I am delighted to see a self-serving power broker like Tom DeLay fall from his position of leadership, but we should not kid ourselves that corruption and ethical conflicts are limited to the Texas Representative from Sugar Land or his fellow corporate lobbyist friendly Republicans in Congress. It is time for Democrats and moderate Republicans to clean house in Washington and pass some real reform measures. We need real campaign finance reform and to stop the revolving door from member of Congress to lobbyist. The Democratic Leadership Council has some good ideas about where to start in the article link below:
http://tinyurl.com/8yx6v
Friday, September 30, 2005
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Pro-life Democrats promote 95/10 plan
Pro-life Democrats in Congress have introduced a proposal that has the potential of reducing the abortion rate by 95% within the next 10 years. The 95/10 plan is a comprehensive legislative package which would ban discriminatory insurance industry practices against pregnant women; make the adoption tax credits permanent; fully fund the WIC program; expand funding of domestic violence programs; establish pregnancy prevention programs and require that insurers cover contraceptives. It is a proposal that should receive wide public support from both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. Listed below is a link to a recent column from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle about the plan. http://tinyurl.com/bs5ax
More details of the 95/10 initiative at http://www.floridadfla.org/news.asp?newsid=17
More details of the 95/10 initiative at http://www.floridadfla.org/news.asp?newsid=17
Democrats and national security
Public opinion shows that the American public lacks confidence in the Democrats ability to handle issues relating to national security. In polls before the 2004 Presidential election, thirty six percent of Americans indicated that dealing with terrorism was their biggest concern. These voters heavily favored Bush and other Republican candidates. Democratic House Whip Steny Hoyer has a task force working to change perceptions that Democrats are weak on national defense and responding to terrorism. Conservative commentator Cal Thomas had a favorable column in Friday's Miami Herald on Democratic House Whip Steny Hoyer's national security vision project. From reading the Thomas column, one would think that the Scoop Jackson-Sam Nunn wing of the Democratic Party is coming back to life. I am not in complete agreement with the report concerning policy in Iraq, but think it otherwise points Democrats in the right direction concerning national security issues. If Democrats want to become the majority party again, it will be necessary to show that we support a strong national defense, securing our borders and taking the necessary actions to combat terrorism. Hoyer's national security vision document is a step toward restoring public trust in Democrats to protect America.
Link to Democratic Whip documenthttp://tinyurl.com/a98wr
Document: "Ensuring America's Strength and Security: A DemocraticNational Security Strategy for the 21st Century."Link to Cal Thomas columnhttp://tinyurl.com/a7eqt
Link to Democratic Whip documenthttp://tinyurl.com/a98wr
Document: "Ensuring America's Strength and Security: A DemocraticNational Security Strategy for the 21st Century."Link to Cal Thomas columnhttp://tinyurl.com/a7eqt
Friday, September 23, 2005
Post-Katrina program cuts proposed by Republicans
I think that Congressman Boyd's comments in the Pensacola News-Journal are right on target. We have tried to fight a war and cut taxes at the same time. Trickle down economics just isn't working.
From Pensacola News Journal 9-22-05 WASHINGTON -- Conservative House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a laundry list of government programs to cut in order to pay an estimated $200 billion Hurricane Katrina recovery price tag. Some Florida lawmakers rushed to endorse the ideas, even if it meant embracing cuts to popular programs such as Medicare. However, U.S. Rep. F. Allen Boyd Jr., a Democrat who represents Tallahassee and other Panhandle communities, criticized the Bush administration for past spending policies that have made funding Katrina recovery efforts all the more difficult. "The administration's policy of spend now and pay later is finally catching up with us," Boyd said. "With no regard for fiscal restraint, the administration has led us into a war that we cannot pay for, pushed legislation that we cannot afford, while borrowing billions of dollars from foreign countries at the same time." Boyd said the Blue Dog Coalition, an informal organization of conservative Democrats that he belongs to, is working on its own set of plans that could help the nation pay for the mounting Gulf Coast recovery costs. "For years, the Blue Dogs have stressed the need for a rainy day fund in the event of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11," Boyd said. "Unfortunately, this concept, which is adopted by most families and businesses, has eluded many members of Congress and the current administration." Link to full article http://tinyurl.com/bfxn5
From Pensacola News Journal 9-22-05 WASHINGTON -- Conservative House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a laundry list of government programs to cut in order to pay an estimated $200 billion Hurricane Katrina recovery price tag. Some Florida lawmakers rushed to endorse the ideas, even if it meant embracing cuts to popular programs such as Medicare. However, U.S. Rep. F. Allen Boyd Jr., a Democrat who represents Tallahassee and other Panhandle communities, criticized the Bush administration for past spending policies that have made funding Katrina recovery efforts all the more difficult. "The administration's policy of spend now and pay later is finally catching up with us," Boyd said. "With no regard for fiscal restraint, the administration has led us into a war that we cannot pay for, pushed legislation that we cannot afford, while borrowing billions of dollars from foreign countries at the same time." Boyd said the Blue Dog Coalition, an informal organization of conservative Democrats that he belongs to, is working on its own set of plans that could help the nation pay for the mounting Gulf Coast recovery costs. "For years, the Blue Dogs have stressed the need for a rainy day fund in the event of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11," Boyd said. "Unfortunately, this concept, which is adopted by most families and businesses, has eluded many members of Congress and the current administration." Link to full article http://tinyurl.com/bfxn5
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Pete Ashdown on a lack of vision in Washington
"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Pete Ashdown, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate from Utah discusses the lack of vision in Washington in his campaign blog.
"I have a hard time seeing any vision in our federal government. The recent energy bill is a good example of this. Rather than pushing for a national effort towards clean and plentiful energy, our government wanders the room like a drunk looking for leftovers in bottles. The best example of this is a $5 Billion Loan to China to fund new nuclear reactors. The reason our representatives give for this? Well, if China has more nuclear reactors, they’ll use less oil. In other words, if you send your neighbors on an all-expenses-paid vacation, there will be more crack in the neighborhood for you."
Ashdown continues, "I challenge anyone of any political persuasion to stand back and admire the utter awesomeness of this legislation. What is even more special about this is that the fact that the Chinese have been buying significant amounts of U.S. Treasury Bonds, which is another way of saying they’re financing our debt. So we’re borrowing money and loaning it back to them, so they can take steps towards oil independence. That is what I call a lack of vision."
We could definitely use some more common sense in Washington. Here is a link to Pete Ashdown's campaign blog.http://vote.peteashdown.org/journal/
"I have a hard time seeing any vision in our federal government. The recent energy bill is a good example of this. Rather than pushing for a national effort towards clean and plentiful energy, our government wanders the room like a drunk looking for leftovers in bottles. The best example of this is a $5 Billion Loan to China to fund new nuclear reactors. The reason our representatives give for this? Well, if China has more nuclear reactors, they’ll use less oil. In other words, if you send your neighbors on an all-expenses-paid vacation, there will be more crack in the neighborhood for you."
Ashdown continues, "I challenge anyone of any political persuasion to stand back and admire the utter awesomeness of this legislation. What is even more special about this is that the fact that the Chinese have been buying significant amounts of U.S. Treasury Bonds, which is another way of saying they’re financing our debt. So we’re borrowing money and loaning it back to them, so they can take steps towards oil independence. That is what I call a lack of vision."
We could definitely use some more common sense in Washington. Here is a link to Pete Ashdown's campaign blog.http://vote.peteashdown.org/journal/
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Is compassionate conservatism dead ?
Writing in American Politix http://www.americanpolitix.com/, James Haywood declares compassionate conservatism to be one of the casualities of Katrina. Haywood writes "Republicans love to tell people that they care about average Americans, not just the rich ones. Sadly, no one's buying it. And this week, too many Republicans showed their true colors." One example cited by Haywood is Barbara Bush's comment that the evacuees were poor and now better off huddled inside the Houston Astrodome. Another is Republican National Chairman Ken Melhman's declaration, post-Katrina, that the GOP's number priority is more tax cuts for the well to do.
In a web exclusive for the Online edition of American Prospect http://www.prospect.org/, Matthew Yglesias also calls the compassionate conservatism of the GOP into question. "Spending has gone up -- way up -- nearly across the board even while tax cuts have been lavished on the wealthy. Less noted is that one very small portion of the federal government's activities really has been curtailed: the spending of money on efforts to help poor people."
Yglesias continues, "It started with housing assistance, primarily a concern in big cities from which virtually no Republican legislators hail. Next on the chopping block was heating assistance, vital in the northern parts of the country but easily neglected by the GOP's Sun Belt leadership. Then came food stamps, cut as part of perhaps the cruelest of many farces initiated by 21st-century conservatism."
I am unconvinced that compassionate conservatism ever existed within the Republican Party. The original and real compassionate conservatives are Democrats who have supported socially conservative positions such as a pro-life stance while favoring activist government and a safety net for the less fortunate. As long as the GOP remains in the grip of the big business interests, it is unlikely that there will be anything compassionate about Republican economic policies.
In a web exclusive for the Online edition of American Prospect http://www.prospect.org/, Matthew Yglesias also calls the compassionate conservatism of the GOP into question. "Spending has gone up -- way up -- nearly across the board even while tax cuts have been lavished on the wealthy. Less noted is that one very small portion of the federal government's activities really has been curtailed: the spending of money on efforts to help poor people."
Yglesias continues, "It started with housing assistance, primarily a concern in big cities from which virtually no Republican legislators hail. Next on the chopping block was heating assistance, vital in the northern parts of the country but easily neglected by the GOP's Sun Belt leadership. Then came food stamps, cut as part of perhaps the cruelest of many farces initiated by 21st-century conservatism."
I am unconvinced that compassionate conservatism ever existed within the Republican Party. The original and real compassionate conservatives are Democrats who have supported socially conservative positions such as a pro-life stance while favoring activist government and a safety net for the less fortunate. As long as the GOP remains in the grip of the big business interests, it is unlikely that there will be anything compassionate about Republican economic policies.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
China and Taiwan
Since the United Nations is supposed to provide a voice for all nations, I see no basis other than China's objections as to why Taiwan is locked out of the U.N. I also think it is time for the U.S. to recognize Taiwan as independent and self-governing nation.
Over the years, American foreign policy has taken several unrealistic approaches in regard to China and Taiwan. For more than 20 years following the communist revolution in China, we had a "one China" policy pretending that a nationalist exile regime based in Taiwan was the legitimate government of the Chinese mainland. In the early 70's, the U.S. adopted the asurdity of a "Two China" policy and then soon shifted to another "One China" approach favoring the mainland Chinese government.
The U.S. should recognize that while there is only one China that Taiwan is a soverign nation which has been separate from mainland China for over 50 years. Americans across the political spectrum should support the human rights of the people of Taiwan by supporting their continued independence despite the threats from mainland China.
Over the years, American foreign policy has taken several unrealistic approaches in regard to China and Taiwan. For more than 20 years following the communist revolution in China, we had a "one China" policy pretending that a nationalist exile regime based in Taiwan was the legitimate government of the Chinese mainland. In the early 70's, the U.S. adopted the asurdity of a "Two China" policy and then soon shifted to another "One China" approach favoring the mainland Chinese government.
The U.S. should recognize that while there is only one China that Taiwan is a soverign nation which has been separate from mainland China for over 50 years. Americans across the political spectrum should support the human rights of the people of Taiwan by supporting their continued independence despite the threats from mainland China.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Revitalizing the labor movement
Labor Day isn't just another holiday for many of us. It is a day to honor the working men and women of this country and to celebrate the accomplishments of the labor movement that built today's middle class. During the past 25 years of "trickle down" economics and "free trade," we have seen a weakening of labor unions and a resulting stagnation in the earning power of working and middle class Americans. Here's a link to a great article from Ethics Daily.Com about how to revitalize this movement.
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=6231
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=6231
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Hurricane Katrina reminds us of need for a social safety net
The liberal blog Next Hurrah http://www.thenexthurrah.typepad.com/ makes some excellent points on the need for a safety net and a role by government to solve social problems in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Tax cuts for the rich has led to many harmful consequences including impacting our ability to be prepared for hurricanes and respond to public health crisis that will likely develop in New Orleans in the aftermath. As a social conservative, I remain a Democrat because of my views on economic issues. I have never been able to go along with Republican "trickle down economics." A human tragedy on the scale of Hurricane Katrina reminds us that sometimes activist goverment is the only solution. Private charities do a great job but they cannot handle a tragedy of the magnitude alone. Here are some excerpts from the Next Hurrah column.
"We’ve been writing here over the last few days about how this is an unprecedented catastrophe. There are over a million people displaced right now, and many—probably the majority—will be homeless for a long time. They won’t have jobs. They’re separated from their neighbors, and maybe their family. They’ve lost their vehicles. They’ve lost most or all of their belongings. They’re going to go broke."
"And a voucher for clothes for each of them from the Red Cross is not going to be enough to get them—and our country—back on their feet. At no time since World War II and its immediate aftermath has there been such a obvious need for widespread and robust action by the federal government. Over a million people are afraid, and they are in need of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, transportation and jobs. And most of all, they are in need of hope. Tax cuts won’t provide them hope. What they need is a promise to help them rebuild their communities, and their lives. And they need to know that promise is backed up by the full commitment of the American people, and will be delivered with all the power, efficiency, skill, legitimacy and accountability of the federal government." That was commentary from the Next Hurrah blog which reminds of the hallowness of the anti-government rhetoric we have been hearing from Republicans for so many years.
The Gulf Coast Mississippi district of Congressman Gene Taylor (one of the Right Democrat's favorite members of Congress) was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Mississipp's Clarion-Ledger newspaper reports that U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., lost his Bay St. Louis home in the storm. Taylor is opening up his office to provide assistance to storm victims. "Margaret and I would like to send our condolences to those who have lost their loved ones as a result of Hurricane Katrina. You are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," he said in a news release. "Like many of my friends and neighbors throughout south Mississippi, I have lost my home. Fortunately, my family is safe and unharmed Now, we face the task of rebuilding south Mississippi. My staff and I are working to re-establish offices so that we can provide assistance for storm recovery efforts."
Congressman Taylor will be updating his website with hurricane recovery information at http://www.house.gov/genetaylor/
"We’ve been writing here over the last few days about how this is an unprecedented catastrophe. There are over a million people displaced right now, and many—probably the majority—will be homeless for a long time. They won’t have jobs. They’re separated from their neighbors, and maybe their family. They’ve lost their vehicles. They’ve lost most or all of their belongings. They’re going to go broke."
"And a voucher for clothes for each of them from the Red Cross is not going to be enough to get them—and our country—back on their feet. At no time since World War II and its immediate aftermath has there been such a obvious need for widespread and robust action by the federal government. Over a million people are afraid, and they are in need of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, transportation and jobs. And most of all, they are in need of hope. Tax cuts won’t provide them hope. What they need is a promise to help them rebuild their communities, and their lives. And they need to know that promise is backed up by the full commitment of the American people, and will be delivered with all the power, efficiency, skill, legitimacy and accountability of the federal government." That was commentary from the Next Hurrah blog which reminds of the hallowness of the anti-government rhetoric we have been hearing from Republicans for so many years.
The Gulf Coast Mississippi district of Congressman Gene Taylor (one of the Right Democrat's favorite members of Congress) was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Mississipp's Clarion-Ledger newspaper reports that U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., lost his Bay St. Louis home in the storm. Taylor is opening up his office to provide assistance to storm victims. "Margaret and I would like to send our condolences to those who have lost their loved ones as a result of Hurricane Katrina. You are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," he said in a news release. "Like many of my friends and neighbors throughout south Mississippi, I have lost my home. Fortunately, my family is safe and unharmed Now, we face the task of rebuilding south Mississippi. My staff and I are working to re-establish offices so that we can provide assistance for storm recovery efforts."
Congressman Taylor will be updating his website with hurricane recovery information at http://www.house.gov/genetaylor/
Democrats and religious voters
Democrats continue to lose ground in terms of public perceptions about the party's friendliness to religion. The Pew Research just released a follow up survey which has been compared to an earlier poll from last year. According to the poll, released August 29, only 29 percent of the public thought that the Democratic Party was favorable to religious values. A survey conducted in August 2004 indicated that 40 percentage viewed Democrats as hospitable to religious concerns. Additonal information can be obtained from the Pew Research Center at http://www.people-press.org.
How did this happen ? Let's take a look at a recent posting from a social progressive Democratic activist in response to one of my posts suggesting that Democrats need to get back to traditional values. "I disagree that Dems need to get back to mainstream traditional values. Dems should attack religion for what it is: complete bull. Because of religion, we are falling behind other countries in things like stem cell research. Dems should come out in support for gay marriage because it's the right thing to do. It's a civil rights issue and gays should not be discriminated against any more than blacks." The writer that I quoted is sadly typical of many social progressives who arrogant take an attitude of militant secularism. With Democratic activists like this is any wonder that we have lost Middle America ?
How did this happen ? Let's take a look at a recent posting from a social progressive Democratic activist in response to one of my posts suggesting that Democrats need to get back to traditional values. "I disagree that Dems need to get back to mainstream traditional values. Dems should attack religion for what it is: complete bull. Because of religion, we are falling behind other countries in things like stem cell research. Dems should come out in support for gay marriage because it's the right thing to do. It's a civil rights issue and gays should not be discriminated against any more than blacks." The writer that I quoted is sadly typical of many social progressives who arrogant take an attitude of militant secularism. With Democratic activists like this is any wonder that we have lost Middle America ?
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