Social Security Champion Bob Ball has died: you may not know who he was, but you owe him a lot

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Wednesday January 30, 2008 · 9:47 AM PST

2008/01/30 · 09:47

Robert Ball has died at age 93, and with him goes the most effective public servant I have ever seen and worked with, and the most tenacious and brilliant protector of Social Security over the last 60 years. I miss him already, and as we enter a probable new round of battles over Social Security in the next few years, the American people will miss him dreadfully without having any idea who he was or what he did for them. I explain below.

geordie

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Monday January 21, 2008 · 5:16 PM PST

2008/01/21 · 17:16

Many of you may remember the incident of a few weeks ago when a Golf Channel anchor, Kelly Tilghman, a white woman, off-handedly spoke of Tiger Woods' rivals having to take him into a back alley and 'lynch' him in order to stop his dominance. But this isn't just a story about golf or the bigotry of the white golfing world. It's about Woods' reaction, about Obama's chances in November should he ge the nomination, and about my personal despair about unacknowledged racism among my fellow white Americans. Can Obama possibly win if he gets the nomination? And this is NOT a "candidate" diary - I'm still an Edwards loyalist, but I'm also a realist. What I worry about is the pervasive racism that corrupts our entire society.

geordie

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Saturday September 15, 2007 · 7:19 AM PDT

2007/09/15 · 07:19

I didn't see this on the diary list, so here's a "quickie" - the appeals court has thrown out the attempted murder conviction of the first of the Jena 6 defendants, saying he should have been charged and tried as a juvenile, not an adult. Of course, the racist asshole prosecutor will keep him in jail and re-charge him as a juvenile, I imagine, but, still, a small ray of hope!

geordie

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Wednesday August 08, 2007 · 10:33 AM PDT

2007/08/08 · 10:33

I am listening in bewildered awe to Bob Murray, the owner of the mine which collapsed trapping 6 miners underground in Utah, give a "press conference" describing the current rescue efforts. Murray is a well-known opponent of mine safety regulations - see RenaF's excellent diary from yesterday raising the question of whether this guy is a nutcase -
http://www.dailykos.com/...

What I see is a throwback to the days of Andrew Carnegie, when industrialists owned not just their companies, but effectively their workers so long as there was no union to represent the workers' interests. This guy, running a non-union mine, is controlling everything, and his behavior and language, as well as the collapse itself, raise serious questions of the role of both the Federal government in protecting mine safety, and of the state of Utah. It's hard to think of a clearer argument for unionization than this. Follow me below for more thoughts.

geordie

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Friday July 27, 2007 · 10:01 AM PDT

2007/07/27 · 10:01

I am listening to the White House press briefing on C-SPAN, and it strikes me that never has a White House press secretary had a more appropriate name. Tony Snow's job description is apparently to just do a snow job on the press at every available opportunity - today's menu item is portraying Alberto Gonzales as a fine, intelligent and honest public servant. Say whaaa?!!!!

Poll

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What kind of Snow is Tony blowing?

87 votes Vote Now!

What kind of Snow is Tony blowing?

Scary truth

18 votes

Less scary made up shit

13 votes

He's smokin' something for sure

56 votes

Vick Indicted for Dog Fighting

geordie

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Tuesday July 17, 2007 · 2:59 PM PDT

2007/07/17 · 14:59

I know there's a long way between indictment and conviction, but the first shoe dropped today when a Federal grand jury indicted Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, for dog fighing. The details are horrific, but there are a couple of basic points. First, this is a widespread horrific practice, and second, local authorities were reluctant to go after Vick, either because they didn't think this was important, or they didn't want to investigate a popular athlete. The torture of these dogs inflicts unspeakable suffering, and it is uncumbent on all of us to pressure our local governments to do more to stamp this stuff out, no matter who's involved.

More details below.

geordie

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Monday July 02, 2007 · 2:26 PM PDT

2007/07/02 · 14:26

The Ford Motor Company, as part of its "restructuring", has just now quietly essentially terminated its retiree health insurance plan (which includes drug insurance and Medigap coverage) for its salaried retirees. They can't do this to their hourly worker retirees, who are covered by the collective bargaining agreement with the UAW, but the salaried retirees are not protected by anything - law or unions. So what does this mean? Well, I can't speak for all Ford retirees, but I can tell you about one - my mom, who at 83 has just had her world destablized. Way to go, Ford! For more, follow me below the fold.

geordie

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Sunday June 03, 2007 · 7:39 AM PDT

2007/06/03 · 07:39

I never thought I would be saying this - certainly not in the days early in the Bill Clinton presidency when I would chastise my male student research assistants for making disparaging remarks about Hillary Clinton's "aggressiveness", etc. I said then, look, this woman is essentially me - a professional, ambitious, bright woman who is determined to have an impact on policy. Why, then, am I saying now I don't want to vote for her, although if compelled to by the Democratic nomination process I will? Follow me below the fold for a spurt of consciousness rumination.

geordie

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Tuesday May 29, 2007 · 5:31 PM PDT

2007/05/29 · 17:31

Did you listen to Al Gore on Countdown just now? Did you weep, as I did, thinking about the contrast with the current buffoon in the White House? Why, then, oh why, might we not get a chance to vote for Al again in 2008? Follow me below the fold.

geordie

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Tuesday January 16, 2007 · 5:28 PM PST

2007/01/16 · 17:28

I and others have been dismissed several times around here by ardent fans of "24" when we label it as fascist, right-wing, fear-mongering propaganda. I've been told over and over "it's just TV". Well, right now, Olbermann is discussing this very issue on his show, and I recommend you catch the repeat if you're missing it now. Particularly if you're a fan of "24". More below

geordie

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Tuesday November 07, 2006 · 10:35 PM PST

2006/11/07 · 22:35

I have been waiting since 1996 to have something to cheer about on election night, and goddamn it, I'm staying up all night if necessary to see if we take the Senate! Why is this so important to me? See below the fold. Read More

Cardinals' Pitcher does anti-stem cell ad - go Tigers!

geordie

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Wednesday October 25, 2006 · 5:37 PM PDT

2006/10/25 · 17:37

Well, I was already rooting for the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, but I just found another reason. St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Jeff Suppan has made an ad urging Missouri voters to vote no on stem cell research in that state's ballot initiative. And not just any ad - an ad designed to appear during the World Series game to be broadcast tonight - which Suppan is scheduled to pitch. More below the jump. Read More

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Social Security Champion Bob Ball has died: you may not know who he was, but you owe him a lot

Tiger, Barack and MLK - or why I'm depressed about November

Jena 6 Conviction Thrown Out!

Utah Mine Owner Murray: The Face of Capitalism Today, and Tomorrow?

Snowing from the White House: Now they're just makin s**t up

Vick Indicted for Dog Fighting

Losing your health insurance at 83 - what do you do?

I Don't WANT to vote for Hillary Clinton

OK, I really love Al Gore now (on KO tonight)

"24", Propaganda and Olbermann

Why I'm Staying up all night

Cardinals' Pitcher does anti-stem cell ad - go Tigers!