Before we get to the Democratic Presidential candidates, the National Intelligence Director has weighed in on the issue of waterboarding. What he said of course was exactly as I, or any other thinking human, could have predicted, that if it were being done to him it would be torture. Excuse me? Mike McConnell, after describing the procedure, told The New Yorker magazine; "If I had water draining into my nose, oh God, I just can't imagine how painful! Whether it's torture by anybody else's definition, for me it would be torture." That statement in and of itself is an indictment of this Administration and its policies. The sanctioning of this crime by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and indeed the entire military and intelligence apparatus of the United States government is grounds for impeachment where applicable imprisonment for all at the top of the chain of command. It’s exactly what Human Rights organizations have been charging from the very beginning and here we have a confession. Not only is it a crime to torture people it is, UN-American.
Now, our new game, find the Democrats. It’s a difficult task in these days of Defense Contractors making the decisions in regard to who will appear at a “debate” among the candidates (See MSNBC and the Nevada Democratic debate) and setting the “storyline”. Can Hillary Clinton out-frontrunner Barak Obama? Or, will the Illinois Senator steal the thunder of the Senator from New York and former First Lady? Recent “events” provide more of this professional wrestling-like soap opera. One has to start somewhere so, ladies first.
To say that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton exemplifies all that is wrong not only with the Democratic Party but also the larger Body Politic would be to state the obvious. Her pandering to whichever audience she is addressing, even to the point of changing her accent and vocal delivery, is second to none. But, it’s not that I just don’t like her. Her voting record and stated policies show virtually no difference than the positions and policies of the Republican Party. The continuation of the war on Iraq, more threats against Iran, expansion of “Free Trade” agreements, and the list goes on. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards refers to Clinton and co-sorta-maybe-frontrunner Barack Obama as “corporate Democrats”. That tells only half the story, especially in Clinton’s case. It’s not just the corporate influence over the candidate, but rather exactly who the owner is. The most egregious example in Hillary’s case is one Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of the Board and CEO of News Corp., parent to, among others, The National Enquirer and Faux er um Fox News. This man has been the mouthpiece for right wing governments from the Howard government in his native Australia to the Thatcher and Blair governments in the UK and, of course, to our “own” Bush Administration. There are others but, this one corporate owner of this candidate should scare any thinking person.
Co-frontrunner, Illinois Senator Barack Obama is another of the “corporate Democrats” John Edwards speaks of. The Democrat’s new shinning star, Senator Obama is the darling of Hollywood and Wall Street powerhouses like Oprah Winfrey and Goldman Sachs’ David Heller and Bruce Heyman both of whom have raised at least $100,000 for Obama. Perhaps even more troubling is one William Kennard. But wait, he was General Counsel for the FCC under Bill Clinton, a dyed in the wool Democrat, right? Well, since leaving government, Mr. Kennard joined the Carlyle Group, a corporation that lists among its former executives George H.W. Bush and Henry Kissinger. If “he is the one” as Oprah Winfrey exudes, he’s only “the one” to the moneyed elite. The Senator’s ties to the Insurance industry are legendary thus, his private insurance friendly “health care plan”. The one? Perhaps, he is “white enough” to be “viable”. Barack’s experience is unlike virtually every other African-American in the country. Yet, he too adopts a vocal style more like that of Jesse Jackson and Dr. King than his own Midwestern style when speaking to predominately black audiences. Why? Is it an attempt to out-black the white lady, Hillary Clinton? In addition to his shortcomings, he simply can’t win in the south. Minds in the Deep South have not expanded that much. What’s the bottom line? The Barack phenomenon is a fabrication of corporate handlers no different from, those in the Clinton corner. Reading of Obama’s ties to lobbyists, especially those who work for the insurance industry proves that up until this run for the White House, he lined his (political?) pockets very well with their money. Additionally, he counts hedge fund manager Orin Kramer among his largest “bundlers”.
So, there they are, the Democratic frontrunners. Next time we’ll start with a candidate who is very much in the delegate race, in spite of the media.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Assessing the Field (such as it is) Part II
This is the second installment of our series entitles Assessing the Field. This time, we look at the “2nd tier “ Republican candidates. But first, Democratic Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico today ended his bid for the White House. Bill Richardson is a decent enough fellow and an immensely talented negotiator. I for one would entertain the thought of him as Secretary of State in the future. It would be a nice change to actually have a Statesman in that position. Now, on to the Republicans!
“Heading” the remaining Republican hopefuls is one Rudolph Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City and Partner in, among other enterprises, Bracewell and Giuliani, a lobbying and law firm based in Houston. In fact, given all his business ventures, a list of Giuliani’s conflict of interest issues would be longer than John Gotti’s Rap Sheet and only slightly less damaging to society as a whole. Never mind the pre-9/11 Rudy, you know, the one that criminalized homelessness in the largest city in our land and called it an “act of love” or the Rudy that left office with a $3 million book deal and has since gotten enormously rich living off the memories and emotion of that fateful day. Giuliani defines “smarmy”.
Ron Paul is somewhat of a cult sensation and might be the Libertarian Party’s Presidential candidate again if his insurgent Republican candidacy fails. Like most of his stripe, Paul actually makes sense roughly 50% of the time, especially where it relates to Civil Liberties. Where he and other like minded and well meaning folks fail is in the social part of Society tending to believe we owe little or nothing to one another as part of the greater good, nationally or internationally. He advocates eliminating the IRS (not a bad idea on the surface but...), Department of Education and eliminating most social programs. Additionally, Congressman Paul (TX) has called for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations, a move that would certainly doom the institution. Perhaps Ron hasn’t studied history. It was the United States and Great Britain who, in large part, wrote the UN Charter and made the rules under which it is governed. Mr. Paul and others of his ilk want, apparently to “take their ball and go home” even though the rest of the world plays by the rules that the US wrote (at least as it relates in the halls of the UN). When they don’t or, in some cases when the United States decides they haven’t, the UN as a society of societies decides what action, if any, to take. It was, in a very real sense, the weakness and collapse of the League of Nations that allowed the rise of the Third Reich, the Congressman evidently remember his high school history lessons very well.
This all brings us to the final Republican Presidential candidate for 2008 (so far), one Fred Thompson, actor, former Senator and genuine right wing nut-job. A sampling of his voting record reveals just how anti-environment, anti-minority and the poor and what a mouthpiece for Corporate America he is. Fortunately, unlike another bad actor and worse human, Ronald Reagan, Fred will never occupy the Oval Office.
There they are folks, the repugnant Republicans in all their glory. None of these rich, white men have mentioned much of anything in their stump about ending the war in Iraq, addressing global climate change or restoring the Nation’s credibility and status on the world stage. What could we expect from any of these? More of the same, or worse. But, what about the Democrats? We'll get to them next.
“Heading” the remaining Republican hopefuls is one Rudolph Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City and Partner in, among other enterprises, Bracewell and Giuliani, a lobbying and law firm based in Houston. In fact, given all his business ventures, a list of Giuliani’s conflict of interest issues would be longer than John Gotti’s Rap Sheet and only slightly less damaging to society as a whole. Never mind the pre-9/11 Rudy, you know, the one that criminalized homelessness in the largest city in our land and called it an “act of love” or the Rudy that left office with a $3 million book deal and has since gotten enormously rich living off the memories and emotion of that fateful day. Giuliani defines “smarmy”.
Ron Paul is somewhat of a cult sensation and might be the Libertarian Party’s Presidential candidate again if his insurgent Republican candidacy fails. Like most of his stripe, Paul actually makes sense roughly 50% of the time, especially where it relates to Civil Liberties. Where he and other like minded and well meaning folks fail is in the social part of Society tending to believe we owe little or nothing to one another as part of the greater good, nationally or internationally. He advocates eliminating the IRS (not a bad idea on the surface but...), Department of Education and eliminating most social programs. Additionally, Congressman Paul (TX) has called for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations, a move that would certainly doom the institution. Perhaps Ron hasn’t studied history. It was the United States and Great Britain who, in large part, wrote the UN Charter and made the rules under which it is governed. Mr. Paul and others of his ilk want, apparently to “take their ball and go home” even though the rest of the world plays by the rules that the US wrote (at least as it relates in the halls of the UN). When they don’t or, in some cases when the United States decides they haven’t, the UN as a society of societies decides what action, if any, to take. It was, in a very real sense, the weakness and collapse of the League of Nations that allowed the rise of the Third Reich, the Congressman evidently remember his high school history lessons very well.
This all brings us to the final Republican Presidential candidate for 2008 (so far), one Fred Thompson, actor, former Senator and genuine right wing nut-job. A sampling of his voting record reveals just how anti-environment, anti-minority and the poor and what a mouthpiece for Corporate America he is. Fortunately, unlike another bad actor and worse human, Ronald Reagan, Fred will never occupy the Oval Office.
There they are folks, the repugnant Republicans in all their glory. None of these rich, white men have mentioned much of anything in their stump about ending the war in Iraq, addressing global climate change or restoring the Nation’s credibility and status on the world stage. What could we expect from any of these? More of the same, or worse. But, what about the Democrats? We'll get to them next.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Assessing the Field (such as it is) Part I
Welcome to 2008, a Presidential election year. A troubling lot all of them, save Dennis Kucinich and well, we all know the forces that are at work against anyone progressive enough to actually have voted AGAINST the war in Iraq AND its continued funding. A real Health Care Plan and new direction for the country don't gain the approval of the powers that be.
So, here we are, faced again I'm sure with the evil of 2 lessers. The miniscule difference in the positions of the (alleged) 2 parties has never been more evident. What follows is an honest assessment of the candidates. Part One of our series looks at the 3 leading Republican candidates.
The thus far media anointed frontrunner is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, with his movie idol good looks; he is a sort of Heinrich Himmler of the Gas and Oil Party. Mitt isn't sure if waterboarding is torture. I wonder if Mitt and all the others out there claiming this (yes, I'm looking at you Mr. Attorney General) would like a chance to decide for themselves. Why not simply get some CIA (or Mussad or any number of other organizations) agents to demonstrate on Governor Romney and the others? Or course, using Romanian or Hungarian agents might be better so they can scream at the "detainees" in a foreign tongue while bringing them to the verge of drowning, just to make it seem more...Iraq-like. The good Governor also thinks the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay should be doubled in size. Obviously Mitt's never been to Gitmo but, as with his father and Dr. King, perhaps he saw the place. As one who has been to the Naval Base at Guantanmo Bay (granted, it was many years ago), I can say there isn't unlimited room for such expansion. Perhaps Governor Romney advocates reducing the size of the minefields that line the northern, eastern and western boundaries of the base. Or, more likely given his mental state, perhaps the he advocates invading Cuba and just taking some more space. Either way, it's lunacy and well, not real great foreign policy as the past 7 years have shown.
Joining Governor Romney at the "head of the field" after his win in New Hampshire is Senator John McCain. McCain, the senior Senator from Arizona and again Captain of the Straight Talk Express is a shadow of his former self, Tuesday evenings win in New Hampshire notwithstanding. Once the voice of reason in the Republican Party, McCain has found himself pandering to the same "evangelicals" whom he railed against in the past. The Senator not only spoke at Bob Jones University, an institution of which he once said "If I’d have been invited to go to Bob Jones University, sure, I’d have gone! And I’d have told them, ‘Get out of the 16th century and into the 21st century. What you’re doing is racist and cruel!’" but, he also met with and spoke in glowing terms of the late Jerry Falwell, a man he said was, "an agent of intolerance". Clearly, McCain has put his political ambitions above any principles he might have once had.
Governor (and Reverend) Mike Huckabee rounds out (not quite like he once did) the Republican Top 3. He is a publicly affable man of great charm. He has gone as far as praising former President and Senator Clinton for keeping their marriage together and raising a "wonderful" daughter”. This alone would seem to make him an outsider in the Party. But, the Right reverend is far from a "forward thinking" mind in the GOP reaching across Party lines, he advocated quarantining HIV/AIDS patients. “It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents.” Unfortunately, the governor is really comparing apples to oranges. The plagues one can only assume he is referencing would be things like TB and Bubonic Plague. Neither of these plagues requires INTIMATE contact for transmission. One is hard pressed to figure out how HIV/Aids is comparable to TB, Bubonic Plague or any other "plague" as a direct public health risk. The entire Health Care System is a public health risk. It would appear that Governor Huckabee believes that Medical Science, like Huckabee's thinking is stuck in the Dark Ages. Perhaps his Surgeon General would be (shudder) Bill Frist! We won't even mention his bearing of false witness in regard to taxation in Arkansas during his tenure.
So, there we have it, the Top 3 Republican candidates. Don’t worry Ron Paul and Fred Thompson fans, we’ll get to them and Rudy Giuliani in our next installment.
So, here we are, faced again I'm sure with the evil of 2 lessers. The miniscule difference in the positions of the (alleged) 2 parties has never been more evident. What follows is an honest assessment of the candidates. Part One of our series looks at the 3 leading Republican candidates.
The thus far media anointed frontrunner is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, with his movie idol good looks; he is a sort of Heinrich Himmler of the Gas and Oil Party. Mitt isn't sure if waterboarding is torture. I wonder if Mitt and all the others out there claiming this (yes, I'm looking at you Mr. Attorney General) would like a chance to decide for themselves. Why not simply get some CIA (or Mussad or any number of other organizations) agents to demonstrate on Governor Romney and the others? Or course, using Romanian or Hungarian agents might be better so they can scream at the "detainees" in a foreign tongue while bringing them to the verge of drowning, just to make it seem more...Iraq-like. The good Governor also thinks the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay should be doubled in size. Obviously Mitt's never been to Gitmo but, as with his father and Dr. King, perhaps he saw the place. As one who has been to the Naval Base at Guantanmo Bay (granted, it was many years ago), I can say there isn't unlimited room for such expansion. Perhaps Governor Romney advocates reducing the size of the minefields that line the northern, eastern and western boundaries of the base. Or, more likely given his mental state, perhaps the he advocates invading Cuba and just taking some more space. Either way, it's lunacy and well, not real great foreign policy as the past 7 years have shown.
Joining Governor Romney at the "head of the field" after his win in New Hampshire is Senator John McCain. McCain, the senior Senator from Arizona and again Captain of the Straight Talk Express is a shadow of his former self, Tuesday evenings win in New Hampshire notwithstanding. Once the voice of reason in the Republican Party, McCain has found himself pandering to the same "evangelicals" whom he railed against in the past. The Senator not only spoke at Bob Jones University, an institution of which he once said "If I’d have been invited to go to Bob Jones University, sure, I’d have gone! And I’d have told them, ‘Get out of the 16th century and into the 21st century. What you’re doing is racist and cruel!’" but, he also met with and spoke in glowing terms of the late Jerry Falwell, a man he said was, "an agent of intolerance". Clearly, McCain has put his political ambitions above any principles he might have once had.
Governor (and Reverend) Mike Huckabee rounds out (not quite like he once did) the Republican Top 3. He is a publicly affable man of great charm. He has gone as far as praising former President and Senator Clinton for keeping their marriage together and raising a "wonderful" daughter”. This alone would seem to make him an outsider in the Party. But, the Right reverend is far from a "forward thinking" mind in the GOP reaching across Party lines, he advocated quarantining HIV/AIDS patients. “It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents.” Unfortunately, the governor is really comparing apples to oranges. The plagues one can only assume he is referencing would be things like TB and Bubonic Plague. Neither of these plagues requires INTIMATE contact for transmission. One is hard pressed to figure out how HIV/Aids is comparable to TB, Bubonic Plague or any other "plague" as a direct public health risk. The entire Health Care System is a public health risk. It would appear that Governor Huckabee believes that Medical Science, like Huckabee's thinking is stuck in the Dark Ages. Perhaps his Surgeon General would be (shudder) Bill Frist! We won't even mention his bearing of false witness in regard to taxation in Arkansas during his tenure.
So, there we have it, the Top 3 Republican candidates. Don’t worry Ron Paul and Fred Thompson fans, we’ll get to them and Rudy Giuliani in our next installment.
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