Democrats
Easier to Ask
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 | Life, Politics | No Comments
Grace Hopper is credited with the quote “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission,” so she might be to blame. This seems to be the rallying cry of the last few weeks.
The two most recent occurances seem to be from Joe Wilson and Kanye West. At this time the House has decided to formally rebuke Republican Representative Joe Wilson for his “You Lie” comment.
The Republicans are crying that the Democrats are politically motivated. They are saying that they should be talking about healthcare; that they are wasting valuable time. Was this the same Party that wasted time with the Clinton Impeachment? I guess the difference is that they were the ones wasting it then.
I know that many people feel that freedom of speech is at stake here but we don’t truly have unrestricted free speech. You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater. So, yes, there are times when the government has decided to restrict our free speech for the public good.
I have friends that don’t have the same religious views as I do and I know that if I talk to them about religion I might lose friends. If I were to invite them to my house and embarass them by attacking their religion I would be solely responsible for losing their friendship and also a poor host. Not only was Rep. Wilson a poor host, he was also an embarassment to the people he represents. I’ve often heard about Southern Hospitality, if this is an example then I’m staying in the North.
Then we have Kanye West who interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech to inform us of his opinion. Now he had the opportunity to vote like everyone else but he felt that we were waiting to find out, not what the majority of people thought but what Kenye thought: guess again. Now I could understand if it was Jay Z up there cause he was going home with Beyonce but I think he has too much class to do that. Maybe that is the answer. We may live in a classless society but that doesn’t mean our society shouldn’t have class.
Political Potpourri II
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 | Politics | 2 Comments
Once again the political equivalent of Paris Hilton has grabbed the spotlight. Sarah Palin has resigned from being the Governor of Alaska. My feeling is that she is going to go back to television as a talk show host. If Mike Huckabee can do it why can’t she?
This way she can pontificate without facing ethics questions which seems like a win for her. Alaska gets a new Governor, Wasilla can act questionably without national media attention and we may get the chance to cancel her show (talk about win-win).
The Republicans should change their name to The Do As I Say, Not As I Do Party.Governor Mark Sanford has refused to step down, despite the fact that he wanted Clinton to, for his transgressions. When Eliot Spitzer stepped down he didn’t exactly jump to defend him, yet both of them committed adultery. Both New York and South Carolina make adultery a crime.
Then, of course, we have Senator John Ensign who not only committed adultery but was nice enough to hire not only his mistress but her husband and their son as well. Talk about abuse of power. The only reason that he admitted it was that he was being blackmailed by the husband and Ensign was too honorable to be blackmailed.
The thing that worries me most is that if the Republicans keep losing their front runners they may draft me.
The New Democratic Republicans
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 | Economics, Politics | 1 Comment
In 1929 the Stock Market collapsed, the banks failed and the country went into a depression. The Government, under the Democratic President, created jobs for people, welfare programs and re-opened the banks. Sound familiar?
Many people feel that this was not what actually got us out of the Depression. many feel that we didn’t get out of the Depression until we entered the Second World War. The War sent all of the country back to work , either in the service or the factories. The Republicans being students of history are thinking that this is the time to act like Democrats.I guess you can see where this is going. Yes, the Republicans, not having learned from history, want us to repeat it.
The Republicans seem intent on going to war with Iran. They are perturbed that Pres. Obama is not taking a firmer stance on Iran. We don’t have the best record of supporting the right side in Iran but does that mean we should not blunder into another war? Shouldn’t we continue to be the World’s Only Super Power/Bully?
Think about it. What gives us the right to dictate to other countries? Other than the fact that we have more nuclear weapons and military armaments what gives us the right to tell others how to live their lives in their own countries?
Are we always morally right? Indians, African Americans and Manzanar War Relocation Center survivors might disagree. Are our leaders always the smartest? Two words, George Bush. Are our ideas always the best? Not if the New Democratic Republicans are any indication.
Be Careful What You Ask For
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 | Politics | 2 Comments
There is still a chance that the Democrats may get the Mythical 60 seats in the Senate. The Democrats have sent everyone but FDR and Obama to Georgia. Coleman seems to be in the lead in MInnesota. Is 60 seats good for the Democrats?
Yes and No. Yes, it is good for the Democrats if they get the 60 because despite the fact that Obama wants to unite the Republicans and the Democrats I doubt that we will be in for a “Kumbaya” moment any time soon. The difference between the Democrats and Republicans is two years. The Democrats have two years to prove that they can change things and keep there lead in the Congress. The Republicans have to prove that Democrats can’t change things. With 60 Senate seats the Republicans can’t easily stop them.
The economy is going to be the Democrats “Gettysburg” in this Civil War. If they get the economy back on track then the American people might not change horses. We might give Obama another term to give us healthcare or cut our taxes but we have to have the economy on track. With a majority in the Congress and a Democratic President it would be like The Yankees playing a little league team and losing. No matter how many times the Yankees blamed their lost to the sun being in their eyes. short of them looking into a solar eclipse nobody would accept their excuse.
The Answer is No. Winning 60 seats would not be good for the Democrats. Our economy is in bad shape and I feel the most optiimistic projection of our economy recovering is about a year away. Democrats may have to go back on their word and raise taxes. Healthcare may remain out of the reach of the common man. They would have the advantage of blaming the Republicans. If Democrats think they can’t do all they want, all they have to do is add a lot of spending to a bill for healthcare and the Senate Republicans would filabuster. Be careful what you ask for, you may get it or not.