RECOGNIZE CUBA IMMEDIATELY

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Tuesday March 03, 2009 · 10:14 AM PST

2009/03/03 · 10:14

Of all the failed and counter-productive policies that the U.S. has engaged in over the last half century, the strident treatment of Cuba is nearly the most provably worst.

And, to my great regret, my own Democratic Senator, Bob Menendez, now leads the fight against starting to make some sensible decisions on that front. Menendez, a Senate leader, is blocking the President's science nomination confirmations to see if he can bully the President to back down from a common sense approach to Cuba.

And, by doing so, he contionues the failed policies of the part and keeps Cubans from attaining their freedom.

More ....

BT1001

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Wednesday February 25, 2009 · 10:07 AM PST

2009/02/25 · 10:07

When Ronald Reagan tried to lower inflation and raise employment, many Democrats in Congress supported him. When Dwight Eisenhower wanted a national road system which was the largets public works expenditure in history up to that time, Democrats were in the majority and, led by Lyndon Johnson, they supported him. When Harry Truman defended Europe against the Soviets and vowed to re-build it, Republicans in Congress backed him. In those days, folks (even dense Congressmen)knew that we were all in this together. But the other party is becoming so insular, so out of touch that they may have already doomed themselves to minority status for many years.

And now, NOT on another topic:

What did you make out of the Republican "standing or sitting" decisions last evening?

More...

BT1001

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Monday February 16, 2009 · 7:03 AM PST

2009/02/16 · 07:03

One month before last November's election: THE COMING HIBERNATION OF THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY

For years I have believed that the national Republican Party, beginning in 1994, has been on a self-destructing course. Even at the height of their electoral power (from 2000 through 2006), the Party was in a no-win situation.

The "Reagan revolution" began to bring to power various groupings of people who sought elected office for many reasons, but who shared just one common underpinning: the absolute distaste for the national government, in all its forms, except for the military.

That shared frame of mind set the Party on a course of eventual self-diminution. The Party began to retract seriously in 2006, and, with the massive loss of standing by President Bush, the impatience with the Iraq war, and the dramatic challenges of the economy, the hibernating phase of the Party is now in earnest.

More after break ...

BT1001

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Tuesday February 10, 2009 · 9:03 PM PST

2009/02/10 · 21:03

While Americans are better educated on the economy and complicated financial concepts today than they were, say, on September 15, 2008 (the date of John McCain's "the fundamentals of our economy are strong, my friends"), and they are certainly more attuned to the hard times that have developed and are continuing to develop, it is apparent to me that they (and many of us here) simply do not understand the brink to which our economy and the world economy has come to.

And, from a human nature point of view, our ignorance makes sense. Unless you are about 80 years old or older, you DO NOT UNDERSTAND a national financial collapse.

I keep hearing about the "Kennedy tax cuts" in 1961; about the "Reagan tax cuts" in 1981; about the "Clinton recovery program in 1993. NONE OF THOSE EVENTS ARE ANYTHING LIKE WHAT WE FACE TODAY.

More below ...

Poll

21 votes Show Results

I would suggest

21 votes Vote Now!

I would suggest

that the diary poster lighten up

2 votes

that the diary poster stop scaring me

3 votes

that we all go out for drinks

7 votes

that further discusson be postponed until American Idol is over

0 votes

that Obama's REAL citizenship is our real worry, not all this economy nonsense

0 votes

that Norm Coleman be tarred and feathered, but nicely as they would do in MN

9 votes

WE need the filibuster tool

BT1001

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Monday February 09, 2009 · 9:28 PM PST

2009/02/09 · 21:28

The natives are restless. Folks are hyperventilating over the existence of the fiibuster in the Senate because it might, just might slow down the Obama train on occasion.

This life-long Democrat begs to differ. We should be careful of what we wish for.

The primary claims seem to be: 1)that the filibuster is undemocratic; and, 2)that it is "unconstitutional". In the case of the first claim: yeah, so what? In the case of the second claim, you don't know your Constitution or your history.

Read below ...

Poll

21 votes Show Results

I think that the Senate filibuster rule

21 votes Vote Now!

I think that the Senate filibuster rule

is just dandy the way it is

5 votes

is a goofy way to do business

4 votes

bores me to tears

0 votes

makes me angry at Montana

3 votes

is consistent with the Founders' philosophy

9 votes

Mitch McConnell Takes An Intelligence Test

BT1001

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Thursday January 29, 2009 · 7:28 PM PST

2009/01/29 · 19:28

"It's clear our message isn't getting out to nearly as many people as it should."

That's the Senate Minority Leader's thoughtful analysis of the woes of his minority political party. But that's like saying the Detroit Lions are much better than 0-16 but the fans haven't gotten the message yet that they are.

Mitch, baby, your problem is TOO much understanding by the voters. You need LESS air-time and face-time for your message. You need to hope that the voters eventually FORGET who you all are, and mistakenly put you back in office. Cause, from what I've been hearing these past few months, it ain't gonna happen any other way.

Poll

70 votes Show Results

Mitch McConnell is

70 votes Vote Now!

Mitch McConnell is

smarter than the average Kentuckian.

8 votes

smarter than the average right-wing talk show entertainer.

4 votes

so confused right now that he feels like crying.

30 votes

the soon-to-be ex-husband of Elaine Cho.

5 votes

a pretty damn fine looking hunk.

2 votes

my uncle, and quit pickin' on Uncle Mitch.

2 votes

some of the above.

19 votes

we need a classroom for historical dummies

BT1001

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Tuesday January 27, 2009 · 4:46 PM PST

2009/01/27 · 16:46

"We’re a nation not just where you are free to believe or not to believe; we’re a nation founded for Him — so we could praise Him, so we could do His will."

Kathryn Lopez, of the National Review and every othodox Catholic blog imaginable, keeps trying to undermine our nation's history because "God told her to do it". Ms. Lopez, so obviously challenged in so many objective and subjective ways (hey, I'm just the messenger here), would like us to re-write our history, and, in so doing, undermine one of the key reason we exist. One of the reasons that the nation is exceptional (as in American Exceptionalism).

GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. Believers and non-believers have built a nation. Its underpinnings are NOT faith-based (go on - tell me about "under God" etc. - get real). The Founders and most patriotic Americans understood and understand that both the long-term existence of a democratic republic AND the freedom of religious practice demanded separation (yes, SEPARATION) of church and state. Keep praying, Ms. Lopez, and you may find your political salvation in your Heaven. But leave me out of it. And leave our nation out of it while you're at it.

A MORATORIUM IS REQUESTED

BT1001

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Saturday January 24, 2009 · 9:37 AM PST

2009/01/24 · 09:37

Yes, we all get it.

The National Review, Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter, Red State, ad nauseum (literally) have decided to wage relentless war against everything you stand for. They will do so without posing any intelligent alternatives; they will concentrate on minutia (the Presidential Oath); they will partition their thought processes to wean out any shame for hypocrisy. We all get it.

But as addictive it is to you in order to meet your daily amazement quota constantly by "monitoring" these folks, wouldn't it better for you to simply jab a pencil into your eye? It is past time for a moratorium on monitoring the loony right in order to curb your resultant outrage. And there's more ....

Poll

40 votes Show Results

Do you crave listening and reading the right wing loonies?

40 votes Vote Now!

Do you crave listening and reading the right wing loonies?

Next to air, it is what I require

1 vote

Forget air, I live only for it

1 vote

Quiet, Rush is on

4 votes

I don't pay attention at all (God help me, I am lying)

7 votes

My eye hurts

5 votes

I am on Step 5 of the 12 Step Moratorium program

8 votes

Will you sign my petition for a sponsor boycott?

14 votes

RSS

RECOGNIZE CUBA IMMEDIATELY

STANDING OR SITTING LAST NIGHT

Bears do it; Republicans do it

What we still don't understand

WE need the filibuster tool

Mitch McConnell Takes An Intelligence Test

we need a classroom for historical dummies

A MORATORIUM IS REQUESTED