presidency RIGHT FROM THE START.  They’ve been trying to TOTALLY UNDERMINE the American system of government as it emerged from the New Deal of FDR since the inauguration of Ronald Reagan.  They have masterfully figured out how to turn the voters against their (the voters themselves) very own self interest.  They understand the nuances of our system and they’re using our own system to undermine it.  While they talk about the “founding fathers” they’re trying to undo everything the founding fathers intended by using the system against itself.

The intent of the republicans, dating back to the 80’s and Reagan’s emergence on the scene, has been – and continues to be – a PERMANENT REPUBLICAN MAJORITY!  They’ve actually made no secrets about this – which is why it’s so astonishing to me in watching the democrats stumble along as if these republicans are going to “play ball” with them.  I mean, in the last election – where most everyone knew it would take a miracle for the republicans to win after GW Bush – the democrats final two choices came down to a Black man and a WOMAN.  Now, the republicans tried to prove that they didn’t have anything against women by putting Sarah Palin on the scene, but – remember – the democrat’s woman was Hillary Clinton.  If there’s anyone the republicans might despise more than a Black president it would be Hillary Clinton as president.

Knowing it was almost CERTAIN they were going to lose the White House due to the COMPLETE INCOMPETENCY of GW Bush I believe their plan changed to allow for four years of democratic rule during which they would purposely undermine EVERY THING the democrats attempted with an eye for taking over again in 2012.  And, I know also that democrats are pretty “cocky” thinking the republicans are going to put Sarah Palin on the ticket, but I’m convinced there’s another Bush “laying in the weeds” who will be a lot more formidable.  So far the democrats still haven’t figured out that there’s a war going on here.  This war is for the heart and soul of this nation.  And, if the democrats don’t wake up pretty soon, fixing the MESS left behind by Bush and company will be almost beyond the realm of possibility.  In fact, we’ll all be reliving it!

Here’s what the republicans are going to do – and their plan is coming together, I’m sure, almost exactly as they had planned.  They understand that the democrats are SPINELESS – by and large.  Also, most of the democrats have a conscience and most of the democrats believe in “bipartisanship.”  The republicans are exploiting both of those tendencies TO THE HILT.  Just as they “tricked” the American public and lied us into Iraq, they’re going to “trick” us again and attempt to use their secret weapon (the Supreme Court) to help them lie their way back into the White House. 

In the past couple days there has been a HUGE CLAMOR over the Supreme Court’s decision to essentially rule the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law designed to limit corporate spending on elections to be unconstitutional.  And, it’s true that all the clamoring is justified.  THIS IS BAD!  Really bad!  However, any democrat paying attention knew this was coming for months.  This decision AMPLIFIES one of the parts of the republican strategy.  That was to STACK the Supreme Court with idealogues who will vote in accordance with whoever it is in the background pulling the strings for all the shills we have to listen to every day who call themselves republicans.  (I can’t wait to hear John McCain come out and support this Court decision)

This ruling exacerbates the idea that a corporation has the same constitutional rights as an individual.  Well, that’s absurd on it’s face and as I ponder it – my first thought is, “Only in America.”  We’ve all been brainwashed for so many years that we actually believe some of the phony ideals that our politicians so disengenuously hammer into our brains until we just assume they MUST BE telling the truth.  I believe the republicans have even convinced most democrats that they believe in these ideals.  Of course their actions BELIE this, but even our democratic politicians seem to be afraid to hold republicans accountable for their actions.  This Supreme Court ruling makes the actions myself – AND MANY OTHERS – have been calling for for months EVEN MORE IMPERATIVE!  If the democrats fail to stand up to the reality of a country where corporations now have UNLIMITED ability to influence elections by spending UNLIMITED amounts of money, well we’re all in trouble (except, of course, for the corporations).

Actually, eventually even the corporations will be in trouble, because their greed will only GROW if they are able to manipulate who is holding office in this country.  EVERY BUBBLE EVENTUALLY BURSTS!  It’s just that the fallout from this one could be disastrous to our country as we now know it.  If you are happy with MONEY being our God, corporations with unlimited access to our legislative system, corporations able to determine who’s president, and the mean spirited republicans of the Bush era being in control for the forseeable future, well, you probably are happy with the ruling.  For those of us who think it’s RIGHT to call TORTURE illegal, for those of us who believe our military should be used ONLY to defend our nation or our allies, for those of us who believe in the bill of rights and the constitution AS WRITTEN, for those of us who believe in a Justice Department which administers our laws in a non-partisan manner, for those of us who DON’T believe in corporate welfare, for those of us who believe in a vibrant middle class, and especially for those of us who have grown children and grandchildren (baby boomers) it’s a time to be ashamed of what the leaders of our era have turned this nation into.

This ruling sets the stage for a BOMBARDMENT of corporate spending in the next two elections and you only had to see who was cheering the verdict to understand what that means.  Mitch McConnell (the minority leader of the Senate – that means he’s a republican) hasn’t had a smile that big on his face since Trent Lott claimed we’d all have been better off if SEGREGATIONIST Strom Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948 over Harry Truman (I’m not sure if the smile then was more that he believed what Lott said, or that he knew the result would put him one step closer to being the republican leader in the Senate).  John Boehner, the republican leader in the House, was so giddy that it looked as if he spent extra time in the tanning booth while he was gloating.  He proclaimed this was a “victory for free speech.”  Can you picture this, Exxon now has the same free speech rights as you or I!  What kind of person would see that as a victory for free speech?  What do you think the future of the energy bill is, or the fight against global warming?  And, these republicans have convinced this STUPID tea bagger group that they (the republicans) are for the “little guy.”

So, this ruling by essentially the same court who put GW Bush into office, is the “ace” in the hole for the republicans in their plan for only a four year hiatus from the White House.  This is EXACTLY why I’ve been so upset with the President who I was so supportive of while he was running for the office.  Somehow, I was convinced he – of all people – understood what these republicans were like.  As soon as I saw him spending more time wooing the votes he had NO CHANCE to get from them, and ignoring the very voters who put him in office, I KNEW WE WERE IN TROUBLE!  I’ve railed almost since his inauguration hoping that somehow there would be enough voices calling Obama out for his “milk toast” approach to the problems he inherited – but to no avail!

And, now things are VERY SERIOUS!  Thom Hartman has been warning people about this verdict for months.  Everyone SHOULD have known it was coming.  The House member who’s fast becoming my favorite – albeit it will be hard for him to pass Dennis Kucinich or Peter De Fazio – is a man named Alan Grayson from Florida.  He’s a first term member of the House, he had six bills already introduced over a week before this decision became final to counteract the effect of the decision – so it’s obvious he SAW IT COMING!  So, what’s up with the rest of the democrats?  They were asleep at the switch in Massechusetts, they couldn’t fashion a health care bill that was acceptable to the American people (you know, the same old CRAP that people are sick of – the “dealmaking” in public – they JUST COULDN’T STOP THEMSELVES), and they’re acting as if they were blindsided by this verdict.  I’m so uneasy depending on THEM to carry the fight against  these devious republicans – it’s borderline depressing!

OK, so what do the democrats do now?  Well, my tune hasn’t changed hardly at all – it just seems MORE DESPERATE that the democrats come to their senses.  President Obama gave me a “sliver” of reason for hope a day or two ago.  The day after the MALE NUDE MODEL (and I’m not talking about Sarah Palin’s would be son in law) won Ted Kennedy’s seat for the republicans in the Senate Obama proposed something akin to the Glass Steagall act in an attempt to “reign in” the big Wall Street banks.  Glass Steagall was a victim of the deregulation done during the last years of the Clinton administration.  This was done with the blessing of Larry Summers who is President Obama’s economic advisor and Phil Gramm who was McCain’s economic advisor (do you get why many besides me were disheartened when Obama “hitched his wagon” to Summers?) and many (including myself) feel that the removal of this law was instrumental in the financial collapse of 2008.  I hope and pray that Obama can pull this off, but he’ll have to fight like H E double toothpick to succeed – especially now that this latest Supreme Court ruling has opened the flood gates to corporat spending in our elections. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not real confident there’s a lot of Senators who are going to be willing to take on the rath of Goldman Sachs – fresh off a quarter with almost 5 BILLION in earnings, almost all of it through GAMBLING with “FREE” money from the Fed.  If Goldman Sachs is planning on giving bonuses that amount to close to TWO BILLION DOLLARS – how much do you think they’re going to be willing to spend to prevent President Obama from DOWNSIZING them?  And, if Goldman doesn’t have enough money to “rig” the next couple elections, well there’s always Bank of America and Morgan Stanley Chase who will be spending “shoulder to shoulder” with them.  And, then think of the money the oil companies have.  I guarantee you Obama is more of a target already than he was just a week ago!

So, I’m going to give our president some advice (again!).  If you’re a regular around here, you might want to tune out at this point, because I’ve been harping on my NUMBER ONE PRIORITY since before Obama put his hand on Lincoln’s Bible!  ORDER Eric Holder to start naming special prosecutors for the KNOWN deeds of the Bush administration – and here’s a good place to start!  Almost hidden in the events of the last week is the FACT that interest in the THREE “enemy combatants” found HANGING in their cells at GITMO with their hands tied behind their backs, with their feet tied together, with wads of cloth jammed so far down their throats their jaws had to be broken to get the cloth out, and who were DEAD for hours before the bodies were “discovered” – BY GUARDS WHO WERE SUPPOSEDLY WALKING THE CORRIDORS CONTINUOUSLY – has been renewed.  Of course, the original determination of death was – HOLD YOUR BREATH – suicide!  That’s right, they crammed wads of cloth so far down their own throats that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to take another breath, they THEN tied their feet together, and THEN somehow managed to tie their hands behind their backs, and THEN MIRACULOUSLY were still able to climb up on a stool or something as such, put a noose around their neck, and then hang themselves.  THREE DIFFERENT PRISONERS, IN THREE DIFFERENT CELLS, ALL IN THE SAME MIRACULOUS MANNER AT THE SAME TIME!

We Americans must have become COMPLET IDIOTS if we are going to allow our leaders to convince us of that ridiculous lie.  I know that we’re all calloused by politician after politician lying to us – BUT ISN’T THAT ONE A BIT TOO RIDICULOUS?  And, it almost puts me into COMPLETE DEPRESSION when I hear that Eric Holder’s Justice Department doesn’t find those circumstances a bit “fishy.”  Do the republicans have something on Obama and Holder?  What is keeping them from investigating an administration that was akin to the mafia?  There was the KNOWN TORTURE, there was the KNOWN ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING, there was the KNOWN OUTING OF A CIA AGENT, there was the KNOWN LYING US INTO WAR, there was the KNOWN WAR PROFITEERING by the very people who lied us into the war, there was the KNOWN POLITICIZING OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, there was the constant stream of Bush surrogates (including the infamous Karl Rove) who REFUSED TO ANSWER SUBPOENAS, and there was the former head of Goldman Sachs allowing his arch competitor Lehman Brothers to collapse prior to “bailing out” his OWN SELF INTEREST. 

These are all MADE TO ORDER scandals that the democrats could have in front of the voters for the next couple of years while they attempt to gather the courage to actually take up the battle in the REAL WAR that is threatening this nation.  That’s the war “within” which is pitting the republicans – and their corporate cronies – against “WE THE PEOPLE.”  The problem I’m having in all this is I’m afraid the democrats will decide their best course of action will be to “compete” for all the money that’s bound to be thrown around by the corporate heads who are soon to be deciding the fate of all of us.  We need people like Alan Grayson in our Congress, BUT WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TARGETED by the big corporate heads?  I believe, if you’re reading this blog, you know the answer to that question.  “We the people” can’t afford to give the democrats in congress more than a few months to find out if they’re up for the battle that looms.  If not, then IT REALLY IS TIME FOR A THIRD PARTY! 

Obama’s first step (bringing back Glass Steagall) was encouraging – but if he continues to fear the reprisals of investigating the republicans under Bush, he will be a one term president.  And, if the democrats think they’re going to get their “fair share” of the corporate “donations” – maybe a better way to put it is that if they think they can “out-prostitute” the republicans – they’re dreaming.  The only way to win this battle is to FIGHT!  Take them on STRAIGHT UP!  If another republican gets into the White House in 2012 just the damage of THE SUPREME COURT NOMINATIONS will be a lasting legacy of this corporate greed for several generations to come.  THIS IS NOW GETTING REALLY SERIOUS!  Earth to Democrats, America’s at war and I’m not talking about Afganistan or Iraq!