Wednesday, June 4, 2008

From the perspective of the morning after the historically ground shaking events that unfolded before the nation last night the imagery and spectacle is undeniable. I was trying to search my mind for an equally transpiring moment that had the generational shift and impact last evening had. It didn't take long for me to find it. The fall of the Berlin Wall. I realized another Berlin Wall of sorts fell last night. In 1989 I still vividly remember with jaw dropping awe the disentigration of a physical barrier that stood for separating the free world and the oppressed of eastern Europe that had consumed most of my life at that point gender and race wise.

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Obama Claims Nomination And Historical Precedent

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Cheney Apologizes For W. Virginia Incest Joke (What A Surprise)

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Ok. Cheney going off with an off-color joke about incest in West Virginia isn't really news. I mean after all this is the guy who shot someone in the face on one of those fake hunting trips where you step out of the comfort of your mini-bared SUV and pop off a few rounds in a private hunting preserve where the game is "conditioned" for partially liquored up blowhards. I just love the "values" party, don't you? Anyway, Cheney's remark isn't what should be news. The news should be West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin's (D) indignant response:

"I truly cannot believe that any vice president of the United States, regardless of their political affiliation, would make such a derogatory statement about my state or any state for that matter," Manchin said in a statement. "West Virginia is home to some of the most patriotic people in the nation and our sons and daughters have answered the call to duty every time a president has needed their service. They deserve better from the vice president, and so I would simply ask for his apology."

Do tell Governor. Your indignation is duly noted, as it should be. I just want to make sure I understand the good Democratic Gov. Manchin of the Mountain State which serves as the buckle of the bible belt. It seems their population has bought in to the GOP frame for Democratic Presidential candidates who supposedly represent atheist gays who want to take your guns away.

First off, as the very proud son of a late WWII, Korean, and Vietnam veteran and brother of a Desert Shield veteran I'm bothered by someone's service to their country getting special claim to the recognition of rights and respect. It is an insult to those that fought in defense of our country making sure everyone gets that same claim and recognition. Let's forget for a moment his remark seemingly endorsing that very fact as he evoked the state's "sons and daughters" answering the call to serve in the military which gives them that special status. But let's forget all of that for the moment. If what you evoked in the name of all those "sons and daughters" stands, then what about the gays and lesbians in our country that have answered that same call. In 33 states it is still legal to fire someone over their sexual orientation, even with a chest full of medals from their military service.

This is more than annoying and irritating, it buys into the GOP "values" frame about lesbians and gays being somewhat less than human, unless of course you happen to be the daughter of the Vice President of the United States. So, Gov. Joe Manchin, this is a plea to stop buying into that frame. My father and my brother fought to make sure we all have the same respect, recognition and rights without special exceptions.

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Florida Legislature Turning Its Back On Local Schools

Monday, June 2, 2008

One of the clarion calls of candidate and now Gov. Charlie "I think I might be a VP candidate" Crist was a statewide deep property tax cut to be enacted at the outset of his adminstration. Without stopping to catch his breath he also proclaimed and promised this would not affect our state educational system. And now for the shocker - he lied.

One of my pet peeves when it comes to the GOP has always been what they proclaim their "brand" stands for: lower taxes and smaller governement. Let me assure you as the Florida legislature just proved, there is no such thing as a tax cut. Whatever funding has been cut at the highest federal level, the state will take up the slack. Whatever funding is cut at the state level, the local municipalities will take up the slack. If that funding is cut off at the city level, then the service is paid for privately. Then the so-called tax cut becomes a loss of funds on a personal level and much more expensive since the cost of the service was carried over the sprectrum of the population it served at a much cheaper rate individually. That service could range form any variety of services that includes school lunches for the poor to less police presence on the street. Some "tax cut."

Right now I'm a teacher sitting in my classroom finishing up my day and looking at my walls. I'm lucky to have two world maps that proclaim the Soviet Union is still with us. In my school that has over 200 teachers we have 35 LCD projectors between us. I could sit here and go on and on but I think I've made my point. As the article highlighted, for the thrid time here in this post, stipulates, local governments are now going to have to shoulder a heavier tax burdon. Let's guess where that revenue is going to come from. Don't hurt yourself trying to figure it out, I'll give you a hand. Local property taxes. You know, as opposed to the ones Gov. Charlie helped legislate tax cuts for on a state level.

I am going to continue my campaign to destroy the myth of this GOP "brand." The "brand" that defines the "values" party. You know, the "values" party that wants to privitize the entire healthcare industry and Social Security. The "values" party that wants your life to have a price on it regarding your ability to pay for healthcare. You can't afford it? Welcome to the Darwinian universe where only the fittest survive. The "values" party that wants to prevent all abortions but cut funding for SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program). I'll be posting more about this in the coming days and weeks while I figure out a way to pay for my school supplies next year on my teacher salary.

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Does Obama’s V.P. Short List Now Include Rep. Robert Wexler?

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Adam Smith over at St. Petersburg Times’ “The Buzz” seems to think it might be possible. The eleven-year Congressman out of Florida’s 19th congressional district is definitely what one would consider a firebrand. He would fit perfectly into the running mate’s traditional role of a pit bull on the stump and he’s wildly popular in his district.

When I saw Smith’s article I took a closer look at Wexler and his district. In 2004 and 2006 he ran unopposed which is no surprise in a district with a PVI of D+21. That would be inline with the last time he had an opponent in 2002 when he popped 72% of the vote. In 2004 Bush only managed 34% of the popular vote there with an ethnic demographic of 87% white, 13% Hispanic, 6% Black, and 2% Asian. He is most known for a controversial appearance on Comedy Central’s Steven Colbert Show where he went along with a comedy routine pretending to be an admitted cocaine user who used the services of prostitutes. When several members of the MSM did not understand that Mr. Colbert’s show was a fake news program based on comedic suppositions, Colbert had to make an appearance out of character on the program and remind them Wexler was playing along with the joke.

At 47, he is younger than Sen. Obama and would fit nicely in his circle of advisors as a sitting member with the House Judiciary Committee since the Presidential candidate has expressed a desire to review all of Bush’s Executive Orders for constitutionality. Along with the fact he came out for Obama early he would come to the ticket without a national power base to challenge the equilibrium of Obama’s and bring with him his bona fides as an active Jew involved in efforts to increase closer American-Israeli relations.

I actually can’t see any downsides of Wexler upon initial analysis with the exception of the Colbert appearance, which seems minimal and a lack of name recognition. Add to the fact he is from Florida the geographical balance wouldn’t hurt even though I believe that myth has been laid to rest for sometime now. Given some time to think about it I might think he wouldn’t be a bad choice. Not a bad choice at all.

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

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RBC Michigan Outcome Was Wrong

I was just over at MyDD reading Jerome Armstrong’s post mortem on the RBC votes yesterday. There can be no doubt, despite the most extreme of Hillary’s followers’ twisted sense of what is “fair,” the decision regarding the seating of our slate of delegates was the correct one. Rules are rules and without them you can’t function as an entity.

I am still somewhat annoyed with Mr. Armstrong and the major contingent of the prominent members of the liberal blogosphere basically ignoring the skullduggery of the state GOP’s hand at putting the FDP and the state legislature’s Democratic minority in our current situation. Despite that annoyance though, I am in full agreement with his assessment of Michigan and the RBC’s resolution. It was wrong.

Mr. Armstrong crystallized the issue of Michigan’s wrong headed resolution with this deft explanation after noting the committee’s adoption of the Michigan Democratic Party’s delegate apportionment solution of 69 (for Clinton) & 59 (for Obama):

“In giving Clinton more delegates than Obama, the RBC does so on the basis of their being a vote in MI that Clinton won, yet by not honoring the amount of votes she got, they make not actual votes, but some other measurement the basis upon which to divide delegates. What measure would that be? Polling? The disenfranchised that didn't vote? Irrevocable harm? It's a disastrous precedent. Either it counts or it doesn't, where's the basis in the rules for this decision! And if its not rules, then what is it? If the actual "votes" factor into the decision, but are not at the top of the list, then what kind of democracy does this ruling represent?”

I wholeheartedly agree here. This pretzel logic, despite the attempt at pragmatism, was a sharp departure from the basis of Florida’s resolution. Though the circumstances of both states differ the rules invoked should have been the same for both resulting in Clinton being awarded 73 delegates with the rest going to uncommitted with all at half value. The uncommitted slate of delegates would represent the will of the voters who obviously did not want to commit to Clinton. One could speculate here that most of the uncommitted would be for Sen. Obama by the time of the roll call vote in Denver.

Side note: As noted in my previous post from yesterday I was fairly angry yesterday with the Clinton campaign. But later on Georgia10 at Daily Kos calmed me after I read his entry on the probable reason for the Clinton campaign’s public challenge to the RBC.

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