Iowa Looms Over The GOP

Mitt is getting money at a nice rate, and sadly for him in Iowa; he's still Mitt. Mitt of the MA health care and Mitt of Mormonism and Mitt of all kinds of flippery-floppery. Tim Pawlenty is as exciting as watching paint dry for Iowans who want fundamentalism and firey Barack bashing. For Tim to attract the real money boys of the GOP he'd have to show something real - like winning Iowa. Winning Iowa may mean having to get past a Bachman who will feed Iowans fundamentalism and attacks which would mean going where a Bachman would go which is poisonous to other states. If Bachman gets in and wins Iowa, (big IFS) that would put the GOPer money boys in a real state. South Carolina (of all places) directly follows Iowa and the idea that a victorious Bachman wouldn't beat the weak sauce of Mitt and Tim doesn't pay much attention to South Carolina.

Sure, I'm ignoring Santorum, Gingrich, and Cain; if you think that's a fault you've kind of paid little attention to them. This mess the GOP is in has been building for years and it seems to me to be deserved. It is of their own making over a decades long process of catering to groups who will not be satisfied with simply having no alternative. Those folks may not be the money of the GOP, but they are the ones who will vote and are not interested in mushy ole Mitt/Tim.

The money part of the GOP might be really displeased with a Bachman as a candidate, but this is what they've purchased over the years and in order to pursue their plutocratic agenda must please. If you want people to vote against their economic interests you have to give them something to distract them - that's your Bachman.

It ought to be real easy to gloat - but then I'm a Democrat and have to deal with ... that. What? Yeah, I'm not a bit satisfied with "not as bad as them."

Palin's Media Gift To Grift

Ordinarily any politician with Sarah's record and negative polling numbers would be a joke to the media in regards to a Presidential run. If you've watched or read news over the last two days you'll note that isn't exactly the case for most. I understand that they're salivating at the prospect of Sarah-speak and looneys crowding up, but news is supposed to be, well, just that. It just isn't news that Sarah is a media ... hound. (I had another word in mind, but sexism and all that)

Let's get one thing straight, Sarah cannot afford to double cross Roger Ailes and FauxNews by running after he canned Santorum and Gingrich. She's just enough vindictive to know what FauxNews would do to her for such a move.

Sarah is not going to run and the media is doing no more than enriching a grifter by pretending that she will. I'm pretty tired of the media acting stupidly, but that's also old news.

Given the complicity of the media is it any wonder this nation is descending into a state of idiocy?

A So-called Middle

Now that the GOP has pushed their clown car off a right cliff; I suppose that the middle is now the crumbling edge of that cliff and responsible people like Democrats need to get there. Just think of the possiblities - er, rather don't, that is incredibly depressing.

Any bets on this?

Herman Cain For President - GOP

Um, he's black?

When Texas Secedes Can Perry Still Run?

Rick Perry?

Damn, those twits are desperate.

I suppose it would be impolite to mention the Texas deficit...

We Don't Negotiate With Terrorists?*

Sen Mitch McConnell (KY-R) made it clear to TPM that the GOP is willing to explode the economy if Medicaid isn't cut.

"To get my vote, for me, it's going to take short term [cuts, via spending caps]... Both medium and long-term, entitlements.," McConnell said. "Medicare will be part of the solution."

To clarify, I asked "[I]f [the Biden group] comes up with big cuts, trillions of dollars worth of cuts, but without substantially addressing Medicare, it won't get your vote?"

"Correct," McConnell said.

You have to admire their dedication to ideology, which naturally leaves one wondering about Democrats...

*h/t to Balloon Juice

Fire In The Belly Sarah

I have bad news for the progressives and Teabaggers who are champing at the bit for Sarah to run, she won't. I know what kind of fodder she offers to Democrats and I understand the childishness of Teabaggers but sadly for all - Sarah is looking for publicity and money, grift.

Sarah still works for FauxNews, even lame people like Santorum lost that. Think for a moment, Santorum. Sarah has managed to make herself pretty rich on the back of politics for the stupid and that does not include actually doing something like run for President - except as catering to their wishful thinking. Those wishes generate money and Sarah likes nice things - lots of them a lot.

This woman's unfavorable ratings in polls. thanks to stupidity and incompetence, rival those reserved for folks like Mafioso. That is political poison for those with real actual money and electoral skill. I suppose a real question would be how long after she doesn't run can she keep the money tree watered?

Too bad, all that mockery joy available with a run...

GOP Suicide Pact

Over past decades the GOP has put forward or passed legislation that is directly counter to the interests of a giant majority of the citizenry. The GOP has used language that is offensive to not only the targets but to ordinary citizens. The GOP has gotten away with this for literally decades and decades - somehow.

Now, after running against health care reform and Democratic "killing Medicare" they are busily doubling down on the Ryan Plan to kill Medicare and give the wealthy huge tax cuts - along with other stupidities. Both the House and Senate GOP virtually unanimously voted for that plan and one GOPer got to vote for it twice, Sen Dean Heller (NV-R).

If your analysis of the 2010 mid-term was that the Democratic debacle was primarily about the economy and possibly secondarily about health care reform you have to wonder if the GOP could have found a higher cliff to leap off. One quarter of the way through the House term they've only just now put out a 'jobs plan' on the back of - yes - the Ryan Plan and multiple abortion ... stuff ... and killing Medicare. GOP Presidential hopefuls are, with some dancing, lining up with the GOP ... uh, theme.

The sad part of such stupidity on the part of the GOP is that there will be a good sized number of Democratic candidates that really ought to be GOPers. I will lay you odds that we're going to go right on back down the road of any (D) ... essentially, "We're not as bad as those guys," all over again. I suppose it makes me a bad Democrat to say, "No, not the ditch, not the shoulder, let's get on the freeway."

If you're busy celebrating Hochul in NY26 you might stop and think about her dogged insistence the she is "an independent Democrat." which in politi-speak means. "I'm not really a Democrat - in case you're worried." Yaaaaahoooo...

Good god, Dick Cheney "I worship the ground Paul Ryan walks on..."

Aaaaagggghhhhh...

NYSE Is Soooooo Special

TPM just recently got slapped with a cease and desist letter from the NYSE claiming copywrite infringement for publishing a picture of the "Floor."

So how's this for a big "FU" to the ratbastards who've shit canned the economy for decades and are making fortunes off this current disaster? Let me make myself clear to you insufferable plutocratic ****s; you put yourselves and images all over the media real regularly touting what an economic dynamo you are and you simply could not be a more public figure if you were Barak Obama.

Go ahead and send me a letter asserting the same crap you put forward to TPM.

The E Class Mercedes Benz

I just watched an ad for this car, people were really happy that their car was a better driver than they were. Um, the car for people who shouldn't be on the road - period.

Damn.

How about a car that recognizes motorcycles as vehicles that shouldn't be smashed? Maybe they could sell a bunch in Florida where about two people per day tried to kill me.

Since I'm Clueless On The Middle East

In a reply to a commenter I made the point that I'm clueless about what to do in Afghanistan and Iraq at this point in time. I'm clueless because there are a hell of a lot of competing interests that I think need to be addressed. It doesn't matter what I thought about getting into Afghanistan or Iraq or what I thought about the methodology as far as what to do NOW.

I think some of the interests that need to be addressed include (in no particular order of importance):
our national security
the secutity of those nations
the economic and social interests of those nations
our social and economic interests
the simple well being of the citizenry of all included nations
the cultural impacts on all nations involved
the possibility of accomplishing any of those ends
the means of accomplishing any of those ends

I will say that I've seen little evidence of the liklihood of killing your way out of a mess and it seems the more generalized the killing the less liklihood. I am by inclination anti-war, I need to be convinced that it has to be done. I don't think it is reasonable to dismiss the fact that we've killed people and blown things up and those outcomes should be addressed.

I don't like answers that simplistically deal with a part without looking at the complexity of the actual situation.

Yes, this is an ivitation to use the comments section for something other than "Chuck you're great" or "Chuck you're an ass."

Newt May Be Dead - Or Maybe A Zombie

I'd be as likely to take Palin seriously as a Presidential contender as I would Newt but this from Swampland is absolutely ... um ... precious.

Update: Gingrich’s spokesman, Rick Tyler, sends the Huffington Post this statement blaming the candidate’s problems on the press:

“The literati sent out their minions to do their bidding,” Tyler wrote. “Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods. Now they are left exposed by their bylines and handles. But surely they had killed him off. This is the way it always worked. A lesser person could not have survived the first few minutes of the onslaught. But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces.”

To say anything more would devalue this, well noting that the incoming fire was virtually all GOP might add to the wonderfulness.

(Honestly, do you think Newt should fire this guy or give him a raise?)

Back Again?

Every now and again somebody stops by here for something other than "Archives" so I've put up something just for them.

All one or two of you.

Chicken or Egg - nobody around due to lack of posts or lack of posts because nobody around. Maybe I'll play at this again, for awhile. Maybe somebody other than a nut will "Comment".

Maybe not...

Newt No Longer The GOP Idea Guy?

I'll be go-to-hell if I ever understood the theme about Newt that he was Idea Guy. Now not that he's short of Ideas, it is just that I don't know of any that held any water other than as buzz words. The (something) media went right along with this theme of Idea Guy. It seems that Newt went onto Meet the Press and didn't understand that answering questions on TV (despite multiple appearances on said show) means that your answers exist on tape and somebody might notice that you did such a thing.

Newt has had lots of Ideas about how to be nasty and insulting, but now he gets to find out how his Party will use that on him. This ought to be the end of Newt in this GOP Primary, and it really is a shame because he always provides such fodder for people like me.

Really, I'll miss a guy like this.

A Love Letter From Greg Walden ... ugh

"You deserve a fact-based conversation on the budget"
That is the opening line so one could almost have hopes ... er maybe not considering the source of the use of this franking privilege.
"Every year proponents of borrow - and - spend policies in Washington use gimmicks and" ... blah, blah ... "borrowing 40 cents on every dollar"...
This is the guy who stood shoulder to shoulder with BushCo as they ... well economic debacle and all. But -
"On April 15th, House Republicans passed a budget that takes the first steps on a path to prosperity"...
"Prosperity" for somebody un-named.
"Before going farther, I want to make one point very clear: If you are in or approaching retirement, you have earned" ... blah, blah
(format bold underlined):
Our budget does not propose any changes to the Medicare or Social Security programs for those 55 or older.
(end format)
(Lots of snip of lots of boiler plate demonstrably false crappolla...)
"I understand fairness. That is why our budget does not propose any changes ... for those 55 and older."

Now I'm just damned ecstatic that Greg understands "fairness" at least in regard to throwing those 54 1/2 years old on to the tender mercies of the for profit insurance companies because they haven't paid SS/FICA until 55 or some such thing which means their benefits are ... I don't know - disposable(?). This "fairness" wouldn't have anything to do with the voting percentages of those 55 and over would it? It wouldn't be a case of kicking the can of consequences far enough down the road to be meaningless to someone like Greg Walden's electoral chances?

This "moderate" Republican always keeps his head down unless it is a matter of screwing up the RNC's campaign finances by exercising no oversight or standing on a dam to provoke the US' worst fish kill. He gets re-elected in this OR2 CD because he doesn't stick his head up while he consistently votes against the District's inhabitants economic interests. Even with this abjectly stupid political move of sending out this letter he'll get re-elected if he wants to be. Why that is ... well it's because he's not one of them (you know - Democrats).

A monkey at a typewriter ought to be able to come up with policy prescriptions that would beat ole Greg but ... nooooope. If you wonder why I sometimes despair of the electorate ...
oh hell

M-O-N-E-Y Spells Respect, ummm

Last night I admitted to left wing Democratic tendencies to a couple people I knew perfectly good and well wouldn't like anything about that. This resulted in the usual stupid and false GOP/Libertarian talking points. I've certainly heard all that stuff better phrased and better presented but I went ahead and poked the bull just for giggles. It was an exercise in pointlessness because whatever fact I presented was going to be ignored in pursuit of the stupid emotional appeals crafted by their ... 'betters.'

Neither of these individuals is ever going to make enough money to matter in the scheme of wealth, taxation, or power. Not ever, not going to happen and not even in their dreams. Their concerns were all theoretical, entirely outside their experiences or possible experiences and somehow addressed 'fairness.' The mantras were familiar to anyone acquainted with Libertarianism, high marginal tax brackets/tax rates punishing success, no civilization has ever taxed its way to success, the left trusts government, and on and on.

Neither person was stupid, they were quite capable of speaking in complete sentences and being, frankly, more lucid (even with alcohol involved) than Sarah Palin. No, that is not some joke, they were. Their points were not their own, they are manufactured by people with something to gain from selling them. Much of their birth as public discourse can be tracked to the economic abortion that was the St Ronnie Administration. Trickle down economics may be one of the most stupid commonly held beliefs in currency today and then and despite all evidence to the contrary it vampirically refuses to die. It is the corner stone of all the other horse ... pucky.

The real problem with trying to rebut this 'stuff' is that there is always the excuse that the failures are the result of insufficient application - ie Democrats messed it up. (h/t Michael B) You can point out to them the nearly steady decrease in top marginal rates from St Ronnie on to this historical low and it just simply doesn't matter. The dislocation of wealth simply is not of any concern - the fact that economic improvement, as economics is presently practiced in the US, is strictly a one way street upward demonstrates nothing. Well, it does represent the theft of their money by supporting the impoverished and disabled with their SS/FICA taxes... No matter that the Capital Gains rate is effectively lower, that one applies to everyone. Not that hardly anyone is actually concerned actually paying it...

There is one hope in this kind of discussion. The hope is that the GOP will continue to overstep the bounds of sense and insult the supposedly important and informed "middle."

As though the media would collude in any such informing

Bachman/Plalin Overdrive 2012 *

*stolen from somebody, frequently seen at Balloon Juice comments.

You have to stop and think about the fact that this concept isn't complete fictional satire as a title. As Pres/VP it is satire and, really, silly satire but as nominees it isn't quite as silly a statement. What this says about the state of the nation is one thing, what it says about the GOP and the field is another. I'll be damned if I'll do the sociology of 'WTF?' I will talk a bit about the GOP and why this kind of thing is happening.

This young black President beat an old white POW Senator (did I mention POW?) and the previous President still polls as to blame for the economy. Coupled with the advantages of incumbency this makes President Obama a rather daunting challenge. You can talk all day to me about the supposed sanity of Mittens or Pawlenty and all you'll get is raised eyebrows. Mittens is a Mormon empty suit with no discernible policy continuity (flipper-flopper?) and Pawlenty is both about as exciting as oatmeal and has a record (bridge?). Pawlenty is not going to be able to sell the "really pissed off white guy" theme that will work with the nation's reliable 27%ers who make up the GOP base. Mittens can read and do some math, at some point religion and former stances will result in polls that dissuade him unless ego wins. Pawlenty may not be bright enough to see what a buzz saw he's walked into, but real money will (outside Koch). Don't take this to mean that real wealth and plutocratic power will be enamored of BPO, they aren't their kind. No, I don't really expect BPO to be the nominees, but the lack of sacrificial lambs is interesting. Barring catastrophe President Obama has little to worry about in the General Election.

The GOP has to look toward 2016 and not having 2012 make them look like, well, what they are. Remember that what the GOP is, is exactly what PBO looks like and that will scare the ever loving hell out of 'independents.' WI, OH, FL, & etc are what the GOP is, along with Paul Ryan, and the GOP is finding out that having the public see that isn't good for polling. Newt seemed to forget what polls in GOP circles and so he's a dead issue, you just cannot say individual mandates and right wing social engineering anywhere, ever. So one nut-job imploded. That doesn't begin to address what Bachman would get up to with the public forum provided by a Primary run. If the GOP field winds up trying to please the circle that finds/found Gingrich, Bachman, and Palin attractive the public is going to see it and find it a clown car.

The GOP is a clown car, their problem is to not abjectly look like it. Heh.

Edit***

I just heard Lawrence O'Donnell state that 'thinking Republicans are now surrounding Pawlenty.' The first problem with that is the connection of the words "thinking" and "Republicans" after that you run into whether money thinks he can do spit without making the 27%ers happy - electoral suicide.

Outcomes Of OBL's Demise

The other day I made the case that a whole lot of analysis of outcomes from the killing of Osama would involve guess work. I'll go ahead and make some guesses.

I think some of the view of being AQ's #1 as a sinecure has evaporated, it looks more like a dangerous occupation. I wouldn't find being identified as #1-3 as conducive to my peace of mind. It does look as though given competent leadership and policies the US is pretty good at dealing with such people. Knowing that the "invulnerable" OBL wasn't in fact any such thing does change some things.

There has been talk that killing OBL will lead to revenge thinking on the part of some. I'm not sure I buy that as an issue. The people being talked about here are already operating out of a sense of vengence and supposing that this will amp things up a lot ignores the level of rage that leads people to be willing to strap on bombs or have others do it. That doesn't make it an immaterial threat, but it doesn't mean exaggerating it makes sense either.

I'm pretty sure our relations with Pakistan are going to be strained. How that will play out will have more to do with each nation's perspective of its interests than anything to do with outrage over this incident. Public posturing by either government won't have a lot to do with what is privately said and done.

Politics in the US may be more affected than anything else, maybe. This does complicate the GOP rhetoric about Democrats being soft on security. They're going to work real hard at making this an outcome of their action, but it still is two years into the Obama Administration and ten years after 9-11. I'm glad I don't have to play their hand on this one and I'm real sure that over-reach on their part will blow up in their faces with a bunch of people.

It is pretty difficult to make the case that President Obama is confused, out of his depth, incompetent, or cowardly in the face of this performance. Like all their themes, they won't abandon it, but it makes the sell more difficult. Their trick will be to not look ridiculous to large chunks of the population while doing the sales pitch. The media frenzy over this killing will make it a bit more difficult for the media to participate in the sell. It would take real work to over-estimate the media's capacity to stenographer claims, though.

I do hope that this action makes it more likely that this and future administrations will use these kinds of tools rather than bombs, missiles, and large numbers of troops. I also hope that this demonstration of patience and careful planning will reduce the instances of cowboy reactions by everybody.

Lots of qualifiers, modifiers, and plain guessing here.

Our Ally Pakistan

There really does seem to be some serious confusion about terms like ally. This term is applied to other governments and as such it is important to remember that other governments have their own interests. Being an ally does not mean that a country's government is the same as or a blind follower of its ally. It also is not a static relationship.

Questions can certainly be raised as the the level of alliance and whether it is in our interest to continue. "Our interest" is key wording and that follows through to the other side of an alliance. I'm not in a position to analyze all the levels of our alliance with Pakistan but there are a couple aspects that certainly are public - like the fact that we are also allied with India who isn't Pakistan's friend. I'm pretty sure Pakistan understands the limits of alliance and that the Obama Administration understands the limits - it is a lot less clear who else does.

I'm not making a case that our government doesn't need to take a good look at our relationship with Pakistan on a continuing basis or that OBL's location shouldn't be troubling. I am trying to make clear that people need to understand that each government has its own interests and that alliances don't automatically trump those. As some of our other alliances past and present show - we're willing to overlook quite a bit in the service to some of our interests. I could point to Mubarak's Egypt until recently.

Got Him

The most wanted man in the world was taken by the Obama Administration in a quick clean operation in an urban setting. The patience and discipline exercised by this Admin is exceptional, this location was heavily suspected since October, in the run up to a questionable mid-term election. No hints escaped, in point of fact the theme that Osama was holed up in a border cave was not hedged.

There is this element of staying on task, despite all distraction, and keeping the consideration on the end and not the political ends. You are free to contrast this with the GWB record and more so with the Republican Party record all the way back to the "wag the dog" days of Clinton. Afghanistan stayed the steaming pile of crap it is for years while GWB and the GOP chearleaded an Iraq invasion. GWB was attacked on the basis of facts during this period while this President has been under relentless lying ... stuff like birth certificates, religion, and death panels and yet this one managed to act like an adult.

There is little I can add to the paeans of bravery and competence for the units involved, I really don't have words. As for assertions that Osama should have been taken alive - I don't know anyone who has reasonably asserted that he would not resist (and I don't mean a wrestling match). In such a situation even city cops shoot, and these guys aren't city cop shooters, huge amounts of money and time go into ensuring that they are absolutely lethal in all conditions. The outcome is not going to be a guy with eight non-lethal wounds and bullet holes all over creation. Outside some ridiculously remote condition Osama was going to die even when capture was a part of the directives.

What this will mean to international and local terrorism is unclear to me. What it will mean to the war in Afghanistan and regarding Pakistan is unclear to me. I'm pretty sure that anyone who claims insight is engaging in guessing. In the world of politics a lot is going to depend on just how stupid the GOPpers get over this. President Obama presided over this and took some real political risks in the process. An awful lot of Americans are real happy to see Osama dealt with and aren't going to be pleased with political "buzz-kill."

This doesn't fix the recession, it doesn't fix the dislocation of wealth, it doesn't fix health care (especially with the GOP dedicated to screwing it worse), it doesn't fix much of anything. It sure does draw an underline under competence in descriptions of President Obama. That is a tough one for the GOP, minimize as they will. They will.

Kerry and Obama

Notice any similarities between Sen Kerry in 2004 and President Obama post 2008? On the one hand you had a decorated combat veteran running against an AWOL TANG and the other a "not-white" elected President - neither of whom is a GOPper. Bandaides and Birtherism.

Cretins.

AWOL Media

NBC And "The Donald"

I just got done watching Lawrence O'Donnell get done imploring NBC Entertainment to have something to say about Donald Trump and itself. He was considerably more eloquent than I could be but I'd like to go a bit farther.

Since NBC rode "The Donald's" personality to profit and provided a platform for the furtherance of his public personnna it would behoove them to have something to say about racism, dog-whistles, and generally rotten personal ethics ... along with getting as much distance between them and this cretin as possible. Shoot, I'd probably even let them get away with some "Who coulda known," crap in the process.

So, Now There's Birth Certificate ... And?

Well, it seems the drumbeat of stupid finally provoked the President to get a copy of his "long form." It is a fact that nothing would satisfy some, but some will now pivot into the more ... blatant ... racism that The Donald is now espousing. OK, he was born in Hawaii but he sure didn't earn his way. Not into school, not into Harvard Law, not into graduation and certainly not into the White House. One of them couldn't - it just isn't possible; especially if the Donald couldn't get into Harvard...

What does this say to a minority? What exactly would one have to do to in order to be measured a valid success? I've just spent the last month travelling across the deep South West and Old South and I've had just about enough of this shit to last a lifetime without the media playing stupid along with the GOPpers.

ARRRGGHHHH

Takng A Little Ride

Some few people may have noticed a bit over a month of no posts on this blog. Well, Harley Davidson played a rather large role in that lack. Back in March two friends and I faced with the presence of snow and stinking weather forecasts trailered our bikes south to Las Vegas for a week of riding without frostbite.

***Click the pics for full size***

That would be the Grand Canyon shot from the South Face. We rode a 580 mile loop from Las Vegas around the North Face to the South Face through Flagstaff back to Las Vegas. The problem with the North Face was that it was closed due to snow, deep, deep snow.



This piece includes a bit of the problem with the whole loop - Flagstaff is about a mile elevation and the Grand Canyon is up hill from there - ie. damn cold on a motorcycle. You'd think that if there were two live brain cells talking to each other amongst three boys from Baker City, OR at 3500 ft elevation surrounded by mountains that this little factoid would have entered our thinking. Nope. Popsicles.

Riding around Las Vegas for a week certainly doesn't explain a month. That would have a lot to do with my thinking process that included being south of snow and my son's home in Bartow, Florida about 40 miles east of Tampa. A map was generated which used "other than Interstates" diagonally from Las Vegas to Bartow. Quickly, Las Vegas - Phoenix - Show Low, AZ - Roswell, NM - Lubbock, TX - Dallas, TX - Lufkin, TX - Alexandria, LA - Baton Rogue, LA - New Orleans French Quarter - and I-10 to Tallahassee, FL and I-75 to Bartow, FL. The return trip duplicated the route minus I-75 & I-10 running up into GA east of Tallahassee and cutting across GA & MS & LA by way of Dothan, AL to Natchez, LA. The entire trip, including the Las Vegas riding totalled just over 8,000 miles with the side trip down to Key West, FL and other tourist type things in FL.

My object in the trip was to use full access roads, primarily US Highways and to a lesser extent State Routes. A motorcycle is not a reasonable method of short travel times. Given that, the opportunity to stop in smaller places and meet folks from "real life" as opposed to Freeway stops and to see the country closely pays dividends. The freeway portion of the first route was the result of a cold front in TX and northern LA - I just had to get south to near the Gulf to get away from freezing my hind end off, highs in the lower 40s are pretty brutal on a bike with no windshield or other cover when covering hundreds of miles per day. Both ways I averaged mid-400s miles per day a bit short of my goal of 500 miles, but interesting places and some cold weather interfered.



The VLA in New Mexico, not all that far from the infamous Roswell. From a distance some very large strange mushrooms out by the horizon, kinda spooky.



Kayaking east of Tampa, and yes that guy is a rather large alligator not a stone's throw away. My son and I were in a two-seater and spent around 4 hours seeing things up close and quiet.



A couple blocks from here and you're swimming to Cuba or getting your bike very wet in the waters off Key West. Mainland to Key West is 140 miles. This place is a sort of R-rated Disneyland mostly dedicated to separating you from your money, fun though. I don't guess there's any way to get farther from Baker City, OR.



This is the second time I've seen my model bike on the actual road. This was ridden by a gal in the Lakeland, FL HOG Chapter. I spotted the bike on the way to a rally in Leesburgh, FL.



I have no idea how many bikes were at the rally. For about a mile the street was parked both sides with bikes backed in side by side and about 6 blocks of downtown also had bikes parked side by side on the center line.



Before I left Las Vegas I had a 30K mile service and on the return trip the next 5K had turned over outside Roswell, NM so after spending the night Sunday morning I went to the Harley dealer to see about that. Closed. Being shut out of my service and Harley coffee I went to a nearby gas station to at least get coffee. This bunch rolled in and as per usual my bike invited conversation and the up shot was I went on a run with the Roswell Eagle Riders and Scuffy put me up for the night.



Monday morning I got my service at this dealer. Yes, aliens are, well, a thing there.



At least it was pretty warm up here. I suppose just being here made it worth a picture.



Northern Arizona and southern Utah are the Navajo Reservation and the country is spectacular - so much so that a camera doesn't really capture it. The wind eroded buttes and plateau faces make it easy to see how people could get mystical about the country.

The last day was 620 miles from Price, UT home and it involved once being over a thousand feet above the snow line, lots of cold and rain off and on including a down pour in Boise. A rough last day and one that made me very happy to be home from a trip that started 3/19 and ended 4/20.

Every place I spent any time I found people being nice to me. More than a couple times I had people trying to kill me with their vehicles, which is why you stay very alert. The bike performed flawlessly and a hat-tip is due some Harley dealers - Henderson, NV Harley (service), Lakeland, FL Harley (tire replacement), Roswell, NM Harley (service). This is about absolute friendliness, timeliness, and quality of service. I stopped at too many dealers to note for coffee, a stretch, and maybe a T-shirt and found with only a couple exceptions the same dedication to customers or just a Harley rider from far away. As I noted, this bike starts conversations, especially being a rare cruiser bike* so far from home.

*A cruiser has no windshield, faring, or built-on bags, rare is 2500 in the world ever. This is the FXSTSSE3 - Screaming Eagle Springer Soft-tail CVO (Custom Vehicles Operations). Screaming Eagle is Harley's performance and pretties division and everything on the bike is from them other than the stock main frame. It is a pretty hot-rod Harley with outstanding handling and power.

Roswell Eagle Riders

Politicians All The Same

Recently a commentor noted that after watching "Inside Job" he's decided all politicians are all the same. Well, I think that's a bit of a stretch considering Paul Ryan's plan, the Ohio/Michigan/Wisconsin mess, and the blatant support the rich Republican agenda.

That isn't exactly the same as saying that both or either Party is on your side. I suppose that short of hate, racism, and xenophobia; how much they're not on your side is the real issue. I'd love to be able to say that one of the Parties makes a point of looking out for the interests of those who lack real wealth. Yes, one can point out obvious exceptions and I'm happy to say a good chunk of the Oregon delegation fits that description; but outcomes are what matter. Outcomes suck regardless of which Party held the majority for the last 30 some years if wealth isn't your status.

Here's the real rub, and Republicans seem to understand it, the new middle will be somewhere between Democrats' half-hearted agenda and the new Republican lunacy. Much more of this crap and the middle will be somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun.

GOP Defining Insanity

One of the "recovery community's" sayings has to do with insanity. 'Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.' In regard to the "modern" GOP is would seem that both they and the voters suffer from mind boggling insanity. If it just stopped with a political party it would be bad enough.

What just kills me is that over the past four decades the GOP drives the country into a ditch and the Democrats partly dig it back out and the voters put the GOP back into that driver's seat. They then proceed to crash the car again and we're in a worse position than before since it was only partially repaired previously. As your shampoo bottle says, "wash, rinse, repeat."

I admit to some pretty strong feelings about the Democrats' inadequate ability or dedication to putting the wheels back on the wrecked car. I sure the hell don't understand, even with all the social warfare crap, the voters' decisions as demonstrations of sanity. Other than their self-labeling I cannot understand the idea of the GOP as being fiscally responsible and I sure can't see how their victims see it.

The Nuclear Power Solution

The news coming out of Japan is ugly and scary in regard to nuclear power. I'm willing to give on the arguement that that siting would address much of what's gone wrong in Japan. In this nation it isn't all that difficult to avoid tsunamis. It isn't exactly easy to stay away from fault lines and some of the quiet ones pack a real wallop when they do let loose. It does seem that the problems in Japan are due to flooding rather than shaking and that much is reassuring - to an extent.

The issue of safety is still real, one of the real expenses of a nuke plant is just that - not the actually very expensive nature of getting power that way. Take out safety issues and it still is expensive. Since the cost of failure is so high safety simply can't be taken out.

Waste is a lot bigger issue than just the question of what to do with the expended fuel rods, everything that has had anything to do with those rods becomes waste that has to be disposed of in a real serious manner. It sure isn't a case of just digging a hole and dropping the stuff into it.

Even with the threat of radioactive clouds removed; I don't see how nuclear power is a good or important part of our power sources.

Why Am I A "Lefty"?

If you were to peruse the entire catalogue of this blog (better have some time) and could tell me exactly how it is that "Lefty" makes any sense whatever; I'd like to know.

I don't mean it is inaccurate today, what I mean is - What The Hell?

The Pinata Of Wealth

Bill Mahr is a funny guy - I'm not. If I could say this as well as he has, I'd get paid to write this rather than amusing myself. But then you can go see why
the rich are like a pinata.

Language on the clip could be an issue - if such a thing is an issue where you are right now.

RepubliKlan - Only Fair?

I'm pretty fond of the construction "Confederate Party of Republicanism" but it really is way too long to hang on some one as a Party title. I've made the case that the "Democrat Party" insult is a nice cue that the lying is about to start, or is the Party meme. I've never cared for "Rethuglicans" because it seems somehow childish and isn't really descriptive.

I realise that "RepubliKlan" is in some ways an insult to the Klan since they're at least up front with their hates. The congruence I find is that both groups are based around hatred even though the organized political Party is more fond of dog whistles than clearly stated fear and hatred.

The Union debacles in various States should point up the dangers in this country of not maintaining real power in numbers and cash. You become one of those minorities that is targeted by the Plutocrats and the RepubliKlans and they do win elections ... or had you noticed?

I suppose there are Republicans, some few - somewhere...

RepubliKlan Peter King

The title might be unfair to the Klan itself. The Klan are pretty equal opportunity haters in that there are a lot of blacks and Jews in the country along with their other targets. Peter King on the other hand doesn't have the nerve to get all equal opportunity in his hate fest. Admittedly inaccurate statistics put the number of Muslims in the US at somewhere between 0.5% and 1%. It would probably be fair to compare those percentages to McCarthy's targeted group.

This isn't to suggest that the RepubliKlans don't use all kinds of dog whistles to attack larger groups of minorities like blacks, Hispanics, and gays. The difference is getting up in front of people with blatant hater politics. Peter King is a rat bastard coward and that is all it is. Terrorism exists in the US and it includes White Christians in real sizable percentages - but since that is part of his base it must be ignored. What? You don't think it's his base? Excuse me while I wet my pants laughing.

GOPer WI Senate Vote

GOPer Senators in WI vote to strip public union rights as a stand alone bill. Congratulations fuckwits, there's your election in action. You're in for more fun as your votes play on ... and on ... and on. I suppose somebody will have to try to clean up the mess, somewhere down the line. Good luck to them. And yes after attempts to clean it up - you'll vote the same way again.

RIP David Broder

Since Broder was emblematic of what the WaPo has become, including its failure, I suppose there'll be a huge wake for him. I hope he can RIP, considering his body of work that could be questionable. There sure will be a lot of dead people questioning his writing, if you believe in that kind of thing. In the interests of letting him RIP I won't piss on his grave.

BTW MSM - the fact that someone can string words together and find someone stupid enough to pay them for it doesn't make them worthy of respect. I'm sure you won't notice in consideration of your own paychecks.

Gas Price Riches

Anybody remember the last time oil prices spiked? Anybody remember the disconnect between supply, demand, and price? Anybody care to remember who got real large money for playing the oil market?

Want to take a look at supply, demand, and price today? Nah*, 'cause somebody is getting all kinds of wealth from the situation.

*this would depend on your status as plutocrat/plutocratic enabler and the ones screwed.

Hey Wisconsin* WTF Did You Expect

*Fill in with your choice like OH, MI, FL. IN, ETC

In Wisconsin half of you bothered to vote. Half. That means about a quarter of the eligible voters picked your elected officials. How many of you teachers didn't bother, how many of you public janitors didn't bother, how many whatevers of you just didn't bother?

That begs the question of how many of you ignored your actual interests to vote against Obama or for some social right wing hobbyhorse that you won't get. In point of fact regarding the "Family Values Party" not only won't you get but that they don't bother with themselves.

You folks are providing endless amusement fot the national media. What the hell, you haven't listened to what the GOP has actually had to say? You didn't pay any attention when reputable analysis said, "liars, liars, pants on fire"? Are you now saying, "We thought we were voting for reasonable responsible Republicans," and continue to believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa? You can tell yourselves all the fairytales you please about the existance of such a creature to continue your tribal identity bullshit - just don't expect the rest of us to believe along with you.

You didn't expect it, you got it, now you don't like it, you wouldn't do it again. Bullshit. You'll do it all over again. You'll continue to believe the goddam fairytales because you want to. I've watched your bullshit get repeated for decades and, yes, you can stuff your St Ronnie up your...

The real shame is that thinking responsible people get screwed repeatedly by you.

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

Fox Lies

Since* that isn't a "news flash;" anything new on your mind I've missed?
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*I just want that title posted

GOP Budget "Balancing"

Lately there's been a lot of rhetoric and even proposed bills that are based on the "morality" of deficits or the absolute requirements of State governments to keep budgets neutral. Somehow "budget crisis" doesn't mean shit about budgets and the revenue stream versus expenses.

You could start looking at this from the point of extending the BushCo tax cuts for everybody; whether they could afford it or not. Once that head-scratcher went through - damn near everything else follows because the issue is no longer about a budget.

Go ahead and look at the Federal GOP's ideas about correcting the budget, then move on to the various states that are or aren't in the news. Michigan has escaped the notice of the news world and offers up some real meat. Wisconsin and Ohio and to an extent Florida have caught a bit of notice. Everywhere you turn there are tax cuts and slash and burn in general public interest items. Buried inside all this shit are ideological/plutocratic agendas like union busting or even, in Michigan, town busting.

None of the real issues of budgetary considerations are addressed. Those of you who've accused me of being an excessive partisan can kiss my ass. BYW - you GOPlite (D)s can line up right behind them.

Sen Crapo - Is That kraypoe or crapp - oh

So Sen Mike Crapo (R-ID) gets time on LO's Last Word to grind out horseshit that fixing the tax code (not such a bad thing in itself) would let the tax rate for the top get lowered to 28% or lower. This would be important for the "job creators" and not affect the rest. You have to have your head stuffed so far up your backside to believe this GOP canard that ... ah well. This is, naturally, in the midst of the GOP hack-and-slash budget rhetoric.

If you'd like to track the concentration of wealth in this country with something that correlates the one place you can look is the tax code and the tax rates. When even LO doesn't laugh this shit off the stage I think it's time to give the hell up.

Plutocrats - friends to all.

Goddam, utter stupidity followed by banal stupidity - followed up with lame David Brooks (Bobo) who can't ... Appleby's Salad Bar guy. The guy who makes his living making false equivalences and outright falsehoods as a balanced moderate. This is what we need is the enablers of plutocrats given even more fucking air time without accompanying bitch slaps.

Yes the NYT still pays this idjit real money instead of bananas.

Democrat And Democratic

When you listen to someone talking about politics one clue that you're about to hear canned lying talking point is contained in the difference between "Democrat" and "Democratic" in usage. I give you WI State Senator's usage - "mess left behind by Democrat Governors." I am registered as a "Democrat" but I belong to the Democratic Party and as an elected official I would be referred to as "Democratic *Office* at whatever level of office.

It is a GOP insult tactic no different than (G)rand (O)ld (P)lotocrats would be other than in regards to actual accuracy. It tells you from its utterance that the person is not serious in any manner about the Party he is referring to - it is an immediate dismissal. There is no "Democrat Party," no such thing other than in the fevered language of the Right. Maybe they don't like the association of "Democratic Party" with democratic behavior or democratic process. But then I have no idea why they still associate themselves with A Lincoln in any terms.

I'm not complaining in the least about their usage - it is a nice verbal cue to the lying that is about to commence. Maybe the "( )" usage I made should have been (G)rand (O)ld (P)ervaricators ... I'll stick with Confederate Party of Republicanism though.

Things That Go Bang

Lately there's been a lot of talk by people about Libya and "no fly zones." It almost seems as though thinking about what you are proposing before saying something might make them seem ... I don't know ... wimpy. Some of these folks come from a background that ought to make them familiar with ordinance and what it does.

You can't just tell someone they can't fly; you have to make it impossible. That means air defense systems must go away and the way to do that is to break them and that takes things that go bang. Stuff that goes bang does just that and anything anywhere near it gets broken also. Whether the targeted entity makes any effort to place such systems with public cover or not it will not be the only thing broken. Men, women, and children who have no stake in the continuation of Ghadafi will be part of the damage. They will be killed or badly injured.

Taking out the infrastructure of air defense means that you have attacked a nation. What ever lofty goals precede the action - it is an act of war to bomb a nation, which Libya is. We have been at war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in actuality, Pakistan - all primarily Muslim nations. We are not making a lot of friends with our things that go bang. We especially are not making friends with the innocent casualties that keep happening.

Maybe the videos of smart weapons and plain distance has blurred our ability to understand just what the effects of ordinance are. There is a lot of heat, a lot of fast moving air, and a lot of flying stuff composed of the stuff that was broken and the stuff the broke it. None of that is good for organics - like humans.

Black? What Does It Take?

For those who assert that racism is a small component of US society; I'd like to pose a question. What exactly does it take for a black (or other) to make it and be regarded as a model? One of the favorite responses is to point at sports and say, "Oooh, look." which is absolute horseshit. Professional atheletes are a vanishingly small proportion of the population and engage in what is essentially circus. I root for the Browns (pointless) but I recognize that even the unlikely event of a Browns' Superbowl win in some recognizable future means exactly not shit to the health and well-being of the nation.

What has meaning happens in the work place, politics, and out in public. Walking down a street populated primarily by blacks (minorities) and having no reaction to the fact is progress. The hiring of minorities and their advancement in the workplace happening matter of factly rather than exception is progress. Having a black President who is assailed on true policy differences rather than mythic upbringing (or actual upbringing) or "otherness" is progress. I'm not going to bother saying spit about religious minorities. Go ahead and point out how this is the factual situation of the US society today.

I regards to the President of the US; you would think that the Republican ideal of up from humble roots by bootstraps would apply. They insist that is the reality of the American Dream and that it is there for everyone. Pay attention to the policy stuff of the very people claiming something to do with Obama's otherness - it is wrapped in that rhetoric.

So what am I doing here? Pointing out that the GOP is a lying hypocritical organization? I suppose and I suppose that I'm making the mistake of pointing to the obvious - also, too (TM SP).

Maybe you get some feeling for my disdain for any State outside the Confederacy having difficulties for electing these assholes. Yeah, and I live in a reliably GOP CD in Oregon so it isn't parochial of me.

Too Bad For WI, NJ, OH, And ETC

My nose is a bit out of joint today. WI Senators are out of state to block stupid legislation. Ohio managed to vote Democrats out of a quorum call number so stupid legislation will go forward. NJ has its Governor all over media gloating about saving the rich and whacking everybody else.

I grew up in Ohio and got a really good primary education there. I also didn't like a lot about Ohio along with what I did like. I lived for awhile in WI as an adult, I mostly liked it. I've never even been to NJ.

Here you go, you people elected that bunch and there are consequences to elections. You're not going to like them. WI can maybe hold assholery off, Ohio can't, and NJ is whatever it is. It will take years for the shit to hit the fan as far as real outcomes are concerned. Crappy educational opportunities don't have immediate outcomes. Most of the real bad consequences won't fall on the general populace for quite awhile and that is the GOPers hope. Marginalizing smaller specific groups works just fine for awhile.

There have been outcomes of the GOPer crap that came home to roost fairly recently - financial meltdown being one. It may (probably not) dawn on people that the rich are cleaning up and they're getting screwed. I'd not give a damn if teachers and etc fled those states, what is too bad is that they get screwed whatever they do and what happens to those voters who elected them won't happen currently enough to make them cry.

I'd be hugely pleased if the voters took one in the eye for their votes soon enough to teach them something. Pah, won't happen. The GOPers will get away with this crap for a good long time. Their voters deserve what they get, too bad for the rest of you. Really, you did this to yourselves - maybe to the benefit of the rest of the nation, but I doubt that - also, too. (TM SP)

Democrats, when you play at being GOPer Lite; why are you surprised when the real things get elected and Democrats can't get warmed up about you and Indies don't give a damn? "Not as bad as ..." isn't a real vote getter. I wonder what the 2040 elections will look like?*

*thinking about that too much could lead to total disconnect from politics and pretty much everthing else.

Me And My Democrats

Today my State Party called me to update my credit card information since I am a member of the DPO Grassroots Democrat program. I have an amount of money drawn on my card monthly for the DPO and for that I get to have some fairly meaningless bennies. The benefits only have meaning as an expression of gratitude from the Democratic Party of Oregon - which I appreciate.

I do this because the DPO is a pretty good representation of my political views, that stands in contrast to - um - the US Senate Caucus' votes. My OR Senators don't reflect what the Caucus votes for, unfortunately for those votes. In general terms I'm pretty satisfied with the Oregon Democratic Congressional delegation.

Sure, the DPO is left of conventional Democratic politics but they work like hell to elect Democrats and those Democrats suit me a lot better than a pretty much the rest of the nation's quota.

The money isn't a lot, but it beats nothing and helps keep the Party from having to be totally dependent on rich people. Your State Party probably has something similar, you could think about it.

Lying Liars and Elections To Come

You would think that a political party would have something to say about policy that had something to do with the truth if its ideology had anything to it. I am serious, if there is a basis for the GOP then it should be able to advance something that has the truth at its core. It just isn't so, every time they open their mouthes a lie comes out.

What would it take for the electorate to figure out what is going on? Maybe giving a damn about the truth?

BTW, Democrats - does economic fairness enter into your thinking? A little maybe? Ask your damn Caucuses before you lie to me.

Faux News Huckabee Lies, Spokesman Lies For Him

HUCKABEE: I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, very different than the average American. When he gave the bust back to the Brits --

HUCKABEE: The bust of Winston Churchill, a great insult to the British. But then if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.

HUCKABEE: The only reason I'm not as confident that there's something about the birth certificate, Steve, is because I know the Clintons [inaudible] and believe me, they have lots of investigators out on him, and I'm convinced if there was anything that they could have found on that, they would have found it, and I promise they would have used it.

A spokesman for Huckabee later told CBS News that the former Arkansas governor misspoke.

Ummmm, Indonesian Mau Mau since Indonesia is the only foreign country the President lived in for, four years - something other than "growing up."

Misspoke.

goddam

The US Budget - Short Version

FYIGM*





*(F--k** You, I Got Mine)



**Yes, I said Fuck and I meant it.

How GOP Governors Lie

I give you the following without any desire to harm your active brain cells, but you may be taking a risk.



Now, this is the RGA's new ad buy in Wisconsin. Does anybody notice a problem with what they're saying? Like how the public unions have already agreed to the pensions aspects of the Governor's plan? How the Senate Democrats left the state over something a bit different than the pension issues?

In point of fact the entire ad is full of shit since the issue is collective bargaining and nothing to do with what they have to say. This is what you get when you vote for this kind of human garbage - outright lies. The human garbage part isn't about their "idiotology;" it is about buying time to say complete untruths in search of their political ends. This isn't framing, it is flatly untrue, and it tries to do something to people while calling it something else.

Liar's Dice is a game and everyone knows what it is and what the object is - politics is not liar's dice.

The Texas Model

Since WI's Gov is aping the Texas as a governing model, maybe he'd like to have that State's $27B deficit. Now you should remember that TX is the place to be for rich tax haven, privatised prisons, banned public unions, in fact just about every right nut wet dream actually in existence. I don't know if Walker can get away with the Confederate Party of Republicanism rhetoric about seccession...

I can't do much more than scribble to help the folks in WI w/o their heads up their *well you know* but if you can, please do.

Fact Free GOP Shilling - On MSNBC

Today Contessa Brewer gave VA Gov Bob McDonnel (R) some fact free time to pimp his state's ban on public unions. Brewer fawned all over his state's economic record and ignored little things like the outcome listed below regarding SAT scores - WI#3/VA#34. She managed to miss the massive Federal Spending in VA, in fact she managed to miss anything to do with anything other than getting a GOPer to shill his shit and take credit for ... what?

Oh yeah, that would be on the uber liberal MSNBC. Sounded a lot like the GOP buttlicking of FauxNews.

The Leeches In Wisconsin

TPM provides a bit of a counter-point to Walker's union horseshit. You could contrast and compare the values demonstrated to ... say bank bonuses.

It’s worth pointing out that, Jim Glassman, the Bush Center director who appeared on the show to argue against collective bargaining, said right after the poll was shown that “many” states actually don’t have collective bargaining. The truth is that only five states do not have collective bargaining for public employees — Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Those states rank 45th, 48th, 49th, 38th, and 34th, in average SAT scores, respectively. Wisconsin is 3rd.

Oh, I didn't mention up front that this was a Faux show and they reversed the numbers showing support for collective bargaining? Well, they're liars so that's not news.

Outrage Meter - Bent Needle

I don't know about all of you, but I'm finding my outrage meter spiking on a regular basis. This week the Bent Needle Award seems to be a tie between WI Gov Walker's union busting and the US House defunding Planned Parenthood. There has been plenty going on to peg that meter but those two just sort of stood out to me.

You all have some nominations? This stuff seems to be so constant as to run together and I can't tell if Haley Barbour and Forrest belong to this week or last ... and hell.

As Goes Wisconsin, So Goes...

The Teabaggery theme is being played out in Wisconsin. Too bad, I lived there for awhile quite some time ago and there was a lot to like about the place. (I don't include the sub-sub zero February) The history of the State in regard to Labor is remarkable, as remarkable as this turn-around ought to be.

I don't think the WI experiment is anything like a one-off. I think this is pretty much the first shot of the GOP at the one single entity that can stand up at all to the beneficiaries of the Citizen United decision. If it sputters it is because of the turn out in Wisconsin. Don't count on that, the GOP doesn't give shit about people in the streets if expensive wealthy things aren't on fire. I don't advocate breaking things or burning them.

One might look to someplace like France for what it is that does count to people like the GOP. When every Union worker in the State walks out in solidarity, then the message gets sent. When not one AFSCME is at work and is joined in that state of being by every Teamster, AFL-CIO, etc the message will get real clear. When wealth sees itself paralyzed it will back off, otherwise... Ohio? Michigan? ETC?

This ain't done but losing it will really mean something to an awful lot of people all around this country. Any Democrat that comes down on the wrong side of this one ain't one.

Center Right Nation, My Ass

It is one of the GOP mantras that this is a center right nation and it is often repeated by the media - other than FauxNews. It is reflected in the character of the Blue Dogs and even the current President and certainly the previous Democratic President. Worse, it is politically an understatement. By vote and results this place is a nut job right winger paradise compared to any other advanced industrial nation.

That statement considers rightwing to include plutocratic policies, imperialistic warmongering, racist and classist policies, and theocratic desires. It doesn't have spit to do with financial responsibility or any sort of unintended consequences analysis of policy.

Sure, this place isn't as theocratic as Israel or Iran - but it will be a cold day in hell before a non-believer or Muslim is elected to President; or could get onto the SCOTUS. While we've got 1 1/2 wars going on, there's little point in beating the imperialistic warmongering aspect. As we are essentially subsidized one way trade with China (amongst others) and ship overseas jobs and illegally import labor for the ones that can't be out-sourced and hand out tax breaks for the process it would be hard to argue that labor means shit to this country. We support and subsidize the masters of the universe with a capital gains tax that is less than the SS/FICA rates paid by all labor and that they don't pay on that money. All over this country "heroes" of the right are engaged in re-defining rape, insisting abortion is some kind of monstrosity in all cases, and wallowing in re-fighting the Civil War. When a State actually wants to put a puke like Nathan Bedford Forrest on a goddam license plate and its Governor with national aspirations can't say, "Whoa, bad idea," it is time to rethink ethnic cleansing. The swath Sherman cut across the south was obviously not wide enough and not inclusive enough - they continued to breed.

Financial responsibility? Why bother to have a brain and even consider debating this one? Our tax policies promote the pillaging of the national treasury by warmongers and other plutocrats and then puts the onus on those least able to pay for that subsidy. This results in 12% (or so) of the actual budget getting axe consideration and the T-Rex in the living room thriving on invisibly. (huh?) It is almost as though the economic policy of the last 30 years has been to turn this place into a banana republic with trappings of integrity. The GOP myth making around St Ronnie is coupled with the liberal myopia regarding Bill Clinton into absolute disregard of the consequences or even truths surrounding the actions of those characters in regard to the economy.

The United States House of Representatives is controlled by a political party that makes its political capital off screaming socialism, warmongering, gutting a social safety net, and fighting for the Lost Cause - with all its attendant racist aspects - all the while disregarding the descent of this nation into a third world status thanks to their behavior. The most ascendant wing of that party is hard to distinguish from the John Birchers and the KKK all married to a Christianity that almost completely ignores its namesake.

The "liberals" in this mess are impressed with the fig leaves of DADT and a pseudo-capitalistic-monopolistic-socialized Health Care and vote for more of the same. The outcome of having large Democratic majorities in the House and Senate with a Democratic President resulted in 80's GOP legislative victories and percentage population effects in "liberal" policies that are vanishingly small. However nasty DADT was, the number of people affected was minuscule compared all the rest of the nastiness that's going on. So the mindless political nay-saying lockstep of the GOP has been rewarded with ... the House.

I don't look for any better results down the road until stupidity has had its shot at running the show and smashed things good. The question is whether this place can recover from that kind of thing. I wish I didn't have a grand kid...

...what, you think I'm a little pissed-off?

Who Gets It For Blowing Up The Economy?

Well gee, anybody without political swat (=money, see SCOTUS) is going to take in the neck, or currently is taking it. The lords of the universe are above all such considerations - Madoff goes to jail and who else? Consider what it took for that to happen.

Banks sold junk and then took out insurance on that junk betting it would fall apart and pensions got whacked. Retirement goes in the toilet and the Execs at those banks get big bonuses. Even though the GOP was the elected architect of this mess it can't all be laid at their feet, they had plenty of Democratic enablers - including Bill Clinton, master of the middle way...

Now that the damage to blue collar started with St Ronnie has gnawed its way up into the middle class you'd think there would be a reaction. There has been - the House is now GOP and they're planning a slash and burn campaign on the poorest and neediest of the nation. The cost to the plutocrats? An extension of the BushCo tax cuts...

The military and wars are off the table. The fact that we spend more than the next 15 top military spenders put together means ... it is untouchable and WIC can just go away.

WIC? The beaters of the fetus drum give a shit if they grow up with multiple health difficulties because their early diet sucked thanks to economics. That is the kind of sense it makes to go after the nickle and dime stuff - but the beneficiaries can't buy politicians.

If you're a plutocrat things revolve around your happiness, and that includes the well-being of your enablers. But goddam, the left is just crazy ... ask the middle and the media.

51% GOP Primary Voters Morons

Polls are only as good as the questions and the methodology but if this one is remotely accurate, well, the comparison to morons may be insulting to morons. 51% believe the President was not born in the US and only 28% believe he was which leaves that 21% who are only doubtfully stupid who don't know. I'm scarcely going into the evidence that he is a citizen but one does have to wonder if GOP policies are a reflection of that electorate.

I'd say stupid is a feature of GOPness rather than a side issue. You will note that the GOP leaders all hedge around this with, "I think so, but I won't tell anyone what to think," kind of horseshit.

There was a time I'd take a look at a Republican to see what was going on with them and have on a couple occasions voted for one. No more, I don't care - it is auto-pilot, the (D) gets the vote and it's done. What they can get from me anymore is mockery. That is pathetic.

CPAC Straw Poll

I can't think of anything much more meaningless than a poll that repeatedly endorses Ron Paul. Or maybe one that puts Ron Paul on top and Mitt in second. Maybe a bunch that goes crazy for Limbaugh should be a clue to the meaningfulness of their polling.

The most telling thing is that they don't figure doing well ought to scare away most of the public.


It ought to, shouldn't it?


It doesn't?





Oh, no...

St Ronnie Tore That Wall Down

According to current GOP mythology R Reagan took a sledgehammer to the Berlin Wall and then a wrecking ball to the USSR. Those who had watched the slow disintigration of the Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc for decades might disagree with that theme, but the right is more than satisfied with such a thing because it fits their we're the greatest stuff going idea.

So...

Is Obama the great one who Presided over Tunisia, Egypt, and who knows where next? Assuming it works out better than, say, Russia? Not a chance with the right (GOP), not a chance in hell - you could half expect GWB to get their credit or ... well you could take a look at Glenn Beck and the horrors that will be unleashed by the Caliphate.

I do think our President did a good job with a chaotic situation and no, I don't expect airports to be named for him because those nations' people had enough. Not one bit more than I approve of the St Ronnie myth.

See What Egypt Did?

The Egyptians went to the streets over a rigged system of politics and economics that crushed everyone except the rich and connected; so what have we done? We elected a GOP House.

Think about that ... just for a second or two.

To Co-opt

Co-opt is a political techinque that gets pretty neglected as a topic in regards to what happens today. It shouldn't be.

Co-opting is generally practiced against opposition groups and is used to disarm them by making them a part of the system and having a stake in its survival and well-being without making fundamental changes. This frequently involves the use of symbols and empty rhetoric or even acting on narrow areas while actively pursuing policies fundamentally harmful to the interests of that group. It can backfire but isn't currently showing much sign of it.

I can point to the GOP easily enough (and get applause around here) and its relationship with the Religious Right, Tea Partiers, and more. Maybe it gets a bit more sticky if I point to the Democrats? Sure, it was well past time to do something about DADT, health insurance (however stinky the results) and it makes liberals feel good but the end results address a tiny percentage of the population ... meanwhile the plutocratic rape of the nation rages on, unabated and screws well over 90% of the populace - unopposed.

This isn't "what have you done for me lately," is about "what haven't you done anything about for the last three decades?"

*I'm not going to hand you a list of links - they're real damn easy to do yourself. You will be pissed.

Egypt Celebrates ... and?

Mubarak stepped down and now Egypt celebrates and that's cool. Now that "who" they were against is done the "what" they are for part starts. It's been pretty easy to be against but it is going to get messy when it comes to the positive aspects because there isn't a system - not Parties, not much of anything except a military left behind if they're getting rid of all of Mubarak.

Good luck to them - they're going to need that, also.

(I'm real happy this Prez doesn't shoot from the hip like .... oh you know)

Continuing To Give A Damn...

**This is an older post, 3/19/09, but it covers one of the answers to a question I posed in my last post, 'why do I continue to give a damn?' It also is a reason I ask people to comment on here, because I want to know what you think and why and to expand whatever my thinking was.

"Giving A Damn, Whatever You Might Have Thought"

This has to be said and I will say it forcefully. There are many who scoff at the ability of the electronic communications structure to connect people in meaningful ways. My family has sustained a horridly tragic occurrence, we are in pain. Around 6 PM nearly 150 people had commented on my memoriam to my son and closing on 100 emails have come in. These people took time out of their day to read something they knew was going to make them sad and then took the time and emotional energy to write condolences. There is not a much lonelier position to be in than parents who have lost a child to suicide. People have flooded our life with care, people want my wife and myself to know that they are touched and that it matters.

If it meets some sociological thesis of yours that the internets corrupt and degrade human communication you need to read So Long My Boy and scroll through the comments and educate yourself. If this does not qualify as a high degree of humane behavior then come and see me so I can slap some sense into you.

There is nothing shallow or phony about the comfort my wife and I have taken from the expressions of caring by our fellows. It touches us and assures us of the nature of people. We will carry the memory of these people with us for a very long time, these folks have given of themselves to people they know only somewhat. They have given and they have taken us into their hearts, people have struggled to express what is beyond our ability to express - beyond the implication of the heart.

We are grateful and we are humbled. The intellect understands what has happened, the rest of the brain does not accept that, it is outside experience and it is outside of expectations - it is flatly wrong. This war between the intellect and the lizard brain hurts, imaginary scenarios keep trying to work their way into play. The what ifs, if only's, why's keep requiring pushback. There is no answer to why, if god himself came down and stated a reason it would be rejected. This is why the condolences and even the thanks hold so much meaning, they are a part of that firewall.

The funny snarky iconoclastic lefty crew from Balloon Juice is mixed together with the hard core car guys from the Novalistserve, and politicians to help with that firewall, to give. You folks should give yourselves a standing ovation, if not yourself - then your fellows. The applause should be deafening...scattering bytes like windblown butterflies.

Tax Cuts Good - Drool, Slobber

Maybe somebody ought to ask what conditions exactly need to occur where tax cuts are not the answer?

Tax cuts were wonderful for St. Ronnie and they were to pay for themselves - never happened. GWB inherited a government mostly paying for itself and the GOP figured that was a time for tax cuts. Once a war/s started happening and a hole opened up, they extended them because - well, because they're good and wars are good. When the Obama Admin looked at huge deficits and falling revenues they offered to tax the top 2% of earners and that wasn't the right GOP time because ... some horse manure about job creators.

So, when you've got money it is good to cut, when you don't have money it is a good thing to cut, and when the rich have tanked the economy it an even better time to cut. When isn't it? Taxes are at a low since 1950 and ... tax cuts. No matter their so-called Golden Years involved much more serious tax rates - that don't count. In fact, nothing that was shitty about the 1950s counts unless Truman was in office.

If you ask the Tea Party about the real numbers - you get mumble, drool, and spit flecked rhetoric. If you ask another large percentage you get .... DUH.

Other than blaming it on some sick inherited gene I can't figure out why I continue to give a damn.

Where's The Jobs, GOPers?

OK, I'm not advocating something as stupid as that sounds, any government action takes time to work into results. I'm not even asking where the voted on bills are. What I'd like to know is where are the concrete proposals about something other than going to war with women and low income earners?

No shit. All the talk about job killing stimulus and other crap and nothing to offer? What is offensive is that they get to do this 'for free.' The Obama Admin. had a stimulus proposal on the table virtually when the walked in the door. Whether you argue it worked or not (I'd say yes) is immaterial to this question. You GOP buttheads have been screaming from Inauguration that Obama was wrecking the country and going on and on about everything the Democrats have proposed or done and you have not one damned thing ready to offer? What? You haven't had time to put something together?

Who the hell is going to call them out on their crap? (that would be other than $0.02 bloggers)

Egyptian Discord, American Public Stupidity

If you have the mental fortitude to consider stupidity without harming yourself, you could Google "Palin Egypt" to see a pretty blatant example of a lot of people's thinking. (not limited to right or left) The thinking is that we, the USA, are somehow in charge in Egypt. It certainly is the case that Mubarak has survived as Egypt's leader thanks to our imperialistic behavior, it is not the case that we somehow established him or created his political party.

Sarah seems to believe that our government knows just what is going on and who all the players are and that we can dictate the outcome. Thanks to Mubarak's version of governing, any real opposition groups are of the clandestine variety, they are the sort of groups that can operate under the watchful eyes of security forces. Whoever has claim to any sort of leadership has not been on TV/print exhorting opposition - a la Teabaggers. This means that organization within this opposition is pretty much limited to - opposition - not governing policy.

Foreign aid and other foreign policies can help prop up a government but creating one out of chaos is well beyond the reach of even our considerable swat. Whether the President and diplomatic arms have been direct enough or not with Egypt's government might be debatable. What passes belief is that people seem to be asserting that the US should take an even more imperialistic approach to Egypt - that we should control the direction of the outcome. Gee whiz, not only shouldn't we do that, we flatly cannot.

People really ought to take a look at the state of US politics and control before they start thinking about controlling an even more chaotic situation. For Egyptians to have a government that reflects the will of the population is going to require some time to put together anything that remotely resembles political parties. Governing will require politics ... or strong arm tactics. Politics requires constituencies beyond "this guy sucks."

How Much Is That Blue Doggie In The Window

McClatchy takes a look at the Democratic Blue Dog Caucus' current state of ... (?)weakness. I don't think this bunch is exactly plugged into an actual reality and offer up their own thinking to buttress my dismissal of them.

Following a day-long New York City retreat, in which they hatched strategies and were addressed by former President Bill Clinton, the House Blue Dogs vowed to focus on issues like regulatory reform and deficit control. Where possible, they said, they'll work with politically amenable House Republicans.

You might be wondering who these "politically amenable" Republicans are or what stance you'd have to take to get them to be "amenable." I live in a 'red' rural Congressional District (OR 2) and as an active Democrat I do understand the challenge of winning an election. I also understand that replacing Rep Greg Walden (R-OR2) with 'Greg Walden (D)' is a net nothing.

"We still believe moderation is important, and we have to move toward that course," Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, said Monday. "We're looking to make sure that people know that there are moderates in Congress."

Maybe the confusion is over the word "moderates." Where does one have to go to qualify as a moderate? The best I can tell it seems to mean being St Ronnie of the GOP. Now I don't want to be a complete dick about it, but St Ronnie is scarcely a political or social model for a (D). I'm sorry, but that guy has a record that is available to anyone that cares to take a look. In the run up to the GOP Primary of the Saint's first election one of the concerns of the GOP was that he was too far right for the US. One of the complaints of the GOPers back a ways was that RR couldn't go as far as he wanted thanks to having to deal with Democrats in Congress. These guys seem to think there is some congruency between the Democrats of that era and the GOP of today. Uh, what?

The two San Joaquin Valley lawmakers have since been distancing themselves more explicitly from Pelosi's liberal Democratic leadership. Cardoza stepped down from the Pelosi-appointed House Rules Committee, and as a protest nominated Costa for House Democratic leader last month.

Costa returned the favor, nominating Cardoza. They were among the 19 House Democrats not to publicly vote for Pelosi as leader on the first day of the 112th Congress.

Given this performance you'd think there was some congruence between the leadership of Pelosi and Boehner or an utter disconnect with Pelosi being a radical and Boehner being a reasonable sort of guy. Excuse me while I roll around on the floor laughing. To believe these guys you'd have to think the "left" was in charge during the last two Congresses which is why we have a Health Care plan drawn up by the Clinton GOP and the rich are taxed less than working people and an employee choice act isn't fact. You could probably add in the fact that GWB and his cohorts aren't in jail to that list.

"We weren't nearly as effective in the majority as I think we'll be in the minority," Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., said Monday.

Sure, since the GOP is ever so much more reasonable than Democrats. OK.

Here's the consolation to these people's stupidity:

Cardoza and Costa are two of the 26 remaining members of the Blue Dog Coalition. Before November's election swept Republicans back into control of the House, the coalition claimed 53 members.

Fear not children, there is still magic in the world -

"We are the only group that tries on a regular basis ... to find bipartisan solutions," Costa said.

So they have the power (26/435) to work with whom, exactly? The GOP?

I'd like to thank the rocket scientists who thought replacing GOPers (R) with GOPers (D) made a bunch of sense.

AOL - Buy This Cheap

Per NYT AOL bought Huffington Post:

The two companies completed the sale Sunday evening and announced the deal just after midnight on Monday. AOL will pay $315 million, $300 million of it in cash and the rest in stock.

Wow.

I bet I couldn't get $0.05 for this effort.

No, I cannot type with an accent.

Bush Torture Free Pass Expires - Somewhere

McClatchy is reporting on why GW Bush isn't going to Switzerland. It seems that in some places:

"The message from civil society is clear," it said in a statement. "If you're a torturer, be careful in your travel plans. It's a slow process for accountability, but we keep going."

I must be getting old; since I can remember when this country took real pride in not engaging in such behavior...

In fact, you'd wind up in jail - at least.

Intimate Relationship - Rape And Abortion

Inclusion in the intimate relationship belongs to the GOP. The relationship is naked - if you will... US House GOP wants to redefine rape in terms of gender, violence, and - argh - something so that abortion in the case of abortion is much harder to obtain. Not satisfied with that level of horseshit, is GA Rep Bobby Franklin (R). You should take a look at ABL's not so friendly take over at Balloon Juice.

I don't know or care about some one person's moral take on abortiong - these are attempts to legally force those with no say in an act to bear the child of ... an unnatural freak*. Somehow, Godliness fails as a description. I cannot begin to state the level of disrespect I have for such people. I have no civil description or discourse to have with them. The GOP pandering is despicable and voters got what they wanted - or were too stuipid to see.

If you think this is just some left wing partisan position - when your daughter is date raped and pregnant from it you just tell me all about it. If you don't think this crap defines the GOP, then explain why they are it. The complete lack of humanity in such a stance - extends to what else?

*there are real words, but they just aren't suitable for this space

The March Forward Into the Eighteenth Century

I've made it pretty clear that I don't believe in some formalized religious understanding of God. I've also made it pretty clear that I have seen benefits to people from religion and I've seen some pretty obvious deficits.

There are a lot of things that are called Theories in scientific terminology. This doesn't occur because there is any real doubt that the things referred to as Theories actually exist. There is a Theory of Gravity - oddly enough even though it is a Theory we remain stuck to the earth and fall when we're not. A whole lot of things happen that are explained by and continue to happen because that Theory works.

Calling something a Theory as a condemnatory term ought to fall on its face when made in favor of a faith based concept. It ought to because the Theory clearly works as a matter of science. That it works as a condemnation should concern anyone that doesn't want to go back to wearing sabre tooth tiger skins as a fashion statement or riding dinosaurs rather than driving an automobile.

Virtually every modern technological device finds its basis and development in one Theory or another, or several. Even this idea of a six thousand year old world is not something stated directly in the Bible it is taken from, it is a theory of some sorts derived from generational reckonings. Taken together with denial of evolution this stuff alone virtually completely undermines the scientific basis for the modern technological world.

That is the crux. People drive their cars to the church that denies they can work and like driving that car there. What they don't like is the social construct of this century which has grown up around the science and technology that created this century. Denying that science means that this century is misguided, that the eighteenth or whatever was correct. (or whatever may actually refer to some idealized 3rd century BC) It is plainly an attempt to theocratize science and government and a successful outcome is another Dark Ages. No Thanks.

Is This Blog Back?

I don't know. Whether this thing lives or not has at least something to do with readers and their participation and whether I can find reasons to do something other rail against utter stupidity run rampant.

So, we'll see.

US History Means What To Egypt's Situation

I've been hearing a lot lately about what is happening in Egypt and the US Revolution and our democracy. I'd like to know how somebody can make those comparisons and act as though they know something about history. "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it" has a lot of truth, but it also involves comparing history to something that has some congruence and making statements that also reflect what happened in history.

Now talking about how we succeeded in forming a government ignores a bit of something - the date of the Constitution. The government that came out of the Revolution was The Articles of Confederation and it failed. The great Constitution a bit over a half century later was sorted out by a bloody Civil War and in some respects is still not sorted out. Does somebody really think a good resolution of Egypt's current situation would be a conflict like our Civil War?

What happened in the US in response to our Revolution comes out of centuries of English evolution of government and Western European thought on governance. Egypt's experience with Western history involves colonialism from a dissimilar government and the economic/militaristic colonialism of also radically dissimilar governments. Whatever other issues the new and continuing US had with its former ruler their was a cultural and political sympathy between the two.

However corrupt English rule of the colony now the US was, it was more distant and of considerable lower degree. What exists in Egypt as corruption is within blocks not across an ocean and the results are more dramatic in their severity. Whatever context the US support of Mubarak is held in, there are not US soldiers standing in the streets enforcing the corruption and authoritarianism of the Mubarak government as there were Redcoats in the colonies.

I don't know where the Egyptian revolution is headed or what it will reach - I do know that using the US as a context is ludicrous.