Right Democrat: A Mainstream Populist Voice

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Ray Charles-America The Beautiful

Ray Charles sings America the Beautiful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOHoN-8ibsY

Happy Fourth of July !

St Petersburg Times: Middle class continues its sad disappearing act

St. Petersburg Times http://www.tampabay.com/ columnist Robin Blumner is right on target about the decline of the American middle class.

Blumner writes:

In case you haven't been keeping up with the fortunes of the fortunate, the private jet business is booming. In the first quarter of this year, shipments of private jets were up 41 percent. It seems that servicing America's elite is a thriving niche. There are so many new mega-yachts that owners can't keep them staffed, says the New York Observer.

Now, back on Earth, let's look at how the rest of us are doing. Hmm. Not so well. Even for those in steady jobs, there is a creeping sense of instability, a generalized disquiet and unspoken worry that sits on one's shoulders adding drag to the day.

Packaged in this malaise is the spike in oil prices and what that will mean for gas prices and every other thing we buy, the bottoming out of the housing market, companies announcing huge layoffs, and rises in food and health insurance costs outpacing salaries and wages.

This volatility has led to a shift in how we see ourselves. "Vulnerable" is probably the best descriptor. Our thoughts turn to hunkering down rather than plans for the future.
But what makes this coming decline in economic security different from the one visited upon American families in the 1970s, for example, is that we are much less well-positioned to withstand the financial buffeting. The work of Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren indicates there is a coming collapse of the middle class and she can prove it with a raft of scary statistics and charts.

Warren says we are moving toward a two-class rather than a three-class society, where there is a somewhat larger upper class made up of the financially comfortable and then there is the rest of America, people who are "constantly living on the edge of a cliff." These are families who might appear to earn a decent income but they enjoy none of the financial security that we normally associate with middle-class status.

Warren compares the median American family of 1970 with that of 2003. She unpacks why our savings rate has dropped to zero from a rather healthy 11 percent of take-home pay in 1970, even as the family added Mom as a breadwinner.

Typically, blame for this lands on families themselves. They're spending themselves into penury by buying designer clothes for their kids and indulging in $4 lattes, say social commentators.
Not so, Warren counters. She says that Americans are actually spending far less in inflation-adjusted dollars for things like clothes and food, including eating out, than they did in 1970. What has substantially changed, Warren reports, is the cost of big-ticket, fixed expenses. So that even though the income of the median two-parent, two-child family is higher, because both parents are employed, the family has less income available to shore itself up against a rough patch.

Housing costs for a median-sized house (which has gotten modestly bigger since 1970 by adding either a second bathroom or a third bedroom but not both) have increased 76 percent. Health insurance costs are up 74 percent. Also up sharply are taxes (due to the second income), child care and car-related expenses. Americans keep a car more than two years longer than they did 30 years ago, but they now need two cars to get to two jobs.

These big, inflexible expenses cost the median family three-fourths of its two-earner income. In 1970 they cost half of the single breadwinner's.

We now live in a country where there is no financial margin for most families to fall back on in case someone gets sick or a job is lost. Life is far riskier.

Then add on an energy crisis and you can almost hear the foundation cracking.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, has received hundreds of e-mails from Americans who suddenly have found themselves in desperate financial straits. He's been reading their plaintive stories on the Senate floor. How they were middle class but are no longer.

I fear that Warren's collapse has begun.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article646320.ece

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Democrat Bob Conley brings fresh approach to South Carolina U.S. Senate race

Bob Conley has been certified as the winner of the South Carolina's Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. Running against big-business Republican Lindsay Graham, Conley offers a refreshing alternative for South Carolina voters fed up with special interest-controlled Washington politicians. Here is some information concerning Conley's positions on issues obtained from his campaign website:

Energy: Bob Conley sees solutions to reduce your gas prices through the use of alternative energy and conservation. To end our dependence on foreign oil, we need to change our energy policy. Bob will fight for this change by: encouraging more energy production at home, promoting the development of alternative energy sources, wider use of proven alternative energy solutions, and encouraging the use of energy-saving technologies. We’ll regain energy independence and create good jobs in the process!

Iraq: Bob Conley believes it is time to end the occupation, and support our troops by bringing them home!

Jobs & Immigration: Corporate greed is robbing us of our jobs and driving our down our wages. Bob Conley supports secure borders. Corporations that fuel the immigration fire must pay the price. Greedy corporations and unscrupulous businessmen profit, while our working families and taxpayers foot the bill for services for illegals. This is corporate welfare, and it must end.
The legal importation of foreign workers is also driving down wages, and placing Americans in unemployment lines. This is wrong, and must end. Policy needs to change and should be based on what is good for our workers, our families, and our communities – not the bottom lines of corporations and their lobbyists’ demands!

Jobs & Trade: Bob Conley says no to trade agreements that send our good, well-paying jobs to foreign lands. Multi-national corporations profit while our working families and our communities suffer. This is wrong, and must change. The U.S. needs to withdraw from trade agreements that have cost us 3.5 million of our good manufacturing jobs since 2001!

Bob will promote and restore America First trade policies. We need to follow the Constitution – where Congress is to regulate trade with the foreign nations – and cannot continue to allow unelected foreign bureaucrats in far away places to decide and dictate our trade policies. We must end most favored nation status for Communist China. Bob is our fighter to change trade policies, correct our massive trade imbalance, and keep our good jobs here at home.

Economy: We must implement fiscal policies to end deficit spending. Bob Conley believes we must change our monetary policy, restore sound, honest money, and halt the fall of the dollar. We must stop predatory lending practices, end the Wall Street bailouts, and put a lid on massive expenditures abroad.

Military: Overseas deployments of occupation are breaking our military. Deployments in recent years have left 80% of our National Guard units without the necessary equipment for training – and the missions they should be prepared to serve here at home. Our National Guard needs to be rebuilt.

Veterans: Bob Conley believes veterans need to be given adequate care, not shuffled around in a Veterans' Administration that should be overhauled. Bob will work to pass a new GI Bill for our veterans who have fought in the twenty-first century.

Constitution and the Bill of Rights: Bob Conley will fight to repeal the Big Brother legislation passed by rubber-stamp Republican Congresses. We cannot afford to give up essential liberties under the false pretense of security. Measures that infringe on our individual liberties protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights must be repealed! We must restore the Constitution and respect the principles on which our Republic was founded.

http://www.bobconleyforsenate.com/

Domestic manufacturers urge Congress to pass stronger trade countermeasures

U.S. Business and Industry Council -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 6/17/2008

http://www.mbtmag.com/article/CA6570709.html?rssid=231

WASHINGTON, D.C.: As the latest round of the Chinese-American Strategic Economic Dialogue begins, the U.S. Business and Industry Council (USBIC) urged Congress on Monday to de-fund future U.S. participation in the two-year-old talks and immediately pass a series of hard-hitting measures to combat what USBIC calls China’s damaging trade cheating, and protect Americans from China’s unsafe products.

According to USBIC President Kevin L. Kearns, whose organization represents 1,550 domestic manufacturers and other companies, “Any presidential candidate genuinely concerned about America’s working families and the beleaguered domestic industries employing them will endorse these actions as well. Instead of providing rebate-check handouts, our political leaders must give the American people their factories, labs, and jobs back.”

Kearns called China “an economic rogue state—one that keeps stealing production, revenue, R&D, and jobs from our domestic manufacturers and their employees. Beijing’s American victims need their government’s help now. They can’t wait for a new president and Congress.” Since the Bush administration won’t act, Kearns adds, “Congress needs to wake up and take responsibility. It’s time for House and Senate leaders to display some legislative competence and build majorities for effective unilateral action on unfair and dangerous Chinese practices.”

The Council urged Congress to:
Immediately pass a resolution formally declaring the Strategic Economic Dialogue a failure, plus legislation to prevent the administration from spending any funds to prepare for or participate in the Dialogue’s next session, at year’s end;

Pass the House and Senate bills that would make currency manipulation a countervailable subsidy under U.S. trade law. This three-year-old legislation has a long list of bipartisan cosponsors in the House, but House leaders refuse to act, and the Senate has dawdled;

Pass an immediate ban on all imports of toys and other children’s products from China;
Pass legislation requiring detailed labeling for imported processed food and drug products that would specify their ingredients and levels of content from China; and other countries lacking effective domestic regulatory systems;

Pass legislation banning U.S. sales of internet surveillance hardware and software to China; and
Significantly expand funding and staffing for China-specific counterespionage programs and anti-hacking efforts throughout the U.S. government.

Concludes Kearns, “Forcing the current president to veto such measures would send a powerful message to China’s leadership—and to the next occupant of the White House. The time is past for talk on China’s flagrant trade cheating and egregiously unsafe industrial practices. Now it’s time for action."

http://www.americaneconomicalert.org/

* SHORT TAKES

AFL-CIO: McCain's trade policy is a third Bush term

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/06/20/mccains-trade-policy-is-a-third-george-bush-term

A Dead Heat in Georgia: Peach State could be decisive in '08
http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_619_445.aspx

House passes bill to extend jobless benefits
http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/062008/loc_local03.shtml

Non-partisan analysis shows McCain tax plan favors rich
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693

Webb calls for drug policy revamp
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080620/cm_thenation/7331478

Obama needs Nunn
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/shared-blogs/ajc/thinkingright/entries/2008/06/18/obama_needs_nunn_we_need_oil.html

CEO's pay rises as economy struggles
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080616/BIZ/806160378/1148

Colorado: Obama 43%, McCain 41%
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/colorado/election_2008_colorado_presidential_election
Democrats must counter race with class
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/20/EDMP11C0VN.DTL

Obama endorses John Barrow
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/062008/geo_292935433.shtml
Excellent analysis on the myth of Barrow as a "Bush Democrat"
http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_429_365.aspx

Parties need to end energy stalemate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903488.html?hpid=news-col-blog

Perhaps 60% of today's oil price is pure speculation
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8878

GAO criticizes tanker contract
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/06/18/ldt.sylvester.outsourcing.cnn

Is Obama going soft on "free trade" ?
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/330911

Just 47% oppose nationalization of oil industry
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/general_business/just_47_oppose_nationalizing_oil_industry
Taiwan and preserving U.S. options in the Pacific
http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/bg2146.cfm

Racism not dead, but socioeconomics is a bigger issue
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/tucker/stories/2008/06/06/tucked_0608.html

First law of practical economics replaced by greed and trickle down dogma
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Reverse-Henry-Fordism-by-Ernest-Partridge-080618-500.html

Democrats Sneak up on Red Districts
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/06/16/democrats-sneak-up-on-red-districts.aspx

Bush-McCain trying to steal credit for Webb's GI Bill
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/19/mccain-bush-gi-bill/

Webb shows independence on energy issues
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/webb-splits-with-obama-over-drilling-2008-06-19.html

Michigan District 11 Democratic House contenders lean right on some issues
http://hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/NEWS13/806190572/1030

Working Families Vote 2008

http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/

Senator Mary Landrieu welcomes President of fight for offshore energy
http://landrieu.senate.gov/~landrieu/releases/08/2008618540.html

Dennis Oxley expected to help Indiana's state Democratic ticket
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS08/806180411/1101/NEWS08

Economic Policy Institute presents evidence of growing income inequality
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20080618

Will Congress put African-American students in the back of the bus ?
http://www.cascadepolicy.org/2008/06/18/back-of-the-bus/

Nuclear power expansion gaining support
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/06/17/nuclear-option-its-not-verboten-anymore/

Democrat Bob Conley offers South Carolina voters a real choice in November
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A47105

Anger is no reason to disqualify Webb
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=52162&TM=48152.31

The Case for Webb as Obama's VP
http://blogs.wsj.com/politicalperceptions/2008/06/17/the-case-for-webb-as-obamas-running-mate/?mod=googlenews_wsj

It's time to improve U.S. education
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-na-educate16-2008jun16,0,2554838.story?page=1

McCain, Obama in economic trap
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/16/a14a_blackburncol_0616.html

The American Prospect: Close of an Era
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=close_of_an_era

Is Sam Nunn the best choice for Obama ?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/16/some_call_georgian_a_good_fit_for_obama/?page=1

The Falconist Party ? Is this the beginning of a social traditionalist-economic populist third party ?
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=219614695

Video from the Gun Owners Caucus of Texas Democratic Party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXPVmKnqwk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcbvkH3E0zw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmFopUZ3KLQ

Is Democratic nominee Bob Conley the real conservative in the South Carolina U.S. Senate race ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWqxvgxDHDI

Obama must now win the hearts of Middle America
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=GUEST+WRITER-qqqs=commentandanalysis-qqqid=33506-qqqx=1.asp

South, West hit hardest by rising gas prices
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/06/09/business/20080609_GAS_GRAPHIC.html
Will Democrats gain support among evangelicals ?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/july/4.13.html

Fritz Hollings gives his take on what is wrong with Washington
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080614/NEWS01/806140331/1001/NEWS&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for worldwide expansion of nuclear power
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brown-says-world-needs-1000-extra-nuclear-power-stations-846238.html

The Rising Instability of American Family Incomes
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp213

China is rapidly acquiring Africa's resources
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/126/special-report-china-in-africa.html

Economist warns that trade deficit could double
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2008/06/08/Economist_warns_trade_deficit_could_double/UPI-72261212931555/

Michael Lind on winning over the values voters
http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2008/winning_over_values_voters_7098

67% favor building more nuclear power plants in the U.S.
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1515

Daniel Harrop makes case against same sex marriage
http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_harrop26_05-26-08_U3A52BC_v8.39c4c82.html

Would Karl Rove plead the Fifth ?
http://politibits.tuscaloosanews.com/default.asp?item=2211907

Conservative Dem Donald Cravins Jr. running for Congress in Louisiana's 7th District
http://www.theind.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2639&Itemid=1&ed=1028

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Short takes 05/24/08

Honoring Our Veterans On Memorial Day
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/memorial_day.html

A great Republican President's words stand in stark contrast to the modern day GOP
http://patriot.net/~bmcgin/capitalismanddemocracy.html

Stop Price Gouging by Big Oil
http://action.citizen.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5146

Kevin Phillips suggests that the days of the U.S. as a leading economic power may soon be over
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603461.html

U.S. trade gap reduced by import slowdown not export boom
http://americaneconomicalert.org/view_art.asp?Prod_ID=2993

Unemployment Compensation Extension Passes Senate, 75 to 22
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/pm125

Hamilton Jordan: Architect of Carter Presidency dead at 63
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/20/AR2008052002286.html?hpid=topnews

Baucus, administration debate trade enforcement
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/24/news/state/46-tradeenforcment.txt

Nukes are the most climate friendly industrial-scale form of energy
http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/magazine/16-06/ff_heresies_08nuclear

Big Tent to Get Bigger If Democrats Want to Expand House Majority

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/big-tent-to-get-bigger-if-democrats-want-to-increase-house-majority-2008-05-22.html

Jim Webb's Time To Fight
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080520/cm_thenation/7322265

Executive Pay Watch Database
http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/paywatch/ceou/database.cfm

Conservative Democrats in a strong position to win open Alabama seats
http://blog.al.com/live/2008/05/gop_election_setbacks_could_sp.html

Votes of working-class Democrats uncertain
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/20/news/local/23-obama_s.txt

Webb would be bold choice for VP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/20/AR2008052002346.html

Young Voters Favor Activist Role by Government
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/progressive_generation.html

Main Street Squeeze
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3690/main_street_squeeze/

The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Child-Bearing
http://www.marriagedebate.com/pdf/ec_div.pdf

Turn Around America Video Contest - grassroots Americans submit their ideas to the AFL-CIO
http://www.turnaroundvideocontest.com/steve_video.php

SAVE Act gets another hearing, sort of
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/immigration/entries/2008/05/22/save_act_gets_another_hearing.html

McCain defends 'Enron Loophole'
http://atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/3951/32/

Unlike Bush-McCain, Obama Gets The Farm Bill Right
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080522/cm_thenation/1322762

How Sam Nunn Fit A Democratic Southern Strategy
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/05/22/how_nunn_could_fit_into_a_sout.html

Musgrove Leads Wicker in Mississippi U.S. Senate Race
http://www.musgroveforsenate.net/news/new_poll_shows_musgrove_leadin.html

Florida Today: Our New G.I. Bill
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080524/OPINION/805240313/1004&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

New pro-life country song hits the airwaves (hat tip - Democrats for Life http://www.democratsforlife.org/)

http://www.myspace.com/bluefieldband

Economic Snapshot for May 2008
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/05/econ_snapshot.html

Al Shanker's Tough Liberalism - Interesting article about a labor leader who challenged political correctness on the Left
http://www.forward.com/articles/13438/

Jim Webb on MSNBC's "Morning Joe"
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/05/21/jim_webb_on_the_coolness_of_wo.html

Support for school vouchers is growing
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article510630.ece

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Amendment 2: Critical to Florida's Families

I urge the voters of Florida to support Amendment 2 which would place a ban on same sex marriage in the Florida Consitution. While it is important to treat our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters fairly, the traditional family must be recognized as a source of strength. The vast majority of Floridians across party lines oppose gay marriage and do not want to redefine the institution of marriage.

As a labor Democrat who has spent his whole life fighting for the fair treatment of the poor and minorities, I see no inconsistency with my endorsement of Amendment 2. We should certainly consider some form of statewide domestic partnership legislation for same sex couples. Matters like inheritance rights and hospital visitation can be addressed without tampering with the institution of marriage. Gay bashing and employment discrimination against gays must be vigorously opposed but we must also recognize that the traditional family unit is the basic building block of our society.

As explained in the video link, Amendment 2 will not invalidate local domestic partnership laws. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6cT2Fxo-7s The recent California Supreme Court ruling shows the importance of Florida putting a ban on same sex marriage into the state constitution.

Full Text of Florida Marriage Protection Amendment

“Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no otherlegal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”

Why do we need a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in Florida?

* Natural Marriage is Under Attack

Gay and lesbian political groups and activist judges nationwide are trying to overturnstate Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) laws which define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. This is what happened in California and Massachusetts to legalize “gay” marriages. It is only a matter of time before an activist judge will take a case that challenges Florida’s DOMA and rules that our state law is “unconstitutional.” This is why Florida is following the lead of 27 other states who have expressly defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman in their state constitution.

* Marriage is Beneficial to Florida

The institution of marriage provides the foundation for every humancivilization. Florida has a fundamental and compelling interest in protecting and preserving marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Our communities flourish socially, economically and in many other ways due to the stability and strength that marriage provides to children, families, communities and our state as a whole. Marriage benefits the common good of society in unique and lasting ways that same sex coupling does not.

* Same Sex Marriage Subjects Children to a Vast, Untested, Social Experiment

When you create a same sex marriage, you are simultaneously creating a same sex family. Our responsibility is to always ask, “What is in the best interest of children?” When it comes to marriage, children always do better when they grow up with a married mother and father. A massive body of social science literature over the past three decades, has empirically demonstrated this fact. Children raised with a married mom and a dad are protected from a host of social maladies.

* Opponents of the marriage amendment are waging a campaign of pure deception and deliberate misrepresentation

Our opponents know they will loose if they try and argue the policy merits of so called “gay” marriage. So they have resorted to a pathetic and dastardly tactic, namely trying to scare senior citizens into thinking that their “benefits” will be taken away. Amendment 2 is about one thing, and one thing only-- it defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman and does not interfere with anyone’s benefits. Detailed legal documentation proving this point is available at at http://www.florida4marriage.org/, under “Opponent’s Arguments.

Amendment 2 deserves the support of all Floridians who are concerned about the well-being of families. This is not a partisan issue and Amendment 2 needs the support of Democrats, Republicans and Independents.