Each Saturday, this feature links and excerpts commentary and reporting from a dozen progressive state blogs in the past seven days around the nation. The idea is not only to spotlight specific issues but to give readers who may not know their state has a progressive blog or two a place to become regularly informed about doings in their back yard. Just as states with progressive lawmakers and activists have themselves initiated innovative programs over a wide range of issues, state-based progressive blogs have helped provide us with a point of view and inside information we don't get from the traditional media. Those blogs deserve a larger audience. Let me know via comments or Kosmail if you have a favorite you think I should know about. Standard disclaimer: Inclusion of a diary does not necessarily indicate my agreement or endorsement of its contents. |
At
North Decoder,
chet writes
Syria and the News:
This morning I watched MSNBC's Morning Joe program. Their special guest was retired Airforce General Michael Hayden. What Hayden said was that dropping bombs on Syria "is the least worst option we now have. It would be near catastrophic... for American influence in the world for the the American Congress not to support this." (Source, including video) As I watched I honestly wondered to my self what the "retired" general is doing these days, besides appearing on TV talk shows. Does he fish? Does he paint? What's he up to?
In his intro, they told us he was the former director of the NSA and the CIA. They mentiond he's involved with the "Chertoff Group," a "global security advisory firm." [...]
Turns out the good general serves on the Board of Directors for Motorola Solutions, Inc. He gets a total annual compensation package worth over a quarter of a million dollars for sitting on the Board. Motorola is #75 on the list of the "Top 100" military contractors, collecting nearly $53 million in defense contract revenue each year. (Source.)
As General Hayden talked about the unfortunate need to bomb Syria, nobody asked him what the "Chertoff Group" does. I googled that, too. Turns out, the Chertoff Group does consulting and lobbying work for companies looking to get defense contracts, and lobbying to change policy so that their defense contracting clients can get more and bigger government defense contracts.
At
Miscellany Blue of New Hampshire,
William Tucker writes
N.H. one of top five states profiting from sin:
A study by 24/7 Wall St. ranks the states by the percentage of their revenue that comes from vice: gambling, smoking and alcohol consumption.
Based on revenue from state tobacco taxes, alcohol taxes and casino taxes, as well as proceeds from state-controlled liquor stores and state lotteries, the Granite State clocks in at number five — just behind West Virginia, Delaware, Rhode Island and, of course, Nevada:
New Hampshire generates a larger percentage of its revenue from tobacco and liquor taxes than any other state in the nation — at 2.72% and 1.15%, respectively. Proceeds coming from lottery ticket sales make up a percentage of the state’s total revenue that is among the top 25 states. Because of its low sales tax, the state tends to attract people from out of state to purchase both tobacco and alcohol. With large new liquor stores emerging on well-traveled highways in the state and record high alcohol sales, New Hampshire seems to have a reputation for promoting alcohol consumption. In 2011, 7.9% of New Hampshire residents said they were heavy drinkers, the fifth highest percentage in the United States.
At
Left in Alabama,
countrycat writes
HD-31: Another GOP Legislator Hits The Revolving Door:
When the GOP campaigned on their "Handshake With Alabama" plan in 2010, they didn't mention that it came with one of those gag "hand buzzers." Remember that the first item on their list was "creating jobs and economic opportunities." However, the GOP neglected to tell voters that their "jobs plan" was limited to two groups:Alabama republican party
Lawyers, who are needed to defend the stupid laws passed by the GOP supermajority.
Poll workers, who are needed in the numerous special elections held as the GOP rats desert Mike Hubbard's sinking ship.
The latest rat, Rep. Barry Mask of Wetumpka announced his resignation effective September 30th. He'll be taking a lucrative position with the Alabama Realtors Association. It must be a huge deal, because apparently God is involved.
More excerpts from state progressive blogs can be read below the fold.
At Indy Democrat Blog of Indiana, Jon Easter writes Syria Situation is All Around Lose-Lose:
The thing is that America has turned a blind eye to the carnage that has been going on in Syria for years. On YouTube, there is horrifying video after horrifying video of the atrocities the Syrian Government has allegedly perpetrated on its own people. The rebels aren't much better. Allegedly, they have ties to Al-Qaeda.
This is a classic lose-lose situation, and we are late to the party. A limited in duration and scope operation against military targets won't do anything to stop the violence or end the carnage. I believe that this will only whip up anti-American sentiment in the region. It might also end in the collateral damage of dead civilians who get put in the wrong place at the wrong time.
One thing is for sure. We cannot stand by and do nothing.
At
Calbuzz,
Jerry Roberts writes
Inside New PPIC Data: Why CA GOP Is Collapsing:
The latest tabulations from the Public Policy Institute of California demonstrate the enormous challenges facing the California Republican Party. The problem is not just that the share of Republicans has declined to 29% from 35% over the last decade, while the proportion of Democrats has remained the same (44%) and the percentage of “independents” has grown to 21% (up from 15%).
Nor is there comfort for the GOP in PPIC’s calculation that among those most likely to vote, 45% are Democrats, 32% are Republicans and 19% are independents – especially when those independents lean toward the Democrats 4-3 as compared to Republicans.
At
Taking a Left Turn in South Dakota,
M Larson writes
Syria....What Realistic Options Are Available?:
South Dakota's delegation in Washington are supposedly going over the evidence and talking to their party leaders to find out what to do about Syria. This is a task I do not envy them. I have said before that I believe that the US needs to respond with some show of force in attempts to convince the Assad regime to not use those kinds of weapons again. I would love for some other option to be present, but as of yet, no one has made a compelling case that I have seen.
Fox News has an opinion piece from K.T. McFarland that the President has "only" five choices. The include regime change, limited attack, arm the rebels, destroy the chemical weapons (with magic bombs of our own the neutralize the chemical agents or send in special ops to take them out), and delay and do something symbolic like allow Keystone pipeline to be built (I am not joking on this. She seriously is trying to use the crisis in Syria to justify the Keystone pipeline.)
I don't think that those are the only options. David Newquist suggests that the US should shame Assad and make sure he is called a war criminal and brought up before the ICC. The problem is I don't think that this would work on any level.
At
Uppity Wisconsin,
Man MKE writes
Yet another PolitiFrack moment: Walker rates a "half true" on health care costs, even when he's totally wrong:
Back in the 1930s, famed aviator Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigon earned headlines and that nickname when, on a supposedly planned flight from New York to California, he wound up in Ireland. But it's not at all clear Corrigon actually went the wrong way by accident. Neither do an increasing number of modern-day politicians, who lie and misrepresent the facts intentionally, because it often works.
Politifact, our real-life, would-be version of novelist Frank Herbert's "truthsayers," seems to understand that politicians often game the debate, but seems to not to understand how its measuring process ends up serving that game. [...]
Oddly, while intentionally simplistic dudes like Walker are sometimes marked up from "false" to "half true" in Politifact analysis because they got some little detail right, in sidelong fashion, other rather more nuanced and informed politicians (see my item from Monday on Sen. Vinehout, for example) get graded down from "true" to "half true" because they didn't cover each and every possible contingency, or got something however small not quite right in their bevy of fact-giving.
At
Blogging While Blue of Georgia,
bloggingwhileblue writes
Cheers to DuBose Porter:
Dublin, Georgia may be the state’s “Emerald City” and it may be equal distance between Atlanta and Savannah, but as of Saturday it will also be known for its native son, Du Bose Porter, the new Chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia. He won with 62% of the vote after a rousing nomination by Atlanta’s own Georgia House Minority Leader Stacy Abrams.
Porter has years of political experience, he has worked for US Senator Sam Nunn and served as Leader of the Democratic Caucus of the Georgia House of Representatives. No mere politician he brings business acumen, negotiating skills, compassion and experience working with leaders of Georgia’s diverse leadership. He’s tough and kind. Smart and caring. Willing to listen and ever mindful that in the end a decision must be made. Porter is just what we Democrats need to pull us together, to challenge us to get our act together, to chart a new course for the Party and the millions of Georgians who need more than rhetoric and promises. With Porter we’ll get a plan of action, a leader who can access and execute. A chairman who respects our history and cherishes our diversity. Cheers and congratulations to Porter.
At
43rd State Blues of Idaho,
Sisyphus writes
Emily Walton Discloses the Idaho Freedom Fallacy:
Wayne Hoffman of the so called Idaho Freedom Foundation fired off a missive to Boise City officials asking them to shelf their bond proposal. The proposal asks the people of Boise to approve funding for a variety of things including the securing of open space in the foothills and improving public parks. Noting that democracy and freedom are not mutually exclusive, Emily Walton, of the Idaho Civic Engagement Project, fired back:
Why would someone who runs an organization dedicated to freedom and open government argue against people voting in decisions for their city?
Hoffman’s claim that Boiseans shouldn't get to vote on parks and open spaces because they’re just for “fun” demonstrates a lack of understanding when it comes Boise and the history of this city that we love.
Boiseans have invested in their city for 150 years. From the beautiful parks, foothills and a downtown we enjoy to the good schools and safe neighborhoods we cherish, we all know that a city of Boise’s caliber doesn't just spring up without investment and devotion. Since when did a guy from Nampa have so many opinions on how Boiseans should run their city?
Thereafter, IFF stooge and noted hack, Dusting Hurst threatened: “Emily Walton just picked a fight with Wayne Hoffman? This will not end well for Emily. Not at all.” Wayne Hoffman subsequently issued an ap-hollow-gy. Idaho is too great for bullies.
At
Blue Jersey,
Rosi Efthim writes
Scott Garrett is now a hard NO on Syria:
There is a high degree of chance that Garrett's position is primarily oppositional. After all, he comes from a party that has long sanctioned unnecessary wars, and flagrant war profiteering. But the drumbeats out of the Obama White House are loudly echoed by Bob Menendez, new chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rep. Chris Smith, who put Secretary of State John Kerry through plenty of questions when he appeared yesterday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is calling for a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by the regime of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad and rebel groups opposing him.
At
BlueOregon,
Carl Axtman writes
The tangled web of Syria:
If there was ever a kobyashi maru of foreign policy situations, Syria is it. We can either support Assad, the guy who quite clearly murdered civilians with chemical weapons and plays footsie with Vlad, or we can support the jihadist rebels who don't trust the United States and probably hate us as much as they hate Assad.
Another option is of course, to stay out of it completely. Which is not without it's moral dilemmas.
The Oregon delegation's response thus far as been spotty. Greg Walden's response is practically babble.
At
Blue Virginia,
TheGreenMiles writes
How Syria Debate Will End: DC Media Ignoring That Everyone Blames GOP:
Here's my prediction for what will happen in the next month:
Congressional Republicans, despite loving bombing brown people back to the 19th century whenever they get the chance, will block President Obama's Syria resolution purely for political purposes.
This will be reported by the Beltway media as OBAMA LOSES HUGETIME YOU GUYS WILL HE EVER RECOVER NEVER LAME DUCK!
A couple of weeks later, a poll will show the American people blame Congressional Republicans for the debacle.
The Beltway media will read the poll, put it down carefully, and slowly back away from the wreckage like Carl the Greenskeeper at the end of Caddyshack
Congressional Republicans will go back to trying to wreck the economy and the Beltway media will go back to talking about how every possible outcome is a loss for Obama
I would bet 10,000 Mitt Romney dollars on it.