Left is Right - Liberals and Progressives Stage a Comeback

Well Election Day 2011 has come and gone.  This year was a much better year for the American people and workers than Election Day 2010.  It seems that America is more progressive and left leaning than the GOP believed it to be.

The people of Ohio have voted to repeal a law, pushed by Governor John Kasich and passed by their legislature, which sought to take away the right of collective bargaining for public sector employees.  The measure was repealed by over 60% of the voters.  I guess the people of Ohio like having unions in place to stick up for their rights.  Andrew Cuomo in New York State showed that you can still bargain collectively with unions (CESA and PEF) and get what are perceived to me need cuts.  Although his actions have been heavy handed he was still able to negotiate with public sector labor unions and get the savings he wanted.

Mississippi voters rejected a proposal that would have greatly limited the rights of women to choose whether or not they want to have an abortion.  Again more than 60% of the voters rejected the proposal.  I guess the people in Mississippi believe in protecting what the constitution protects, the right to choose.

The Republicans in Maine sought to end the right of residents to register to vote on Election Day.  The people of Maine have been able to do this since 1973.  Republicans claimed that this led to voter fraud.  That was a bogus charge that is being used across the country in an attempt to make it harder for Democratic leaning voters to vote, thereby creating better chances for Republicans to win.  The Republican sponsored bill has been rejected by nearly 60% of the voters in Maine.

Voters in Arizona have for the first time ever recalled an elected official.  They have recalled the main sponsor of the Arizona immigration bill and State Senate President Russell Pearce.  He has been replaced by Jerry Lewis, not this one.

Overall it was a good night for progressives and liberals.  While conservatives seem to have overplayed the hand they thought they were dealt in 2010.  Hopefully, this portends well for the reelection of Barack Obama in 2012.

If You Blame Obama When Oil Goes Up Where is the Praise When the Price Drops?

As oil prices rose after last summer the right wing media blamed President Obama for the fact that the price of oil was rising.  The Washington Times did it here.  Eric Bolling of Fox Business Network can be seen blaming Obama for "pain at the pump,"  Not to be omitted from this chorus is the constantly misinformed former half Governor of Alsaka, Sarah Palin.  Others making the claim include David Limbaugh, Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal, Tammy Bruce and Sean Hannity.

As of early October 4, 2011 the price of oil is now down to $76.35 a barrel.  That is down $5.38 over the last year.  It is also down nearly one third from its high earlier this year.  So with President Obama still in office and oil prices going down where is the praise from the right wing media?  If the right wing media was right that the president caused oil prices to raise because of his polices then those policies can also bring the price of oil down.

The praise for the president from the right is missing because all they can do is blame him for what is going wrong and never praise him for what is right.

Do Not Expand Wild Card

For starters the wild card is just a way to make more money for baseball.  There was no need for it and lessens the regular season.  There was no excitement in the Yankees and Red Sox this year because both teams were going to make the post season.  A similar scenario was taking place in the National League as the Braves were a lock for the wild card.

However, as the regular season comes to an end tonight "excitement" is back in baseball.  The Red Sox and Braves have played horribly for the month of September and allowed the Rays and Cardinals to catch them in the wild card race.  After 161 games the Red Sox and Rays and the Braves and Cards are where they were the morning of opening day, sitting with identical records.

Baseball is now thinking of adding one extra team to the mix in each league.  All the excitement that exists because the Red Sox and Braves have collapsed would be gone.  If the fifth team in each league was in effect this year the games on the final day of the regular season would have no meaning because everyone would be back the next day for the play in games.  Just as the Yankees and Red Sox were boring from April through August, so too would tonight.  Regardless of winning and losing combinations the teams would be back at it tomorrow for the play in game.  The only good thing that would hve come from this is that the Red Sox game could be called without a wait until midnight to resume the game.

No more teams should be added to wild cards so that there will be some type of a pennant race possible.  Also while they consider adding the extra wild card teams (which should be rejected) they should enter inter-league play.  It makes scheduling impossible as teams only visit cities once a year if there are any rain outs.  Outside of New York and Chicago and may be the Bay Area does it really create more excitement and draw extra fans anymore?  People I am sure just cannot wait for a Houston Seattle series.

Troy Davis RIP

Another horrible day for America as the Machinery of Death marches forward, probably killing another innocent man.  Even if Mr. Davis was not innocent of the murder he was convicted of does the United States want to be in a group of nations like the People's Republic of China, Iraq and North Korea in using such a vile form of punishment.  Even Russia has abolished the death penalty.

Twenty three words was all the Supreme Court thought this case was worth.  They did not want to even see what was going to be in the appeal.  The nine Justices did no Justice tonight.

This is just another example of why the death penalty should be abolished in the United States.  Even if the United States Supreme Court will not reconsider Gregg v. Georgia, Congress and the states should abolish this repugnant type of punishment.

DADT Finished - America Still Safe

Don't Ask - Don't Tell has been repealed and gays can openly serve, just like heterosexuals, in the military.  America is still safe and the military is not in a shambles.

Next up should be the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and federal recognition of gay marriage for tax and all other purposes.  I think the country will survive.

Rick Perry and Economics

So Rick Perry is criticizing the economic policies of the Obama Administration.  He is also standing by his statements and his book Fed Up that the Social Security system is a Ponzi scheme.  I am not exactly sure where Gov. Perry learned his economics.  In college at Texas A&M he received a "D" in basic economics.  It was the only class in economics that he took.  He also only managed to get a "B" in US History and in American National Government.

Nobel Laureates have clearly indicated that Social Security is not a Ponzi Scheme.  Even the Social Security Administration explains the difference between a Ponzi Scheme and the pay as you go system that is Social Security.

Gov. Perry's obvious deficiencies in economics are nothing compared to his lack of understanding of the hideousness of the death penalty.  More on that later.

The Dream is Put On Hold

After two trips to New Hampshire in the last 10 days it was apparent to me that there was not enough interest in my campaign for 2016 for me to take any further steps at this time.  This despite seeing the former White House Chief of Staff for George H.W. Bush, John H. Sununu at the Beach Plum in Portsmouth New Hampshire.

I am not sure why there was no interest in the 2016 campaign at this early stage.  However, until after the 2012 campaign comes to an end I will be putting my dream of being president on  hold.

2016 Presidential Race

That's right I am talking about 2016 already.  Over the week I will be making two separate trips through New Hampshire.  While there I will be speaking with the locals to test the early waters for the  2016 Democratic Primary.  After the visits I will be making a determination whether or not a person who believes in true economic science and follows Economic Nobel Prize winners, will appoint great Supreme Court Justices like Earl Warren, William O. Douglas and William Brennan, single payer health care for all and is an atheist has any chance of securing the 2016 Democratic nomination.

We Are All Socialists - Especially One Hypocritcal Republican

Bill Maher explains how we are all Socialists.  While doing so he explains how one Republican in particular who running for president is a hypocrite who complains about government getting too big and wanting to get it out of everyone's life, while accepting government support for her family's farm, has her husband's clinic being paid with Medicaid and her getting a mortgage for her home.

July 29, 2011 Clip: New Rule – It Gets Better

How does a  person who rails against the federal government being the problem for people and wants to cut federal spending take advantage of government programs that she wants to end?

What is even more interesting is that  there is only one person of the 533 people currently serving in both houses of Congress.  That person is Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.  Amazingly the head of the Tea Party Caucus in the House voted the same way as Sen. Sanders.

As Bill Maher said it is time for Michele Bachmann to come out of her closet and admit that she is a Socialist.  After all she acts like one and votes like one.  It is time to make sure closets are used for what they were intended for.  Closets are made for hangers.

Also if Rep. Bachmann is against ear marks why is she touting on her website an attempt at a huge earmark to build a new St. Croix River Bridge?  Should not that be an expense for Minnesota, Wisconsin and the localities involved?

Hypocrisy thy name is Michele Bachmann.

Conservatives Use Enron Accounting to Say Obama Deficits Massively Larger Than Bush Deficits

Conservatives are ranting over how much the Obama deficits are larger than the Bush deficits.  However, even though it seems like they are comparing apples to apples; it is really comparing apples to oranges.

George W. Bush did not include the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in his budget numbers and Barack Obama is including the war cost in his budget deficits.  This seems to be Enron type accounting.  It seems that Bush learned something from the man he claims not to know, former Enron CEO and Chairman Kenneth “Kenny Boy” Lay.

GOP Controls Congress Leading to Job Killing Legislation

Now that a bill has been passed that anyone who has taken Economics 101 class knows is doomed to make the economy worse than it is today it is time to look at who has had control of legislation since January 2009 and therefore, set the course of the economy.

In January 2009 the Democrats had a majority in the Senate and in the House.  However, the majority in the Senate was illusory at best.  As people learn in high school learn you need a majority of the Senate to vote in favor of a bill to pass one.  However, because of Senate rules a filibuster can be started and that will require 60 votes to end it and bring a bill to an actual up or down vote.  In January 2009 the Democrats had a 60 vote majority, but it was not really 60 votes.  Two of the greatest members in the history of the Senate, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Robert Byrd of West Virginia were both very ill and did not appear in the Senate unless their votes were absolutely essential.  Also in the 60 vote group was independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, whose vote could no longer be counted to back policies of the Democratic Party.

This meant that the Democrats really did not have control of the Senate because on every bill with any so controversy one member of the minority would threaten a filibuster and the bill could not be brought up for a vote.  One only needs to see the antics of former Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning on the issue of continuing unemployment benefits for the long term unemployed.  Bunning had lost nothing off his fastball as he demanded spending cuts to offset the additional cost of unemployment benefits.

So clearly despite what it looked like on paper the Democrats really did not have control of the Senate.

From January 2009 until January 2011 the Democrats did have control of the House of Representatives.  Under then Speaker of the House, Nancy Peolsi, the Democrats were able to accomplish many things including passage of Health Care Reform.  In fact, she may have been the most effective Speakers ever.  That all ended in January 2011 when the Republicans regained control of the House.

Since January 2011 the GOP has had effective control of the entire Legislative Branch of government.  This has prevented the Democrats from passing any legislation that will assist the middle class or to raise revenues to help cut the deficit or more importantly to spend it to end the recession and get the economy expanding again.  In fact they have caused what will become a repeat of 1937.  And instead of attempting to enact sound legislation the GOP is stuck having to please a minority of its members, the Tea Partiers.

The GOP leadership is trying to satisfy the Tea Party, which prevented a less damaging bill from being passed that, would have increased revenues and should have been increasing spending in conjunction with raising the debt ceiling.  In fact the Tea Party’s actions have been described as a War on America.  This is the dog wagging the tail.

The GOP screams that raising taxes is a job killer.  They forget their history.  In the 1990s they said the same thing.  Bill Clinton and the Democrats raised taxes and there was a huge period of job growth and economic expansion.  The Clinton tax increase resulted in more jobs being created than the Bush tax cuts.  As with their war on science the GOP is also conducting a war on basic macroeconomic theory and history.

In November 2010 John Boehner said that job one for the Republicans would job creation.  However, the only job bills brought to House floor were bills that the Democrats somehow managed to force votes on.  All of those bills got not one single Republican vote.  John Boehner has said that he got 98% of what he wanted in Debt Bill.  Does that include the estimate of potentially losing 1,800,000 jobs because of this bill?

Mr. Boehner where are the jobs?

Since the GOP got 98% of what they wanted they will be responsible for all of the damage they created in the Debt Bill.  The Democrats will be able to say that the 2% that they got saved the economy from being even worse and did not make the Lesser Depression not as bad as if the GOP got 100% of what they wanted.

Bulls Stampede into the NFL Continues - Three More In Camp

The stampede to the NFL continues for the University at Buffalo Bulls.  Six Bulls are are returning to the NFL with a new group of Bull calves on their way.  Already in the NFL are Trevor Scott of the Oakland Raiders, Mike Newton and Jamey Richard of the Indianapolis Colts, Naaman Roosevelt of the Buffalo Bills, James Starks of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers and Drew Willy of the New York Jets.

They will be joined by three quarters of last season's secondary for the Bulls.  In April before the owners locked the players out Josh Thomas was drafted in the fifth round by the Dallas Cowboys.  Now that the gates of training camps have opened the Washington Redskins signed four time first team all MAC safety Davonte Shannon.  Also the Buffalo Bills signed Roosevelt’s high school and college teammate, Domonic Cook.

Bad Deal for the Economy

At a time when more government spending is necessary there is a full scale cut back on spending.  Based upon the lessons from the 1930s the government should be increasing spending not decreasing it.  This government austerity will lead to an even greater slow down of the economy and greater unemployment.  For specifics on why a reduction in government spending is wrong now, read an Economics Nobel Prize winner.

Twitter with a Grain of Salt

In the world of social media not every insider is really an insider.  This link is to a cautionary tale about how little fact checking is done by self proclaimed insiders.  Know who the twitter really is before accepting a tweet as true.

Soccer Most Corrupt Sport?

People complain that there is too much doping and cheating going on in professional cycling.  However, there was only one positive test in the 2011 Tour de France.  And that was for a masking agent and not a performance enhancing drug.

Soccer on the other hand seems to be having major scandals now.  Juventus had to give up two titles because they were caught paying to get certain referees for their games.  Now in Turkey the entire season is has been delayed five weeks by a game fixing scandal.

Right now it looks like soccer is more corrupt than cycling.

Given a choice between watching a soccer match or a stage race on television, I'd go with the stage race any day.  In the stage race once you get ahead you have to fight to stay ahead so that the peleton cannot chase you down.  In soccer you score a goal and it is time for the four corner defense to stall the game away.