Guest post on Wisconsins woes...

My cousin Jeanette and her husband Michael (who is the professional writer in the house) live in Wisconsin. They have been activists for more than 25 years, how awesome is that?!  They really do go to these protest rallies, not stay home on the couch complaining like most people today. We need to follow their example and get out there in the country and start protesting!

So, the other day she put on FB  she was going to the train station to protest Scott Walker killing the high speed train project. That's when I asked her to do a post for me since I had previously touched on this subject of highspeed rail. She lives there, is seeing it first hand, and is my expert guest poster, so welcome Jeanette please!

About 200 people came to the Milwaukee Intermodal Station on Saturday, November 20 to support high speed rail in Wisconsin. The Sierra Club sponsored a statewide Day of Action, featuring rallies in six other cities around the state. Career politician Scott Walker, newly elected Republican governor of Wisconsin is rabidly anti-government, and wants to deny the citizens of our state the opportunity to join a Midwest high speed rail system that would initially connect Milwaukee to Madison and on to Chicago and Minneapolis.

Walker campaigned on the issue of jobs, but wants to throw away $800 million of federal money already granted the state. As a result, the Spanish train car manufacturer Talgo will probably abandon its newly opened factory in Milwaukee's inner city, denying the dreams of thousands of potential job holders. One 2006 study estimates that the Midwest Regional rail System will bring Wisconsin an estimated 9,570 permanent jobs, $173 million in additional household income, and $704 million in increased property values.

Wisconsin will be left behind with this rail system, which would not only put people to work, but be an environmentally friendly way to travel. But Walker is doing the bidding of the road builders looking for more highways, which means more cars and trucks spewing carbon monoxide over the countryside. Walker said on election night “Wisconsin is open for business, which really means “we will keep the unions out”, and he hates any hand-outs by the Federal Government, which would be providing the $800 million we were alloted, $100 million of which we have already used to do the preliminary work needed to start laying the tracks. There have been numerous offers from other governors to take the money for high speed rail in their states, but Walker is trying to weasel out of giving up the money restricted to high speed rail.

Walker slashed county programs as Milwaukee County Executive, including our fabulous park
system, a remnant of the bygone age of the early 20^th century, when Socialists were active participants in Milwaukee area government. This is when our beautiful lakefront on Lake Michigan was kept open for the public to enjoy, instead of being bought up by private landholders, Now Scott Walker wants to turn back all of the gains made for the working people and give everything to the rich. And he wants to see our vision of the future derailed.

Jeanette

    

Thanks so much for this post Jeanette. Unfortunately your story is the same as hundreds of others in different states having to deal with Republican leadership doing everything in their power to kill jobs. What the hell is going on in our country? These republicans say they are listening to the voters who are sending a message, they want the government to stop spending! These are boldfaced lies! The voters have spoken loud and clear.....THEY WANT JOBS FIRST, and worry about paying down the nations debt when the country starts to prosper! Why is that so difficult to understand? These lying hypocrite republicans care not a bit about the unemployed, they want this country to stay suffering because they think it will help their chances in 2012! OH HOW WRONG THEY ARE!!!

Poor thing, nobody likes her...

 Do you like her??

 A conservative columnist whose bonafides include a stint at the National Review and a speechwriting gig for former first lady Nancy Reagan has slammed Sarah Palin, calling the former half-term governor "consumed and obsessed by the media."
Writing on the self-described "conservative" Townhall.com, columnist Mona Charen blasted Palin for her lack of experience:

Palin was advised by those who admire her natural gifts to bone up on policy and devote herself to governing Alaska successfully. Instead, she quit her job as governor after two and a half years, published a book (another is due next week), and seemed to chase money and empty celebrity.

 Barbara Bush spoke to Larry King about Sarah Palin......
Her impression?
"Thought she was beautiful. And she's very happy in Alaska," Bush said, chuckling. "I hope she'll stay there."

Rosanne Cash, daughter of legendary country singer and songwriter Johnny Cash, tweeted her way into politics again Tuesday, sending out a dispatch batting former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for supposed hypocrisy in her criticism of President Obama as an unvetted, unprepared leader.

The musician tweeted Tuesday:

He was pres. of the Harvard law review, a constitutional scholar and a Senator. And you?http://fb.me/KloEmhZ9

 Sarah Palin was at the butt end of an insult from former Hillary Clinton aide Jami Floyd on Friday, when Floyd called the former Alaska Governor and potential presidential fascination an "extraordinary ass."
"Never underestimate your opponent and the governor says she's an extraordinary asset to her party," Floyd said on MSNBC. "I say she's an extraordinary ass, frankly."

In an interview with ABC News scheduled to air in full on December 9, Barbara Walters asked Palin, "If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?"
"I believe so," Palin responded.

This woman is getting slammed from every front, and some say we better be careful because it will just cause her followers to reload, not retreat. But damn, Hillary Clinton is one of the smartest and most qualified political figures in America today and she failed at winning the nomination, and this woman actually believes she can do what Hillary could not?


In a New York Times piece she said this,
 “I know that a hurdle I would have to cross, that some other potential candidates wouldn’t have to cross right out of the chute, is proving my record. That’s the most frustrating thing for me — the warped and perverted description of my record and what I’ve accomplished over the last two decades. It’s been much more perplexing to me than where the lamestream media has wanted to go about my personal life. And other candidates haven’t faced these criticisms the way I have.”
I asked her if by avoiding the national press, she didn’t bear at least some responsibility for the way the public viewed her. “I’m on television nearly every single day with reporters,” she shot back. “Now granted, that’s mainly through my job at Fox News, and I’m very proud to be associated with them, but I’m not avoiding anything or anybody. I’m on Facebook and Twitter. I’m out there. I want to talk about my record, though.”


Why does she make us throw-up? Her record is not warped and distorted, it's the absolute truth, that's the problem she's having. We Know Her! We know her record, She's NOT qualified to be president but she's too stupid to see that!

The GOP and the Games they Play

 Another day, another setback, just another ploy by the GOP to bring our president down. 

These Republicans have no shame, they are willing to put Americas security on the line for political game playing. The ratification of the START treaty should not be controversial, but the GOP is hell bent on making it so! Why? For what reason? The first treaty was ratified in the Senate with overwhelming support from both parties. Well come now, we all know what's behind the the latest GOP scheme. 

The GOP's fringe element of Obama haters, fearing a boost in his popularity numbers, has chosen to put fear into Americans by claiming the treaty will leave only a measly "thousands" of nuclear weapons, and what about our missile defense? We will be rendered defenseless! Oh Horror! This is one of the most disgusting acts of  contempt, and is simply to try and humiliate President Obama. The GOP has it all planned out, do not budge on this START treaty and it will die in the new Congress. Yes folks, the GOP is so willing to destroy the president that they will even play around with our national security. This is your republican party. Well ya know what GOP'ers, it's just another nail in your own coffins cuz your little ploys are not gonna work!

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl is the foot dragger this time. The nerve of this hypocrite! It was just last year he accused the administration of foot dragging on renewing START. He even said on the Senate floor, "for the first time in 15 years an extensive set of verification, notification, elimination and other confidence-building measures will expire." So what's he doing now, he's fighting Obama  on the renewal. It really is hypocrisy at its finest.

From The Washington Post,
Republican leaders have been willing to entertain the notion, common among their base, that the president himself is an existential threat to the country, leaving little room for cooperation. Voting on START means making a choice between indulging the reflexive hatred of their base or acting in the U.S.'s basic national security interests.
The Republican attempt to derail ratification of the new START arms control treaty with Russia is a reminder of just how far the GOP is willing to go merely to deal the president a political defeat.


MOSCOW - Russians are mystified. They can't quite believe the U.S. Senate might fail to ratify the nuclear arms treaty, and they see no good from such an outcome. And to top it off, the United States and it's president would look ridiculous.
   But of course, this is the GOP plan, dontcha know!

Sergei M. Rogov, director of the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies, said he had difficulty believing Republicans are serious about killing the New START treaty, even though Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said Tuesday there was not enough time to consider it in the lame-duck session. A vote next year makes ratification harder because a loss of Democratic seats means 14 Republican votes will be required for passage rather than nine now.
"In arms control, Russian and American cooperation is crucial," Rogov said. "I really don't think Republicans want to kill arms control."

Well, we'll see. But one thing is for certain, the Republicans care about ONE THING and that is to make Obama a one term president. They think these policy battles will benefit them, how stupid can you be. Their skewed thinking and harmful and dangerous game playing will backfire on them,  IMO.

UPDATE: One sane Republican.....
Today on MSNBC, Sen. Rich Lugar (R-IN) urged Republicans such as Kyl to support the treaty and called on Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to hold a vote on it in this lame-duck session of Congress:

LUGAR: Please do your duty for your country. We do not have verification of the Russian nuclear posture right now. We’re not going to have it until we sign the START treaty. We’re not going to be able to get rid of further missiles and warheads aimed at us. I state it candidly to my colleagues, one of those warheads…could demolish my city of Indianapolis — obliterate it! Now Americans may have forgotten that. I’ve not forgotten it and I think that most people who are concentrating on the START treaty want to move ahead to move down the ladder of the number of weapons aimed at us.

NO unemployment extension for YOU!

I wonder, how many unemployed Americans who continue to get fucked by the GOP, voted to put those despicable excuses for Americans back in power?? I told myself to sit down with a cup of coffee, stay off the computer tonight and just relax, it is afterall my TGIT. WELL, after watching the first 10 minutes of Ed Schultz and his report on the failed unemployment extension, here I sit!  The measure failed in the House leaving 4 million Americans sitting and waiting in fear as their benefits are set to expire right after Thanksgiving.

Only 4% of the people want the government to concentrate their efforts on reducing the deficit. ONLY 4%! So what do the rethugs do,  they deny 4 million Americans an extension to keep them afloat. The legislation would have cost about $12.5 billion to extend the deadline to file for federal unemployment benefits from Dec. 1 until Feb. 28,  a measly pittance, giving the unemployed around 300 to 400 a week in benefit payment, INSURANCE, meaning these people PAID into the program! Never before has the government turned it's back on the suffering in times of such high unemployment. This is unprecedented, and especially at a time those thugs will be standing up in Congress fighting to give the top 2% of wealthy Americans their tax cuts, tax cuts that will cost 700 billion!!

NOW, let me point out some wingnuts like to blame Nancy Pelosi because 11 democrats voted against the measure and 7 democrats did not vote at all. But to be fair, WHY do all these measures have to have 100% democrat support or Nancy Pelosi is blamed? If we just had a simple majority of rethugs voting to help their fellow Americans Congress might be able to get some work done! That's RIGHT, I am a partisan and I blame the fuckin Republicans for all these failed bills! Just 17 votes short, that's all, 17 votes from republicans could have moved the measure to help suffering Americans! The GOP has been the party of NO for 2 years and plan on being the party of hate and total disregard for Americans for the next 2 years too. NOTHING will change as long as Americans keep giving republicans a chance to PROVE they don't care about them!

So what's next on the thug agenda? They will demand the tax cuts to the rich be extended and quite possibly be permanent and OH just to be nice they will offer up an UI extension addition!   Don't do it Democrats, do not fall for their hideous game playing! I would rather see all the tax cuts expire then see the rich get their cuts!

Nancy Pelosi said,
“Our first priority is to create jobs; the American people want to get back to work. Unemployment Insurance is a proven economic booster, returning $2 into the economy for every $1 invested.  We will continue to work for an emergency short-term extension to get families through the holidays and to work for longer term solutions as well.”

The current benefits are scheduled to expire Nov. 30, so the House will still have two legislative days to try to prevent the benefits from expiring when Congress returns to finish the Lame Duck session after Thanksgiving.
It's the holidays coming up, Americans are suffering, I am mortified our government and political parties don't fight harder for us. It's pathetic!

Is She or Isn't She??

In a just-released New York Times Magazine cover story, Sarah Palin responds "I am" when asked if she is considering a run for president.
"I'm engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here," Palin is quoted as saying.
She goes on to argue that the major potential Republican candidates are largely alike when it comes to policy - "but in fact there's more to the presidency than that."
Should she run, Palin tells author Robert Draper, "I'd have to bring in more people -- more people who are trustworthy" into her inner circle. Palin has only about ten advisers (most of whom did not know her before two years ago) and has built up little in the way of infrastructure for a run, unlike likely GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty. (Here, via Politico, is the cover image for the story, which shows her advisers.)
A number of top Republicans are reportedly discussing how to stop a Palin presidential run for fear that the polarizing former Alaska governor will lose badly against President Obama in a general election should she secure the nomination.
Palin acknowledges in the story that unlike some other candidates, she would have to prove her record "right out of the chute."
"That's the most frustrating thing for me - the warped and perverted description of my record and what I've accomplished over the last two decades," she tells Draper. "It's been much more perplexing to me than where the lamestream media has wanted to go about my personal life. And other candidates haven't faced these criticisms the way I have."
Because of the unfairness of the media toward her, she adds, "I fear for our democracy."
In the story, a Palin friend suggests that she could improve public perceptions of her if "when she starts doing the debates during the primaries, she knocks it out of the park."
"That would cause an entirely different view of things, wouldn't it?," he says. 

Read full post…

Holy fuckin shit, I guess we should NOT be surprised.

CNN Poll: Most Americans say Palin not qualified to serve as President.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Fewer than three in 10 Americans think Sarah Palin's qualified to be president, according to a new national poll - the least of any of the five potential candidates included in the survey.

But another woman tops that list in the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday: two-thirds of the public thinks that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's qualified for the Oval Office. That's more than Vice President Joe Biden, who's currently next in line for the presidency.
According to the poll, 28 percent of Americans say Palin is qualified to run the White House, with seven in 10 saying the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee is not qualified.
The survey indicates that a majority of Republicans, 54 percent, feel Palin is qualified, with 44 percent indicating she isn't. But only 29 percent of independent voters questioned feel she is qualified to serve as president, with 68 percent disagreeing. According to the poll, nine in 10 Democrats feel Palin is not qualified.


You think the turn out for Barack Obama in '08 was HUGE, wait til the republicans nominate Sarah Palin in 2012. The country will see a tsunami at the polls, 100% of registered voters coming out to vote against Palin! Well okay, 90%!
That woman caused the republican ticket to lose in '08 for fear old man McCain would kick the bucket which would then place her in the Oval Office. The country was afraid of such a scenario then, so what makes her think they will embrace her now??

Scaredy Cats

GOP postpones summit with President Obama!

By GLENN THRUSH | 11/16/10 10:44 PM EST Updated: 11/17/10 7:29 AM EST

The roots of the partisan standoff that led to the postponement of the bipartisan White House summit scheduled for Thursday date back to January, when President Barack Obama dominated a GOP meeting in Baltimore to deliver a humiliating rebuke of House Republicans.

That Is one lame excuse!

 So, the GOP fears a one on one with the president? I think it's because they feel so inadequate, they want to be the big bad GOP with a so-called mandate, but the truth is there is no mandate. 

According to a CNN opinion poll only 17% of Americans believe the midterm elections gave a mandate to the GOP, they still find it necessary to degrade the office of the presidency by spitting on Obama's extended hand. This is just the beginning, the next 2 years of nothing getting done will be on the backs of the GOP. They have no idea how to move forward even with their House majority. They NEED more time before meeting with Obama, so of course the president will accommodate them, again....

A Christmas present to myself

How beautiful is this?

President Obama's book is in the stores now,

from The Washington Post

By Stephen Lowman

"Have I told you that America is made up of people of every kind?" asks President Obama in his latest book.
Two weeks after voters gave his party a "shellacking," Obama is out with children's book celebrating the American people.
“Of Thee I Sing,” aimed at children ages 3 and up, is light on text but rich with Loren Long’s illustrations. On the opening page Obama addresses his two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
“Have I told you lately how wonderful you are? / How the sound of your feet / running from afar / brings dancing rhythms to my day? / How you laugh / and sunshine spills into the room?”
Obama goes on to tell them about 13 “groundbreaking Americans.” In order, they are:
Georgia O’Keeffe (“helped us see big beauty in what is small”)
Albert Einstein (“changing the world with energy and light”)
Jackie Robinson (“showed us all how to turn fear to respect”)
Sitting Bull (“a Sioux medicine man”)
Billie Holiday (“sang beautiful blues”)
Helen Keller (“taught us to look and listen to each other”)
Maya Lin (“public spaces should be filled with art, she thought”)
Jane Addams (“fed the poor”)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (“taught us unyielding compassion”)
Neil Armstrong (“first to walk on the moon”)
Cesar Chavez (“showed farmworkers their own power”)
Abraham Lincoln (“promised freedom to enslaved sisters and brothers”)
George Washington (“our first president”)

Obama’s dedication reads: “To Michelle — whose fierce love and daily good sense have nourished such wonderful daughters.”
Random House said that the 40-page book has a first printing of 500,000 copies. It has a list price of $17.99.
The origins of the book date back to 2004, when then Senator Obama inked a three book deal with Random House worth $1.9 million.

Proceeds from the sales “Of Thee I Sing” will be donated to a scholarship fund that serves the children of soldiers who have been killed or disabled.

The book is subtitled "A Letter to My Daughters," but it's not the first time the president has written a letter to Sasha and Malia for everyone to see. Shortly before taking office in 2008 Parade Magazine published a "letter" he wrote to them.

Say what you will about Barack Obama, but it's quite obvious he is a wonderful loving husband and father. His family are lucky to have him.....I think we are too