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December 29, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
Start a Rapid Response Network! We appreciate your readership, and hope that at least from time to time, you take action on items we mention in the blog. But if you're interested in stepping it up a notch, why not form your own small network? This editorial details the ways that you can get your own social network involved and make a difference. Start a small email group, and being writing letters to the editor, calling in to talk shows, and simply making your voices heard. As the article says, "You may not always change minds, but you'll give confidence to other Democrats. Every time you speak out, you make it safer for others to do so." What are you waiting for?
News
Medicare in Trouble. But you already knew that, right? What you didn't know is that Medicare's cost will outstrip Social Security's in 2024. In a presentation on Wednesday, two independent trustees broke the news. Well, actually they did it in a report. During the actual news conference where the report was released, barely a word was spoken on Medicare; the focus was on the other report, on Social Security, which happened to dovetail with Bush's plan. For a President who claims to be so hell-bent on fixing Social Security and helping Americans, ignoring the problems of Medicare is neglectful and hypocritical. But we know better. As it is, we're pleased as punch that Bush is ignoring it - this way, in 2008, a better President will come up with a real plan, because if he were to touch it, he'd probably just make it worse.
Remember the Surplus! 5 years ago, this country was projected to have a budget surplus of $5.6 trillion by 2015. Instead, we face a deficit of $4 trillion, if Congress passes Bush's tax cuts and Social Security plan. Bush has repeatedly said in the past that he doesn't want to pass the problems of today onto future generations (like Social Security), but, if he has his way, he'll solve them by creating an even bigger problem. At this rate, Bush's legacy won't be "Bringing Democracy to the Middle East," and it won't be "Restoring Social Security." It'll be "Leaving the country with its biggest deficit ever," and who really wants that?
Liberals and Conservatives...Working Together? Oh, if only big government would take note. Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, made up of groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union, has been created to push repealing three key sections of the Patriot Act. We're pleased to see these groups come together, because there are parts of the Patriot Act that we find reprehensible. One of the sections they want to repeal is the provision that allows "sneak and peek" searches conducted without a property owner's or resident's knowledge and with warrants delivered afterward. We can't claim to be a nation of freedom, and then simply abandon those freedoms when it's convenient.
Editorials
The Maestro: Living History. The Cunning Realist (TCR), a self-proclaimed "lifelong Conservative with a strong independent streak," is a new Conservative blogger we enjoy reading for his refreshing honesty. TCR only started his blog this month, but he's already caught our eye (his inaugural piece on Social Security shows that even Conservatives can become disillusioned with Bush). TCR's newest post looks at Alan Greenspan, and how he has made the wrong choice at "virtually every important inflection point in his professional career." He then details them. Greenspan has been shown to be more and more a Bush yes-man over the last few months, and his stance on Social Security really clinches it. TCR ends it just as we would: "You should watch and listen to Alan Greenspan as much as possible while he's still around. It's rare one gets a chance like this. He's living history, for he is our John Law---and history will treat him as such."
Every Child Left Behind. One of us works with many people at the U.S. Department of Education, and even he's hard-pressed to find people there who would consider No Child Left Behind (NCLB) anything approaching a success. Consistently underfunded, rejected by over 19 states, and ridiculed by superintendents across the country as needlessly excessive, NCLB has been an unmitigated disaster for the U.S. Department of Education. In the above link, the DNC details the failings of NCLB. And to any naysayers out there, each item has a reference or a link. These days, the Democrats don't need spin - the truth is painful enough.
Where Are the Democrats? C'mon, you didn't think we'd go a whole day without at least tangentially mentioning the Schiavo case, did you? There are a whole host of issues that really anger us regarding this case, but possibly the most frustrating one is the absence of the Democrats on this issue. Richard Cohen provides some of the details in this editorial, but basically, here was an excellent chance for Democrats to have taken a moral stand. What Congress did in this case was flat-out wrong. The lies coming from Frist and DeLay are wrong. Someone needs to stand up for the American people, and for truth and dignity. Where arethe Democrats? Call your Senators and Congressperson and give 'em hell for their silence!
|
December 29, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
Start a Rapid Response Network! We appreciate your readership, and hope that at least from time to time, you take action on items we mention in the blog. But if you're interested in stepping it up a notch, why not form your own small network? This editorial details the ways that you can get your own social network involved and make a difference. Start a small email group, and being writing letters to the editor, calling in to talk shows, and simply making your voices heard. As the article says, "You may not always change minds, but you'll give confidence to other Democrats. Every time you speak out, you make it safer for others to do so." What are you waiting for?
News
Medicare in Trouble. But you already knew that, right? What you didn't know is that Medicare's cost will outstrip Social Security's in 2024. In a presentation on Wednesday, two independent trustees broke the news. Well, actually they did it in a report. During the actual news conference where the report was released, barely a word was spoken on Medicare; the focus was on the other report, on Social Security, which happened to dovetail with Bush's plan. For a President who claims to be so hell-bent on fixing Social Security and helping Americans, ignoring the problems of Medicare is neglectful and hypocritical. But we know better. As it is, we're pleased as punch that Bush is ignoring it - this way, in 2008, a better President will come up with a real plan, because if he were to touch it, he'd probably just make it worse.
Remember the Surplus! 5 years ago, this country was projected to have a budget surplus of $5.6 trillion by 2015. Instead, we face a deficit of $4 trillion, if Congress passes Bush's tax cuts and Social Security plan. Bush has repeatedly said in the past that he doesn't want to pass the problems of today onto future generations (like Social Security), but, if he has his way, he'll solve them by creating an even bigger problem. At this rate, Bush's legacy won't be "Bringing Democracy to the Middle East," and it won't be "Restoring Social Security." It'll be "Leaving the country with its biggest deficit ever," and who really wants that?
Liberals and Conservatives...Working Together? Oh, if only big government would take note. Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, made up of groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union, has been created to push repealing three key sections of the Patriot Act. We're pleased to see these groups come together, because there are parts of the Patriot Act that we find reprehensible. One of the sections they want to repeal is the provision that allows "sneak and peek" searches conducted without a property owner's or resident's knowledge and with warrants delivered afterward. We can't claim to be a nation of freedom, and then simply abandon those freedoms when it's convenient.
Editorials
The Maestro: Living History. The Cunning Realist (TCR), a self-proclaimed "lifelong Conservative with a strong independent streak," is a new Conservative blogger we enjoy reading for his refreshing honesty. TCR only started his blog this month, but he's already caught our eye (his inaugural piece on Social Security shows that even Conservatives can become disillusioned with Bush). TCR's newest post looks at Alan Greenspan, and how he has made the wrong choice at "virtually every important inflection point in his professional career." He then details them. Greenspan has been shown to be more and more a Bush yes-man over the last few months, and his stance on Social Security really clinches it. TCR ends it just as we would: "You should watch and listen to Alan Greenspan as much as possible while he's still around. It's rare one gets a chance like this. He's living history, for he is our John Law---and history will treat him as such."
Every Child Left Behind. One of us works with many people at the U.S. Department of Education, and even he's hard-pressed to find people there who would consider No Child Left Behind (NCLB) anything approaching a success. Consistently underfunded, rejected by over 19 states, and ridiculed by superintendents across the country as needlessly excessive, NCLB has been an unmitigated disaster for the U.S. Department of Education. In the above link, the DNC details the failings of NCLB. And to any naysayers out there, each item has a reference or a link. These days, the Democrats don't need spin - the truth is painful enough.
Where Are the Democrats? C'mon, you didn't think we'd go a whole day without at least tangentially mentioning the Schiavo case, did you? There are a whole host of issues that really anger us regarding this case, but possibly the most frustrating one is the absence of the Democrats on this issue. Richard Cohen provides some of the details in this editorial, but basically, here was an excellent chance for Democrats to have taken a moral stand. What Congress did in this case was flat-out wrong. The lies coming from Frist and DeLay are wrong. Someone needs to stand up for the American people, and for truth and dignity. Where arethe Democrats? Call your Senators and Congressperson and give 'em hell for their silence!
|
December 29, 2005
Start a Rapid Response Network! We appreciate your readership, and hope that at least from time to time, you take action on items we mention in the blog. But if you're interested in stepping it up a notch, why not form your own small network? This editorial details the ways that you can get your own social network involved and make a difference. Start a small email group, and being writing letters to the editor, calling in to talk shows, and simply making your voices heard. As the article says, "You may not always change minds, but you'll give confidence to other Democrats. Every time you speak out, you make it safer for others to do so." What are you waiting for?
News
Medicare in Trouble. But you already knew that, right? What you didn't know is that Medicare's cost will outstrip Social Security's in 2024. In a presentation on Wednesday, two independent trustees broke the news. Well, actually they did it in a report. During the actual news conference where the report was released, barely a word was spoken on Medicare; the focus was on the other report, on Social Security, which happened to dovetail with Bush's plan. For a President who claims to be so hell-bent on fixing Social Security and helping Americans, ignoring the problems of Medicare is neglectful and hypocritical. But we know better. As it is, we're pleased as punch that Bush is ignoring it - this way, in 2008, a better President will come up with a real plan, because if he were to touch it, he'd probably just make it worse.
Remember the Surplus! 5 years ago, this country was projected to have a budget surplus of $5.6 trillion by 2015. Instead, we face a deficit of $4 trillion, if Congress passes Bush's tax cuts and Social Security plan. Bush has repeatedly said in the past that he doesn't want to pass the problems of today onto future generations (like Social Security), but, if he has his way, he'll solve them by creating an even bigger problem. At this rate, Bush's legacy won't be "Bringing Democracy to the Middle East," and it won't be "Restoring Social Security." It'll be "Leaving the country with its biggest deficit ever," and who really wants that?
Liberals and Conservatives...Working Together? Oh, if only big government would take note. Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, made up of groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union, has been created to push repealing three key sections of the Patriot Act. We're pleased to see these groups come together, because there are parts of the Patriot Act that we find reprehensible. One of the sections they want to repeal is the provision that allows "sneak and peek" searches conducted without a property owner's or resident's knowledge and with warrants delivered afterward. We can't claim to be a nation of freedom, and then simply abandon those freedoms when it's convenient.
Editorials
The Maestro: Living History. The Cunning Realist (TCR), a self-proclaimed "lifelong Conservative with a strong independent streak," is a new Conservative blogger we enjoy reading for his refreshing honesty. TCR only started his blog this month, but he's already caught our eye (his inaugural piece on Social Security shows that even Conservatives can become disillusioned with Bush). TCR's newest post looks at Alan Greenspan, and how he has made the wrong choice at "virtually every important inflection point in his professional career." He then details them. Greenspan has been shown to be more and more a Bush yes-man over the last few months, and his stance on Social Security really clinches it. TCR ends it just as we would: "You should watch and listen to Alan Greenspan as much as possible while he's still around. It's rare one gets a chance like this. He's living history, for he is our John Law---and history will treat him as such."
Every Child Left Behind. One of us works with many people at the U.S. Department of Education, and even he's hard-pressed to find people there who would consider No Child Left Behind (NCLB) anything approaching a success. Consistently underfunded, rejected by over 19 states, and ridiculed by superintendents across the country as needlessly excessive, NCLB has been an unmitigated disaster for the U.S. Department of Education. In the above link, the DNC details the failings of NCLB. And to any naysayers out there, each item has a reference or a link. These days, the Democrats don't need spin - the truth is painful enough.
Where Are the Democrats? C'mon, you didn't think we'd go a whole day without at least tangentially mentioning the Schiavo case, did you? There are a whole host of issues that really anger us regarding this case, but possibly the most frustrating one is the absence of the Democrats on this issue. Richard Cohen provides some of the details in this editorial, but basically, here was an excellent chance for Democrats to have taken a moral stand. What Congress did in this case was flat-out wrong. The lies coming from Frist and DeLay are wrong. Someone needs to stand up for the American people, and for truth and dignity. Where arethe Democrats? Call your Senators and Congressperson and give 'em hell for their silence!
