Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground..Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
positive words from Anita, Chuck and Norah... with a little Joe thrown in
I had an anonymous comment this morning saying the country is disgusted and appalled at Obamas changes so far. Of course anon/lisa would say that being she's a rightwingnutfuck, but it's far from the truth. Anita Dunn is speaking here about the accomplishments so far and I like what she says. The work this president and congress has done the first year is huge compared to what we were facing at the end of Bushs reign. We have 3 years to do even more and instead of whining and complaining that Obama isn't liberal enough, why not get off the couch and help more progressives get elected. Remember how hard we fought to get the majority back, how can Obama get anything done if we lose our dem senators and replace them with wingnuts? Yes, wingnuts! Republicans want moderates out of their party and they want wingnuts!
We also have on this video Chuck Todd and Norah O'Donnell talking about the Senate seats. Retirements coming from some of our beloved dems might not be such a bad thing! 2010 is gonna be a big year, but we can't just sit on our hands and watch, we need to vote!
We also have to get active in local democratic organizations. Learn a lesson from the wingnuts. Look at what they have done to the republican party. They took it over. It is time for progressives to take over the Democratic Party which will be more effective than a third party.
I think both of you are right in your assessment; and I'm as guilty as the next guy- if not for being apathetic- but looking at the the glass being half empty.
A lot of my discontent has to do with what has become the health care reform bill. The Republican alternative of doing nothing is unacceptable, but this clause regarding fining those who don't buy insurance is problematic for me- politically it makes no sense, morally its the wrong way to approach the problem....and not to mention, its more than likely unconstitutional to compel a person to buy a service or product. And the argument about its "like auto insurance" doesn't wash, because a person can chose not to drive or own a car.
Frankly, I think the Republicans "played rope a dope" with the Dem leadership regarding the public option, and the Dems bit, and they came up with this mess of a bill.
More than ever, we need a public option. Any other way, it smells like a Democratic sellout to the insurance industry.
I'm with you on the health insurance bill's sad state but the Dems had to have some kind of victory to get reform moving . If the republicans had defeated it all together it may well be another 15 years to get it this far.
Chris Matthews just asked Rethug strategist Todd Harris what the rethug party has done for America in the past 10 yrs, he(Harris) started blabbing off topic, Matthews asked again and said he could go back 20 years, "What has the republican party done for the country in the past 20 yrs??", Todd sat there silent, he had NUTTIN', NADA, ZIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!! This is why people, we cannot give them an inch!!! How can dems and independants turn their backs on the democrats after what we have been through in the past 8 yrs?? It's dumbfounding!!
JC: " Learn a lesson from the wing-nuts. Look at what they have done to the republican party. They took it over."
Yup, let's look at what they did to the Republican Party. They killed it. If over 200,000 PA Republicans switched parties before the election, think how many have switched nation-wide.
They may not be thrilled with Obama, but imo, I think the majority of centrist and slightly-to-the-right of center are not too keen on Palin and the wing-nuts. I think this group of Republicans finds the fringe element tacky, distasteful, loud, crass and ignorant.
If the wing-nuts have done anything, it is to split the GOP right down the middle.
Leslie, You're right, the wingnuts have (hopefully) destroyed the republican party. The point I was trying to make was not that they destroyed it, but they (and I am including neoconservatives, religious righter, and other rightwing fringe groups) gained control. It is the control part that I am interested in.
As long as we have a two party system, it will be the Democratic party or nothing. If we could move to instant-runoff type of elections or some type of proportional representation, then third parties would become more viable. But as long as we are saddled with a 50%, all-or-nothing type of election, we are stuck with a two-party system.
JC: I don't have a conservative bone in my body but I'd hate to see the demise of the Republican Party as it used to be before all these extremists took over.
People have been dreaming of a third party for decades. Not to be crude, I think it's a wet one.
The wingnuts gaining control and taking over the republican party is more frightening to me then an election between a moderate republican and a liberal. Will a large portion of this country turn from Obama if the economy doesn't turn around in the next year, will they actually put their trust back into a party of wingnuts??
Will a large portion of this country turn from Obama if the economy doesn't turn around in the next year, will they actually put their trust back into a party of wingnuts??
Of course they will. Prolonged economic stress which moderate politicians seem unable to solve makes people more amenable to extremist solutions. Many people don't pay much attention to politics and don't realize how crazy the Republican party has become, or don't care, if they think it will do better on bringing the jobs back.
It's never wise in politics for a party to assume it will keep getting re-elected forever just by pointing out how unfit to govern the opposing party is. The Democrats have to deliver. It's true that they have delivered a lot, but what most voters are focused on these days is the economy -- specifically jobs and wages -- and that's where the Democrats need to deliver a clear improvement between now and November. I'm convinced that that's the main factor which will influence how this year's elections turn out.
Hugh Jee ~ Quote "The Republican alternative of doing nothing is unacceptable, but this clause regarding fining those who don't buy insurance is problematic for me- politically it makes no sense, morally its the wrong way to approach the problem....and not to mention, its more than likely unconstitutional to compel a person to buy a service or product."
The republicans' alternative was NOT to do nothing. The conservatives had many good ideas as to what to do to reform health care in America, but the libs chose not to listen to them.
I completely agree with what you said in the rest of this quote. You are right on target.
Infidel we know, this year we NEED jobs and the economy in general to IMPROVE greatly! Ya know all this talk about the dems retirement and nobody is talking about the republicans retiring, there are gonna be more open seats on the repub side.
Linda I believe republicans had their chance to offer ideas but they were old and made no sense ideas. So of course dems had to do what Bush and his cronies always did, we had to ignore the rightwing finally.
Sue, you know that I am not happy with many of Obama's decisions, but I shudder at the thought of where we would be if McConJob and Mooseolini had won.
Linda, I don't think it's fair to say that Democrats refused to listen to Republicans. Over 150 amendments that survived into the final Senate version were introduced by Republicans and represent compromises by Democrats in the hopes of attaining some Republican support for the bill. They got none, because their goal is to prevent passage of reform, because of the political advantage they will gain if Obama fails in this. That said, I agree that there should be no mandate, but only because there is no strong public option to keep Big Insurance from overcharging. There is much about this bill that needs fixing, but unless we get this passed as a foundation for further reform, there will be nothing to fix.
CDM ~ Surely you find two opposing viewpoints infinitely more interesting to read than a steady diet of the same old "high fives" from the same six or seven people day in and day out! It's a challenge...makes me think and realize all the more why I am conservative.
You all should thank me for your daily brain exercise. I know I'm going to hear all the jokes about how it is no exercise to out-think a conservative, but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.:-)
Linda - You'd have to get 10 more conservatives to give me a cranial workout. I do like the witty banter, but only when there is substance...REAL substance, not just convenient memory glimpses circling the rim of absurdity. RZ knows from what I speak.
I will give you this much, you have more organization than lisa, that's for sure.
TomCat ~ I do agree that some of the amendments were introduced by republicans, you are right.
I think, though, that the republicans were trying to stop the parts of the bill that they felt were so egregious that they could not possibly allow them. As far as hoping for republican support, most republicans disagree with the very premise of such a large scale government intrusion into the health care system at all. The hope that there would be bipartisan work on something which one side is philosophically opposed to was unlikely from the beginning.
Linda: "As far as hoping for republican support, most republicans disagree with the very premise of such a large scale government intrusion into the health care system at all."
Were dems REALLY hoping for support from the right? And if the right is so opposed to lg scale gov. intrusion then why do they love Medicare and gladly partake in it? I smell a hypocrite
Sue ~ The republican who love Medicare are WRONG!! Some of them are resigned to the fact that Medicare is here and unlikely to be ended. I did not agree with the expansion of Medicare under the Bush administration, either. That is why this particular health care bill needs to be stopped before it is enacted. We will be enslaved by the the albatross of bloated government forever...leading to bankruptcy.
Friday, January 08, 2010 Republicans Screwed Up After Reagan, Steele: Republicans can learn from Reagan. Yeah what not to do!
this is a post from anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
It tells how Reagan was the one who started the ball rolling on spending and deficits spinning out of control, yes the rights beloved Reagan. But I don't expect you to believe a word of it Linda.
Linda working people pay into Medicare their whole working lives, why do republicans HATE it?? I can not for the life of me understand your party platform. I really do pity you Linda!
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24 comments:
We also have to get active in local democratic organizations. Learn a lesson from the wingnuts. Look at what they have done to the republican party. They took it over. It is time for progressives to take over the Democratic Party which will be more effective than a third party.
I think both of you are right in your assessment; and I'm as guilty as the next guy- if not for being apathetic- but looking at the the glass being half empty.
A lot of my discontent has to do with what has become the health care reform bill. The Republican alternative of doing nothing is unacceptable, but this clause regarding fining those who don't buy insurance is problematic for me- politically it makes no sense, morally its the wrong way to approach the problem....and not to mention, its more than likely unconstitutional to compel a person to buy a service or product. And the argument about its "like auto insurance" doesn't wash, because a person can chose not to drive or own a car.
Frankly, I think the Republicans "played rope a dope" with the Dem leadership regarding the public option, and the Dems bit, and they came up with this mess of a bill.
More than ever, we need a public option. Any other way, it smells like a Democratic sellout to the insurance industry.
I'm with you on the health insurance bill's sad state but the Dems had to have some kind of victory to get reform moving . If the republicans had defeated it all together it may well be another 15 years to get it this far.
Chris Matthews just asked Rethug strategist Todd Harris what the rethug party has done for America in the past 10 yrs, he(Harris) started blabbing off topic, Matthews asked again and said he could go back 20 years, "What has the republican party done for the country in the past 20 yrs??", Todd sat there silent, he had NUTTIN', NADA, ZIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!! This is why people, we cannot give them an inch!!! How can dems and independants turn their backs on the democrats after what we have been through in the past 8 yrs?? It's dumbfounding!!
JC: " Learn a lesson from the wing-nuts. Look at what they have done to the republican party. They took it over."
Yup, let's look at what they did to the Republican Party. They killed it. If over 200,000 PA Republicans switched parties before the election, think how many have switched nation-wide.
They may not be thrilled with Obama, but imo, I think the majority of centrist and slightly-to-the-right of center are not too keen on Palin and the wing-nuts. I think this group of Republicans finds the fringe element tacky, distasteful, loud, crass and ignorant.
If the wing-nuts have done anything, it is to split the GOP right down the middle.
Leslie,
You're right, the wingnuts have (hopefully) destroyed the republican party. The point I was trying to make was not that they destroyed it, but they (and I am including neoconservatives, religious righter, and other rightwing fringe groups) gained control. It is the control part that I am interested in.
As long as we have a two party system, it will be the Democratic party or nothing. If we could move to instant-runoff type of elections or some type of proportional representation, then third parties would become more viable. But as long as we are saddled with a 50%, all-or-nothing type of election, we are stuck with a two-party system.
JC: I don't have a conservative bone in my body but I'd hate to see the demise of the Republican Party as it used to be before all these extremists took over.
People have been dreaming of a third party for decades. Not to be crude, I think it's a wet one.
The wingnuts gaining control and taking over the republican party is more frightening to me then an election between a moderate republican and a liberal. Will a large portion of this country turn from Obama if the economy doesn't turn around in the next year, will they actually put their trust back into a party of wingnuts??
exactly Leslie. the republican party turning into a party of religious fanatics like Palin and Bachmann is horrifying!
Will a large portion of this country turn from Obama if the economy doesn't turn around in the next year, will they actually put their trust back into a party of wingnuts??
Of course they will. Prolonged economic stress which moderate politicians seem unable to solve makes people more amenable to extremist solutions. Many people don't pay much attention to politics and don't realize how crazy the Republican party has become, or don't care, if they think it will do better on bringing the jobs back.
It's never wise in politics for a party to assume it will keep getting re-elected forever just by pointing out how unfit to govern the opposing party is. The Democrats have to deliver. It's true that they have delivered a lot, but what most voters are focused on these days is the economy -- specifically jobs and wages -- and that's where the Democrats need to deliver a clear improvement between now and November. I'm convinced that that's the main factor which will influence how this year's elections turn out.
Hugh Jee ~ Quote "The Republican alternative of doing nothing is unacceptable, but this clause regarding fining those who don't buy insurance is problematic for me- politically it makes no sense, morally its the wrong way to approach the problem....and not to mention, its more than likely unconstitutional to compel a person to buy a service or product."
The republicans' alternative was NOT to do nothing. The conservatives had many good ideas as to what to do to reform health care in America, but the libs chose not to listen to them.
I completely agree with what you said in the rest of this quote. You are right on target.
Infidel we know, this year we NEED jobs and the economy in general to IMPROVE greatly!
Ya know all this talk about the dems retirement and nobody is talking about the republicans retiring, there are gonna be more open seats on the repub side.
Linda I believe republicans had their chance to offer ideas but they were old and made no sense ideas. So of course dems had to do what Bush and his cronies always did, we had to ignore the rightwing finally.
Linda, why do you bother? Seriously.
she says she enjoys us too much to leave, C!
Sue, you know that I am not happy with many of Obama's decisions, but I shudder at the thought of where we would be if McConJob and Mooseolini had won.
Linda, I don't think it's fair to say that Democrats refused to listen to Republicans. Over 150 amendments that survived into the final Senate version were introduced by Republicans and represent compromises by Democrats in the hopes of attaining some Republican support for the bill. They got none, because their goal is to prevent passage of reform, because of the political advantage they will gain if Obama fails in this. That said, I agree that there should be no mandate, but only because there is no strong public option to keep Big Insurance from overcharging. There is much about this bill that needs fixing, but unless we get this passed as a foundation for further reform, there will be nothing to fix.
CDM ~ Surely you find two opposing viewpoints infinitely more interesting to read than a steady diet of the same old "high fives" from the same six or seven people day in and day out! It's a challenge...makes me think and realize all the more why I am conservative.
You all should thank me for your daily brain exercise. I know I'm going to hear all the jokes about how it is no exercise to out-think a conservative, but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.:-)
Brain exercize? LOL. Linda your comments have NOT ONCE made me question my support of my party and my president. How about you, have you been swayed??
Linda - You'd have to get 10 more conservatives to give me a cranial workout. I do like the witty banter, but only when there is substance...REAL substance, not just convenient memory glimpses circling the rim of absurdity. RZ knows from what I speak.
I will give you this much, you have more organization than lisa, that's for sure.
CDM ~ To which convenient glimpses of memory circling rims of absurdity do you refer? Pretty vague here...
TomCat ~ I do agree that some of the amendments were introduced by republicans, you are right.
I think, though, that the republicans were trying to stop the parts of the bill that they felt were so egregious that they could not possibly allow them. As far as hoping for republican support, most republicans disagree with the very premise of such a large scale government intrusion into the health care system at all. The hope that there would be bipartisan work on something which one side is philosophically opposed to was unlikely from the beginning.
Linda: "As far as hoping for republican support, most republicans disagree with the very premise of such a large scale government intrusion into the health care system at all."
Were dems REALLY hoping for support from the right? And if the right is so opposed to lg scale gov. intrusion then why do they love Medicare and gladly partake in it? I smell a hypocrite
Sue ~ The republican who love Medicare are WRONG!! Some of them are resigned to the fact that Medicare is here and unlikely to be ended. I did not agree with the expansion of Medicare under the Bush administration, either. That is why this particular health care bill needs to be stopped before it is enacted. We will be enslaved by the the albatross of bloated government forever...leading to bankruptcy.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Republicans Screwed Up After Reagan, Steele: Republicans can learn from Reagan. Yeah what not to do!
this is a post from anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
It tells how Reagan was the one who started the ball rolling on spending and deficits spinning out of control, yes the rights beloved Reagan. But I don't expect you to believe a word of it Linda.
Linda working people pay into Medicare their whole working lives, why do republicans HATE it?? I can not for the life of me understand your party platform. I really do pity you Linda!
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