I'm sorry to disappoint folks but Reagan wasn't a governor he sold during his presidential compaign and he wasn't the president some history folks want to gloss over to praise his image. That's all he had and was, an image. He never cut spending of or the size of state government during his eight years.
Quite the opposite, he expanded the size of state governement, including the university and college system. He didn't cut spending the size and extent of government. He made it larger and more extensive. That was his legacy. And as president he wasn't that much different.
The tax cuts caused problems with the deficit and debt. He hated government and did what GW Bush did, bring in cronies to run the governement for business. In short, he did everything he could to destroy the federal government. All he was during his years was an image. He was charismatic and an accomplished speaker.
But as has been noted, his attention span was short, almost like GW Bush's. He knew the facts but he also bent and twisted them, or simply ignored them, to get his message to the public and the voters. He was simply an actor playing president. He left all the ideas and details to his staff. He played the role.
He took advantage of situation. He didn't cause the Berlin Wall to fall and communism to be to fade into history. The people of those countries did that. He only appeared to threaten the then Soviets because he could, knowing there wasn't any backlash or fallout from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe collapsed on its own by the people, not Reagan.
And as we know now, he was experiencing the signs of the onset of Alzheimer during his presidency. That means his staff did more not only to keep the agenda going but also to cover up the truth and reality that we elected a president who was incompentent and becoming lost in himself.
So don't give him any more credit that he deserves. And to me, he sucked. You have your view and I have mine.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Beating a Dead Horse
What don't the Republicans understand that trying to repeal the healthcare reform act is akin to beating a dead horse expecting it to come to life. The American people have spoken, they want the law and they want it improved. The President has spoken and the Democrats have spoken. And as much as the Republicans and Tea Party want to challenge the law in court they won't prevail in the end, even the Supreme Court.
Right now the challenges are 2 out of 4 courts (Virginia and Florida) have overturned the mandate part of the law. All the legal scholars and experts have said hese two won't stand appeal, but we know the law will be decided by the Supreme Court. And there, it's a toss-up but not for legal reasons but for poltiical reasons. This is one of the most politically activist court in generations.
And as much as that excites the opposition to the law, it doesn't challenge one reality. Do we really want to repeal the law and go back to what we had which has caused the healthcare system to be broken and only benefitting the insurance and drug companies. Do we really want to hand power over our health insurance and healthcare to the companies where 30 million people were uninsured and we paid for their healthcare and another 30 million were underinsured and were routinely denied coverage or had their coverage cancelled?
We're going in the right direction, and although the law could stand to and should be improved. We need a public option. We need oversight on the costs of healthcare which was not covered. We need to provide more healthcare for women reproduction. We need to provide ways for lower income people to afford better healthcare. And so on down the wish list.
In the end, though, it's really about the point we're going in the right direction and turning around and leaping back to the beginning isn't wise or smart. And so any effort to do likewise is simply beating a dead horse. Nothing is gained except to show the nature of the one doing the beating.
Right now the challenges are 2 out of 4 courts (Virginia and Florida) have overturned the mandate part of the law. All the legal scholars and experts have said hese two won't stand appeal, but we know the law will be decided by the Supreme Court. And there, it's a toss-up but not for legal reasons but for poltiical reasons. This is one of the most politically activist court in generations.
And as much as that excites the opposition to the law, it doesn't challenge one reality. Do we really want to repeal the law and go back to what we had which has caused the healthcare system to be broken and only benefitting the insurance and drug companies. Do we really want to hand power over our health insurance and healthcare to the companies where 30 million people were uninsured and we paid for their healthcare and another 30 million were underinsured and were routinely denied coverage or had their coverage cancelled?
We're going in the right direction, and although the law could stand to and should be improved. We need a public option. We need oversight on the costs of healthcare which was not covered. We need to provide more healthcare for women reproduction. We need to provide ways for lower income people to afford better healthcare. And so on down the wish list.
In the end, though, it's really about the point we're going in the right direction and turning around and leaping back to the beginning isn't wise or smart. And so any effort to do likewise is simply beating a dead horse. Nothing is gained except to show the nature of the one doing the beating.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Run the ad
To the networks, especially those who air NFL football games. Your decision not to run the 1 minute ad by the National Football League Players Association is a sham and a shame to the viewers. You freely air ads for games and for the NFL, so why not the NFLPA? What are you afraid of a simple slogan, "Let them play"?
I'm not going to argue some players make a lot of money and all of them make good money, easily far more than the Average American worker or retiree. And many of them give back to the community with donations and time. I also know some team owners sponsor community programs along with the NFL and players to promote programs for youth.
All of that is to be commended. But in fairness to the players, they deserve as much of a voice on the air as the team owners, the NFL management and the networks. That's fair and reasonable. The network absorbs the cost of their ads and we know how far richer the team owners are in spite of the numbers they cite to the contrary, it's creative accounting. You know it and we know it.
But that's not the point here. Just run the damn ad and let the players have their voice equal to you, the team owners and the NFL. That's fair and they deserve the right to speak.
It's Time
It's time for the Senate to vote on all the judicial and administrative appointees awaiting review and approval by the Senate. Our federal court system is overwhelmed and the government agencies overworked, all the while the Republicans in the Senate sit on their hands refusing to allow votes for these people to come to the floor. It's time to stop this political nonsense.
There are currently 526 appointees waiting approval by the Senate. There are 50 judges waiting approval and another 100 yet to be nominated (vacancies). That's partisan politics at it's best, and while it's been a traditional method to stall the votes by the minority party, it's the Republicans who are by far and away the master of it and especially since Obama took office.
I'm totally disappointed with the new Senate rules. Majority leader, only because that's his official title, has failed the American people to streamline the process to get bills to the floor over Republican holds and fillibusters. He did change the rules on appointees and nominations but that wasn't enough for the Republicans to find a way to sit on their hands and let this vacancies accumulate.
This is an outrage to the American people. It's not what the political process is about. If the Republicans don't like the nominee, then discuss it on the floor in open session. Let us know than decide it in secret and put them on hold while you collect a salary for doing nothing.
It's time to do the business of Congress for the people, or by the people we will make our voice and vote heard in the next election. We will know who and what. And you can bet we won't sit on our hands and let you continue to be the roadblock in the Senate. It will be our time and we won't waste it.
There are currently 526 appointees waiting approval by the Senate. There are 50 judges waiting approval and another 100 yet to be nominated (vacancies). That's partisan politics at it's best, and while it's been a traditional method to stall the votes by the minority party, it's the Republicans who are by far and away the master of it and especially since Obama took office.
I'm totally disappointed with the new Senate rules. Majority leader, only because that's his official title, has failed the American people to streamline the process to get bills to the floor over Republican holds and fillibusters. He did change the rules on appointees and nominations but that wasn't enough for the Republicans to find a way to sit on their hands and let this vacancies accumulate.
This is an outrage to the American people. It's not what the political process is about. If the Republicans don't like the nominee, then discuss it on the floor in open session. Let us know than decide it in secret and put them on hold while you collect a salary for doing nothing.
It's time to do the business of Congress for the people, or by the people we will make our voice and vote heard in the next election. We will know who and what. And you can bet we won't sit on our hands and let you continue to be the roadblock in the Senate. It will be our time and we won't waste it.
34 deaths from guns
It was reported Monday night on a MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell show that 34 deaths occur every day from guns. Are there any other reasons why we shouldn't seriously think about reasonable gun laws if not just to save most if not all of those 34 people who die every day from guns. Not from just guns, but people with guns.
And not just illegal gun-owners or criminals, but many are law-abiding gun owners, or according to the NRA who instantly dismisses them, were law abiding gun owners. In their mind no law-abiding gun owner uses their gun against another person, except for defensive reasons, like domestic violence, assault, or worse murder.
Yes, as much as the NRA doesn't want to admit or you to know, some of the 34 people die every day at the hands of law-abiding gun owners. It's not the gun that kills, that's just the means, it's the person with the gun, inseparable from each other. No gun, no death. No person, no death. It's takes both and it often involves law-abiding gun owners.
34 people died today from guns. And tomorrow. And each and every day from now on. Until we get some reasonable gun laws to reduce that number significantly. 34 people will leave loved ones and families. How many will leave children to wonder why and what if? How many more need die before we learn and act?
And not just illegal gun-owners or criminals, but many are law-abiding gun owners, or according to the NRA who instantly dismisses them, were law abiding gun owners. In their mind no law-abiding gun owner uses their gun against another person, except for defensive reasons, like domestic violence, assault, or worse murder.
Yes, as much as the NRA doesn't want to admit or you to know, some of the 34 people die every day at the hands of law-abiding gun owners. It's not the gun that kills, that's just the means, it's the person with the gun, inseparable from each other. No gun, no death. No person, no death. It's takes both and it often involves law-abiding gun owners.
34 people died today from guns. And tomorrow. And each and every day from now on. Until we get some reasonable gun laws to reduce that number significantly. 34 people will leave loved ones and families. How many will leave children to wonder why and what if? How many more need die before we learn and act?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
