Went to a Political Rally, and a Funeral Broke Out

I’m reminded that the most vulnerable dog attacks the most viciously. It would seem the Democratic Party is feeling so weak that any occasion is a fine occasion to spout off. The Political Teen has some excellent video of the event at exposetheleft.

The destruction of the Democratic Party could not be more highlighted than by the fact that the last person who achieved anything for the party, Bill Clinton, needed to remind everyone in attendance that they were in fact, at a funeral service.

“I don't want us to forget that there's a woman in there... not a symbol — not a symbol — a real woman who lived and breathed and got angry and got hurt and had dreams and disappointments. And I don't want us to forget that.”

But they did forget it. She wasn’t a woman in there anymore. She was a reason, with a television audience, to pour out hatred. Hatred and perhaps fear. Fear of loss of influence and impact. As many have pointed out, this is not new. The Wellstone Memorial was another occasion for political posturing. I wonder if any intrepid readers can find some examples of Republicans doing the same?

And the fact that Jimmy Carter is dragging out the tired lies that African-Americans were the most affected by Hurricane Katrina simply illustrates the lack of substance any of these people seem to have anymore.

And Jesse Jackson is, well, Jesse Jackson:

The Rev. Jesse Jackson questioned why Bush would attend. "I'm not sure the pharaoh went to Moses' funeral," Jackson said. "Mr. Bush, honor Dr. King. Feed the hungry in the Katrina zone. Remember the homeless and helpless."

So Bush is a pharaoh? Wha? And I begin to wonder about where this political party is headed. I already posted recently about the things the Democrats need to do to get back in the game. Perhaps they are too far gone.

Joe Everyday

2006 Help for Democrats

Many people in this country are good-meaning Democrats or left leaning individuals who disagree with the Bush policies on a number of issues and would very much like to see the Democrats take control of the House and Senate in 2006 and regain the Presidency in 2008.

I’m here to help.

I believe the Democratic party is like a boat held back by a seriously heavy anchor. It is trying to pull into the future, but is held back by its own supporters and their views that can now truly be called extreme. I’ll give some examples:

It may not be un-patriotic or un-American to voice opposition to our President or our policy in war or our efforts. It may be actually supporting the troops. At some time, however, those people who are truly, patriotically, expressing their rights by expressing their opposition to our current war positions must look around and choose to distance themselves from people who are un-Patriotic and un-American. People like Cindy Sheehan, who is now a friend and ally of Hugo Chavez , a communist and anti-American enemy. There are many on the extreme left who pay homage to Fidel Castro, an anti-American communist and American enemy. Recently, the United States was a part of a large unified agreement to present Iran to the UN Security Council. Even Russia and China agreed, showing the amount of cooperation and collaboration achieved in this very important issue. While it was always false that our effort in Iraq was unilateral, and our cooperation with nations worldwide in the war on terror is almost unprecedented , this effort with Iran again highlights how this Administration is in fact not isolating us or alienating us from the world.

However, three countries voted against referring Iran to the Security Council, Syria was one. Can you guess the other two? Cuba and Venezuela. Are they our friends or our enemies? Are they un-American? Democrats who want to move the party forward need to distance themselves, vocally, loudly, immediately from people who associate with or claim camaraderie with these nations. A big national anti-SOTU protest was actually organized and run by communists . They had movie stars and even congressmen sign up (Congressman John Conyer, Congressman Jim McDermitt, Gore Vidal, Harold Pinter, Cindy Sheehan, Kurt Vonnegut, Jonathan Kozol, Jane Fonda, and Cornell West.). WHAT IS GOING ON!!!

Recently, governments who were opposed to our involvement in Iraq have been replaced by governments who have an objective to work more closely with the U.S. The people of Germany and Canada have spoken. Democrats need to identify what these relatively moderate people saw wrong in the liberalism of their governments and why they chose to switch. They can take some of that as advisement as the party that is suppose to be more moderate. Even a republican can admit that we can learn lessons from other countries, and Democrats would be wise to take a less extreme stance in opposition to the current administration.

Our economy is booming. Booming. Unemployment is now back to the lowest number since mid 2001, before the mini-recession. While we heard often that Bush was bad for the economy and the tax-cuts would be bad for the economy and more kids would go into poverty etc, the exact opposite happens to be true (if you consider immigration)
Democrats need to jump ship and start also clamoring for the tax-cuts to be permanent. They need to be talking about how Bush has done well for the economy, and take on a new angle of attack. Take the tax reform issue as your own, focus continually and repeatedly on the budget deficit and how defense spending, while necessary, isn’t being done wisely. That can resonate while accepting the reality of the good economy and keeping the tax cuts.

The Jack Abermoff scandal may have legs, and hopefully when he starts naming names, he won’t mention too many Democrats, but you’ve got to get off the NSA program. The President has excellent legal standing, and I don’t think any of you want to propose legislation to actually limit the President’s ability to wiretap terrorists. Although it could have been done since the program's inception, and Democrats had been briefed in TOTAL DETAIL of the program since it's inception, and no Democrat has proposed any legislation that should curtail the program, as a political issue, it is a loser.

Anyway, consider that some free advice. I think a multiple party government system is important, but there is only one game in town right now.

Joe Everyday

2005 in the Blink of an Eye

Well here we are in January 2006, and I haven't contributed to the world at all since 2004. What the hell happened? I could write a review summary snapshot of 2005, but why? Nothing really happened. I mean, all those damn '2005 year in review' shows that suck my brain but I can't turn away have covered all the good bad and ugly. There is really no need to recap.

So what now? Let's re-get this party started. I believe now, more than ever, my opinion should be expressed so all can marvel in wonder and amazement as the brilliance of my words illuminate the night of today's events.

Actually, that's not me. I don't have quite that large an ego. I suppose I will make an attempt to get my view on the world at large, oh, I don't know, maybe everyday. (Excluding weekends).

I'm glad to be back.

Historic Week in Review

I want to write about the search for truth, but that will have to wait. I begin with 'there is no truth, only perception', but it goes nowhere.

Instead, I'll give a quick wrap up to a week that possibly saw a massive change in our country and indeed, the world. We, America, re-elected George W. Bush to a second term as President of the United States. The significance of that action is difficult to grasp while in the middle of our everyday lives.

We have chosen a leader we like. We have chosen a man we feel we can trust, at least to be straight with us. We have chosen an aggressor. We have chosen a feeler rather than a thinker. At least that is the perception. Bush will be in office over the next four years, possibly bringing two or more democracies into the middle east. He will re-unite Europe as strong allies of ours in a fight to curb worldwide terrorism. He will open trade even further to push opportunities for our business to work within the world. He will re-write much of stale law that is past it's due. Social Security, Tax Code, Medicare/Medicaid, Small business Health Care, Tort Reform, and probably much more. He will appoint judges to many courts, including the Supreme Court.

We will be living with the Bush agenda for many many years to come. As history will decide whether invading Iraq was a wise decision, so too history will determine whether re-electing Bush was a wise decision.

We have also seen the setting foundation of the Republican party. Loaded with stars electable to the highest office, there is no comparable equivalent on the other side of the aisle. Republicans look to hold all three houses for long into the future. Unless....

Unless we screw it up. Unless we can't control spending. Unless we can't make peace in the middle east and ruin our source of oil. Unless we can't mend fences with Europe, China, Russia, and find ourselves on the outside of a world joined against our aggressive policies. Unless we lose our ability to tolerate, and our protection of civil liberties.

We shall see, history will tell, we've got work to do indeed.

The Hope for a Liberal America

I read Michael Moore's reaction to the election, and he actually makes a very good point.
55 million people voted for a very liberal senator. That is a huge number, and it shows just how compelling the liberal movement can be.

Is it possible to see how liberal ideals are actually the winner here in this election? I think so, here's how.
1. Kerry was an extreme liberal, and he got a hell of a lot of votes.
2. Just as Clinton was a moderate in his cutting capital gains tax and reforming welfare, Bush is a moderate with his No Child Left Behind and Medicare/Medicaid bills. Bush increased spending on social programs.
3. Reforming social security, healthcare and the tax code are progressive ideas, not conservative ones.
4. The next leaders of the republican party, McCain, Rudy G., G. Pataki, Ahnold, Powell, even Cheney are all social moderates on some issues, not conservatives.

The real loser isn't the progressives or liberals, it is the Democratic party. They've failed to be the champion of their own ideals, letting the republicans take it over. They've been forced even more left.

Don't let the gay marriage amendment or state bans fool you, none of the republican leaders I mentioned above would support a gay marriage amendment. Ahnold supported and funded embryonic stem cell research, and campaigned for Bush. Dick Cheney disagrees with his President on an amendment for gay marriage. The Democratic party is the loser, but you socially liberal and progressives, have hope. Your party is in power.

And Back to Work We Go!

Okay, let's get back to work. Here are two different articles regarding reaction from the middle east on Bush's re-election. The first is from our friends in Lebanon, the second is a view from Japan. Check them both out and check the tone. We will be dealing with perception and media for the next four years and we must be vigilant in our investigation and presentation.

Our objective in fighting terror must be more than using our military. We must have an approach that includes politics and diplomacy. We must move forward quickly toward a Palestinian state. We must move quickly to setup Iraq independence. We must show we are not interested in imperialism.

When you want to fight crime in America, you need to have a strong legal system and strong police force. Those things, however, treat the symptoms, not the cause. Most would admit that the cause is poverty, which is why inner city poor neighborhoods breed crime. Once we promote prosperity, promote opportunity, show that there is hope and alternatives to crime, the crime rate goes down.

This must be accomplished in the middle east as well by promoting freedom, prosperity, personal property and wealth, and hope. Those things will grow and pull people out of the despair that fosters terrorism.

That's my take anyway. Congratulations to the President and all the election winners, now let's get to work!

The Election is Over

It was a long night for me and I'm quite tired.

Let me make a couple of quick points about what I saw as an everyday guy.

This was a very personal election, and you could see it in the election coverage. Chris Matthews was genuinely disappointed in the results as he was clearly pulling for Kerry. I can see in the faces and voices of the media just how this election affected everyone. Like a sporting event between two closely matched teams, we become emotionally invested, we root, we pull hard, we can't help but believe the positive and ignoring the negative.

I know you can see it in the faces of those you work with, go to school with, and live with. We are all tired and spent. Spend moments reflecting on how the NYTimes and CBS can become so corrupt by their hope and bias. They will rebound. We all will. It's over, and we can get back to the business of being a country again.

I think we need to prepare for the next 2 years (midterm elections) and 4 years with an aggressive agenda. We should see:
1. Social security reforms (partial privatization, change in benefits for those under a certain age)
2. Additional Medicare/Medicaid reforms (decreases in costs)
3. Health care reforms including HSAs and small business advantages (small business groups)
4. A new simplified tax code
5. An increase in environmental protection (yes, increase)
6. 2 new supreme court justices
7. Modification of embryonic stem cell research policy expanding it and increasing funding
8. Continued aggressive foreign policy, re-deployment of troops (out of Saudi Arabia?)
9. Creation of a Palestinian state
10. Federal voting standards

These are the first that come to mind. I'll be writing still, keeping tabs on our media and our politics and presenting, as always, the everyday joe's view of the world. Thanks for reading.

Kerry and Bush: An Issue Review

I intended this article to be an issue review of the candidates, but since it is now election day, what's the point?

I guess I'll make a couple of quick points and maybe a prediction.

1. Iraq had WMDs. Let's all remember that the question isn't whether they had them or not, but whether they had, on their own, without UN witnesses, destroyed their weapons before 2003.

2. Afghanistan, at least early, is an overwhelming success.

3. Terrorists will not be negotiated with, unless we are willing to completely withdraw all our forces from the middle east, and end our alliance with Israel. If that is your position, feel free to it, I don't think we'll support that anytime soon. Until then, we must be agressive in our attempts to end terrorism and states that breed it.

4. The economy started out poorly for Bush with the end of the dot-com boom and the 9/11 attacks. Since, we've been growing steadily, adding jobs and expanding prosperity. We don't want to 'change directions' in the economy.

5. Bush has funded education more than any president in history. The 'No Child Left Behind' bill was a true bi-partisan effort that will make our education system stronger. The fact that we didn't fund it to the maximum allowed doesn't mean it was under funded.

6. Social Security needs to be re-done. Kerry wants to keep it the same, and that just wont work in the long term.

7. Healthcare is a very complicated issue. Read this for more information on both candidates.

8. We will have to deal with Iran and N. Korea in some way. President Bush is going to have a better time of it than Kerry, who has alienated our troops and allies with his rhetoric.

PREDICTION
Bush wins, with OH, FLA, PA, IA, WI and HI all going his way.

Have fun tonight, we'll be drinking Red Dog and Labatt Blue. I passed out Busch at the office today.

Presidential Elections and Reason

I've decided I need to write a little preamble. I ramble a little in this post so bear with me. Oh my my what a wild wacky week.

I've decided to try to write a little bit to make sense of the last week of this Presidential election. I can't say I can ever remember watching or hearing 'news' so biased, or such rapid 'breaking' stories, or such heavy heavy negative campaigning.

I just heard Chris Matthews on MSNBC ask a democratic congresswoman how she feels about 50% of the people still believing there were WMDs in Iraq. He asked incredulously, asked if it made her mad, that people had blinders on. I was shocked. Somebody should let Chris know that Iraq, by their own admission and use, did have WMDs. The question isn't whether they had them or not, but whether they were destroyed sometimes between 1991 and our invasion. According to the U.N., they didn't destroy them, at least as they were directed to under UN resolutions. Just so we are all clear. Iraq did have WMDs. Did we all get that?

It reminded me of Matthews shocked response to Cheney reminding Edwards that he never made a connection between Saddam and 9/11. MSNBC then showed a tape of Cheney making a connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda, which the 9/11 commission confirmed, but Matthews acted as if he didn't even hear it.

The NYTimes and CBS behavior has been outrageous. There is no other way to view the overt partisan bias these two supposed 'news' organizations are showing. They reflect why, or are the reason that, less than 50% of the population now view main stream media as a reliable source of information.

We have missing explosives in Iraq. For all the fog of the issue, we are talking about at most 377 tons against 400,000 tons destroyed or slated to be destroyed. At worst we are talking about not securing 1 site out of 10,000 sites in the country. At best, as we expect, Saddam moved the stuff before we got there. Either way, perspective is helpful to see through the nonsensical hysteria of the media. (no links because, well hell, if you can't find it than you are lost)

We have Halliburton being investigated. Isn't this horse long dead? We don't even hear about this through the noise. No one in the Whitehouse is being investigated. Thanks.

Now we have this Bin Laden tape. I actually heard a commentator on CNN complimenting this nut, almost admiring him. I believe this helps Bush, but to be honest, I can't even imagine what the next 3 days hold.

I would make a prediction but, oh... all right. I think we'll see a bigger Bush victory than expected. He wins both the popular vote and electoral vote. Bush gets Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, NV and maybe Hawaii and New Jersey. Big surprise against Kerry and Bush can win huge.

Joe Scarborough is calling for a potential 269 269 tie. Wow. I don't think so, but how much fun would that be. I need to reach out to blogger world right now. I've asked my email group, I've asked my Chicago democratic friends, I now ask you. Why are you voting for John Kerry? I have not heard anything even close to resembling a coherent thought on the subject. Am I simply not reading the right information? Or do I simply ask for a little logic and reason.