The Filibuster—let them REALLY Filibuster

The other night on the Daily Show, Doris Goodwin Kearns told John Daily that what is stopping legislation is not the Filibuster, but the threat of the filibuster.  Her solution: Let them filibuster.  Let one senator drone on for twenty four hours without peeing.  Eventually, they will have to pee. it will be broken.  Let them quote the bible for 24 hours, and recite letter after letter from constituents.  Then break it.  and vote, damnit!

The problem, however, is that the filibuster makes it unlikely that the administration will get much done this year. And the White House's disinterest in making an issue out of the filibuster ensures that the public won't really know why they're not getting much done. A Pew poll released today found that only 26 percent of Americans could correctly identify 60 votes as the numbers needed to break a filibuster. Twenty-five percent thought 51 votes was sufficient, and 37 percent had no idea

Ezra Klein - David Axelrod: 'Reconciliation is a tool that is there to be used'

Closing The Book On The Bush Legacy - The Atlantic Politics Channel

Marc Ambinder points out that during the Bush year’s the haves did quite well, and the have not’s – well they have even less.  So when we try to turn the tables today, we are met with labels of “socialism” and “Nazism".

Go figure. 

Thursday's annual Census Bureau report on income, poverty and access to health care-the Bureau's principal report card on the well-being of average Americans-closes the books on the economic record of George W. Bush.

It's not a record many Republicans are likely to point to with pride.

On every major measurement, the Census Bureau report shows that the country lost ground during Bush's two terms. While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without health insurance spiked. By contrast, the country's condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton's two terms, often substantially.

Closing The Book On The Bush Legacy - The Atlantic Politics Channel

Health Care and Obama

Will Obama take a hit in the 2010 elections?  Maybe.  Remember, he was elected largely from engaging young, motivated voters, and getting them to the polls.

Obama is staking his immediate political future on passing health care.  It’s an important issue, just not that important for the 18-30 year olds.  It doesn’t engage them.  Health care does, however, engage the status quo, and even though Health care reform seems like it should be wildly popular with those of a more older persuasion, it doesn’t seem to be THE issue for them.  And all of a sudden, 2010 is in play for the Republicans.

Depression 2009?

Robert Reich calls it:

This is still not the Great Depression of the 1930s, but it is a Depression. And the only way out is government spending on a very large scale. We should stop worrying about Wall Street. Worry about American workers. Use money to build up Main Street, and the future capacities of our workforce.

Robert Reich's Blog

AIG Bailout: A round of Bonuses……again

Robert Reich once again nails it on the head.  Where is our government?  Why is it the rich are still entitled to get richer, but when we talk about bailing out the common person--who was taken advantage of by the people being enriched—everyday people are called lazy and stupid?  This is not right—and I am extremely disappointed.

But if our very own Secretary of the Treasury doesn't even learn of the bonuses until months after AIG has decided to pay them, and cannot make stick his decision that they should not be paid, AIG is not even accountable to the government. That means AIG's executives -- using $170 billion of our money, so far -- are accountable to no one.

Robert Reich's Blog

An Inauguration for the Ages

Take a look at this New Republic article. The cover of the New Republic depicts civil rights leaders and others who have sacrificed much that will evenutally result in Barack Obama's inaugaration. Hats off to Artist John Mavroudis for this accomplishment:

An Inauguration for the Ages

The spirits of the civil rights movement--and movements for social
justice everywhere--will be with Obama on this historic Inauguration Day. Artist
John Mavroudis imagines the occasion. It was on August 24, 2008, on the
forty-fifth anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, that
Obama accepted the Democratic party's nomination, becoming the first black
American to be a major party's presidential candidate.
And on January 20,
2009--one day after Martin Luther King Day--Obama will be sworn in as the first
black president of the United States. No doubt the spirits of the civil rights
movement, and of movements for racial justice everywhere, will be with him then.

An Inauguration for the Ages

Inside the editorial page - 'My heart swelled with pride' | The News Tribune | Tacoma, WA

Quincy Jones grew up in Seattle.  His story offers a local and African American perspective on the election of Barack Obama.  It hits home in many ways.  But it also offers a glimpse into what I can’t feel, not having the experiences of growing up during the Civil Rights movement nor as an African American.

Obama offers a sense of hope for the country

By Quincy Jones
Like many Americans and citizens of the world, on the morning of Nov. 5, 2008, I awoke with a renewed sense of purpose. The night before I had seen an event I could never have imagined, the election of an African-American as president of the United States of America. It’s true — if you live long enough, anything is possible.

As I sat with family and friends watching the election results, I resigned myself to tempering my emotions. Like all of Barack Obama’s supporters, I was encouraged by the strength, poise and deftness with which he ran his campaign. I knew that he was the best person for the job. But as a black man in America, I knew from experience not to let what I wanted to happen stray too far from the reality of what I knew could happen.

Inside the editorial page - 'My heart swelled with pride' | The News Tribune | Tacoma, WA

It's over: Bush staffers make exits - Daniel Libit - Politico.com

YES!! It’s really happening—it will happen.  A peaceful transfer of power, and a party unlike I have seen during my lifetime!

The president will be the president until 12 noon Tuesday, but most of his employees will be gone by the close of business Friday.
They’ll turn in their BlackBerrys, laptops, building passes and gym keys.
And by the time the weekend is out — before the new administration can reverse course on waterboarding or SCHIP or anything else — teams of painters and carpet cleaners will have wiped away any hint that they ever set foot in the White House.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17497.html

Not Doing Enough

John Judis of the New Republic points out that an $800 billion stimulus package will not do nearly enough to bring our country out of this recession.  It's a beginning.

Judis goes on to say that we need to fight this as a war and on two fronts:  at home and internationally by bringing stability to the International Monetary Fund.  Given that our world is so much more connected than it was during the depression in the 30's, I would agree that it is imperative.  It's an interesting article, and I encourage you to click on the link and read the entire article. It sums up the problem and potential solutions nicely.

There's much to like in Obama's plan. But there are two important ways he may have to go further. Most economists agree that what finally pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression was military spending for World War II. Some liberals argue that if the Roosevelt administration had not abandoned a Keynesian stimulus strategy in 1937-38, the U.S. might have gotten out of the depression without a war. But in 1936, unemployment was still at 16.9 percent; by 1942, after two years of war spending, it was 4.7 percent, strongly indicating that it was war spending that did it. I am not suggesting that the United States start a world war in order to solve the world's economic problem. But I am suggesting a strategy that could be called the fiscal equivalent of war.

Not Doing Enough

The Dr Codfish Chronicles: We All Live Downstream

My friends Paul and Sheila live in an area that is not all that prone to flooding……right!  For the second time in 13 months, they are facing another flood.  Since the last flood, they have raised their home, and prepared as best as they can.  Please think positive thoughts for them this evening, but do read his post.  It’s an amazing piece.  We’re here for you Paul and Sheila!

Last night at about 8:30 I was going through the final edit of an article I had drafted for a bicycling publication. The phone rang and it was my neighbor. His wife is on the city council and she had just received a call from the Mayor who had let her know that Oakville will once again experience a flood sometime in the next 36 hours or so. Something about the call, about Troy’s voice, the incessant din of rain on the roof, it all combined to shake me in my skin. He had to say it twice; I wasn’t reacting as I should. You know that feeling you get when you have just had a very close call in a motor vehicle, or maybe when you actually have been in an accident? That sense of a body blow when someone you thought loved you said, “not any more”?

http://drcodfish.blogspot.com/2009/01/we-all-live-downstream.html

RNC chair race: 'Everyone is basically p-ssed' - Alexander Burns - Politico.com

The Republicans are pissed. Go figure. They sure can’t.

“Some people are p-ssed off at [Americans for Tax Reform President] Grover [Norquist]. Some people are p-ssed off at the Conservative Steering Committee. Some people are pissed off at [current RNC chair] Mike Duncan. Some people are p-ssed off at social conservatives. The social conservatives are p-ssed at leaders in Congress,” said a Republican consultant who has worked with the RNC. “Everyone is basically p-ssed.” -- http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17029.html

zenpotluck.com » An alternative to a Big 3 bailout

My friend Random Sparks in his Zenpotluck blog suggests an alternative to investing in the traditional auto industry to keep them afloat.  Instead he advocates investing in new companies that are trying to build the cars of tomorrow, rather than the cars of yesterday:

Upon reading about todays new $34 billion bailout plea by the Big 3 US auto makers, complete with pay-us-or-have-a-Great-Depression scare tactics, I felt compelled to send the following letter to my state representatives and the Obama transition team:

The potential bailout of the Big 3 US automakers raises an interesting question. What would small, emerging automakers do with the $34 billion bailout that the Big 3 are now requesting? Rather than simply giving the money to GM, Chrysler and Ford, I suggest opening a bid process to ALL US automakers, and granting investment capital to those who offer the best proposals, Big 3 or not. There are so many contenders. Here are just a few: Tesla Motors (www.teslamotors.com) Myers Motors (www.myersmotors.com) Aptera (www.aptera.com) American Electric (www.getkurrent.com) Tango (www.commutercars.com) I think that if the Big 3 needs to compete against innovative startups for their own survival, they will be more likely to develop greener transportation alternatives. Simply giving them the money would invite more of the same. I am confident that the Big 3 can compete in this marketplace if they summon the will to do so. But in any case, American auto workers and citizens will be much better served if the end result of this government investment process is a new industry - with new companies if necessary - building future-thinking vehicles. Thank you for your consideration and anything you can do to circulate my suggestion to governmental decision makers. We have a huge opportunity here if we just show the courage and determination to do it right.

zenpotluck.com » Request for Proposal

States I have visited

 States I have visited

A friend of mine turned me on to this website.  I've visited most of these states, a few I have spent time in airports in while connecting flights.

I had some fun spending a few moments and think about all the places in this country that I have visited.

Bush by the Numbers - ProPublica

The results of a failed presidency....

The final report card for George W. Bush wont be in the mail for another few years. (Nixons is still being revised -- and, for that matter, Lincolns.) But with just a few weeks to go before the 43rd president moves back to Texas, its not too early to measure the impact of his policies across American life.

Bush by the Numbers - ProPublica

They are all interesting, especially his fiasco policies regarding the environment, but this one is particularly telling:

Number of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests

2000--2.2 million

2007--21.8 million

Fiscal years. Source: Department of Justice

Number of personnel who process FOIA requests

2000--5,378

2007--5,367

Fiscal years. Source: Department of Justice

Government Cheese of a Different Kind « Margaret and Helen

I invite you to drop by and check out Margaret and Helen's Blog.  They have been friends for 60 years, and they always have something to say.  Here is "prime choice" from Helen:

OK. Now I am all worked up again. Republicans - each and every last one of you - need to reach for the nearest gas pump and then promptly stick it so far up your ass that only Sarah Palins Pipeline From Jesus can find it. How could you do this to us? An idiot. You put an idiot in charge of things and sat by for EIGHT years while the nation and the world fell apart. And if that wasnt enough, 58 million of you wanted to replace Laurel with Hardy as the next president. Sweet Jesus if I could jump through this computer screen and slap the crap out of 58 million of you I would. Everyday is precious. EVERYDAY. And we just pissed away 2,920. Never again.

Government Cheese of a Different Kind « Margaret and Helen

DL Presidential Pick Pool & the Electoral College

While the Presidential election is (almost) history, the final electoral college vote yet remains to be taken. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December (December 6th, 2008), the electors of each state meet in their respective state capitals to cast their votes for president and vice president. These votes are then sealed and sent to the president of the Senate, who on January 6th opens and reads the votes in the presence of both houses of Congress.

However, the final electoral college tally will likely be:

Obama 365
McCain 173 

At our last DL meeting, attendees participated in our presidential pick pool, casting their best guesses on the number of electoral college votes the candidates would get.  Here are the results:

Place	Name	Obama	McCain
1	Kathy	364	174
2	Bruce	370	168
3	Brian	358	180
4	Angel	338	200
5	Nancy	331	207
6	Roger	315	223
7	Peter	312	216
8	Cynthia	300	238
9	Cynde	281	257

 

Congratulations to Kathy, who just about nailed the pick!  At the next DL meeting, we will all show proper respect for her predictive abilities!

Where are the Olympia area election parties?

There are no official DL election events on Tuesday this year, but I'm sure that many will take place on this very important event.  I personally will be out of town for work (big, big bummer).

I've had a few inquiries about events, but I am just not that connected.  Does anyone know of an election event that a fellow progressive would be welcome to attend?  If so, please post relevant information in the comments section.

If you are looking for an election event to attend, check out the comments section to this post.

Drinking Liberally Tomorrow Night, Monday Nov. 3rd

From the DL Olympia Email List:

Hello Drinking Liberally Olympia,

It's going to be a great week!  Tomorrow, we gather for a Drinking Liberally Pep Rally!  On Tuesday, I am confident that we will elect a Democratic tidal wave the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime.

Drop by Bally Hoo's Irish Restaurant and Pub tomorrow night at 7 pm for our regular -- but always outstanding -- Drinking Liberally get together.  Look for us in the back of the restaurant. 

What's on tap?   Besides the always great beer, plan on participating in the Electoral College Sweepstakes!  We will note everybody's prediction for the number of electoral college votes cast for Obama (and McCain, too, I guess).  Whoever comes closest will get.....bragging rights!  By the way, 537 electoral college votes are up for grabs.

And I'm sure I don't need to remind you to vote, because most of you already have.  There are ballot drop boxes all around the Olympia area, so I recommend you use one of them!

If you are not all politicked out, check out a great music video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN_NNZyh43s&eurll

Hope to see you tomorrow night at Bally Hoo's!

Progressively and Liberally Yours,

Bruce

PS:  I had a few inquiries about a DL get-together on Tuesday night, but after checking with the "regulars," it appears other commitments and events have already been scheduled.

The Washington Monthly: It takes 10 hours to vote in Atlanta

In my earlier post, I questioned why someone would want to undertake an elected office when they view government as the problem. 

In this post,I encourage anyone and everyone who has the vision and energy to fix problems in Government--so it can do what it is meant to do--to be involved:

Besides that, the idea that anyone should have to wait for ten hours to vote is insane. And while I'd be happy to chalk up, say, 30 minute waits to unexpectedly high turnout, there's a point at which you just have to think: don't we pay people to estimate how high turnout will be, and to plan accordingly? And don't ten hour lines call their competence into question? We have to fix this. It's shameful.

The Washington Monthly

Palin: “Government Is The Problem, Doggone It!”

For the life of me, will someone explain to me why Republicans want to be a part of government if it is so evil and problem-prone? It would be like me wanting to join an evangelical church because I can't stand the thought of being told what to think, who to accept, and what my "family-values" are (not to mention having to talk in that Tongues thing).

This from Scott Conroy at CBS News:

(NEW PORT RICHEY, FLA.) - Sarah Palin pressed her argument that Barack Obama would move the country in a dramatically leftward direction.

“Our opponent’s plan is just for more bigger government, and doggone it, government is the problem, not the solution,” Palin said at a rally here.