Politics are depressing nowadays.

I haven't posted much in the political realm recently. Mostly because I am depressed. The lack of any focus on jobs and recovery coupled with the deficit mania is infuriating. I also have a strong interest in environmental causes. I would love to see an investment in green technology and a carbon tax. Yet most of the news on these fronts is quite bad. I know that there was some progress on health care but I don't understand why I should be happy about moderate republican policies from the '70s instead of progressive policies geared to our current challenges.

I also have no confidence in our leaders to fight against the Republican suicide squad in office and in our media. I fear that riots and anarchy will end up coming to the US if we don't make some changes now.

Deficit

It is pretty simple to balance the budget if you want to do it honestly. Cut military spending by withdrawing from Iraq, Afganistan and Libya, cut contractors from the military budget, reduce our military size and let the Bush tax cuts expire.

Now that we had our serious conversation can we stop trying to privatize Medicare and cut Social Security?

Republican's and Science

Dougj from Balloon Juice wants to kill the idea that Republican's are anti-science. Unfortunately for him this goes to one a series of simple empirical tests.

1- Which party reliably attacks science?
2- Which party funds scientific endeavors?
3- Which party support religion vs science?


1- Which party reliably attacks science?

Republican's have a long history of attacking science. In Texas they are trying to remove scientific discoveries from textbooks. There is an entire industry that is dedicated to attacking climate science. The history of pro-tobacco misinformation is very illustrating here as well. Some Democrats do have a history of falling for health cons and the anti-vaccine craze infected both Democrats and Republicans. This category is given to Republicans.


2- Which party funds scientific endeavors?

The race to the moon which JFK supported has paid dividends for the US. We have a large number of satellites that are vital to our communication technology today. Look at the funding history for NASA and physics in this country. You will see Democrats paying for the essential research that fuels our economy. Republicans sometimes appreciate engineers but only when the Republican in question is investing in a company that employs that engineer.

3- Which party support religion vs science?

Doug wanted to dodge this question.

First off, I’ll admit there is some real hostility to science from the fundies. But I don’t think that conservative opposition to stem cell research is rooted in hostility to science, it’s rooted in the (admittedly non-scientific belief) that Jeebus loves 5-celled blastocysts as much or more than he loves post-birth human beings

Christianity has been attacking science since Galileo. Astronomy, Cosmology, Biology, Climate Science, and Medicine have all been targets of Christianity. This isn't limited to the recent Catholic belief that all sperm are sacred, it is a full frontal assault on knowledge. Republicans are the political party of choice for the religious Christians in this country. It is one of the ways Republicans use to control the downtrodden.

To sum up, it is pretty obvious that Republicans are the enemies of science. Any professional scientist would shun Republican leadership out of simple self-preservation. Engineers are a different animal and at engineering schools you often hear the joke that business majors are just second year engineering majors. The joke is that when you fail at engineering there is always business school. But the meat behind it is that you go to school for engineering when you want money, you major in physics or math for a love of science. It is pretty clear why you might see engineers in the Republican party.

Re: Condi Rice and her "Nixon" comment

Emptywheel has a great post on this subject. You should check it out.

MN state government hilarity

This starts off slow but it gets quite lively. Very amusing video of Minnesota House of Reps in action.

Republicans commited a Hit and Run. (video)

This is a new DSCC ad. It is an excellent ad that you should spend 30 seconds on.

Letterman on Teleprompter

Letterman is pretty darn funny.

AIG

The AIG insanity is really starting to piss me off. AIG has released a list of counterparties to the CDS, GIA and Securities Lending Transactions. As expected Goldman Sachs was the largest single counterparty closely followed by three European banks - France’s Société Générale, Germany’s Deutsche Bank and the UK’s Barclays. Isn't it nice of the US to bail out the rest of the worlds banks? We pay their pharmaceutical bills too.

Then we get the exciting news that the bonuses being paid out at AIG don't total $170,000,000 but instead $1,200,000,000 (nearly 10 times the original value), and $450,000,000 (3 times the original quoute) of it to the financial products division that got AIG into this mess. Isn't it interesting how the Treasury Department forced the UAW to take a haircut as a condition to bailing out the auto companies but the contracts can't be broken to AIG employees. No wonder the White House is worried about backlash. Here is a disgusting Larry Summers quote:

We are a country of law. There are contracts. The government cannot just abrogate contracts. Every legal step possible to limit those bonuses is being taken by Secretary Geithner and by the Federal Reserve system.

As Glenn Greenwald says:

Apparently, the supreme sanctity of employment contracts applies only to some types of employees but not others. Either way, the Obama administration’s claim that nothing could be done about the AIG bonuses because AIG has solid, sacred contractual commitments to pay them is, for so many reasons, absurd on its face.

Then you read a story in the NY Times, the Wall Street crowd in NY is still splurging on 5 figure afternoon dance parties with $750 magnums of champagne. An interesting quote from that article is here:

As for how he and his fellow Wall Streeters could still afford such afternoons, he said: "We all made so much money in the past five years, it doesn’t matter."

A 29-year-old man who works for a large investment management firm and was at Bagatelle’s brunch one recent Saturday and at Merkato 55’s the next, put it another way: "If you’d asked me in October, I’d say it’d be a different situation, and I don’t think I’d be here. Then the government gave us $10 billion."

To top it all off you read about how Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) is going to lead his band of Senate "moderates" in an effort to kill the mortgage cramdown bill and give the finger to regular homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction, because it might "reward" someone who was "irresponsible."

I guess AIG and Wall Street were really really responsible. Responsible that is for the mess we are in.

Cramer vs Stewart - KO Blow

John Stewart ran an amazing interview last night. It is the KO Blow in the Cramer vs Stewart series and needs to be seen. I will embed the three unedited not show on TV versions of the interview. Additionally I will put up the CBS Evening News summary and coverage of the interview. I won't be able to show any MSNBC coverage since the producers of MSNBC were told not to mention it today. Quite sad considering GE owns CNBC, NBC and MSNBC. For shame NBC, but it is a good illustration how ownership of multiple radio stations, TV stations and newspapers should be limited as it was in the 1980s. This mass ownership creates censorship rules favorable to their corporate master.

Part One - John Stewart vs Cramer

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Part Two

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Part Three

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

CBS Evening News coverage

Watch CBS Videos Online

Just a quick note. I was very impressed with Jon Stewart, he was obviously in command of the materials and research. Play clip 202, play clip 212, etc, in response to Cramer's answers to various questions. Jon Stewart is what journalism should be and it is sad that he outshines those who make it their chosen profession. I do wish for real journalism on shows such as Meet the Press, but it is rarely evident.

Rachel Maddow on Employee Free Choice Act

Rachel Maddow explains the EFCA in this clip. She does it very well and just concentrates on the most common and easily disputable lie of Republican opponents. The so-called banishing of the secret ballot, which of course is not banished and is still available. She doesn't mention how most votes to unionize are rife with illegal employer acts designed to stop the unionization. Typical actions include union supporters being illegally fired, inquisitions being held to determine who is and isn't a union supporter, locations are closed or threatened to close based on the outcome of the vote.

I know that I trust corporations soooo much to keep my interests at heart and wouldn't wish for any contractual obligation on my employers part. I so much prefer "at will employment"... right? or NOT.

MoveOn starts the Health Insurance battle

Moveon doesn't want the insurance companies to shape this battle with a couple on rocking chairs this time. So the battle for minds and wills begins. I do appreciate the naked truth in this case. Insurance companies are NOT to be trusted, you would be a fool to think otherwise. I hope that Congress and the Senate take note of this.

The CNBC and Stewart fight continue

This feud has been a popcorn fest and will continue to be one. Cramer and the CNBC crowd are too stupid not to keep picking at their scabs from the wounds that Jon Stewart inflicts. That just eggs Stewart on.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

In Cramer We Trust

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Economic Crisis

Here is the link the Jim Cramer clips where he disses Jon Stewart. I didn't bother to dissect the comments. This feud will be fun and provide entertainment for all.

Daily KOS TV

I strongly recommend looking at Daily KOS TV. This is the brainchild of Jed Lewison and the Daily KOS team. During the election cycle theJed Report was an excellent source of video mash ups that turn politicians own words against them. Jed and Daily KOS have teamed up to make the Daily KOS TV site an ongoing version of that. They also host their own video and provide the ability to embed it elsewhere. It is very impressive and an excellent site.

Here is another video from them.

It seems the GOP just can't get the facts straight.

The Red Lie Express

Jed Lewison put this video together illustrating the Fox News shameless repeating of GOP lies. The best part is how they can't even keep their own lies straight. Check out Jed's comments:

It all started when Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal falsely accused Democrats of inserting an earmark calling for an $8 billion rail line between Disneyland and Las Vegas. Now, the Fox News-GOP propaganda machine is claiming the nonexistent Disney-Vegas rail line goes straight from Disneyland to the door of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel in Nevada.

The problem is, even if the fictitious Fox News-GOP rail line actually existed, it wouldn’t even get you halfway to the Bunny Ranch, which is located 422 miles from Las Vegas.

The whole thing is a complete lie, another example of how Fox News is really just a partisan news network with zero regard for truth and accuracy.

(ref: DailyKOS DKTV)

Michael Steele on the Today Show

TPM media assembled this clip of Michael Steele on the Today Show. I love this clip. You can tell the Republicans hate this topic when Michael Steele says "this has been a great little distraction, that was yesterday's news, lets move forward". They really don't want anyone to consider this a legitimate topic. Unfortunately when Rush says that it is common sense that as a Conservative that he wants Barack Obama's policies to fail, that is important.

What do we glean from that statement? First, we see that it is more important for Rush that he is right than the nation to recover from this economic recession. Conservatism is more important to him then being an American. He is an ideologue. Secondly, it doesn't even matter to Rush what policies President Obama uses to succeed. He wants President Obama to fail regardless. Rush Limbaugh is now anti-American, he is certainly no patriot. That is the conclusion I reach from the available data. He wants America to fail since he doesn't share the party identification with its current leaders. Period.

This is all fine and dandy, but how does that matter to the Republican party as a whole? Well it wouldn't if Rush Limbaugh was just a member of the party. It would be one ideologue's viewpoint and though despicable, it wouldn't be something to blame Republicans as a whole for. But unfortunately the events of the last week or so show that Rush Limbaugh is the ideological leader of the Republican Party. RNC head Michael Steele, House Minority Whip- Rep. Eric Cantor, Sen. John Barrasso, Rep. Phil Gingrey, and Gov. Mark Stanford have all groveled at the feet of Rush Limbaugh. The Republican Party leadership is openly submissive to Rush. That is deeply unfortunate and ties the entire party to Rush Limbaugh's point of view. It means that the Conservative movement and the Republican party are now all anti-American.

Hopefully Republicans will grow a spine and cast off this cancer from their party. This situation does no one any good. How can Republicans even claim to attempt to govern when their leader is asking for the government to fail, so as to cast the worst possible light on President Barack Obama?

Update: For more Republicans agreeing with Rush, see this Think Progress article

Great Line from TPM

This is awesome:

I just want to give props to the Democratic psyops operation that's paying off Michael Steele to get into a gonzo spat with Rush. Great work, guys.

TPM
(UPDATE: this just gets more amusing as it evolves)

Obama's weekly address and call to arms

I took the time to watch his 5 minute address here. Very powerful and I recommend you watch it. A summary from the Whitehouse.gov site is below:

In the Weekly Address this morning, President Obama explains how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate. On fiscal responsibility, a fair tax code, a clean energy economy, real health care reform, and education, this budget sets out a new vision for our country.

But having put his priorities on paper and having stood behind them, the President recognizes that there are those who will fight against change every step of the way.

"I realize that passing this budget won’t be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

"So am I."

(note this is autoplaying, I can't stop it so I am leaving it on autoplay, let me know if it is annoying and I will remove it and replace with a link.)
Update: I added the link and removed the embed. It was causing too many problems.

Reasons why Corporate America needs to change

AMERICAblog has this story on the McDonald employee who got shot while breaking up a fight in the store. Thought he was called a hero by the Judge during the criminal trial of the shooter, McDonald's denied his claim for worker's compensation and won't pay his medical bills.

This really pisses me off and I am sure it will generate outrage in many viewers. It is an excellent example of the way insurance companies will do anything to deny coverage. It also is a great illustration of what needs to change. I am still stunned that anyone at McDonald's thinks this is a good idea.

Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax

Transit blogs everywhere are going nuts (ref: 1, 2, 3) over the VMT proposal Secretary LaHood proposed. The White House already walked this back and said no such tax was being proposed. The problem for transit followers is that as we go to electric vehicles and reduce gas consumption it affects the national funding for highway repair and transit. Additionally the gas tax is nice but a VMT tax penalizes people for living far away from work and transit groups are anti-sprawl.

A couple of issues jump out for me. First, I am highly sympathetic with the transit crowd but the implementation of this VMT idea is being tied to GPS technology. It is a redux of the electronic voting crowd, look fun new technology is here to needlessly complicate something that works. Maybe we can make it more fragile and less reliable while opening up the possibility of hard to detect fraud. If we try hard we can open up tons of privacy concerns and increase our cost as well.

There already exists a simple mandatory technology that is in every car on the road to track miles driven. The odometer is simple, it is relied on for warranties, for assessing value and already has been made reasonably tamper-proof. Additionally the legislative and social penalties for tampering with the odometer already exist. If we want a VMT, establish various weight classes so that the 300lb EV doesn't pay the same VMT as a 4 ton SUV and base it on yearly odometer readings. Simple, easy to administer and free of troubling privacy concerns. It also requires zero retrofitting.

Secondly, I don't think this is the year for the VMT. There is a lot happening this year, we have health care reform, the second depression to scoop ourselves out of and two wars going on. Wait for 2010 for this kind of action, but remove the unnecessary technology, it is just a waste of time and energy.

Nice to have a good White House Press Secretary

I didn't cover the tirade by CNBC's Rick Santelli. Suffice to say, he is a bit over-caffeinated in his self-denial rant on how the collapse is all the homeowner's fault.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addressed the briefing room today regarding Mr. Santelli's rant. It is a nice takedown and also a good example of how education and knowledge now has a place in the White House today. No more belittling reading or expert knowledge, instead we have policy based on facts, research and thought. I have to admit I am pretty happy about this change. By the way, watch the above video to its conclusion, it is more fun that way.