Leave It To The States!

Because states are in such good shape to take this on.

From The New York Times:

Seeking to appease disgruntled governors, President Obama announced Monday that he supported amending the 2010 health care law to allow states to opt out of its most burdensome requirements three years earlier than currently permitted.

In remarks to the National Governors Association, Mr. Obama said he backed legislation that would enable states to request federal permission to withdraw from the law’s mandates in 2014 rather than in 2017 as long as they could prove that they could find other ways to cover as many people as the original law would and at the same cost. The earlier date is when many of the act’s central provisions take effect, including requirements that most individuals obtain health insurance and that employers of a certain size offer coverage to workers or pay a penalty.

“I think that’s a reasonable proposal; I support it,” Mr. Obama told the governors, who were gathered in the State Dining Room of the White House.

“It will give you flexibility more quickly while still guaranteeing the American people reform.”

As long as it’s “flexible” and doesn’t increase the federal deficit, it’s all good….

70,000 Voices, Minus One

The voices we heard from Madison, Wisconsin this week.

The voices of at least 70,000 protesters at the State Capitol this weekend. Out in the snowy, cold. Voices speaking out against Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to end most collective bargaining rights for state workers.

The voice of Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs, as he announced that the protesters would not be cleared from the Capitol.

Police decided not to forcibly remove protesters after thousands ignored a 4 p.m. Sunday deadline to leave so the normally immaculate building could get a thorough cleaning. Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs said no demonstrators will be arrested as long as they continue to obey the law.

"People here have acted lawfully and responsibly," Tubbs said. "There's no reason to consider arrests."

The lone, representative voice of labor on yesterday’s Sunday morning shows, Richard Trumka, defending the silence of one voice so many want to hear on this one – the voice of President Obama.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka gave his blessing Sunday to President Obama's handling of the labor standoff in Wisconsin.

Amid some criticism on the left that Obama could do more to boost unions in their demonstrations against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and his proposal to eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public workers, Trumka said the president was doing just fine.

"I think he's doing it the right way," Trumka said on NBC's "Meet the Press"

Voices from the Congressional Progressive Caucus saying just the opposite. The emphasis is mine.

"I think the statements the president made supporting collective bargaining and organized labor are important," Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) told reporters on a Wednesday conference call organized by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. "I think that there is more to do.

While the issue is clear and in front of us in Wisconsin, it does have national ramifications...There's a bully pulpit there that the president has and I think it needs to be used, it needs to be used to rally national support, and I hope that role is part of I believe the president's undertaken aggressively because this is not just an isolated regional state fight in Wisconsin. This has ramifications for national policy...I don't think you can turn the cheek on this one, this is one where you have to be very firm.

His co-chair, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) made the same point Wednesday evening on MSNBC.

"Of course I'd like to hear more from President Obama," Ellison said. " He's made some statements, he should get credit for that, we'd like to hear him make some more statements. I think President Obama should come to Wisconsin and stand with the workers."

The silencing of voices, as the Wisconsin State Assembly cut off debate on the proposal, in the wee hours of the morning.

After a bitter, 61-hour debate that was the longest in living memory, the sleep-starved state Assembly voted in just seconds early Friday to approve a watershed proposal repealing most union bargaining rights held by public workers.

Just after 1 a.m., Republicans cut off debate on Gov. Scott Walker's bill and in pell-mell fashion the body voted 51-17 to pass it. In the confusion, nearly one-third of the body - 28 lawmakers including 25 Democrats, two Republicans and the body's lone independent - did not vote on the bill at all.

All Democrats voted against the proposal along with four Republicans - Dean Kaufert of Neenah, Lee Nerison of Westby, Richard Spanbauer of Oshkosh, and Travis Tranel of Cuba City.

Democrats erupted after the vote, throwing papers and what appeared to be a drink in the air. They denounced the move to cut off debate, questioning for the second time in the night whether the proper procedure had been followed.

But, perhaps best of all this week was the voice of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker getting PUNKED! He took a 20-minute call from investigative journalist Ian Murphy from the on-line magazine Buffalo Beast, as he pretending to be billionaire and big-bucks-Walker-supporter David Koch.

So much has been said, written, video-taped about this encounter. But, the voice of Cenk Uyger on his MSNBC television show right after the encounter, says it all. He is incredulous. As well, he should be. A remarkable encounter.



Baseball bats.  Advertising dollars.  Trips to "Cali."

We like to think that through the voices of our elected officials, we get a glimpse into how they think.  What they want to accomplish.  Despite what Gov. Walker has said about his public policy imperatives, it's not brain surgery what he thinks.  His budget proposal is about nothing but trying to strip workers of their rights in Wisconsin, and then taking his show on the road.  But, as despicable as that is, at least it's as public policy stance.  What is remarkable about his telephone encounter with the fake Koch brother, is that it tells us not what Gov. Walker (really) thinks about an issue of our day, but who really he is. 

And if you're no careful, once in a while a lone voice when left to its own devices, can do just that.

The War On Women: Weekly Round-Up

It keeps on coming.

More news from South Dakota. Last week, a state bill designed to expand the definition of justifiable homicide to include killing someone in the defense of an unborn child was postponed indefinitely. So instead the legislature passes HB 1217.

In addition to the horrifyingly, condescending language in the bill which essentially claims women don't have the where-with-all to make decisions for themselves, is the clause stating women will have to receive counseling from a state-approved pregnancy help center. Yes, those are Pregnancy Crisis Centers -- more about that later.

Section 1. That chapter 34-23A be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:

The Legislature finds that as abortion medicine is now practiced in South Dakota that:
(1) In the overwhelming majority of cases, abortion surgery and medical abortions are scheduled for a pregnant mother without the mother first meeting and consulting with a physician or establishing a traditional physician-patient relationship;
(2) The surgical and medical procedures are scheduled by someone other than a physician, without a medical or social assessment concerning the appropriateness of such a procedure or whether the pregnant mother's decision is truly voluntary, uncoerced, and informed, or whether there has been an adequate screening for a pregnant mother with regard to the risk factors that may cause complications if the abortion is performed;
(3) Such practices are contrary to the best interests of the pregnant mother and her child and there is a need to protect the pregnant mother's interest in her relationship with her child and her health by passing remedial legislation;
(4) There exists in South Dakota a number of pregnancy help centers, as defined in this Act, which have as their central mission providing counseling, education, and other assistance to pregnant mothers to help them maintain and keep their relationship with their unborn children, and that such counseling, education, and assistance provided by these pregnancy help centers is of significant value to the pregnant mothers in helping to protect their interest in their relationship with their children; and
(5) It is a necessary and proper exercise of the state's authority to give precedence to the mother's fundamental interest in her relationship with her child over the irrevocable method of termination of that relationship by induced abortion.

And what if I don't want to go to a Pregnancy Crisis Center -- most often run by anti-abortion, Christian groups? Out of luck, I guess. My personal health decisions would be between me and THEIR God.

But, just because the original idea of attempting to legalize the killing of abortion providers didn't fly in South Dakota, it doesn't mean it can't be resurrected. From Nebraska:

Just when abortion rights supporters thought they had beaten a controversial bill they believe would legalize the killing of abortion providers, it has cropped up again—this time in a more expansive form that has drawn the concern of law enforcement officials.

Last week, South Dakota's legislature shelved a bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. Phil Jensen, which would have allowed the use of the "justifiable homicide" defense for killings intended to prevent harm to a fetus. Now a nearly identical bill is being considered in neighboring Nebraska, where on Wednesday the state legislature held a hearing on the measure

The legislation, LB 232, was introduced by state Sen. Mark Christensen, a devout Christian and die-hard abortion foe who is opposed to the procedure even in the case of rape. Unlike its South Dakota counterpart, which would have allowed only a pregnant woman, her husband, her parents, or her children to commit "justifiable homicide" in defense of her fetus, the Nebraska bill would apply to any third party.

Not much better in Georgia, where "human involvement" in a miscarriage would be classified a felony.

It's only February, but this year has been a tough one for women's health and reproductive rights. There's a new bill on the block that may have reached the apex (I hope) of woman-hating craziness. Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin—who last year proposed making rape and domestic violence "victims" into "accusers"—has introduced a 10-page bill that would criminalize miscarriages and make abortion in Georgia completely illegal. Both miscarriages and abortions would be potentially punishable by death: any "prenatal murder" in the words of the bill, including "human involvement" in a miscarriage, would be a felony and carry a penalty of life in prison or death. Basically, it's everything an "pro-life" activist could want aside from making all women who've had abortions wear big red "A"s on their chests.

Guess all Ob/Gyns providing pesky, fairly routine care would be felons, under this one.

And Virginia, where there is fear that a new regulation could make the state one of the most restrictive places in the country for first-semester abortions.

Antiabortion activists scored a major victory in Virginia as the state's General Assembly agreed Thursday that clinics where most of the state's early-term abortions are performed should be regulated as hospitals instead of as doctors' offices.

Abortion rights advocates, who have fended off similar attempts in Virginia for two decades, say the new rules could be so restrictive that they could force as many as 17 of the state's 21 abortion clinics out of business.

Antiabortion activists said the guidelines are necessary to ensure that the centers are operated safely.

What will this week bring?

Caucasian Enough?

There's a new non-profit in Texas, developed to provide college scholarships to white men.

From Reuters. The emphasis is mine.

To qualify for the group's scholarship, applicants have to be able to prove that they are at least 25 percent Caucasian," Bohannan said.

"We're not looking for blond-haired, blue-eyed, stereotypical white males," he said. "My feeling is that if you can say you're 25 percent Caucasian, you're Caucasian enough for us."

Is there a test for that?

More (And More, And More) From Arizona

From The New York Times:

Arizona lawmakers are proposing a sweeping package of immigration restrictions that might make the controversial measures the state approved last year, which the Obama administration went to court to block, look mild.

Illegal immigrants would be barred from driving in the state, enrolling in school or receiving most public benefits. Their children would receive special birth certificates that would make clear that the state does not consider them Arizona citizens.

Some of the bills, like those restricting immigrants’ access to schooling and right to state citizenship, flout current federal law and are being put forward to draw legal challenges in hopes that the Supreme Court might rule in the state’s favor.

And there's more:

The measures would compel school officials to ask for proof of citizenship for students and require hospitals to similarly ask for papers for those receiving non-emergency care. Illegal immigrants would be blocked from obtaining any state licenses, including those for marriage. Landlords would be forced to evict the entire family from public housing if one illegal immigrant were found living in a unit. Illegal immigrants found driving would face 30 days in jail and forfeit the vehicle to the state.

Do the citizens of Arizona really, really, really think communities full of homeless, uneducated children walking around unable to get treatment for communicable diseases is what they want?

Good luck with this one, folks.

Why I Want To Be Your President: The Republican Round-Up

They said such wild and wacky things this week:

Newt Gingrich thinks President Obama could be impeached over the administration’s decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act. He claimed the President has directly violated his constitutional duties by arbitrarily suspending the law.

I am no lawyer, but I believe Attorney General Eric Holder said the administration would continue to enforce the law, just not defend it. And I assume Newt Gingrich, PhD is educated enough to understand the difference.

Mike Huckabee keeps telling me that gay marriage is a direct threat to my “traditional” marriage. So much so, that it leads to broken families. And since it leads to the destruction of traditional families, it’s a burden on the economy. All those women collecting welfare, you know. He believes this so strongly, that he’s written a whole book promoting the idea that traditional families lead to economic stability.

Now, that will create jobs, won’t it?

Rick Santorum thinks the protesters in Wisconsin are drug addicts. Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi must be a big fan, since he said the same thing about the people of his own country just a day later.

Mitt Romney is trying his best to defend the health care reforms he implemented in Massachusetts, while at the same time calling for the repeal of “Obamacare.” The solution? Send it all back the states. Because after all, as we can see, state governments are extremely amenable to taking that on right now.

Tim Pawlenty will be trying out his credentials at the Tea Party Patriots’ first annual policy conference this weekend. This comes just after he released a video in support of Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.  So, we'll see what he has to say.

Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann were uncharacteristically quiet this week. But, there’s always next week!

And the week after that, and the week after that….

Come Sunday

It’s a start:

Today, ThinkProgress and others noted that the Sunday morning news shows did not feature any labor movement leaders or members last week — and none had been booked for this weekend — despite the ongoing protests in a host of states.

A Main Street Movement of workers, students, and lawmakers has come together to push back on conservatives attempting to strip collective bargaining rights from public employees, yet the Sunday shows hadn’t see fit to include any of their voices, instead opting for a slew of conservative commentators and Republican governors.

However, ThinkProgress has learned that NBC’s Meet the Press today booked AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka for Sunday. We applaud NBC’s decision and encourage the other networks (ABC, CBS, Fox News, and CNN) to also give a voice to working people.

Good, but not good enough. I know the fix is in, but really. It’s not just about giving a voice to the working people – it’s about honest, intellectual exchange.

I suspect the other networks will turn around on this one. But we’ll have to see just how good the debate will really be.

The Destruction Of A Presidency?

Unlike former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, I don’t believe yesterday’s decision on the part of the Obama administration to cease defending the Defense of Marriage Act will “destroy” the President. The public opinion tide is turning on this one, and the country has better things to worry about. But when he says he believes the decision will cause irreparable harm – both political and social – I take him at his word.

In an interview with CBS News political consultant John Dickerson, Huckabee said the decision could "destroy" President Obama, though not marriage itself.

“It may destroy him [Obama], may destroy his credibility, may destroy his campaign and candidacy and ultimately his term in office," Huckabee said. "It takes more than one president to destroy marriage."

In his new book, "A Simple Government," the ordained minister writes that traditional families - those grounded in a marriage between a man and a woman - promote economic stability.

Gov. Huckabee and the other potential 2012 Republican Presidential candidates know the economy is #1 on voters’ minds. Most fascinating about this, will be just how the Republican pack continues to defend their right-wing social stances as job growth strategies.

I guess Gov. Huckabee thinks there is enough there to write a whole book about it…

"Evolving" On Marriage

I suppose deep inside I would like my President to be a fierce proponent of gay marriage.  Would be nice.  And he is a Constitutional lawyer, after all.

But in the end, it's not about what he thinks or how he feels.  And I'm tired of everyone taking the temperature on how he's coming around to (slowly) changing his mind.  How his thoughts are evolving.

It's about the Constitution.  All I care about is that this administration does the right thing.  Marriage.Equality.For.All.ASAP.

But then again, despite the administration's announcement that it will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, I know President Obama has not yet changed his own personal views on gay marriage.  And yes, unfortunately, that's a big problem.

Sigh.

Fire All The Teachers, Why Don't You

Very distressing news from (one of) my former hometowns. The city of Providence, RI will be sending layoff notices to all of it’s 1,926 teachers.

In an e-mail sent to all teachers and School Department staff, Brady said, “We are forced to take this precautionary action by the March 1 deadline given the dire budget outline for the 2011-2012 school year in which we are projecting a near $40 million deficit for the district,” Brady wrote. “Since the full extent of the potential cuts to the school budget have yet to be determined, issuing a dismissal letter to all teachers was necessary to give the mayor, the School Board and the district maximum flexibility to consider every cost savings option, including reductions in staff.” State law requires that teachers be notified about potential changes to their employment status by March 1.

Rumors abound that it’s really the new mayor, Angel Taveras behind the plan.

Taveras, in a statement issued Tuesday night, said the uncertainty around the city’s finances, combined with the March 1 deadline, led to this decision. Because it is too early to be certain of all possible changes to the school budget, Taveras said, issuing dismissal notices to all teachers “provides maximum flexibility” going forward.

An action like this is reflective of pure incompetence. Any (moderately) well-run institution that does even a modicum of planning can do better than this. And, in a time when it is important to get all community stakeholders – parents, business leaders, volunteers, donors – believing in public schools as institutions that should be supported with faith, time, money and effort, this can only lead to votes of no confidence.

And while I don’t believe for a moment that Mayor Taveras and others behind this plan are explicitly anti-union, I do fear that the prevalent sentiment in America right now makes actions such as this one increasingly possible. It’s in the water.

And when the operative words are "maximum flexibility," the outcome can never be good for the working man and woman.

How The Midwest (WIll Be) Won

Thanks to Chris Hayes, for telling the truth on the Tuesday night edition of MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, about the (non) connection between high union membership rates, and state budget shortfalls.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Take a good listen to the start of the segment bringing in Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein, @ 8:50:

Unionization does not drive fiscal crises. Definitely not right now. Now, we don’t want to go too far with that. Pension funds, health care benefits, these things do matter for state budgets. They are a drag, just as, and we should be very clear about this, giant corporate income tax cuts are a big drag on state budgets, loss of revenues are a big drag, overspending is a big drag. But budgets are complicated. But I want to go a step further with what you’re saying here. Excuse me there. I want to go up a step further with what you’re saying, because it is important to realize that when the states made these promises to their workers they made a deal. They said, we’ll get your work now if you let us defer payment for it until later. That wasn’t a bad deal for the state. There’s a sort of narrative out there that these greedy workers got too much money. They got too much benefits from the state. Right now, they actually got less than what they figured they were totally promised. And, in the end the people who are going to pay here are these workers, not the states. The idea that the people who are coming out on the top of this are these overcompensated unions is really, frankly, a little bit atrocious. They basically got the short end of the stick here.

And thanks, Gov. Christie, for telling me that union members constitute their own class, receiving “rich health and pension benefits." Giving the term “class warfare” a whole new definition. And in New Jersey, of all places.

"Political Enemies and Thugs"

Why am I not surprised:

On Saturday night, when MotherJones.com staffers tweeted a report that riot police might soon sweep demonstrators out of the Wisconsin capitol building, one Twitter user sent out a chilling response: "Use live ammunition."

Later, the Tweeter was revealed to be Jeff Cox, a deputy attorney general for the state of Indiana.

When Mother Jones staffer Adam Weinstein responded, Deputy AG Cox tweeted back that the demonstrators were "political enemies" and "thugs" who were "physically threatening legally elected officials."

In response to such behavior Cox said, "You're damned right I advocate deadly force." He later called Weinstein a "typical leftist," adding, "liberals hate police."

As I said this morning, it’s a short road from Wisconsin Gov. Walker insinuating state workers and protestors are “outside agitators," to the real possibility of violence.

On The Road To Marriage Equality!

In the midst of Wisconsin and Libya, some most excellent news today:

WASHINGTON — President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act — the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages — against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday saying that the Justice Department will now take the position in court that the Defense of Marriage Act should be struck down as a violation of gay couples’ rights to equal protection under the law.

“The President and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation warrant heightened scrutiny and that, as applied to same-sex couples legally married under state law,” a crucial provision of the act is unconstitutional, Mr. Holder wrote.

As the article states, Congress and other parties could choose to defend the law. That means some courts could agree and follow. And the administration will continue to enforce the act unless and until Congress repeals it, or a court delivers a “definitive verdict against the law’s constitutionality.

But on the road to marriage equality, nonetheless!

Health Care Reform Divide In The Courts

Yet another Federal District Court decision.

A third federal judge upheld the constitutionality of the Obama health care law on Tuesday, reinforcing the divide in the lower courts as the case moves toward its first hearings on the appellate level.

Gladys Kessler of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia became the third appointee of President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, to reject a constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Two other federal district judges, both appointed by Republican presidents, have struck down the law’s keystone provision, which requires most Americans to obtain health insurance starting in 2014

The judge also tossed out a claim that the law restricts the exercise of religious freedom. I guess the mandate to buy health insurance doesn’t really conflict with the belief that God provides all. Good.

At this rate, if the case is ever heard by the Supreme Court, the justices will have lots and lots of information from lower court cases to consider.

Nevada, Chicago And Elsewhere

Ah, those pesky outside agitators are at it again. From Wisconsin Gov. Scott Brown’s “fireside chat” last night:

As more and more protesters come in from Nevada, Chicago and elsewhere, I am not going to allow their voices to overwhelm the voices of the millions of taxpayers from across the state who think we’re doing the right thing. This is a decision that Wisconsin will make.

Pure code for the complete and unadulterated demonization of the protesters. Equating the state workers with the “outsider” – strange, different, scary and the ultimate threat. Even Gov. Brown has to know that at the first sign of the slightest dissent, any dictator will blame outside forces. Fidel Castro did it for decades. The tiniest form of foment – blame the big, bad United States. I find Brown and his ilk despicable, but at least I give them credit for truly believing in what they are saying and doing. To a flaw.  You don’t see anyone going around accusing them of being abducted by aliens.

Funny, though how those outside agitators don't include billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.  Or their energy conglomerate  Or the nonprofit group they heavily finance.

Among the thousands of demonstrators who jammed the Wisconsin State Capitol grounds this weekend was a well-financed advocate from Washington who was there to voice praise for cutting state spending by slashing union benefits and bargaining rights.

The visitor, Tim Phillips, the president of Americans for Prosperity, told a large group of counterprotesters who had gathered Saturday at one edge of what otherwise was a mostly union crowd that the cuts were not only necessary, but they also represented the start of a much-needed nationwide move to slash public-sector union benefits.

“We are going to bring fiscal sanity back to this great nation,” he said.
What Mr. Phillips did not mention was that his Virginia-based nonprofit group, whose budget surged to $40 million in 2010 from $7 million three years ago, was created and financed in part by the secretive billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch.

State records also show that Koch Industries, their energy and consumer products conglomerate based in Wichita, Kan., was one of the biggest contributors to the election campaign of Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, a Republican who has championed the proposed cuts.

And, speaking of someone I (have to) believe, has to believe in what he says:



While Gov. Walker’s use of language may seem benign in comparison to Glenn Beck, it is not only anti-intellectual, but it’s downright dangerous. It’s as stone’s throw from demonizing the local firefighter as an “outside agitator” out of step with the mainstream constituency, to the conspiratorial ramblings of someone like Glen Beck.

Listen closely.

Channelling Ex-Presidents In Wisconsin

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is labeling tonight's state address a fireside chat, while former Pennsylvania Republican Senator Rick Santorum likened the protesting union members in Wisconsin to drug addicts during a speech in South Carolina.

“They are acting like their drug is being taken away from them,” Santorum said.

Really.

On The Road: The John Thune Edition

So, we learned this morning that Senator John Thune (D-SD) won’t be running for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination after all.

Along the way, we have been reminded of the importance of being in the arena, of being in the fight. And make no mistake that during this period of fiscal crisis and economic uncertainty there is a fight for the future direction of America. There is a battle to be waged over what kind of country we are going to leave our children and grandchildren and that battle is happening now in Washington, not two years from now. So at this time, I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate.

Lots of speculation about why he decided not to run. Some of it centered on the idea that he’s really looking towards 2016, and would only put himself out now if it might help him along in the future. And without Thune, it is possible that we won’t see a single sitting Republican Senator making the run. Lots of Republican Senators happy with their jobs, or plain fear of a toxic environment no one wants to touch with a ten foot pole?

Early as it is in the election season, it doesn’t sound like Sen. Thune had much of an infrastructure ready to take on the task. And by some accounts, he genuinely likes what he is doing.

I for one, take him at his word – whether he’s looking at 2016, or not. He thinks he can accomplish some of what he wants in the Senate, and is willing to give it a try. Hedging his bets, if you ask me: about both a 2016 run, and the make-up of the Senate after the 2012 elections. If the Democrats retain control of the Senate, he will be in a fine position to be a top-tier voice of the conservative opposition. Being from South Dakota, the home of the right-wing war on women might help him in that endeavor. And if the Republicans take control of the Senate next time around, well then, heaven help us.  He will be able to do lots of damage from the floor or the Senate, without endangering his chances at 2016. No harm to him – only us.

The Teflon Governor

For months I have been scratching my head, trying to understand how New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has so quickly become such a darling in the Republican Party. I guess I am not alone, despite the fact that most of my fellow head-scratchers are his own constituents.

From The New York Times:

Mr. Christie’s record has not been unblemished. He botched an application for $400 million in federal education money at a time when he was cutting twice that amount.

And in December, Mr. Christie was at Disney World during a blizzard that paralyzed the state. He refused to apologize, saying he had kept in touch with the acting governor, Mr. Sweeney — but Mr. Sweeney said they never spoke.

Yet such gaffes have not transcended the state’s borders, while Mr. Christie’s YouTube rants against teachers and their union leaders have become widespread. Mr. Christie is less popular in New Jersey than with national Republicans: polls show that only about 50 percent of residents approve of his performance.

Where his poll numbers head now may depend on whether Mr. Christie can begin to show success in solving seemingly intractable problems like high property taxes before voters start to hold him responsible.

Also news this weekend that one of the Governor’s top political advisers is considering forming a federal political action committee because of “the extraordinary interest in the New Jersey governor.”
From Politico:

The newspaper reported that Palatucci was referring to a presidential exploratory committee, but in a statement to POLITICO shortly after publication of this article, Palatucci clarified that he was merely referring to a federal PAC — so-called leadership PACs that politicians use to raise money and contribute to other candidates.

"I never said nor did I intend to imply that I or anyone else was considering an exploratory committee," he said in the statement. "I was musing about creating a federal committee and this local reporter took it upon herself to think that meant an exploratory committee, not knowing the difference or what that would mean."

I know the Republicans have a WEALTH of budget-cutting, anti-teacher's union governors to choose from if that’s the profile they are looking to for 2012 (and beyond). Not sure this guy has the political experience and savvy of say, newly elected Gov. John Kasich from Ohio, but he certainly has the ego.  And he seems to be missing the hard-headed "meanness" we are seeing out of the Wisconsin State House with Gov. Scott Walker.

Now he has to keep from totally blowing it.  We'll see if he has it in him.

Juan Of The Dead

A fascinating piece on television today, courtesy of the BBC World News. A brief telling of the present-day state of Cuban cinema, as told through the story of a movie now in production called Juan of the Dead. In the movie the island is invaded by aliens, but the government is inept to do anything about it, claiming the crisis has been manufactured by dissidents,  If you think it's a metaphor on many levels, of course you are right.



It's not only Cuban movies that do a great job of (subtly) poking fun at government, and by extension, taking a genuine stab at the populace itself. One of the songs made famous by the Buena Vista Social Club has a similar theme. In the song entitled El Cuarto de Tula, a room catches fire by candle, presumably because of a lack of electricity. While the people are begging for the fire department to show up, they themselves seem a loss to intervene as they encircle the neighborhood. And, the song is long and repetitious, giving the listener the sense that this is not a situation that will be resolved quickly -- and probably happens over and over again.  Both the government and the people to blame for a common situation that ultimately, no one knows how to solve.



We Cubans really, really are good at self depricating humor.

Congrats to Pete Seeger and the Rivertown Kids!

Not sure how I missed this, since I am a big Pete Seeger fan.

"Tomorrow's Children," a CD by Pete Seeger with The Rivertown Kids and Friends, featuring former students from J.V. Forrestal Elementary School in Beacon, won the Grammy for Best Musical Album For Children on Sunday.

"I can't really believe it really happened," said Elyse Fox, 11, of Beacon, a sixth-grader at Rombout Middle School who sang on the CD and is a current member of The Rivertown Kids. "I feel like I'm just in a big dream. I'd like to thank Pete. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been on the CD and we wouldn't have gotten this Grammy."

The award — Seeger's third gramophone statue — was handed out Sunday afternoon by comedian Kathy Griffin during the 53rd Grammy Awards Pre-Telecast Ceremony in Los Angeles.

Enjoy!

Standing With Planned Parenthood

Voices of reason, from the floor speeches on the Pence Amendment which seeks to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood:



And yet more, voices of reason:

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)

I hear that we must punish Planned Parenthood by defunding them because they’ve committed a number of sins; sin No. 1, they are large abortion providers, even though none of those abortions are paid for by the federal government.

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

To me that is just an incredible statement, because essentially what you're saying is, we'll extort this. We don't really care about all these other services that they're providing, what we really care about is abortion. And if you sign on the dotted line, then you can continue to perform the other healthcare services, as long as you don't perform the service that is allowed under the law of the land.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)

This is not about abortion. The Hyde amendment is the law of the land. Federal funds cannot be used under this provision to provide abortions. What this is about is whether primary and preventive care is going to be extended, oftentimes to poor people, but also to vulnerable middle class people by Planned Parenthood clinics throughout this country, including 10 in Vermont that are doing a tremendous job for people who really need this care.

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY)

I stand here tonight in lieu of hundreds of women in the State of New York, most of them Republican women, who financed, who spoke for, who founded the agency of Planned Parenthood. New York was being filled with an influx of new citizens to America and Planned Parenthood allowed them to space their children so that there would be healthier children and healthier mothers. And we have all benefited from that.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)

When you look at this carefully, this is trying to punish Planned Parenthood. But the ones who get punished are the people who won't be able to get the family planning services and the preventive screening services that Planned Parenthood regularly provides, and they won't be the only provider for many of these women because they have nowhere else to go if they can't afford to go see a private doctor and pay for it.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)

This amendment is not merely anti-choice. It is also anti-health, anti-woman, and anti-poor, and is a thinly veiled attack on birth control. This amendment will not do anything to grow our economy or create any new jobs to help us out of this great recession. It will only turn this Nation backwards.

Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)

But this is not about abortion. This is about family planning and counseling services that have long been part of the Planned Parenthood family. And all we'll do by cutting these resources will be, in fact, going back to the dark ages when young women had no place to go. So Planned Parenthood does not equate to abortion. Family planning does not equate to abortion. Title X funds do not equate to abortion because the law of the land is clear. But what we will have are young women who will have no place to go to be able to ask questions.

Susan Davis (D-CA)

Mr. Chairman, I'll bet the American people are really surprised tonight because we are debating a continuing resolution when they are facing tremendous challenges. We should be thinking about them and about the challenges they face. We should be talking, as my colleague has said, about how to save money and about how to create jobs. Instead, we are debating an amendment that will do neither. It will undermine women's health.

This amendment denies women access to reproductive care, and it attacks the health providers that they rely on in their communities. These are health providers that are serving the underserved, and we are spending the evening attacking them.

Progressive Patriot Girl

Thanks to the wonderful work done at the Library of Congress, we can all read transcripts of floor speeches given by those who do the work of the people.  Check it out, and see what your representatives are saying in your name. Voices of reason, or not.

The Latest From The University of Puerto Rico

A story that has been going on for months and months, barely covered here on "the mainland":

The New York Times:

Months of unrest at the University of Puerto Rico seemed to be reaching a finale over the last 10 days. Scores of students were arrested or injured by riot police officers. Faculty and staff members held a two-day walkout. The president of the university resigned Friday, the police who had occupied campus were withdrawn Monday and an interim president arrived Tuesday.

But there were only three days of peace.

On Thursday morning, students blocked the stairs to classrooms in the social science department with trash cans and chairs, and also closed down the humanities department. At the social sciences building, students said only one professor had tried to get through the blockade.

The spark for the university’s problems was a budget cut that required students to pay a new $800 fee, increasing their costs by more than 50 percent.

You can find some of the best coverage over at The Huffington Post on Dr. Maritza Stanchich's blog. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Take a read.

Tuition at the University of Puerto Rico is cheap. And there are campuses all over the island. You can live almost anywhere, and be within a commuter's distance of an excellent higher education.  Young people can go to school and if they don't have the means to live on their own, commute while continuing to live with their parents. And given the lack of jobs on the island, it is not uncommon for people to go to graduate school because they can't find jobs. The result is a lot of very well-educated people in the work force. Many jobs that only require a college degree are filled with people who have an MA degree or a PhD.

Campuses of the University of Puerto Rico

I have visited many Head Start centers all over Puerto Rico, and can honestly say staff qualifications are much, much higher than those working in the lower 48. Some of the most highly educated early childhood professionals. True of health and social service staff as well.

From Dr. Stanchich's latest blog entry:

"I'm conservative and I work for this government," said one woman wearing a floppy hat to protect herself from identification and reprisals. "But I grew up in a small town, and I owe my economic betterment to my UPR education, and my children were also educated here," pointing to the campus where heavily armed policemen were stationed. "What the government is doing is just plain wrong."

Glad some people still remember their roots.

Recall In Wisconsin

As a Californian who watched in disbelief as we got Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger through a recall process, I say to the people of Wisconsin, DO IT!

Standing Up For The People of Wisconsin

Surprise. The war on the worker bee continues:

NASHVILLE — The Senate Education Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to abolish collective bargaining between teachers unions and school boards across the state.
The vote was 6-3, with all Republicans on the panel voting for the bill and all Democrats against.

Sponsor Sen. Jack Johnson said passage of the bill — SB113 — will remove 'an albatross from around the neck of our school boards across the state' and remove a roadblock to education reform.

And that comes on the heels of Ohio:

Proposals similar to Gov. Walker's have been made in New Jersey and Ohio. In Columbus, Ohio, thousands gathered Thursday to protest a Republican proposal that would eliminate collective-bargaining rights for many of that state's 400,000 public-sector workers.

Speaker of the House John Boehner wades in:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) stepped into the heated labor debate in Wisconsin on Thursday, backing GOP Gov. Scott Walker's proposed reforms to collective bargaining rights.

Boehner released a statement on Thursday afternoon backing Walker and his package of aggressive labor reforms that would force increased contributions by state workers to benefits and pension plans, and limit collective bargaining rights for some.

John Boehner is standing up for Gov. Scott Walker. We must stand up for the people of Wisconsin. What happens in Madison, could largely determine whether this attack on unions (successfully) sweeps the country.

Cairo? Madison? Wisconsin? Egypt? Wherever, Whatever!!!

I guess the comparisons between Cairo and Madison are inevitable (puke), but could Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) have been any more condescending on MSNBC's Morning Joe today?  The emphasis is mine:

It's like Cairo has moved to Madison these days. It's just, all of this demonstration. It's fine, people should be able to express their way, but we've got to get this deficit and debt under control in Madison, if we want to have a good business climate and job creation in Wisconsin.

Oh, and later on in the interview with Mika Brzezinski he called what is going on in Madison "riots."  Really.  Riots.

Talking about people "expressing their way" as if it's an annoyance he has to put up with before shooing everyone away and getting on with it.  An annoyance in Cairo, and an annoyance in Madison.  Before the big boys with all the power and control come on in and show us how's it's done.  Such an annoyance, the little people are.

And don't forget it's a "riot."

Stupidity, or part of the non-stop, Republican lie-machine?  Sometimes I can't really tell.

They Just Can't Stop In Arizona, Can They?

More lovely news from Arizona:

Arizona is at the center of the national debate on immigration, and state legislators are drawing more fire this week for a proposal that would require hospital workers to check whether patients are in the country illegally.

The first of its kind in the country, the proposal would require hospital personnel to report illegal immigrants to federal officials. Emergency patients would be allowed to receive care before their immigration status is checked, but critics say the measure is cruel to immigrants who might avoid hospitals for fear of being deported.

"It's in the federal law that we are required to take emergencies and stabilize them. Nobody is going to turn these folks down, we agree with that," says Mesa Republican and Senate President Russell Pearce, who was also the primary sponsor of the controversial immigration law now tied up in federal court. "But I get calls from doctors and nurses every day that work in the emergency room, talking about the abuse, the millions of dollars spent for folks who come in for pregnancy tests, sniffles - they use emergency room services as their primary care," he says. "When do we stand up for the taxpayers?"

The bill was pulled from a scheduled Arizona Senate Judiciary committee hearing Monday after sponsors determined it wouldn't garner enough votes, but it is expected to resurface in another committee at a later date.

So, let me get this straight.  The Senate President admits this state proposal flies in the face of federal law, but thinks he and his fellow lawmakers should waste precious time, energy and money on it anyway, in order to "stand up for the taxpayers."

I guess it's easier than tackling the hard issues related to lack of access to primary care.  And yes, abuse.

Now that the sponsors have pulled this bill, I can't wait to see how they resurrect it.  No doubt they will.

This Week In Job Creation: The Republican Edition

Potential-Republican-2012-Presidential-Nominee-Wannabes did lots of talking this week. About lots of things. Novel ideas to generate real jobs? Not so much.

Newt Gingrich on what else, but -- deregulation:

In a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual gathering of conservative activists, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, called last week for a radical shift in national energy and environmental policy, including the total dismantling of the Environmental Protection Agency, the relaxation of coal mining regulations and quick approval for offshore drilling projects in the Arctic.

The reaction from some conservative commentators was swift and harsh. “Intellectually incoherent,” said Myron Ebell, the director of energy and global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “Asinine,” a blogger for the American Spectator opined.

During the same speech at the CPAC conference, he also called for signing a new Hyde Amendment, so no tax payer money funds abortion in the United States. That was point #4 in his 7 point plan to get American working. That will get us far, Newt.

Haley Barbour on none other than, the KKK:

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Tuesday he won't denounce a Southern heritage group's proposal for a state-issued license plate that would honor Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

He seems think he doesn't have to come out against this proposal, because it would never pass anyway. Oh, and the fact that he doesn't "go around denouncing people. That's not going to happen. I don't even denounce the news media." Guess he's going to be really, really, really quiet during his Presidential campaign, given that no-denouncing-things.

Mike Huckabee, comparing abortion to slavery. I predict this will be a popular one for this election cycle. Rick Santorum has already gotten some mileage out of it.

WASHINGTON – Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) compared abortion to slavery at an anti-abortion fundraiser, according to the University of Tennessee's Daily Beacon.

Huckabee, a top contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, said abortion shouldn't be a states rights issue, as that would be like making slavery a states rights issue.
"It was wrong to own a slave in Mississippi and Michigan," Huckabee said, as quoted by the student newspaper Daily Beacon. "This is not a states issue."

At least he doesn't pretend to agree with the American public that lack of jobs is the country's #1 problem:

"For me this is an issue that I've said before, transcends all of the political issues. I often said I would gladly lose an election before I would ever yield on the issue of the sanctity of human life," Huckabee told the crowd.

Rick Santorum, on "traditional marriage":

“On economics, how can you have a strong economy if you don’t have strong families?” Santorum said. “If fathers don’t help raise their children and you have the effects of out-of-wedlock births and disintegration of the family — go into the neighborhoods where that is the most acute, and you’ll see a lot more government. You can’t have limited government without strong families and strong neighborhoods, and they so work together.

Santorum also addressed the issue of marriage on Thursday during his CPAC speech when he admonished judges throughout the country for advancing marriage rights for gay couples.

“The judiciary cannot create life and it did not create marriage, and it has no right to redefine either one of them,” he said.

Because, after all, only marriages like his can come to the rescue of our disastrous economy.

Michele Bachmann, channelling the birthers:

Michele Bachmann won't say whether she thinks President Obama is a citizen and a Christian.

"Well, that isn't for me to state," the conservative Minnesota House Republican said today on ABC's Good Morning America. "That's for the president to state."

Obama and aides have repeatedly said the president was born in Honolulu on Aug. 4, 1961, and is a Christian.

"We should take the president at his word," Bachmann said, but she declined to weigh in herself, even when pressed by GMA host George Stephanopoulos.

I promise to always, always, always take Michele Bachmann at her word.

Sarah Palin on breastfeeding:

"No wonder Michelle Obama is telling people to breast feed their babies, because the price of milk is rising so high."

Can't even comment on that one.

All kidding aside, most of these guys (and gals) know they have to address the jobs creation issue, even if they don't personally give a damn. But, since what they all really care about is taking away reproductive rights, eliminating the EPA and Department of Education, chipping away at any gains made on the marriage equality front, re-writing Southern history and propagating the lie that President Obama is a citizen of Kenya, it will be really interesting to see how they continue to present their despicable stances on social issues as valid interventions designed to create jobs and save the economy.

Does anyone out there know how many jobs a new Hyde Amendment might create? Just asking, Newt.

Will The Nation Go The Way Of Wisconsin?

Former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold from Wisconsin is a class act.  The good people of Wisconsin gave him the boot in November, and he has nothing but good to say about his fellow citizens:



Make no mistake about this. Governor Scott Walker is using the state's budget deficit as an excuse to go after the rights of working people in Wisconsin.  A reason to do something Republicans take every advantage to do -- demonize and vilify government workers.  Every chance they get. And here, they see their chance to tear unions to shred, FAST AND FURIOUS.  At a moment's notice.

From The New York Times:

MADISON, Wis. — As furious protesters once again began gathering near the state Capitol building, state senators were expected to vote on Thursday on a bill that would sharply curtail the collective bargaining rights and slash benefits for most public sector workers in the state.

Madison public schools were closed for a second day on Thursday, as teachers called in sick to lobby at the Capitol against the sweeping proposal. More than a dozen other public school districts announced they were closed for the day as well.

Late into Wednesday evening, a legislative committee approved the measure on a 12-to-4 vote that split along partisan lines, Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. After an emotional debate, the committee made only minor changes to the proposal put forth last week by Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, clearing the way for what Mr. Walker hopes will be swift approval by both chambers by Friday.

No doubt in my mind other governors will try and do the same. The question is, when they do, will the people take to the streets like they have done in Madison?

Most states don't have the long (and strong) labor history written in Wisconsin. People in Madison know what the words "labor struggle" mean.  So, all I can say, is we'll have to wait and see.

Knitters, Unite!

From yesterday's National Public Radio show, On Point With Tom Ashbrook.

One of my favorite, newer pieces

To all you knitters out there, enjoy!

Declaring War On The Worker: The Wisconsin Edition

The war against the government worker is getting nasty in Wisconsin. The people elected a real winner to run the state, this last November. Not to mention the State Assembly and State Senate.

Scott Walker says the Wisconsin National Guard is prepared to respond wherever is necessary in the wake of his announcement that he wants to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights from state employees.

Walker said Friday that he hasn't called the Guard into action, but he has briefed them and other state agencies in preparation of any problems that could result in a disruption of state services, like staffing at prisons.

Walker says he has every confidence that state employees will continue to show up for work and do their jobs and he's not anticipating any problems.

His plan would require higher pension and health insurance contributions and remove bargaining rights except in a limited way over wages.

 And lots of folks are reacting. Protests. Rallies. Vigils. People coming together all over the state in town-hall style discussion to express their feelings, and share their sentiments.

"Democracy is messy. Dictatorship is easy," said listening session attendee Bill Delaney. "We do not intend to have a dictatorship."

"And I dare the National Guard to drive the buses and repair the buses, and diaper the people in the centers," said former state employee Ruth Gundlach.

It's one thing to slash budgets, medical benefits and pension plans. It’s another thing to do it with the direct intention of squashing unions. In Wisconsin, no less.

Republicans have control in the State Assembly and the State Senate, although it’s considerably smaller in Senate. This thing could pass – Republicans control Madison.

The Governor’s Mansion. The State Assembly. The State Senate. Buyers remorse, Wisconsin?

A Belated, Happy Valentine’s Day!

But, since there ain’t no cure for love, I guess it’s ok to be a day late!

Enjoy the left over chocolates, everyone!

An Invitation To Kill

As if things weren’t bad enough for the state of reproductive rights in South Dakota.

A law under consideration in South Dakota would expand the definition of "justifiable homicide" to include killings that are intended to prevent harm to a fetus—a move that could make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions. The Republican-backed legislation, House Bill 1171, has passed out of committee on a nine-to-three party-line vote, and is expected to face a floor vote in the state's GOP-dominated House of Representatives soon.

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Phil Jensen, a committed foe of abortion rights, alters the state's legal definition of justifiable homicide by adding language stating that a homicide is permissible if committed by a person "while resisting an attempt to harm" that person's unborn child or the unborn child of that person's spouse, partner, parent, or child. If the bill passes, it could in theory allow a woman's father, mother, son, daughter, or husband to kill anyone who tried to provide that woman an abortion—even if she wanted one.

Of course, proponents of this bill are saying it has nothing to do with abortion, but with “preventing harm to a fetus,” which theoretically has a much larger definition. And these same proponents are saying that since abortion is legal, the state cannot make a lawful act a crime. Thus, there is no way the law can be about abortion.

But given that South Dakota has the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, the implications of this piece of legislation are serious. Will it take the murder of an abortion provider in South Dakota to test this law, should it be enacted? What will the proponents of the bill say, then?

"The bill in South Dakota is an invitation to murder abortion providers," says Vicki Saporta, the president of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association of abortion providers. Since 1993, eight doctors have been assassinated at the hands of anti-abortion extremists, and another 17 have been the victims of murder attempts. Some of the perpetrators of those crimes have tried to use the justifiable homicide defense at their trials. "This is not an abstract bill," Saporta says. The measure could have major implications if a "misguided extremist invokes this 'self-defense' statute to justify the murder of a doctor, nurse or volunteer," the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families warned in a message to supporters last week.

But then again, abortion foes have been so successful in South Dakota, that there are no abortion providers permanently based in the state. Not a huge pool of people left to harm.

So Be It!

So be it!  And let them eat cake, while they are it...

The truth comes out:

In a GOP leadership press conference, Boehner was asked if he had an estimate on how many jobs could be lost as a result of the spending cuts House Republicans are seeking to various government programs.

His response: "Over the last two years since President Obama has taken office the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs. And if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it. We're broke. It's time for us to get serious on how we're spending the nation's money."

Democrats quickly seized on the remarks by Boehner, who during the 2010 midterm season constantly hurled this phrase at Obama and the Democrats: "Where are the jobs?"

Not that the Republicans have kept the truth hidden very well, anyway.  But, a reminder of where they really stand is always helpful.

Wild and Wacky NY-26

Well, that was quick.

WASHINGTON -- The promising political career of Rep. Chris Lee collapsed Wednesday after an Internet tabloid published a shirtless picture of him that the married congressman had sent to a Maryland woman on Craigslist.

In one of the fastest and most bizarre start-to-finish scandals in recent Washington history, the Amherst Republican submitted his resignation to House Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, a mere three hours after the website Gawker ran the suggestive picture and a series of e-mails between Lee and the 34-year-old single woman.

Gory details, too. He claimed to be divorced. And lied about his age. And said he was a lobbyist – which I guess is a good thing to be if you are answering a singles ad in the Washington D.C.-area. But, he did use his real name, so he's not a total liar.

I lived right next door to NY-26, a suburban Buffalo district for a few years. Just a few blocks away from the border.  Nice place. Nice folks. Republican-leaning, but not hugely conservative. But, one of those economically decimated places that continually votes against their best interests.

New York State will lose two seats, though, in the 2012 congressional reapportionment, and the 26th District seat -- with a back-bencher representing it rather than the well-liked Lee -- could be an easy target for elimination.

It's a district with a rich history. The late Jack F. Kemp of Hamburg used his congressional seat as a launching pad to becoming a national conservative icon.

And Reps. Bill Paxon of Amherst and Thomas M. Reynolds of Clarence both represented the district and became part of the House leadership.

Lee succeeded Reynolds, who retired in 2008. A largely unknown business executive at the time, Lee fought a tough campaign against Democrat Alice J. Kryzan and quickly made a mark in Congress.

In 2008, I really thought a Democrat would make it. Tom Reynolds decided to retire, in the shadows of the Mark Foley scandal – the Florida Republican Congressman who resigned from Congress over allegations he sent sexually suggestive e-mails and instant messages to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages. Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Committee at the time, knew of the accusations and was criticized for not doing enough about it.

Well, the district voted Republican again, and this is what they got.

Will they vote against their best interests again, in 2011?

Happy Year Of The Rabbit!

A reminder. Get to a Chinatown nearby, soon!

Filling In The Gap, Texas-Style

By all accounts, public education in Texas is a big mess. Big cuts in services to children are coming down the pike. And what does former First Lady Barbara say about it in the Houston Chronicle? First, blame the parents. Second, let’s all get out of this mess by volunteering.

Let's start with the parents.

Some parents forget they are their children's first teachers, and the home is the first school. When our kids come home from school, do they read a book, or do they sit glued to the television or the Internet? Do they see us reading? Do we eat together, or does everybody "grab a bite" and dash out the door? Do we talk and listen? Do we help with homework? Are we active in the PTA? Do we make sure we attend all parent-teacher conferences, or do we use work as an excuse to skip out occasionally? It's easier to be a lazy parent than a good parent, but with parenthood comes responsibility and accountability.

Many parents face daunting challenges - health and financial issues, single parenthood, or a poor educational background. They need our help.

There are wonderful programs such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters that try to make sure every student who needs one has a mentor. I know several business and government leaders who donate one lunch hour a week to tutor a student, and others who give time to after-school programs. But the need is always greater.

That is why business and church leaders, parents and grandparents, friends and neighbors all must become partners in the education of our children. The best place to start: The school you likely drive by every single day on your way to work or the grocery store or the golf course. My guess is the people inside could use your help.

Of course, there is no doubt that parents should be involved in their children’s education. And volunteering is a very good thing. But as someone who has been peripherally involved in issues of pre-school public education for many years, I can tell you there is a BIG elephant in the room. Many schools don’t even have their act together enough to guide parents adequately in how to be effective partners in educating their children. And yes, some parents are so disgusted by the state of what they see, that they simply don’t believe they can do anything to help. Same for volunteers – when we spend our spare time on something other than ourselves, not only do we want to feel that we are really doing something, we want to have a pleasant time while doing it. We have choices about where we spend our time, and the fact that we have that choice will influence whether we stick around long-term with a volunteer gig.

Reading the whole article is well worth your time. The tone is very disturbing. I guess Barbara Bush does not understand that indeed, some parents have to “grab a bite” and dash out the door because working at night is the only option they have in order to put that bite on the table. And yes, some people have to miss that parent-teacher conference out of fear they will lose the little work they have, if they even ask for a few hours off of the job. And how about those grandparents who will have to trade in the prospect of volunteering for a few more years of working, thanks to the fear that the Social Security retirement age will be raised?  And let’s not forget about the rest of us, who spend endless hours driving to and from the golf course…

And sorry, while volunteerism is a wonderful thing, it will not get Texas – or the rest of America – out of the mess we are in. The former First Lady seems to insinuate that Texas can be on the forefront of some sort of “reform movement” that is driven by volunteerism.

At $27 billion, the budget gap in Texas is more than twice what it was expected to be. Nearly one in four children in Texas live below the poverty line. And in response, Governor Perry plans to gut services to children by $10 billion dollars.

Sorry, Mrs. Bush, but no amount of PTA meetings and rich folks trading in golfing for mentoring is going to make up for that.

Keith Olbermann’s New Venture

Back soon, it looks like.  Or, at least as soon as his departure agreement with MSNBC allows.

11:02 a.m. | Updated Keith Olbermann, the former MSNBC anchor, will host a prime time program for Current TV, the low-rated cable channel co-founded by Al Gore. The program will begin sometime later this year.

Mr. Olbermann will also become the chief news officer for Current, the company said in a news release Tuesday.

All I know is I just checked my Comcast cable line-up and it looks to me like a fee-for-service station here in Richmond.

Bailing Out

Well, now even I believe Sarah Palin is not really running for President. Bailing on an event due to an “onslaught of personal attacks,” even while admitting that “no direct threats have been made against anyone.”

And did I mention the scheduled event was a fundraiser for a foundation providing assistance to military families? I’m not sure even Sarah Palin can overcome this bad press. Not a way to run a Presidential campaign.  Even she has to know that.

But alas, the cancellation enables her to attend an event scheduled at the same time -- the NBC/Politico 2012 Republican presidential candidates debate, set for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

Just in case I am wrong about those plans of hers to run, or her ability to overcome this media-disaster-in-the-making…

In “Defence of British Values" And On "National Culture"

I think British Prime Minister David Cameron and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer could be great friends-in-the-making.

In a major speech tackling the threat posed by Islamic extremists, the Prime Minister warned that "hands-off tolerance" of unacceptable practices by minority communities had only served to encourage extremism.

He called for a "muscular" defence of British values.

Speaking to a conference in Munich, Mr Cameron said that the threat of terrorism must be confronted not only though intelligence and surveillance, but by taking on the ideology of Islamist extremism at home.

"Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism," the Prime Minister said.

While a "passively tolerant" society allows its citizens to do what they like, so long as they do not break the law, a genuinely liberal country "believes in certain values and actively promotes them", Mr Cameron said.

And maybe they can sit around together and watch the popular BBC show “Top Gear” together.

LONDON (Reuters) – The BBC apologized to Mexico's London ambassador on Friday after presenters on the popular motoring show "Top Gear" said he would be too sleepy to protest as they described Mexicans as lazy and feckless.

But it defended the original remarks, saying jokes centered on national stereotypes were part of the humor both of the show and of Britain in general.

The publicly funded broadcaster said the show's executive producer had written to Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora and apologized for the comments made about him.

The diplomat had said he was infuriated by "offensive and xenophobic" remarks made by hosts Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May during Sunday's edition of the cult show, which has been sold to television channels around the world.

The BBC said it was sorry if the presenters' comments had offended some people, but defended the comic use of a stereotype as a "robust part" of British humor.

Gov. Brewer may also be able to provide Prime Minister Cameron with some advice on how to deal with the results of a recent poll on immigration. She is after all, a master at the art of re-election.

Britons are much more hostile towards immigration than other developed nations, according to a poll of people in the US, Canada and across western Europe.

This was in stark contrast to the response from the other countries, including the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Among those, only one in 10 Italians thought it was the biggest issue and only 3 per cent of Spanish people, even though both of those countries have experienced large influxes of foreigners.

The other western nations tended to be more concerned about unemployment, although Germany’s main worry was education.

The Transatlantic Trends survey was carried out on behalf of international bodies including the German Marshall Fund of the US, a think-tank, and the UK’s Barrow Cadbury Trust. It also showed that almost half of British people thought there were too many foreign-born people in the country. This compared with an average of three out of 10 people in the other European countries and just a quarter in the US, despite recent controversies about immigration policy there. Britons were also more likely to think foreign arrivals damaged “national culture”.

Sorry for the snark, but reading the British papers this weekend really brought tears to my eyes. And sarcasm was all I could muster.