***(Opinion) Throughout the United States, there are places so isolated and impoverished that residents are literally unable to access the basic economic and educational ladders of opportunity that so many others take for granted. The impoverished rural areas in Alabama's Black Belt region offer testament to a nation that appears to have forgotten vast swaths of its own people. In fact, some might say Alabama's Black Belt presents a case study of blatant economic injustice. Here is a story from "The Birmingham News" that illustrates just one, but obviously major symptom of that apparent truth.***
Cody Lyon
****
Monday, March 31, 2008
TOM GORDON
Birmingham News staff writer
SELMA - Alabama's Black Belt has some of the nation's poorest counties, and a recent survey suggests many of its residents are suffering more from high gasoline prices than most people in the nation.
According to the latest Pain at the Pump Index by the Oil Price Information Service, residents of Wilcox County spend more of their money on fuel than their counterparts in any other county in the nation.
The median monthly income in Wilcox is $1,460.50, according to the index. Each month, Wilcox residents spend more than 13 percent of that monthly income on gasoline. And the price they pay at the pump is 12 cents higher than the national median of $3.17.
Link to Full Story at "The Birmingham News"
Monday, March 31, 2008
Obama had greater role on liberal survey (from POLITCO)
EXCERPT FROM POLITICO
by KENNETH P. VOGEL | 3/31/08
During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion — positions that appear at odds with the more moderate image he has projected during his presidential campaign.
The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group’s detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for a state Senate seat.
Late last year, in response to a Politico story about Obama’s answers to the original questionnaire, his aides said he “never saw or approved” the questionnaire.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT POLITICO.COM
by KENNETH P. VOGEL | 3/31/08
During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion — positions that appear at odds with the more moderate image he has projected during his presidential campaign.
The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group’s detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for a state Senate seat.
Late last year, in response to a Politico story about Obama’s answers to the original questionnaire, his aides said he “never saw or approved” the questionnaire.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT POLITICO.COM
Sunday, March 30, 2008
(REUTERS) Clinton says China holdings threaten U.S. security
By Jeff Mason at REUTERS
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (Reuters) - The Bush administration has jeopardized national security and the ability to intervene in world crises because of the huge U.S. debt held partly by China, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said on Saturday.
The New York senator, who argues she is better prepared to deal with economic and foreign policy problems than rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, told a rally in Indiana that the United States' $9 trillion in gross national debt puts it at the mercy of other nations.
LINK TO FULL REUTERS STORY
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (Reuters) - The Bush administration has jeopardized national security and the ability to intervene in world crises because of the huge U.S. debt held partly by China, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said on Saturday.
The New York senator, who argues she is better prepared to deal with economic and foreign policy problems than rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, told a rally in Indiana that the United States' $9 trillion in gross national debt puts it at the mercy of other nations.
LINK TO FULL REUTERS STORY
Saturday, March 29, 2008
James Carville-Disloyalty that Merits and Insult (Washington Post)
By James Carville-OPINION FROM "WASHINGTON POST"
Saturday, March 29, 2008; Page A15
excerpt:
Last Friday the New York Times asked me to comment on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama for president. For 15 years, Richardson served with no small measure of distinction as the representative of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. But he gained national stature -- and his career took off -- when President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later made him energy secretary.
So, when asked on Good Friday about Richardson's rejection of the Clintons, the metaphor was too good to pass by. I compared Richardson to Judas Iscariot. (And Matthew Dowd is right: Had it been the Fourth of July, I probably would have called him Benedict Arnold.)
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT WASHINGTON POST
Saturday, March 29, 2008; Page A15
excerpt:
Last Friday the New York Times asked me to comment on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama for president. For 15 years, Richardson served with no small measure of distinction as the representative of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. But he gained national stature -- and his career took off -- when President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later made him energy secretary.
So, when asked on Good Friday about Richardson's rejection of the Clintons, the metaphor was too good to pass by. I compared Richardson to Judas Iscariot. (And Matthew Dowd is right: Had it been the Fourth of July, I probably would have called him Benedict Arnold.)
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT WASHINGTON POST
Friday, March 28, 2008
Politics on The Runway
By Cody Lyon
Each week, countless fans of Bravo Television’s smart reality show, Project Runway, get a kick out of hearing Heidi Klum, in her pronounced German accent say, “you’re out” to the losing contestant of the competition.
But before the final rendering, in the final moments on the program, viewers are treated to a fashion show, this being the moment when competitors parade their gowns, dresses or suits before the judges, often constructed under the most difficult situations.
The contestants represent, as models strut down the runway while Nina Garcia, Heidi and Michael Kors all take notes and then offer sometimes stinging critiques, building the drama for the commercial break, and when viewers return, Klum makes her final analysis and bids auf wiedersehen to one unlucky contestant.
At its very fundament, fashion is taking something ordinary and making it fabulous. Beneath all of that creation is fantasy and interestingly enough, it is fantasy that has bled into current day Democratic Party politics, fantasy that could potentially lead voters astray under the assumption that if you can’t beat them, join them, all in the name of party unity.
The beauty of Project Runway is that we the viewers get to watch, as contestants struggle with all manner of seemingly impossible obstacles to construct creations, utilizing everything from curtains to plants, sewn, stapled or taped together under what seem to be impossible time frames. The contestants argue, back stab or team up on each other often while dealing with personal drama, but in the end, they produce and dazzle or disappoint us with their end products.
Sometimes, these same patterns emerge in political races. But, at least on Project Runway, the final goodbye is saved for after the runway show. In the case of the contest between Hillary and Barack, the runway is still occupied and the show goes on, but, fantasy seeds of an already rendered final decision have been planted by some who would bid one candidate goodbye.
As has been widely witnessed, calls by pundits, some Democratic leaders and other people with platforms are being made for Hillary Clinton to step aside so that the prematurely anointed candidate Barack Obama, can have free reign over the direction of the upcoming general campaign against Republican John McCain.
According to a number of those calling for a Clinton departure, this longer than expected campaign is “dividing” the Democratic Party and hurting chances for a victory against John McCain and the Republican 527 machine of dirty politics sure to emerge in November.
Howard Dean, chairman of the national party, has called on both sides to stop being personal, to cool it with the bickering, yet, as anyone can read, the nastiness continues throughout the web and elsewhere as members of the media engage in what Howard Kurtz at the Washington Post called, “Open season” on Hillary.
But as Kurtz pointed out in his March 28 column, while 22 percent of Obama supporters say Clinton should leave the race, the same amount, 22 percent of Clinton supporters, feel the same about Obama, and that he should be the one who drops out, according to a Ramussen poll of Democratic voters.
In other words, while many in the media have given the Obama side a bullhorn in telling Hillary to hit the road, the reality on the ground seems to say otherwise, and apparently, that is what is keeping Hillary’s engines revved up for the prolonged battle in this truly close race.
Add that to what appears to be convenient lack of outrage over the Florida and Michigan delegate issue which would have closed any sense of a gap in the contest further.
One would think that whole issue was “settled”, at least according to the dearth of outrage from editorialists and pundits over what could prove to be one of the biggest cases of democratic party voter disenfranchisement ever, a case that has already sewn seeds of resentment in those swing states that will haunt Obama moreso than a loud Rev. Wright sermon, that is, if his supporters do indeed prevail in kicking Hillary out of the sandbox.
As Senator Obama told a voter this past March 20 who’d ask him when he’d get to vote for him in Michigan, a “re-do vote is very complicated.”
Indeed it would, but, what will prove more complicated is the convincing of those voters that you have their best interest in mind in November, especially after you did very little to see to it that their voices were heard in a Democratic primary, not some pre arranged caucus "arrangement" where the younger grass roots types prevail.
As some Democratic voters sit back and watch all of this unfold before their eyes, they wonder, should they too engage in the sort of shrill tactics being served up online and elsewhere over their displeasure at the sort of fantasy politics being sold them by some of the purveyors information?
Does the fact that Hillary Clinton won in big states like New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California, states that Democrats won in 2004 general election, serve as a realistic reminder that pushing Clinton out would do very little for party unity and that her victory in Manhattan serves as a note to the news folks, Clinton’s base also includes well read “latte liberals?”
Does the fact that Hillary won primaries in the crucial swing states like Ohio, and yes, Florida, give room for pause in the crusade to kick Clinton off the team?
And, what about Pennsylvania where she now leads in double digits?
The judges are still writing on their cards, the runway is still occupied with two models of American democracy and guess what, they both deserve to be heard until the final auf wiedersehen is pronounced by voters not pundits.
Each week, countless fans of Bravo Television’s smart reality show, Project Runway, get a kick out of hearing Heidi Klum, in her pronounced German accent say, “you’re out” to the losing contestant of the competition.
But before the final rendering, in the final moments on the program, viewers are treated to a fashion show, this being the moment when competitors parade their gowns, dresses or suits before the judges, often constructed under the most difficult situations.
The contestants represent, as models strut down the runway while Nina Garcia, Heidi and Michael Kors all take notes and then offer sometimes stinging critiques, building the drama for the commercial break, and when viewers return, Klum makes her final analysis and bids auf wiedersehen to one unlucky contestant.
At its very fundament, fashion is taking something ordinary and making it fabulous. Beneath all of that creation is fantasy and interestingly enough, it is fantasy that has bled into current day Democratic Party politics, fantasy that could potentially lead voters astray under the assumption that if you can’t beat them, join them, all in the name of party unity.
The beauty of Project Runway is that we the viewers get to watch, as contestants struggle with all manner of seemingly impossible obstacles to construct creations, utilizing everything from curtains to plants, sewn, stapled or taped together under what seem to be impossible time frames. The contestants argue, back stab or team up on each other often while dealing with personal drama, but in the end, they produce and dazzle or disappoint us with their end products.
Sometimes, these same patterns emerge in political races. But, at least on Project Runway, the final goodbye is saved for after the runway show. In the case of the contest between Hillary and Barack, the runway is still occupied and the show goes on, but, fantasy seeds of an already rendered final decision have been planted by some who would bid one candidate goodbye.
As has been widely witnessed, calls by pundits, some Democratic leaders and other people with platforms are being made for Hillary Clinton to step aside so that the prematurely anointed candidate Barack Obama, can have free reign over the direction of the upcoming general campaign against Republican John McCain.
According to a number of those calling for a Clinton departure, this longer than expected campaign is “dividing” the Democratic Party and hurting chances for a victory against John McCain and the Republican 527 machine of dirty politics sure to emerge in November.
Howard Dean, chairman of the national party, has called on both sides to stop being personal, to cool it with the bickering, yet, as anyone can read, the nastiness continues throughout the web and elsewhere as members of the media engage in what Howard Kurtz at the Washington Post called, “Open season” on Hillary.
But as Kurtz pointed out in his March 28 column, while 22 percent of Obama supporters say Clinton should leave the race, the same amount, 22 percent of Clinton supporters, feel the same about Obama, and that he should be the one who drops out, according to a Ramussen poll of Democratic voters.
In other words, while many in the media have given the Obama side a bullhorn in telling Hillary to hit the road, the reality on the ground seems to say otherwise, and apparently, that is what is keeping Hillary’s engines revved up for the prolonged battle in this truly close race.
Add that to what appears to be convenient lack of outrage over the Florida and Michigan delegate issue which would have closed any sense of a gap in the contest further.
One would think that whole issue was “settled”, at least according to the dearth of outrage from editorialists and pundits over what could prove to be one of the biggest cases of democratic party voter disenfranchisement ever, a case that has already sewn seeds of resentment in those swing states that will haunt Obama moreso than a loud Rev. Wright sermon, that is, if his supporters do indeed prevail in kicking Hillary out of the sandbox.
As Senator Obama told a voter this past March 20 who’d ask him when he’d get to vote for him in Michigan, a “re-do vote is very complicated.”
Indeed it would, but, what will prove more complicated is the convincing of those voters that you have their best interest in mind in November, especially after you did very little to see to it that their voices were heard in a Democratic primary, not some pre arranged caucus "arrangement" where the younger grass roots types prevail.
As some Democratic voters sit back and watch all of this unfold before their eyes, they wonder, should they too engage in the sort of shrill tactics being served up online and elsewhere over their displeasure at the sort of fantasy politics being sold them by some of the purveyors information?
Does the fact that Hillary Clinton won in big states like New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California, states that Democrats won in 2004 general election, serve as a realistic reminder that pushing Clinton out would do very little for party unity and that her victory in Manhattan serves as a note to the news folks, Clinton’s base also includes well read “latte liberals?”
Does the fact that Hillary won primaries in the crucial swing states like Ohio, and yes, Florida, give room for pause in the crusade to kick Clinton off the team?
And, what about Pennsylvania where she now leads in double digits?
The judges are still writing on their cards, the runway is still occupied with two models of American democracy and guess what, they both deserve to be heard until the final auf wiedersehen is pronounced by voters not pundits.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Siegelman to be Released
Ex-Governor of Alabama Is Ordered Released (New York Times)
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: March 28, 2008
Don Siegelman was ordered released from prison pending his appeal of a bribery conviction that Democrats say resulted from a politically driven prosecution.
FULL LINK TO STORY
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: March 28, 2008
Don Siegelman was ordered released from prison pending his appeal of a bribery conviction that Democrats say resulted from a politically driven prosecution.
FULL LINK TO STORY
Battles rage in southern Iraq (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)Mar. 27 - Fighting in Iraq's south between government-backed forces and Shi'ite militia continues for a third day.
Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed security forces would battle Shi'ite militia in Basra "to the end" despite thousands of protesters marching to demand his resignation.
Mehdi Army fighters loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remain in control of streets of Basra, Iraq's second biggest city and main oil hub, defying a three-day government offensive that has led to violence spreading across the south and Baghdad.
Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri reports.
Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed security forces would battle Shi'ite militia in Basra "to the end" despite thousands of protesters marching to demand his resignation.
Mehdi Army fighters loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remain in control of streets of Basra, Iraq's second biggest city and main oil hub, defying a three-day government offensive that has led to violence spreading across the south and Baghdad.
Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri reports.
The Uncle Al Election- Gail Collins at "The New York Times"
Op-Ed Columnist-"New York Times"
The Uncle Al Election
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: March 27, 2008
The race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has now turned into one long Uncle Al show. Everybody wins! Nobody loses! How do we make them stop?
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT The New York Times
The Uncle Al Election
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: March 27, 2008
The race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has now turned into one long Uncle Al show. Everybody wins! Nobody loses! How do we make them stop?
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT The New York Times
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
White House Offers Grim Outlook for Medicare (New York Times)
From "The New York Times"
White House Offers Grim Outlook for Medicare
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: March 25, 2008
The new reports, like those issued last April, said that Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund would be exhausted in 2019, while Social Security’s reserves would be depleted in 2041.
Link to FULL STORY
White House Offers Grim Outlook for Medicare
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: March 25, 2008
The new reports, like those issued last April, said that Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund would be exhausted in 2019, while Social Security’s reserves would be depleted in 2041.
Link to FULL STORY
Monday, March 24, 2008
What Does Iraq's Oil Say About The Iraq War? (Re-post)
by Cody Lyon (LINK TO FULL TEXT)
EXCERPTThe Iraqi cabinet approved the hydrocarbon law on Feb. 26 and sent it on to parliament where it now sits. If fully approved, Iraq's oil reserves would be opened to investment from foreign multinational oil companies. The current legislation would also provide oil companies the option for long-term contracts of up to 30 years. The laws would set up Profit Sharing Agreements, or PSAs, where revenue is based on the profit after oil companies' deduct their production costs. Reportedly, the remaining profits would then be divided among the Iraqi provinces.
Critics charge that the law offers excessive and unfair profits to the oil companies. Others worry that since Iraq is now a country experiencing horrific turmoil, the time is not right to debate such important economic legislation.
Supporters of the oil law disagree. They say the regulatory, legal and tax structure the oil law sets up, will invite the necessary outside investment the country needs to jumpstart its economy. They see the law as an enabler of market-based economic infrastructure that will produce streams of revenue, helping restore stability and prosperity for the Iraqi people.
LINK TO STORY
EXCERPTThe Iraqi cabinet approved the hydrocarbon law on Feb. 26 and sent it on to parliament where it now sits. If fully approved, Iraq's oil reserves would be opened to investment from foreign multinational oil companies. The current legislation would also provide oil companies the option for long-term contracts of up to 30 years. The laws would set up Profit Sharing Agreements, or PSAs, where revenue is based on the profit after oil companies' deduct their production costs. Reportedly, the remaining profits would then be divided among the Iraqi provinces.
Critics charge that the law offers excessive and unfair profits to the oil companies. Others worry that since Iraq is now a country experiencing horrific turmoil, the time is not right to debate such important economic legislation.
Supporters of the oil law disagree. They say the regulatory, legal and tax structure the oil law sets up, will invite the necessary outside investment the country needs to jumpstart its economy. They see the law as an enabler of market-based economic infrastructure that will produce streams of revenue, helping restore stability and prosperity for the Iraqi people.
LINK TO STORY
A View From The Black Pulpit (Birmingham News)
by-P. BANNEKER HATCHERSON- Pastor at 23rd Street Baptist Church South- Birmingham, Ala., (Birmingham News)
excerpt 3/23/2008The recent and ongoing parley over a few "sound bites" of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, demonstrates afresh the wide gulf existing between the black community and the white community.
Wright is and has been one of my favorite preachers. It is the freedom of the black pulpit that makes it so unique. It's not a freedom without accountability, for the black preacher is more scrutinized than probably any person in America. However, he is expected to "endure hardness as a good soldier" (II Timothy 2:3) and speak the truth regardless.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT THE "BIRMINGHAM NEWS"
excerpt 3/23/2008The recent and ongoing parley over a few "sound bites" of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, demonstrates afresh the wide gulf existing between the black community and the white community.
Wright is and has been one of my favorite preachers. It is the freedom of the black pulpit that makes it so unique. It's not a freedom without accountability, for the black preacher is more scrutinized than probably any person in America. However, he is expected to "endure hardness as a good soldier" (II Timothy 2:3) and speak the truth regardless.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT THE "BIRMINGHAM NEWS"
Barack Tells Cheney of Hezbollah Threat in Israel (REUTERS)
(REUTERS) Mar 24 - Israeli defence minister Ehud Barack has renewed fears about the threat posed by Hezbollah.
Barack said the Jewish State must be prepared to protect itself against Hezbollah threats to avenge the death of a top guerilla commander.
The comments came during the final day of a visit to Jerusalem by United States Vice President Dick Cheney.
Andrew Potter reports.
Barack said the Jewish State must be prepared to protect itself against Hezbollah threats to avenge the death of a top guerilla commander.
The comments came during the final day of a visit to Jerusalem by United States Vice President Dick Cheney.
Andrew Potter reports.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
What Politicians Say When They Talk About Race (New York Times)
What Politicians Say When They Talk About Race (FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
By JANNY SCOTT
Published: March 23, 2008
Whether Barack Obama’s speech on race helped or hurt him, the moment was unlike virtually any other in American politics since the civil rights movement.
Link to FULL TEXT AT NYT
By JANNY SCOTT
Published: March 23, 2008
Whether Barack Obama’s speech on race helped or hurt him, the moment was unlike virtually any other in American politics since the civil rights movement.
Link to FULL TEXT AT NYT
Saturday, March 22, 2008
White House Computer Hard Drives Destroyed (CBSNEWS/AP)
(CBS/AP) Older White House computer hard drives have been destroyed, the White House disclosed to a federal court Friday in a controversy over millions of possibly missing e-mails from 2003 to 2005.
The White House revealed new information about how it handles its computers in an effort to persuade a federal magistrate it would be fruitless to undertake an e-mail recovery plan that the court proposed.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT CBSNEWS.COM
The White House revealed new information about how it handles its computers in an effort to persuade a federal magistrate it would be fruitless to undertake an e-mail recovery plan that the court proposed.
LINK TO FULL STORY AT CBSNEWS.COM
PBS FRONTLINE PREMIERES BUSH'S WAR
BEGINNING THIS MONDAY ON PBS- LINK TO PBS FRONTLINE For Further Details
FROM PBS FRONTLINE:From the horror of 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq; the truth about WMD to the rise of an insurgency; the scandal of Abu Ghraib to the strategy of the surge -- for six years, FRONTLINE has revealed the defining stories of the war on terror in meticulous detail, and the political dramas that played out at the highest levels of power and influence.
Now, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga unfolds in the two-part FRONTLINE special Bush's War, airing Monday, March 24, from 9 to 11:30 P.M. and Tuesday, March 25, 2008, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET on PBS (check local listings). Veteran producer Michael Kirk (The Torture Question, The Dark Side) draws on one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism -- more than 40 FRONTLINE reports on the war on terror. Combined with fresh reporting and new interviews, Bush's War will be the definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history.
PREVIEW
FROM PBS FRONTLINE:From the horror of 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq; the truth about WMD to the rise of an insurgency; the scandal of Abu Ghraib to the strategy of the surge -- for six years, FRONTLINE has revealed the defining stories of the war on terror in meticulous detail, and the political dramas that played out at the highest levels of power and influence.
Now, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga unfolds in the two-part FRONTLINE special Bush's War, airing Monday, March 24, from 9 to 11:30 P.M. and Tuesday, March 25, 2008, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET on PBS (check local listings). Veteran producer Michael Kirk (The Torture Question, The Dark Side) draws on one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism -- more than 40 FRONTLINE reports on the war on terror. Combined with fresh reporting and new interviews, Bush's War will be the definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history.
PREVIEW
Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading- (New York Times)
US- NEW YORK TIMESD
Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading
By IAN URBINA
Published: March 22, 2008
Plans for municipal Wi-Fi grids have been tripped up by unrealistic ambitions and technological glitches.
Link to Full Story at "New York Times"
Hopes for Wireless Cities Are Fading
By IAN URBINA
Published: March 22, 2008
Plans for municipal Wi-Fi grids have been tripped up by unrealistic ambitions and technological glitches.
Link to Full Story at "New York Times"
Friday, March 21, 2008
On Iraq: Time to Spread the Pain-(Re Post)
RE-Post
from 1/19/2007
also at Oh My News International (podcast link read by Claire George)
by CODY LYON
During an interview this week with PBS's "Newshour," journalist Jim Lehrer asked U.S. President George Bush, if the struggle in Iraq is so "important to all of us and to the future of our country, if not the world, why have you not, as President of the United States, asked more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something?"
Lehrer, himself a former U.S. marine, noted that the only Americans actually sacrificing anything at this point were military members and their families.
The President responded that he thought Americans "sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night. I mean, we've got a fantastic economy here in the United States, but yet, when you think about the psychology of the country, it is somewhat down because of this war."
True, much of the sadness Americans feel about Iraq is based on what we read, see, or hear in the media. But our bout with the blues is a minor inconvenience when compared to the pain and sacrifice of American military families.
Face it: Americans can choose to tune in or out and avoid news about the war if we want to. For many, Iraq is viewed as just another current event that may or may not spark political passions.
Keeping us safely on the sidelines is that word "volunteer" military, which appears to absolve many politicians of real guilt, responsibility or understanding of the gravity of what war is, especially when these things are in the planning stages.
In further response to Lehrer's question, the president was quick to defend tax cuts, saying that raising taxes was not an option.
That means the one percent of Americans who earn 16.9 percent of all income in the United States will continue to enjoy peace of mind if they don't watch the news. These are the same individuals who, according to the Economic Policy Institute, control 42.2 percent of all net financial assets in America. According to Bush, if they were asked to make a financial sacrifice through higher taxes, it might "hurt" our growing economy.
But the real tearjerker is that we are sending this financial sacrifice to our children. Our current national debt is $8.6 trillion, a figure that tacks on another estimated $200 billion in war costs each year.
Could it be time for a little soul searching when it comes to spreading the pain of this national debacle?
Is it moral to ask military families to make the tremendous sacrifices they are making, while not asking wealthy Americans to make financial sacrifices during a time of war?
During the PBS interview, Bush told Lehrer he wanted to make sure people feel like "life's moving on, that they're able to make a living and send their kids to college and put more money on the table."
Compare this to the collective psychology surrounding World War II and the days of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, with his dramatic -- what today might be called radical -- 1942 "Call for Sacrifice" said, "indeed in these days when every affordable dollar should go to the war effort, I do not think any American citizen should have a net income in excess of $25,000 per year after taxes." This translates into about $313,000 in the inflation-adjusted dollars of 2005.
That would surely send shivers down the spine of Student Loan Company Sallie Mae (SLM) CEO Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, who earned $39 million in 2006.
But, that leads back to Jim Lehrer's simple question. If the struggle in Iraq is so important, why haven't all Americans been asked to sacrifice something?
While no one can measure an entire nation's psychology with any real degree of certainty, if all Americans, regardless of wealth, were required to "sacrifice," for instance, a year or so of their lives to public service, rest assured the collective level of engagement would rise when it comes to issues that lead to military actions. And that's to say nothing of the positive shared experiences and connectivity.
For now, according to the president, the shared sacrifice is occurring when watching the evening news. My how we've changed.
Roosevelt said in 1942 that the price of civilization must be paid in hard work, sorrow. and blood.
Apparently, Roosevelt and his generation believed that war is fought through the real and tangible sacrifice of all its citizens, including the wealthy. And, Roosevelt, along with his generation, understood that war is a last resort.
Our current president appears to be more concerned with the impact of powerful images -- that the rash of negative news and journalism coming from Iraq is our shared sacrifice. He continues his arrogant spin, to try to spook us with false threats, in order to justify the images, the stories, the truth: a truth that is America's biggest foreign policy mistake in decades.
So, in what has become a time of crisis, where is the call for shared national sacrifice Mr. President? Why have you not asked all of us, as another president did some 20 years after Roosevelt, to ask ourselves, what we can do for our country?
from 1/19/2007
also at Oh My News International (podcast link read by Claire George)
by CODY LYON
During an interview this week with PBS's "Newshour," journalist Jim Lehrer asked U.S. President George Bush, if the struggle in Iraq is so "important to all of us and to the future of our country, if not the world, why have you not, as President of the United States, asked more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something?"
Lehrer, himself a former U.S. marine, noted that the only Americans actually sacrificing anything at this point were military members and their families.
The President responded that he thought Americans "sacrifice peace of mind when they see the terrible images of violence on TV every night. I mean, we've got a fantastic economy here in the United States, but yet, when you think about the psychology of the country, it is somewhat down because of this war."
True, much of the sadness Americans feel about Iraq is based on what we read, see, or hear in the media. But our bout with the blues is a minor inconvenience when compared to the pain and sacrifice of American military families.
Face it: Americans can choose to tune in or out and avoid news about the war if we want to. For many, Iraq is viewed as just another current event that may or may not spark political passions.
Keeping us safely on the sidelines is that word "volunteer" military, which appears to absolve many politicians of real guilt, responsibility or understanding of the gravity of what war is, especially when these things are in the planning stages.
In further response to Lehrer's question, the president was quick to defend tax cuts, saying that raising taxes was not an option.
That means the one percent of Americans who earn 16.9 percent of all income in the United States will continue to enjoy peace of mind if they don't watch the news. These are the same individuals who, according to the Economic Policy Institute, control 42.2 percent of all net financial assets in America. According to Bush, if they were asked to make a financial sacrifice through higher taxes, it might "hurt" our growing economy.
But the real tearjerker is that we are sending this financial sacrifice to our children. Our current national debt is $8.6 trillion, a figure that tacks on another estimated $200 billion in war costs each year.
Could it be time for a little soul searching when it comes to spreading the pain of this national debacle?
Is it moral to ask military families to make the tremendous sacrifices they are making, while not asking wealthy Americans to make financial sacrifices during a time of war?
During the PBS interview, Bush told Lehrer he wanted to make sure people feel like "life's moving on, that they're able to make a living and send their kids to college and put more money on the table."
Compare this to the collective psychology surrounding World War II and the days of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, with his dramatic -- what today might be called radical -- 1942 "Call for Sacrifice" said, "indeed in these days when every affordable dollar should go to the war effort, I do not think any American citizen should have a net income in excess of $25,000 per year after taxes." This translates into about $313,000 in the inflation-adjusted dollars of 2005.
That would surely send shivers down the spine of Student Loan Company Sallie Mae (SLM) CEO Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, who earned $39 million in 2006.
But, that leads back to Jim Lehrer's simple question. If the struggle in Iraq is so important, why haven't all Americans been asked to sacrifice something?
While no one can measure an entire nation's psychology with any real degree of certainty, if all Americans, regardless of wealth, were required to "sacrifice," for instance, a year or so of their lives to public service, rest assured the collective level of engagement would rise when it comes to issues that lead to military actions. And that's to say nothing of the positive shared experiences and connectivity.
For now, according to the president, the shared sacrifice is occurring when watching the evening news. My how we've changed.
Roosevelt said in 1942 that the price of civilization must be paid in hard work, sorrow. and blood.
Apparently, Roosevelt and his generation believed that war is fought through the real and tangible sacrifice of all its citizens, including the wealthy. And, Roosevelt, along with his generation, understood that war is a last resort.
Our current president appears to be more concerned with the impact of powerful images -- that the rash of negative news and journalism coming from Iraq is our shared sacrifice. He continues his arrogant spin, to try to spook us with false threats, in order to justify the images, the stories, the truth: a truth that is America's biggest foreign policy mistake in decades.
So, in what has become a time of crisis, where is the call for shared national sacrifice Mr. President? Why have you not asked all of us, as another president did some 20 years after Roosevelt, to ask ourselves, what we can do for our country?
Court Tosses Suit over Florida Dem Delegates(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
By AARON GOULD SHEININ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/21/08
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed a federal lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee over the party's decision to strip Florida of its delegates to the national convention.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT AJC.COM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/21/08
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed a federal lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee over the party's decision to strip Florida of its delegates to the national convention.
LINK TO FULL TEXT AT AJC.COM
Socialized Compensation (The New York Times-Editorial)
Editorial- THE NEW YORK TIMES
Socialized Compensation
Published: March 21, 2008
Until bankers face a real risk of losing their shirts, they will keep ratcheting up risks to collect rewards while letting the rest of us carry the bag when their punts go bad.
LINK TO FULL EDITORIAL FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
Socialized Compensation
Published: March 21, 2008
Until bankers face a real risk of losing their shirts, they will keep ratcheting up risks to collect rewards while letting the rest of us carry the bag when their punts go bad.
LINK TO FULL EDITORIAL FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
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