Rand's Rants

Rand Paul's name comes up a lot these days. The junior Senator from Kentucky is a libertarian, who rails against Government for its intrusion into our lives (except when he supports government regulating a woman's body or a gay person's marriage rights). The fact that this man's name comes up as a future Presidential candidate should fuel our fear but that is for election politics which will be here soon enough. What Senator Paul, who loves to cite Constitutional scripture fails to admit, is that in a Republic, we elect people to serve us. We have three distinct branches of government with separate powers and checks and balances on each other. The surveillance issue is not fraught with Government intrusion, it follows Constitutional requirements. The President executed it, informed Congress who approved it, and the courts issued the warrants. All three branches of government collaborated as they are supposed to. Now, you can disagree with the reach of their decisions on this matter, but you cannot claim Constitutional foul. In fact the founding fathers may actually be seeing their work in action as it was supposed to occur...with all its warts. When Senator Paul stops supporting corporations and donors who don't think twice about violating our privacy every minute of every day, then perhaps he can claim a degree of credibility. For now, he remains in the ash heap of stupidity, hypocrisy and self aggrandisement.

What about Governing?

The Republican party will stop at nothing to embarrass and defile President Obama. The resounding victory this past November notwithstanding, is a fantasy in the eyes of political hacks with no goal except to destroy the opposition. If we assume the absolute worst about each of the three recent embarrassments to the President, what we can say is poor management of each situation or the absence of a pit bull within the Executive branch to manage these issues. However, the House Republicans, unable to govern, unwilling to defend our national interests and totally without a cohesive strategy for the nation, has decided to double down on its hatred toward the President. As such, no governance, no policies, and no help. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Still Steamed

Still cranky over their devistating loss to Obama, the Republican party is basking in the glow of the Obama missteps as he starts his second term. Now I do not mean to diminish the importance of finding out the truth on any issue within our government, but proportion is certainly absent. We fought and died over fake weapons of mass destruction and then proceeded to forget about the whole scandal. I suppose the hatred toward this President, partly of his own making, is understandable, but while the attempts to distract us away from our affection toward the President are in play,this gives the Republicans another excuse not to do what is right for our country. You won't hear much, at least for a while, about the important agenda items that have been laid before us while the power of oversight, led by some bad people, takes hold. We the People are again being held hostage by an overreaching and hateful group of politicians who care more about blood sport than they do about our country. When the dust settles, and most in the know already know this, there will be no inappropriate actions tied to our President and talk of impeachment will die down. This will be after the 2014 elections as Obama enters his lame duck period. Too bad. By the way, the deficit is at the lowest point in 5 years. Any news about that? Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

I Beg you...forget the polls... We just don't care.

How many times have we heard in the last two months that polls indicate a 90% support of sensible background checks before gun purchases? How many times have we seen polls over the last year that strongly suggest a support for a path to citizenship? How many times have we heard the President refer to America's support for these two sensible approaches? LOTS....too many to count. The bottom line, however, is that these two issues are just not on the top of peoples' minds, no matter how they answer the poll questions. People are concerned with other things...jobs, the future of their children, AND, what is happening to me TODAY. We are creatures of habit and creatures in need of immediate gratification. We just don't see guns and immigration as issues that affect our daily lives. We are sad and angered after a tragedy, but we go on with our lives, answer poll questions as sensible citizens and then act as selfish ones. Our Congress, for all the criticism we give it, really does understand Americans. They get the fact that we forget, that we care about other things and know that they can weather the temporary storms of polling data, keep their phones off the hook, take a few pot shots at a town hall meeting, and then vote against what's right and take the NRA's money. They care not about what is right, they care about how much they can take. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Fly Fly Away

My posts have become more infrequent, not because I have given up, but because my anger and frustration mounts every day as I watch the Legislative branch of Government become more and more ineffective each session. They are now on another undeserved vacation and they certainly took care of their commercial flights before they left. They took some shots at the President, blaming him for the long lines at the airports and left cuts in tact for Head Start and other very worthy programs. The Congress, not able to do its job two years ago to pass legislation that balances cuts and revenues, passed Sequestration. It was intended to be avoided but these incompetents couldn't. On three occasions I heard the FAA chairman make a speech warning us about airport delays and furloughs, but the amnesiac Republican party railed about the surprise and lack of warning. Then it hit them. We are going on vacation, how will we get home on time. Magically, they found the money and the air traveling public is saved while the children who rely are important services are not. Way to go 113th. If possible, you are worse than your predecessor Congress....oh, and thanks for those background checks. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

A System in Disrepair

The Constitution of the United States is totally clear and unambiguous. For a bill to become a law, it takes a majority of both houses of Congress coupled with a President's signature. That's it. No debate. Modern day politics however have changed the essence of this reality. Senate rules permit them to declare certain bills subject to a filibuster proof vote. Today, by a 54 to 46 majority, the bill to expand background checks passed. This was consistent with the 85 percent of us who supported this. The 60 vote threshold, simply a Senate rule that has evolved not from Constitutional requirement but rather from political obesity, has again given the NRA a victory. A simple background check expansion failed. I would be upset if it wasn't for the reality that Speaker Boehner and his ignorant minions would have stalled it anyway. The Senate gave this idiot an easy out. Again this nation failed to honor the wishes of the people. If these Red state Democrats think they saved their jobs, they are wrong. These despicable, weak at the knees politicians may have just garnered support from their overly conservative populations, but Alaska and North Dakota barely hit the percentage meter in terms of population. The nation will respond. In its own way and its own time. Gun control will prevail, Red states will become blue, and the NRA will one day die. I hope sooner than later, but today is merely a temporary continuation of insanity. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

NRA Wins Again

Forget the fact that the House hasn't even taken up a gun bill yet and that it will probably not look like the Senate bill. Forget the fact that the House is driven more by its extremist base than is the Senate. Forget the fact the the watered down bill that these Senators are gloating over is nowhere near what is needed to control violence. Forget it all. Remember this......the NRA will win again. It will get a bill that allows dangerous and uncontrolled weapons on the streets of this country. We will see school shootings, theatre shootings and factory shootings again. We will continue to have 40 gun related deaths a day, and move ahead as the most ignorant citizenry in the world of Democracies not even understanding our own Bill of Rights. Thanks for nothing. Until we vote out of office the gerrymandered Republicans who seemingly will serve for life, gun control is only a dream. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

The Values Party

As the Republicans continue to autopsy their party, there remains a strong evangelical base that loves to preach values. They don't believe in gay rights, don't believe in a woman's right to choose, want prayer in the schools and condemn the blasphemic activities of a former President Clinton's White House activities. These folks condemn moderation toward any of these views to include gun control and immigration reform. These are also the supporters of Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, Savage and Palin. They are also the supporters of family values Senator Vitter who cavorted with whores, former Governor Sanford's reinvention of himself and newly elected Ben Carson who compares gays to pedophiles. Add to this list Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Michelle Bachman and you have a party not in need of an autopsy, but in need of cremation. Why the Democrats have not been able to bury them for once and for all is more a statement of our own national inadequacy than it is the desire for differences of opinion. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Elections Don't Matter....I Guess.

Before I blog, it was just reported that the Colorado Prisons chief was fatally shot as he opened his door. Anyhow, the overwhelming majority of us support an assault weapons ban. The Congress just doesn't care what we think. Nor do they care much about the President's agenda, which is our agenda. Nor do the Democrats have the spine or the fortitude to put their electoral fortunes beside and do the right thing. Nor do they care much about the word regulate which is in the 2nd amendment. Nor do they care that the Supreme Court with its most conservative justice in agreement, has ruled that guns can be regulated. Nor do they care, in my judgement, about the 35 people killed daily in this country by guns. I do not want to hear that people kill people not guns. Guns are deadly weapons. Assault weapons are not designed to protect you from someone stealing your TV. Harry Reid has shamefully mismanaged this, Patrick Leahy hasn't been as aggressive as he should be. Politicians need to stop apologizing to the Gun advocates. They need to stop producing pictures of themselves killing varmants or looking tough. Toughness comes from standing up against the dangerous extremists in this country that put violence above humanity. Shameful. Elections used to matter. Not anymore I guess. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

The Only Adult in the Room

The President has been consistently misrepresented and his views not even known by many of his adversaries. He has been criticized for not reaching out to the other side even though he has and has been willing to put pro Republican ideas on the table for negotiation. Recently and currently, he is holding lunches and meetings with members of Congress, perhaps to change the perception but perhaps to get a serious deal. He has been the adult. Paul Ryan, whose ideas were roundly defeated at the polls last November, attended a lunch with the President. One day later, he came out with a budget that again eliminates ObamaCare and cuts entitlements beyond what is reasonable all the while knowing this hoax will go nowhere. We need adults at the negotiating table, not petulant kids. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Just Imagine

Today, we saw an unexpected but welcome decline in the unemployment rate as well as a job creation number that was higher than thought even with public sector jobs disappearing. Just Imagine if we had a House of Representatives more cooperative with our President when he called for infrastructure repair, or a more balanced approach to the deficit. Just Imagine if the stimulus was more to the liking of the President instead of blocked over and over again. Just Imagine, if Senator McConnell was more supportive of this President instead of trying to stop him at every turn. Just Imagine if Congress agreed to put legislative force behind Simpson Bowles instead of only advisory responsibility. Just Imagine if the Constitutional requirement for passage of legislation was actually followed instead of filibustered. Just Imagine. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Tax Breaks

We are at the lowest percentage of tax revenue relative to the size of our economy, in fifty years. Americans overwhelmingly support the elimination of tax breaks for the wealthiest and support tax reform. Even current Republicans have gone on the record in the past few years supporting policies that generate more revenue. Yet, we are about to go over the Sequestration bridge at midnight tonight because the Senate Republicans ignored what WE the People want and filibustered a reasonable bill. The House won't even allow a vote on moderation and instead have a Speaker who is so inept, so shrill with his language, so tied to Tea Party extremism that he cannot even get out of his own way. I say the President issues a signing statement like his predecessor did frequently, and suggest which elements of the legislation he is choosing not to enforce. I would keep middle class needs at the top of the list. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Does it Matter?

Let us suppose that Sequestration was the total brainchild of President Obama. Let's suppose he cajoled and influenced Congress with such pressure, that they voted for it against their will. Let us suppose the President was solely responsible for the mess. Does it matter? Does anyone believe that when this idea was proposed and approved, that it would be lived up to? It is most accurate to say that no matter who thought it up, it was intended as a wedge to move the parties to negotiate a better arrangement. It was designed to get a responsible group of legislators together and come up with an idea, which they failed to do. We are at this point now, not because of the idea, but because of the mutual inability for our House Republicans to work with this Democratic President. Bob Woodward may win on points for a few days, but America loses big time. Instead, his story should be on the effects of the real situation and not on the blame game that sells his books. This isn't Watergate Mr. Woodward. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

246,378

Speaker Boehner was elected by 246,378 Americans. There are 315 million Americans. President Obama was elected with about 63 million votes. Yet, Speaker Boehner is assuming the role of obstructionist and blamer in chief. Today he blames the Senate for inaction on Sequestration. This Speaker took his House on vacation for crucial days that could have been used to resolve this House Republican controlled mess. When a single House member can fly in the face of the nation in the manner by which Speaker Boehner is, there is something radically wrong with the way modern politicians are interpreting the Madisonian model of Democracy. Speaker Boehner is known to less than 20% of the country by name, and was elected by less than .1 percent of the nation. He needs to realize who he is NOT working for, everyone other than Ohio's 8th. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

SOUR SOUR Grapes

President Obama had a resounding victory in November both in terms of electoral votes and the popular vote. The Senate picked up seats for the Democrats, and gerrymandering notwithstanding, Democrats got more votes in House Elections and did pick up a few seats. On matters of guns, immigration and taxes, the people of this nation do, according to polls favor overwhelmingly, the path laid out by the President. In addition, the President has reached his highest favorability rating in a long time, while Congress remains mired in an all time low of popularity. You would think therefore, that the voice of the people would prevail. It is not. The intransigence of the Republican party and their continuous quest to embarrass and show vitriolic hate and disrespect to Barack Obama is palpable and obsessive. They are only hurting the country and ultimately themselves. This latest crisis, sequestration, no matter who thought it up, was intended to force responsibility with cuts in spending. It was passed by Congress in such a deliberately unpopular way, that the thoughts were that after the election, reasonableness would prevail and we would look like a country whose government works. But no. The Republicans are so distraught over losing an election they thought was in reach, that sour grapes are keeping them from governing. They may think that in the end the nation will blame Obama, but they couldn't be more wrong. So, my Republican friends, for your own sake, get a grip. Help yourselves, but much more important, help our nation, the one you supposedly love. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Repeal

Last year the Republicans ran around the country yelling "Repeal Obamacare". Well, that didn't work out for them, but it did do us a big service. It reminded us that just like Congress has the power to make law, it has the power to repeal laws it has passed. The sequestration, which is about to occur and everyone seems to hate, while everyone is trying to assign blame, is the law of the land as of March 1st. So, repeal it. Congress can. The President is likely to support that. Get back in the negotiating room, and act like adults. It is so easy that it hurts to see these elected imbeciles put ego first and country second. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Simply Amazing

The Hagel filibuster attempt, first in history has been reported by many and admitted by some in the Republican party as payback or revenge for the past Senator's disagreement with the neo cons in his party. He was against a war that was fought by our brave soldiers under false pretenses with cost of blood and treasured human life. Those policies were policies of madmen, who concocted reasons to go to war. Those policies have finally been proven wrong and this Presdident will end the second costly war next year. Chuck Hagel has the experience and wounds to show for it, to be an outstanding, reasoned and careful Secretary of Defense. This is what our nation wants and needs....not the continuation of failed, reprehensible policies of aggression that neither work nor should be pursued. It is simply amazing how these lunatics wish to rewrite history for the sake of their own egos. A pox on them all. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

Reagan and Bush and Disengagement

I believe that history will realize in total, that the Reagan and Bush 2 Presidencies were filled with examples of aloofness and disengagement. Reagan did not properly secure our barracks in Lebanaon where 330 were lost and Bush failed with 9-11, having ignored certain warnings and signals and certainly he blew Katrina where New Orleans flooded while he kissed Brownie's ass. The Republican outrage over Benghazi, and the loss of four lives is simply an attempt to cover up for their own past ineptitude. The loss of life and the mistakes made are regrettable and sad. They are deserving of scrutiny by their government and the number of private and public hearings on the matter have been transparent and frankly disproportionate. Lindsay Graham and John McCain's hatred of this President clouds their ability in all aspects of their lives. To suggest an absence of engagement on the part of this President is not only false and unbelievably inaccurate, it is just plain hate. These two along with Prick Cheney(no typo), represents the worst of our country's politics. Americans outside of the tea party, racists and haters will have none of it. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?

The Bullies Unite

Yesterday the bullies of the Senate who supported the failed Iraq War, who accepted the lies of the Bush Administration, who cavalierly accept the death of men and women in battle, many who have never worn a uniform, piled on the nominee for the Defense Secretary. Previously one of their own, Chuck Hagel was inappropriately grilled by the scum of the Senate, men who are trying to hang on to failed policies that Americans left behind long ago. Whereas his performance may have been less than crisp, the piling on was so dramatic and so mean spirited that I was left supporting this man more. He has been selected to depart from these imbeciles and their views and that is what he should have done...spoke about his disagreements with them. Instead, he tried to appear more like them than he is. As such, he looked indecisive, but this does not negate his abilities not will it derail his confirmation. This nation, for once and for all needs to derail the abject dishonesty and failures of neo con versions of American foreign policy. Once the public flogging and its aftermath fades into history, perhaps those who still support War and more war, will take their place into the box of irrelevancy.

Words Matter

"For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of G-d but also in our own." President Barack Obama. January 21st, 2013. WORDS MATTER. Where are you Americans for reason and truth?