This is cool!

Warning

Old Fart tells it like it is!

80 Years of Planning: The Kochs + The Family + Birchers = Tea Party

Conspiracy theory or factual. I was suspicious when Mr. Obama had Rick Warren give the invocation at his inauguration - now I wonder?

Teaching

When you teach you sometimes have to get up from behind the desk and convince the students to do what you want them to do.  One of my former students told me that her older brother gave her this advice.  "Once we figured out what he wanted us to do we just did it and that make it much easier."  Of course there was always that one or two recalcatrant student who would not do what you wanted without much grief. Sometimes you just gave up.

h/t Child of Illusion

Education Votes

Suit filed in Federal Court to challenge the constitutionality of Wisconsin Walker's Union Busting bill.

“We should not push the Constitution aside to achieve a partisan political agenda,” added Van Roekel. “I hope the court moves quickly to put the brakes on these bad choices. We may not always agree, but the democratic process is enhanced by the ability to share, not stifle ideas and opinions.”

Click to read

Education Votes

G.O.P Madness

Click to embiggen

h/t John

'TELLING IT LIKE IT IS"

Rep Crowley gives the Silent Treatment to the GOP

Will he keep his promise?

Not the best track record.  Guess we will find out tomorrow night.

Paul Krugman writing in the NYTimes.  The President Is Missing.

And this voice of reason from a former Congressman is well worth reading. It is a guest opinion in the Des Moines Register.

And Eli on Firedoglake says this:


unlike the Republicans, the Democrats have the ability – at least in theory – to break this back-and-forth cycle of rejection any time they want.  All they have to do is live up to the principles they claim to believe in, renounce their corporate servitude, and start governing on behalf of the 99% of us who aren’t plutocrats.  I can all but guarantee that it would pay off generously for them at the polls.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the kind of payoff they’re interested in.

Immoral

Dear MoveOn member,

It's time to sound the alarm. 

This week, Congress could cut a deal on the budget. And if Republicans get their way, billions will be cut from vital programs that millions of Americans count on—while tax cuts for the richest are protected. 

But most people don't have any idea what's at stake—and how devastating these cuts would be to their communities—even though the cuts could take effect within weeks. So we're launching an emergency campaign to spread the word. Republicans want to gut programs with enormous public support, and hope no one notices. So it's up to all of us to spark a public outcry before it's too late. 

The devastating impact these cuts will have on our country—and on your community—is unprecedented. Check out the list below. If we can get it out to a million people, we can start to sound the alarm and stop the GOP. Click here to post on Facebook and Twitter, or simply forward this email.

Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Peter, Carrie, Kat, and the rest of the team

Top 10 Worst Things about the Republicans' Immoral Budget

The Republican budget would: 

1. Destroy 700,000 jobs, according to an independent economic analysis.

2. Zero out federal funding for National Public Radio and public television.

3. Cut $1.3 billion from community health centers—which will deprive more than 3 million low-income people of health care over the next few months.

4. Cut nearly a billion dollars in food and health care assistance to pregnant women, new moms, and children.

5. Kick more than 200,000 children out of pre-school by cutting funds for Head Start.

6. Force states to fire 65,000 teachers and aides, dramatically increasing class sizes, thanks to education cuts. 

7. Cut some or all financial aid for 9.4 million low- and middle-income college students. 

8. Slash $1.6 billion from the National Institutes of Health, a cut that experts say would "send shockwaves" through cancer research, likely result in cuts to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, and cause job losses.

9. End the only federal family planning program, including cutting all federal funding that goes to Planned Parenthood to support cancer screenings and other women's health care.

10. Send 10,000 low-income veterans into homelessness by cutting in half the number of veterans who get housing vouchers this year.

We've got to get the word out about this awful budget—right away. Please, share this with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, or by forwarding this email, today. 

Sources:

1. "GOP spending plan would cost 700,000 jobs, new report says," The Washington Post, February 28, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206357&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=6

2. "GOP budget would cut funding for public broadcasting," The Washington Independent, February 14, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206513&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=7 

3. "NACHC Statement in Response to the Budget from the House Appropriations Committee," National Association of Community Health Centers website, accessed March 4, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206514&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=8

4."Bye Bye, Big Bird. Hello, E. Coli.," The New Republic, February 12, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206104&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=9

House Republican Spending Cuts Target Programs For Children And Pregnant Women
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206566&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=10

5. "Obama and the GOP's Spending Cuts: Where's the Outrage?" Mother Jones, February 18, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206569&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=11

6. Ibid.

7. "Deficit Reduction on the Backs of the Most Vulnerable," Center for American Progress, March 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206518&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=12 (PDF)

8. "The GOP Budget and Cancer—Why New Research Is at Risk," Politics Daily, February 27, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206515&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=13 

"Republican Budget Cuts at Heart of Medical Research: Albert Hunt," Bloomberg, February 20, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206516&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=14

"Durbin: Cuts to NIH put research jobs at risk," Business Week, February 28, 2011
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LLSCB00.htm

9. "GOP Spending Plan: X-ing Out Title X Family Planning Funds," Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206105&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=15

10. "House GOP Spending Cuts Would Prevent 10,000 Low-Income Veterans From Receiving Housing Assistance," Think Progress, March 1, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206517&id=26413-18227676-1daSURx&t=16

Spineless Democrats?

A tweet from Michael Moore

Pathetic:

From what I can tell, not a single elected national Democrat has come to Madison to support the workers. And Obama nearly silent.

I simply do not understand the cowardice of Democrats. Really.

The above was found on a Blog I read.  Child of Illusion.

 I do not agree that all Democrats are spineless.  There are a lot of them who are not spineless.  It is just that their main leader was too afraid of the Republicans to go ahead and push things through and now it is

past time. What we are seeing in Wisconsin is not Democrat vs. Republican.  It is Oligarch verses the poor.  The ancient Romans used to keep their plebeians occupied by giving them bread and circuses.  Our circus seems to be the Superbowl and now that it is over people are waking up to what is going on in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa.  The Oligarchs (Koch Brothers) are making their move to bust the Unions. So wake up Democrats and grow a spine.  In case you don't know what they look like I put on on the left.

I had lunch with a good friend this noon who had been a Republican.  He is now registered as an Independent. He told me that he did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left him.  Thanks for stopping by.  Hugs.  j

When Mrs. Clinton said Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

GOP billionaire activists Koch Brothers allegedly own nearly every Republican in or from Wisconsin (or, How to play to win)  (Click the above)

she may have been right.
Addendum
Found this on Facebook.  Conversation between the Governor and someone he thought was David Kock.  Eyeopener.. You bet!

Irish Anger

This is one pissed off Irishman.  Warning the language is NSFW.

So predictable!

"[W]e write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers," the letter reads. "With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike."

It was penned by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and signed by all 42 Republicans.



Here's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's response on the Senate floor this morning: "My Republican colleagues...know that the true effect of this letter is to prevent the Senate from acting on many important issues that have bipartisan support. With this letter, they have simply put in writing the political strategy that the Republicans pursued this entire Congress: Namely, obstruct, delay action on critical matters, and then blame the Democrats for not addressing the needs of American people. Very cynical, but very obvious. Very transparent."

And that my friends is why I am a Democrat. No, the current crop of Republicans are not interested in the common person. They are only interested in enriching themselves and their billionaire friends.

Addendum:

Rachel Maddow and Bernie Sanders Explain What Republicans Are All About

Interesting

88 Years In One Minute

by David Kurtz

David B. Sparks, a political science Ph.D candidate at Duke, put together the following animation showing the red-blue divide as it has evolved in presidential elections from 1920-2008: From Talking Points Memo.

I Remember

Al Franken

Al Franken at a rally in Minnesota. Worth watching.

Eight Myths

Eight Myths
by Mustang Bobby
Send this to your crazy right-wing uncle who keeps hammering you with bullshit e-mails.
There are a number things the public "knows" as we head into the election that are just false. If people elect leaders based on false information, the things those leaders do in office will not be what the public expects or needs.

Here are eight of the biggest myths that are out there:

1) President Obama tripled the deficit.

Reality: Bush's last budget had a $1.416 trillion deficit. Obama's first budget reduced that to $1.29 trillion.

2) President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy.

Reality: Obama cut taxes. 40% of the "stimulus" was wasted on tax cuts which only create debt, which is why it was so much less effective than it could have been.

3) President Obama bailed out the banks.

Reality: While many people conflate the "stimulus" with the bank bailouts, the bank bailouts were requested by President Bush and his Treasury Secretary, former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson. (Paulson also wanted the bailouts to be "non-reviewable by any court or any agency.") The bailouts passed and began before the 2008 election of President Obama.

4) The stimulus didn't work.

Reality: The stimulus worked, but was not enough. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus raised employment by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million jobs.

5) Businesses will hire if they get tax cuts.

Reality: A business hires the right number of employees to meet demand. Having extra cash does not cause a business to hire, but a business that has a demand for what it does will find the money to hire. Businesses want customers, not tax cuts.

6) Health care reform costs $1 trillion.
Reality: The health care reform reduces government deficits by $138 billion.

7) Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, is "going broke," people live longer, fewer workers per retiree, etc.

Reality: Social Security has run a surplus since it began, has a trust fund in the trillions, is completely sound for at least 25 more years and cannot legally borrow so cannot contribute to the deficit (compare that to the military budget!) Life expectancy is only longer because fewer babies die; people who reach 65 live about the same number of years as they used to.

8) Government spending takes money out of the economy.

Reality: Government is We, the People and the money it spends is on We, the People. Many people do not know that it is government that builds the roads, airports, ports, courts, schools and other things that are the soil in which business thrives. Many people think that all government spending is on "welfare" and "foreign aid" when that is only a small part of the government's budget.

This stuff really matters.

Totally stolen from bark Bark Woof Woof.

I'm a Little Confused

What happened???

I found this on Bark Bark Woof Woof who got it from Misty.

Do you know whose platform this is? Excerpts:

We shall ever build anew, that our children and their children, without distinction because of race, creed or color, may know the blessings of our free land.

We believe that basic to governmental integrity are unimpeachable ethical standards and irreproachable personal conduct by all people in government. We shall continue our insistence on honesty as an indispensable requirement of public service. We shall continue to root out corruption whenever and wherever it appears.

We are proud of and shall continue our far-reaching and sound advances in matters of basic human needs—expansion of social security—broadened coverage in unemployment insurance —improved housing—and better health protection for all our people. We are determined that our government remain warmly responsive to the urgent social and economic problems of our people.

[...]

We shall continue vigorously to support the United Nations.

[...]

The spirit of our people is the strength of our nation.

America does not prosper unless all Americans prosper.

Government must have a heart as well as a head.

Courage in principle, cooperation in practice make freedom positive.

[...]

Business and Economic Policy

We shall continue to advocate the maintenance and expansion of a strong, efficient, privately-owned and operated and soundly financed system of transportation that will serve all of the needs of our Nation under Federal regulatory policies that will enable each carrier to realize its inherent economic advantages and its full competitive capabilities.

[...]

Labor

...[C]ontinue to fight for dynamic and progressive programs which, among other things, will:

Stimulate improved job safety of our workers, through assistance to the States, employees and employers;

Continue and further perfect its programs of assistance to the millions of workers with special employment problems, such as older workers, handicapped workers, members of minority groups, and migratory workers;

Strengthen and improve the Federal-State Employment Service and improve the effectiveness of the unemployment insurance system;

Protect by law, the assets of employee welfare and benefit plans so that workers who are the beneficiaries can be assured of their rightful benefits;

Assure equal pay for equal work regardless of Sex;

Clarify and strengthen the eight-hour laws for the benefit of workers who are subject to federal wage standards on Federal and Federally-assisted construction, and maintain and continue the vigorous administration of the Federal prevailing minimum wage law for public supply contracts;

Extend the protection of the Federal minimum wage laws to as many more workers as is possible and practicable;

Continue to fight for the elimination of discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or sex;

Provide assistance to improve the economic conditions of areas faced with persistent and substantial unemployment;

...[P]rotect more effectively the rights of labor unions, management, the individual worker, and the public. The protection of the right of workers to organize into unions and to bargain collectively is the firm and permanent policy...

[...]

Have an idea yet? Some more clues:

Health, Education and Welfare

...[T]he physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the people is as important as their economic health. It will continue to support this conviction with vigorous action.

[...]

...[L]eadership has enlarged Federal assistance for construction of hospitals, emphasizing low-cost care of chronic diseases and the special problems of older persons, and increased Federal aid for medical care of the needy.

We have asked the largest increase in research funds ever sought in one year to intensify attacks on cancer, mental illness, heart disease and other dread diseases.

We demand once again, [...], Federal assistance to help build facilities to train more physicians and scientists.

We have encouraged a notable expansion and improvement of voluntary health insurance, and urge that reinsurance and pooling arrangements be authorized to speed this progress.

We have strengthened the Food and Drug Administration, and we have increased the vocational rehabilitation program to enable a larger number of the disabled to return to satisfying activity.

We have supported measures that have made more housing available than ever before in history, reduced urban slums in local-federal partnership, stimulated record home ownership, and authorized additional low-rent public housing.

We initiated the first flood insurance program in history under Government sponsorship in cooperation with private enterprise.

We shall continue to seek extension and perfection of a sound social security system.

[...]

Immigration

...[S]upports an immigration policy which is in keeping with the traditions of America in providing a haven for oppressed peoples, and which is based on equality of treatment, freedom from implications of discrimination between racial, nationality and religious groups, and flexible enough to conform to changing needs and conditions.

We believe that such a policy serves our self-interest, reflects our responsibility for world leadership and develops maximum cooperation with other nations in resolving problems in this area.

[...]

Recreation, parks and wildlife.

We favor a comprehensive study of the effect upon wildlife of the drainage of our wetlands.

We subscribe to the general objectives of groups seeking to guard the beauty of our land and to promote clean, attractive surroundings throughout America.

We recognize the need for maintaining isolated wilderness areas to provide opportunity for future generations...

If you guessed The Republican Party Platform of 1956, you are correct!

And my question is What happened? I welcome your comments. I have friends who are Republicans. I prefer to think that this is the Republican Party they believe in....but I know that some of them don't.