Stephen Views the News
* Terrorists or the marriage of elected
* Terrorists or the marriage of elected officials to lobbyists ~ which is the more dangerous threat to Americans? In a NY Times book review of Thomas Frank’s “The Wrecking Crew” we learn, “The increasing supply of lobbyists, Frank observes, “should have driven the price of lobbying down, not up. … The most credible explanation … is that clients grew more and more confident that their lobbyists could deliver something of value in exchange for their fees. … The reason companies started buying, in other words, was that Congress began selling. Special-interest earmarks in legislation by members of Congress have exploded in number, while careers in elected or appointed office are apprenticeships for lobbying jobs.”
Since congress sets the rules for lobbyists and their interaction with elected officials the public is virtually defenseless against their self-aggrandizement. In the last decade ethics oversight of congressman has been virtually non-existent. Given the existing circumstances foreseeable change is not likely because the inmates are running the prison. Where is the public outcry? It is distracted by nonsensical issues promulgated by Republican spinmeisters, buoyed by the myopic pleas of the religious right and too often reinforced by corporate media magpies. Nor should Democratic congressmen be held blameless. There is some merit to their argument that their bare majority in Congress is insufficient to bring about meaningful change but one wonders if this is not also a cover for their complicity in the lobbyist culture. And, we the people are not blameless. Every poll demonstrates that the American people are completely fed up with Congress but when polled about their own elected officials they would return them to office. If this is a result of being comfortable with the devil that you know, welcome to hell.
~ Bovine excreta of the week - In an interview on Wednesday McCain said about lobbyists, “Whenever there’s a corrupt system, then you’re going to have these birds of prey descend on it to get their share of the spoils. … Lobbyists don’t come to my office. Because they know they’re not going to be an earmark. They know they’re not going to get a pork-barrel project… I think there are too many lobbyists in Washington.” For the record, McCain has at least 159 lobbyists – on leaves of absence - running his campaign, fundraising, and shaping his policies. ProgressiveAccountability.org lists the names, firms and issues.
* Another wedding you don’t want to attend ~ John McCain and corporate America – From ThinkProgress.org “The Hill reports that the CEOs of the 100 biggest Fortune 500 corporations have given approximately 10 times as much to John McCain as they have to Barack Obama. One explanation for this “generosity,” as outlined by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, is that McCain’s proposed corporate tax cuts would result in a $45 billion tax giveaway to the 200 largest corporations in America and a total of $175 billion in corporate tax breaks. Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips would each receive over $1 billion in tax breaks. It is obvious that their campaign contributions are a most prudent “investment.” Given the current federal debt, the fragility of the American economy and the deteriorating financial condition of most Americans this country cannot afford the corporate tax reductions that McCain proposes. If McCain and corporate America consummate their marriage close to 300,000,000 Americans get screwed without the benefit of an orchestra or a honeymoon.
* Like Vana White, just flipping letters ~ Wal-Mart / Mal-Mart – The leading retailer in America once again demonstrated its disdain for integrity, employee rights and probably federal law. The Wall Street Journal reports, “Prominent labor groups are seeking an investigation into whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. violated federal election laws by telling employees that electing Democrats would lead to passage of legislation making it easier to unionize companies.” The article outlines a number of misleading claims aimed at intimidating employees of the Arkansas-based retailer. To learn more about this egregious icon of 21st Century corporate culture I suggest a visit to WakeUpWalMart.com and The Real Wal-Mart Facts. Their track record of being an irresponsible employer is only the tip of the iceberg.
*Where did I put that house? – Most of us have at one time or another misplaced the keys to our house. It is especially rare to misplace a house. Meet John McCain. On Wednesday McCain said he was unsure how many houses he and his wife Cindy owned but his staff would get back to the reporter who made the inquiry (USA Today reports that the McCains own 12 luxurious homes valued at over $10 million). The damn biased media have to stop asking the Senator from Arizona such nuanced questions. Before you know it they will begin asking him meaningful questions about the U.S. economy, where it is likely he will trip over his lip.
* McCain says he has strong national security credentials – The Jed Report provides a video of John McCain appearing on Larry King Live in 2001 saying, “if he'd been president, he'd have picked Donald Rumsfeld to be his Secretary of Defense and Dick Cheney to be his VP.” We unfortunately know how that scenario worked out! Is there any doubt that Cheney would have manipulated McCain the same way he pulled the strings of George Pinocchio Bush?
* I could use some friends in high places ~ versus friends who use to get high – This week I wrote a check to pay my county real estate tax. On that same day I read an article about the Governor of Nevada. It seems that the “honorable” Jim Gibbons (he is facing ethics and criminal investigations on unrelated matters) will face the state Ethics Commission for his role in securing a $5,000 tax break on his property near Lamoille, Nevada. The tax break allowed Gibbons to pay only $40 in state taxes for 40 acres of land. One dollar per acre! My annual property tax calculates to five dollars per square foot! Talk about inspiration to run for public office!
* Were you heartened when so many of our national leaders spoke out about Russia invading Georgia? Typical of the responses was the comment by Mitt Romney who said, “Russians have shown their willingness to act militarily against a sovereign nation.” His outrage and hand wringing was matched by the likes of Bush, Rice, McCain, Lieberman, Graham and every neocon this side of the military-industrial complex – all of whom strongly and complicity supported the U.S. invading the sovereign nation of Iraq.
* It has been leaked to the media that Joe Lieberman has been vetted as a potential Republican VP selection. As much as Lieberman has kissed-up to the Christian religious-right and embraced McCain/Bush policies it could be argued that the possibility is credible. I believe that this Jewish Senator from Connecticut has as much chance of being John (America is a Christian nation) McCain’s running mate as George Bush has of his profile being chiseled into Mount Rushmore.
* Corruption: the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain – the web site Obsidian Wings did a Google search for “Bush administration + corruption.” The result was 2,640,000 web links. The article was pointing out the corruption this country has been subjected to over the last 7 plus years as a prelude to its comments about Medicare fraud. Misleading comments by Medicare officials in 2006 led Congress to believe that its efforts to reduce fraudulent and improper claims were successful. “But according to a confidential draft of a federal inspector general’s report, those claims of success… were misleading… Medicare officials told outside auditors to ignore government policies that would have accurately measured fraud, according to the report. For example, auditors were told not to compare invoices from salespeople against doctors’ records, as required by law, to make sure that medical equipment went to actual patients.” I say let’s not be too critical of these Medicare officials. They were wearing their American Flag pin on their lapels during testimony thereby providing them immunity from perjury.
* George Bush’s Peepness Envy ~ England’s spying program on its citizens may be bigger than his – An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph found, “In one week, the average person living in Britain has 3,254 pieces of personal information stored about him or her, most of which is kept in databases for years and in some cases indefinitely… The data include details about shopping habits, mobile phone use, emails, locations during the day, journeys and internet searches.” A recommendation for college students: if you read this article it will not be necessary to read George Orwell’s “1984” next semester. “The book has major significance for its vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive and constant surveillance of the populace, insidious and blatant propaganda, and brutal control over its citizens.”
The Washington Post this week published an article about the amount of data the U.S. government is collecting on its own citizens when crossing the borders with Canada and Mexico. Like the terrorist watch list so much information is being collected, ostensibly to protect us, it is doubtful that anyone is actually protected as the system drowns in data.
* “People say that President Nixon had phlebitis. That is simply not true. You don’t screw over 200 million people and get phlebitis. You get syphilis!”
My recollection from a Jackie Mason performance about 20 years ago.
Since congress sets the rules for lobbyists and their interaction with elected officials the public is virtually defenseless against their self-aggrandizement. In the last decade ethics oversight of congressman has been virtually non-existent. Given the existing circumstances foreseeable change is not likely because the inmates are running the prison. Where is the public outcry? It is distracted by nonsensical issues promulgated by Republican spinmeisters, buoyed by the myopic pleas of the religious right and too often reinforced by corporate media magpies. Nor should Democratic congressmen be held blameless. There is some merit to their argument that their bare majority in Congress is insufficient to bring about meaningful change but one wonders if this is not also a cover for their complicity in the lobbyist culture. And, we the people are not blameless. Every poll demonstrates that the American people are completely fed up with Congress but when polled about their own elected officials they would return them to office. If this is a result of being comfortable with the devil that you know, welcome to hell.
~ Bovine excreta of the week - In an interview on Wednesday McCain said about lobbyists, “Whenever there’s a corrupt system, then you’re going to have these birds of prey descend on it to get their share of the spoils. … Lobbyists don’t come to my office. Because they know they’re not going to be an earmark. They know they’re not going to get a pork-barrel project… I think there are too many lobbyists in Washington.” For the record, McCain has at least 159 lobbyists – on leaves of absence - running his campaign, fundraising, and shaping his policies. ProgressiveAccountability.org lists the names, firms and issues.
* Another wedding you don’t want to attend ~ John McCain and corporate America – From ThinkProgress.org “The Hill reports that the CEOs of the 100 biggest Fortune 500 corporations have given approximately 10 times as much to John McCain as they have to Barack Obama. One explanation for this “generosity,” as outlined by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, is that McCain’s proposed corporate tax cuts would result in a $45 billion tax giveaway to the 200 largest corporations in America and a total of $175 billion in corporate tax breaks. Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips would each receive over $1 billion in tax breaks. It is obvious that their campaign contributions are a most prudent “investment.” Given the current federal debt, the fragility of the American economy and the deteriorating financial condition of most Americans this country cannot afford the corporate tax reductions that McCain proposes. If McCain and corporate America consummate their marriage close to 300,000,000 Americans get screwed without the benefit of an orchestra or a honeymoon.
* Like Vana White, just flipping letters ~ Wal-Mart / Mal-Mart – The leading retailer in America once again demonstrated its disdain for integrity, employee rights and probably federal law. The Wall Street Journal reports, “Prominent labor groups are seeking an investigation into whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. violated federal election laws by telling employees that electing Democrats would lead to passage of legislation making it easier to unionize companies.” The article outlines a number of misleading claims aimed at intimidating employees of the Arkansas-based retailer. To learn more about this egregious icon of 21st Century corporate culture I suggest a visit to WakeUpWalMart.com and The Real Wal-Mart Facts. Their track record of being an irresponsible employer is only the tip of the iceberg.
*Where did I put that house? – Most of us have at one time or another misplaced the keys to our house. It is especially rare to misplace a house. Meet John McCain. On Wednesday McCain said he was unsure how many houses he and his wife Cindy owned but his staff would get back to the reporter who made the inquiry (USA Today reports that the McCains own 12 luxurious homes valued at over $10 million). The damn biased media have to stop asking the Senator from Arizona such nuanced questions. Before you know it they will begin asking him meaningful questions about the U.S. economy, where it is likely he will trip over his lip.
* McCain says he has strong national security credentials – The Jed Report provides a video of John McCain appearing on Larry King Live in 2001 saying, “if he'd been president, he'd have picked Donald Rumsfeld to be his Secretary of Defense and Dick Cheney to be his VP.” We unfortunately know how that scenario worked out! Is there any doubt that Cheney would have manipulated McCain the same way he pulled the strings of George Pinocchio Bush?
* I could use some friends in high places ~ versus friends who use to get high – This week I wrote a check to pay my county real estate tax. On that same day I read an article about the Governor of Nevada. It seems that the “honorable” Jim Gibbons (he is facing ethics and criminal investigations on unrelated matters) will face the state Ethics Commission for his role in securing a $5,000 tax break on his property near Lamoille, Nevada. The tax break allowed Gibbons to pay only $40 in state taxes for 40 acres of land. One dollar per acre! My annual property tax calculates to five dollars per square foot! Talk about inspiration to run for public office!
* Were you heartened when so many of our national leaders spoke out about Russia invading Georgia? Typical of the responses was the comment by Mitt Romney who said, “Russians have shown their willingness to act militarily against a sovereign nation.” His outrage and hand wringing was matched by the likes of Bush, Rice, McCain, Lieberman, Graham and every neocon this side of the military-industrial complex – all of whom strongly and complicity supported the U.S. invading the sovereign nation of Iraq.
* It has been leaked to the media that Joe Lieberman has been vetted as a potential Republican VP selection. As much as Lieberman has kissed-up to the Christian religious-right and embraced McCain/Bush policies it could be argued that the possibility is credible. I believe that this Jewish Senator from Connecticut has as much chance of being John (America is a Christian nation) McCain’s running mate as George Bush has of his profile being chiseled into Mount Rushmore.
* Corruption: the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain – the web site Obsidian Wings did a Google search for “Bush administration + corruption.” The result was 2,640,000 web links. The article was pointing out the corruption this country has been subjected to over the last 7 plus years as a prelude to its comments about Medicare fraud. Misleading comments by Medicare officials in 2006 led Congress to believe that its efforts to reduce fraudulent and improper claims were successful. “But according to a confidential draft of a federal inspector general’s report, those claims of success… were misleading… Medicare officials told outside auditors to ignore government policies that would have accurately measured fraud, according to the report. For example, auditors were told not to compare invoices from salespeople against doctors’ records, as required by law, to make sure that medical equipment went to actual patients.” I say let’s not be too critical of these Medicare officials. They were wearing their American Flag pin on their lapels during testimony thereby providing them immunity from perjury.
* George Bush’s Peepness Envy ~ England’s spying program on its citizens may be bigger than his – An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph found, “In one week, the average person living in Britain has 3,254 pieces of personal information stored about him or her, most of which is kept in databases for years and in some cases indefinitely… The data include details about shopping habits, mobile phone use, emails, locations during the day, journeys and internet searches.” A recommendation for college students: if you read this article it will not be necessary to read George Orwell’s “1984” next semester. “The book has major significance for its vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive and constant surveillance of the populace, insidious and blatant propaganda, and brutal control over its citizens.”
The Washington Post this week published an article about the amount of data the U.S. government is collecting on its own citizens when crossing the borders with Canada and Mexico. Like the terrorist watch list so much information is being collected, ostensibly to protect us, it is doubtful that anyone is actually protected as the system drowns in data.
* “People say that President Nixon had phlebitis. That is simply not true. You don’t screw over 200 million people and get phlebitis. You get syphilis!”
My recollection from a Jackie Mason performance about 20 years ago.
Categories: Stephen Views the News
* The brainwashing of America – It is
* The brainwashing of America – It is the customary fashion in American thinking and politics today that every idea and concept be put into a neat box so that it fits or does not fit one’s predetermined mindset. The effect of this binary approach is that it fosters polarization. Conservative or Liberal. Republican or Democrat. Urban or rural. Young or old. Business or labor. Rich or poor. Once established this stereotyping filters information and precludes new ideas and creative solutions. There is no room for discussion, mediation or compromise. We dig in our heels so deeply that we become immobilized. Almost all of us are culpable. And the result is that we are all the poorer for it. Like most sentient beings I have an opinion as to how the world should be and in my case it is progressive. In today’s atmosphere when I criticize the Department of Justice for the politicization that took place under John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales a conservative will likely tune me out. Yet such politicization is damaging to all Americans. It is time that we begin to refocus the narrow perspectives and divisiveness that people like Karl Rove took to new depths and seek policies that enhance America. Divisiveness only serves the agenda of special interests. It is time to end their day in the sun.
* Burning my condom in protest ~ but not while wearing it – Three weeks ago I commented about the attempt of the Bush administration to define birth control as abortion. Upon further reflection I considered the implications of this proposed policy change. The next “logical” step would be to accuse Catholics of abortion when they use the rhythm method to avoid pregnancy. And then we can accuse gays of abortion because their union does not lead to conception. And then we can extend the prison terms of those who are incarcerated because most of them are not permitted conjugal visits and therefore they are also contributing to abortion. When your head stops spinning MoveOn.org has a petition you can sign that will be sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change. I am not fond of sending petitions to Bush administration officials because their political agendas preclude the interests of most Americans and they could arrogantly care less about what we think. However, I did sign the petition hoping it might lower my blood pressure and raise my testosterone.
* Good news for parents ~ the U.S. is phasing out its military ~ at least it seems that way – The question is often asked how the U.S. can fight two wars over a more than 5 year period and not need a draft to supply the military with personnel. Initially this feat was achieved by devastating the National Guard – forces intended to protect the states domestically. The magic of the Bush administration has been to hire private contractors who perform duties formerly assigned to the military. “The U.S this year will have spent $100 billion on contractors in Iraq since the invasion in 2003, a milestone that reflects the Bush administration’s unprecedented level of dependence on private firms for help in the war, according to a government report… one out of every five dollars spent on the war in Iraq has gone to contractors for the U.S. military and other government agencies, in a war zone where employees of private contractors now outnumber American troops.” The use of private contractors has resulted in excessive over-billing and fraud and more often than not by contractors such as KBR and Blackwater Worldwide who are closely tied to Bush and Cheney. Also of significance is that these contractors have operated outside of the law. Twenty years from now we will erect a monument in Washington to these mercenaries – if there is any money left in the U.S. treasury. Standing on each side of the monument will be statues of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney – in prison stripes.
* Who is paying for the private contractors? ~ Hmmm, us – A report by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) about to be released incredulously says “most U.S. corporations pay no federal income taxes… And most foreign companies that do business in the United States aren't paying corporate taxes.” From 1998 to 2005 two-thirds of American corporations paid zero income taxes and an even higher percentage of foreign corporations paid zero income tax to the U.S. although they had trillions of dollars in sales. This report leaves me confused because Republicans and John McCain keep telling us that we have to lower the tax rate of corporations so they will be competitive. How much lower than zero can you go? Imagine if you and I did not pay income taxes we would have funds available to personally lobby (read “pay for”) the actions of our elected representatives. Remember the good old days when that is what our vote accomplished?
* “Hosed at the Pump, Again” – This could be a Blues song but it definitely is reality in the land of the free and home of the brave. As the Republican Party and the oil industry sing “Drill, Drill, Drill” to relieve the pain of high gas prices the American public is forced to dance to that familiar golden oldie “Screwed, Screwed, Screwed.” We learn this week that U.S. oil refiners are increasingly exporting their production. Reuters is reporting, “While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries… A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.” Caution: Do not play this music too loud for fear of waking a comatose Congress.
* My rant to a friend – A friend who I will call Bob is fond of sending me misleading and dishonest emails about Barack Obama. We all are too familiar with this spam and sham that floods our inbox. This week I felt that I had had enough. The following is my response to my friend and all of the other Bobs out there: Obama or McCain – tough choice. One candidate wants to water down your company-paid health insurance while putting your pension plan in jeopardy, send your daughters and sons off to an unprovoked war, raise the cost of everything you purchase by expanding the federal debt and destroying the value of the dollar as you choke on pollution not noticing that the water supply is evaporating and what is left is filled with carcinogens. This candidate seeks power through funding by a small but increasingly powerful wealthy class whose motto is “more for me is better.” This Oval Office wannabe would rip the “separation of church and state” from the Constitution and strip women of their reproductive rights. The other candidate is Barack Obama.
* DHS is the pits – meet Sonia Pitt – You may share my opinion that the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) is fraught with incompetence and cronyism. However, there are always new depths to plumb. When the Minnesota Interstate 35W Bridge collapsed Ms. Pitt, a MN state transportation official, failed to return for 10 days from an unauthorized state-paid trip to Washington. She misspent $26,400 in state funds and made 94 hours of personal calls from her state-paid cell phone to a Federal Highway Administration official with whom she had a relationship. Not surprisingly, one week after she was fired she was hired by DHS. Somewhat surprisingly, DHS officials have fired Pitt and are now investigating why she continued to hold a federal security clearance after her MnDOT dismissal, whether her TSA application was complete and truthful, and whether cronyism or corruption was involved in her hiring. Probably yes to all of the above and, yes, our federal government is giving me a sharp pain behind my twitching left eye. Bring back Michael Brown!
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ meet Michele Bachmann – The Republican Congresswoman from MN and champion of the Christian Right this week told the right wing news site OneNewsNow, "[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet -- we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that." Other MENSA comments by Bachmann include: that there isn't actually any wildlife in the areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where she wants more drilling; Democrats want high gas prices so as to force people to move into "inner cities" and "the urban core.” Knowing that this woman is voting on national legislation in itself explains the skyrocketing sales of anxiety medication in this country.
* No surprise here! – “The Bush administration yesterday (Monday) proposed a regulatory overhaul of the Endangered Species Act to allow federal agencies to decide whether protected species would be imperiled by agency projects, eliminating the independent scientific reviews that have been required by law for more than three decades.” George Bush has provided us with voluminous evidence that he does not give a polar bear’s ass about the American people. There is no reason to expect he would care about America’s fauna. And don’t you just love the moronic spin that these Bushite/Stepford Wives spew? “Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne described the new rules as a ‘narrow regulatory change’ that will provide clarity and certainty to the consultation process under the Endangered Species Act."
* Soul mates ~ Vladimir and George – Recall how surprised we were when President Bush said he looked into the eyes of Vladimir Putin and saw his soul. There must have been much that he recognized: invading a sovereign country based on false charges (with oil being the real reason); running their respective governments in secrecy and stifling the opposition; ignoring laws; placing puppets in authority to fulfill political agendas… Spell check – Sole Mates.
* Don’t forget your ark ~ and bring two aardvarks – James Dobson is a religious-right preacher, founder of Focus on the Family and, in the opinion of some, a part-time snake oil salesman. Last week Focus unveiled a new video asking politically-conservative Christians to pray for rain on Aug. 28, in order to disrupt Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. Not just any rain – “abundant rain, torrential rain … flood-advisory rain… rain of biblical proportions.” One wonders if God is a registered Republican. I can’t wait to see her voter ID. Oh for the good old days when those of the cloth prayed for peace and freedom from hunger, locusts and pestilence.
* Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.
Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher
* Burning my condom in protest ~ but not while wearing it – Three weeks ago I commented about the attempt of the Bush administration to define birth control as abortion. Upon further reflection I considered the implications of this proposed policy change. The next “logical” step would be to accuse Catholics of abortion when they use the rhythm method to avoid pregnancy. And then we can accuse gays of abortion because their union does not lead to conception. And then we can extend the prison terms of those who are incarcerated because most of them are not permitted conjugal visits and therefore they are also contributing to abortion. When your head stops spinning MoveOn.org has a petition you can sign that will be sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change. I am not fond of sending petitions to Bush administration officials because their political agendas preclude the interests of most Americans and they could arrogantly care less about what we think. However, I did sign the petition hoping it might lower my blood pressure and raise my testosterone.
* Good news for parents ~ the U.S. is phasing out its military ~ at least it seems that way – The question is often asked how the U.S. can fight two wars over a more than 5 year period and not need a draft to supply the military with personnel. Initially this feat was achieved by devastating the National Guard – forces intended to protect the states domestically. The magic of the Bush administration has been to hire private contractors who perform duties formerly assigned to the military. “The U.S this year will have spent $100 billion on contractors in Iraq since the invasion in 2003, a milestone that reflects the Bush administration’s unprecedented level of dependence on private firms for help in the war, according to a government report… one out of every five dollars spent on the war in Iraq has gone to contractors for the U.S. military and other government agencies, in a war zone where employees of private contractors now outnumber American troops.” The use of private contractors has resulted in excessive over-billing and fraud and more often than not by contractors such as KBR and Blackwater Worldwide who are closely tied to Bush and Cheney. Also of significance is that these contractors have operated outside of the law. Twenty years from now we will erect a monument in Washington to these mercenaries – if there is any money left in the U.S. treasury. Standing on each side of the monument will be statues of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney – in prison stripes.
* Who is paying for the private contractors? ~ Hmmm, us – A report by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) about to be released incredulously says “most U.S. corporations pay no federal income taxes… And most foreign companies that do business in the United States aren't paying corporate taxes.” From 1998 to 2005 two-thirds of American corporations paid zero income taxes and an even higher percentage of foreign corporations paid zero income tax to the U.S. although they had trillions of dollars in sales. This report leaves me confused because Republicans and John McCain keep telling us that we have to lower the tax rate of corporations so they will be competitive. How much lower than zero can you go? Imagine if you and I did not pay income taxes we would have funds available to personally lobby (read “pay for”) the actions of our elected representatives. Remember the good old days when that is what our vote accomplished?
* “Hosed at the Pump, Again” – This could be a Blues song but it definitely is reality in the land of the free and home of the brave. As the Republican Party and the oil industry sing “Drill, Drill, Drill” to relieve the pain of high gas prices the American public is forced to dance to that familiar golden oldie “Screwed, Screwed, Screwed.” We learn this week that U.S. oil refiners are increasingly exporting their production. Reuters is reporting, “While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries… A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.” Caution: Do not play this music too loud for fear of waking a comatose Congress.
* My rant to a friend – A friend who I will call Bob is fond of sending me misleading and dishonest emails about Barack Obama. We all are too familiar with this spam and sham that floods our inbox. This week I felt that I had had enough. The following is my response to my friend and all of the other Bobs out there: Obama or McCain – tough choice. One candidate wants to water down your company-paid health insurance while putting your pension plan in jeopardy, send your daughters and sons off to an unprovoked war, raise the cost of everything you purchase by expanding the federal debt and destroying the value of the dollar as you choke on pollution not noticing that the water supply is evaporating and what is left is filled with carcinogens. This candidate seeks power through funding by a small but increasingly powerful wealthy class whose motto is “more for me is better.” This Oval Office wannabe would rip the “separation of church and state” from the Constitution and strip women of their reproductive rights. The other candidate is Barack Obama.
* DHS is the pits – meet Sonia Pitt – You may share my opinion that the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) is fraught with incompetence and cronyism. However, there are always new depths to plumb. When the Minnesota Interstate 35W Bridge collapsed Ms. Pitt, a MN state transportation official, failed to return for 10 days from an unauthorized state-paid trip to Washington. She misspent $26,400 in state funds and made 94 hours of personal calls from her state-paid cell phone to a Federal Highway Administration official with whom she had a relationship. Not surprisingly, one week after she was fired she was hired by DHS. Somewhat surprisingly, DHS officials have fired Pitt and are now investigating why she continued to hold a federal security clearance after her MnDOT dismissal, whether her TSA application was complete and truthful, and whether cronyism or corruption was involved in her hiring. Probably yes to all of the above and, yes, our federal government is giving me a sharp pain behind my twitching left eye. Bring back Michael Brown!
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ meet Michele Bachmann – The Republican Congresswoman from MN and champion of the Christian Right this week told the right wing news site OneNewsNow, "[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet -- we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that." Other MENSA comments by Bachmann include: that there isn't actually any wildlife in the areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where she wants more drilling; Democrats want high gas prices so as to force people to move into "inner cities" and "the urban core.” Knowing that this woman is voting on national legislation in itself explains the skyrocketing sales of anxiety medication in this country.
* No surprise here! – “The Bush administration yesterday (Monday) proposed a regulatory overhaul of the Endangered Species Act to allow federal agencies to decide whether protected species would be imperiled by agency projects, eliminating the independent scientific reviews that have been required by law for more than three decades.” George Bush has provided us with voluminous evidence that he does not give a polar bear’s ass about the American people. There is no reason to expect he would care about America’s fauna. And don’t you just love the moronic spin that these Bushite/Stepford Wives spew? “Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne described the new rules as a ‘narrow regulatory change’ that will provide clarity and certainty to the consultation process under the Endangered Species Act."
* Soul mates ~ Vladimir and George – Recall how surprised we were when President Bush said he looked into the eyes of Vladimir Putin and saw his soul. There must have been much that he recognized: invading a sovereign country based on false charges (with oil being the real reason); running their respective governments in secrecy and stifling the opposition; ignoring laws; placing puppets in authority to fulfill political agendas… Spell check – Sole Mates.
* Don’t forget your ark ~ and bring two aardvarks – James Dobson is a religious-right preacher, founder of Focus on the Family and, in the opinion of some, a part-time snake oil salesman. Last week Focus unveiled a new video asking politically-conservative Christians to pray for rain on Aug. 28, in order to disrupt Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. Not just any rain – “abundant rain, torrential rain … flood-advisory rain… rain of biblical proportions.” One wonders if God is a registered Republican. I can’t wait to see her voter ID. Oh for the good old days when those of the cloth prayed for peace and freedom from hunger, locusts and pestilence.
* Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.
Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher
Categories: Stephen Views the News
* <a href="http://stephenviewsthenews
* Another note to Senator Obama – Your changing of positions is becoming vexatious! In last week’s blog I spent considerable energy pointing out the disingenuous claims made by proponents of off-shore drilling. No sooner had I posted the blog than I read that you are considering backing limited off-shore drilling saying, “if that's what it takes to enact a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources.” I understand that politics and legislation are reliant on compromise. However, if in fact the drilling off our coasts will result in virtually no reduction in the price of gasoline AND presents a threat to coastal communities, you are being compromised, not compromising. U.S. oil companies already have rights to a great deal of potential on-shore oil fields. They have not used their vast profits to explore these areas or to develop alternative energy capabilities. By lining the pockets of many of our elected officials oil companies are allowed to ignore the interests of this country and its citizens. Intelligent energy legislation has been lacking in this country for over 3 decades. Will waiting 6 more months make much of a difference? In January of 2009 you may be in the White House and supported by an increasing majority of Democrats in congress. That would be the time to draft an intelligent energy policy. What is to be gained by pushing for legislation now that in order to get by Republican obstructionism and past the oil companies’ man in the White House would be the quality of sludge? A short-term political solution in place of a substantive long-term energy policy is not “hope that we can believe in.”
* No Mr. Fix-it ~ me or John McCain – I do not have an affinity to repair things around the house or to use power tools to make a dining room table. I therefore do not subscribe to Popular Mechanics. Perhaps I should. John Aravosis at Americablog.com noted a recent article from this publication. It appears that Barack Obama’s comment about drivers who have properly inflated tires will save considerable energy had merit – contrary to John McCain and Republican spokespeople mocking the idea. “Underinflated tires on cars in fact waste a good amount of energy. How much? Exactly the amount the energy industry thinks we could get from increased offshore drilling.” The Popular Mechanics article can be read at this link.
Full disclosure and red-faced: After reading the Popular Mechanics article I went out and checked my tire pressure. Ugh! My tires were 25 to 35 % below recommended pressure levels. I then inserted 50 cents into the machine that dispenses air for tires, inflated my tires to 31 psi and drove away experiencing the pride of an environmentalist, the wisdom of a seasoned shopper and swearing on a stack of gas station credit card receipts to check my tires more often than I use my power drill. I also noted that the expression “free as air” is no longer operative in the 21st Century.
*Speaking of energy interests owning congress – The organization True Majority is providing a valuable tool. When you enter your zip code you will learn how much money your Representatives and Senators have received from Big Oil since 2000. You can then send a note to your representatives suggesting that they concentrate on your interests. The more we know about our elected representatives the more responsible they will be to our interests. By forwarding the True Majority web site to friends, family and neighbors you will contribute to shedding more light on the activities of elected officials who too often operate in the shadow of our nation’s capitol. Details of the recent spike in Big Oil donations to John McCain are available at Public Campaign Action Fund.
* Our health needs should not be treated like a marketing campaign for breakfast cereal – A year ago I commented about drug companies trolling for information about the brands of medication physicians were prescribing. The objective was to target physicians with perks and incentives to prescribe specific drugs. This program has little to do with efficacy and everything to do with profits. In a similar vein we learn in an article this week in the Washington Post that health and life insurance companies “have access to a powerful new tool for evaluating whether to cover individual consumers: a health "credit report" drawn from databases containing prescription drug records on more than 200 million Americans.” Although this “market analysis” fits nicely with the Republican concept of healthcare it does not serve the interests of most of us. And this is where the debate concerning health coverage for Americans will take place. One approach is profit driven and well-funded in its influence. The other approach begins with a premise that healthcare should be an equal opportunity benefit for all citizens.
There are a number of self-interested forces in the U.S. that want us to believe that the current system of healthcare is not only working but that it is the best in the world. A recent study by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund concluded: “The United States fails on most measures of health care quality, with Americans waiting longer to see doctors and more likely to die of preventable or treatable illnesses than people in other industrialized countries.” Among the industrialized countries the U.S. ranks 18th in health care quality. As the cost of medical care and insurance in the U.S. explodes the quality of care is receding and an increasing number of fellow citizens are excluded from the health care system. Conclusion: The system is not working!
* Two developments this week brought back memories of the lead up to the Iraq invasion. The first was the FBI claiming they found the man responsible for killing six people with anthrax just after 9/11. Recall that soon after the anthrax attacks the Bush administration, with the help of ABC News, attributed these attacks to al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. There has never been evidence to these claims and in fact the FBI spent the past six years pursuing American suspects. The FBI says the case is now closed but many unanswered questions exist that are addressed by Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com. He has written several articles that offer background, research and provocative insight. I thought of the dilemma faced by Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor – who do you trust?
Equal concern about government veracity was raised by Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Suskind in his new book “The Way of the World – A Story of Truth and Hope in An Age of Extremism.” Two of the most damning assertions by Suskind: CIA forged Iraq intelligence documents “was designed to portray a false link between Hussein’s regime and al Qaeda as a justification for the Iraq war” and “the Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official “that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq – intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion.” Investigative reporting, guilt and loose lips will soon reveal a presidency that was out of control and unfettered by checks and balances. I expect that the deviousness that led to the Viet Nam war will look like a white lie when the operation of the Bush administration is ultimately laid bare. And the question that will be repeatedly asked about this 8-year period in American history will be, “Who do you trust?” The answer will likely be, “No One.”
* Maybe some politics are changing – Steve Cohen is a white, Jewish Democratic congressman representing the 9th District in Tennessee – a district with a 60% African America constituency. He is the first white congressman from Memphis in more than three decades. He just faced a primary challenge from a black corporate lawyer, Nikki Tinker, whose desperate strategy was to link Cohen to the Ku Klux Klan. Cohen won the primary with 79% of the vote. I have bemoaned the fact that too often Americans seem to base their electoral decisions on everything but the meaningful issues that directly affect the quality of their life. Maybe some politics are changing.
* “Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908 – 1973) 36th U.S. President (1963 – 1969)
* No Mr. Fix-it ~ me or John McCain – I do not have an affinity to repair things around the house or to use power tools to make a dining room table. I therefore do not subscribe to Popular Mechanics. Perhaps I should. John Aravosis at Americablog.com noted a recent article from this publication. It appears that Barack Obama’s comment about drivers who have properly inflated tires will save considerable energy had merit – contrary to John McCain and Republican spokespeople mocking the idea. “Underinflated tires on cars in fact waste a good amount of energy. How much? Exactly the amount the energy industry thinks we could get from increased offshore drilling.” The Popular Mechanics article can be read at this link.
Full disclosure and red-faced: After reading the Popular Mechanics article I went out and checked my tire pressure. Ugh! My tires were 25 to 35 % below recommended pressure levels. I then inserted 50 cents into the machine that dispenses air for tires, inflated my tires to 31 psi and drove away experiencing the pride of an environmentalist, the wisdom of a seasoned shopper and swearing on a stack of gas station credit card receipts to check my tires more often than I use my power drill. I also noted that the expression “free as air” is no longer operative in the 21st Century.
*Speaking of energy interests owning congress – The organization True Majority is providing a valuable tool. When you enter your zip code you will learn how much money your Representatives and Senators have received from Big Oil since 2000. You can then send a note to your representatives suggesting that they concentrate on your interests. The more we know about our elected representatives the more responsible they will be to our interests. By forwarding the True Majority web site to friends, family and neighbors you will contribute to shedding more light on the activities of elected officials who too often operate in the shadow of our nation’s capitol. Details of the recent spike in Big Oil donations to John McCain are available at Public Campaign Action Fund.
* Our health needs should not be treated like a marketing campaign for breakfast cereal – A year ago I commented about drug companies trolling for information about the brands of medication physicians were prescribing. The objective was to target physicians with perks and incentives to prescribe specific drugs. This program has little to do with efficacy and everything to do with profits. In a similar vein we learn in an article this week in the Washington Post that health and life insurance companies “have access to a powerful new tool for evaluating whether to cover individual consumers: a health "credit report" drawn from databases containing prescription drug records on more than 200 million Americans.” Although this “market analysis” fits nicely with the Republican concept of healthcare it does not serve the interests of most of us. And this is where the debate concerning health coverage for Americans will take place. One approach is profit driven and well-funded in its influence. The other approach begins with a premise that healthcare should be an equal opportunity benefit for all citizens.
There are a number of self-interested forces in the U.S. that want us to believe that the current system of healthcare is not only working but that it is the best in the world. A recent study by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund concluded: “The United States fails on most measures of health care quality, with Americans waiting longer to see doctors and more likely to die of preventable or treatable illnesses than people in other industrialized countries.” Among the industrialized countries the U.S. ranks 18th in health care quality. As the cost of medical care and insurance in the U.S. explodes the quality of care is receding and an increasing number of fellow citizens are excluded from the health care system. Conclusion: The system is not working!
* Two developments this week brought back memories of the lead up to the Iraq invasion. The first was the FBI claiming they found the man responsible for killing six people with anthrax just after 9/11. Recall that soon after the anthrax attacks the Bush administration, with the help of ABC News, attributed these attacks to al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. There has never been evidence to these claims and in fact the FBI spent the past six years pursuing American suspects. The FBI says the case is now closed but many unanswered questions exist that are addressed by Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com. He has written several articles that offer background, research and provocative insight. I thought of the dilemma faced by Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor – who do you trust?
Equal concern about government veracity was raised by Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Suskind in his new book “The Way of the World – A Story of Truth and Hope in An Age of Extremism.” Two of the most damning assertions by Suskind: CIA forged Iraq intelligence documents “was designed to portray a false link between Hussein’s regime and al Qaeda as a justification for the Iraq war” and “the Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official “that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq – intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion.” Investigative reporting, guilt and loose lips will soon reveal a presidency that was out of control and unfettered by checks and balances. I expect that the deviousness that led to the Viet Nam war will look like a white lie when the operation of the Bush administration is ultimately laid bare. And the question that will be repeatedly asked about this 8-year period in American history will be, “Who do you trust?” The answer will likely be, “No One.”
* Maybe some politics are changing – Steve Cohen is a white, Jewish Democratic congressman representing the 9th District in Tennessee – a district with a 60% African America constituency. He is the first white congressman from Memphis in more than three decades. He just faced a primary challenge from a black corporate lawyer, Nikki Tinker, whose desperate strategy was to link Cohen to the Ku Klux Klan. Cohen won the primary with 79% of the vote. I have bemoaned the fact that too often Americans seem to base their electoral decisions on everything but the meaningful issues that directly affect the quality of their life. Maybe some politics are changing.
* “Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908 – 1973) 36th U.S. President (1963 – 1969)
Categories: Stephen Views the News
* The inhumanity of human nature –
* The inhumanity of human nature – The Daily Show recently sent a young African American staff member to Florida to meet with a group of retired Jewish people. As he sat with these elderly men and women he asked the question. “What do we have in common?” There was a long period of silence and one man finally responded, “I like fried chicken.” It came off humorously but it emphatically made the point that it is our human nature to identify our differences before seeking common ground. Since I seriously dislike chicken in any form I began to think about what I have in common with this African American and other Americans regardless of race, religion, age, gender or geographic location. We want to live in our country protected from foreign enemies and in neighborhoods free of crime. We want clean air to breathe and sanitary water to drink. We want an economy that provides access to reasonably paying jobs. We want affordable quality education for our children and access to health care that does not become a choice between paying the rent or paying for a prescription. We all experience pain when our child is injured and we confront our mortality when diagnosed with a serious illness. For all of the commonality that we as Americans share, few of these interests have been served under the Republican/Bush leadership and in most cases conditions have worsened. We need to stop listening to the conservative hate-mongers on radio (Limbaugh, Savage, Beck and similar ilk) and Fox News and direct our attention to the real needs of our community and our society. We have to stop embracing the rhetoric and politics of divisiveness and difference. It is time that we as a country matured and selected leaders that serve the common, not the special interests.
* Economics 490 ~ a seminar in fiscal fraud ~ I urge readers who send me emails stating that they fear Democrats will raise taxes to please delete my email address. Of all the frauds emanating from our nation’s capitol “fear of taxes” earns the Department of Homeland Security “Scare the Crap Out of Ya” award. Of course no one wants to pay more taxes so this has been a winning mantra for Republicans in custom-fitted suits running around Washington D.C. They understand that the average voter does not think about the federal deficit and its debilitating effect on our economy. As they increase federal spending and lower taxes for the wealthy they are increasing the amount of money Americans owe – a ploy far more taxing than taxes on the American taxpayer. We are quick to criticize those that live beyond their economic means and then cannot pay their mortgage. An article in USA Today points out that our country is equally deadbeat. The White House has increased their estimate for next year’s deficit to be a record $490,000,000,000 (billion). Using the sophisticated computer tool named “calculator” I learned that this deficit amounts to $1,633 for every man, woman and child in the United States. Adding the 2009 deficit to an existing debt of approximately $9 trillion means that each of the 300 million of us is responsible for over $30,000 of the federal debt. The U.S. National Debt Clock can be seen at this link.
This financial quagmire did not happen overnight. The USA Today article offers graphics depicting federal spending during the tenure of recent presidents. Republican Ronald Reagan ran deficits all 8 years of his presidency. Republican George H.W. Bush ran deficits all 4 years. Democrat Bill Clinton inherited these deficits but was able to run surpluses in the federal budget during the last 3 years of his presidency. What happened when Republican icon George W. Bush snuck into the Oval Office? After the first year the surplus was gone and deficits marked each successive year culminating in an all-time record deficit he bequeaths the American people for 2009. But taxes were not raised!
Why should we be concerned about our federal government operating in the red? The federal deficit is a loan from individuals and foreign countries on which interest is charged. It is costly to the U.S. economy and taxpayer. This high U.S. debt is responsible for the devaluing of the American dollar thereby increasing the cost of imported goods including OIL. The value of the dollar has decreased 45% against the Euro in the last 6 years! And, the full effects of this policy of folly are yet to be realized. The Economic Policy Institute notes: “The current U.S. international debt path is damaging to future U.S. living standards. This damage has not materialized yet because interest rates have been at historic lows in recent years, making U.S. borrowing extraordinarily cheap. However, it would be irresponsible for economic policy makers in the United States to bank on these low rates. As soon as the interest rates begin to rise in the United States, the full consequences of the U.S. international debt problem will have real bite.”
Our government, especially under Republican leadership, has sold us swamp land on which to build our economy. By divining the illusion of lower taxes Republicans have in fact increased the cost of virtually every aspect of our existence while putting our economic future at even graver risk. I once had a friend who was so focused on getting a great deal on his purchases that he often wound up getting screwed. This friend could be the poster boy for the fools who run so hard from taxes that they arrive at bankruptcy.
* Setting the record straight ~ the crooked tongue of “straight-talk” McCain - John McCain has been running ads that are blatantly misleading and flagrantly dishonest. The list is too extensive to address at one time but since taxes are being discussed lets look at two of his biggest lies concerning Barack Obama’s position on taxes:
Lie: McCain said that Obama would raise taxes for people making as little as $32,000 a year.
Fact: Obama said on June 12, 2008, “If you are a family making less than $250,000 a year, my plan will not raise your taxes. Period. Not income tax, not payroll tax, not capital gains tax, not any of your taxes. And chances are you will get a tax cut.”
Lie: McCain said that Obama voted for higher taxes 94 times.
Fact: Fact Check.org analyzes this disingenuous claim in detail. Bottom line: “But by repeating their inflated 94-vote figure, the McCain campaign and the GOP falsely imply that Obama has pushed indiscriminately to raise taxes for nearly everybody. A closer look reveals that he's voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers.”
Thanks to Steve Benen at Crooks and Liars for his research on this topic.
* Headline of the Week – From the conservative Wall Street Journal an article by Daniel Henninger asks, “Is John McCain Stupid?” The article is insightful and questions McCain’s abilities from a number of perspectives. Especially telling was Henninger’s reaction to McCain’s fluctuating positions on Social Security. Henninger said, “This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation.” Ouch – from several perspectives.
* A Jiffy Lube oil change – Listen to John McCain in June 2008, "I am very angry, frankly, at the oil companies not only because of the obscene profits they've made but at their failure to invest in alternate energy to help us eliminate our dependence on foreign oil," the senator said, "They're making huge profits and that happens, but not to say, 'We're in this so we can over time eliminate America's dependence on foreign oil,' I think is an abrogation of their responsibilities as citizens." On a campaign stop in Greensdale, WI in May 2008 the Senator suggested that turning to the nation's coast for energy needs would be something of a waste in time and effort and do little to resolve America's broader energy needs. In July 2008 John McBush was suddenly for it as he received over $1 million in campaign contributions from oil interests. The one mil is of course chump change as the five largest oil companies project $168 billion in profits this year. It does not take much to turn John McCain’s head, heart or soul.
~Curiouser and curiouser – Republicans controlled congress from 1994 through 2006 and the White House from 2001 to the present. How often did they promote expanding off-shore drilling? About as often as they promoted free condoms for minorities. Why did it become a burning issue in June 2008? Like a Three Card Monte scammer on a street corner in Manhattan they wanted to mislead and misdirect the public. Republicans have a disastrous history to run on and no viable solutions going forward. Their platform has descended to phony issues and negative attack ads. When Alice asked Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for directions they asked her where she wanted to go. Alice replied that she did not know. Dee and Dumb retorted that if you don’t know where you want to go it does not matter which road you take. Welcome to the Republican world of Through the Looking Glass.
* Lies, falsehoods, fabrications, deceit, prevarication and mendacity - We are told by oil interests and the Bush administration (evidently one in the same) that off-shore drilling is so sophisticated that there is no evidence of or threat from oil spills. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman went on Fox News (of course) to push the claim that offshore drilling is safe for the environment. He said, “When we had Katrina and Rita, the two worst hurricanes in — at least in recent memory, in ‘05, some three years ago, there was not one case where we had a situation with oil or gas being spilled in the environment.” Mr. Bodman was apparently busy attending a pig roast at the Crawford ranch when in May 2006 the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) published their offshore damage assessment from these hurricanes: 113 platforms totally destroyed, and - more importantly - 457 pipelines damaged, 101 of those major lines …. At least 741,000 gallons were spilled from 124 reported sources (the Coast Guard calls anything over 100,000 gallons a "major" spill).” The blog thinkprogress.org offers additional evidence that emphatically contradicts the ludicrous safety claims by our government and the energy industry as to off-shore drilling safety. It almost makes one cynical!
* Speaking of cynical ~ protecting the troops – KBR is an offshoot of Dick Cheney’s former company Halliburton. Both companies have gained billions of dollars in contracts from the Iraq war. For not the first time KBR has been accused of poor performance and shoddy work in fulfilling contracts. Most recently we learned of 16 deaths of US soldiers from electrocution due to inferior construction by KBR building military barracks in Iraq. What could possibly make this situation worse? The Pentagon attempted to cover-up KBR’s negligence! Yes, the Department of Defense knew about the problem while more soldiers died. Sometimes it is difficult to know who the enemy is.
* Speaking of disingenuous and dangerous military myopia ~ meet the Dick Cheney – Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker magazine Seymour Hersh “revealed that Bush administration officials held a meeting recently in the Vice President’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran…Hersh explained that an idea was considered to dress up Navy Seals as Iranians, put them on fake Iranian speedboats, and shoot at them. This idea… was ultimately rejected.” Recall in 2006 it was revealed that President Bush had suggested to Tony Blair prior to the Iraq invasion that they paint one of our air force planes to UN colors to try to entrap Saddam’s army into shooting it down? These revelations should put an end to any criticism of the Bush administration that its foreign policy lacks imagination and creativity. “Lack of effectiveness” however, is still in play.
* “The greatest crime since World War II has been U.S. foreign policy.”Ramsey Clark (born 1927) lawyer, former U.S. Attorney General and recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award
* Economics 490 ~ a seminar in fiscal fraud ~ I urge readers who send me emails stating that they fear Democrats will raise taxes to please delete my email address. Of all the frauds emanating from our nation’s capitol “fear of taxes” earns the Department of Homeland Security “Scare the Crap Out of Ya” award. Of course no one wants to pay more taxes so this has been a winning mantra for Republicans in custom-fitted suits running around Washington D.C. They understand that the average voter does not think about the federal deficit and its debilitating effect on our economy. As they increase federal spending and lower taxes for the wealthy they are increasing the amount of money Americans owe – a ploy far more taxing than taxes on the American taxpayer. We are quick to criticize those that live beyond their economic means and then cannot pay their mortgage. An article in USA Today points out that our country is equally deadbeat. The White House has increased their estimate for next year’s deficit to be a record $490,000,000,000 (billion). Using the sophisticated computer tool named “calculator” I learned that this deficit amounts to $1,633 for every man, woman and child in the United States. Adding the 2009 deficit to an existing debt of approximately $9 trillion means that each of the 300 million of us is responsible for over $30,000 of the federal debt. The U.S. National Debt Clock can be seen at this link.
This financial quagmire did not happen overnight. The USA Today article offers graphics depicting federal spending during the tenure of recent presidents. Republican Ronald Reagan ran deficits all 8 years of his presidency. Republican George H.W. Bush ran deficits all 4 years. Democrat Bill Clinton inherited these deficits but was able to run surpluses in the federal budget during the last 3 years of his presidency. What happened when Republican icon George W. Bush snuck into the Oval Office? After the first year the surplus was gone and deficits marked each successive year culminating in an all-time record deficit he bequeaths the American people for 2009. But taxes were not raised!
Why should we be concerned about our federal government operating in the red? The federal deficit is a loan from individuals and foreign countries on which interest is charged. It is costly to the U.S. economy and taxpayer. This high U.S. debt is responsible for the devaluing of the American dollar thereby increasing the cost of imported goods including OIL. The value of the dollar has decreased 45% against the Euro in the last 6 years! And, the full effects of this policy of folly are yet to be realized. The Economic Policy Institute notes: “The current U.S. international debt path is damaging to future U.S. living standards. This damage has not materialized yet because interest rates have been at historic lows in recent years, making U.S. borrowing extraordinarily cheap. However, it would be irresponsible for economic policy makers in the United States to bank on these low rates. As soon as the interest rates begin to rise in the United States, the full consequences of the U.S. international debt problem will have real bite.”
Our government, especially under Republican leadership, has sold us swamp land on which to build our economy. By divining the illusion of lower taxes Republicans have in fact increased the cost of virtually every aspect of our existence while putting our economic future at even graver risk. I once had a friend who was so focused on getting a great deal on his purchases that he often wound up getting screwed. This friend could be the poster boy for the fools who run so hard from taxes that they arrive at bankruptcy.
* Setting the record straight ~ the crooked tongue of “straight-talk” McCain - John McCain has been running ads that are blatantly misleading and flagrantly dishonest. The list is too extensive to address at one time but since taxes are being discussed lets look at two of his biggest lies concerning Barack Obama’s position on taxes:
Lie: McCain said that Obama would raise taxes for people making as little as $32,000 a year.
Fact: Obama said on June 12, 2008, “If you are a family making less than $250,000 a year, my plan will not raise your taxes. Period. Not income tax, not payroll tax, not capital gains tax, not any of your taxes. And chances are you will get a tax cut.”
Lie: McCain said that Obama voted for higher taxes 94 times.
Fact: Fact Check.org analyzes this disingenuous claim in detail. Bottom line: “But by repeating their inflated 94-vote figure, the McCain campaign and the GOP falsely imply that Obama has pushed indiscriminately to raise taxes for nearly everybody. A closer look reveals that he's voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers.”
Thanks to Steve Benen at Crooks and Liars for his research on this topic.
* Headline of the Week – From the conservative Wall Street Journal an article by Daniel Henninger asks, “Is John McCain Stupid?” The article is insightful and questions McCain’s abilities from a number of perspectives. Especially telling was Henninger’s reaction to McCain’s fluctuating positions on Social Security. Henninger said, “This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation.” Ouch – from several perspectives.
* A Jiffy Lube oil change – Listen to John McCain in June 2008, "I am very angry, frankly, at the oil companies not only because of the obscene profits they've made but at their failure to invest in alternate energy to help us eliminate our dependence on foreign oil," the senator said, "They're making huge profits and that happens, but not to say, 'We're in this so we can over time eliminate America's dependence on foreign oil,' I think is an abrogation of their responsibilities as citizens." On a campaign stop in Greensdale, WI in May 2008 the Senator suggested that turning to the nation's coast for energy needs would be something of a waste in time and effort and do little to resolve America's broader energy needs. In July 2008 John McBush was suddenly for it as he received over $1 million in campaign contributions from oil interests. The one mil is of course chump change as the five largest oil companies project $168 billion in profits this year. It does not take much to turn John McCain’s head, heart or soul.
~Curiouser and curiouser – Republicans controlled congress from 1994 through 2006 and the White House from 2001 to the present. How often did they promote expanding off-shore drilling? About as often as they promoted free condoms for minorities. Why did it become a burning issue in June 2008? Like a Three Card Monte scammer on a street corner in Manhattan they wanted to mislead and misdirect the public. Republicans have a disastrous history to run on and no viable solutions going forward. Their platform has descended to phony issues and negative attack ads. When Alice asked Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for directions they asked her where she wanted to go. Alice replied that she did not know. Dee and Dumb retorted that if you don’t know where you want to go it does not matter which road you take. Welcome to the Republican world of Through the Looking Glass.
* Lies, falsehoods, fabrications, deceit, prevarication and mendacity - We are told by oil interests and the Bush administration (evidently one in the same) that off-shore drilling is so sophisticated that there is no evidence of or threat from oil spills. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman went on Fox News (of course) to push the claim that offshore drilling is safe for the environment. He said, “When we had Katrina and Rita, the two worst hurricanes in — at least in recent memory, in ‘05, some three years ago, there was not one case where we had a situation with oil or gas being spilled in the environment.” Mr. Bodman was apparently busy attending a pig roast at the Crawford ranch when in May 2006 the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) published their offshore damage assessment from these hurricanes: 113 platforms totally destroyed, and - more importantly - 457 pipelines damaged, 101 of those major lines …. At least 741,000 gallons were spilled from 124 reported sources (the Coast Guard calls anything over 100,000 gallons a "major" spill).” The blog thinkprogress.org offers additional evidence that emphatically contradicts the ludicrous safety claims by our government and the energy industry as to off-shore drilling safety. It almost makes one cynical!
* Speaking of cynical ~ protecting the troops – KBR is an offshoot of Dick Cheney’s former company Halliburton. Both companies have gained billions of dollars in contracts from the Iraq war. For not the first time KBR has been accused of poor performance and shoddy work in fulfilling contracts. Most recently we learned of 16 deaths of US soldiers from electrocution due to inferior construction by KBR building military barracks in Iraq. What could possibly make this situation worse? The Pentagon attempted to cover-up KBR’s negligence! Yes, the Department of Defense knew about the problem while more soldiers died. Sometimes it is difficult to know who the enemy is.
* Speaking of disingenuous and dangerous military myopia ~ meet the Dick Cheney – Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker magazine Seymour Hersh “revealed that Bush administration officials held a meeting recently in the Vice President’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran…Hersh explained that an idea was considered to dress up Navy Seals as Iranians, put them on fake Iranian speedboats, and shoot at them. This idea… was ultimately rejected.” Recall in 2006 it was revealed that President Bush had suggested to Tony Blair prior to the Iraq invasion that they paint one of our air force planes to UN colors to try to entrap Saddam’s army into shooting it down? These revelations should put an end to any criticism of the Bush administration that its foreign policy lacks imagination and creativity. “Lack of effectiveness” however, is still in play.
* “The greatest crime since World War II has been U.S. foreign policy.”Ramsey Clark (born 1927) lawyer, former U.S. Attorney General and recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award
Categories: Stephen Views the News
