President Obama took a few minutes to explain to Democrats, Independents, and reasonable Republicans, the importance of the special election being held in Massachusetts on Tuesday between Martha Coakley (D) and tea partier Scott Brown (R). The prize? Ted Kennedy’s senate seat. The president explained that if Brown wins it is the end of his agenda because the filibuster proof majority would be lost. The result, Republicans will prevent passage of Immigration reform, DADT, Jobs Bill, Card Check, Energy reform, Financial Regulatory Reform, Cap N Trade and the remainder of the democratic agenda that we voted for 2008. See the president’s message below.
Unless you were in Siberia this past weekend you have heard the hysteria amongst GOP operatives relating to statements made by Sen. Harry Reid regarding candidate Barack Obama. However, in case you were visiting the arctic region here is a recap. In the new book Game Change, by veteran political reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, the authors quote Sen. Reid, in the context of encouraging Obama to run, opining as to why he believes that then candidate Obama has a very good chance of winning the Democratic nomination and the presidency. Reid referred to Obama being “a ‘light skinned’ African-American ‘with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one’” as assets and attributes that work in his favor with respect to winning the nomination. Reid has since apologized twice for his bizarre choice of words but the GOP, and most notably Michael Steele and Lynn Cheney, says an apology is not enough and Reid should step down because Trent Lott was forced to step down as leader based on comments he made about Strom Thurmond in 2007. At the time Lott lamented about Thurmond’s loss of the presidency in 1948 when then Dixiecrat Thurmond ran on a segregationist platform.
Lott: “When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over the years, either.
Yeah, that’s the same. Sen. Harry Reid praising and encouraging the first viable presidential candidacy of an African-American and the former senator Trent Lott longing for the days where blacks and whites were kept separate and blaming integration of the races for all the woes that America has suffered as a nation. Exactly the same.
Yes Sen. Reid’s words were clumsy and unfortunate and no I have not heard any person under the age of 100 use the word “negro” in describing black folks. However, the substance of his statement, in my opinion, is accurate. Few would disagree with the conclusion that if Barack Obama had been a dark-skinned African-American who spoke similar to President Bush or with a strong dialect similar to that of Lil Wayne that he would not be President right now.
So GOP operatives there is no double-standard and the only people that you are convincing that the statement was racist are yourselves.
President Obama made a the following statement regarding Reid’s comments:
“This is a good man [Sen. Harry Reid] who has always been on the right side of history. For him to have used some in-artful language in trying to praise me and for people to try to make hay out of that makes absolutely no sense.”
Sen. Dodd of Connecticut is expected to announce his retirement today according to the Washington Post. One wonders how this will effect financial regulatory reform. Hopefully it means that we will get a good bill now that he will not beholding to anyone.
Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) has scheduled a press conference at his home in Connecticut Wednesday at which he is expected to announce he will not seek re-election, according to sources familiar with his plans.
Dodd’s retirement comes after months of speculation about his political future, and amid faltering polling numbers and a growing sense among the Democratic establishment that he could not win a sixth term. It also comes less than 24 hours after Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) announced he would not seek re-election.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is widely expected to step into the void filled by Dodd and, at least at first blush, should drastically increase Democrats’ chances of holding the seat….
Without Dodd as a foil, Republicans chances of taking over a seat in this solidly blue state are considerably diminished. Former Rep. Rob Simmons and wealthy businesswoman Linda McMahon are battling it out for the Republican nod but either would start as an underdog in a general election matchup with Blumenthal….
Dodd’s troubles were politically ironic, coming at a time when his power on Capitol Hill had reached a breath-taking level that most legislators dream of but never come close to achieving. In the last 18 months Dodd has been the primary author or co-author of legislation re-writing housing mortgage rules; the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street; key portions of the $787 billion stimulus package; a consumer protection bill overseeing the credit card industry; and the nearly $900 billion health-care legislation that has passed the Senate is in final negotiations with the House now.
You don’t?? No worries there was none. The attempted attack aboard the Northwest flight to Detroit on Christmas day was eerily familiar….like we lived it before about eight years ago. Remember Richard Reid the shoe bomber who attempted to blow up an American Airlines flight on December 22, 2001? You don’t? Well lets refresh your memory and the memories of the GOP members who were out loud and proud this week criticizing President Obama’s handling of the situation. Their main issue is that the president did not respond appropriately with the seriousness that such an occurrence deserves. And by respond, we can only assume that the Republican House and Senate members believe that the president should have appeared in a cowboy hat and boots with guns blazing. But I digress. The thwarted attack happened on December 22,2001. The person who came to the rescue in 2001 was a fellow passenger similar to the actions of the passenger on Northwest flight 253. Guess what else? The shoe bomber was arrested and put in jail just like the failed attacker on the Northwest flight. President Obama made a statement yesterday regarding the failed attack and has been briefed on the hour about new developments in addition to ordering a full investigation of what went wrong. The President has also ordered new procedures for all flights entering and departing the United States. What did President Bush say in his 2001 statement regarding the failed shoe bomber attack you ask?
First 24 hours?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT:
….
Some additional information to bring to you at this time. We do know that President Bush was notified about this situation earlier today and that he has already had a briefing on the situation. The president, as we have noted, is spending the holiday weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said that President Bush continued to monitor the situation and receive updates at Camp David. Bush has not issued any statements about the incident.
Finally, TEN SIX DAYS later President Bush merely mentions the attack in passing while discussing a different point.
A NATION CHALLENGED: THE PRESIDENT; Bush Says Taliban Leader Will Be Found
President Bush said today that it was ”just a matter of time” before Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban leader, was captured, but he did not say if and when the United States Marines would join in any search. Mullah Omar is believed to be hiding in southern Afghanistan.
”I’m patient, and so is our military,” Mr. Bush said before having a cheeseburger and onion rings for lunch with staff members and friends at the Coffee Station, the only restaurant in this town of about 700. The president is spending the holidays at his 1,600-acre ranch, eight miles northwest of here.
….
Mr. Bush, in his last question-and-answer session with reporters in 2001, also said that the main task of the F.B.I. was now to protect Americans from further attacks.
”The whole culture of the F.B.I. has changed for the better,” Mr. Bush said. He added that the country as a whole was ”on alert” and praised the flight attendant on an American Airlines flight on Dec. 22 who noticed the man whom Mr. Bush called ”the shoe bomber,” Richard C. Reid, trying to light a fuse in his sneaker.
By the way, the shoe bomber Richard Reid was indicted on terrorism charges by a grand jury, tried and convicted in a federal court, and is now serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado. And guess what? Not a peep was spoken by a single Republican about the arrest of the shoe bomber or the fact that this terrorist was tried and convicted in the United States federal court system. Not even from former Homeland Security Chairman Tom Ridge.
Meanwhile Sen. Jim DeMint is blocking the nominee, Erroll Southers, for the top position at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) because the Republican member does not want baggage screeners to join a union. So let me get this straight…..currently we have no one heading the airline security in the United States because Sen. DeMint is afraid of collective bargaining? Can you imagine if this was a Democrat blocking a TSA Chief nominee right after an attempted terrorist attack five days ago? Exactly…HYPOCRISY!!!
Two more things. First, didn’t a Republican administration develop the Homeland Security program and had eight years to perfect it? Second, because the Republicans are labeling this an attack, does this mean that there was another attack on the US during the Bush presidency thereby disproving the claim that Bush prevented subsequent terrorist attacks on the US during his presidency?
The GOP continue to harp on the alleged lack of bipartisanship overtures by Democrats in the House and Senate. We now have confirmation from a former member of the Republican caucus that such complaints are disingenuous. We all know that the GOP game plan for the 2010 and 2012 elections is to obstruct and prevent the President from accomplishing any of his domestic agenda and to do it by any means necessary. Well Sen. Arnel Specter confirmed on Sunday what every person paying even mildly attention already knew…the GOP has been plotting to bring this President down since January 20. 2009. Specter revealed the GOP strategy according to private conversations that he was privy to as a member of the Republican caucus before he switched to the Democratic Party in April of this year. See video below.
I cannot turn on the television without seeing Arianna Huffington of Huffington Post fame railing against all the things that President Obama is doing wrong. Well apparently she cannot take such heat herself because if you criticize her, and by her I mean the Huffington Post, for its lack of staff diversity you are silenced very quickly. Huffington Post posted a picture of its staff Christmas Party wishing its readers Happy Holidays. However, readers were not so jolly when they noticed the glaring lack of diversity amongst the Huffington Post staff. The first ten comments mentioned the fact that an overwhelming majority of the staff are of European descent (Caucasian). In other words, very few people of color. When the Huffington Post saw where the negative comments were going it removed every single one of the complaints mentioning their hypocrisy and lack of diversity within twenty minutes and never re-posted them. Completely scrubbed never to be seen again including my own comment. Now only comments praising the site for being a great liberal voice remain. Isn’t HP suppose to be a progressive site that encourages its readers to engage in robust open debate?
A few facts. The unemployment rate nationwide for African-Americans is 16 percent as compared to a 9 percent unemployment rate for white Americans. Further, the unemployment rate for Hispanics nationwide is 13 percent. In California, where one of the main offices of the Huffington Post is located, the unemployment rate for African-Americans is 14 percent while amongst whites it is 9 percent. It is really hard for me to believe that the Huffington Post is unable to find more talented people of color to provide more perspective diversity for its site. Particularly in this economy. Minorities make up a third the US population but only a tiny percentage of the HP staff. There are many minorities that read the Huffington Post and would like to see issues covered through the lens of someone who experience racial and cultural challenges first hand instead of through the eyes and perspective of the majority.
So my question to the Huffington Post is why so few people of color? What are you trying to hide? Given the amount of complaints that your holiday photo generated within minutes of posting I am sure that you are blocking other criticism concerning the lack of black and brown faces. What is the deal??? I have heard Arianna complain relentlessly about Hannity and Limbaugh’s unwillingness to engage in an open debate where both sides are provided equal time. This incident shows that what is good for the goose is not so good for the gander and such rules do not apply to her. So Huffington Post, you have no problem calling out and criticizing others so why can’t you step up to the plate and take the heat. Or at least allow opposing views and constructive criticism to be shown when it is given. Because Huffington Post will not allow me to voice my dissent regarding its lack of diversity and progressive hypocrisy on its site I am voicing my frustration here. Hey Arianna, stop censoring your comments and hire more people of color!
For those of you who missed Attorney General Holder’s testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee it was an interesting exchange. Republican Senators Sessions, Kyle, and Graham were the most vocal in their opposition to the Attorney General’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in an Article III court (federal court created by Article III of the Constitution) as oppose to a military tribunal. The crux of the Republicans arguments are that KSM has promised to plead guilty in front of a military tribunal so why not allow him to do just that and trying KSM in the federal courts makes New York less safe. As for making New York less safe, New York will always be a target as it has been since the 1993 World Trade Center attack. So it’s hard to believe that a maximum security trial would make it more of a target. In fact, one would think that the increased security would make it less of a target. As for the wishes and preferences of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Holder responded by saying that a terrorist does not get to decide where he is tried that is my job. Correct, that is the job of the Attorney General. It is not the job of the person being charged nor is it the job of three rabid partisan senators who do not have all the facts surrounding the case and have not practiced law in decades. Mr. Holder is the most experienced Attorney General to ever hold the post so excuse us if we trust his judgement over the opinions of Sessions, Kyle, and Graham. It’s amazing that these senators argued their position so vociferously without any of the pertinent information required to give an informed and reasonable opinion. A side note: Sessions tone with Holder at one point during their exchange was a bit disconserting. But I digress. In addition and for the record Senators, your opinions are not worth the air used to utter them if you lack critical facts needed to render such opinions.
One reason why Holder may have chosen the constitutionally created and tested federal court system over the military tribunals is because such tribunals have been ruled unconstitutional twice by the Supreme Court of the United States. Though Congress believes that it has remedied the constitutional defects of such tribunals the congressional fix has yet to pass a SCOTUS review. This is not the case to TEST Congress’ handiwork. The first challenge any defense attorney worth his/her fee would raise is the constitutionality of the tribunals….such challenges can drag on indefinitely. With an Article III court that argument is off the table. Such courts have been around afterall since the beginning of this Republic. In so, being tried in federal court reduces the likelihood of a guilty verdict being overturned because of the unconstitutionality of the venue and process. Reasonable minds may differ but operating under blind and willful ignorance when criticizing a decision of this magnitude is just ignorant.
Another thing. This criminal says that he would like to plead guilty in a military tribunal. Senators Sessions, Kyle, and Graham did you bother to ask why KSM would so readily offer that up? How about the possibility that he believes by pleading guilty in a military setting America then recognizes him and al-Qaida as a legitimate enemy state. In other words, America then elevates and legitmizes al-Qaida and him in the eyes of the world as a legitimate and proper enemy state. Whereas adjudicating him in the federal court system reduces KSM to the status of a common criminal and he is treated like every other common criminal being put through the system. A heinous common criminal but a common criminal just the same. Prosecuting KSM in the federal system will prevent him and his cohorts the satisfaction of being recognized as a legitimate enemy engaged in an act of war.
One last question to the GOP senators…..
Where was the outrage when the Bush administration decided that al-Qaida member and 9/11 highjacker Zacarias Moussaoui would be tried in Virginia? That’s the silence of hypocracy that you’re not hearing.
The United States has a health care crisis, an economic crisis, and is in the middle of two wars, yet the media is hyper-focusedobsessed with a book that is nothing more than sophomoric effort by a marginal former governor of Alaska whose primary goal is to become famous and wealthy. Please STOP!
The media continues to ask the question that most Americans are NOT asking….is Sarah Palin running for president in 2012? NOOOOOOOOOO! She is not running in 2012 because she no longer needs politics to be a talk show host. So no she is not promoting her book in battleground states because she is testing the waters for 2012. Harper Collins chose battleground states because it KNEW that you, main stream media, would speculate whether the Alaskan is running in 2012. It is a promotional gimmick by a profit-oriented publishing company. Yes main stream media you are a willing pawn in Harper Collins plan to sell as many books as possible. The publishing giant is using political speculation to turn this juvenile and petty effort into a bestseller thanks to the Sarah-obsessed pundit class.
Democrat Bill Owens won the seat in New York’s 23rd District that Republicans have held for 120 years. Though the GOP brought out their big guns that includes Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson, Tim Pawlenty, and Glenn Beck just to name a few. Yet this very conservative district voted for a Democrat that had been caught flat-footed several times throughout his campaign for not having a command of the issues. Democrats are surely grateful to teabaggers for not making the night a total loss. In addition, the seat increases the Democrat majority in the House.
Please vote in the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey TODAY. These are two very important races that the pundits will use to grade President Obama. In addition, we have two very conservative Republicans running in opposition and Creigh (Cree) Deeds in Virginia and Jon Corzine in New Jersey NEED your help and YOUR vote. The Virginia polls are open from 6am to 7pm Eastern Standard Time. The polls in New Jersey are open from 6am to 8pm Eastern Standard Time.
If you have any issues voting in Virginia or need to locate your polling place click here or call 866 OUR-VOTE
If you have any issues voting in New Jersey or need to locate your polling place click here or call 800 792-VOTE(8683)
Your behavior at the Presidential address was inexcusable and you should be censured. You are the first congressman ever to demean the House and your state in such a way. As a member of Congress listening to a presidential address in the House chamber civility is the order of the day. Not to mention that as a “congressman” protocol requires that you never call a fellow House member a liar on the House floor. So what exactly makes you think that you are free to call the President of the United States a liar during a joint session? As a former aid to Strom Thurmond who posits Thurmond as someone to be admired and revered even today I have an idea of where on the spectrum your morals, values, and ignorance lie. I also have an idea of what your feelings are about Barack Obama being president. You are a disgrace to the House and to the state of South Carolina. It serves you right that your opponent has raised over a million dollars following your childish and inappropriate behavior. It is my sincere hope that this will be your last term in Congress and your state and the rest of America will be well rid of your lunacy and disrepect for the office of the President and the House of Representatives. As for your GOP colleagues who attempt to excuse your behavior by saying that your claim about the President is accurate that is not the point. Your claim is NOT accurate by the way but I digress. There is a place for disagreeing with the President and that place is not during a presidential address to a joint session. As a matter of fact you are the first Congressman to ever commit such a violation and President Obama is the first president to be on the receiving end. Go figure former Thurmond aid.
You have officially set a new LOW bar, congratulations.
Well it appears that Mrs. Katy Abram, the self proclaimed “sleeping giant” from Sen. Arnel Specter’s Lebanon, PA town hall meeting, who has all of a sudden been awakened is a bit more schooled on the lunacy of the far right than she claims. Abram made the statement “until now I’ve had no interest in politics…(paraphrase).” Well that’s a lie. Mrs. Abram is a big fan of Glenn Beck and has been an organizing member for conservatives since 2006. Abram also organized the lunatic fringe protests at Arnel Specter’s Lebanon town hall. It did seem awfully peculiar that the house wife, just recently interested in politics, would be so diligent about video taping a town hall meeting that she decided to attend for the first time. Not only has Mrs. Abram been a member of Beck’s 9-12 project since 2006 but she is also a huge fan of Sean Hannity as indicated by her Amazon review of Hannity’s book that she wrote in 2004. When Mrs. Abram was asked why now has she opened her eyes to politics when we have lived through 9/11, the Iraq war, and trillions in war spending by the Bush administration? She responded that neither event really phased her because we are always at war. Didn’t phase her? Abram is an ORGANIZING member of Glenn Beck’s 9-12 project where the mission of the group is:
The 9-12 project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created.
In case you missed it, the group wants us to return to where we were the day after 9/11. A winger in “typical housewife” clothing. Mrs. Katy Abram is a shrewd operator with a background in media. She managed to get air time on all the prime time cable networks by portraying herself as a formerly disinterested housewife who has just been awaken to politics even though she has been involved with the conservative right wing for at least four years. See her own words from Amazon review of Hannity’s book below:
Still a conservative despite the $, March 22, 2004
First and foremost I am a conservative who has seen the light after working a number of years in the liberal television media. While working in television I didn’t see it. I didn’t see the liberal workings because I was a part of it. After leaving to become a stay at home mom I see time after time how much my former counterparts spin everything. As a result I have returned to my original God given roots of conservativism. (My parents are so proud). I digress. To the last individual who stated only the rich are conservative…well let me educate you. I personally have NEVER made over $35,000. My husband is making in the mid $50′s…well looky here someone who is a conservative who makes less than your liberal paycheck. Amazing to think that someone so poor could be a conservative.
Anyhow, I bought Sean’s book this weekend and it again has stirred the fire in my belly. I absolutely love this book. Sean doesn’t skirt around the issues with a song and dance of rhetoric. He shows CLEARLY and DISTINCTLY how the left left their minds in the gutter. Their minds are fogged with the rantings of lunatics. They have seen clear proof of the difference of good and evil in the world and are still either oblivious to it or truly choose to turn a blind eye in hopes for recovering the White House.
Sean you have truly outdone yourself. Keep up the great work! This is truly a work of love and dedication.
Well “looky here,” it appears that Katy “[saw] the light” back in 2004.
John Mackey, the CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods, penned an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal titled: “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare.“ Referring to health care reform as “ObamaCare” is a hint as to which way this article is headed. However, given the large segment of Mackey’s Whole Foods target market that are progressive minded liberals who care about health and the enviroment this was probably not a sound business move on his part. Left leaning progressives are already rallying to boycott Whole Foods. There are now about 2,500 people who’ve joined a Facebook group dedicated to boycotting the grocer. If Mackey thinks he is untouchable he needs to talk to Glenn Beck. Several corporations have pulled their ad dollars from Beck’s program after he made offensive and extremist hate speech remarks about the President and Nancy Pelosi.
Mackey’s self-serving piece offers as his solution to health care reform that Americans eat healthier food, organic preferably, exercise, and make healthier lifestyle choices.
“Most of the diseases that kill us and account for about 70% of all health-care spending—heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and obesity—are mostly preventable through proper diet, exercise, not smoking, minimal alcohol consumption and other healthy lifestyle choices”.,,,, CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey
Who knew??? Who knew that the daughter who has a history of breast cancer in her family could prevent its occurrence simply by exercising and eating an apple a day? Who knew that the son who inherited altzheimers only needed to eat organic blueberries to prevent its onset. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for preventative health care and lifestyle choices both of which are a significant part of the bills currently being proposed by the House and the Senate but that alone will not make a dent in health care costs? Why? Because patients need to seek out a doctor for advice as to what preventative measures should be taken? In other words there needs to be an ongoing doctor-patient relationship. Such patients will not seek that advice if they cannot afford it. Further, a working mom holding three jobs just to tread water cannot afford an over-priced, two dollar, organic piece of fruit. It is not a reality in her world. A trip into the real world where a family of four is living on $17,000 a year would do Mr. Mackey good.
The Whole Foods CEO and co-founder also advocates the following as his solution to the health care crisis:
Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).Free market health care….that worked so well for the financial industry.
Equalize the tax laws so that that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits. Tax benefits for people paying for their own health insurance is a good plan that can be offered along side the public option.
Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines.Does not decrease the cost of health care but allows large insurance companies to become larger. Besides, a public option accomplishes more competition, lower cost, larger risk market place, with the added benefit of preventing more insurance company monopolies. Also, competing across state lines does not work because of risk selection. Everyone would buy health insurance from the low price states which would result in higher risk for the insurance company thereby resulting in higher premiums for customers which defeats the purpose of lowering health care cost. Not to mention that some states are healthier and has less expensive health care than other states thereby resulting in less risk for the insurance company. For example, there may be more risk providing insurance to someone in Mississippi, the state with the nation’s highest obesity rate, than in Washington state, one of the healthiest states in the nation. The increased risk is based on the different lifestyles and eating habits of customers of the two states.
Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover.Yes, I’m sure that without a mandate all the insurance companies will be rushing to cover all the expensive procedures that eat into their profits. Such companies are quite benevolent that way. Lets see, a choice between the patient’s well being and profits with big insurance as the decider…give me a break. If we did not have regulatory cost ceilings for certain procedures the death rate for those WITH insurance would be much higher.
Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Already proven not to reduce health care cost…see yesterday’s post.
Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost.Wow, who knew that if the unemployed, uninsured, and underinsured just knew how much health care cost they wouldn’t seek treatment thereby saving loads of cash. Perhaps they would hold out even longer and just go ahead and die thereby inconveniencing Mr. Mackey as little as possible.
Enact Medicare reform.Brilliant Sherlock, it’s already being proposed by the House and the Senate.
Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren’t covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.Lets rely on the goodness of people like Mackey who has concluded that only rich people deserve health care and those who are unfortunate enough to lose their job, change jobs, have a prexisting condition, or develop an unexpected serious illness and are dropped from their insurance company must be damned to a short life. Is the reason we have thousands of people dying each month from curable and preventable deseases due to people like Mackey’s generosity?
Did President Obama speaking with Sergeant Crowley sanction bad behavior amongst police officers who regularly engage in “overreactions?” Having read Sergeant Crowley’s written report this writer can say that even if every word in the report is true it was pretty clear that the sergeant coaxed Professor Gates out of his house so that he could arrest him. It is also clear from Crowley’s report that even if we accept, as Crowley claims, that Professor Gates was speaking to him in a “tumultuous manner” and calling him “racist” (the other officer on the scene said that he did not hear the word ”racist” as Crowley claims) that is not an excuse for the sergeant to abuse his position simply because he was offended. It is hard to believe that the professor was behaving in a “tumultuous manner” given the height and stature advantage that Crowley had on him. Not to mention that the sergeant had a GUN. My point is that Crowley is a police officer employed to “protect and serve” not to use his position to get angry and get even. ”Tumultuous” speech inside a person’s home aimed at the officer is not against the law regardless of whether its racial or otherwise. It is the officer’s job to deescalate the situation by walking away. Instead, Crowley arrested a 5’7″ 57-year-old disabled man who walks with a cane at his home. Crowley did so after establishing almost as soon as he arrived at the residence that Gates was the owner of the home and no law had been broken. Crowley also continued to engage Gates inside his home by Crowley’s own accounts. Why didn’t Crowley just leave? The sergeant had done his job why continue arguing? According to Crowley’s report, Gates asked him for his name and badge number several times. Crowley reports that he gave his name and badge number to Gates once but Gates did not hear him because Gates was speaking over him. Crowley further reports that Gates continued asking for his name and badge number but he told Gates that he would only speak with him if Gates stepped outside. Gates reports that after he stepped outside his home Officer Crowley said to him “thank you for accommodating my request, you’re under arrest.” Crowley does not claim that he ever felt threatened. Why did Gates have to step outside his home for Crowley to give him his name and badge number? Why would Crowley coax Gates outside his home to arrest him? Because he could not arrest Gates inside his house without a search warrant. Is this good policing? Is the fact that Sergeant Crowley is now invited to the White House a license to rogue police officers to act with abandon the next time they are confronted with a similar situation? We are not sure that this is a good message to send to law enforcement given the number of instances reported each year concerning police misconduct and abuse of position by police officers.
How is the Cambridge Police Union speaking out in support of Sergeant Crowley without having witnessed the incident or asking Professor Gates his side of the story any different from the President speaking in support of his friend? One wonders if such a strong reaction would have occurred if President Obama had spoken out in support of his white friend which could have just as easily been the case. The guy is a friend of the President’s and the President spoke out in support of him…newsflash…the President is….is….HUMAN!
As for the larger issue of racial profiling? It is a reality. The Department of Justice conducted a study in 2005, released in 2007, where 17.8 million drivers were stopped. The study showed that blacks were almost three times as likely to be searched when stopped by a police officer than whites, 9.5% to 3.6%. In terms of arrests, blacks were more than twice as likely to be arrested than whites, 4.5% to 2.1%. When it came to drivers being subjected to force or threat of force, blacks were almost four times as likely to be subjected, 4.4% to 1.2%. Racial profiling exists. The majority of African-Americans and Latinos have experienced it. Now can we all sit down and have a rational and constructive discussion about it?
Finally, after the Supreme Court of Minnesota ruled five to zero in favor of Al Franken, Norm Colman has accepted the ruling of the court. “I will accept the the court’s decision.” Coleman also said that he would not pursue any additional legal challenges and has already called and congratulated Al Franken on his win of the United States senate seat. This will give the Democrats the magic 60 super majority in the Senate.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state’s long-running Senate race.
The high court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling.
Justices said Franken is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office. With Franken and the usual backing of two independents, Democrats will have a big enough majority to overcome Republican filibusters.
Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsville-Jackson International Airport Wednesday morning, having wrapped up a seven-day visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, he said. Sanford said he had not been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, as his staff said in a Tuesday statement to the media. Sanford’s whereabouts had been unknown since Thursday, and the mystery surrounding his absence fueled speculation about where he had been and who’s in charge in his absence. His emergence Wednesday ended the mystery. Sanford, in an exclusive interview with The State Media Company, said he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money. Sanford said he had considered hiking on the Appalachian Trail, an activity he said he has enjoyed since he was a high school student. “But I said ‘no’ I wanted to do something exotic,” Sanford said “… It’s a great city. See article here.
This smells awfully fishy.
First, the governor of a state takes off to a foreign country for a little R&R without telling his WIFE! Or his leutenant governor! or his STAFF!!! Without SECURITY!! On FATHER’s DAY!!!
Second, he just happened to have his PASSPORT with him when he changed his mind about hiking.
UPDATE: Gov. Sanford press conference.
In a very emotional and unusually candid (for a politician) press conference, Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina admitted to being unfaithful to his wife. Sanford apologized to his wife and boys for letting them down. He also apologized to his staff and the people of South Carolina. Sanford choked up when apologizing to his friend Tom Davis. The Southern Governor admitted that he developed a relationship with a woman in Argentina that he met eight years ago. The relationship started casually through an exchange of emails. A year ago it developed into something more than friends. The relationship was discovered five months ago. Sanford was not wearing his wedding ring. He also said that he would be resigning as chairman of the GOP Governors’ Assoc. A reporter asked if the Governor would resign and received no response. Sanford’s wife did not attend the press conference.
A few days after many members of the House including the Speaker stated that there must be a public option in the health care reform bill currently up for consideration by the House and the Senate the American Medical Association issues a statement saying that it does not support any legislation that increases the role of government in the provision of health services. The group made Congress aware that it would resist any plan that comes with a public option. The group has been in stalwart opposition against health care reform for the last 70 years. In fact, it has been posited that it was the AMA that coined the phrase “socialized medicine.” This recent development comes days before President Obama plans to address the group on Monday. Some facts: currently one out of every four Americans go without needed health care due to the high additional cost imposed by insurance companies; a public option would provide competition for the insurance companies thereby getting rid of the stranglehold that one or two insurance companies have on a particular market in many areas around the country. Apparently for the AMA the Hippocratic oath stands for profit before patient. See the AMA statement below.
As the health care debate heats up, the American Medical Association is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system.
The opposition, which comes as Mr. Obama prepares to address the powerful doctors’ group on Monday in Chicago, could be a major hurdle for advocates of a public insurance plan. The A.M.A., with about 250,000 members, is America’s largest physician organization.
While committed to the goal of affordable health insurance for all, the association had said in a general statement of principles that health services should be “provided through private markets, as they are currently.” It is now reacting, for the first time, to specific legislative proposals being drafted by Congress.
Another statement by the AMA:
But in comments submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, the American Medical Association said: “The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote an op-ed addressing the dire need for reform. Below is an excerpt from the piece but you can read it in its entirety here.
We need reform that will improve the quality of care and give doctors the best medical research to help them make the most effective, patient-centered treatment decisions, not just the most costly.
We need reform that eliminates the barriers that leave millions of Americans on the outside of the doctor’s office looking in. We must ensure Americans are not denied coverage by insurance companies because of a pre-existing medical condition, and we must provide insurance security for Americans who lose or want to switch their jobs.
Our reforms will not force patients to make changes they don’t want or need. The president has consistently said that if a family likes the coverage they have, they should keep it. With that in mind, we intend to build on — and strengthen — the existing employer-based system and lower costs for all.
The road to health care reform begins with the Affordable Health Choices Act legislation that, though Sen. Ted Kennedy’s brain child, was drafted in large part by Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut because Sen. Kennedy, the Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), is currently battling brain cancer and has been absent from the Senate floor for a couple of months. Sen. Kennedy has been working diligently on the bill however from his home in Massachussetts.
The HELP committee released the following brief summary of the bill:
A Quick Summary of the Affordable Health Choices Act
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), today released The Affordable Health Choices Act, legislation that aims to reduce health care costs, protect individuals’ choices of doctors, hospitals and insurance plans and guarantee, quality and affordable health care for all Americans.
The Affordable Health Choices Act includes the following five major elements:
CHOICE: An important foundation of The Affordable Health Choices Act is the following principle: If you like the coverage you have now, you keep it. But if you don’t have health insurance or don’t like the insurance you have, our bill will give you new, more affordable options.
COST REDUCTION: The Affordable Health Choices Act will reduce health care costs through stronger prevention, better quality of care and use of information technology. It will also root out fraud and abuse and reduce unnecessary procedures.
PREVENTION: The best way to treat a disease is to prevent it from ever striking, which is exactly why The Affordable Health Choices Act will give citizens the information they need to take charge of their own health. The bill will make information widely available in medical settings, schools and communities. It will also promote early screening for heart disease, cancer and depression and give citizens more information on healthy nutrition and the dangers of smoking.
HEALTH SYSTEM MODERNIZATION: The Affordable Health Choices Act will take strong steps to see that America has a 21st-century workforce for a modern and responsive healthcare system. America must make sound investments in training the doctors, nurses, and other health professionals who will serve the needs of patients in the years to come. It will make sure that patients’ care is better coordinated so they see the right doctors, nurses and other health practitioners to address their individual health needs.
LONG TERM CARE AND SERVICES: The Affordable Health Choices Act will also make it possible for the elderly and disabled to live at home and function independently. It will help them afford to put ramps in their homes, pay someone to check in on them regularly, or any of an array of supports that will enable them to stay in their communities instead of in nursing homes.
The following caution was also released by the HELP committee:
“On the legislation we’ll introduce later today, there are some gaps in it and done so intentionally,” said Dodd at a press conference earlier Tuesday. “There are no gaps in our determination, in my determination and that of my colleagues to have a public option, to have something done with the pay or play and deal with the follow on biologics. But I left those areas open for discussion, not because they’re open for some sort of decision about whether or not we ought to move in that direction. But I want my Republican colleagues to know, I want their ideas, I want to hear what they have to say. This is a bill, it’s an opening step.”
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa was a bit upset that President Obama went to Paris, France to commemorate the fearless warriors who landed and took control of Normandy during World War II. Grassley was so upset that he tweeted about it.
Pres Obama while u sightseeing in Paris u said ‘time to delivr on healthcare’ When you are a “hammer” u think evrything is NAIL I’m no NAIL [I'm taking my crayons and going home...na na na na na]
The White House Response:
“President Obama is gratified that the Senate is working hard to bring a health-reform bill to the floor on schedule. He looks forward to continuing his work with them upon his return from the commemoration of Allied heroism at D-Day.”
For those who have not been paying attention, Virginia has a hot Democratic governor’s primary going on at the moment where all three candidates are neck and neck in the polls. The three contenders are Brian Moran, Creigh (pronounced Cree) Deeds, and Terry McCauliffe. The Republican, Robert McDonnell, is running unopposed.
Brian Moran has been praised for fighting for Virginia families in the trenches for decades. Moran’s brother Jim has been cited as a potential liability but Brian Moran has been praised for his strong record on public safety, his 20 years in Virginia public service, his commitment to improving transportation, his solid record as a lawmaker, his advocacy of victims of domestic violence, working to raise the minimum wage, expanding healthcare for every child, and raising teacher salaries. Moran has been endorsed by Mayors, Board Chairs, Democratic Committee leaders, the majority of the Democratic Steering Committee, Democratic leaders in Arlington, Alexandria, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Falls Church, Richmond, etc. counties, and numerous Grassroots groups. See the growing list of Brian Moran endorsements here and here.
Creigh Deeds also has a record of public service but has been criticized for his far right leaning stance on gun control and for being the only Democrat who sought and received the endorsement of the NRA. More specifically, Deeds voted against banning guns for convicted domestic abusers and other violent crime offenders. In addition, Deed co-sponsored legislation proposing to repeal Virginia’s prohibition against concealed weapons in restaurants and bars. In fact, Deeds voted repeatedly to allow concealed weapons in bars (four votes total) in the last two years. There is also concern by some Democrats as to whether Deeds can beat McDonnell because he went up against the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee for attorney general four years ago and lost by 323 votes. Btw, in that attorney general race the NRA endorsed Democrat Deeds over GOP candidate McDonnell. So Deeds is the first Virginia Democrat that the NRA has endorsed in the last twenty years. However, Deeds has been praised for his record of green jobs promotion, land conservation, and has been endorsed by the Washington Post.
Terry McCauliffe was chairman of the Democratic National Committee and has a fundraising ability nationally that has been touted as second to none but McCauliffe has also been criticized for boasting that he launched five businesses in Virginia none of which created any jobs in the Commonwealth. It turns out that the Virginia businesses launched by the former DNC Chairman were investment partnerships with no employees. McCauliffe cites a Washington Post article as proof that as a businessman he has created thousands of jobs. However, what McCauliffe fails to mention in his television ad is that the cited Post article in such ad goes further to explain that as the head of a Florida-based home-building company that created thousands of jobs, McCauliffe did not create any of those jobs in Virginia. As a result, the McCauliffe ad has been criticized as being misleading. See full article here. One new endorsement McCauliffe will receive this weekend is from Brian Schweitzer, Governor of Montana and Chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association. Brian Moran’s campaign manager, Andrew Roos, had this to say about the Schweitzer endorsement:
“The guy who was rumored to be running for governor of New York and wanted to be governor of Florida is having the governor of Montana tell us why he should be governor of Virginia?” Roos asked.
We at ProgressPolitics have decided not to endorse any candidate until the after the primary. However, we do encourage everyone to go out and vote on Tuesday. If you don’t vote then you cannot stake a claim in how the Commonwealth is lead. If energy efficiency is important to you, if gun control is important to you, if bringing new jobs, green or otherwise, to Virginia is important to you, if investing in education in Virginia is important to you, if reducing crime in Virginia is important to you, if keeping Virginia BLUE is important to you, then PLEASE VOTE TUESDAY! Anyone who is registered to vote in Virginia can vote in the Virginia’s open primary on Tuesday, SO PLEASE VOTE. Just go to your normal voting place or click here to find your polling place. Polling hours are 6am – 7pm.
Below is one of the Gubernatorial debates moderated by bloggers FireDogLake and the Collegiate Times. The debate lasts for 1 hour 49 minutes.
