http://firedoglake.com/2011/08/09/mitt-romney-is-unqualified-to-be-president-on-his-own-merits-not-because-hes-a-mormon/
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2011/08/09/obamas-2008-hope-morphs-into-2012-slash-and-burn/
I had praised Hamsher just the other day for her coverage of S&P and this is the thanks I get! I knew she was looking for an excuse but this a pretty lame one. Yesterday Jane chose to have not one but two posts claiming that the Obama campaign-specifically David Axelrod- was engagang in religious intolerance by attacking Romney as "weird" due to his Mormon faith. So as she really seemed to be belaboring this religious intolerance line I commented on it.
I said that in fact Romney is a weird guy and I see nothing wrong in saying so. It was weird when he pretended a waitress grabbed his ass-at least maybe it was even harassment. It was weird when he "joked' about he knows what it's like to be unemployed as he himself is-as a multimillionaire-that's not such bad "unemployment."
I did also point out that while I agree you shouldn't engage in bigotry the fact is that there is something a little weird about Mormons. They have the tradition of a man marrying mulitple wives-but wives of course can't marry multiple husbands. So cleary this is misogyny and sexism.
I think that not just Mormonism, but all fundamentalist religions based on misogyny and the notion that women must submit to their husbands as some Baptist groups declared a few years ago or some of the Promise Keepers demand are suspect and mentioning this is not wrong in itself.
As far as using less reputable angles in a campaign I don't normally like to see it either. I certainly hate when scandal mongering is used to knock a liberal lion like Weiner from office.
But why does Jane feel the need to write not one but two pieces on the idea that Obama is using such tactics? Is this really such a slow news day?
We have the Wisconsin recall, and the wild day on the market where after the Fed's words the Dow which dropped 600 yesterday and was down by over 300 in the premarket ended up by over 400, while the bond market made a clear statement that they consider to find American Treasuries the safest investment in the world and Jane feels that accusing Obama of anti-Mormon bigotry demands two long posts?
She loves to accuse people of working for the DNC; if she doesn't work for the RNC she should. I'm sure Rove sees her site as a wild card that might influence some liberals to not vote for O, stay home, or even-as diarists like Metamars and Bin Quick recommend-vote GOP.
She banned me and even erased my comments however left the comments of a few firebaggers who gloated about my banning.
"Jane, I am standing and applauding! I think we should definitely be prophylactic @ FDL and practice Safe Sax." exulted hwoodvnear.
attilathehen added, "In this case I recommend total abstinence! There is no safe Sax."
Well that's ok, your loss FDL! You know what they say: all Sax is good Sax!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Not the Obama Downgrade: Media Error
If you saw my earlier post on the S&P downgrade you understand my concern with this has not been economic-there is no validity in the US downgrade. Nevertheless on my radio show that I co-hosted with the inimitable and always knowledgeable Turbo Kitty, I did get a piece that wasn't in the mainstream media. For while the early spin from the GOP has been that this is the "Obama downgrade" it is interesting to note that this is not the takeaway S&P intends.
Anyone who has listened to my show in it's first week on the New Stand Media has heard Kitty in action and appreciates the knowledge and passion she brings to the progressive cause. After hearing my analysis of the downgrade she said, "Yes, but.." and urged me to look at the following article.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail?entry_id=94858#ixzz1UNKMCpbJ
The headline on this piece
Anyone who has listened to my show in it's first week on the New Stand Media has heard Kitty in action and appreciates the knowledge and passion she brings to the progressive cause. After hearing my analysis of the downgrade she said, "Yes, but.." and urged me to look at the following article.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail?entry_id=94858#ixzz1UNKMCpbJ
The headline on this piece
S&P's Obama Short
The question we have to ask about S&P's Friday evening downgrade of US Treasury debt from triple AAA to AA+ is what is their agenda? One thing is clear: "it aint about default risk or economics."
http://firedoglake.com/2011/08/05/the-pms-of-sp/#Respond
Yes I am quoting Hamsher with approval. While my criticisms of her site are pretty clear-heavy levels of Obama Derangement Syndrome (ODS) often displayed by her and commentators, her odd alliances for dubious ends in the last 2 years- she did this past week seem to suggest that the endless razzing of Obamabots is counterproductive. She also has planned some big FDL Town Meeting tomorrow where she is gonna help firedoglakers gain some perspective and figure out their next plan of action. She even admitted that the drawback in the "Dump Obama" movement is that if successful it would leave us with someone worse.
We'll see about that but there's no denying that she has produced some very good work on the S&P downgrade this weekend(I'm not so blinkered that I'm gonna be blind to good work even if it is of someone I've frequently disagreed; no I am not going firebagger! LOL) and asks the central question: what is S&P's agenda? If it isn't about default risk or economics what is it about?
Because if it's not and I agree with Hamsher here that it isn't then there's something rotten in the State of Denmark as that's the only legitimate reason for S&P to downgrade anyone. Only default/economic reasons are innocuous and as they are not what drove S&P here what did?
I do really want to urge all progs/libs to not simply say, "S&P-whatevs! We shouldn't give them all this power anyway. Look what they did in 2008 with the subprime mortgages."
I am the last to want to shield S&P in any way. Much criticism of them is wholly valid starting with it's great that they never downgraded subprime mortgages till the cow had long left the barn and now in a much more questionable move they are out in front-neither Moody's or Fitch have done this-downgrading US debt.
The importance of this though must be understood. Some say the S&P rating has little meaning anyway that all they have is a water gun. But there are two dimensions to this: one is the market reaction to this which will be interesting to see Monday. Will this spook the market, reduce appetite for our debt and depress our economy?
The second is political. And that is the dimension that we have to be concerned about here. First let me say that it is very unlikely this downgrade could hurt the economy in and of itself-except indirectly due to the political effects which we will look at below. The reason why it is-very-unlikely to hurt the economy is that we have some historical precedent. In the late 90s they downgraded Japan who continued-and continues-to enjoy lots of demand for it's debt and have been able to continue paying low interest rates.
Indeed I'm really looking for Monday morning's market opening with interest. I mean if you're a market player what position do you take long or short? Intuitively you would think short as the market has been down basically 11 straight days-yesterday the Dow was finally up by a scant 60 but the S&P index again finished in the red-and even the ceiling raise didn't give the market a bottom as it had another brutal week including a 528 point drop on Thursday.
Yet often the right market move is counter intuitive. Maybe ironically enough while the "good news" of the debt ceiling hike didn't get us a bottom maybe the "bad news" of this S&P downgrade will. That in a way would really be a slap in the eye for S&P and suggest that they indeed pack no heat-truly just a water gun.
In summation the downgrade is very unlikely to hurt the market or US debt long term and unlikely to be the direct economic cause of a weakened economy. According to neweconomicperspectives the S&P downgrade is "much ado about nothing as a sovereign government cannot go bankrupt."
http://neweconomicperspectives.blogspot.com/2011/04/s-downgrade-much-ado-about-nothing.html
Politically however the downgrade is not quite a water gun. First let's be clear: this downgrade has to be music to the ears of the GOP indeed of Paul Ryan as well as Boehner/Canter. For it fits like a glove their narrative that because of Obama they were unable to produce an agreement that "got serious about our debt problem." As Hamsher says, this gives them exactly what they needed in their narrative of "the Obama downgrade."
Romney himself-the most likely Republican challenger for Obama in 2012 has already been using pithy lines like "the Obama presidency was downgraded today." You see what I mean about the political potential of this?
In an update, the market is about to open ((9:29 Mon. Morn), Interesting to see if the Market stays down like the futures suggest. Treasuries have not been hit though which suggests this will not be a game changer in truth and many foreign governments have said so, though China has tried to pile on.
See http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/06/eveningnews/main20089121.shtml
To remove any doubt of what Dave Beers and S&P are up to. See this exchange
Mason: In terms of timing, if the U.S. succeeds in reducing its debt, how quickly could it get its triple a rating back?
Beers: That's not what we're looking at right now. We're looking at the deal that was agreed this week and we're (judging) by the test of 'Does it turn the rising of the debt burden around?' Our answer is, in our view, no, it does not.
Mason: What you're saying is it could be years before we get our Triple-A rating restored?
Beers: It depends on the fiscal policy choices that the government makes
Here Beers is just strutting enjoying the sense that he holds all the cards.
Latest Update: Market is down over 200 points but that is just stocks of course. The bond market is showing no effects.
For more on this please hear me at 1-3 http://planamerica.org/index.jsp?contentPage=NewstandMedia.jsp
Hope to see you there!
http://firedoglake.com/2011/08/05/the-pms-of-sp/#Respond
Yes I am quoting Hamsher with approval. While my criticisms of her site are pretty clear-heavy levels of Obama Derangement Syndrome (ODS) often displayed by her and commentators, her odd alliances for dubious ends in the last 2 years- she did this past week seem to suggest that the endless razzing of Obamabots is counterproductive. She also has planned some big FDL Town Meeting tomorrow where she is gonna help firedoglakers gain some perspective and figure out their next plan of action. She even admitted that the drawback in the "Dump Obama" movement is that if successful it would leave us with someone worse.
We'll see about that but there's no denying that she has produced some very good work on the S&P downgrade this weekend(I'm not so blinkered that I'm gonna be blind to good work even if it is of someone I've frequently disagreed; no I am not going firebagger! LOL) and asks the central question: what is S&P's agenda? If it isn't about default risk or economics what is it about?
Because if it's not and I agree with Hamsher here that it isn't then there's something rotten in the State of Denmark as that's the only legitimate reason for S&P to downgrade anyone. Only default/economic reasons are innocuous and as they are not what drove S&P here what did?
I do really want to urge all progs/libs to not simply say, "S&P-whatevs! We shouldn't give them all this power anyway. Look what they did in 2008 with the subprime mortgages."
I am the last to want to shield S&P in any way. Much criticism of them is wholly valid starting with it's great that they never downgraded subprime mortgages till the cow had long left the barn and now in a much more questionable move they are out in front-neither Moody's or Fitch have done this-downgrading US debt.
The importance of this though must be understood. Some say the S&P rating has little meaning anyway that all they have is a water gun. But there are two dimensions to this: one is the market reaction to this which will be interesting to see Monday. Will this spook the market, reduce appetite for our debt and depress our economy?
The second is political. And that is the dimension that we have to be concerned about here. First let me say that it is very unlikely this downgrade could hurt the economy in and of itself-except indirectly due to the political effects which we will look at below. The reason why it is-very-unlikely to hurt the economy is that we have some historical precedent. In the late 90s they downgraded Japan who continued-and continues-to enjoy lots of demand for it's debt and have been able to continue paying low interest rates.
Indeed I'm really looking for Monday morning's market opening with interest. I mean if you're a market player what position do you take long or short? Intuitively you would think short as the market has been down basically 11 straight days-yesterday the Dow was finally up by a scant 60 but the S&P index again finished in the red-and even the ceiling raise didn't give the market a bottom as it had another brutal week including a 528 point drop on Thursday.
Yet often the right market move is counter intuitive. Maybe ironically enough while the "good news" of the debt ceiling hike didn't get us a bottom maybe the "bad news" of this S&P downgrade will. That in a way would really be a slap in the eye for S&P and suggest that they indeed pack no heat-truly just a water gun.
In summation the downgrade is very unlikely to hurt the market or US debt long term and unlikely to be the direct economic cause of a weakened economy. According to neweconomicperspectives the S&P downgrade is "much ado about nothing as a sovereign government cannot go bankrupt."
http://neweconomicperspectives.blogspot.com/2011/04/s-downgrade-much-ado-about-nothing.html
Politically however the downgrade is not quite a water gun. First let's be clear: this downgrade has to be music to the ears of the GOP indeed of Paul Ryan as well as Boehner/Canter. For it fits like a glove their narrative that because of Obama they were unable to produce an agreement that "got serious about our debt problem." As Hamsher says, this gives them exactly what they needed in their narrative of "the Obama downgrade."
Romney himself-the most likely Republican challenger for Obama in 2012 has already been using pithy lines like "the Obama presidency was downgraded today." You see what I mean about the political potential of this?
In an update, the market is about to open ((9:29 Mon. Morn), Interesting to see if the Market stays down like the futures suggest. Treasuries have not been hit though which suggests this will not be a game changer in truth and many foreign governments have said so, though China has tried to pile on.
See http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/06/eveningnews/main20089121.shtml
To remove any doubt of what Dave Beers and S&P are up to. See this exchange
Mason: In terms of timing, if the U.S. succeeds in reducing its debt, how quickly could it get its triple a rating back?
Beers: That's not what we're looking at right now. We're looking at the deal that was agreed this week and we're (judging) by the test of 'Does it turn the rising of the debt burden around?' Our answer is, in our view, no, it does not.
Mason: What you're saying is it could be years before we get our Triple-A rating restored?
Beers: It depends on the fiscal policy choices that the government makes
Here Beers is just strutting enjoying the sense that he holds all the cards.
Latest Update: Market is down over 200 points but that is just stocks of course. The bond market is showing no effects.
For more on this please hear me at 1-3 http://planamerica.org/index.jsp?contentPage=NewstandMedia.jsp
Hope to see you there!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Why Now is a Good Time to Be a Progressive
After the latest debt deal there does seem to be a good deal of pessimism for many progressives yet I want to argue that those who view the current situation as particularly bleak or see the times we are living in as especially bad-I once saw a post by a blogger on FDL that claimed that this whole generation needs to die-lack historical perspective.
There has been much bleaker times to be a progressive than today. No matter what you think of Obama is our first black Presdient. He has been the most gay friendly Presdient in US history by a mile.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/08/05/obama-bars-u-s-entry-for-violators-of-lgbt-human-rights-abroad/
Just this last week in his HRC he got added that woman who need birth control will pay no co-pays. And earlier this week he reached a historical agreement that by 2025 US cars will average 54.5 mpg.
On FDL there now seems to be an atmosphere almost like a funeral where they only hope seems to be that maybe, somehow Obama will lose. Why this is so desired isn't clear. Somehow-as they insist he's not a progressive-his defeat will somehow give us more progressive policies though it's pretty clear that his defeat would give us a President far more conservative-on who would support Paul Ryan's plan.
The only thing that seems to energize them now I his defeat. Any drop in the polls or talk of third party is the only thing which animates them.
Today Mr. "afro-reeducation project" himself is at it again: Metamars. Now the excitement is Nader is declaring "a primary is a near 100% certainty."
http://my.firedoglake.com/metamars/2011/08/04/nader-%e2%80%98almost-100-percent%e2%80%99-chance-of-a-democratic-primary-challenger-to-obama/#comments
A few weeks ago Mr. Metamars had recommended his newest version of he and jeffroby's "Full Court Press" which recommends among other things working with the Republicans to secure the Democrats defeat. When he says work with the Republicans is he including Karl Rove or Roger Stone one wonders? This went beyond his "Dump Obama" movement that he and jeffroby have worked on since 2009 to harming the entire Democratic party.
Overall, as we talked about on my show yesterday I spoke with Turbo Kitty about the need for progressives to not get too down in the mouth. We both agree about the need for progs to come together right now and not give in to sectarianism.
For the radio show
http://diaryofarepublicanhaterblogspotcom.visibli.com/share/8fC8WR
When you look at the uprisings in places like Wisconsin-already 3 recall victories-Ohio, Michigan or the NY-26 race how can you not be excited?
Those who worry about the recent debt ceiling agreement should realize that it's the 2013 Congress that will intimately decide what happens, so if we focus on 2012 we'll be in good shape in 2013.
The boobirds have no meaningful answer to what progs/libs need to be doing in the future. Just this claim that all cats are grey and nothing can be done.
In the interest of helping us feel better and not to give into despair let us pick the "firebagger of today."
Who knows this could become a more regular feature here at Diary of a Republican Hater...
Today we have 3 nominations! First we have Metamars the perennial favorite. I was Metamars who came up with the afro-reeducation scheme-which is what the NPA ultimately used in their "Obama is a Republican" bus ads in DC-high African-American areas only. Probably they didn't want to do it in a white neighborhood for feat that this might induce people to vote for him!
In his latest, Mr. Metamars declares "Personally, if Romney is the Republican nominee, I’m thinking about voting for him. I’ve never voted for a Republican before, but hey! I’m sure he won’t be much worse than Obama."
"While I like Bachman’s independence from the mainstream Republican insiders, I have questions about her religious propensities. What if God tells her to drop a nuclear bomb on Iran? Were it not for her questionable degree of religious zeal, I might actually get enthusiastic about her. Not because of the specific policies she would push (she wants to abolish the EPA, for crying out loud), but because she will force a dramatic response from establishment Dems, establishment Repubs, and, hopefully, that will create mostly unpredictable opportunities for galvanizing the sleeping and/or demoralized American public."
Yea gotta really admire Bachman's "independence from the establishment" particularly the establishment of actual reality!
Another prominent firebagger is Bin Quick. In his latest insights he talks of how Donald Trump is inspiring because he payed a little lip service to ending free trade. As usual Ron Paul is gushed over.
http://my.firedoglake.com/binquick/2011/08/04/game-theory/
In a previous post I pointed out-this was a Metmars post where he commended Rand Paul-not Ron, you read right!-for somehow "protecting Social Security" while Obama was supposdely threatening it. I mentioned the absurdity of support for people like the Pauls and mentioned Bin's support for Trump.
Although predictably the firebaggers all tried to bum rush me and claim I was an "Obamabotic shill" I asked them where does it end? If Trump is attractive for-making a few rhetorical noises about ending free trade-what about Hitler? As they are willing to look past any of the appalling things Rand Paul or Donald Trump has espoused would Hitler get a pass? He too criticized free trade, indeed he called himself a socialist.
So we have perennial firebaggers and favorites Metamars and Bin Quick! Can we get a third?
How about "Imka" who believes that we progs have a lot to learn from Alex Jones, et al. To achieve transaprtisan bliss he feels that both Left and Right must get over various" habits." The Right he feels should give up hating gay people and immigrants.
The Left he believes must stop certain things too. Imka asks , "
So there we have it folks! Metamars-afro rededucation and work with Republicans, Bin Quick and the progressiveness of Trump, or Irmka who desires a "transaprtisan" movement where we stop snarking about Christianity or making abortion an icon of progressive achievement in exchange for the Right stopping it's hate for gays/immigrants.
There has been much bleaker times to be a progressive than today. No matter what you think of Obama is our first black Presdient. He has been the most gay friendly Presdient in US history by a mile.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/08/05/obama-bars-u-s-entry-for-violators-of-lgbt-human-rights-abroad/
Just this last week in his HRC he got added that woman who need birth control will pay no co-pays. And earlier this week he reached a historical agreement that by 2025 US cars will average 54.5 mpg.
On FDL there now seems to be an atmosphere almost like a funeral where they only hope seems to be that maybe, somehow Obama will lose. Why this is so desired isn't clear. Somehow-as they insist he's not a progressive-his defeat will somehow give us more progressive policies though it's pretty clear that his defeat would give us a President far more conservative-on who would support Paul Ryan's plan.
The only thing that seems to energize them now I his defeat. Any drop in the polls or talk of third party is the only thing which animates them.
Today Mr. "afro-reeducation project" himself is at it again: Metamars. Now the excitement is Nader is declaring "a primary is a near 100% certainty."
http://my.firedoglake.com/metamars/2011/08/04/nader-%e2%80%98almost-100-percent%e2%80%99-chance-of-a-democratic-primary-challenger-to-obama/#comments
A few weeks ago Mr. Metamars had recommended his newest version of he and jeffroby's "Full Court Press" which recommends among other things working with the Republicans to secure the Democrats defeat. When he says work with the Republicans is he including Karl Rove or Roger Stone one wonders? This went beyond his "Dump Obama" movement that he and jeffroby have worked on since 2009 to harming the entire Democratic party.
Overall, as we talked about on my show yesterday I spoke with Turbo Kitty about the need for progressives to not get too down in the mouth. We both agree about the need for progs to come together right now and not give in to sectarianism.
For the radio show
http://diaryofarepublicanhaterblogspotcom.visibli.com/share/8fC8WR
When you look at the uprisings in places like Wisconsin-already 3 recall victories-Ohio, Michigan or the NY-26 race how can you not be excited?
Those who worry about the recent debt ceiling agreement should realize that it's the 2013 Congress that will intimately decide what happens, so if we focus on 2012 we'll be in good shape in 2013.
The boobirds have no meaningful answer to what progs/libs need to be doing in the future. Just this claim that all cats are grey and nothing can be done.
In the interest of helping us feel better and not to give into despair let us pick the "firebagger of today."
Who knows this could become a more regular feature here at Diary of a Republican Hater...
Today we have 3 nominations! First we have Metamars the perennial favorite. I was Metamars who came up with the afro-reeducation scheme-which is what the NPA ultimately used in their "Obama is a Republican" bus ads in DC-high African-American areas only. Probably they didn't want to do it in a white neighborhood for feat that this might induce people to vote for him!
In his latest, Mr. Metamars declares "Personally, if Romney is the Republican nominee, I’m thinking about voting for him. I’ve never voted for a Republican before, but hey! I’m sure he won’t be much worse than Obama."
"While I like Bachman’s independence from the mainstream Republican insiders, I have questions about her religious propensities. What if God tells her to drop a nuclear bomb on Iran? Were it not for her questionable degree of religious zeal, I might actually get enthusiastic about her. Not because of the specific policies she would push (she wants to abolish the EPA, for crying out loud), but because she will force a dramatic response from establishment Dems, establishment Repubs, and, hopefully, that will create mostly unpredictable opportunities for galvanizing the sleeping and/or demoralized American public."
Yea gotta really admire Bachman's "independence from the establishment" particularly the establishment of actual reality!
Another prominent firebagger is Bin Quick. In his latest insights he talks of how Donald Trump is inspiring because he payed a little lip service to ending free trade. As usual Ron Paul is gushed over.
http://my.firedoglake.com/binquick/2011/08/04/game-theory/
In a previous post I pointed out-this was a Metmars post where he commended Rand Paul-not Ron, you read right!-for somehow "protecting Social Security" while Obama was supposdely threatening it. I mentioned the absurdity of support for people like the Pauls and mentioned Bin's support for Trump.
Although predictably the firebaggers all tried to bum rush me and claim I was an "Obamabotic shill" I asked them where does it end? If Trump is attractive for-making a few rhetorical noises about ending free trade-what about Hitler? As they are willing to look past any of the appalling things Rand Paul or Donald Trump has espoused would Hitler get a pass? He too criticized free trade, indeed he called himself a socialist.
So we have perennial firebaggers and favorites Metamars and Bin Quick! Can we get a third?
How about "Imka" who believes that we progs have a lot to learn from Alex Jones, et al. To achieve transaprtisan bliss he feels that both Left and Right must get over various" habits." The Right he feels should give up hating gay people and immigrants.
The Left he believes must stop certain things too. Imka asks , "
can folks on the Left ever recognize that, while Choice is a good thing, abortion is NOT, in and of itself, a good thing? that defending Choice should never be the same as turning abortion into an icon of progressive achievement?
can Lefties ever stop snarking up Christianity?"
We should apparently admit that abortion is bad and not claim that abortion is a good thing in itself or an "icon of progressive achievement."
That's my standard: I measure progress by the net amount of abortions preformed: the higher the more progress. As Limbaugh says we liberals desire abortion on demand.
So there we have it folks! Metamars-afro rededucation and work with Republicans, Bin Quick and the progressiveness of Trump, or Irmka who desires a "transaprtisan" movement where we stop snarking about Christianity or making abortion an icon of progressive achievement in exchange for the Right stopping it's hate for gays/immigrants.
Who should win the grand prize? The runner up? Vote early and often folks! Make your vote count!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Is Obama Progressive at all?
The boobirds have been out in force-nothing new here-but with the latest deal many feel Obama has totally drunk the (austerity) Koolaid and given away the store. The knock on him is that by allowing the debate to be framed as one where the main focus for America right now is to cut the deficit and "live within our means" he has sold out in the fight to help America's economy even rhetorically.
I will grant that I am no fan of the "politics of austerity" and have felt that it is surreal that while the economy continues to suffer we are talking about "tightening our belts" etc. One can't help but return to something Michael Lind wrote about years ago(I believe in "Up From Conservatism") namely "the strange death of Maynard Keynes."
For it does seem that Keynes is dead to hear the priorities of US policy makers these days and it's almost like Keynes "died" just at his highest watershed, when Richard Nixon-of all people-declared "we are all Keynsians now." Not for nothing that while liberals hated Nixon at the time he is now almost a figure of nostalgia- many have called him"the last liberal."
It does seem that by speaking of "living within our means" Obama concedes way too much. Yet I think there is a-progressive-method on such madness.
First of all even if the politics of austerity is wrongheaded-as I believe it is-it does have resonance with a large part of the public who believes that there should be a balanced budget amendment or even that we shouldn't have raised the debt ceiling at all. So when Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Bachman said "don't raise the debt limit period" they were in line with the majority of Americans.
Now doubt this is the problem with American opinion-it is often as in this case blinkered and contradictory. For while it desired to cut the deficit and didn't even like the idea of raising the debt ceiling it also didn't want the savings to come from SS(in reality Medicare and Medicaid are facts of SS so simply writing that should encompass them all).
For this reason Obama had to talk the language some as there is a sizable part of the electorate who has bought into austerity-in theory.
Here's one thing he has done for liberals very recently no more co-pays for women's birth control
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/08/maybe_the_protracted_debt_ceiling.html
Or new strong fuel efficiency standards
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/02/automakers-support-higher-mpg-rules-for-now/
Nor has he forgot us. While many of his left-wing critics claim that now that he has "drunk the koolaid" there's nothing left for any kind of jobs agenda Obama was right on it just after the debt limit deal passed.
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-debt-bill-not-only-step-economic-172436865.html
In many ways I think he is using Clinton's strategy when he fought Gingrich on the government shutdown. Ultimately Clinton outwitted Gingrich and company and I think in time we may find Obama did the same.
At the least he was quietly able to achieve two pretty big victories while this ceiling farce was front and center.
As to the cuts they are backloaded at least and can be maneuvered to where they can do minimal damage.
And the mandatory cuts aren't so "mandatory." They have to be voted for by Congress and can be vetoed by the President. And this will not happen in worst case scenario before 2013 so if we can take back the House there is nothing to worry about.
Cenk Ughur has said he doesn't think Obama is progressive at all. When you look at even these 2 recent items-54.5 average mpg by 2025 and no co-pay for women's birth control clearly Cenk overstates it.
A blue dog Democrat would never do either of these things.
I will grant that I am no fan of the "politics of austerity" and have felt that it is surreal that while the economy continues to suffer we are talking about "tightening our belts" etc. One can't help but return to something Michael Lind wrote about years ago(I believe in "Up From Conservatism") namely "the strange death of Maynard Keynes."
For it does seem that Keynes is dead to hear the priorities of US policy makers these days and it's almost like Keynes "died" just at his highest watershed, when Richard Nixon-of all people-declared "we are all Keynsians now." Not for nothing that while liberals hated Nixon at the time he is now almost a figure of nostalgia- many have called him"the last liberal."
It does seem that by speaking of "living within our means" Obama concedes way too much. Yet I think there is a-progressive-method on such madness.
First of all even if the politics of austerity is wrongheaded-as I believe it is-it does have resonance with a large part of the public who believes that there should be a balanced budget amendment or even that we shouldn't have raised the debt ceiling at all. So when Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Bachman said "don't raise the debt limit period" they were in line with the majority of Americans.
Now doubt this is the problem with American opinion-it is often as in this case blinkered and contradictory. For while it desired to cut the deficit and didn't even like the idea of raising the debt ceiling it also didn't want the savings to come from SS(in reality Medicare and Medicaid are facts of SS so simply writing that should encompass them all).
For this reason Obama had to talk the language some as there is a sizable part of the electorate who has bought into austerity-in theory.
Here's one thing he has done for liberals very recently no more co-pays for women's birth control
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/08/maybe_the_protracted_debt_ceiling.html
Or new strong fuel efficiency standards
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/02/automakers-support-higher-mpg-rules-for-now/
Nor has he forgot us. While many of his left-wing critics claim that now that he has "drunk the koolaid" there's nothing left for any kind of jobs agenda Obama was right on it just after the debt limit deal passed.
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-debt-bill-not-only-step-economic-172436865.html
In many ways I think he is using Clinton's strategy when he fought Gingrich on the government shutdown. Ultimately Clinton outwitted Gingrich and company and I think in time we may find Obama did the same.
At the least he was quietly able to achieve two pretty big victories while this ceiling farce was front and center.
As to the cuts they are backloaded at least and can be maneuvered to where they can do minimal damage.
And the mandatory cuts aren't so "mandatory." They have to be voted for by Congress and can be vetoed by the President. And this will not happen in worst case scenario before 2013 so if we can take back the House there is nothing to worry about.
Cenk Ughur has said he doesn't think Obama is progressive at all. When you look at even these 2 recent items-54.5 average mpg by 2025 and no co-pay for women's birth control clearly Cenk overstates it.
A blue dog Democrat would never do either of these things.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Please Join Me on the Newstand Media Network
Often a new door is opened when old ones close. Quite unexpectedly I have been offered the opportunity to host a radio show on the NSM. I spoke to Bob Abston of the Progressive Leadership Action Network with whom I share, as do many of you, a commitment to furthering progressive values. Please see http://planamerica.org/index.jsp?contentPage=NewstandMediaPremiere.jsp
The show time will be 1-3 pm Weds 8/2
ListenLive Link doesn't work yet!
What's so uncanny is I met him by accident on Twitter. He came to this idea of me being on radio just based upon my twitter time and blog posts!
What's so uncanny is I have always said, "One day I will have a radio show where I can inform the misinformed."
I've often been told that I have a great voice for radio and my last boss told me this in a backhanded way when she said I wasn't right for telemarketing her product that I sound like a talk show host!
Anyway I look forward to joining many of you progressives out there.
There is much disinformation to correct-Al Franken really got it right the time he described Rush's show as the place where you get punished for knowing things.
His show is like a test with a steep reverse curve. The less you know the further you go.
I hope to be a tonic for this with my fellow progs. I want to do what Nietzsche talked about: harm stupidity.
Please Join me Weds, at 1 pm-3pm. The link will show you how to get the show.The listen live link doesn't work yet as noted above.
To all my readers and fellow progs I appreciate your efforts and hope you are with me and hop e to hear from you!
The show time will be 1-3 pm Weds 8/2
ListenLive Link doesn't work yet!
What's so uncanny is I met him by accident on Twitter. He came to this idea of me being on radio just based upon my twitter time and blog posts!
What's so uncanny is I have always said, "One day I will have a radio show where I can inform the misinformed."
I've often been told that I have a great voice for radio and my last boss told me this in a backhanded way when she said I wasn't right for telemarketing her product that I sound like a talk show host!
Anyway I look forward to joining many of you progressives out there.
There is much disinformation to correct-Al Franken really got it right the time he described Rush's show as the place where you get punished for knowing things.
His show is like a test with a steep reverse curve. The less you know the further you go.
I hope to be a tonic for this with my fellow progs. I want to do what Nietzsche talked about: harm stupidity.
Please Join me Weds, at 1 pm-3pm. The link will show you how to get the show.The listen live link doesn't work yet as noted above.
To all my readers and fellow progs I appreciate your efforts and hope you are with me and hop e to hear from you!
Monday, August 1, 2011
A Word to the Readers!
Well in just a week of regular posting we've gotten a lot of visitors to the site which is a good thing. Certainly appreciate those who have taken the time to do this.
While I of course appreciate all visitors we have had some comments but clearly not nearly so much. This is to be expected many who visit a site and read a post don't actually post a comment.
All I would like to express to you is that your comments are welcome and please don';t feel gun shy if you read a post and want to express yourself.
In part I think due to the often acrimonious "pie-throwing contests" that we have seen on certain liberal blogs in recent years-Firedoglake and Daily Kos come immediately to mind.
If you saw a couple of my earlier posts this week
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2011/07/if-daily-kos-is-progressive-blog-where.html
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-on-my-inauspicious-first-day-at.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiaryOfARepublicanHater+%28Diary+of+a+Republican+Hater%29
then you read about my ill-fated attempt to engage the DKOS community. Most of the 100 quick comments it engendered called me a troll. Enough cited me for being a troll that the moderator-no questions asked-banned me for like apparently.,
A big part of the problem was simply
A) they didn't understand my screen name I chose: abortionondemand
B) I begun my post as the orators of Rome did, as Cicero did, "Firebaggers and Obamabots! Obamabots and Firebaggers! Lend me your ears!"
I spoke to some who read KOS "off the record" (I love using that phrase makes me feel like Woodward and Bernstein!) and I got some interesting feed back.
One person basically hated me for it and unfollowed me and wouldn't speak to why she was so upset and that was the end of it.
Another who was and remains a friend told me that she gets that my heart was in the right place but that they are just very hypersensitive at KOS now. She thinks-and this makes sense to me-a new tone started during the 2009 campaign between Obama and Clinton. More recently she says there has been some real bigoted language and profane talk-during the debate over gay marriage there was some very homophobic lagnuage used.
I see her point but ultimately a third person who sometimes read KOS suggested to me that I should forget them at KOS it's not the right crowd there for me. She understands my flair for irony but reasons that they are in a shallower end of the pool there and I think she's right.
If there is anything that is true about me and I've had to learn this about myself the hard way is I have not ever been one who has ever been very good at coloring between the lines. No point in trying to be a square peg in a round hole.
That they really took me to be a Right wing troll for my "aborionondemand" name just shows how much my brand of irony completely flew over their head.
To speak as unironically as I get, I am wholly committed to a woman's right to choose. More than any issue, perhaps-political or social issue I mean here not economic which I regard as different-I believe and fundamentally support a woman's right too choose.
Perhaps no book I ever read appalled me more than Susan Faludi;s "The Backlash Against Women's Rights" where she described the horrendous way that Religious anti-abortion groups mobilized against a woman's right to choose.
Just in this years Tea Party House there was a bill that attempted to redefine rape down-certain kinds of rape would not be considered rape!-and another bill would have allowed "medical professionals" at hospitals-medical professionals of course being so widely construed that anyone could qualify if they worked at a hospital, doctor, nurse, administrator, maybe even a janitor would qualify as "a medical professional."
Any such medical professional would have the right to deny an abortion to a woman based on their own personal ethical values even if the woman's life hung in the balance.
And yet the same firebaggers who believe that the Democrats who voted for the Stupak amendment are terrible sellouts(they include NARAL) are willing to work to knock out such Democrats-who are mostly prochoice but had to make a tough compromise which didn't roll back any current abortion rights simply (regrettably) did not extend them in the health care services newly available through HCR-even if it means electing more tea partiers who given the votes could make these provisions about redefining rape and denying rape even to a dying woman law.
If my inability to "colour between the lines" won me no friends at DKOS it hasn't helped me in my posts at FDL.
http://my.firedoglake.com/descartes/
Just the other night an FDLer who calls herself "SheKissesFrogs" declared my style is the most offensive she has seen in years. http://my.firedoglake.com/metamars/2011/07/28/rand-paul-urges-obama-to-take-default-off-the-table-stop-scaring-ss-recipients/
Fact is I really like her name but she clearly wants no part of me cause I fail the litmus test there: I'm not an Obama-hater.
So here I am trying to perhaps engage in a different kind of liberal blog. Maybe the other ones have gotten so big now that there are too many cliques and there's no place for a newbie-unless he parrots the party line and stays inside the lines.
So if you want another kind of liberal blog you are at the right place. There are some other good ones which have come out
http://extremeliberal.wordpress.com/ Extreme Liberal of course, as well as The People's Voice, The Reid Report, Angry Black Lady, and Eclectablog.
So that's my vison for Diary of a Republican Hater(I don't equivocate).
If you enjoy my site or have a comment feel free to leave your comment.
I know some feel gun shy after the treatment they may have incurred at other sites: they don't want to be kicked in the teeth for expressing themselves.
If that is your concern I assure you will not incur that kind of treatment here.
Believe it or not, despite my often tongue in cheek style I honestly want a productive dialogue to see that our goals are achieved-Democrat victories across the board in 2012; much to be inspired about here, like NY-25 and Wisconsin, et al!-and a progressive/liberal agenda forwarded in our country!
So if you want to comment but prefer to be anonymous you can as I've enable this site so that you can leave a message as "anonymous."
If you don't mind using your name-or even a screen name, great! I hope some will choose that method but it's up to you. As you can see I don't mind using my real name. Again it's Mike Sax-fully Michael Lee Sax-but I prefer Mike. But if you prefer not fine as well not scorning you for your feelings.
If you would like to join it's very easy, just scroll a little beneath the twitter box updates and click the little green join tab. Takes 2 secs-entirely painless I assure you!
As a member you can still leave anonymous comments of course if that's your preference.
Again appreciate your time and interest. Obama 2012! Democrats 2012! A progressive tomorrow!!
While I of course appreciate all visitors we have had some comments but clearly not nearly so much. This is to be expected many who visit a site and read a post don't actually post a comment.
All I would like to express to you is that your comments are welcome and please don';t feel gun shy if you read a post and want to express yourself.
In part I think due to the often acrimonious "pie-throwing contests" that we have seen on certain liberal blogs in recent years-Firedoglake and Daily Kos come immediately to mind.
If you saw a couple of my earlier posts this week
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2011/07/if-daily-kos-is-progressive-blog-where.html
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-on-my-inauspicious-first-day-at.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DiaryOfARepublicanHater+%28Diary+of+a+Republican+Hater%29
then you read about my ill-fated attempt to engage the DKOS community. Most of the 100 quick comments it engendered called me a troll. Enough cited me for being a troll that the moderator-no questions asked-banned me for like apparently.,
A big part of the problem was simply
A) they didn't understand my screen name I chose: abortionondemand
B) I begun my post as the orators of Rome did, as Cicero did, "Firebaggers and Obamabots! Obamabots and Firebaggers! Lend me your ears!"
I spoke to some who read KOS "off the record" (I love using that phrase makes me feel like Woodward and Bernstein!) and I got some interesting feed back.
One person basically hated me for it and unfollowed me and wouldn't speak to why she was so upset and that was the end of it.
Another who was and remains a friend told me that she gets that my heart was in the right place but that they are just very hypersensitive at KOS now. She thinks-and this makes sense to me-a new tone started during the 2009 campaign between Obama and Clinton. More recently she says there has been some real bigoted language and profane talk-during the debate over gay marriage there was some very homophobic lagnuage used.
I see her point but ultimately a third person who sometimes read KOS suggested to me that I should forget them at KOS it's not the right crowd there for me. She understands my flair for irony but reasons that they are in a shallower end of the pool there and I think she's right.
If there is anything that is true about me and I've had to learn this about myself the hard way is I have not ever been one who has ever been very good at coloring between the lines. No point in trying to be a square peg in a round hole.
That they really took me to be a Right wing troll for my "aborionondemand" name just shows how much my brand of irony completely flew over their head.
To speak as unironically as I get, I am wholly committed to a woman's right to choose. More than any issue, perhaps-political or social issue I mean here not economic which I regard as different-I believe and fundamentally support a woman's right too choose.
Perhaps no book I ever read appalled me more than Susan Faludi;s "The Backlash Against Women's Rights" where she described the horrendous way that Religious anti-abortion groups mobilized against a woman's right to choose.
Just in this years Tea Party House there was a bill that attempted to redefine rape down-certain kinds of rape would not be considered rape!-and another bill would have allowed "medical professionals" at hospitals-medical professionals of course being so widely construed that anyone could qualify if they worked at a hospital, doctor, nurse, administrator, maybe even a janitor would qualify as "a medical professional."
Any such medical professional would have the right to deny an abortion to a woman based on their own personal ethical values even if the woman's life hung in the balance.
And yet the same firebaggers who believe that the Democrats who voted for the Stupak amendment are terrible sellouts(they include NARAL) are willing to work to knock out such Democrats-who are mostly prochoice but had to make a tough compromise which didn't roll back any current abortion rights simply (regrettably) did not extend them in the health care services newly available through HCR-even if it means electing more tea partiers who given the votes could make these provisions about redefining rape and denying rape even to a dying woman law.
If my inability to "colour between the lines" won me no friends at DKOS it hasn't helped me in my posts at FDL.
http://my.firedoglake.com/descartes/
Just the other night an FDLer who calls herself "SheKissesFrogs" declared my style is the most offensive she has seen in years. http://my.firedoglake.com/metamars/2011/07/28/rand-paul-urges-obama-to-take-default-off-the-table-stop-scaring-ss-recipients/
Fact is I really like her name but she clearly wants no part of me cause I fail the litmus test there: I'm not an Obama-hater.
So here I am trying to perhaps engage in a different kind of liberal blog. Maybe the other ones have gotten so big now that there are too many cliques and there's no place for a newbie-unless he parrots the party line and stays inside the lines.
So if you want another kind of liberal blog you are at the right place. There are some other good ones which have come out
http://extremeliberal.wordpress.com/ Extreme Liberal of course, as well as The People's Voice, The Reid Report, Angry Black Lady, and Eclectablog.
So that's my vison for Diary of a Republican Hater(I don't equivocate).
If you enjoy my site or have a comment feel free to leave your comment.
I know some feel gun shy after the treatment they may have incurred at other sites: they don't want to be kicked in the teeth for expressing themselves.
If that is your concern I assure you will not incur that kind of treatment here.
Believe it or not, despite my often tongue in cheek style I honestly want a productive dialogue to see that our goals are achieved-Democrat victories across the board in 2012; much to be inspired about here, like NY-25 and Wisconsin, et al!-and a progressive/liberal agenda forwarded in our country!
So if you want to comment but prefer to be anonymous you can as I've enable this site so that you can leave a message as "anonymous."
If you don't mind using your name-or even a screen name, great! I hope some will choose that method but it's up to you. As you can see I don't mind using my real name. Again it's Mike Sax-fully Michael Lee Sax-but I prefer Mike. But if you prefer not fine as well not scorning you for your feelings.
If you would like to join it's very easy, just scroll a little beneath the twitter box updates and click the little green join tab. Takes 2 secs-entirely painless I assure you!
As a member you can still leave anonymous comments of course if that's your preference.
Again appreciate your time and interest. Obama 2012! Democrats 2012! A progressive tomorrow!!
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