The Bottom Line

The Senate has finally passed what Progressives rightly consider to be an unpalatable piece of legislation purported to be health care reform. Having long ago grown tired of the facile bromides about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good and this was the best the Democratic president was going to get from his majority-Democratic House and Senate, I once again join in the chorus calling "bullshit".

How is it that, when they want to give the rich the biggest tax breaks in the history of this country, the Republicans don't give a flying fuck about the comity of the Senate, manage to get it done, with Democrats on board. When it comes to doing something to help the average American, the legendarily timid Democrats, knowing full well they'll never have 60 votes, go through the process of coming up with a bill so riddled with compromises, Tiger Woods couldn't fuck all the holes in it.

And the joke seems to be "Yeah, it's bad now, but we'll fix it". How? Do you expect to have 60 reliable, rock-willed Democratic caucus votes someday? Uh, huh. Right.

The White House and Harry Reid just don't get it.

I'm here to tell you that the millions of people who spent the last years working hard and doing their best, only to see the financial system ruined, their 401ks nearly eliminated, or totally exhausted, because they had or have no job, and the values of their homes decimated, are pissed. They're pissed about a Wall Street that remains unpunished and unrepentant. They're angry at a party that promises reform and delivers yet another windfall to one of corporate America's most insidious cartels. They've had enough of the lack of balls and the lack of leadership from President Obama and Senator Reid. They're pissed, and they won't soon be forgetting. I know, because I'm one of those folks.

I want Blanche Lincoln, Harry Reid, Ben Nelson, and Joe Lieberman to know I, and millions of others, won't be forgetting. Count on it.

ConservaDems - Some of you will pay

Here's how.

I live in Georgia, one of the reddest of the red states. Although we give it the best of the old college tries, for the foreseeable future, we can't get a Democrat elected to the Senate. So, while I volunteer here in Georgia, my money goes where it can make a difference. In 2006, that was Connecticut, where Progressives were able to bounce Traitor Joe Lieberman out of the Democratic nomination for the Senate. Unfortunately, CT has no "sore loser" rule, and Bad Penny Joe was able to pull enough of a Count Dracula meets Xaviera Hollander act to get back into office. I write this to let our intransigent ConservaDems know that such things do happen, and I'm not alone.

It looks quite likely that this year my money will be going to Arkansas, and against Blanche Lincoln. Since we do not have a leadership that seems capable of punishing wayward Democrats, I believe it's up to us as voters and contributors to take on the task, and kicking Blanche to the curb is lining up to be job one.

I know Fire Dog Lake is committed to this, and I will be following their lead. We have to make sure ConservaDems understand that votes have consequences. Traitor Joe wound up on my hit list for his cloture vote on the 2005 Bankruptcy Bill; Blanche, and probably others, are going on for their stance on the Health Care Bill which has become the Massive Windfall to the Insurance Cartel Bill.

I look forward top FDL and other informed progressives' advice on how to spend my limited resources wisely. I just hope Arkansas doesn't have a "sore loser" law.

The Price of Failure? Harry's gotta go.

And so Joe Lieberman, the double-talking, prevaricating Senator representing Aetna and the rest of the insurance cartel has made his stand. Little Joe will achieve some measure of payback against the left, who've rightly seen him as a tool of big-money interests, by gutting from the Health Care bill any chance of a public option or Medicare at 55. I'd like to thank the Senator for showing the world, in the starkest fashion, the pathology of the small man consumed by the excesses of egotism.

He's singularly backed down progressives, liberals, the White House, and the Democratic caucuses of both houses of Congress. He is, indeed, Mighty Joe Dung.

One would think this would be a lesson for the Democrats, but I remain skeptical of the ability of the donks to take away anything of value from such a harsh upbraiding. They never seem to learn. I doubt that Traitor Joe will ever be punished for this series of transgressions, which have gone far beyond anything I've seen in the Senate in the 35 years I've followed politics. Democrats seem to have no stomach for dropping the hammer on their enfant terribles, no matter how egregious their duplicity and treachery. At the end of all this, Joe the Aetna Ho is likely to keep his chairmanship and status in the caucus, and probably looks forward to the next time he can pull Harry Reid's nose and kick his shins.

I think the only way this changes is, because of this failure in this test of his leadership, Reid steps down as Majority Leader and is replaced by Dick Durbin. Durbin should then (and I'm betting the farm he has enough balls to do it) strip Lieberman of his chairmanship, his office space, and, if necessary, kick him out of the caucus. Durbin should then tell Blanche Lincoln not to expect much help from the DSCC in her upcoming election, and he should schedule a couple of "come to Jesus" meetings with Mary Landreux, Evan Bayh, and Ben Nelson, hopefully reinforcing their understanding of what's expected and required from them. I think Durbin understands the concept of tough love, and I believe he'll be more helpful to this president than Reid has been. I believe it's time for Democrats to demand that Harry Reid step down.

"...I Ain't No Band Leader"

These days, when I see Traitor Joe Lieberman, I think of the Jack Woltz character from The Godfather movie. Lieberman has declared there isn't much that scares him as far as what the Democrats can do to him, and he's hellbent on filibustering the Health Care bill. It's time for Harry Reid to have a horse's head delivered to Aetna's Ho Joe.

Like President Obama, his fellow graduate from The Homer Simpson School of Bargaining and Negotiation, Leader Reid has a penchant for starting his negotiations from the worst possible position. Reid long ago took the stick known as reconciliation out of his arsenal, and his reward for attempting to preserve tradition and comity in the Senate is to be bitch slapped around by tools like Lieberman and Ben Nelson. It's time for this to stop. It's time for Reid to put reconciliation back on the table.

Harry Reid has to make an example of Joe Lieberman. His reason for doing so comes down to one simple fact: Joe Lieberman didn't keep his word, and the caucus will not be held hostage to a liar.

Harry Reid and the caucus must strip Lieberman of his chairmanship, they must make him as much of a non-entity as they can, even if that sends him over to the Republicans. How can Reid expect the Blanche Lincolns, Ben Nelsons, and Marie Landreuxs to fall in line if there's no consequence for their willingness to wander off the reservation. Traitor Joe has to become the poster child for party disloyalty.

Progressives, who long ago realized it's all about Joe, have done their part to get Joe out of the Senate, but DINO Joe got saved by his Republican friends. The money we raised and the the volunteering we performed (pay attention Mrs. Lincoln) got Joe beat in his last primary. It's time for Senator Reid to do what only he can, and reconciliation is the first step. What say you, Mr. Majority Leader?

Matt Taibbi - Raking the Proper Muck

Matt Taibbi expected some degree of consternation to follow his reporting on the Obama Administration's favorite nephew treatment of Wall Street, and his prescience was borne out here, here, and here.

Taibbi takes the time to rebut his detectors, proving, on the whole, he is a far better writer, and certainly more intellectually honest than those who disagreed with his Rolling Stone piece, which they tried to pan off, but are unable to factually support, as being highly inaccurate. Felix Salmon of Reuters particularly takes Tim Fernholz to task for trying to spin Taibbi's article as being highly challenged in terms of facts, even as Fernholz does nothing to prove, beyond one inconsequential error, that assertion.

Judging by the reaction from the Washington access whores, Taibbi's reporting is hitting some nerves among this speak-no-evil bunch who seem to believe progressives are better off to stew in silence while Obama continues to over-analyze, abdicate, and avoid the need to brawl on tough legislation, while meekly handing Wall St. everything she wants. They're wrong; Taibbi's right, and we could sure use a few more of him.

Change Is Just the Coins In Your Pocket

Those of us who strongly believe in a single-payer health care system have been willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt after he claimed he would fight for a strong public option that would keep the insurance industry honest. So far, Mr. Obama's fighting skills are about equal to Reggie Jackson's. Full of bluster and big talk, Mr. October had a propensity for getting knocked on his ass by (at least three of) his one-time teammates. In between his rousing speeches, Mr. Obama does little in terms of using the political muscle and leverage that comes with being president, unless it's an opportunity to kick sand in the face of a few 98-pound freshman reps. Meanwhile, he backs away from dickhead drama-queens like Traitor Joe Lieberman so quietly you could hear a mouse pissing on a cotton bale.

President Obama reminds me of other black guys I known who've made it to positions of power and are too meek to use it in fear of upsetting someone. Great leaders don't waste time on failed conciliation; they move forward, and woe to the obstacles in the way. This country didn't vote for baby steps or languid pontifications while the house burns down -- they voted for action, and they voted for change. Major change. Obama is losing his base, and he doesn't seem to care.

Bush was all guts and no brains, Obama's all brains and no guts.

Ted Kennedy - RIP

Other people have their opinions and feelings, but I personally owe Senator Kennedy my gratitude for all he's done throughout his career to make this society one that's more open, more fair, and more educated. All those who believe in an America as a society dedicated to equality, social justice, and basic health care for its citizens lost a fighter and a champion. Goodbye Uncle Teddy. May you rest well.

Is Hawaii Part of the U.S.?

Apparently some of the "birthers" who question President Obama's legitimacy do so because they don't know that Hawaii is a state. This article gives the details.

Scalia - Even If He Didn't Do It, He's Gotta Die

The Troy Davis has gotten quite a bit of press here in Georgia and other parts of the country. The U. S. Supreme Court, in a decision written by Justice Stevens, is allowing a District Court judge to hear evidence in order to determine if Mr. Davis is innocent.

Justice Scalia, in dissent:
“This court has never held,” Justice Scalia wrote, “that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is ‘actually’ innocent.”

In other words, fuck innocence; you've been convicted, you should die.

Unsurprisingly, Justice Thomas signed on to Scalia's dissent.

Scalia and Thomas are rank ideologues sitting in two of the most powerful positions in our government. When you think they can do no worse, they prove you wrong.

The New York Times article is here.

No Public Option?

It works again.

A bunch of loud, loony, anti-government crackpots make a lot of noise, and the Democratic leadership instinctively caves in.

Although polls showed over 70 percent of Americans desired a public option as part of health care reform, it now sounds like President Obama and the Democrats are willing to jettison that part of the bill in order to pass something. Thanks for the leadership guys.

Republicans kowtow only to their base. The Democrats piss all over theirs.

If the public option is truly dead, that's just one more item in the list of proofs that Barack Obama is more likely to be a Jimmy Carter, rather than an FDR or Harry Truman.

I'm hoping Congressman Anthony Weiner can back up his threat to snatch away 100 House votes if the public option gets dumped because without the PO, there is no true reform.

If Obama and the Democratic leaders are counting on progressives to have short memories, or to continue to do a bunch of nose holding, they're going to be in for a huge shock if they cave in on this. If the Dems are not willing to use their supermajority on issues like this, then they don't really need to have those numbers, which means we really don't need to put our time and resources into getting Democrats elected or re-elected.

Mr. Obama, it's time to cowboy up.

President Obama - We Need Leadership

As the non-debate on health care reform devolves into a referendum on non-existent aspects of the legislation (let's kill Aunt Sally), President Obama seems to be incapable of grabbing the reins on this runaway stallion of rumor and misinformation.

The president continues to want to play nice while getting steamrolled by his adversaries.

The American people made a bold move in electing President Obama, and despite the thinking of his advisers, the American people did so because they wanted bold action on a number of fronts. What the president has to understand is: it doesn't matter who you are -- if you can't sell it, folks won't buy it. It's time for him to use his bully pulpit to say what it is that must be in the bill, what is not and will not be in the bill he signs, and once, and for all, state that a bill without a public option is not reform, and is not acceptable. Mr. Obama must finally cross the threshold; does he want to be a transformational leader, or does he want to be Jimmy Carter -- a real smart guy who couldn't get anything done?

It's time for the president to show some backbone and some balls. George W. Bush used the perception of a mandate he never had to enact bad ideas. If this Democrat continues to fail to govern from the enviable position of strength he now has, he can count on being regarded as much a failure as his predecessor. It's much worse to have the right ideas die because of a lack of political will.

The Town Hall Protesters Are Thugs

Watching the news this week, it's interesting when stories were reported about the mobs that are engaging in attempts at intimidating Congresspersons at town halls, the talking heads seem afraid to state the proven fact that these activities are being not just encouraged, but sponsored by political and business interests aligned with the right wing. Rachel Maddow continues to report on this, on how the MSM continues to gloss over the fact that the GOP is starting to feel quite comfortable these Brown Shirt tactics.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Fox News - We're Not Disguising It Anymore

When Fox News cut off Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (as can be seen here courtesy of Daily Kos) to go into a promo about "Shark Week", they finally reached the low point, the absolute nadir, in their pretense to be a news organization. Like the hollow headed teabaggers and astroturf thugs currently disrupting town meetings of Democratic Congresspersons, Fox has decided it's better to interrupt and shut down the debate than have people hear the speaker, and then make their own judgments.

By this time it should be common knowledge that Fox is, and always has been, propagandists, apologists, and shills for the right wing. Bolstered by decisions such as this from a Florida appeals court, the essence of which is Fox has no obligation or requirement to engage in honest reporting, Fox News has pretty much abandoned any facade that they are any more a respectable journalism outfit than that supermarket tabloid that has recent photos of the much alive Elvis Presley, his alien bride Xevrespii, and their recently born infant Hedetmosuvus.

Despite the fact the crackpots and gasbags at FNC have their idiotic exhortations debunked and disproved on a regular basis (something close to daily), there are people who continue to watch as fervent followers of their loony tune know-nothings Beck, Hannity, and O'Reilly, and their hour-by-hour "reporting", believing they're receiving incontrovertible facts from actual journalists. If they're not able to recognize the con by now, there's nothing that can be said to enlighten them, but why in the world do Democrats even consider giving FNC the time of day? They don't deserve it.

There are enough real news outlets to watch, and for politicians to talk to, without continuing to give legitimacy to the fraud that is Fox News. And it's not about ideology, or political views; it's about Fox's willful unwillingness to be a real news organization, and their insistence on pandering to the worst and most base human instincts. They deserved to be shunned. So shun them.

Skip Gates vs. Sgt. Crowley

The latest in an ongoing series of political clusterfucks for the Obama Administration involves his comments about the case of Dr. Henry Louis Gates being arrested in his home for being a disorderly person. Obama described the Cambridge, MA police who arrested Dr. Gates as having "acted stupidly" for snatching up the professor once he'd established he was, indeed, legally inside his residence. The President was right -- the police acted stupidly. However, based on the limited facts anyone's been able to determine, Dr. Gates didn't show much in terms of either intellect or civility.

In America, the notion of the home being a refuge and sanctuary for the law abiding citizen is nothing less than sacrosant. Some take the broad view that, unless he had broken a law, Dr. Gates was, and is, entitled to act obnoxiously and insultingly toward anyone who enters his home. As true as that may be, I would think a college professor, even one acutely sensitive to police mistreatment based on race, would have shown better judgment and a higher level of maturity. Particularly because we know, as black people, this situation could have escalated from argumentive, to confrontational, to deadly in the blink of an eye. Was the situation upsetting? Yes, but, in my view, had the professor acted like an adult, we'd have had a more positive outcome.

The same can be said of Sgt. Crowley. Policing is a tough job, but it's since been revealed that the sergeant was once responsible for instructing other officers on matters of racial sensitivity. Part of any police officer's training is to be able to maintain their composure in the most difficult situations. Sgt. Crowley had his buttons pushed, and he didn't react well. Someone who appears from all I've seen and read to be a good cop, winds up looking like an intransigent jerk. The ridiculous press conference held today in his support didn't help, and may well further fan the flames of division.

Both parties are involved in a idiotic pissing contest, and both should show the maturity expected of professional people and apologize. Instead of going to TV to prove how right they are, how about going on and sitting down together to discuss how they've equally blown this out of proportion, and what we can do as individuals, and as a society, to bridge the racial divide. If these two people, who appear to be of good conscience and seemingly interested in bettering the way blacks and whites and others interact in our country can't do this, then they are both failures as leaders and teachers. Shame on them both if they can't see that.

Erin Andrews Video - Ripoff

Thousands of websites are using either subject lines or tags to get hits based on the ESPN reporter's surreptitiously photographed nude video. Alas, we have neither the video, nor any known live links to it, but we could use the hits. Our apologies.

Health Care Reform -- Not So Fast

The Health Care Reform train has begun to lose momentum as old Joe "Mentum" Lieberman urges the White House to slow down. President Obama continues to insist that some form of of reform is coming, but the thing that the White House continues to ignore is if their reform is the reform the American public is asking for. A single-payer option was declared dead nearly before the legislative process started, and there has been much contention over a public option, and I believe this is one of the true sticking points.

The time is approaching where the President is going to have to begin using his bully pulpit. He's going to have to use his skills to either persuade or frighten members of Congress. I doubt Obama wants this kind of fight, but want it or not, he'd better be prepared for it.

Pat Buchannan Goes Off the Rails -- Again

Sometimes it's difficult to know where to start when challenged with the remarkable idiocy of a Zell Miller or a Pat Buchannan. Pat's performance on The Rachel Maddow Show has once again demonstrated that old Pat's employers might want to consider putting the old mule out to pasture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysbi5bxKxYU

"This has been a country, basically built by white folks". Yeah, right, Pat.

As the Sotomayor Confirmation Kabuki Comes To An End...

...we were treated to two of the firefighters in the Ricci case giving their opinions about whether the judge is qualified to be the Supreme Court.

I'm certain the plaintiffs against whom she ruled would be nothing but pleased if the judge were to be elevated to the position of Justice. Otherwise, why are they there? The obvious use of these individuals as witnesses at the hearing is to evoke some measure of emotion from the public (perhaps empathy) about Judge Sotomayor's participation in upholding the ruling of the trial court instead of engaging in some form of judicial activism. And how much hypocrisy have you seen today?

Sotomayor and the Senate Hot Seat

Now that the hearings for Judge Sotomayor are in full swing, some assessments can be made as far as the Republicans Senator's lines of questioning, and what they're looking to achieve.

It's pretty much a fait accompli that Judge Sotomayor will be confirmed, but her GOP inquisitors on the Senate Judiciary Committee want to assure their constituents they've asked the "tough" questions of the judge. Much of the focus so far has been, and will likely continue to be, on the Ricci affirmative action case, her stand on Heller, and her speeches. To this point, the judge and the Republican Senators have comported themselves well. They've remained pointed, she's remained patient, and the hearings remain on script.

For me, the discussions surrounding Heller are the most interesting part of the hearings. I believe Heller is one of those Supreme Court decisions that should be read by every American. I don't think I'm wrong when I say the majority of Americans probably believe the Supremes simply sit down, have a brief chat about the issue at hand and how well the lawyers made their arguments, and then commence to take a vote on what the law will be.

Heller, which was written by Justice Scalia, shows the consideration for history and precedent the Court usually applies when making its rulings. It shows how the Court tries to keep its rulings as narrow as possible. It also shows why Justice Scalia is a frustratingly brilliant, but often wrongheaded jurist (which is why he's frustratingly brilliant). Justice Scalia is first and foremost an ideologue. Justice Scalia claims to be wedded to the judicial philosophies of originalism and strict construction, but there were indications in Heller that he was prepared to go further than his narrow ruling (perhaps as far as claiming the 2nd Amendment show be incorporated to the States) had the opportunity been presented. There's little doubt he's telegraphed his desire to have the question come before the court again for further review regarding state laws.

It's a certainty the Court will revisit this issue, which is why Judge Sotomayor has demurred from making much comment on it, other than to say she followed this precedent while on the Appeals Court.

Even Lindsey Graham has conceded Judge Sotomayor, barring a "meltdown", will be confirmed. I'd love to be the fly on the wall when she and Justice Scalia have an opportunity to talk a little law.

Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger, meet Ralph Reed

According to ajc.com, one time would-be American Ayatollah Ralph Reed is looking to reform and re-brand the Christian Coalition.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories//2009/07/12/ralph_reed_comeback.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Perhaps Reed believes enough time has passed that the stench of Jack Abramoff no longer wafts from his clothes, so he is crawling out of the political sepulcher to be the next in line to attempt to give the reactionary politics of the right-wing a bright new face via social networking and the internet.

The old soup in the new bowl is going to be called the Freedom and Faith Coalition, and since past is often prologue, I'm sure we can count on the FFC to attempt to exploit the old hot button issues of yesteryear, but do it in a nicer way in order to attract younger voters and activists. Instead of handing out voter guides to churches, according to the article, Reed wants to use the Internet to disseminate his brand of faith-based wedge politics. Reed himself said, “I’ve become an elder statesman at 48, but I’m still doing what I was doing at 20".

Reed's comeback is in its early stages, so he has a ways to go before he can look forward to the kind of national press attention that the current GOP leadership (the insane clown posse of Steele, Limbaugh, and Palin) are receiving, but the fact Reed feels emboldened enough to mount such a revival is evidence again of the dearth of new ideas and new blood in the Republican party.