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So it is March, and that means the Meta Pie fight season is now open.
But I have bigger fish to fry.
I have ZERO interest in punching hippies, nor do I care for berating Dems who are more moderate than myself (with some exceptions). I mean no offense to the parties involved, but if that is your thing, good luck to you. I have bigger rotten fish to fry.
Now, having gotten that off of my chest, where do I begin?
I guess you'll have to go below the fold to find out . . . .
We've had a great week in the insurgency of Bill Halter in Arkansas. Tons of money has been raised. How sweet it is!!!
But let's make sure we are covering other races where we can elect Better Democrats.
If the DNC and the DCCC is not going to take on a 50 State strategy then it's our responsibility. Just because we don't have Howard Dean doesn't mean that we can't make a difference..
Over at the Progressive Electorate we've listed a number of candidates on our Act Blue page who need our assistance. Take a look at some of these folks where we can make a significant difference. Races where 50 $10 contributions can buy a ton of signs, races where 100 $25 contributions can get some polling, races where 1000 $5 contributions can buy significant media time.
George W. Bush
Tax Cuts for the rich
Strategery
Invading Iraq
"They will welcome us as liberators"
"The oil will pay for the war"
WMD's
Mission Accomplished
Torture isn't a war crime cause my lawyer says so
Hurricane Katrina
"The fundamentals of the economy are strong"
Sarah Fucking Palin
Katie Couric - But are you ready to become the leader of the free world?
Sarah Palin - Totally. I will totally lead the world. Any world. I will lead Mars or whatever too if those guys need a world president. Or just a Mars president. I took on the ole' boys club in Alaska and I can take it on in Mars.
Katie Couric - But I'm not asking about being president of Mars.
Sarah Palin - But I am answering about being president of Mars because a president person needs to be prepared for anything. I like to reform.
("great work again Curtis - you spurred a movement that got picked up by folks all across America - we got hits on major news networks for your work" by admin
(EDIT: All I did was pass this along, go Coug!) - promoted by Curtis Abbey)
Today's retirement announcement by Evan Bayh leaves a big opportunity in 2010. Bayh waited until the last minute to Brett Farve, so we're going to have to scramble to get the 500 signatures necessary to get a Dem on the ballot in Indiana.
You can join the draft Mellencamp movement on Facebook
At a DNC fundraiser last night, President Obama had an interesting exchange with a Democratic organizer about health care reform, wherein he appeared to suggest that Congress could drop the ball and fail to pass a bill--and that voters should judge them harshly if they do.
"[I]t may be that -- you know, if Congress decides -- if Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," Obama said.
(great diary - well written with needed information - promoted by admin)
You can throw a dart at the left-ideological blogosphere and if you aim it roughly for health care reform, chances are you are going to hit a post about how the Democratic party is violating its own platform with the Senate bill. Horror! Of course, you can look at the right wing lunatic blogosphere and they are screaming about Socialist Communist Kenyan (TM) takeover of health care reform. But I'm planning on examining the claims of this serious violation of the Democratic platform today. After all, Democrats are in power in the White House, the House and the Senate.
First let me introduce you to the 2008 Democratic National Platform. It divides each policy area into subsections. I am going to list them and assign points based on a rather simple idea: I wasn't at the platform discussions. I don't know what was given the most weight and what was given the least. So each goal under the main health care umbrella will get the same amount of points assigned, and each sub-goal within it will divide up those points equally. Sound fair? Ok. We'll find out how the Senate health care bill stacks up against those goals.
After last weeks Scott Brown victory, we've had a number of discussions on this board about what went wrong.
Let's not play the blame game here either. h/t to Ministry of Truth
However, I'm a little concerned when I see how much trouble we are in based on news of retirements of House Dems in Arkansas and the announced decision today of Beau Biden to forgo a Senate Run in Delaware
I'm also remembering reading about some other top Dem prospects that decided to stay off the ballots in the 2010 cycle.
So what say you? Should we be more concerned that we were this time last week?
What needs to be done in 2010? What can the left do in 2010 to ensure a better, stronger America for ALL Americans?
Before deciding what needs to be done, first we must remember what we are fighting for.
Paul Wellstone
July 21, 1944 - October 25, 2002
The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power. Government must remain the domain of the general citizenry, not a narrow elite.
~ Senator Paul Wellstone
"Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives"
~ Senator Paul Wellstone
"I think this is really a good example of the commercial calculus and ties taking precedence over everything else. It's sort of like the almighty dollar is triumphing over a lot of other values that we have as a nation."
What can we get done, and what should we push for in 2010? I've got a limited list off the top of my head.
Nationally
1. Campaign Finance + Lobbying Reform
2. Wall Street Reform: When the storm is over, we fix the ship
3. Antitrust Action: Improve the DOJ so we can actually go after monopolists. Maybe go after a few? (hint the top 7 richest Americans xWarren Buffett)
4. Want a Public Option? Get five more D Senators in 2010, or get three and by doing so scare two more. (Hurt the corporate media by disproving their meme that Dems are toast in '10?)
5. Jobs bill
Pre- existing conditions? They are still in there, only now, instead of getting denied they get to jack the price up 3X and you'll be FORCED to buy something, and without competition who are you gonna choose? THEY WILL ALL CHARGE THE SAME CLIMBING PRICE!
Yearly caps? They are STILL IN THERE!
Death Panels? For Profit death panels, you betcha.
And loopholes, loopholes, loopholes!
I'm sorry, but Obama is NOT FDR. This is NOT the same political climate as when Social Security was passed or when Medicare was passed. Hell, this isn't even the same century!
So get over the fact that you have been TOTALLY SCREWED at this point and do something about it. This bill, as it stands, is so poisoned it should be killed and began again from the start, no matter how long and painful it might be. This CAN be dealt with in a year or two when the Conservative Wing of the Democratic part loses in droves, because that is coming one way or another.
I am PISSED, and you should be pissed too, cause we're getting SCREWED on this deal. The ONLY winners are the political class and the special interests. Consumers re getting sold down the river.
Did Bush/Cheney face accountability for war crimes and lying us into Iraq?
Did Democrats attack Conservative ideology as totally failed after the roaring 90's for the rich and Great Depression 2.0 for the rest of us in 2008?
No. Democrats would rather "look forward", which is a Carlinesque term for Cover Up.
No. Instead Democrats wanted to use those failed ideas themselves to build bipartisan support for FAILED ideas that have bankrupted America and our middle and working class.
Apparently, elections DO NOT MATTER, because we are getting ANOTHER unpopular war and we are NOT getting a popular program like the Public Option, and all because Corporations have overthrown our democracy. They didn't need bullets, dollars did the job better than bullets ever could.
To be blunt, Democrats are losing on purpose, and I have had enough of the spineless wusses who want to play pattycake with the lunatics who kick them in the balls. If you aren't fighting back you are THROWING THE FIGHT, and that goes for EVERY DEM, top to bottom.
Sorry, my (most) liberal friends: I support the President's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Yes, I am aware that we have been there for over eight years. Yes, it is true that al-Qaeda is mainly based in Pakistan. Yes, it is also true that Afghanistan has never been (and can never be) a fully functioning democratic nation state. And yes, our "partners", the Afghanistan government run by Karzai, could not possibly be any more corrupt or worthless.
But no, none of that is reason enough to risk a premature withdraw from the region, if for nothing else but for security's sake. I don't care what Michael Moore says. Afghanistan started as a war of necessity, after the attacks on 9/11 by al-Qadea who were based in Afghanistan at the time. It is true that they might be primarily based in Pakistan now, but they continue to launch attacks and have influence in Afghanistan. If we left now, you can bet they would regain control of the already destabilized region before anybody even knew better.
We bypassed Republican stall tactics with 60 votes. So the L's - Lieberman, Landrieu and Lincoln voted with the Dems after all the posturing.
Glad this passed and that we can move forward in trying to get real reform.
I'm sure this will be the hot topic of discussion on the Sunday news shows. I won't be watching though so if you see anything particularly interesting let us know.
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To be blunt, Democrats are losing on purpose, and I have had enough of the spineless wusses who want to play pattycake with the lunatics who kick them in the balls. If you aren't fighting back you are THROWING THE FIGHT, and that goes for EVERY DEM, top to bottom.
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