the Squid's Ink

The death of osama been laden.

2011-05-03T02:54:00.014+05:00

The "mastermind" of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the cave dwelling videographer, the symbol of our enemies in the war on the noun "terror", the bogeymen himself, osama bin laden was shot dead during a Navy SEAL raid of his compound, a walled in "mansion" where he and his family have been living. Located in a suburb of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, the head "evil doer" was living a third of a mile from a Pakistani military training facility. But this post isn't about what Pakistan knew, or their charges of violating a sovereign nation.

"Getting bin laden" almost ten years after the attacks on New York City's World Trade Center has provoked some differing reactions. Talking heads, heads of state, department officials, past presidents, and New York City Mayors are pleased, but "know the fight is not over". Seeing people flood the streets at Ground Zero, Times Square, and outside the White House, cheering and jubilant, is a nice change from the angry mobs we're used to seeing. But the idea of celebrating a death is a disturbing and saddening one too. He may have orchestrated hideous, abhorrent acts, but cheering his death exposes a dark place. A place where revenge, retaliation, and blood lust dwell. The ten years that have past have lessened the initial urgency to "get bin laden". Ten years of two wars can wear at the thirst for the enemy's blood. Don't misunderstand, seas of that thirst exist, but for some it's simply violence begetting violence. What will be the retaliation to this latest retaliation be? If we had not retaliated with war, would more or less people have died over these past ten years?

Ending "the hunt for bin laden" brings some closure to "9/11". He was the face attached to our "terrorist" enemy in the war on the noun "terror". A bogeyman gone. The death of the head of al qaeda doesn't mean we are safe from al qaeda, but I do believe it deals a major blow to their organization and perhaps some funding as well. US "officials" say that they think the group may splinter into several groups. Breaking up the hierarchy will weaken them as a whole, but these smaller groups may prove dangerous and more intensified. One can only imagine the intel gathered at the bin laden domicile, which by the way wasn't a cave in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The government is said to have photographs of the corpse and is deciding whether or not to show them publicly. "They" say they are brutally graphic, with at least one major head wound. In the current we believe nothing anybody says climate, I think they have to be released. Official DNA evidence will not be enough. When they are released, that dark place will come out stronger than ever. The image will be exciting and disturbing people everywhere, but it will end any doubt that he is dead.

President Obama gave the order that killed bin laden. His statement, which was not as funny as his White House Coorespondent's dinner's, was a proud one. He spoke of unity, purpose, and sacrifice. A week after surprising the press with a slap from his long form birth certificate, Obama seems reminiscent of 2008 Obama. An Obama Seth Meyers recently told the current Obama "he would love'". Dare I say it, President Obama seems to be playing offense... in public again. Next year's election is a long way off, and a lot can happen, but I would venture to guess his poll numbers jump from those who are glad "bin laden's in hell" (except for people like rover and huckabeek) and not drop from those who aren't or who worry what will happen next.

Is it big deal to kill a "symbol", a "bogeyman", the "leader" of our enemy? Yes. Am I happy osama bin laden's gone? I'm going to have to say yes to that too. But it's hard to argue with "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - Even if Martin Luther King Jr. did not say it.

Squid's note: This post is based on the assumption that what the government has been telling us about osama bin laden, al qaeda, and the attacks of September 11, 2001 is the truth.

As the House turns...

2010-11-17T21:06:00.021+05:00

So after some movement by Rep. Clyburn on the Democratic side, and some minor rumblings on the republican side, the "leadership" in both parties, Congressionally speaking, will remain unchanged. Establishment goper and man with the tan, Representative john boehner, will be the next Speaker of the House. Current Speaker Pelosi will retain her top spot within the Democrats in the House. Senator "speak softly and carry a small stick" Reid will remain the Majority Leader in the Senate and Senator mcconnell will stay as minority leader there. House Tea Party Caucus chair, republican, michelle bachman was said to be making some moves for a "leadership role". Rep. bachman recently discussed how the "ear marks" she has been so against aren't bad when they are for things like highways, bridges and roads in her district. The not always truthful congresswoman (see President Obama's trip "to India" and more) said she wouldn't be against "earmarks" if they were "redefined". First off, Rep. bachman, some people call highways, bridges, and roads, infrastructure. You may remember the word from President Obama saying it over and over again, pushing Us to invest in it ("invest" means spend on). In fact, the President has spent on such infrastructure, in bills that you, your caucus, and your party railed against. Before you and other "anti-stimulus" folks started requesting the funds and touting the money spent at resulting ribbon cuttings. Secondly, banning "earmarks" doesn't necessarily cut spending. Congresspeople will still get spending for their districts, maybe your redefining will simply change the word for it. Infrastructure does need to be invested in. It creates jobs, and it upgrades a system in desperate need. There were four water main breaks in my town in the last month. Infrastructure. But I digress. "Earmarks" have been a campaign buzzword for a while. You may remember candidate mccain (r) muttering about them. Lately, it has been the plot for a little drama between some freshman congresspeople and the established in their party. There have been some "flip flops" on the issue. Earmark opposer rAynd paul (r) now refers to his campaign whipping toy as a "bad symbol", assuring us that "he will advocate for Kentucky's interests", as senator. On the other hand, earmark supporter mitch mcconnell (r) recently said he would now support banning them. For some it's the reality of the new job and for others it's the reality of who their party just elected.

One "leadership" role seems to be up in the air. After the "huge" win for the rnc, it looks like funny man michael steele will be out as chair. I guess that's what they mean by "merit pay"? I hope the Democratic Party is thinking about the Chairs of, at least, their "Congressional campaign committees". We'll have to wait and see. What will happen when the new congress takes their seats in a couple months is unsure. Will there be a government shut down? Some republicans say that would be a "mistake". It would certainly be a costly bit of "governing". One thing's for sure, republicans want rich people's taxes to stay the same rate they've been for the past ten years, despite their failure to "trickle down". When Democratic Senator Chuck Shumer offered to extend current tax cuts to every one except millionaires, "the answer was no". There's talk of the "lame duck" Congress taking up a vote for a Middle Class Tax Cut, like the way taxes on small businesses and people making under $250K were cut by the current Congress. The republican response? It's "a terrible idea and a total nonstarter." I do not understand why their was not talk of the Obama Tax cuts past and future. The "bush tax cuts" are to expire on a time line set by the law that created them, a law that was passed through budget reconciliation. As Forbes.com put it "These sunset provisions were placed in the tax laws in some cases to garner enough legislative support to get the bills passed, or to get around rules that existed on cutting revenue without passing an offsetting spending cut." I don't understand why bringing the tax rate for those making $250,000 and up back to President Clinton levels (a 3+% increase) is so horrible given the state of the debt, the deficit (revenue vs. expenses), and all the pain currently being felt by the bottom 95% of Americans. Another example of bad communication and letting one side set the debate. But I digress. We'll talk more on taxes, revenue, and spending some other time.

So we don't know if the man who apologized to bp, for the President of the United States's tone and demands, is going to be the chairman of the energy committee. Will the republican who doesn't believe in climate change because the bible says god won't destroy the world again will be on the energy committee? Are "fiscal conservatives" really running from being appointed to the Appropriations Committee that decide cuts to Federal spending? How many tied to industry, former and future lobbyists, will chair new House committees? We will have to see. We know that one republican "leader" has said that his "number one priority is making President Obama a one term President." Now that's governing over politics. But undermining the President of the United States by Elected members of its Government seems to be fine nowadays, unlike 2001-2008. Future House Majority "leader" cantor just told a foreign leader in a private meeting not to worry, the republicans would be a "check on the president". He couldn't have meant "a check" for a foreign nation, could he? No. I wonder if we'll see those investigations of the President that are so popular when a Democrat is in the office, but Un-American, or "looking backwards", when a republican one is.

So now that the backlash (aside from barbara bush) against TLC tv show host and half term governor, is subsiding. Almost every one of her endorsements lost. The republican "bribe" targets for defection have been identified. And "leaders" are more settled upon, we'll just have to wait and see if the new Congress will accomplish anything together, or separate. I will say this. I have never seen a President talk to the opposing party, who was in a significant minority, as much as President Obama. And he continues to try to. He has held open, public discussions with them, has taken their questions and used their ideas in legislation, including health care. He has compromised, sometimes in opposition to many in his own party. Not that he'll get any credit for it, but we'll talk more about "the news" some other time.

Let's end on the two funniest moments so far. First, did you hear about the anti-government health care freshman congressman who wants his government health care to kick in quicker. How about the one about Fla. tea party candidate, republican, allan west's chief of staff, conservative talk radio host joyce kaufman, having to step down already due to her show's connection to a threat that lead to the closing of 300 schools. Wait is that second one funny or scary?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving. (Warning: Sharing may lead to socialism, the new communism, or is that terrorism? Whatever. Happy Turkey Day!)

david calamoneri

Hoboken, Nj USA

What does it MEAN?

2010-11-03T08:48:00.021+05:00

OK. Deep breath. Without repeating the views on the "why?" from my previous post, here's my analysis on the "what happened?" with a small side of, to quote Yosemite Bear, "What does it mean?"

Two quick observations: 1. (Economic) Change has not come fast enough for Our impatient society. The economy, and all the metrics that define it, are what have people angry, desperate, and anti the incumbents who haven't fixed it yet. 2. The tea party is the republican party and cost the republicans the Senate (See Delaware, Nevada, and Colorado).

The Senate "gains" made by republicans (two fewer than predicted) were mostly in open seats. One vacated by the President. Three seats were vacated by retiring Senators bayh, dorgan, and specter (Was he ever a Democrat?). "Centrist"/obstructionist Democrat, Blanche Lincoln lost her seat in Arkansas. And the "worse than losing the House" defeat of the night was the one Progressive Democratic Senator, the only one to stand up to the patriot act, the Progressive Champion, Senator Russ Feingold losing. More on him and his ilk some other time. Needless to say, Senator Sanders (I-VT), you're job in the US Senate just got that much harder.

In the House... 60 seats. That's a whole lot of seats for a party to pick up. To find a larger change in the House of Representatives, you have to go back to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's day when, shortly after the Great Depression hit, 71 seats were gained by republicans in response to the slow recovery and social security. The Democrats had such a big lead at that point the House did not switch majorities. Of course, very few of these House races were followed by the media like the crazier Senatorial and Gubenatorial candidates were. So, we may not know the local details of why Americans chose particular candidates. We can certainly think about the National trends and themes these candidates most likely used and tapped into. It all goes back to the economy, and lack of communication and individual pocket book realities, when it comes to what is being done, and has been done, to help it grow. It has been growing, ever so slowly. For a lot of people, it's just not fast enough.

Josh Marshall brought up a great point when he typed "I'm terribly surprised that everyone everywhere on the political spectrum (here and there) is using Tuesday's results as confirmation of the assumptions they've held all along." Some progressives look at the fact that half of the "blue dog" caucus was voted out, and say the Dems would be more enthused to vote for "liberals". It could also mean that the Democratic Party is losing "the center", though any "centrist" that voted for rand paul, or anyone else like him, wasn't voting with the political center. The only thing we know for sure is if the economy, and the number of JOBS (there's a word you're going to hear a lot) grew faster, and confidence in America's economy increased faster (an end to the phrase "in this economy" would help) a lot of this anger toward everyone in Washington (except the ones just sent there) would not have existed.

In other news from Tuesday's election, Iowans (with the help of outside groups, of course) voted out three judges, because of their decisions, based on standing law, pertaining to same-sex marriage. Something does not sit well with me when it comes to having the Judicial system chosen the same way policy makers are. In California, big oil's prop 23, that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came out so firmly against lost Big, as did legalizing pot for recreational use. Zack Galafanakas did try his best though.

So, the republicans won the House of Representatives. The Democrats held on to Senate.Candidates o'donell, paladino, angle, buck, mcmahon, fiorina, and whitman (Governor Jerry Brown!) lost. There's an openly gay Mayor in Lexington, Kentucky. Anti-civil rights act/anti-making bp pay candidate rand paul, florida tea partier marc rubio, and they're decapitating us, they're decapitating us jan brewer won. Half of the blue dog Democrats were voted out. All supporters of net neutrality were voted out. Outside money played a large role in this midterm election. Some of which was vehemently undisclosed, hiding under roberts's Supreme Court's "citizens united" ruling, in PAC's like rover's crossroad gps. Some outside money may have even be foreign (see chamber of commerce funding). We'll leave the talk of plutocracy for another web log. For now we'll just have to see what the new and old republicans accomplish governing in the House over the next two years. I wouldn't want to argue based on speculation. My guess is the debates will be about jobs and taxes.

To Progress,

david calamoneri

Hoboken, NJ USA

Poor Messaging and radical candidates

2010-10-28T20:20:00.018+05:00

Did you know that 37% ($288 BILLION) of the "stimulus" recovery act were/are tax cuts? Did you know those tax cuts cut taxes for 95% of working Americans in 2010? 35% of the stimulus went to aid (unemployment, education and training, and State), and 28% ($224 Billion) went to investment, mainly in infrastructure which is something the US was once on the forefront of. How about the fact that health insurance companies can no longer say no to you because of pre-existing conditions, limit the monetary amount of benefits you can receive per year, or drop you from coverage if you get sick? Did you know that, since health care/insurance reform became law, "kids" can be covered by their parent's insurance until they are 26? I know once I was kicked off my parent's insurance, I couldn't afford my own. I just ran without it, and luckily I only had to stick the American tax payer with one emergency room visit. Did you know that credit card companies can no longer raise your annual percentage rates (APR) without reason, charge you more than a $25 late payment fee, and can no longer charge an inactivity fee? Did you know that Consumers will now have financial protections from a bureau, whose architect even Uber-Consumer advocate Ralph Nader approves of? Did you know that the Federal Deficit was $125 billion LESS in 2010 than 2009? Did you know that Health care/insurance reform reduces the deficit? Did you know that the US economy has been growing for 9 months? Or that the private sector has been adding jobs for the last nine months? What? You did not know that? You know why? The Democratically lead Congress and the Obama Administration that enacted these policies, with no help from the most obstructionist minority in my life time, Suck at Messaging!

One of the biggest historic differences between the Democratic party and the republican party is the role of the federal government. I believe the federal government should do more than just defend it's citizenry from foreign foes. It should help the Americans in need, you know, the "least of our brothers and sisters". The government should protect citizens from the greed of most corporations, and not the other way around. The Federal government of the United States should make, at the very least realistic, the ideals that all men are created equal, with the inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That We are A People, A Country, and not 50 separate countries whose creed is every man for himself.

The republicans crow for smaller government, except of course when it comes to the biggest increase in federal bureaucracy in decades (the Department of Homeland Security), what medical procedure a woman is allowed to have, who you are allowed to fall in love with, and unless you are on their side (see senator, and prostitution john, david vitter) who you sleep with. You know, smaller government to peek through Our keyholes with. The republicans scream don't tread on Our Constitution when it comes to such "abuses" as the departments of energy and education, and social safety nets, like Social Security and Medicare, only to turn against the hallowed document when it comes to the First, Fourteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth amendments. Remember the marriage between a man and a woman amendment failure 43 was going to change the Constitution to include?

The only reasons I can see for the radical candidates of the republican party, the anti-civil rights act guy, the nazi reenactment guy, the I forget where I went to college but remember being into witchcraft lady, the mexicans are decapitating people lady, the latinos look like asians lady, the "I'll take you out"/beastiality email guy, the wall (that reagan asked Gorbachov to "tear down") in east germany was a good thing/hand cuffing and detaining a reporter/lying about employment guy, the i'm against the minimum wage but don't know what it is/pro wrestling lady, and on and on, is 1. once marginalized radicals are now leading a weak party that was slapped back on its heels in 2006 and 2008 or 2. the republican party has no interest in governing, and is using the "tea party" and their anger to "win" political contests and make sure money stays where it belongs, namely giant corporations, the PAC's they fund and run, K Street, and the top 5% of Americans.

Even with the aforementioned accomplishments that took place over the last two years, and any I forgot or have no idea of, some progressives are deeply disappointed. Some thought they were electing a faster and/or more extreme left turn. The President's continuing programs of rendition, his continued use of "State Secrets", and his tepid at best statements when it comes to President Clinton's ill conceived "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy are deeply troubling, as is guantanamo bay's slow closing, and the war in Afghanistan. But to let either House of Congress go to the likes of raynd paul and christine "masterbation is adultry" o'donell, to throw the few actual Progressive voices in Congress (See Representative Alan Grayson and Senator Russ Feingold) to the wolves over change not moving fast enough, or drastically enough, is a big mistake. If you thought the "progressive agenda" moved to slowly or feebly when the republicans were in the minority of both houses, filibustering (well threatening to really) more than ever before in history, what do you think will happen if they reclaim one or both Houses? Do you not remember what happened when the republicans held both the US Senate and the US House of Representatives from 1996-2006, especially while failure 43 held the White House for them from 2000-2006. Did the "bush tax cuts" create jobs or cut the deficit over the past nine years?

There's only a local election for me here in Hoboken. All I can do is spread the word. Full disclosure: I also sent money to Senator Russ Feingold's campaign.

Restore Sanity!
david calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Squid's note: I refer to president george bush jr. , a.k.a. "failure 43", not to "blame bush", but to hold accountable the man who campaigned on "bringing accountability back to the White House."

“When we promised during the campaign change you can believe in, it wasn’t change you can believe in in 18 months,’’ “It was change you can believe in but we’re going to have to work for it.”
-President Obama on the Daily Show 10/27/2010

"We can do this as a country. It won't be easy. It won't happen overnight. And it'll take more than one election or one president. The change we need will take an entire nation that's ready to work for it, and fight for it, and most of all, believe in it."
-Candidate Obama at North Dakota State Democratic Convention, April 4th, 2008:

September 11, 2010

2010-09-09T07:19:00.011+05:00

On September 11, 2001, I was supposed to film a video for a song I wrote called "Pride". It was to be entered in a Tommy Hilfiger contest, of all things, for the best 30 second spot on what Red, White, and Blue meant to you. I bought an American flag the day before and stuck it out from my window sill for the shoot. That morning I got a call from the friend, who was going to make the video, telling me a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers. I went down to the Hudson River to see. I watched from across the river as the Towers fell, turning into a spreading cloud of pulverized debris. I remember. I will never forget. It changed me. It changed Us.

The question that has been plaguing me lately is "How have We changed?" The people who perpetrated these heinous attacks (according to the people who weren't so hot on the intelligence before the attacks or in the subsequent wars from their aftermath. I'm not a "truther". I'm just saying'…) The people behind the attacks committed them to kill Americans and destroy a US Financial Center, but there is another reason that they readily admit, to instill fear in Us. Fear is a very powerful thing. I ducked every time a plane went over head for days, got nervous every time I saw someone running down the street. My backpack is still packed and ready by the door. We're so scared we can't bring toothpaste in Our carry on anymore, which now costs extra to help pay for the added security. We were told the "muslim extremists" committed these atrocities because "they hate Our Freedoms", but what has happened to those freedoms since. Our privacy has been destroyed with cameras at every corner, the feds in our bank accounts, emails, and telephone calls. Our willingness to let this happen comes from of Fear. Fear of what "they" might do. More recently there have been calls to do away with, or at the very least bend, freedoms and rights provided for by the United States Constitution. And I am not talking about the Second Amendment. That seems to be one of the few that are firmly in place.

Fear, especially when coupled with despair (of say prolonged unemployment, foreclosure, etc.), can make the irrational seem plausible. Not All Muslims are responsible for what the 19+ people, and their subsequent networks, did on September 11, 2001. The protests of mosques all over the United States, not just in Lower Manhattan, the burning of a Mosque in Tennessee, the stabbing of a New York City Cabbie because he is Muslim, and most recently the plan to burn copies of the Koran by an extremist "pastor" in Florida on September 11, 2009 to somehow "honor" those who died on that day (some of whom were Muslim, of course), show a movement in these United States of America, a country whose first "settlers" were fleeing religious persecution. The First Amendment of Our Constitution ensures Religious Freedom. General David Petraeus, the most famous General since Patton and General currently in charge of the war in Afghanistan, recently said this to the wall street journal about the September 11th holy book burning "It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort," Gen. Petraeus said in the interview. "It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community." He was not alone in his concern or criticism. I guess some people were worried that people will believe, and be made to believe, that the actions of a few are the actions of the many.

My current worry is more about the danger it poses Us as a people, as a Country. Our Freedoms are not always easy to deal with. We should not deny the klan's right to demonstrate, who by the way claim to be a "christian" organization. We should not deny people the right to protest a "mosque" two blocks from the World Trade Center. We should not disallow the burning of the Flag or the Holy Koran, though book burning and Freedom of speech may be at odds. But when actions become violent or incite violence, then I take issue. Where does fanning the flames of hatred based on religion or country of origin or skin color lead, especially when that basis is founded on the actions of such a few. There are around 1.5 Billion people who believe in Islam. By the way, the President is not one of them, and tagging him as one may be getting a bit more dangerous lately.

I understand the anger and the anguish. We still haven't caught or killed "the guy who did this". It's nine years later and they are finally starting to do something with the "hallowed" hole in the ground/transit hub that is the site of the World Trade Center attack. There has been very little closure and a lot of stoking of anger and fear, not to mention profiteering from "9/11". Our Freedoms and Rights are important. It's what we're told Our military fight and die for. We have lost Freedoms since the planes hit the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, killing 2,819 people. We've become a different people. But in this ongoing war of "hearts and minds", what philosophy is winning? Have more hearts and minds given in to hate and intolerance like that of those who took down the Towers and the fear they've instilled, or have more given in to American values? What were they again?

peace and progress.

David Calamoneri

Hoboken, NJ USA

"they fill me up with pride

put hope in my eye

wrap 'em around me when I need it warm

they inspire me to exceed the norm

red white and blue

my country, me and you

red white and blue"

"Pride"- Summer of 2001

Power on the Left?

2010-05-21T23:44:00.003+05:00

Anti-government stalwart/candidate to be part of the government, "ayn" rand paul said in his speech after winning his republican Senate primary that "The mandate of our victory tonight is huge.", but whose mandate was he talking about? The (pinkies up) tea party did get randy paul his victory over red establishment favored what's his name... In KENTUCKY.

The Democrats managed to hold a seat, that many thought was up for grabs in Pennsylvania. Though John Murtha was a Democratic Congressman for 36 years, his district is quite "conservative", as was he. May he rest in peace. We've been told a red "storm" is coming in Our politics. This was a seat that was to be swallowed up by it, a Congressional district that went for the old man and miss honky dory in 2008. That's right the Democrats held a seat in a district that went mccain. Now, Mark Critz is not my style Dem. To me, he is barely a Dem. This seat, however, must have been on the red list of pick ups, as were the two they have lost so far in upstate New York. That is, if they want to get anywhere near taking control of the House.

Then there was the 30 years winning as a republican then switching parties to be politically viable arlen specter's loss to Joe Sestak in the Democratic Primary. Howard Dean compared Sestak to Jim Webb. We'll have to see how he fares in the general election. It is going to be tight, but picking up this Senate seat through election, and not just the whim of an aging politician, would be sweet. It is nice to see that being a Democrat means more than just playing ball on a couple of votes after 30 years of opposition.

And last but not least the Democratic Senator who loves to fight the Democratic Majority Lead Senate on everything that concerns big business, blanch lincoln, was forced into a run off by liberal net roots backed Bill Halter? In Arkansas? We'll have to wait and see who wins the run-off, but the fact that a Progressive movement backed candidate has forced one against an 12 year, establishment, "centrist" shows a muscle I hadn't counted on. There is Power on the Left. We hear a lot about the tea drinker "movement", but could it be the Country still leans to the Democratic anti-establishment, as it did for the election of President Barack Obama a year and a half ago.

None of these victories are jump and down great. They all have caveats. Some may be temporary. This week's voting shows that you are not going to lose in this "political climate" just because you have a "D" next to your name. It shows that Progressives have power. And it shows that the red tidal wave everyone's been talking about for this November may be over-hyped, and may not be only red.

To Progress,

David Calamoneri

Hoboken, NJ USA

It's the economy.... (with pictures)

2010-05-12T22:29:00.024+05:00

The tax bills for 2009 were the lowest since 1950. That's right. Now I was a big opponent of failure 43's tax cut and spend agenda, but President Obama's policy has been a bit different. First, his tax cuts weren't for the top 1% of American earners, they were for the bottom 95-98%. Secondly, Obama wasn't spending on getting us into an unnecessary war,or a prescription drug bill that actually increased their cost. The spending was to put a floor on a rapidly falling economy. Remember when "the DOW was going to crash" and the "Second Great Depression was coming"? How is that economy doing? Well let's see, the DOW has been hovering around 11,000 for months now. Wholesale inventories and sales, consumer spending as well as the GDP continue to rise. April even saw encouraging employment news. 290,000 jobs (44,000 in Manufacturing!!) were added, though unemployment did rise .2%. 66,000 of the new jobs were temporary Census workers. 47% of those unemployed have been for more than 6 months. If you are on unemployment, I hope you added something to your resume (computer training, etc.) while you were working. I have a feeling the extensions Congress keeps approving are going to end soon. The amount of jobs we are in the hole from the past 2-3 years' loses is staggering, but at least we seem to be adding jobs now instead of steadily losing them.

The economy seems to be stabilizing, with the pendulum actually starting to, ever so slightly, swing up, but what about that expensive "bailout" floor We laid down through the transition from failure 43 to First Year President Barack Obama? Well it turns out that the $700 BILLION dollar cost of TARP was way too high of an estimate. According to Pro Publica, of the $536.3 BILLION given out so far through TARP and to save freddie and fannie, et al, $216.8 BILLION has already been returned, and if the economy continues on its present track, the Treasury estimates that it will cost Us about $117 Billion for TARP and $85 Billion for freddie and fannie. That's a bit better than $700 billion plus freddie and fannie, et al. But wait, there may be more.... Those costs are expected to be offset by the $115 Billion that is expected to be gained from the programs. Recently, The Treasury Department announced plans to sell Our Citigroup stock AT A PROFIT. We bought shares to save the bank at $3.25. Those same shares are now worth $4.60. Maybe we bought shares, not so the government could take over the business, but to make money on after the business is saved and begins to recover.

Now if, in fact, the economy has begun to recover, it is time to hold the people/corporations that almost sunk Us accountable, as well as regulate them for the future. A revived Glass-Steagall Act might be a good start. I don't have the idealist, naive, idea that somehow legislation is going to change the fact that the United States of America is run by the rich. There will not be a maximum wage or profit for ceo's or corporations. I doubt We will break up the "big banks". Whatever financial reform law does pass in Congress and is signed by the President, it better give the Government of the People the power to at least keep a handle on these greed mongers. It looks like at least the Federal reserve will get audited. That's a good sign.

To Progress (One Step at a Time.)
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Earth Day!

2010-04-22T23:31:00.004+05:00

I wanted to write about how jobs increased in 33 states in March, how Newsweek explained that the economy is beginning to come around, how the DOW is over 11,000 again, how congress had 1,000 less earmarks in 2009, about $3 BILLION reduction, how 98% of Americans got a tax cut from President Obama's first budget, how Goldman Sachs has been charged by the SEC for fraud, and how the President sent out a memorandum mandating same sex couples' rights to hospital visitation and medical power of attorney, but it is Earth Day. So instead I wanted to write about what We can do to celebrate it.

Think
I try to think about, remember, and send "good vibes" to my family and friends on their birthdays. The first thing you can do to celebrate Earth Day is to do just that. Think for a second or two about where We, as a species, have come from and what we are doing to ourselves and the world we live in. Think about a time when people gathered, hunted and farmed raw land to feed and shelter themselves. Think about how much electricity, water, and gas you use in a day. Think about the resources needed to provide them. Think about how far the food you're eating was trucked or shipped before it hit your table. Think about how the land, and its inhabitants were treated to provide it. The thought itself is something.

Reduce
Conserving energy does not have to be a drastic all at once change in lifestyle. Taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator, or unplugging chargers after use, are examples of small things you can do that make a difference. The more people that take these steps, the larger the cumulative effect. Changing your light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent reduces your energy consumption. The bulb's longer life reduces your consumption of light bulbs and the resources that make them. Some take issue with the mercury content in the new bulbs. There is a Superfund site in Hoboken because of Mercury pollution due to manufacturing Incandescent light bulbs, so you tell me which is worse. Another way to reduce is to not use gas, electric, or batteries for an hour on Earth Day. Make it a weekly habit, if you can.

Shop
When shopping, be conscious of the materials used to create the products you buy and the packaging they are contained in. Buying in bulk means less packaging overall. Don't take a bag unless it's necessary and if it is use a reusable shopping bag. If you don't have one, buy one. Avoid plastics whenever possible. When buying something made of or wrapped in plastic, check to see if it is made of soy/corn plastic or has a recycling symbol with a #1 or #2 inside on it. These are the most recyclable plastics.

Recycle!
Recycle everything you can. Recycling saves tax dollars and, in many cases, creates revenue for local governments. Every little bit helps, as the tabs from tea bags in my recycling can attest. Choose glass over plastic. Glass can be recycled over and over again, while plastic can be recycled once at best. Similarly this is why I choose paper over plastic. Less petroleum is used in making paper bags than plastic, and paper bags can be and are usually made recycled materials. You can recycle aluminum foil.

Eat and Enjoy.
The meat industry is responsible for as much, if not more, damage to Our environment that any other industry, whether we are talking about ground and groundwater pollution or greenhouse gases. Eating vegetarian, if only one day a week, eases the environmental degradation caused by what We eat. There is still some nutritional debate about organic versus conventional farming, but there isn't a debate about which pollutes more. The less synthetic pesticides, herbicides, etc. the better. If you can get your food from a local source, i.e. farmer, do it. Chances are it's fresher. It is what We were meant to eat in that region during that season, and less petroleum was used shipping it. Plant a Garden.

Lastly, Enjoy. Go to the park, plant a tree, get dirty, lay in the grass, sit under a tree, take a hike or a bike ride, breath in the air, smell the flowers. Try to reconnect to and Enjoy this place We live on. While you're out there, if you see a piece of litter, why not pick it up.

Happy Earth Day!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Fear, Change and Reaction

2010-04-10T00:44:00.003+05:00

Since the Fear for Our safety inside Our shores was shockingly brought to the American psyche in 2001, I have been afraid. A fear that was used to usher us into a war in Afghanistan (which still isn't going real well), and rush us into war of aggression in Iraq (which we should be mostly out of soon). A fear used to get Us to hand over our liberties, our dissenting opinions and our shoes in the name of security. President Barack Obama's victory of Hope over mccain/palin fear in 2008 seemed to hit pause on some of the fear I felt for My Country and it's direction. But I was on his side in the primaries and in the Presidential General Election.

The "debate", and days since the passing, of arguably the biggest bill in decades concerning the well-being of the American people (the Health Insurance Reform Law and health care amendments to the Budget Reconciliation Bill) has me fearing violence from the American people, many of whom the legislation will and does assist. Some say the "incidents" have been executed by "fringe" "extremist" groups in the opposition party. In fairness, there has only been a brick through a Congressional office window, a brother of a congressman's propane line cut, an increase in threats aimed at elected officials (including threats against the third in command of the United States Government), a rhetorical "make the fellow [Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL)] scared to come out of his house", a Michigan "christian" militia with plans to take out law enforcement, an east Texas man dropping 36 improvised explosives in 23 locations. The amount of anger brought about by regulations to the health insurance industry, like ending pre-exiting conditions and rescission, is amazing. Even if the Democratically Elected Government went house to house, paper work in hand, to enforce the mandate (they're not, btw), would it be enough to make you fly a plane into an IRS building? Where does this anger come from? It is certainly frothed up by red opportunists and misleaders using words like "revolution", "reload", "locked and loaded", "armed", "ruining our country", and using gun sights to mark congress people in advertising. But it started before these media whores started chiming in and riling up their troops. Frank Rich is right in saying "The Rage Is Not About Health Care" (a great read).

President Barack Obama is half African American. Speaker of the House Pelosi is a Woman. Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor is a Hispanic American Woman. Our Country is Changing. The very face of it has Changed. I'm not just talking about the new nuclear treaty and protocol with Russia here. The formerly self titled tea baggers, in their perverse way, believe Our Country should go back to the old (white guys) way.

Shattering someone's beliefs is not easy, and is painful to the shattered. Imagine growing up believing something to be true. I mean Really believing it deep in your heart. Believing that the generations before you were right in their traditions. This your "heritage" their changing from. It's like believing that you're church was righteous and holy, only to hear of what a priest did to a child in it. After bishops and cardinals transfer him, leaving him to repeat his offenses else where, you can almost see your rosary beads scattering all over the floor. It's not my intention to equate the traditions of the Catholic Church and those of racists and bigots, pedophilia and cover ups are certainly different. The question I raise is "What do you do when the foundation of you're beliefs is shaken, whether it be by realizations that we are all equal, religion is fallible, or something else?" How do you react?

I'm an environmentalist. I believe that plants, animals, and the environments in which they live should be preserved, as much as possible, for their own inherit worth and not just for the purpose they serve humans. It has always been my belief that nuclear power is bad, even for energy production. President Obama has already said that increased nuclear production will be part of his energy policy. Do I, as an environmentalist, immediately and flatly reject it? Do I threaten officials at the EPA and throw a gas can can threw the window at the Department of Energy? Or do I wait for the comprehensive energy plan, allowing the President an opportunity to explain to me that he's looked into the safety and waste issues and has solutions to them? Now there is the President's announcement on increased off shore drilling in the Altlantic Ocean. As I said back in July of '08 "Barack Obama is going to make decisions that I do not like" I meant it then, still believe it, and he has. His consensus building leaves no side empty handed, and unfortunately nobody completely happy. At the very least, there needs to be a statement made on the environmental impact of additional ocean drilling. Candidate Obama did speak to his willingness to use increased drilling as part of a compromise. In my opinion, it's an olive branch to big oil more than to the reds. Either way, this one stings. I campaigned against off shore drilling as a solution. It being the first words out of the administration on the energy plan reminds me of how I felt when the big pharma deal was struck at the start of Health Care Reform. No one will be completely happy with the Energy Bill. It would be nice if environmentalists and actual clean energy supporters came out happier than the titans of industry. We are due. The "energy debate" is going to be uglier than Health Care. It will happen though, along with the less politically charged jobs billS and financial reform. There is plenty of misinformation, biasing, redacting, and pretend and paid for citizen (and scientist) groups already out there. There is also plenty of documented scientific evidence. I do fear the compromises that will be made, but it is a welcome change from dick's "energy task force".

To progress (one step at a time)
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Is the Health Care Reform debate really in its last throes?

2010-03-18T23:26:00.001+05:00

The 111th Congress and the Obama administration appear to be on the verge of doing what other (mostly Democratic) officials and "leaders" have failed to do for decades, pass a meaningful Health Care (insurance) Reform bill. I'll believe it when I see it, but if the bill/bills do pass, we will be able to say goodbye to "pre-existing conditions". We will be able to say goodbye to insurance bureaucrats ending our coverage when we get sick. Businesses with more than 50 employees will have to cover their workers or pay a fee. The deficit will be reduced by $130 BILLION in ten years. Medicare spending will be reduced, extending the life of the program. The list goes on for a couple thousand pages. No, the public option will not be in there, nor will a "single payer" system. But 32 Million more American citizens will be covered if they get sick, instead of having go to the emergency room on Our dime and/or going bankrupt on their own. And the bill is paid for, unlike failure 43's skewed to the rich tax cuts, prescription drug plan, or the two wars he rushed us into and failed to finish.

Of course, the party of no is against reforming the system that is bankrupting and killing millions. One red "leader" recently referred to the Democrats in the US House of Representatives as getting "liquored up on sake" for a "suicide mission" (stalin, hitler, and mao references are so last year). On the Democratic Party side, the Man who may find himself in a position not unlike Ralph Nader, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, is among those (me included) that think the bill does not go far enough. But we disagree when it comes to taking an "all or nothing" stance on a problem that desperately needs to be addressed. A step in the right direction is a step in the right direction The President gave his 58th and final address on Health Care reform in Rep. Kucinich's district. After President Obama introduced him, someone in the audience yelled "Vote Yes" to which the president asked Kucinich "Did you hear that?". Congressman Kucinich now says he will switch his vote from no to yes on the Health Care Reform Bill, and encourage other progressives to do the same.

Of course the bill will not pass by a super "majority" (60-40), but reform (and it's looking like the Senate Bill) is supported by a Majority in both houses of the United States Congress. My best guess is the next thing that will happen is the House of Representatives will pass the Senate's bill, with the understanding that additional reforms, especially those that will bring more of a reduction in the deficit, will be advanced through budget reconciliation. This will not be the first time reconciliation has been used, or the first time it's been used for social issues, like health care. Another option that seems to be coming out of DC is passing two bills at once, "fixes" first. The latter strategy sounds a bit more out of the ordinary, and a little like Congressional leaders are bending over backwards so that Congresspeople can avoid voting on the record on Health Care reform. It too is nothing new or "unprecedented". The reds did it 35 times when they were last in charge. I say have an Up or Down vote, like Our Democracy was founded on, but you know republicants don't really believe in the government they try so hard to get elected to serve in. They have no interest in governing, only campaigning.

People (mostly the minority) have been talking about the next big election since they lost the last one (well two really). Quite frankly, I'm surprised that we're still talking about Health Care Reform now, what with the Vatican choir boy gay sex scandal, the Rangel scandal, the massa scandal, possible criminal charges against CEO's, the governor paterson scandal, the family values state official gets a DUI coming out of a gay club scandal, little miss dick jr.'s "al qaeda 7" affront to Our rule of law, cnn's "department of jihad", white Americans attacking US government agencies, Brooklyn dropping charges on ACORN after the US dropped 3 million dollars in their funding. How about former vice dick and the Alaskan quitter's kid using government health care, or even more shocking, the Alaskan quitter going to Canada for health care??? Or the biggest shocker of all... The United States of America may be confronting Israel. To really understand the political discourse has been reduced to, look no further than the republican national conference's talking points on how to fundraise using fear and hatred of the President of the United States over anything else to collect money from sca(red) American tax payers.

Oh yeah, the US Congress just passed the first, of what looks like many, Jobs Bill and the economy is slowly but surely looking better, though unemployment is going to be around for a while.

To Progress (one step at a time).
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The Year Two "Pivot"

2010-02-13T01:15:00.001+05:00

It's been a year and a three weeks since the Inauguration of Barack Obama, and with his first anniversary in office came a solid first State of the Union speech (despite the omission of a "mission to mars" or the "axis of evil"). The speech was not a home run, but was strong and relatively even handed. The President's speech respectfully called out both the republicant and the Democratic parties. It referred to the past (that got us here), the present and the future. The President wasn't done talking with Congress yet, though. He went on to accept the invitation from the House republicants to join them at their retreat. The tea partiers and gopers must have been drooling at the idea of getting all town hall on the President so soon after democratic candidate coakley lost a massachusetts Senate seat. The unprecedented Q & A with the "opposition" party would be on live tv, no less. The President didn't have the questions before hand or a teleprompter to help him. It turned out he didn't need either. The President answered fallacy and rhetoric with fact and reason, both quickly and concisely. He did so well that faux news pulled away from the republicant event twenty minutes before it was over. Reds came out saying the President was "lecturing". Well, when you act like children who hold their breath until they get what they want, what do you deserve?

Senator shelby's recent hold on all of Obama's nominations, including those pertaining to national defense, is a prime example of the party of no. It's not that the other r-word disagreed with the nominees or thought them unqualified. He said he wouldn't vote for any of them until the companies he wanted got their government contracts. Senator shelby gave up his "blanket hold" on all of the President of the United States nominations, except those directly related to those contracts. He is not alone in his obstructionism. The threat of a filibuster has been used and abused by an obstructionist minority that continues to put holds on policy and nominations to stall governing and make the majority of the United States Congress and the President of the United States look bad. GSA nominee, Martha Johnson, was held up for Nine months only to finally be approved by a vote of 96-0.

The more aggressive year two "pivot" the President seems to have made could be in response to the couple of recent Democratic loses in senatorial and gubernatorial elections, but could it have always been part of a longer term plan? I've thought that leaving health care reform up to Congress was one of the biggest mistakes in Barack Obama's first year (not investigating the last crew or ending domestic spying are up there among the others). But the example that Congress has set on both sides over the past year really illustrates the President's point about politics and governance. Having a televised health care "summit" with republicans and democrats (if the republicants aren't too scared) discussing the issue with a rational, practical President will offer more evidence that he is not the "bolshevik" lefty some paint him to be. The coming jobs and financial reform bills may make it even harder for the minority to vote no on everything and continue their brand of pretend populism.

The President's question and answer with Senate Democrats was not as riveting. The President did remind Democrats that they went from "having the largest majority in a generation to having the second largest majority in a generation". He even quoted the Village Voice's "Republicans win a 41-59 majority". The Democratic event was much less spontaneous. The questioners selected seemed to coincide directly with Democratic Senators facing tough re-elections. And Senator Spector, a question about China to start the whole thing off? Really? My biggest problem with the Democratic Q & A was that plenty of "moderates" got to ask questions, but not one progressive.

So year one is over. 2009 was going to be a hard year. It was said over and over again during the campaign. It proved to be a very tough year for a lot of people. The only ones that seem to have come out of it fine are the banks and wall streeters, some of whom caused the fiasco. Perhaps they had to be saved to stop an economic catastrophe from getting worse, and by most economists' accounts We would be worse off had We done nothing. In fact, if this reinforced "floor" holds up, it was done pretty quickly by historical standards. You can search whitehouse.gov to find a list of legislation passed in President Obama's first year in office (Lilly Leadbetter, SCHIP, Credit Card reform, the recovery bill that gave anyone making under $250,000.00 a tax cut, etc.). It may not be as fast, drastic, or progressive a change as some dreamed it would be. A change along those lines will have to come from the bottom up.

Was it a banner first year for the President? No. It was rough and he made some unpopular choices that he felt he had to make. I believe that. There were popular and very positive decisions as well. But was some of the rope he gave Congress and the media over his first year part of a set up for a check mate a few moves down the line? That remains to be seen. I'm still a hopeful man.

peace and progress (one step at a time).

david calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Update: After the President threatened to make bush, reagan, et al-esque recess appointments during Congress's break next week, the republicants allowed 29 of his held up nominees to be voted on. They all passed with "unanimous consent".

Oh and to the hand-o-prompter half term governor, when I wrote "the other r-word", I meant republican. It's satire.

Dear Democratic Party,

2010-01-20T21:51:00.010+05:00

Some are calling it the "Upset of the Century" (personally, I think electing a junior Senator named Barack Obama to be President was a bigger surprise). Call it what you will, Attorney General Martha Coakley lost the Senate seat that was held by Senator Edward Kennedy for 46 years, in a state that has a more "liberal" health care Law than the current US Senate bill and allows gay marriage, to GOP, and friend of the "tea party" (rights reserved?), Scott Brown.

With 18 more votes, the Democrats now control the US Senate with a 9 Vote majority, 59-41 (including "Independents" Sanders and lieberman). The republicants haven't had a majority like that since the twenties, in fact no party has. Less of a republic-anti majority censured a president for lying about cheating on his wife. Less of a red majority rubber stamped and pushed through everything on the bush agenda. The big difference, especially in the latter instance, was that when the r's ran the show, the minority party worked with them. The Democrats are seldom lock step automatons to party, which is both a blessing and a curse.

Democrats are currently in a blame thrower cross fire. So here goes mine. I blame the candidate first. She had 19 campaign events, from the primary through sunday, to her opponent's 66. Next up is the head of the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee), Senator Robert Menendez, which is hard for me with him being from New Jersey, and DNC (Democratic National Committee) Chairman tim kaine. Obviously, they weren't down with Howard Dean's 50 state strategy. The National party, that Coakley was trying to become a part of, offered little help until it was too late. They took for granted what Senator Kennedy never did, the votes of Democrats in Massachusetts. The most important "blame"/lesson is for the Democrats in the Congress, and to a lesser extent in the White House. No, I do not think the President of the Untied States should be spending his time campaigning for senators and congresspeople. He has more pressing and important priorities governing. But Democrats, including the president, let the party of no set the debate on health care. They bend at every turn to compromise with a minority party that has no interest in governing with them, and who will never say yes to anything this president wants. You need look no further than the most disrespectful ex-vice president in history, or most disrespectful congressmen during a presidential speech to a joint session of Congress to see their attitude. It's not just "tea partiers". The establishment repugnicans are attack dogs. And, unfortunately the establishment Democrats are weak and reactionary.

The Democrats need to fight for the issues that brought them into power. Those of Us that voted Democrat in the past few elections, and certainly the last presidential election are not going to get excited, get involved, or get out the vote for them until they once again give us something to fight for. The 60 vote super majority, that came into existence after Senator Al Franken was finally allowed to be seated, seemed to only give a handful of senators any power anyway (see snowe, lieberman, etc.). The Democratic Party needs to be strong and stand up more than they give in, to the power that they swept out of Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008. Give us something to fight for and we will fight for it. Set the debate in clear, easily understandable terms and we will shout it. But take a year to water down major legislation, bowing to opponents that have no interest working with you. Holding noone accountable for the mess you were elected to fix. Saving Marie Antionette-esque banks and corporations that show little to no concern for the society that allowed them to get and keeps them so big and rich, while doing little (barely anything by comparison) for middle and lower income Americans to speak of, or certainly that you speak of, is no way of rallying the troops.

Don't give up, because you only have the largest "simple" majority since the twenties. All the defeatist nonsense talk has got to go! Take it as a wake up call! Fight for what we put you there for! Be aggresive! Offense, not always defense! Otherwise it was all a waste and those of us on the progressive left will once again leave for more idealist pastures.

Fun Fact #1: Yesterday's special election in Massachusetts was brought to you by the Democratic Massachusetts legislature. They changed the rules for seating a Senator in an open seat from a gubenatorial appointment to a special election in advance of john kerry becoming president.

Fun Fact #2: The US Senate can get rid of the "filibuster" or change the number of votes it takes to break it with a simple majority vote, 51-49. The filibuster is not part of the US Constitution. It is in the Senate rules.

Wake Up,
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

From DailyKos:

59 votes

by kos

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 07:42:30 PM PST

Yeah, it sucks that we lost our 60th vote, but really, what did 60 get us last year? It empowered Joe Lieberman, gave cover to Blanche Lincoln, provided excuses to Harry Reid, and gave a free pass to Max Baucus.

Now we don't have 60. And like the Republican Senate of the 2000s, if Democrats want to get anything done, they'll have to do it via reconciliation.

Given last year's track record in the Senate, it certainly can't make the Senate any less effective."

Please Help Haiti.

2010-01-14T21:33:00.001+05:00

Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. 80% percent of the country lives below the poverty line. 54% live in abject poverty. On January 12th, Haiti experienced a Catastrophic 7.0 Earthquake. There is an up to date time line of the aftermath and relief efforts at Huffington Post complete with photos, footage, President Obama's speech and announcement that he's sending Former Presidents Clinton (UN special envoy to Haiti) and bush (yes w), as well as statements from Our Secretary of State, the UN, Doctors without Borders and others. The earthquake hit right outside of the nation's capital Port Au Prince. The footage and pictures of the suffering and devastation these poor people are currently enduring has brought me to tears more than once. Bodies lining the streets, bloodied, dust covered faces dazed in terror. Houses, buildings, schools, hospitals, the Presidential Palace, the UN Embassy destroyed.

The people of Haiti need Our Help. There are several places where you can donate to help the survivors survive and rebuild. Please do. I did.

The American Red Cross Text Haiti to 90999 to donate $10

Yele (Wyclef Jean's Haitian relief) Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5

Doctors without Borders

Partners in Health

Thank You.

David Calamoneri

Lists of 10 for 2009

2009-12-31T21:13:00.002+05:00

Here are a few lists of 2009 (in no particular order).

Ten biggest deaths in 2009
1. Senator Edward Kennedy
2. Michael Jackson
3. Walter Cronkite
4. Dom Deluise
5. John Hughes
6. Ricardo Monteban
7. Marilyn Chambers
8. Les Paul
9. Bea Arthur
10. Robert McNamara

Please don't be mad at me for not including Ed McMahon, Billy Mays, Patrick McGoohan, Farah Fawcett, Karl Malden, Koko Taylor, John Updike, Andrew Wyeth, Frank McCourt, Patrick Swayze, and everyone else We lost over the past year. My list is based on the effect their death (and life) had on me.

Top Ten News Stories of 2009 (For the US)
1. The Inauguration of President Barack Obama
2. The End of Failure 43's reign as president
3. The economy continues to slide (but possibly finds it's bottom)
4. Control of the Green Zone in Iraq is turned over to Iraqis.
5. Sonia Sotomayor is named Supreme Court Justice.
6. Kim Jong-il pardons two American journalists, who had been arrested and imprisoned for illegal entry, after former U.S. President Bill Clinton meets with Kim in North Korea.
7. Evidence found of water on the moon.
8. A plane lands on the Hudson River between Hoboken and Manhattan. (No one is hurt.)
9. President Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
10. The failed attempt at a bombing attack on a 300 passenger plane bound for Detroit on Christmas Day. (What happens next might be on next year's list.)

In international news...
1. Gaza War (Part ?)
2. North Korea tests missiles and a nuke.

3. Protests in Iran

4. The outbreak of the H1N1 influenza strain , commonly referred to as "swine flu" is deemed a global pandemic. The first condition since the Hong Kong flu of 1967-1968 to receive this designation.
5. Earthquakes!! A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Auila, Italy, killing nearly 300 and injuring more than 1,500. A 8.3 magnitude earthquake triggers a tsunami near the Samoan Islands. Many communities and harbors in Samoa and American Samoa are destroyed, and at least 189 are killed. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes just off the coast of Sumatra , killing around 1,000 in Indonesia.
6. Dubai requests a debt deferment following its massive renovation and development projects. (the richest country in the world... broke?)
7. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrested for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC.

8. Bolivia becomes the first South American country to declare the right of indigenous people to govern themselves.

^{9. Sweden assumes the presidency of the European Union , with the Czech Republic as president of the Council of the European Union.}

10. Albania and Croatia join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Loves and losses in "the media"
1. A pet chimpanzee rips its owner's face off.

2. Jon Stewart crushes Jim Cramer
3. Ex-South Carolina Governor Sanford's appalachian hike/south american love affair
4. the Beer Summit
5. The coverage of Michael Jackson's death
6. "Balloon boy"
7. coverage legitimizing made up tea party attendance numbers, "birthers", bringing guns to the parking lots of presidential speeches, and death panels

8. Artie Lange on Joe Buck (!!!)
9. Lady Gaga
10. Viral auto-tune political and science videos

The Policy of 2009 (Change?)
1. America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (tax cuts for everyone making under $250,000, investments in health care, alternate energy, infrastructure, education, etc.)
2. The House and the Senate pass Health Care Reform bills that pay for themselves (unlike the "bush tax cuts", the medicare prescription drug bill of 2003, or the Iraq war) reduce the deficit, and increase the number of insured Americans by 30,000,000, among other things.
3. Drawing down troops in Iraq and increasing troop numbers in Afghanistan
4. Beginning to close Guantanamo Bay and trying, at least some, "terrorists" in criminal courts where the crimes were committed.
5. Lilly Leadbetter Fair Pay Act
6. Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (CHIP)
7. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act
8. Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act/Defense Appropriations Bill, cutting F-22 fighter jets ($2 billion saved) among other cost saving measures.
9. "Cash for Clunkers"
10. Covert, and not so covert, operations in Yemen

10 things that most annoyed me in 2009
1. a republicant congressman yells "you lie" at the President of the United States during a speech to a joint sessions of Congress
2. john and kate get divorced (who the hell are they anyway?)
3. michael phelps gets stoned
4. tiger woods gets laid
5. twitter
6. the "octomom"
7. miss california, perez hilton and "the abortion debate"
8. the phrase "in this economy"
9. the hand sanitizer boom
10. Letterman gets laid

Feel free to send me some of your lists.

Here's to hoping things somehow get better starting in 2010!

To Progress (one act at a time)
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ 07030

The Second Step (Senate Bill HR3962)

2009-12-24T20:07:00.006+05:00

The AMA backed Senate Health Care Reform bill that Paul Krugman called both "an awesome achievement" and "seriously flawed" and two, of what are probably three, (Go Franken!) Liberal Senators and backers of not only the "public option" but "Single payer" "Universal Healthcare for all Americans", Russ Feingold (D) and Bernie Sanders (I), supported and signed, passed on Christmas Eve morning. Senator Feingold actually read the bill.

There is good and bad that came from the sausage making process that is the reality of getting 60 Senators to agree on a bill. Here's a break down from DailyKos, who ended up against the bill mainly because of the omission of the "public option". The Progressive Left was not the only side with negative things to say about this bill. They joined the already vocal "tea partiers" (can you hear those who founded this Nation rolling?) and other republicants. One "party of no"er went as far as to ask Americans to pray that a democrat wouldn't be able to show up to vote. I can only hope the senator wasn't refeing to 92 year old Senator Robert Byrd. The party that once howled "unAmerican" and "unconscienable" at the mention of holding up of money for Our troops did just that to delay the Senate Health Care reform bill's passing. Delaying procedural tactics, coupled with the Democrats wanting a bill before the winter break and the end of the year, pushed votes to 1 AM. Tactics like having Senator Bernie Sanders' 700+ page amendment read allowed illustrated the delaying obstructionism taking place in on the Senate floor. Sanders withdrew his "single payer" ammendment without any actual debate after 3 hours of reading.

I'm not sure if the two "national private plans" overseen by the Office of Personnel Management (overseers of Federal Employees benefits) will keep insurance costs down as well as a "public option" would have in the Health Insurance marketplace this bill creates. One of the plans would be non-profit. Mandating that everyone have insurance is hard to swallow without the public option to keep costs down, but arguing that the tax breaks and rebates that help low and middle income Americans afford their mandated insurance as "big insurance subsidies" sounds a little hollow from some, especially those who were for no government intervention. If you want the private sector to run Our health care, Americans are going to need help paying them. It certainly should help lower tax payer funded emergency room visits. Unfortunately, taking the bottom line over health insurance companies completely out to be replaced by a universal health care system for every American would be much more costly and is absolutely a political unreality.

So yeah there are things I do not like and wish were different in the Senate's Bill. I like the House Bill much better (even with the Stupak travesty). But as Ezra Klein recently noted the final Senate Bill looks an awful lot like the Obama/Biden campaign pla n (pdf) for Health Care Reform. Pre-existing conditions will be a thing of the past, as will dropping you for being sick. Premptive care will be a thing of the present. Billions more for Community Health Centers for people who can't find primary health providers. Like it or not, it will be the biggest and first real Health Care bill, since the establishment of Medicare, the tax payer cost of which this bill will actually reduce (along with the federal deficit by $132 by 2019) mainly through waste reduction measures. It is not law yet. The Senate and House now go "to committee" to iron out the differences between their two bills. With Congress's winter break, President Obama probably will not sign a Health Bare Reform Bill into law until February. Though it's certainly not everything I wanted, I'd like to thank the US Senate for their work and attention on America's expensive and broken Health Care system over the last 25 days, and the US House of Representatives before that. I know it's your job, but Thank you.

"Despite the bill's flaws, it does meet the test of real reform, and the cost of inaction was much too high." - Senator Russ Feingold

On to the Jobs Bill!

Merry Christmas! (If you're so inclined. If not, sorry about all the annoying music.)

To Progress!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Unfinished War

2009-11-30T21:00:00.027+05:00

The "embeds" aren't on the TV twenty four seven anymore. The Defense Department's propaganda pushing generals were all but gone from the talk show circuit, replaced by health scare, and former beauty pageant stars. But alas, the two wars Our last president got us into continue, costing thousands of American soldiers their lives (5,130 so far), an uncounted number of Iraqi and Afghan civilians their lives, and Hundreds of Billions of Our dollars ($940 billion so far). The first with Afghanistan (more specifically "the Taliban"), who would not produce al qaeda, living and training within their borders, and the second war, a "pre-emptive"/"bush doctrine" war with Iraq, who was bluffing Iran with talk of WMD's, had a connection to al qaeda more tenuous than the bush administration and saddam, and had no connection with the attacks that "started" the war on the noun "terror", which it turns out is a convenient way to get around the international rules of engagement and the execution of war. Guns and bombs blazing through towns and cities induce terror, no matter who is firing them.

Candidate bush's stance (circa 1999) against "nation building" was just about the only thing I ever agreed with him on. Of course, this "stance" turned out to be about as solid as "compassionate conservatism" was to anyone who disagreed with him, or more importantly, his party. Failure 43's "war president" focus left the unfinished, and internationally supported, war in Afghanistan to focus in on the invasion of Iraq. A war for regime change he, and his, were planning before they figured out the justifications and rationalizations for rushing us into it. Now after 8 years, elections fraught with fraud, and reports of corruption, the weak Afghan government established and secured by the US and others receives little, if any, faith or respect from the public who are starting to think back to the taliban days of, albeit Oppressive, security and stability. With no exports, but heroin. No jobs, but fighting. Afghanistan needs to be rebuilt, but can we stay and rebuild it? Should we stay and rebuild it?

The President's speech "on the Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan" was a straight forward, "somber" one. No anecdotes about soldiers he's met. No big applause lines. A history of what brought us there, and I'm sorry but "September 11th" did. It's al qaeda's headquarters, though some would say that has moved across the border to Pakistan, which the President mentioned several times. He also mentioned, to a lesser extent, Somalia and Yemen. He also admitted to the fraud and corruption in Afghan elections, and repeated the need to support the Afghan people in restoring their government and country. But while speaking to those who compare Afghanistan to Vietnam, the President showed, what I believe is his real rationale for staying and "escalating".

"And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now -- and to rely only on efforts against al Qaeda from a distance -- would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies."

I know it is echoes of the last guy, and I don't know if we need 100,000 soldiers and 100,000 contractors to do it, but for some reason I have more faith in the current guy in the White House than the last. I hope I'm not just misOverestimating him. That is not to say I agree with escalating the war in Afghanistan. I Do Not. Al qaeda is not locked down to a country, so neither should our "war" on them be, and right now it's hard to think of building another country while Ours is in, though relatively speaking much less, dire straits. I also think that using the Afghanistan border as a doorway into Pakistan is a big part of this, and that scares me.

Agree with it or not, President Obama's decision to increase troop levels in Afganistan while decreasing Our numbers in Iraq should come as no surprise to anyone who was paying attention during his campaign. He made it clear several times. Supporters who thought he would immediately withdraw, despite his campaign rhetoric, are more wishful than even I am when it comes to Barack Obama. The President put a lot of time and thought into this decision. He had a lot of input from all sides. But how does a Nobel Peace Prize winner end a war? I guess We're going to find out. First, slower than some expected, in Iraq. And now, hopefully in two years, in Afghanistan. Achieving that, righting the economy, passing a meaningful health care bill, and moving us toward alternative energy, would make a "heckuva" first term. We'll have to see if any of it comes true. I still have the Audacity to Hope.

"And Justice for All"

2009-11-25T02:01:00.001+05:00

In case you have forgotten, on September 11th, 2001, 2,819 people were murdered. The people who committed, and conspired to commit, these murders are mass murderers, and should be treated as such. In the United States, committing murder is a criminal offense. The people that commit, and conspire to commit, murder are tried in a criminal court. No one has been tried or convicted for the criminal acts that took place more than eight years ago. Post September 11th, then president (for eight months by the time of the attack) george bush junior declared a war on the noun "terror". By saying someone is a "terrorist", Our government could, and unfortunately still can, convert them into an "enemy combatant", imprison them as long as they want without charge, ship them wherever they want (or keep them on US soil in Cuba) to torture them. Not to mention that as long as "terror" exists so will the war on it.

The attacks of September 11 were/are not considered a military strike. Members of al qaeda are not considered members of any military, so military tribunals are out, in my opinion.

The recent decisions coming from the Department of Justice do bother me. There will still be "enemy combatants" held, by the United States, indefinitely, because they are "a danger" to Us, and there is not a good enough case against them to "assure" conviction. Which is the case, I believe, with Khalid Sheik Mohammed. I agree with Attorney General Holder's decision to try him in the City where the crime was committed. I do Not however agree with his Joe Namath-style prediction of conviction and execution. No matter who the defendant, no matter the crime, they are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law in the United States, or at least they should be. That being said, the United States Justice Department, this one in particular, would not be bringing this to trial without an air tight case, even after all the waterboarded evidence is thrown out. Defense attorneys are now saying that the defendants will plead not guilty to air their grievances with American foreign policy. This may just be a ploy to rally those who are against abiding by US law and having a trial for these criminals, because they are too Afraid of what the defendants must say or "spew". Who cares what they say? What, can they see Russia from their cell, or something? If I were the judge presiding over this case, it would be closed to the press. Only bad pastel sketches would come out of the room, and maybe some conspiracy theories to make these extremists sound like lyndon larouchites. I'm sorry larouchites, I don't mean to equate you with September 11th attackers, but are We not strong enough to take a speech from a zealot that may have plotted to kill thousands of Us? Iraq was strong enough to try saddam, no?

I am thankful that Ours was created to be "A government of laws and not of men". That idea is one of the many that make the United States an amazing and inspiring nation.

Here's another one:
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."
- Amendment VII to the United States Constitution - The Bill of Rights

Possible future topics:
1) Major Hasan and the ongoing investigation. Did al qaeda or a "similar" group plant him eight years ago in the army to be a never approved for combat duty major psychiatrist so he could shoot up the Soldier Readiness Center? Or did a desparate and deranged man completely lose it, possibly turn toward an extremism, and become a mass murderer in the Soldier Readiness Center?
2) Health Care, the public option, and debating to vote for debate, only to have to vote to vote. (Why does a democratic majority for health care for Americans have to be so much bigger than the republican majority was to kill foreigners?)
3) The quagmire left in Afghanistan. Is it worse than the quagmire left in Iraq? (How's the quagmire of an economy coming?)
4) An ex-governor of Alaska, an ex-Miss USA, an ex-talk show host, an ex-mayor, an ex convict, and a pretend plumber walk into a studio and at least one blogger doesn't give a shit.

Here's to Progress!
david calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ 07030

Two State wins do not a trend make.

2009-11-04T21:18:00.002+05:00

The republicans won two state elections last night. There was the Gubernatorial election in Virginia, you know the one that came about because the democrats took the Governor of Virginia (D) to become the head of the dnc and there was my home state of New Jersey where an unpopular incumbent governor corzine spent Four forgettable Years (even with banning the death penalty) as governor, after leaving the Senate to replace Richard Codey. Who became acting governor when the last Democratic Governor came out of the closet. These are the big telling wins that show a public trend against the President and towards the republicans? Nationally?? Rationally?

How about that NY-23 Congressional race where the republican party's splitting in half gave the Democrats a win in a district, parts of which have voted republican since the 1800's? Now that's a trend I can get behind.

In other election news, sadly, gay marriage was not legalized in Maine, but an openly gay mayor was elected in Chapel Hill, NC and an anti-discrimination (against homosexuals) bill was passed in Kalamazoo, MI

"Don't believe the hype-it's a sequel"
david calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

"In New Jersey, the party in power in the White House hasn't won the Governor's office since 1985 and the party in power in the White House hasn't won the Governor's office in Virginia since 1977."
From dnc chair Tim Kaine's statement on last night's election

Happy Election Day!!!

2009-11-03T22:33:00.002+05:00

I have received several emails asking who I am going to vote for, and even though it is a secret ballot something is driving me to tell you.. sort of.

I don't pay much attention to State politics. (I know, I know act local..) Governor Corzine should have stayed Senator Corzine, and he heard from this IP address about that. He has been lack luster as Governor of New Jersey. Not too bad, not too good. Not that it's easy to take over a State when the Country's economy is tanking. Christie has rooted out corruption, on both sides of the aisle, but he's a man with a plan that no one has, or maybe can, see. The main factors for me are his "relationship" and enthusiastic support of bush jr , the fear that he would have New Jersey opt out of the public option on health care and/or turn away additional stimilus monies like other bush republican governors have said they would, only to take it and take credit for it. And Christie is a union buster. Now I know unions aren't what they used to be, but I believe that this country favors the management (upper especially) in so many ways that workers still need and deserve protection . All that being said, New Jersey goes back and forth from Democratic to republican every couple of elections. If Christie does pull this squeeker out, our property taxes will go down by Spring, right? Oh yeah there's a third party candidate, Chris Dagget, from the middle (expect to see more of them) who can't win, but might be a good protest vote, especially if your republican.

On a local level, Hoboken may finally have an official Mayor again, hopefully hanging on for a full term. Full disclosure, my position with the City of Hoboken has improved under Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer (see the Greening of Hoboken), though I do fear for the positions of other City workers once she is made Mayor of Hoboken tomorrow (More of a prediction than an endorsement). Acting Mayor Zimmer has been met with a few reality checks since she has taken her chair in the Mayor's office (see balanced budget), but has not made any glaring errors. Her hiring practices have not been as outside the box (or loop) either, which doesn't really surprise me. Her top three opponents are vying for the same pile of peter "the indicted" cammarano votes. Councilwoman Mason may have a reformer or two, but Acting Mayor Zimmer will not shed any of the votes (almost exactly half the voting public) she received in the last Mayoral election. Councilwoman Mason's campaign has been brutally nasty. Former Judge Glatt is the candidate no one has heard of, unless you're part of the Hudson County Democratic machine. And Developer Frank "Pupie" Raia is a glimpse at old "Hey oh, How You Doing?" Hoboken, that would be a step backward. Truthfully though, looking at what Hoboken continues to turn into (men's spas, sushi, and national chains) backwards isn't such a bad way to look.

So that's what I got a squeeker in the Governor's race and Zimmer winning Mayor. What's important is that you vote and take part in Our Democracy. How else will you be justified in comp[laining about it?

To Us!
dave calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

What a Difference a year or few makes.

2009-10-24T00:19:00.000+05:00

"I just have to remind everybody — I know the campaign got fun, but those of you who were there early — you remember that? When nobody could pronounce my name?... We all remember, back in the very beginning, a lot of people said having hope was naive You remember that?" AUDIENCE: "Yes!" THE PRESIDENT: "That our faith in this country was misplaced. There’s a whole industry feeding cynicism and skepticism, and promoting a notion of, well, it hasn’t happened yet so it’s not going to happen. And for a while, you remember, those folks looked like they were right. You remember? Until we proved them wrong. Until we proved there isn’t anything false about hope. Until we proved that in America nothing can withstand the power of millions of voices that are calling for change. That’s the spirit that we need right now."

The President spoke to an Organizing for America fundraiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the New York City on October 20th. My friend (whose donations got me in the joint) and I sat in the Upper Balcony watching, listening and recording (shhh.) as a relaxed President Obama delivered a speech that addressed where we've come from, what has been accomplished, and what we have ahead of Us after his first nine months in office. The speech, primarily addressing health "insurance" reform, addressed critics from the left. One anonymous audience member shouted "single payer" , to which the President delivered a retort with the refrain "the bill you least like" that started with "the one you least like of the five that are out there would provide 29 million Americans health care — 29 million Americans who don’t have it right now would get it" followed by the much quoted since (in blogland, at least), "You know, sometimes Democrats can be their own worst enemies. Democrats are an opinionated bunch. You know, the other side, they just kind of — sometimes — do what they’re told. Democrats, you all are thinking for yourselves. I like that in you. But it’s time for us to make sure that we finish the job here. We are this close. And we’ve got to be unified." And to the critics on the right Obama hit with a "what I reject is when some folks decide to sit on the sidelines and root for failure on health care" and his newly crafted "Grab a Mop!" (and "Help us clean up this mess") bit. (A slogan that my mom thinks should be used by Active Democrats, the way "tea bag" was used by the minority of the minority party)

A year or few ago, stopping and arresting "terrorist plotters" (in NYC and Boston) would have been met with fanfare and a general lauding of the President for "keeping us safe" (with faux news taking the lead). A year or few ago, Alaskan wilderness was in greater danger of being drilled for oil than of being preserved for polar bear habitats. A year or few ago, opposing minority members were not yelling at the President of the United States during one of his Few addresses to Congress and gunmen were not tolerated at Protests (wooden dowels to hold up signs weren't). A year or few ago, there was still a discussion on water boarding, stem cells, the need for guantanamo bay, not to mention, getting out of the war of choice in Iraq. I realize that the list of everything the progressive left (me included) wants has yet to be addressed. All the promises that Candidate Obama made have yet to be completed. But a year or few ago would an extension of hate crimes to include sexual orientation ever get through Congress or be signed by the President (failure 43 threatened to rewrite the Constitution to discriminate against homosexuals)? Would the government be planning to cut upper corporate management's pay? Would criticism of the President be seen as un-American or dissent and debate (no matter how ludicrous the claims, unfortunately )? Would Congress be doing their job discussing and formulating legislation or would they just be doing their party's president's bidding?

So yeah, has Barack Obama saved the world? No, but the world does have a much more favorable opinion of us. Has he saved the United States? No, though you don't hear the Great Depression talk very much anymore, even house sales are starting to trend in the right direction. Has he saved the Earth? No, but Major strides have been made in mileage and emission standards already. And he's "just getting started!"

More on President 44's first year and how it compares to other presidents when it's closer to over. Until then, call Congress, call the White House, and call the Media. Let your voice be heard. It is, after all, as much your country as it is any other American citizen's.

"This is such a rare moment in our history. Now is not the time to start getting disillusioned, or now is not the time to start thinking, oh, this is too hard. We’ve got this opportunity to change our world for the better. But the change — we said this in the campaign, it is true now — it never starts in Washington. It always starts with you. It starts with ordinary people — — men and women who love their country, who are standing together and fighting for its future.... So I just want everybody here to understand, we are in this for the long haul. Some of these changes may not happen in 18 months, or 36 months, or 72 months. It’s going to take time. But I don’t know about you, I just want to let you know — I'm just getting started. I’m not tired. I don’t know about you, but I’m not tired. All these folks who are throwing stuff at us and getting all crazy and — you know, I’m just getting started. I feel refreshed. I feel energized. And it’s because of you. " President Barack Obama October 20, 2009 New York City

To Progress (one step in the right direction at a time)
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

A guiding, underlying philosophy.

2009-10-07T22:08:00.005+05:00

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

With the exception of security, which is meant to protect the first (while, at times, negating the second), Our society is focused on the third, and regardless of the cliche "Money can't buy Happiness", it is money that so many are in pursuit of in its name.

An underlying, guiding, principle serves as a foundation or constant to political argument. The lack of one gives the appearance of, or in fact is, hypocrisy. How can one argue that banks (which made millions and sent the economy tanking through deregulation) were not too big to fail, turn around and say that health insurance companies (the 10 largest of which saw their profits go up 428% between 2000 and 2007 (page 7) while costing American People their homes and worse through deregulation) are too big to fail, or even compete? Or if the man, who is quoted as saying “Blessed are the meek”, is your own personal savior, why would you not do all you can to help them? Where is the guiding principle?

The Health Care Reform “debate” has been, more than anything else, about dollars and cents (with a little nonsense throw in by the power$ that be). “Your taxes will go up”, but your premiums will go down. “How can you justify spending billions in this recession?”, but we’re spending that on war. Well it turns out the Baucus bill, which I am not thrilled with, will Reduce the deficit over the ten years. How do you like that? Health Care Reform will provide for some, unfortunately not all, of the uninsured, save the insured money, And save the Country money. But again, money shouldn’t be the driving issue of this debate on Our Nation’s Health Care, currently ranked 37^th in the world and costing Americans more than most other populations. No, the issue should be what is best for the Health of America and the Americans that inhabit her.

The "inalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence were and are meant for all Americans, those who agree and those who disagree, those who "deserve it" and those who "don't". It is the government's job to afford All Americans security in attaining and maintaining these rights. As the homeless American goes, so does the CEO. Trouble is we are all so focused on that Pursuit of Happiness, currently defined by money and convenience, we're too blind to see it. 45,000 people die a year because they don't have health insurance. There are American people that need help maintaining "Life" and the US Government needs to help them. Period.

Next week's topic: What a difference a few years make: How I'm pissed at the Democratic Congress because they're not rubber stamping slaves to the President like the Republicans were, also Presidential First Years: A Greatest Hits.

"“I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors,” “There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another, to seek common ground.” -President Barack Obama - Winner of the Nobel Prize for his Diplomacy in 2009.

Health sCare (health care reform part 1)

2009-08-12T08:24:00.030+05:00

Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by the 111th Congress as the 111th United States Supreme Court Justice. She is a woman. She is Puerto Rican. She grew up in public housing in the Bronx. Fine example she sets. The top taliban leader in Pakistan was killed by the United States. Former President Bill " Big Dog" Clinton talked two American journalists, from Al Gore's Current TV, out of North Korea's hard labor camps. So many people have taken advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program it has been approved to get more money. Along with helping auto dealers sell cars, it's fuel efficiency requirement has played a significant role in June's jump in average gas mileage (the largest in years). Saying this program is a failure is like saying a concert is a failure because it was sold out. Sadly, another plane crashed into the Hudson. This time, tragically, after colliding with a helicopter. There were no survivors. And newly released documents prove rover and miers' direct involvement in the political firings of US attorneys.

Now that all of that is out of the way, it's on to the health care reform "debate" that has Stephen Hawking and republicans (along with the Democrats who aren't afraid to speak) calling "bullshit" on protesters' ridiculous claims and lies. And by protesters I mean concerned citizens asking pertinent questions at "town hall" meetings on health care reform.

Here are some Fun Facts regarding the current Health sCare Reform "debate":
There are no "death panels" in the House Health Care Reform Bill, despite what republicant sentors, ex-governors , and faux journalists have to say. The "end-of-life" services in the legislation do not refer to euthanasia. They refer to hospice and assistance to the family in the last days of a loved one's life. To quote one republican, on the House committee through which the bill passed, referring to these services as "death panels" is "nuts". Though there is something that could be construed as similar currently at private insurance companies. There are no provisions in the House health care bill for "rationing" "abortions paid for by tax dollars" or "health care for illegal immigrants". You, or if your employer provides it your employer, can choose to keep your current insurance under the House health care bill. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not call protesters "un-american". She said "[d]rowning out opposing views is simply un-American." She didn't call them "nazis" either. She said they were carrying swastikas, which they were. A swastika was recently painted on a Congressman, who happens to be black,'s house after his town hall " discussion". On a more positive note, the American Medical Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, PhRMA (the trade group of the pharmaceutical industry) SEIU (the service employees union) and the AARP all support and are pledging millions in support of the health care plan. No need to remind me that there were deals made for some of this support, but I'm not afraid of a good compromise if it extends health benefits to 40 million Americans who are currently uninsured.

Violence and wild eyed hate is not the usual debate for a 1000+ page of legislation. A lot of the vocal protests seem to have little to do with the proposed bill itself. The more I hear the concerned citizens entering the free speech town hall debate on health with nothing to say but "I am afraid of Obama", the more I am afraid for him and for America. Bringing a loaded hand gun to the President's town hall in NH? They took my key chain when I saw Candidate Barack Obama speak in New York. Armed militias are on the rise. More guns and knives are showing up at town hall "discussions" on health care. Why? Who's responsible for distributing and pushing all the disinformation and slanderous comparisons? Look no further than lou "you gotta put a stake through his [Howard Dean's] heart to stop him" dobbs, rush "adolph hitler, like Obama" limbaugh, glenn "obama is a racist" beck, and sarah "death panel" palin, to name a few. They are calling fire in a theater, and throwing gasoline on the flames they create, along with the teabag/birther organizers who want No Reform at all. They, and handful of old politcos like dick "no nickname needed" armey, are responsible for being so irresponsible. Remember when the guy got tasered after refusing to leave the lectern for asking a volatile question? Remember the anti-Iraq war protesters being rounded up in NYC and held in a warehouse? Remember when the right wingnuts were referring to those of us protesting an unnecessary, illegal, pre-emptive war of choice as "zealots" and "nazis". I guess hanging US congressmen in effigy, threatening their lives, shutting down public meetings and shouting down elected officials so they can not speak isn't that bad to them. Billions for killing? Good. Billions for health? Unacceptable. I wonder how many of the protesters use the VA, are on medicare, or would be helped by the legislation they are being used to oppose. I wonder if the republicants that oppose "government run health care" will shed their tax payer funded federal employee health care plan to buy private insurance of their own. I say no government run health care for Congressmen and women who say they oppose it, and that includes the VA, Medicare, and TriCare.

Americans are dying and/or going bankrupt because they can not afford health care or their insurance provider has denied them treatments. The thought of this issue as the politics of a "win" or "loss" for the President or a political party is disgusting. Defending Health Insurance companies, who made a 428% from 2000-2007 while dropping one to two million people per yer from their roles isn't much better. The House bill is an attempt at extending health benefits to 40 million Americans who are currently uninsured. This debate should be about finding a way to provide health care to average and low income Americans versus the current corporate model, which puts the bottom line ahead of the health of Our country's citizenry. About whether or not we should treat the issue the same way we do police protection or national security or car insurance for that matter. Instead, it's a "debate" about whether a government providing for its citizenry is socialist.

Enough about the faux debate. I'm going to go read the 1018 page H.R.3200 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (full text, summary).

To your health!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

P.S. This same crap's going to happen during the Climate Change Bill debates.

Quitting, and other things.

2009-07-07T08:31:00.016+05:00

Remember that nut from Alaska? It turns out she's a quitter. "Say it ain't so Joe". She put in her three weeks notice. Her explanation was an ambiguous 7,000+ word screed that any teenager would be proud of, complete with unnecessary quotation marks (I'm flattered.) and explanation points. "You Betcha!" Some say this salmon is swimming up stream, some say the lipsticked Bush is running from something somebody has on her. Maybe it's one of the bloggers she has threatened to sue. I say WHO CARES!!!!

Some real important news stories have been hidden recently by failed republican governors and the death of, arguably, the biggest pop star, greatest entertainer, and most enigmatic celebrity of all time (RIP Michael Jackson). American troops pulled out of Iraq's cities on Iraqi National Sovereignty Day. 5,014 American soldiers dead, 100,000's wounded and they had fire works to celebrate the Us withdrawal. That worked out great. We may not even get at their oil. Well, at least we still have Afghanistan, right? Iranian clerics made a bold move and "defied" the Ayatollah. Maybe there is some power to the people, not to mention the seeds of change in Iran. Good thing we didn't openly meddle or take sides. If we had, Iran's hard-liner claim that "the opposition leader is a US agent" might hold more weight. Honduras is on fire. A coup has taken place there, but don't worry they don't have any oil, or plans for nuclear power. The Uighur uprising in China, that has claimed 156 lives, has China's president, Hu Jintao, threatening the death penalty for rioters, who are keeping him from his Italian Summit with President Obama and the G8. In bad domestic news, unemployment rose to 9.5%. President Obama has said it would hit 10%, and more recently Vice President Biden left his disclosed bunker to say "we and everyone else misread the economy" possibly leading up to the next stimulus package. They said the stimulus package was to be implemented over 18 months (we're about 4 months in), but this is starting to hurt really badly. Just look at States like California and Michigan.

So yeah one republican governor used state funds to see his goumade (mistress) in Argentina, and another republican state chief executive quit before her first term in office was over, but it's a big world out there, and we have plenty of big problems here at home. At least there's a comedy writer/Mic Jagger impersonator in the Capitol Building. Senator Al Franken is "ready to work". But before you get too giddy, that magic Senatorial number 60 everyone keeps talking about only matters if the Democrats walk lock step toward things like Health Care for all and clean, renewable, sustainable energy. Something they have yet to do. We need to push them. It's going to take more than voting to change this country.

I'll leave you with this from Henry Kissinger on Obama's "speech to the Islamic world:
"Obama is like a chess player who is playing simultaneous chess and has opened his game with an unusual opening. Now he's got to play his hand as he plays his various counterparts. We haven't gotten beyond the opening game move yet. I have no quarrel with the opening move."

I just couldn't resist.

To Progress (the "We're going to have to do Our part" kind).
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Respect, Strength, and [a] Justice

2009-06-12T22:36:00.000+05:00

It was a week ago, but I am still somewhat awestruck by the President of the United States' speech to the Muslim people of the World, those living in the Middle East in particular, at Cairo University in Egypt. It was the first time I have ever heard an elected official from the US treat the people of the "Muslim world", and their religion, with such respect. Neither extremists nor their appeasers or sympathizers were let off the hook, but to hear an American President recognize the largest religion in the world by speaking (a better attempt than failure 43's Spanish) in its native tongue was something different. The New President has gone as far as to say that Iran has the right to use nuclear power for electricity. Any country with nuclear Weapons is extremely dangerous, just ask Japan. But has Our "do as we say, not as we do", "we're in charge" "we know better" approach worked? Has it stopped Iran or North Korea? Did it stop Pakistan? Has it brought any lasting peace to the "Middle East"? When you are threatened, do you back down, compromise and discuss or do you push back even harder? Four days after Obama's speech hezzbollah lost seats in Lebanon's election? Let's hope Iran's election (that's right , ahmadinejad was democratically elected, as opposed to Our Saudi King ally, among others) goes "our" way too.

Another jaw dropping change in Middle East policy was the President's and the Secretary of State's strong stance opposing Israel's expanding its territory through settlements. Wow! Elected officials who are not of the "Israel can do no wrong" ilk are usually way below any position of policy making power. More on Prime Minister Netanyahu's response after his upcoming speech on "security".

But these were not the only historic and possibly transformational moments recently. In what may become President Obama's Reagan moment (not for the reasons you may think) he has nominated Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. I type "Reagan moment", not because he nominated a woman, but because the nominee may turn into more of a right center leaner than a left, which would be reminiscent of Reagan's appointment, Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra O'Connor, turning out to lean left center. Justice Sotomayor came from the projects in the Bronx, went on to graduate from Princeton University and Yale Law School. She has more judicial experience than anyone on the Supreme Court had when they were nominated. She was first nominated to the Federal bench by President George H. W. Bush and then was promoted by President William Clinton. So far the republicants have had a problem with the way she pronounces her name, the kind of food she eats, the fact that she once said her experience as a "Latin woman" would give her an insight that an old white man or woman might not have (i'm paraphrasing) and of course she said that "the court of appeals is where policy is made". Supreme Court Justice antonin scalia was a bit more blunt when he said "courts often 'make law,' since the precedent of the highest court does not cover every situation, and not every case is reviewed. " Justice Sotomayor has ruled in favor of pro-lifers and pro-choicers. She has been on both sides of discrimination cases during her tenure. She has been a part of thousands of decisions, authored 380+ published opinions, ruled in favor of the Wall Street Journal over the Clinton Justice Department, and ended the baseball strike. But alas, she is a "hispanic" woman, and that has some old white men in a panic.

Speaking of panicking old white men, the republicant party has turned from defeated and disorganized to Down Right dangerous and the Department of Homeland Security's report last month warned us of it. The pro-lifer that murdered a doctor while he was ushering at his church and the white supremist anti-semite opening fire, killing a guard, at the Holocaust Memorial in DC will hopefully be the peak of the violence perpetrated by these domestic terrorists. When the pro-life murderer warned of "more violence to come" where was the outcry from the pro-torture crowd to waterboard him to find out more.

Well, next up health care reform. Why doctors at the AMA may not like it. Why you don't have a choice of whatever doctor and/or procedure you want or need Now. Why a tax increase that is lower than the health care cost it does away with is a good deal. Why America is one of, if not thee, last industrialized, "civilized" nation in the world not to have public health care to go with Our public education and public safety (police & fire).

To Progress.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

I Still Hope He Succeeds.

2009-05-23T21:24:00.000+05:00

The General in charge of Afghanistan was pulled, before his tour is over, and replaced with a General from Special Ops. Signaling a change in direction in that "arena" though the US drone bombings and civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Pakistan are more of the same. War as an answer (even part of the answer) is more of the same. Military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, even though they are not your failure's military commissions, sound a heckuva lot like more of the same, as well. The President's reticence in overturning "don't ask, don't tell" has been disheartening to say the least, though there is talk that a new "LGBT" policy is "imminent". I am still holding out hope on Obama's policies on torture. Stopping the practice, and disallowing testimony from torture in trial (or military commission) are both changes, but the hesitation in prosecuting? My hope is he's holding out for the big fish. The "following orders" defense the CIA got away with, unlike the abu ghraib soldiers, is offensive. Non-prosecution of lawyers who twisted Our Law to rationalize using methods we executed japanese soldiers for is unacceptable. Speaker of the House Pelosi recently stirred up a hornets nest saying Federal spies mislead Congress, something officials on both sides have said. What if her "cover her own aft" defense was really bait to get republicants to use the word "investigation". I am a hopeful man. On war, Obama has never been a pacifist. He was against the war in Iraq before it started, like the millions of us who marched against it. But he was "not anti-war, just anti dumb wars". To some of us, all war is dumb, but alas, Congressman Kucinich did not win.

On most other policy fronts foreign and domestic, President Obama has changed the direction of the past 8+ years. His recently announced program for increased gas mileage (CAFE standards) and reduced emissions from US autos is a long awaited revelation. Some argue that the Obama administration is still for big business, because they're trying to save the banking industry by flooding it with Our capital, but his budget definitely tips Our coffers away from the top 1% to the majority of the remaining 99%. Banks are pretty integral to Our economy too, as is the auto industry. The regulation rhetoric is certainly a welcome change from the "ownership society". A "Guantanamo Bay Detainee", charged with the '98 embessey bombings, is actually facing trial in an American Court. Could this be a return to the rule of law in America? Congress's not funding the closing of the detention center, one can only hope, is to stall so the President and the Justice Department can continue to figure out what to do with the detainees. Mr. President, Our "super max" maximum security prisons (and I'm not proud of this) can hold anyone and anything. They are a lot stronger and more secure than the chain link fence that's holding Our suspects in Castro's Cuba.

So, yeah President Obama is doing things I don't agree with. He hasn't changed everything. The flag still has the same unlucky number of stripes. The White House is still painted white. It doesn't help that the majority of the current toothless (another word comes to mind) Congress is still bought and paid for by coal, pharmaceutical, insurance, and "energy" companies, to name a few. It's hard to say and to hear, with unemployment still increasing (albeit at a slower rate), but I do believe We are proceeding in a better direction than We have been in recent times, at least as it pertains to the President of the United States. Did you see him at Notre Dame? Or speaking about National Security and Guantanamo?

The administration's drug czar talking about doing away with "the War on Drugs", the unprecedented amount of press conferences, the new and improved foreign diplomacy (Now with Respect!), the de"sloganizing" of politics, the organic garden in the back yard, getting Us out of dick, bush and rummy's religious war in Iraq. These are changes in direction. The Obama administration has done a lot in their first four months. Not to keep comparing them, but it wasn't until after the tragedy that took place eight months into their watch that failure 43 and boss dick really got anything done. The issues and policies where the President and I differ are by no means insignificant, but in the "big picture"? Barack Obama continues to have my support. I still Hope He Succeeds.

I think one of the biggest mistakes that is made in Washington is this notion you have to dumb things down for the public.
-President Barack Obama

More on the man who lied, and continues to lie and use fear to convince the world he cares. The man who pushed (through waterboarding) for an al qaeda-iraq link, who "simply stated" there was "NO DOUBT" about Iraq's WMDs, who said years ago that Iraqi insurgents were "in their last throes", who gave a company, that was still paying his severance, plenty of no bid contracts. The only former executive brancher, I can remember, to come out full blast against a new executive mere months after being wheeled out of the Inauguration versus The President of the United States on National Security, torture, and how the United States should treat its prisoners of war later.

Is dick speaking out to pre-emptively mount his defense?

P.S. Good Police work FBI on the Bronx synagogue bombing plot. No torture necessary.

Hoboken Mayoral Election 2009

2009-05-09T21:19:00.000+05:00

My usual focus, as you all know, is National politics, but a number of people have asked me "Who should I vote for" in Hoboken's Mayoral Election on Tuesday. My first response is check out the candidates' forum, and what the candidates and campaigns have written about themselves. But after the recent rumor turned "news story" on Hoboken's most read gossip/business blog, along with negatives stories on that same blog referring to only two out of the three "major" candidates (another completely unbiased bastion of news), I felt the need to type. Negative campaigning, coming mostly from Beth Mason's campaign unfortunately, is usually more susceptible to lies and spin and is Far less constructive than positive/issue based campaigning. Not to say the candidates do not have negatives. They all do.

Up until this campaign, Councilwoman Beth Mason (Her Website) had my pretty vocal support for Mayor, but the "mccain-esque" "win at any cost" campaign she is running and the bed-fellows she has made worry and disappoint me deeply. While on the City Council, Councilwoman Mason went line by line through appropriations. Every other councilperson simply would give a blanket yes or no. She was independent of the mayor's contingent, the previous mayor's contingent, and the "reform" contingent. Her calculated, thoughtful management style, could seem cold at times, but struck me as exactly what this town needs, at least budgetarily. Fighting for information the City was trying to hide from the public. And then one day the old "russo civic association" was covered in Beth Mason signs. The former mayor's club sign taken down, broken on the sidewalk. In case you don't remember anthony russo, he was mayor of hoboken before he was convicted on Federal corruption charges. He was sitting in a City Council seat right before he was sent to jail for 30 months and assessed a $300,000 fine. His replacement (an appointment by current Mayor Roberts) on the City Council is one of Candidate Mason's current Council Candidates, Vincent Addeo. Mr. Russo, his family, and his minions have all been campaigning "old hoboken" for Candidate Mason, sometimes in that "old hoboken" style that made them famous. Giving up her "independence" from corrupt politicians by aligning herself with old ones is a major blow to Councilwoman Mason's integrity and to the idea of her independent leadership. That coupled with this latest smear campaign (whether it's them or their supporters) has been enough to put me from firmly on the fence to really leaning towards Councilman Cammarano.

Candidate Peter Cammarano (His Website and Platform) is intelligent, well schooled in governmental law, and a somewhat fresh face to Hoboken politics. He is a political animal and came into town as part of the Hudson County Democratic Organization machine that now backs Candidate Zimmer. His voting (with the current "politically radioactive" mayor) record certainly does not serve him well, but in the last year or so it has not been as one sided as some make it out to be. His argument that the Council should have passed the current mayor's more than flawed budget, so the State wouldn't have to come in and fix things (eventually I guess) seems a bit ludicrous. The Council has been saying we'll fix this next year for as long as I lived here. I also don't like the fact that he moved here, after running Kerry's underwhelming Hudson County campaign, almost exactly the minimum time you need to be a resident before being elected Councilman. Not that Candidate Mason's candidate Raul Morales III has voted in very many elections before presumably voting for himself on Tuesday. Stealing Candidate Obama's logo doesn't help him with me very much either. All that being said Candidate Cammarano has sent out has many positive issue based emails as the Mason camp has mailed me negative 8.5x11 coated card stock ads. He has addressed environmental issues and has an environmental engineer on his Council slate.

Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer (her Website) is probably the most concerned about the environment of all the candidates, becoming Councilwoman with flooding as her #1 issue. But Candidate Zimmer has only been involved in politics/government for two years and already wants to be Mayor. She is intelligent and driven and would be a dramatic "change" even though some within her campaign came in with the current mayor's campaign for a real change. She seems to be more idealistic than practical. Big ideas are great, but right now Hoboken needs a level headed pragmatist to deal with the realities of Our city more than someone who wants to rapidly change it into something it's not. And Councilwoman Zimmer's recent "abstaining" from the current budget was troubling to say the least. Councilman Cammarano voted yes. Councilwoman Mason voted no.

There are three independent candidates as well. Their chances for victory are Much slimmer. But as a former Naderite ('96, '00) that's no excuse. So here are a couple of quick ones. Tom Vincent, though a great MC of many City run events, has absolutely no experience in government. His "platforms" sound great, but are vague at best. I'm not completely familiar with Ryn Melberg but nothing she is saying or doing inspires me to go out on a limb to vote for her. Frank Orsini is the most established of the independent candidates. His old school signs can be seen around town and his tag lines of "they have falied" (referring to the top three candidates who have been Councilpeople during this whole mess) can be heard from speakers attached to the roof of a minivan. If I had to pick from the Indepents, I would pick him.

But I think my vote is going to Councilman Cammarano for the reasons above. He'll certainly do a better job than has been done over the past eight years. There is secondary reason as well. To push for a run-off between Councilwoman Mason and Councilman Cammarano. Maybe an extra month will help Mason see the err of her ways. And that she could win on her own merit, with her own ideas... on the issues. I know it's probably too late for that.

P.S. For City Council, (Video of their Forum) I'm picking one from each Camp. Carol Marsh made an excellent Councilwoman and belongs back in that seat. Mike Novak is an environmental engineer and has served on the zoning board. His experience will help us Green Hoboken. And Anthony Pasquale, who is an accountant and has dealt with huge budgets and we sure need as much help with Ours as possible.

Full disclosure: I was hired by the Russo Administration. I've worked for the City of Hoboken for ten years (6 inside City Hall). My decisions are not based on who is for layoffs and furloughs and who is for no layoff and furloughs.

Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken!
Davey the Squid

The Torture Never Stops.

2009-04-28T06:51:00.002+05:00

When pol pot and the khmer rouge used waterboarding, I guess they were just gathering valuable information. The spanish inquisition may have used a different rationale. The japanese soldier, who was sentenced to 15 years hard labor by "the greatest generation" for WAR CRIMES for waterboarding, may have been using it for information on attacks with weapons of mass destruction (see hiroshima and nagasaki). United States soldiers have been court-martialled for waterboarding north vietnamese soldiers. I can only assume they were using the "torture techniques" to obtain useful information.

Fact is the techniques used by the bush era inTERRORgators are and have been a CRIME.

The third Geneva Convention reads

"No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatsoever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind."

The federal statute, which implements the 1984 Convention Against Torture, reads

"(A) the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering;

(B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of mind altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality;

(C) the threat of imminent death; or

(D) the threat that another individual will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering, or the administration or application of mind altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality.

There' a rationale being used by people, like dick's daughter liz (I'm not kidding), that US soldiers have to endure these techniques, not at the same intensity of curse, as part of their training, so it can't be torture. This is pretty ridiculous since the SERE training referred to is meant to ready soldiers for possible tortures by the enemy. Torture defender peggy noonan thinks we should "keep walking and not look back". Drug addled limbag thinks mccain's signing of a statement he did NOT mean because of torture is proof that "it works".

Granted face slapping, water boarding, extreme stress positions and sleep deprivation (as much as 11 days straight) aren't as disgustingly vile as the fatal anal gluing and diarrhea inducing of homosexuals that's going on right now in the nation that we "brought freedom to" by Iraqi militias. The fact remains that it is and was illegal. Ex vice dick says release all the torture advocating memos, perhaps because he shredded any dissent along with evidence of anyone he met with as the vice president of the United States. Looks like the shredders may have missed the "anything for a link between iraq and al qaeda" torture is pushed. I'm gonna have to side with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she said "It won’t surprise you that I don’t consider him [dick] a particularly reliable source." Maybe we should waterboard him, have dogs snap inches from his "manhood", throw him against the wall 20-30 times, chain him up naked, cover him in excrement, in a stress position and keep him awake for 2 weeks by slapping him, while blasting hannah montana into his hood to find out what really happened. Our Country's moral "compass" and standing depends on it, which, of course, directly relates to Our National Security. Did I leave out putting him into a small coffin-like box and dropping insects in, telling him they are poisonous. But why stop at dick, repeat for tenet, rice , ashcroft, yoo, rummy, gonzales, powell (yeah I said it), their deputies and let's not forget "the decider" at whom the buck stops. Or at least it did when Presidents of the United States took responsibility for their actions.

It is the Department of Justice's job, not the White House's, to find out if a crime was committed and who committed it. It is Not the Justice Department's job to be used as the president and his party's legal rationale lap dog, like we saw it reduced to for the eight years prior to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.

A couple of other opinions:

Krugman is on it!: "America is more than a collection of policies. We are, or at least we used to be, a nation of moral ideals. In the past, our government has sometimes done an imperfect job of upholding those ideals. But never before have our leaders so utterly betrayed everything our nation stands for. “This government does not torture people,” declared former President Bush, but it did, and all the world knows it."

Vanity Fair: Have any attacks on America been disrupted thanks to intelligence obtained through what the administration still calls “enhanced techniques”?

“I’m really reluctant to answer that,” Mueller says. He pauses, looks at an aide, and then says quietly, declining to elaborate: “I don’t believe that has been the case.”

“Jim [Psychiatrist and "harsh tactic advocate mitchell] believed that people of this ilk would confess for only one reason: sheer TERROR,” said one C.I.A. official
- From a great piece at the New York Times (I thought it was the enemy that used "terror")

"They were well aware, these people, Rumsfeld, Sanchez, all of them and were well aware of these policies and these memorandums while these soldiers were being accused....five years ago. And if it was okay Mr. Former Vice President, if you're saying that this was necessary today and that it produced good intelligence..where were you five years ago stepping up to the plate and saying hold on, we can't discuss this because this is classified information, but these soldiers did not design these techniques? Where were all of those heros then to step up to the plate and defend these soldiers and to defend me?"
-former Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski about how the torture at Abu Ghraib was a direct result of policies which were crafted by the higher ups in the Bush administration

"We are America! I don't give a rat's ass if it helps," Smith declared. "We are America! We do not fucking torture!" Shepard Smith of faux "news"

Frank Zappa: ... then it goes into a song called "The Torture Never Stops".
Which is about what?
Frank Zappa: Er, it's about torture not stopping.
- Zappa On Air, Nuggets, No. 7, April 1977(I guess I owe gail money for that quote not to mention the title)

To Progress.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The (latest) speech on the US economy, the "right wing", and accountability

2009-04-18T01:56:00.000+05:00

The President recently gave a speech at Georgetown University on the US economy. It was, as he put it, "prose, not poetry". The speech is heavy and dense, but reassuring. As a republican "leader" suggests his State secede from the Country they claim to love so much, it's reassuring to see a President display such an understanding of what's going on, while explaining his administration's plan to fix and build Our economy. The speech explains, in detail, how we got here, why banks are important, and why governments spend to inject revenue into a recessing economy. Agree with him or not, it's nice to see someone firmly at the helm. Not to mention an elected official that treats the American public as if We were adults. There's a good chunk of Us who are (from time to time).

I would bet that the vast majority of "teabaggers" that protested on tax day will see their taxes Go Down as a result of the Obama budget. I wonder how many will turn down their stimulus check/credit. Part of the in-cohesive and almost inexplicable rationale for the protests was Constitutional rights. No need to go into the last eight years' depletion of Our rights, but which "Constitutional" rights are "tea baggers" getting taken from them? True a recent leaked NSA report targeted "right wing extremism". If there had not already been a report from the NSA on "left wing extremism", I would undertsand the right's fear of a politically motivated attack on free speech, akin to the last administration's on the left's. They are being lied to by the likes of joe the "plumber" and shawn insanity. And it isn't the first time. Maybe that's why there are less of them. Perhaps that is something that could be further realized if the Obama Administration would do something to hold george w. bush jr.'s failure of an administration accountable.

With detailed torture memos being released and Administration officials saying that CIA interrogators will Not be prosecuted (Watch Olbermann's Special comment) I can only hope Attorney General Holder is building a case against those interrogators' superiors. As it is we are stilling waiting for President Obama to prove that he is reinstating Habeus Corpus, the Bill of Rights (Amendment 4 specifically) and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). While in fact, we've seen some proof of the opposite. Glen Greenwald is a Must read when it comes to these issues, especially FISA. Maybe we should stage a Whiskey Rebellion until we get what we want. I'm kidding, of course.

Darwin help Us.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The Fear, the Froth, and the Teabagging.

2009-04-15T05:07:00.001+05:00

These are truly scary times for people. No, I'm not referring to the fear that republinuts (Read Krugman!) want to "tea bag" (NSFW) me in my sleep. Over the last month there have been 8 mass killings by Americans on Americans claiming 53 lives. Not to worry, the vast majority of the domestic terrorists' weaponry was registered with the proper authorities. The murderer that killed 3 people in Pittsburgh was said to be "afraid Obama was gonna take his guns away", even though it looks like under President Obama the assault weapons ban debate will fade away. I wonder how this racist gunman got that idea? Talking clown glen bark put Obama in a nazi uniform in his magazine and pretended he was President Obama pouring gasoline on the average American. The fox "news" channel is not only endorsing and encouraging "tea bag" protests of the three month old Administration (something no one in the "liberal" media ever did during any protests of failure 43 and there were hundreds of thousands, if not Millions of us), but they are organizing fundraisers for them. Now that's fair and balanced. The hypocrisy of hearing the people that called me anti-American and unpatriotic for protesting the decisions of the last administration now saying that dissent is the highest form of patriotism makes me physically ill.

But is their frothing up fear and frustration among people who have lost their jobs (another 600,000 last month), their homes, and their retirement wise, rational, or even justifiable. Congresspeople calling for people to be "armed and dangerous" in their "revolution" should realize their words can lead to actions, intended or not. Disturbing the peace is not the only reason you can't yell fire in a crowded theater. It's also to protect people from getting killed in the resulting chaos.

President Obama has seen a "glimmer of Hope" in the economy lately, but people are still losing their jobs, failing on the mortages and realizing the deep hole that once was their life savings. I don't think we're at France's G20 protest violence level (they burned a hotel down) or that of the protests in Thailand but, to be sure, Americans are angry. Corporate lobbyist, media sponsored protests, against bringing the tax code back to "what it was under Clinton for the rich" (10% less than under raygun) while cutting taxes for everyone under $200,000, are not going to qwell that anger. They are only exploiting it.

The Squid says: "Hey fox "news"! Go 'tea bag' (NSFW) yourselves!"
The activists that participated in the Boston Tea Party in 1773 are rolling in their graves. Oh and, by the likes of glen bark's standards, Thomas Paine was a Socialist.

"if you are planning simultaneous tea bagging all around the country, you’re going to need a Dick Armey." -David Shuster 4/13 on MSNBC

Give Hope a Chance.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The Heartening, the Homeless, and, dare I say it, Change.

2009-03-29T23:58:00.000+05:00

It's heartening to see that it's no longer "Unpatriotic" or "UnAmerican" to criticize a sitting President during wartime. Some "ditto heads" go as far as to hope the President's attempts to pull Our country out of the "Great Recession" "fail". President Barack Obama held his second prime time press conference this week. That's six months earlier than his predecessor held his first. Of course, the cracker-jack media reported on the big stories. The President skipped over the major papers. He read his opening and closing remarks from a teleprompter. He wasn't "angry populist" enough for some. He was calm, cool, and competent to others. What did it for me was when President Obama said "It took a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak." to a "journalist" whose question for the President of the United States was about why he wasn't more reactionary in the wake of the AIG bonus "scandal". Personally, I think the public outcry against the top rungs of this corporate giant makes the environment much more conducive for government regulation of Big Business, at least those who have been bailed out by Us, through Our taxes and not just outrageous pricing. But knowing that the President actually thinks before he reacts is almost comforting enough for now.

The President was comfortable and knowledgeable on a range of subjects, though there were little to no questions on foreign policy or Our two wars. At times he was almost professorial. The new President's (he's been in office for two and one quarter months) demeanor was a welcome change from the smirks, winks and nicknames that we've come to expect from the "leader of the free world". A world that is rapidly changing, with Russia and China calling for the dropping of the US dollar as the major monetary metric for a global currency. A world that sees the Governor of California opening up festival grounds to deal with a growing "tent city" or "shantytown" population of homeless. It was heartening to hear the President of the United States being asked about "the homeless" during his recent press conference, but Obama's "Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours." made me realize something else that seems to be changing, perhaps because of the sleeping giant that has been awakened by all the populist talk being thrown around. The idea that the wealthy are robbing the common citizen in America, a distinction that used to be reserved for welfare mothers. As the common American gets more pink slips and foreclosure notices, wealthy ceo's are complaining that they can't live on $500,000.00 a year or without Million dollar bonuses. The public outrage is getting scary in places with death threats and worse being made to ceo's and the like. Who knows if this outrage will spill over to republican governors, like jindal and sanford, who are putting politics ahead of federal aid for their constituents who have lost, or will lose, their jobs during these hard economic times.

Of course, one of the first two things that Congress has talked about trimming in Obama's budget proposal is the $400 Make Work Pay tax cut, but there may be a time in the near future when the tax cut can be pushed on its own. Politicians love tax cuts, right? The Obama budget proposal readies the stage for major health care, energy, and education reform. It lays out funding in 2009 for programs that do not yet exist but that would, and Hopefully will, be created in 2009. It does increase spending, which can seem ridiculous in this economy, but how could Our problems be fixed by simply running and cutting funding for programs as they currently stand. Another point that's important to make is that Obama's budget proposal includes items that haven't been included in the "budgets" in the past, like say the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our version of capitalism has, for years, rewarded those on top, while ignoring or sticking it to the majority. Any person or small business that makes less than $200,000.00 per year receives a tax cut in the Obama budget proposal (about 95% of working American families). Who did the $1.3 trillion dollars in tax cuts over the last 8 years help? For those of Us that have some money to spend, let's let Our dollar be Our vote. To businesses going under every dollar counts. We can support companies and businesses whose practices and products we believe should be encouraged and supported. In this "economic climate", buying trends could turn into industry trends pretty quickly. Wouldn't it be nice to see a stock rise because a company was more "environmental" or health conscious or helped to increase employment here in the United States, rather than simply based on what's cheapest and most convenient?

To Progress.

David Calamoneri
Hoboken NJ
USA

Change, Truth and the Majority of the American People.

2009-03-15T22:42:00.000+05:00

After reports of 651,000 more jobs being lost in February, the national unemployment rate is now officially 8.1% and climbing. Unemployment is over 10% in California. Michigan's is at 11.6%. Seeing lines of suits going around the block at ";job fairs" make one realize that the Obama Administration, and the 111th Congress, extension of unemployment benefits was a good idea, as was increasing funding for food stamps. A record 31.8 Million are now in need of them (an increase in 700,000 last month) . Helping millions of children get health care through SCHIP helps American people, who have children in need medical attention, while they face the recent economic Downturn. Spending billions in "stimulus" on Health Care may also help in curbing government costs. If Health Care was either provided for or Really made affordable by the end of a year or two (a dream of President Obama's), it would not only help families, hit hard by lay offs, foreclosures, etc. to not have to choose between medicine or food. It would also dramatically lower spending by State and Local governments, and businesses who provide insurance. Not to mention, easing the strain on the majority of the American people who are paying in some fashion for their own health care or don't have any at all (emergency room visits of the uninsured cost all taxpayers money).

Isn't that who government should be in the business of helping? The Majority, if not all, of the American people. A budget that cuts taxes for 95% of working families in the United States is more than making good on a campaign promise. It is also a good start at making Our government Change its focus from helping the wealthiest 10% or less and the military to helping the Majority of the American People and the military . Defense spending is something that's not going to go down. The Obama budget proposes $75 billion More in '09 and $130 billion in in '10 for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars failure 43 failed to finish. It is a change from the last 8 years to actually include war spending in the budget.

The stock market has been nose diving (with the exception of the uptick with Citi's profit news) with every jobs report, report on consumer spending, or on the housing industry (12% of Americans with mortgages are in foreclosure). Reports stating that the FDIC, which insures the money you have in the bank, may become insolvent, and AIG the world's largest insurer needs another huge chunk of money to keep insuring the millions it currently does, haven't helped ease wall street's slide. Neither has news that GM is no longer viable and may go bankrupt or that GE is in some real tough shape. In the past, like say the eighties, when unemployment was this high and the market was falling, the Fed cut interest rates, which encouraged lending and borrowing. Problem is the Fed dropped those to zero before Barack Obama even took office.

President Obama's budget represents a real change in how and on whose behalf the United States Government spends, but there have been other marked changes from the past occurring For one, the government seems hesitant to let Senator Leahy further a truth commission to investigate the laws failure 43 and his minions "may have" committed in prosecuting their war on the noun terror (see warrantless [FISA included] wiretapping, torture at American detention centers, extraordinary rendition). This is a marked change in Congress's willingness to investigate a former President's extra-marital affair and real estate deals he and his wife were involved in Before they became the First Family. The release of the "shocking" to some memos from failure 43's minions explaining how, in the words of another President, "when the president does it that means that it is not illegal", further evidence the fact that for the last eight years (at least the second half of 2001 through 2007) We were ruled by a "unitary" Executive with no checks and balances whose concern for the United States Constitution was not to uphold it, but to figure out how to get around it.

But while we debate whether or not the truth is important and whether tax payers' money should be spent to help the Majority of the American people, the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, told Israel it did something wrong and did so publicly. Of course, her words were not as strong as Obama's National Intelligence Council pick, distortions of which have made his stepping down the right move. The United States State Department also announced that it will meet with Iran and Russia, when it comes to supporting NATO's effort in the Afghanistan War. The Obama administration has also reopened talks with Russia, offering to ease up on the missile defense shield in Poland for some help in getting Iran to not build a bomb like the thousands that we and Russia currently possess. On the domestic front, President Obama is reversing failure 43's decision's on stem cell research and Science, endangered species, the office of "drug czar" being cabinet level, and Carbon Dioxide as a pollutant. (Does that mean we won't be allowed to exhale?). And of course, US combat troops will start leaving Iraq in September.

I'll leave you with a few things I just don't understand:
Why is it, only Jon Stewart of the "liberal media", tore up CNBC for their "cheap populism" rallying the losers on the "trading floor" while assailing the "losers" who have lost their homes?

How can you care about the DOW going down and be against bailing out big companies?

Hasn't the Dow been dropping since October 2007?

Did you know that $3.8 Billion dollars in "earmarks" in the $410 Billion dollar budget is .01% of the total bill and that 40% of those "earmarks" came from republicans? I guess that's why 8 "(R)" Senators joined all but 3 "(D)" Senators.

Does everyone who makes $250,000 per year own a small business?

How do tax cuts touted by most on the republican side, help poor people making less than a taxable income, if any income at all? (Anyone making under $250,000 will see their taxes cut or at least not go up with the Obama budget. Anyone over that will have there tax rate raised by a whopping 4.6%)

How can you complain about the wage of an assembly auto worker that works 40 hours a week and not have a problem with the salaries of upper management of major corporations?

Does anyone's health insurance allow them to choose any procedure they want and/or any doctor they want?

Does anyone remember that failure 43's "choice" for the second highest office in the land went to a CEO of the biggest no bid contractor the US employs? (The ethical bar for the current administration is exponentially higher)

Are the Green Bay Packers communist because they are "owned by the community"?

And are public education, taxpayer paid police and fire departments examples of "socialism"? (Big Hat Tip to M.M.'s movie Sicko for that one.)

Your Compatriot,
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ, USA

What passed and what passes for fact.

2009-02-25T09:03:00.002+05:00

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been signed into law. There is a break down of how the money is to be allotted here and here ($288 Billion in tax cuts) and estimates of jobs saved/created by State here (Texas = 269,000). Now that it passed, some "just say no" republicans who voted against spending and tax cuts for Our Country are touting what their districts are getting. Even some very vocal opponent republican governors are starting to come around to accept the Federal funding allotted to their states. The latest to join this category was South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Governor Jindal of Louisiana is still unsure about additional Federal funding going to his state for things like fixing levees. It's understandable though. He is in the running for the republican nomination in 2012, and is hoping the Country has completely gone under by then so he, and the hip hop republicans can run against the failure. The way Candidate Barack Obama ran against the failures of the past 8 years of their party's presidency, 6 of which had them in control of both houses of congress. Hell, they had congress for 12 years. Check out the Pork and Earmarks (there are no ear marks in this bill) from the 6 years of Failure 43 and his rubber stamp reds' appropriations bills from 2001-2006 (Where is that confounded bridge to nowhere?). Yup, tax cuts for the rich, increased spending to build other countries, increased domestic spending for things like "abstinence training" but not the poor to middle class here at home, and the market will regulate itself policy, really worked out. As the Rude Pundit put it "Do you remember who put us into this goddamn vortex of financial suck?"

There have been no shortage of pundits, me included, making feeble attempts at becoming Economic experts. The arguments ranged from the "stimulus package" should be bigger to the government should do nothing to help the Country's economy or the millions who have lost their jobs. There's even been talk of a complete tax holiday that would severely reduce the Government's revenue. I assume that the people proposing this would cut the non-existent funds to Our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (where $125 Billion US has been "misused"). 17,500 more troops were ordered to Afghanistan last week. However you slice it, opinions are one thing (Everybody's got one), but Out "right" lies, falsehoods, and "myths" are another.

1. There is no provision in the stimulus package for a mouse preserve in San Francisco.

2. There is no provision for a high speed rail in Nevada. Which would be bad because Harry Reid is the Senator there.

3. President Obama opposes, much to my dismay, any decrease in the defense budget.

4. The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) said the bill's spending Would stimulate the economy.

5. The bill is not just for "Democratic pet projects" (See what States get what , relative to the size of their economy, at this interactive map)

6. The New Deal reduced unemployment.

7. ACORN is not mentioned in the bill.

8. Anyone , "illegal" or not, without an officially issued Social Security number is ineligible for "make work pay" tax credits.

There are more, but you get the idea. For those of us who didn't read the whole 1,000+ page document there remain some questions as to how and to whom it will help. There are portions of the bill I don't understand. There is spending that I am glad to see, but can not see the connection with economic stimulus (see NASA). Before you say it, red failure 43 gave NASA billions for his "mission to mars". Remember that doozy? We all knew there would be no grace period (Typically the First 100 days) for Barack Obama, who has put together an administration faster than any President. He has already passed several pieces of Major legislation. He has given his first presidential press conference (a feat that it took failure 43 nine months to do). President Obama's "kind of a" State of the Union after only a month in office is yet another sign of how his administration has hit the ground running, sprinting actually. If the stakes were not as high as they are, if the situation was not as dire, there would be greater faith/benefit of the doubt/mandate given to the Leader who received more votes than any other President, and won by a greater margin than reagan did in his first presidential election, not to mention Obama's current and start off approval ratings.

I hope the stimulus bill, with the housing crisis plan, whatever happens to the remainder of the bush bank bailout, and everything else helps to get us out of Our downward spiral of an economy that is getting worse by the day. We won't know for some time. My guess is a more stabilized economy will start building steam in the beginning of 2010. Until then I think we should do Our best to help the people that need help the most. We Are All Americans.

Topic for next week:
The Disconnection: A Lack of Empathy and Understanding

There is Someone at the Wheel.

2009-02-11T00:26:00.002+05:00

Wow. What a difference a month makes. Barack Obama's First Press Conference as President.

Stimulus, Fear, and Obstruction.

2009-02-10T22:13:00.000+05:00

598,000. That's the number of Americans who lost their jobs in January 2009. 598,000. That is the highest number since I was Two Years Old (1974). Let's say the average salary for each of those jobs was $20,000. If they don't find a job in a year, $11,960,000,000.00 will not be spent (in the "US" economy) over that year and that's just the people who lost jobs in January. The economy is Scary and getting Worse. It's going to take more than former secretary to failure 43, and former goldman sachs ceo, paulson's "bank bailout", which gave out $254 billion in capital purchases (with virtually no oversight) for bank assets worth about $176 billion. Why was no one concerned about the conflict of interest with a Former CEO giving his old bank a "$2.5 Billion subsidy"? It's going to take more than the second half of the $700 Billion bush bank bailout (expect more on the Obama plan for that later). It's going to take more than the $800+ Billion dollar Stimulus Bill that's meant for US (haves And Have Nots). Of course, anti-stimulus republicans are pushing for even more tax cuts in the bill, because their tax cut and spend policies have worked so well for Us so far. As Our President said "We are not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that for the last eight years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin," The obstructicans have been stalling/trying to stay relevant/"standing their ground" because of 2% of the spending in a $800+ BILLION "stimulus" bill. Would they bicker and pick all the way to depression? There's part of me that thinks to change Our society and its view of money, it would take a crisis of this predicted proportion, but the suffering may be too much for me to condone. That's not to say that is why the republicans "hope it fails". We Have already given hundreds of billions to war, to banks, and to tax cuts for the rich. Why shouldn't We the People (poor included) get some help?

Barack Obama has only been President for a little over two weeks. He's already got former vice president, mr. potter, pausing from "moving boxes" to tell us that if and when we're attacked by "nuclear or biological weapons" (remember that phrase?), it will be Obama's fault. We will never forget what happened 8 months, and several warnings, into his administration, but that was President Clinton's fault, right? Not to mention the hate and anger bushco. filled hearts and minds with all over the globe. I know, who cares what the "evil doer" former vice dick has to say. Probably the same wing nuts that care what treasonous drug addict limbag has to say or hatetity or o'lielly or glen bark. The republican party has become "regional" and reasonless. They're so splintered, it took six votes to elect a new "leader". He's their first African American "leader". Isn't that a funny coincidence? But seriously, mr. potter brought back that feeling of fear, as does, the President of the United States' call on Americans and their representatives to act now on the economic stimulus or there will be "a catastrophe".

The republicans are playing politics while Our economy is At The Cliff. The Old gOp tax cuts or death policy hasn't worked for the Country since it was called "reaganomics". Reinvestment in infrastructure and education, along with investment in up and coming industry, like the Clinton administration's investment in the internet and Pell Grants, provide the foundation for extended economic growth. Forward, long term thinking and planning isn't something recent administrations have considered and that is one of the reasons we find ourselves in the predicament we're in today, and it looks like it's going to get worse before it'll get better.

President Obama did sign his first law, the Lilly Ledbetter Law. It states that women doing equal work should get equal pay. I still can't believe that 1. In 2009 we still need a law like this and 2. It took until 2009 to get it. Barack also autographed a law giving health care to millions of children by expanding SCHIP. My favorite Presidential move so far was limiting ceo pay at companies that receive "bail out" money from US taxpayers. Some say it isn't strict enough. Some say its just a political stunt. I say it sends a great message from the White House. $500,000.00 a year should be plenty, especially when so many Americans are losing their jobs and having trouble staying sheltered and fed.

Obama nominated not one, not two, but three people who had "trouble" paying their taxes (Come On daschle?!??!), and one whose husband's business had tax problems. But President Obama's response to "the embarrasment" and "mistakes made" was honest and straight forward. He "screwed up" and owned up to it, as if he was an Adult in the White House who understands what taking responsibility actually means. Another thing to come out of the "back taxes" issue is the fact that government officials are no longer above the law to republicans. This is a real change of heart from the past eight years.

Campaigner Barack Obama was never one to react immediately. He was patient. He thought before he acted or spoke. A patience that, at times, drove some of us crazy. But more times than not he was working several moves ahead. President Obama, with Democratic control of the House and Senate greater than that of the republicans under bush, held out his open hand. The republicans did not unclinch their fist. One red senator went as far as to advise the republicans to learn from the taliban and form an "insurgency" to "disrupt and change" President Obama. In recent days, President Barack Obama has come out much stronger for his plan and against his critics. He's taking his push to the people this week, but it's the Congress that will bend and twist the legislation into something that he hopefully won't have to hold his nose while signing, and We won't have to hold Our noses while swallowing.

"In recent days, there have been misguided criticisms of this plan that echo the failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis -- the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can meet our enormous tests with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges such as energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.

I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. They know that we have tried it those ways for too long. And because we have, our health-care costs still rise faster than inflation. Our dependence on foreign oil still threatens our economy and our security. Our children still study in schools that put them at a disadvantage. We've seen the tragic consequences when our bridges crumble and our levees fail."

-From the President of the United States of America's Op-Ed to with Washington Post

"I am the eternal optimist. I think that over time people respond to civility and rational argument."
Barack Obama at his First Press Conference as President. Not that it's fair to compare, but bush gave his first "presser" after 9 months in office.

the First First Week.

2009-02-02T00:12:00.002+05:00

Not that we heard much from him as "president" for the last year of his tenure, but talk about a clean break. Since junior got on that helicopter and headed back to his ranch photo set in Texas, the only peep in the news about him or his minions hasn't come from them as much as it has come from the percolating talk of investigations, subpoenas, and war crimes. Faux news pundit rover received another subpoena last week from the Honorable Congressman John Conyers. This time the White House might not back his executive privilege defense for not honoring it. A UN official said this week that there is enough evidence on rummy to prosecute him for War Crimes. Neither of these stories made Major headlines. There was another big story outshining them.... President Barack Obama's First Week in Office.

It's been a little over a week since the Inauguration (that even had the Rude Pundit feeling verklempt). There's a Great zoomable picture of it here (if only it was taken from the other side I could have found myself). Since January 20th, President Obama has signed executive orders and Presidential directive memoranda strengthening ethics rules in the Executive branch (an order that has made the appointment of the Secretary of Defense's choice/Obama's nominee for Under Secretary a bit sticky). In another order, President Obama opened presidential and ex-presidential records, reversing one of his failure of a predecessor's secrecy policies. He repealed the ban on funding international groups who provide information about abortion. He halted "war crimes trials" at Guantanamo Bay (for review). His administration will close Guantanamo Bay in a year, along with all the other CIA "black sites". He has ensured "lawful interrogations", stating plainly "the United States will not torture". He talked with both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Day One, as well as his military leaders. He struck a Respectful/we're all in this together tone when he gave the first presidential interview to an ARABIC television station. During the interview, the President of the United States said "Americans are not your enemy" and "all too often the United States starts by dictating". He has the Environmental Protection Agency reevaluating the 13 states that want higher gas mileage regulations. He froze pay increases on his highest paid (about 100) aides. He has his new and improved www.whitehouse.gov up and running, where he has started his weekly video addresses. The "most technologically advanced campaign" walked into a White House complete broken email systems and old computers running on old operating systems. One aide commented ";It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," President Obama departed from junior on global warming, wolves, and drilling in Utah. He and Secretary of State Clinton spoke of "direct diplomacy" with Iran. The New President met with Republicans from the Senate and the House to show his respect (however unwarranted) and to listen to their ideas most specifically on his far reaching, high price tag "stimulus package" which will focus on energy, infrastructure, and education projects, mainly. How many times did the previous administration talk to Democrats when they were the minority on policy matters? The republicans have been grasping at arguments against the "package", even after the Democrats gave into their billions (33% of the price tag) in corporate tax cuts, and cut the funding for medicaid family planning, because republicans couldn't understand how contraceptives, preventing disease and unwanted pregnancy, save US money in Health Care and Welfare (These are the same people who were for millions on "abstenance training"). The obstructicans didn't understand how resodding and upgrading the National Mall in Washington DC would create jobs. I guess none of them have hired grounds keepers or landscapers at home. It too has been removed. Some suggest that it, along with the family planning funding, were put in the legislation to be removed as "compromise". But obstructicans are literally making up fictious reports to prove their pathetic points. President Obama's outreach, given his mandate, seemed pretty unprecedented and unfortunately unappreciated. The obstructicans won't be happy unless as big fat idiot and known doper limbag hopes "Obama fails" or at least there are more tax cuts for the rich and big business, because they've been so effective since reagan came up with his "trickle down" reagonomics... Not! Bipartisanship may have meant republicans get whatever they want when they were in the majority for twelve years, but does it have to be the case now that the Democrats hold the House, the Senate and the White House. I'm sure we'll talk more about "the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan" that the President says he plans to sign by the middle of February. It passed the House, without one republican vote (talk about a strictly political vote for republicans). I wonder how much spending they'll vote yes to for building infrastructure in Iraq. President Obama had this to say on the vote.

And speaking of the economy...
Home Depot, Caterpillar, Sprint Nextel, Texas Instruments, Microsoft, Pfizer, Ford, Boeing, Starbucks, and Allstate announced they were cutting thousands of jobs, probably about 100,000 in all. Unemployment is over 7%. The GDP is down 3.8% (suffering its biggest drop in 27 years). "New-home sales collapsed". And "durable-goods orders slumped". And wall street executives received $18.4 billion dollars in bonuses, which the New President of the United States called "shameful" and "the height of Irresponsibility", with Secretary of the Treasury Geithner at his side.

So as Cindy Sheehan is printing her t-shirts that read "Adios Mother F&#@er" bush, I join with Most Americans in saying "Hello President OBAMA!" Pretty damn good first week, Sir, but there remains a HUGE and deepening hole for Us to get out of.

Here are some excerpts from the President's interview with al-Arabiya Television (Dubai):
"Ultimately, we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them. They're going to have to make some decisions. But I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people. And that instead, it's time to return to the negotiating table."

"We have not been perfect."

"ultimately, people are going to judge me not by my words but by my actions and my administration's actions. And I think that what you will see over the next several years is that I'm not going to agree with everything that some Muslim leader may say, or what's on a television station in the Arab world -- but I think that what you'll see is somebody who is listening, who is respectful, and who is trying to promote the interests not just of the United States, but also ordinary people who right now are suffering from poverty and a lack of opportunity. I want to make sure that I'm speaking to them, as well."

"Q: President Bush framed the war on terror conceptually in a way that was very broad, "war on terror," and used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators. And is this one way of --

THE PRESIDENT: I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that the language we use matters. And what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name.

And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in
distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda -- that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop. We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down.

But to the broader Muslim world what we are going to be offering is a hand of friendship."

I witnessed Something Extraordinary.

2009-01-23T06:21:00.002+05:00

"Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths."
- President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20th, 2009

The sun was just peeking around the Washington Monument to warm me up a little as the proceedings Officially began. Throngs of people milled about, moving their legs to keep the circulation going, up on their tip toes to get a better view (mostly of the screen). Kids were up on shoulders, crowds parting slightly behind them. The level of excitement was high and unanimous. There were smiles everywhere. Volunteers greeted us as we crossed the Memorial bridge from Virginia with "Good Morning"s and "Welcome to DC"s. There's always something to see in DC for a political junkie like me. As we made Our way in, we passed peaceful, somber Arlington Cemetery, the strong, proud Iwo Jima Memorial, and the pensive and classic Lincoln Memorial, the steps of which an all star cast sang and spoke from two days prior. People were standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to watch President Barack Obama be sworn in and speak, 1.9 miles away. And speak he did. He spoke to Christians, to Muslims, to Jews, to Hindus and to Non-believers. He spoke of feeding "hungry minds" and of science. He spoke of responsibility and service, curiosity and imagination, of respect and of a willingness to "extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." He spoke of tolerance.

At times i felt like I finally understood church, not in the "religious" way that warren had thrust upon the crowd with one religion's "Our Father". I found myself bowing my head, while The President was speaking, Listening to every word. It brought me to tears more than once. The crowd was unlike anything I have been a part of or have seen, gathered together as One, to see a New President and feel the flood of emotions that came with him. From tears to laughter. From hope to reassurance. The crowd's diversity and inclusiveness was on display throughout. From a child in a shirt that read "The Future Starts Now" to an eldery African American man crying, perhaps further understanding what he has seen in his lifetime, alongside a young white woman crying for, not wholey, different reasons. 1.8 million people were there, and not one arrest. It was Truly Something.

More than anything else, it felt as if the clouds had parted, like the first sign of Spring, like something had shifted. It wasn't just Obama's words that "We are ready to lead ONCE MORE." or his thoughts on how "false the choice between our safety and our ideals" that signalled the end of the bush error. It was more than just his speech against "worn-out dogma"s. It was more than his rebuke of arguments about government being "too big or too small". My "mate" said it best, immediately following the Inauguration, "For the first time I feel like we're all Americans" Yep, and I'm a damn proud one at that.

Now, if we could just get rid of the tax evading accountant that's holding up the full sweep of appointments to the cabinet, we'll have a first hundred days like President Barack Obama's "Day One". Day two hasn't been that bad either actually.

That being said... What a Day! What a Speech! What a Crowd! What a Moment!

There are some pictures up from my adventure of a weekend here, if you care to take a gander.

This Land is Your Land!

GObama Go!!!

Other favorite quotes:
"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works"

"The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good."

"We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders"

"We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

Aaaahhhhhh..

2009-01-22T01:13:00.001+05:00

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

Barack Obama IS the President of the United States!!!!!

2009-01-21T02:07:00.003+05:00

Truly an unbelievable, inspiring, and incredible feeling to be enveloped in such a moment. Two million people gathered to hear and cheer one hell of a speech by the New President of the United States Barack Obama.

Congratulations America!

Congratulations!

Amazing!

Historic!

I am in Awe. It's going to take a little while for it all to sink in. I'll let you know when it does.

To Progress!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ
USA!!!!!

Opening Ceremony (part two)

2009-01-19T06:08:00.003+05:00

Simply Amazing! So many people!!! High points? Obama's speech, This Land is Your Land by Springsteen and Seeger, Stevie Wonder, and Herbie Hancock!!! I have never experienced a crowd like that before. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like on Tuesday!!!

GObama!!!!

Opening Ceremony

2009-01-18T22:30:00.002+05:00

After checking out Bruce and U2's sound check at Lincoln's feet yesterday, I am psyched to be bundled up and on my way to "the mall" for today's speed round concert/opening ceremony. This is really something. And it hasn't even really started yet.

GObama!!

Yesterday while hitting Georgetown for a couple pints, I saw Obama golf balls and "Audacity of Soap" among the thousands of shirts and buttons.

I'm Going! That's all there is to it!

2009-01-17T00:46:00.003+05:00

So I'm getting on a bus this evening (1/16) headed for Washington DC, staying at a
friend of a friend's for the weekend to be a part of, and embedded in, what should be
an unprecedented and historic event, the Inauguration of Barack Obama as President
of the United States of America. I'm going to try to "live blog" here at the Squid's Ink
via the Ol' iPhone. We'll see how that goes.

I'm not sure whether I'm more excited, nervous, or quite simply in disbelief that this is
actually happening and that I'll be there for it. I am sure that I couldn't stop saying "bush's
farewell address" last night. I still want him held accountable, but at least he is out of
Our White House for good!

If you are watching the Inauguration (or the opening ceremony/concert), look for the guy
yelling GObama!! and flashing a peace sign. Can you believe that it actually happened?
And that it's finally here??

To Progress!!
GObama!!!!!

Setting bush's watch.

2009-01-10T07:15:00.001+05:00

There's still plenty of time to fine tooth comb every move , appointment, and nomination made by the incoming President-Elect Barack Obama. Here he is on the economy, and his stimulus package, Thursday. I will say this. I am disappointed that Governor Richardson will not be the Commerce Secretary. I was also surprised by the news stories (no official announcement yet) of former Clinton Chief of Staff Panetta heading the CIA. It would be nice to have someone at the CIA who is an outspoken opponent of torture.

All that being said, let's talk about the "legacy" left behind by the current "president", who is such a Lame Duck that he continues to sit idly by as the economy continues to tank and the Israelis continue to kill hundreds (imagine if there was an actual count) of Palestinians, because Palestinian shoulder launched rockets killed two people in the the country that has 65 United Nations resolutions against it (and 29 more that We, alone, vetoed). More on that disgusting mess later. First, let's think back to the fear-mongering, "with us or against" bush watch. Lists of incompetence, illegality, and scandal are popping up all over the "internets". There is a very thorough one here.

Here's one from me (In no particular order):
1. Eight months after bush took office and After warnings from Intelligence officials, including National Security Council counterterrorism director Richard Clarke, the Twin Towers were destroyed and the Pentagon attacked, killing 3,000 Americans . The World Trade Center site is still not redeveloped.

2. Before capturing or killing 9/11 "mastermind", osama bin laden, or completely eradicating al qaeda where they lived and trained in afghanistan, the neo-cons, through their figure head cheerleader in chief rushed the US out of Afghanistan (for the most part) and into Iraq, based on intel that was questionable to many and debunked by some At the Time. The argument that everyone had the same intelligence can be answered with "Why did no one else think it actionable?" By the way, there were no WMDs found, no mobile labs, no ties or real connection at all between bin laden and saddam, Iraqi oil hasn't paid for the war, and we were not greeted with showers of sweets and flowers.

3. Troops were sent into the field of combat without proper training, body armor or up-armed humvees.

4. It took four days for the Federal government to respond to a hurricane it was certainly warned about. As US citizens were drowning in the worst natural disaster to hit in my lifetime, junior celebrated mccain's birthday.

5. Severely unqualified bush crony, harriet miers, was nominated for the supreme court.

6. Working for no major publication, male prostitute jeff gannon/guckert is given daily press badge after daily press badge to ask the president softball questions at the White House.

7. Oil Baron and bush friend, "kenny boy" lay, and a couple of his minions are arrested for fraud at enron. Tapes are released of gleeful employees laughing at the 2001 California crisis created by enron producing unneccesary shortages and then profitting on them.

8. Pictures and video evidence of torture and abuse happening at United States detention centers at abu ghraib and guatanamo bay, where prisoners are held without charges for years, were made public. (P.S. Of course they're going to close gitmo. The biggest US embassy in the world has just been completed in Iraq, and I'm sure it has holding cells along with it's swimming pool).

9. Reports of prisoner rendition by the United States to countries, like Syria, to be tortured.

10. The Federal government/US military lied to the public about the killing of Pat Tillman and the rescue of Jessica Lynch.

11. In response to Joe Wilson's report that Iraq did not try and procure "yellow cake" uranium from Niger (documents used by the president were found to be Obvious forgeries), officials from bush's executive branch reveal wilson's wife's CIA operative status, which is a crime against US National Security.

12. The multi billion dollar Department of Homeland Security is created and comes up with a color code of terror.

13. Department of Justice Attorneys are fired on a political basis, which isn't a surprise from an administration who appointed a horse "expert" to head of FEMA.

14. On May 1, 2003 the president announced "Major Combat operations [in Iraq] have ended" in front of a banner that reads "Mission Accomplished". The war continued.

15. Unemployment rose from 4.2 to 7.2. 2.6 million Americans lost their job during junior's final year in office.

16. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped from 11,722.98 to 8,721.52.

17. A $230,000,000,000.00 surplus turned into a $482,000,000,000.00 deficit.

18. Of the $700 Billion Wall Street bank bailout spearheaded by bush, $350 Billion has been spent with no oversight.

19. The Walter Reed Hospital scandal saw rats running by the beds of veterans.

20. The Federal Government illegally wiretapped phones and read through the mail and email of US citizens, domestic and abroad.

21. Dick's former company, Halliburton, inadaquately provided food to troops, some food was actually tainted with human bodily fluids. They continue to receive no bid contracts.

22. 879 vacation days were taken by the 43rd president of the United States (as of March 4, 2008). If he hadn't taken a vacation day since, that would equal 30% of his presidency. It is more than any President in history. Only urgent matters like Terri Shiavo have taken the "president" away from his off time.

23. The bush administration lied to Congress about the cost of the Medicare Drug bill.

24. The 2000 Election, especially in Florida where bush's brother was governor and his state campaign chair doubled as the Florida Secretary of State who gleefully stopped counting votes after a 5-4 supreme court decision, was sketchy at best.

25. The failure and chief fought an independent 9/11 commission, then created his own, then refused to testify without dick, only to manipulate it's findings, and leave its recommendations unfulfilled. Ladies and gentlemen, Senator Robert Byrd.

26. The internationally illegal pre-emptive war / bush doctrine. Most refer to such a thing as an invasion.

27. 159 signing statements (as of October 14, 2008) to allow the president to be above the laws he signs.

28. The Jack Abramoff scandal (see bush and his Department of Interior)

29. The paid propaganda program (see Armstrong Williams and the Department of Education or the Department of Defense)

30. World Trade Center air and the air in the immediate area was deemed safe long before it was by bush's EPA.

31. Junior calls violence in Darfur "genocide" but does little to nothing to stop it.

32. North Korea may have actually started enriching uranium.

33. Millions of emails "lost" from the White House server.

34. The Office of Faith Based Initiatives.

35. Scientists and reports were censored by the administration for political reasons

36. After 6 years, 5,000+ american lives and $550 Billion dollars, the Iraq War has been so mismanaged that journalists are throwing shoes at the president, who is still arriving under cover of night. The only marginal success... two years ago, dicktator and uber-bluffer saddam hussein was found and hung for crimes he committed from before Gulf War I.

Did I miss anything?

To Progress! To a Change! To January 20th!!

The Biggest News Stories of 2008

2008-12-31T23:58:00.001+05:00

The 10 Biggest Stories of 2008:

1. Barack Obama elected President of the United States of America
2. 1.2 million Americans lost their job in 2008
3. Gas goes up to $4.10+ and down to $1.50+ with no real change in supply or demand.
4. The Wall Street Bailout. Investment Banks get $700,000,000,000.00 with bushco. responsible for oversight. (Half is gone, but noone knows to where.) Lehman Brothers allowed to go bankrupt by treasury secretary and former Goldman Sachs CEO henry paulson. Insurance company AIG gets about $100 billion.
5. Dow Jones drops 36.2% ($7.3 trillion) on the year.
6. The US auto industry receives sneers then $13.4 billion dollar in loans to stay out of bankruptcy.
7. Riots. (In the "third world" over food, in Greece over the shooting of a teen by the POlice, in tibet, in thailand)
8. More than 100 ships attacked by pirates
9. A reporter from an Iraqi owned paper threw two shoes at president george bush on his last surprise visit to Iraq (the crown jewel of his presidency).
10. The Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. (You might not think it was such a big story, but all I could think was Scary foreshadowing)

Honorable mention: The QEII (the big English cruise ship) is sold to Dubai, UAE. Fidel Castro resigns. Eliot Spitzer gets a Jersey Shore prostitute (all Federal charges have been dropped).

By FAR my favorite "viral" video of the year:
bill o'Leilly in "Fuck it! We'll do it live" the dance mix

Biggest news story to start off 2009:
the 43rd president of the United States steps down!/The 44th President of the United States takes office!

Remembering those that died in 2008:
George Carlin
Paul Newman
Isaac Hayes
Richard Wright
Jimmy Carl Black
Mitch Mitchell
Studs Terkel
Sidney Pollack
Bo Diddley
Bettie Page
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Edmund Hillary
Heath Ledger
Tim Russert
Eartha Kitt
Bernie Mack
Bobby Fisher
Roy Sheider

I'm not that upset but...
William F Buckley
Jess Helms
died too.

Happy New Year Everybody!

Olive Branches and old shoes.

2008-12-23T22:50:00.000+05:00

Not to continue the white glove inspection of the always headlined every move of President-Elect Barack Obama, but...

Let's start with a couple of questions... Can anyone name (no googling) the current secretary of energy, secretary of agriculture, or head of the EPA? Who gave the invocation for either of junior's Inaugurations? Were there any progressives on the Clinton team? Clinton did have Maya Angelou speak at his Inauguration. That certainly counts for something. I've been saying all along that Barack Obama would do some things I would not like. Olive branches to Presidential primary opponents Biden, Clinton, Richardson, and Vilsack are understandable and justifiable. They are more than capable, have proper experience, notoriety, and are high profile nominations in what might be the highest profile cabinet ever seen. Former Iowa Governor Vilsack's understanding of agriculture and its connection to business is a plus, but his work with bio-engineering is a Minus. There are two republicans are on the team. There are military men at National Security and the CIA. But though there are Environmentalists at the EPA, Labor, and the New Cabinet level "Coordinator of Energy and Climate Policy", there have been no olive branches extended to the real progressives who worked so hard to get an African American one term Senator named Barack Hussein Obama elected as President.

The evangelical leader of the 22,000 strong saddlebrook church, and maybe the biggest preacher since ted haggard (who went to a gay prostitute for meth), is rick warren. His giving the invocation at Obama's Inauguration is no doubt meant to bring "religious right" social conservatives into the fold or at least into the ceremony. Seen by some as a "Be the bigger man" move to help create an environment where government can actually work, it remains a direct slap at Americans who voted and worked for Barack Obama for President. This intolerant "christian" considers homosexuals equivalent to pedophiles and the incestuous and to add insult to injury Obama hasn't tapped anyone from the other extreme to balance him out. In a related note, the pope recently called homosexuality "a wound" on humanity. I do wish people were paying as much attention to Obama's Inaugural benediction preacher pick, Civil Rights icon Rev. Joseph E. Lowery.

Barack's nod to warren brings up a situation similar to the Left watching him nominate centrists, those just left of center and republicans without any Real progressive representation. The ideas of universal health care, aggressive environmental stewardship, and investment in alternate fuels are there, but the nominees and/or appointments are not. If the Obama administration truly works towards these ends (there is little doubt of him agressively working on climate change), while helping the middle class, these nominations will be considered wise and animosity towards them will be forgotten. I know we're a long way from Secretary of Defense Kucinich or Head of the SEC Nader, but it would be nice to know that when "everyone will have a seat at the table", that means progressives too, especially when We worked so hard for Change.

It's also important to remember that the oil man in chief and his oil man/halliburton vice dick nominated a National Security Advisor that exxon named a tanker after. Almost all of his cabinet picks came out of the CEO washroom, or were friends with dick. There were few, if any, olive branches offered by the failure. And we all know, and will be reminded, how that has worked out.

On the fallen prince, I'm sure by now most have seen (here's video and here are some funny adaptations) or at least heard about the shoe attack of a reporter from a Iraqi owned newspaper on the great liberator of Iraq and failure in chief who has spent 4,819+ American military lives and $580,000,000.00+ of US taxpayers money mishandling an unnecessary war he mislead us into. Striking someone with your shoe is seen by many in the region as a big insult (remember the striking of saddam posters and statues). Not to worry, it sounds like the assailant has been more than adequately punished already by the new iraqi penal system and he faces two years in jail. The Rude Pundit and others (a lot of others) have begun to mail the president shoes in their own "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog".

To be fair it wasn't the only story of interest when it comes to the, the still nimble, lamest duck ever. He also admitted that al qaeda wasn't in Iraq until after the "invasion". Of course, when asked, the pathetic one refused to be held accountable or responsible for any of his signing statement unitary executive actions as president. Junior didn't "play the blame game" and admit that his foreign policy put al qaeda there, he simply responded "So What?"

In ever so often reminders, the 43rd president has been abissmal. The failures, scandals, and illegalities come so fast sometimes it's been hard to keep track. Which got me thinking, we should come up with a list.

Any suggestions?
I'll start....
How about...

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended" May 1, 2003

Your turn.

Peace on Earth.
Goodwill towards Men.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ

Change.

2008-12-12T08:05:00.000+05:00

Was President-Elect Barack Obama telling Barbara Walters, in his best Trumanian, "The buck stops with me" a Change? Is it a Change from the lack of responsibility and accountability of the last eight years. Is it a Change from it "depends on what 'is' is" before that, or "I do not recall" before that? Would someone taking responsibility for their actions as President be a Change?

When asked at a recent press conference about his cabinet not looking like a Change, President-Elect Obama responded "I suspect the American people would be troubled if I selected a treasury secretary or a chairman of an economic council at one of the most critical economic times in our history who had no experience in government whatsoever," "What we're going to do is combine experience with fresh thinking," "We need people who will be able to hit the ground running,"

There is a difference between the Need for "experienced" personnel to implement and advise on, at least the practicality of, policy, and the vision that was Needed in the Head of State to create a new direction in policy. It's like someone designing a house and then hiring carpenters and masons to build it. I understand that people are uneasy with so many cabinet picks having Clinton on their resume, but appointing someone who has experience, with say a recession like the one left by h.w. bush, might be a good idea. Anyone on the left, left center, or center with experience in the federal government, under the age of 60, will have the Clinton Administration somewhere in their resume, no? Not to mention the fact that eight years of peace and prosperity weren't such a bad thing.

Another problem Obama the Architect seems to be having is that some of the houses built by his recent nominations in the past are not to Our (the left's) liking. An economic team, composed mainly of those that were there for, and were proponents of, the further "deregulating" the banking and other industries during the economically prosperous Clinton years, concerns many of Us "hungry" for a Change. With the worst unemployment numbers since the 70's, retail sales and consumer confidence down and falling, the economic experts being nominated right now might realize that deregulation didn't work, at least not long term and not for most Americans. Who knows maybe they'll see the err of their ways. Imagine a Change in government where it's employees can admit a mistake and adjust, to a new situation, or to a New President.

The cabinet serves at the pleasure of the President. Underlings like dick, wolfie, rummy, and rover may have run the cheerleader puppet in chief for the last eight years, but that has not historically been the case, or at least isn't how the job description reads. With the power that Obama has right now, I would be surprised if he's nominating anyone who would not execute the policy of their President. Disagreements, discussion and debate? Sure. But at the end of the day the decisions on policy will be Obama's. Having an intelligent, competent President in the White House making those decisions is a Change from the eight if you ask me.

Tying energy, the environment, efficiency and health care to the economy, in a way that helps all three? Now that would be Change. At defense he's keeping bush appointee, Robert Gates. Nominating someone from the "other side of the aisle" is a Change in itself. We should have been out of Iraq before we went in, but at least he has been an adult at the helm. Gates has been a marked improvement over sometimes "funny", never accountable, "stuff happens" rummy. He is for Our withdrawal from Iraq and Closing Our prison in Guatanamo Bay. That is a Change. And he knows where the troops currently are, which may make it easier to get them out. The possibility of a Nobel Laureate in Physics as the Secretary of Energy? Now that's a Change. A president that believes in scientists, let alone that there is a climate change happening and we can help ease it without hurting ourselves. I see Change.

Unfortunately, some things don't Change. The incoming President, like his predecessor, will enter the White House greeted by serious warnings of threats against US and Our allies. "It is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013." On the day President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama announced his Foreign Policy team, a bipartisan commission headed by Bob Graham(d) and Jim Talent(r) released it's congressionally mandated report, "World at Risk". One Change, the report refers to the country of Pakistan as an "unwitting source of a terrorist attack on the United States" as opposed to the popular nomenclature for countries that posed a similar risk in 2002. You remember "harborer of terrorists", don't you? All joking aside, the report is very serious and very scary.

The Change I most Hope to see (intel received by a book signing goer recently has taken Robert Kennedy Jr. off of that list) is a government that Works, and works for the bulk of the American People and not just for the royalty of industry. Barack Obama was labeled by the right as the most liberal senator, a radical from the left, but he is not. Being for a rational and conscious energy policy is not a solely liberal idea. The American government not condoning or participating in torture is not just a liberal idea. Nor are Habeus Corpus, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights, though there is a part of me that wishes I could claim them for the liberal left. Barack Obama has been and will be a consensus builder. He will listen to all sides (the ones I like and the ones I don't) and will come up with a rational thought out solution. He is surrounding himself with smart, capable people not based on an ideology, like the last eight years, but based on the fact they can and will get the job done. Pragmatism, not to mention reality, may be just the Change Our politics and Our government need right. As much as I, personally, would like a lurch left, would it be a real Change from the failure's "you're with us or you're against us" bushit?

Oh and just real quick... still governor rod blagojevich is a complete and utter asshole and should definitely and immediately resign.

A lot to say after a short break.

2008-11-22T01:26:00.000+05:00

After a couple of weeks off of the computer, basking, in both the blue in '08 sunshine of Florida and in Our Glorious Victory that Elected Barack Obama President of the United States of America, I'm back to rant a bit. First off, Don't let anyone tell you that "the electoral college was a landslide, but the popular vote was really close". The 7,943,027 vote margin in the 2008 Presidential Election was the second largest margin of Victory in 24 years. William Jefferson Clinton beat h w bush by 8 million, but had Ross Perot not gotten 19 million that too may have been much closer. So gloat or not, rub it in their face or not, but don't let them belittle the decisiveness of Our Victory (20 pickups in the House and 7 in the Senate so far!!).

Next, It is fun to watch the uber-reds, "religious right", GOP, and plumber devotees eat themselves, but the daily palin interviews are too much for even the most avid car crash aficionado. HOPEfully, her latest "turkey pardon" interview, with the guy killing and bleeding turkeys behind her, will end it. And Speaking of dead turkeys, the longest sitting republican senator and convicted felon, ted stevens, was voted out of the US Senate by the people of Alaska. Can you see my smile in those words? I'm not going to talk about republican strategy going forward, because frankly I don't care. Let's take a look at the Democrats.

First the OUTRAGE, joe LIEberman ("LIE") should have been kicked out of at least his chairmanship. I actually didn't mind him on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. He was better on that than he was on Governmental Oversight, where he did none. As Chairman he held No investigations of bush or his minions, not on the Katrina response (which he promised), on wiretapping, on torture, on rendition, on the rush to War, NOT ONE. For some reason, the Democrats feel that they will not be in control unless they have the almighty 60 (not to say that it's guaranteed that LIE will vote with the other 59). How did the republicans manage to jam the first 6 years of bush down Our throats with just a simple majority? Barack went to campaign for this rat in CT in 2006, and how is he repaid? LIE goes on national TV agreeing with the marxist and socialist claims, while on his non-stop campaign for the republican presidential nominee. He campaigned V. the Democratic party, with his "fear" for America's survival if the Democrats held 60 seats. I guess they want to keep playing nice, and this way the coming mccain-LIEberman global warming bill will still be "bi-partisan". It will be BY partisans alright!

In other leaders in Congress news, it's looking more and more like Senator "He's naive" Hillary "me and mccain have experience" Clinton will be Barack Obama's Secretary of State. Weeks of "news" has been made of this impending selection. Whether it's to "keep his friends close and his enemies closer" or his returning to past tradition, where it was almost customary for campaign rivals from the losing side to work for/be part of the victor's administration, Senator Clinton is a strong, intelligent, hard working public servant, and is a powerful International figure in her own right. I think she will make a good Secretary of State. I was just suprised by the choice and want to know that Obama is picking the best person FOR THE JOB, and it's not Just politics. The leader that seemed to want the position Sooo bad, Senator John Kerry, has been chosen to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Speaking of bringing your campaign rivals in, you do remember who Candidate Kerry's pick for VP was, don't you? Why do all these Congressional leaders want out of Congress and/or Obama is taking them now that they hold a bigger majority than I can remember? My favorite CHANGE in Democratic leadership, so far, is Representative Henry Waxman taking over at the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He beat out Rep. Dingell (d) who, by most accounts, favored the polluters and more specifically the Big Oil Companies. Rep. Waxman, acting as LIE's government affairs counterpart in the House, has been Tenacious, even before the Dem's kicked the reds out of the majority in 2006.

So yeah, it is SWEET to be on the winning side of things, and I am happy to be done arguing why Barack Obama should be President. Now I can refocus on the abissmal failures and the horrendous legacy that the 43rd president and his administration has left in Our laps and the laps of generations to come. We can add their rushed into $700,000,000,000.00 "bailout" to the list, the management of which the Inspector General of the US Treasury has decribed to Congress, under oath, as "a mess". They are marking Our continued "victory" in Iraq by hanging effigies of the sitting US president. Oh yeah and it is now reported that Iran has enough uranium to work on a nuCLEar bomb. Go bush watch go. Don't let the revisionists and selective amnesiacs forget the truth. Don't let them forget the inept response to a predicted natural disaster's catastrophic flooding of a US city and the lack of redevelopment in its aftermath. Don't let them forget their rush into and mismanagement of a "pre-emptive war in Iraq. Don't let them forget the Illegal spying on US Citizens, the condoning of torture, the indefinite holding of prisoners with no charge, the politicizing of the Department of Justice, the tax cuts for the rich while Increasing non-military and military spending. Don't let them forget going from a surplus to the biggest deficit in history and the DOW going from 10,887 to 7,552 (under Clinton it went from 3,310 to 10,587). They may not be all entirely bush's fault, but they ALL happened on his watch, as did the largest terrorist attacks on American soil. Not that Our government will ever hold him accountable, short of a sex scandal, but there may be a lawyer or two, like the Texas judge who indicted dick and alberto recently, who will.

So to everyone that told me that America will never elect a "black guy", to those who warned of the Bradley Effect and the "liberal polling" (the polls were right on by the way), to all you "center righters" out there, you who warned of "the rest of the country" I had forgotten about. All I have to say is... WRONG!

We Won! I have the stack of newspapers and magazines to prove it! HOPE beat fear!

PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA!!!!!

2008-11-06T04:42:00.001+05:00

I can honestly say I have never woken up with Lee Greenwood in my head before, but today I can't seem to shake his "Proud to Be an American".

This election means a lot a things to a lot of people (and to me personally), and says a lot about Our Country.
Our Need for a New Direction
Our Ability to Move past the small politics of character assassination
Our Attitude toward race
Our Desire for a Change
And an understanding and Belief that We Could Do it

I know. I'm in the clouds right now, but this win was not by a narrow margin. This was not close. 349 (so far) electoral votes to 163. 52% of the popular vote (62,956,752 votes) to 46% (55,764,284). President-Elect Barack Obama's 52% of the popular vote marked the first time in 44 years a Democrat reached 51 let alone passed it. Obama's 50 State strategy, which Chairman Dean laid the foundation for, led him to victory in republican strongholds like Colorado, Indiana, Virginia, Nevada . Barack Obama won Ohio And Florida, and Pennsylvania wasn't close (by 10%).

We Did It! We Truly Did. But to tell you the truth, until Barack Obama takes the oath of office on January 20th, 2009 Officially making the 44th President, I don't think I'll fully believe it. Thank you to everyone that did anything to help this to happen. And most importantly THANK YOU to EVERYBODY that VOTED for Barack Obama for the President of the United States of America.

In other election news, The Democrats picked up 5 seats in the Senate, making their majority 56 to 41 (that includes LIEberman, who I think should be thrown out on his ass) and picked up 18 seats in the House making that majority 252 to 173. Massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana and South Dakota voted Down a Statewide ban on abortion.

More on other people's reactions later... and it's Worldwide!

To Progress! GObama!

I'm Nauseous.

2008-11-04T05:56:00.000+05:00

So yeah. Nauseous, not really able to sleep, scared by the last two stolen elections, stomach in knots from the ridiculous points the other ticket's supporters are making to me, and still, albeit cautiously, Optimistic, when it comes to tomorrow's election. If you're getting this eMail you know damn well, my thoughts on the who I'm Voting For and the Why. I won't list them again, at least not here. What's important now is that the Vote Gets Out. Barack is still ahead in the polls, even in most of the "battleground" states, which Now include Indiana, North Carolina, Colorado, Montana and even Arizona. But he doesn't "have" anything yet and won't until after voting tomorrow.

Things to watch for tomorrow. If Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida go Obama, it's over. If he can hold on to every state Kerry won (only PA is in any jeopardy) and wins Fla, OH, or (Iowa, New Mexico, and Nevada, all of which is well ahead in) He wins! The African American voter turnout should be extremely high and I think He has inspired the youth to actually come out this time. Remember, this is about electoral votes, not the popular.

And finally, Vote! You have to vote to make a difference. Get to the polls, bring a friend, help a stranger get there, work the phone banks at your local Barack headquarters, but at the very least get out there and let your, albeit small, individual voice heard. It's not the small drop that makes the difference, it's when so many drops get together to form a flood. Yeah, I'm a bit delirious!

Here's to Hoping for the Future!

Get Out and Vote!

GObama!!!!GObama!!!!GObama!!!!GObama!!!!GObama!!!!GObama!!!!GObama!!!!GObama!!!!
dave

P.S. Can you believe it's finally here?!?

When they ask about Obama.

2008-10-31T01:58:00.000+05:00

When they say he'll raise your taxes,
A) Families making less than $250,000.00, and individuals making less than $200,000, will see NO increase in their taxes, most in this bracket will see their taxes CUT. The Obama tax calculator is here.
B) If you make more than $250,000.00 a year you will be taxed at the same rate people in that bracket were under President Clinton. People seemed to do pretty well during that administration.
C) Obama will end tax breaks, effectively raising taxes, on businesses who send jobs oversees, and will give a tax credit to those that create jobs here in America.

When they ask about Obama's accomplishments,
A) He graduated Magnum Cum Laude from Harvard Law School, and was head of the Harvard Law Review.
B) He sponsored over 800 bills in the Illinois State Senate
C) In his first year and a half as United States Senator he sponsored 152 bills. Some of them are small, and some big.
D) He co-sponsored and lobbied for "sweeping" Ethics Reform Legislation with Russ Feingold.
E) He has Led his campaign for President for two years, against the party establishment (see primaries) and defeated the biggest name in Democratic politics since Kennedy. And after winning the primary, his first act of leadership over his party was to have them stop taking lobbyist and PAC money. Something his campaign has done all along.
F) Oh yeah and he is the First African American Candidate for President of the United States with a major party, that appears to be leading going into election day.

When they say he is the most Liberal Senator and/or Democrat
A) Ask them "Says who?".
B) There are plenty "Left" of Barack, Ted Kennedy, Russ Feingold, Diane Feinstein for starters. If you want to talk about of all the Democrats, bring in Kucinich, Conyers, Waxman, etc.
C) It will be a welcome change from what the most conservative administration has done over the past eight years.
D) Barack Obama is no "dove" (see more troops into war in Afghanistan). There is certainly some room to the left of that stance.
E) He has partnered with Republican Leaders, like Dick Lugar and Chuck Hagel on several occasions.

When they say he's a muslim.
A) He has been a Christian all his life.
B) You may not want to bring him up, but they may remember stories about his pastor.
C) As former General and Secretary of State, colin powell, recently said "what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America."

When they say, fear the terrorist attack if he should get in.
A) The worst attack on the United States happened in 2001, on bush's watch. When they blame Clinton, by saying "they" were planning it during Clinton, ask them does that mean that they're planning the attack for Obama's tenure during bush? If you really want to get into it, you could mention the warnings from Richard Clarke and others that bush did get.
B) Members of al qaeda have come out to support mccain's candidacy.
C) Barack Obama is no "dove" (see more troops into war in Afghanistan).

When they say he's not a citizen or a "natural born" citizen,
A) Barack Obama was born in Hawaii August 4, 1961, two years after Hawaii achieved statehood. His campaign provided an image of the birth certificate a few months ago.
B) Candidate mccain was born in Panama (in the "canal zone").

Barack in Richmond, Virginia "We All Love this Country"

2008-10-26T23:07:00.000+05:00

Here’s What You Have to Do to Make Sure You Get to Vote.

2008-10-26T23:06:00.000+05:00

I've been getting asked lately about numbers to call about voter suppression, polling places, etc. And yeah, when you go to vote you should cover your Obama shirt, take off your Obama button and leave any literature 50 Feet away from the polling place. Accidental electioneering would be a pretty lame reason for not being allowed to vote.

Here's a good link about early voting, voter challenges, and suppression.

For Jersey folks you can go here to find your polling place and here for what ID you can use. For out of state readers, you can just google polling places and the state you're in. County Registrars usually are a good place to start.

And speaking of other states, a regular reader and responder to the Ink asked me to ask if anyone wants to help out the Barack effort in PA. Much has been made, especially by the grand oil party, that it is close there. Kerry won Pennsylvania by winning Philly pretty much. I am of the feeling that we should treat every state as uncertain (at the very least). I'm staying in New Jersey. If you do want to travel to a swing state, Barack's site has ways to get you out there. Or if it's PA you're looking at, I have someone you can talk to.

That's all for now.

GObama/Biden!!!!

After the Final Debate.

2008-10-17T21:59:00.006+05:00

Last week saw the final Presidential debate of the 2008 campaign (Barack's 29th since announcing his candidacy). The main feeling I was left with, especially after watching some split screen coverage, was how calm, cool, and confident Obama was, as opposed to the twitchy and angry john mccain. In his opening statement, mccain said the word "angry" four times. But in case you missed that, the split screen showed an eyes rolling, eye brow raising, tongue flicking, angry old man. The irony of john's talk on negative campaining, and being proud of his followers even when confrionted with the shouts of "terrorist" "kill 'im" and his Vice's "palling around with terrorists" didn't surprise me, or fool anyone. On abortion, he continued, as his vice did when talking about her teen age pregnant daughter, to use the word "decision". DECISION?!??! Isn't that exactly what you want to deny people the ability to do, decide for themselves what's best. Interesting side note, there was a hard hitting/to watch ad that aired right after the debate with a rape victim saying she didn't want to be forced by the government, or sarah palin, to have the child. As for Obama going against his party's leadership, look no further than His Campaign for the President of the United States of America, which went against almost all of the leadership (if you can remember back to the early part of the primaries), and took out the biggest last name in the Democratic party since Kennedy. Just think back when the Democratic leadership was falling in line behind Hillary. Then there was Joe (who's real name is Sam) the plumber (who isn't a licensed plumber) who's afraid of Obama's tax plan, even though he has admitted Barack plan would cut his taxes, not to mention his neglecting to pay them anyway. It certainly smells like the last attempt of a man with seven houses, thirteen cars, and $5,000 make up girl to relate to the "working man". Oh and here's a quick video to answer the burning question if "say and do anything to win/losing more integrity everyday" mccain is for or against the failure in chief (a "man" who john mccain has voted with him 90% of the time).

Barack Obama won this debate on style and on substance. He absorbed attacks with an unforced, comfortable smile and answered them with reasoned responses. His holding back from attacking his opponent and the republican vice presidential candidate only served to further distinguish himself from the other guy at the table (not Bob Schiffer, who I thought did great). He answered questions on Ayers (Here's a great Wall Street Journal Op Ed on that subject) who is now a professor and board member invited by a close ally of reagan and ACORN, "voter Registration fraud" complaints against which, GOP Gov. Christ says are overblown. In a related story, The Supreme Court has ruled against the GOP in their Ohio "voter fraud" claim. I know I am biased, almost as biased as they come on this, but which of these two candidates is Our best Hope of Change in Our Country's direction and the way it is governed? The candidate who has been there for 26 years, the last eight of which becoming a different man and a follower of those he once raled against or Barack Obama, who took on his party, with a campaign he has led, with a steady hand and message, over the last two years, taking it to places that were not too long ago deemed impossible. We decide.

I, like most of you I'm sure, can't wait for this campaign to be over. My nerves are really pretty shot at this point. More importantly, though, news outside the campaign has taken a back seat. From the roller coaster on wall street, falling and flailing non-stock market economic indices (unemployment, retail sales, productivity), stories of Our government spying on conversations of US citizens that have absolutely nothing to do with "terrorism" and the military passing around the juicy parts, bush's memo allowing waterboarding, Iraq and the US coming closer to agreeing on a withdrawal timetable, oil prices dropping to half of what they were in July and gas prices not, and then there's the legacy of a president whose arrival was greeted with a record economic surplus, after eight years of peace and prosperity, only to leave Us with the "greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression", two unfinished foreign wars, a war without end on a noun, making the US Constitution irrelevent when it comes to the privacy of US Citizens and the separation of church and state, a severely diminished status among the World's nations when it comes to human rights, the environment, science and international law and an increase in the power of the executive branch (yes dick that includes Vice President) to a point above the law while lowering the bar on the intelligence and consensus building it takes to be its chief.

I leave you with Letterman asking johnny about his relationship with convicted felon g.gordon liddy, the Washington Post's well put endorsement of Barack Obama for President, and the Beastie Boys' Rock the Vote for Obama in Swing States tour dates (Tenacious D will be there with them for a couple).

7 Inconsistencies in logic (AKA hypocrisies and flip flops)

2008-10-10T20:37:00.008+05:00

My buddy, Karl, has a thing on his website called "TG7", where people submit lists of 7 on a wide variety of subjects. I try to refrain from getting too political on there I figure if people wanted to hear my political rants they'd read the blog. So I thought I'd put it up here instead.

7 Inconsistencies in logic (AKA hypocrisies and flip flops) from the mccain ticket:

1. Using the word "liberal" as a negative against Senator Obama and then crowing about "working with the other side" by teaming up with the Senate's two Biggest Liberals (Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold).

2. He says he will buy people's homes, or lower the value or the principle on their loans (whatever his most recent undetailed attempt at an economic policy is), then with his next breath says he will freeze spending. (Full disclosure... I was calling for a bailout for those whose homes were about to foreclosed on from the beginning, but I think it's too late and is nothing more than a political ploy from john)

3. Trumpeting his failed attempts at "fighting to stop climate change" and then repeating the call for more drilling.

4. "Say it ain't so" sara. "There you go pointing backwards again" (40 years backwards) "doggone it" I thought you were "gonna look ahead and tell Americans what you have to plan to do for them in the future".

5. Freaking out about a Weathermen member (circa the 60's) turned "distinguished professor" and school reformist (charges against whom were dropped by the government decades ago) because Obama was on a board with him, that was founded by a reagan conservative, and had a "coffee" fundraiser at his house 40 years after his "crimes". All this after johnny voted to protect domestic terrorists that bombed Health Clinics.

6. Taking the LOW road after over a year of saying his campaign wouldn't.

7. Being Against the "bush tax cuts", water boarding, the "religious right", rovian politics, and offshore drilling before being for them.

I'll leave you with Rolling Stone's "Make-Believe Maverick" (It's long but it's good) and the recent column from conservative columnist and son of william f. buckley (wow that sounded like a horror movie) Christopher titled "Sorry, Dad, I'm Voting for Obama"

More on the "Who is Obama?" argument, the inciting of violence toward a US official who could be the next President of the United States, and a reminder that there is a Major Economic crisis going on later.

There's just too much news. (A Pre Veep Debate post)

2008-10-03T00:16:00.009+05:00

There's been Too much news to type about lately. The economic bail out bill failed in the US House of Representatives, despite the afternoon long suspension of one of the presidential campaigns. It was then amended and passed in the Senate. Now it goes back to the House. As it does, stocks dropped on awful employment news and the growing credit crisis. There have been a series of bombings in Baghdad. A US General in Afghanistan is practically begging for more troops. And we are a month away from the election of the 44th President of the United States of America.

Tonight, after the republican choice for Vice President gets her cram session on current world events (and Joe Biden's record) and Senator Obama's choice gets his sensitivity training, the Vice presidential debate will take place. The spin has been something to behold. There's palin's skill at giving real good non-answers. How tonight's format could work in her favor. Stories of the moderator favoring Obama (and a future moderator acting as the link between NBC and the mccain camp). How a focus on foreign policy, like say the 2004 vice presidential debate, would be "gotcha" politics. I guess we'll have to see. I'm cautiously optimistic. Biden could come across as a mccain-esque angry old man. And she could come off like the lead character in the movie "Bob Roberts". Either way, I am expecting a bit of a dog fight.

Barack Obama has been moving up steadily in the polls, since about a week after the republican convention. Most polls now find him ahead in the ever important swing states of Ohio and Florida. President Clinton's recent visit may have helped with the latter. He is also leading in Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Nevada, and North Carolina. The failure-in-chief won all of these states in 2004. Some of these states are Way too Close, but others aren't (Iowa by 9+).

Anything can happen from now until November 4th, including the thinking that Obama is so ahead we can lay back a little. The Obama Campaign certainly doesn't want that. It is bringing the internet and grassroots together. Supporters are becoming volunteers in phone banks and street canvassing in states like Pennsylvania. There are text connections, web services making it easy to find out what you can do to volunteer, to donate, and to find out about events in your area. And now the Obama '08 iPhone application makes any downloader an Obama expert. We've come a long way from the pamphlets of the Revolution. I wonder if mccain understands it all.

Most important right now is that you and everyone you know are registered to vote. Deadlines are coming up. New Jersey's is October 14th. You can check at www.voteforchange.com (an Obama sanctioned site, I'm sure there are others) to make sure you're registered. It's important that the people's voice is heard . Especially at a time when it seems so obvious that the apathy allowing only the voices of Our "leaders" to be heard has failed Us so.

A Blatant Political Ploy.

2008-09-25T03:59:00.021+05:00

It wasn't even a year ago today that john mccain said he wasn't an "expert on wall street". On the day Lehman Brothers fell and the DOW dropped 500, mccain claimed "the fundamentals of our economy are strong". Now... He, senator john mccain, Has to be in Washington to fix the economic crisis, an investment banking crisis his votes for deregulation helped to bring to fruition. Maybe he wanted his first vote in the Senate since April to be surrounded by hoopla. He had to be there so fast, so immediately, that he cancelled a Letterman taping to be done a few hours after his announcement. He was in New York City being interviewed by Katie Couric at the time of the taping. Here's a great clip of Dave crushing john's sudden cancellation. Thank heavens he could make time in the morning to meet with the notorious turn coat clinton backer who now supports the man who'll take away her right to choose and doesn't support equal work for equal pay.

Yes john mccain was whisked away. I can picture him now illuminating all the people who have been working on this crisis. Experts on all things Economic and financial hanging on his every word. Finally their oracle has arrived.

The republican candidate's Top Economic Advisor, who recently claimed that We were a "Nation of Whiners" in a "Mental Recession", phil graham, co-sponsored the legislation that, coupled with greed on wall street, has lead to this crisis, and he is going to go in there and fix it? We could talk about the touchy subject (no, not the investigation into sarah palin's abuse of power as governor) of john's Campaign Manager lobbying for the deregulation of freddie mac and fannie mae, and getting millions of dollars for it.

On the question of should there be a Presidential Debate on Friday, The President of the United States has to be able to handle multiple, not to mention HUGE, tasks and crises. Given the current state of affairs, both foreign and domestic, it is guaranteed the next president will have to, and with modern day airborne transportation, a flight from Washington, D.C. to Mississippi isn't all that long. I'm pretty sure both campaigns have access to a plane. If it was necessary for them to be in Washington (they are both there today) they could be there and hop on a plane to Mississippi for the debates. Why not tell the American people what you want to do for the economy? The topic for Friday's debate "is" foreign policy, but that could be changed to the economy, at least partially. I'd like to hear the candidates' proposals for reversing the downward spiral Our economy has been in over the past year or so.

Maybe the no pull president wanted a quiet cheerleader in there in return for giving so many of his political staff to the mccain campaign? Or is there another reason john has to be in DC? Could the campaign not be going so well? Did, to quote Maureen Dowd, palin's "speed-dated diplomacy" photo op at the UN not work as well as hoped? Is it just a "time out" so that the campaign can try and grab some footing on the sliding polls? Does mccain need time for his team to finally come up with a coherent and consistent stance on US economic policy? Personally, I think it's just a blatant political ploy for him to attach a tag line to. But wait, the mccain campaign wants to postpone the first presidential debate to the day of the vice presidential debate next week, which would be rescheduled for a yet to be determined date. And by the sound of her appearance with Katie Couric, sarah palin may still need more "learning on the job".

It's important that We remember what caused this crisis as the failure in chief prepares to lay blame on Congress for not immediately rubber stamping his no oversight, no questions asked blank check of $700 BILLION dollar buy, I mean, bailout. It was the deregulation and unbridled greed of investment banks who's unrealistic schemes and deals put unrealistic value on unrealistic loans and mortgages. I keep asking myself if the government spent ONE TRILLION DOLLARS of tax payer money to help out those taxpayers who were about to default on their home loans and mortgages or even made it possible for the banks to lower the payments, would we be in the mess we're in. I know, that would be for low income, which means we'd hear the word "socialism" a lot more than we do for the bailout of billion dollar corporations, but "I'm not an expert on some of this stuff" either, john. He sure does have a way with words.

More on what the hell is going on with Our economy and the complete and utter policy failure, domestic, foreign, and economic of the 43rd president of the united states later.

Oh wait, they may agree on the bailout today or early tomorrow. I guess it's a good thing they have cancelled the debate yet.

UPDATE: The tentative agreement forged by Congressional leaders and the administration was all but blown up at the White House meeting, that johnny and george called for, by House republicans. It's actually being reported that Secretary Paulson took a knee and pleaded "please don't blow this up." Oh and Washington Mutual became the largest US bank to collapse.

From Yahoo: "At one point, several minutes into the session, Obama said it was time to hear from McCain. According to a Republican who was there, "all he said was, 'I support the principles that House Republicans are fighting for.'"

From Politico: "And the whole sequence of events confirmed Treasury’s fears about the decision by Bush, at the urging of McCain, to allow presidential politics into what were already difficult negotiations"

Barack Obama for President!

2008-09-18T22:46:00.020+05:00

I know I should be typing about US taxpayers bailing out Huge companies and Our "free market" economy to the tune of perhaps $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollars), how the DOW dropped back to where it was when the failure first stepped into Our Oval Office before recently bouncing back, how the biggest banks in the United States are in a cannibalistic/save our ass feeding frenzy (with China making offers for 49% of Morgan Stanley), how socialism is ok if it's the rich that need the help, and how johnny's economic "guru" helped architect the economic policies that lead Us here. I could be typing about the quick (same day) Federal response to Hurricane Ike as opposed to the dismal response to Hurricane Katrina. I really should be typing about the failure in chief "secretly" agreeing with Barack that the US should be able to go after people, like osama bin laden, in Pakistan without the Pakistani government's approval, as well as Pakistan's response to that idea. The latter bringing to mind the question, what person on either ticket knows more about Pakistan than Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden?

But instead, I'd like to take this time to talk about... you guessed it, the 2008 Presidential Campaign. In the face of "eRumors" (I didn't coin it.) being spread by supporters of the real flip flop john/sarah i like to kill animals from helicopters and leave them to die an agonizing death palin ticket (Lies about Obama on taxes, and the ever pressing issue of when Obama salutes the flag, along with other LIES! ) my faith in Barack Obama for President has actually been on the rise. It's not so much the trends in the polls or that the pander for vice president's surge in the old man's support has disappearred from them. My reassurance has come directly from the candidate and his supporters. Obama's new ad concerning the economy was both empathetic and outlined a Real Plan. His appearances on David Letterman, Keith Obermann, and bill o'lielly (!!!) were all great. And his telling supporters in Nevada: "I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face," he said. "And if they tell you that, 'Well, we're not sure where he stands on guns.' I want you to say, 'He believes in the Second Amendment.' If they tell you, 'Well, he's going to raise your taxes,' you say, 'No, he's not, he's going lower them.' You are my ambassadors. You guys are the ones who can make the case." is just the stuff his campaign needs. We can't be afraid to fight. We can't sit back as they repeat lies over and over again. Some might even call it "bottom up politics". And yeah, celebrity look a like, Tina Fey, did pretty good, too!

I've even started receiving Pro-Obama email chains and pictures of anti-pander protests in Alaska. Unlike the anti-obama chains, these aren't filled with lies, but they are pretty damn tough for registered Democrats. What's really encouraging is that they are coming from people that don't normally, if ever, send me anything political. And now we're seeing more sober eyed republicans really taking a look at their ticket. Just look at i won't release my health records to the public johnny's economic advisor, and one time possible vice presidential pick, Carly Fiorina, his fellow republican Senator Chuck Hagel and rover's views on pander's experience.

People are starting to ask "What's up with mccain?" It's not unusual for him to have a "senior moment", but they're coming more and more often. He was against the Fed's bailout of America's largest insurance company, AIG, the Day before he was for it. His bizarre remarks on Spain are another blow to his "foreign policy credentials". Lord knows he doesn't have any more cred when it comes to lobbyists. His recent reactionary, if not vindictive, idea that if he were president he would fire the head of the SEC for the recent financial crisis, was met with the fact that the President does not have the power to fire the head of the SEC. What's happened to Our Country's economy over the past weeks, months and years is not the fault of any one man, but there is this old saying that once adorned the Oval Office about a buck.

These are serious times. This is not a reality show, horse race, or school yard insult contest between candidates. We need Wisdom to try and solve these problems. We need Leadership at Home and Abroad. We need Real New Ideas from the best and widest selection of sources possible . The only possibility of a change from the the policies, campaign tactics, incompetence, pettiness, and utter failure of the administration of the 43rd president is if We Elect Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Barack's Latest Ad Addressing the Economy

2008-09-18T00:56:00.002+05:00

Barack Obama addresses the recent Economic crisis which has the US taxpayers bailing out Huge companies with Billion$ of Our Tax Dollars

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

2008-09-10T22:07:00.002+05:00

Johnny third term of bush using the old lipstick pig line on Hillary's Health Care plan

The outrage from the formerly anti-pc, "uppity" republicans over Obama's use of the old cliche is the latest distraction from the mcsame/pander ticket meant to keep people from talking about how they want to extend the bush policies (like he made any up himself) on the economy and the war and everything else that has put Our Country in the direction we've been in for the past six years. I say 6, because I'll give bushco. a year after the tragedy of September 11th.

Here's johnny the same using the lipstick on a pig cliche when describing Hillary Clinton's health care plan.

Here's angry old dick cheney using it against Presidential Candidate John Kerry.

They do not have a copyright, or to dumb it down dibs, on the word "lipstick". If you watch the actual clip of Obama, he's not refering to candidate pander he's refering to the "for straight talk before he was against" candidate. But it is true that pander fed at the federal "trough" during her stint as both mayor and governor. $27 million for a town of 9,000??? You can put lipstick on pork...

Spread the Word!
GOBAMA/BIDEN!!!!

Senator Barack Obama and the gop's pick for vice president.

2008-09-04T23:25:00.005+05:00

More than Eighty Four Thousand people attended the last night of the Democratic National Convention to hear the Democratic Candidate speak. More Americans watched the speech than watched the opening night of the Olympics, the Oscars, or the american idol finale. Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's speech was strong, well written and forward looking. It informed Us of what the Change he keeps talking about means. It defended him against attacks about his "elitism" and "celebrity", and more importantly defended Democrats and the Democratic Party. It had more "attacks" than some had hoped, but those attacks were directed at the policy, direction, and lack of connection with the American people that the former straight talker and the administration he has supported 90% of the time have provided Us with for the past 7+ years. And I have to admit it sure was nice to see a Democrat with teeth, who stood up for himself and actually went on the offense.

It's not surprising that the speakers at the under-attended republican convention mock Barack Obama "the community organizer" instead of offering a plan to move America forward. It's not surprising that they leave out Barack's being a constitutional scholar at Harvard, or the fact that while the gop's vice presidential choice was on the town council and in the mayor's office of a small town in Alaska, Barack Obama was an Illinois State Senator and then a United States Senator.

When it comes to "experience governing", the right wing's VP candidate is under investigation for abuse of power after less than two years as governor of Alaska. And I'm sorry, maybe I know too many mayors and city council people, but thinking that is experience enough to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States is ludicrous. The Democratic candidate for President, that 18 million people voted for, has been campaigning for president as long as the red veep candidate has been governor of the least densely populated State in the Union. And it's been one heckuva campaign.

Barack Obama has commanded and controlled his campaign, it's message, and more recently the DNC, to a place unthinkable at it's start. A recent poll finds an African-American candidate for President named Barack Hussein Obama has the support of 50% of those registered voters polled. I'm sorry, but that is Astonishing! With stories of the bewildered and angry one wanting to pick LIEberman or colored coded tom ridge as his vice only to appoint someone for vice president he met once, makes me wonder who's in control of his campaign. If he can't command his own campaign, how can he command Our forces. And before you hit me with the he, like 600+ other American soldiers, was a POW in Vietnam, why not read what a man who was a POW with johnny third term has to say.

This was going to be (even more) of a hit piece on the red Vice Presidential candidate, whose selection peggy noonan (former raygun speech writer and WSJ columnist) described as part of a "politcal bullshit narrative". A blog about how a former Alaskan secessionist now preaches about American patriotism. It was going to be a piece questioning whether it matters that a governor, who cut $1.1 million dollars from a program because it contained sex education instead of the abstinence only programs that she pushes on taxpayers, is the mother of a pregnant teenager. Or whether it's fair to make Our Nation's teenage pregnancies Our Government's business, while saying a government official's teenage pregnancy is none of Our Nation's business. It was going to be a shot at her SUPPORTING the "bridge to nowhere" and then telling press she didn't, not to mention the millions more in "pork" she called on Congress to provide. A rant about her support of disgraced senator ted stevens and his of her. A pontification on whether it mattered that the vice presidential candidate hasn't "focused much on the war in Iraq" nor has she any foreign policy experience aside from the fact that "Alaska is right next to Russia" (to quote the old guy) . And though it surely isn't my place, I thought I'd ask whether a mother of five should be there for her "special needs" four month old child.

The nomination of sarah palin is, quite simply, political pandering. To tell you the truth, it reminds me a lot of harriet miers, brownie, and others like them. People who have been appointed and hired by bushco. with No Experience, solely because they agree on "hot button" political issues that have nothing to do with the job they are assigned.

But after United States Senator Barack Obama denounced mentions of the candidate's families (Maybe he didn't think she was going to "mock" him throughout her whole bushco. written speech) , I realized that this election isn't about what the gop's vp selection looks or acts like as much as it's about the same things it was a week ago. This election is about US economic policy, getting out of the gop's illegal war in Iraq, a real comprehensive energy policy and Health Care for every American. The republican counterpart to johnny flip into the fold is just more support of the same policies that have sent Our economy into recession, sent foreclosures soaring, ruined Our good standing around the world, and turned the biggest surplus in history to the biggest deficit. The same policies that rushed into and waged a $500,000,000,000.00+ unnecessary war in Iraq, that has cost almost 5,000 Americans and the lives of far more innocent Iraqis than the previous evil dictator ever did. We Need a Change. A Change We Can Believe In. And Hopefully a Change we will see and feel when Barack Obama is elected President of the United States.

To those of you who are "really nervous" about the possibility of Barack Obama not winning this election, all I can say is Do Something to help get him elected. It doesn't have to be volunteering in a swing state for five weeks. You can Donate money, or write letters to your local newspaper and/or local papers in swing states. You can talk about it with friends and family from all political sides. You can buy a shirt and wear it. You can shout about it out of your Obama placarded window, from the mountain top or in the street. You can Register people to Vote, and help get them out on November forth. There are lots of ways to help, if you are so inclined. Elections are the only time the American People's voice can be heard, and this time around it is really important that it is.

Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech!

2008-08-29T19:53:00.001+05:00

In case you missed it, here is the speech Barack Obama gave to over 80,000 people (I would guess the most ever to attend a political convention) last night. More on this, My Candidate and his opponent later, but I'm sure you already knew that.

Hey, Ho, Let's Go! (the Democratic Pep Rally)

2008-08-28T20:12:00.006+05:00

A friend of mine texted me recently, simply stating "This is the Best Pep Rally Ever". Michelle Obama and the Kids showed the Party and whoever else was watching that African American people and families are like, and have the same "values", as everybody else. The Obama kids are cute as a button and Mrs. Obama is not, as vanity fair joked, Angela Davis II. Senator Ted Kennedy left his hospital bed to tell us that it's time for hope. It's time for a new generation to take over. Then there was my favorite first day highlight. Rep. Dennis Kucinich was the first speech I saw that really hit the utter failures that have been in charge since 2001, Old School Populist Style!

And then... Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke. As anyone who reads my little rants knows, I have been no fan of the former candidate for the nomination, but this week she did what needed to be done. She fully thanked her supporters, talked of her historic (and it was) campaign, implored her supporters to join her in getting Barack Obama elected as President of the United States of America, and gave a solid "No way, No how, No mccain!" repudiation of mccain/bush policy. She challenged her supporters. "I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me?... Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?" Well said Senator!

The next day brought out more Big Guns. First there was Senator, and Vietnam Veteran (that seems to be So important these days), John Kerry. Senator Kerry called the befuddled and angry one on the differences between senator mccain and candidate mccain. He argued that it was Obama's "judgement and character" that we could trust to "Keep America Safe", not johnny POW who has been wrong "again and again and again". The Democratic Party's Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden spoke about the American Dream. Senator Biden slammed "his friend" mccain's record and policy on taxes, energy, and foreign policy, sharing instances of when "john mccain was wrong. Barack Obama was right". But the biggest dog at the convention so far... the man that I've gone from defending, to being disgustingly disappointed in, to now remembering how it feels to have an intelligent, articulate, and charismatic Commander-in-Chief, President William Jefferson Clinton spoke on Wednesday night. And Damn was he good. His was the best case for Barack Obama as President of the United States that I have heard yet. Even conservative republican/obama supporter Andrew Sullivan liked it.

Tonight the Official Democratic Party Candidate for President of the United States, Senator Barack Obama will speak, after being introduced by Al Gore, to 75,000 people at Mile High Stadium. Reports say the speech will not be about economic issues and not a lot of "high rhetoric". Here's to Hoping Barack doesn't keep the rhetoric too low.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the DNC, though I suggest you check out the speeches for yourself:

He has a remarkable ability to inspire people, to raise our hopes and rally us to high purpose. He has the intelligence and curiosity every successful President needs. His policies on the economy, taxes, health care and energy are far superior to the Republican alternatives. He has shown a clear grasp of our foreign policy and national security challenges, and a firm commitment to repair our badly strained military. His family heritage and life experiences have given him a unique capacity to lead our increasingly diverse nation and to restore our leadership in an ever more interdependent world. The long, hard primary tested and strengthened him. And in his first presidential decision, the selection of a running mate, he hit it out of the park.

President Bill Clinton

Most important, Barack Obama knows that America cannot be strong abroad unless we are strong at home. People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power.
President Bill Clinton

"There is a new wave of change all around us, and if we set our compass true, we will reach our destination -- not merely victory for our party, but renewal for our nation."
Senator Edward Kennedy

And one day, they - and your sons and daughters - will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They'll tell them how this time, we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming.
Michelle Obama

We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

"Wake up, America. This is not a call for you to take a new direction from right to left. This is call for you to go from down to up. Up with the rights of workers. Up with wages. Up with fair trade. Up with creating millions of good paying jobs, rebuilding our bridges, ports and water systems. Up with creating millions of sustainable energy jobs to lower the cost of energy, lower carbon emissions and protect the environment."
Representative Dennis Kucinich (Really a Must Watch!)

"Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Senator McCain once denounced as immoral. Candidate McCain criticizes Senator McCain’s own climate change bill. Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Senator McCain wrote. Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you’re against it...Let me tell you, before he ever debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself."
Senator John Kerry

Sometimes loving your country demands you must tell the truth to power. This is one of those times, and Barack Obama is telling those truths.
Senator John Kerry

Let me make this pledge to you right here and now. For every American who is trying to do the right thing, for all those people in government who are honoring their pledge to uphold the law and respect our Constitution, no longer will the eight most dreaded words in the English language be: "The vice president's office is on the phone."
Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden

Again and again, on the most important national security issues of our time, John McCain was wrong, and Barack Obama was proven right.
Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden

Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden!

2008-08-23T22:33:00.001+05:00

It's 3 AM... and the phone is ringing. Who do you want to answer that phone?

Last night/early this morning my phone rang at 3:03 AM. I answered it. It was Barack Obama, telling me he had chosen Senator Joe Biden as Vice President to his President of the United States of America! I could not be happier! Joe Biden brings more than just his being Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his service on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and his incredible knowledge of the world and it's leaders. He is also an aggressive "straight talker". He is not afraid to fight. His occasional gaffes are more problems with politically correct language. He doesn't make mistakes when it comes to the facts, like the other old white guy who's been a Senator for decades.

Senator Joe Biden!

GObama/Biden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!