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December 29, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Tuesday's Links
(Sorry for the shorter post today - we'll be back in full-on "Still Fighting" mode tomorrow.)
Activism
Tell Washington to Get Serious About Iraq. It's nice to send Washington petitions that tell them what we think. But it's all too easy for them to blow those petitions off, and do whatever the hell they want. So sometimes, we need to up the ante. This is more than a petition; it's a pledge. It says that you will only support candidates that acknowledge that the U.S. was misled into the war in Iraq, advocate for a responsible exit plan with a timeline, and support our troops at home and abroad. Maybe this'll be the kick in the butt that Democrats need to start fighting back. If not, maybe we'll take our votes elsewhere. (Green Party? Independents? Unsung primary challengers?)
News
Senator: Charges possible over Williams contract. We're pretty sure you remember the issue where Armstrong Williams, a supposedly independant commentator, was paid by the Department of Education to tout No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately for Bush, we live in a democracy, where there's actually a ban on "covert propaganda". So, it seems that charges might actually be filed in this case, at least according to Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Sometimes, it seems like it might just be a coincidence that all of these scandals are hitting now, but you have to wonder if the timing's actually intentional. Sure, the Bushies probably thought they'd never be caught, but they likely also figured that if they were eventually caught, at least all of their criminal activity would have guaranteed Bush's re-election by that time. These people should pay for their callous contempt for our country's principles and its citizens, and they should be made an example of, so these kinds of abuses never happen again.
Editorials
The Big Squeeze. We often mention how the middle- and lower-class are being screwed by conservative policies, as if it's just a basic fact of life. Well, along comes Paul Krugman with a very specific example of how the middle-class is being squeezed. Delphi, the parts Division of General Motors, is cutting wages. Meanwhile, dividends were payed to investors, while workers' pensions were neglected. And, of course, large severance packages were given to executives. And these changes may not just affect Delphi workers: "If Delphi slashes wages and defaults on its pension obligations, the rest of the auto industry may well be tempted - or forced - to do the same." The middle class, formerly the backbone of America, is now being squeezed out of existence.
Government's Disgrace. Following Krugman's article, here's some more detail from the Washington Post about what's going on with pension legislation. It seems that time and time again, our politicians are either too corrupt (Republicans) or cowardly (Democrats) to tackle important issues that affect all Americans. If you can, read the editorial and follow the tale of actual progressive legislation proposed by the Bush Administration: "It just says that companies making pension promises ought to fund them properly and that they should pay the government a fair insurance premium for guaranteeing benefits." Makes sense, right? So then cringe with disgust about how this sensible legislation got bogged down in partisan maneuvering and interest-group manipulation.
Blogger Commentary
Gephardt on Iraq: "I was wrong". Holy crap! Gephardt admitted he was wrong! He's a flip-flopper! A weakling! It's a good thing he didn't win the Presidential nomination, a man who can admit he was wrong. We don't want anyone like that in the White House. Obviously, we're just kidding. Maybe it's too little, too late, but we prefer to think of it as a nice start. Read the entire post to see how Democrats were fooled (and allowed themselves to be fooled) into supporting the Iraq war. But Gephart utters the magic words that can bring back this country and hopefully the Democratic party from the brink. Of course, Gephart's not in power any more, but maybe those that still hope to have some can learn from him. As Yahoo reports, Pro-War Votes May Haunt Democrats. But we'd like to believe that if they'd just go the Gephart route (are you listening, Hillary?), most, if not all, would be forgiven.
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December 29, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Tuesday's Links
(Sorry for the shorter post today - we'll be back in full-on "Still Fighting" mode tomorrow.)
Activism
Tell Washington to Get Serious About Iraq. It's nice to send Washington petitions that tell them what we think. But it's all too easy for them to blow those petitions off, and do whatever the hell they want. So sometimes, we need to up the ante. This is more than a petition; it's a pledge. It says that you will only support candidates that acknowledge that the U.S. was misled into the war in Iraq, advocate for a responsible exit plan with a timeline, and support our troops at home and abroad. Maybe this'll be the kick in the butt that Democrats need to start fighting back. If not, maybe we'll take our votes elsewhere. (Green Party? Independents? Unsung primary challengers?)
News
Senator: Charges possible over Williams contract. We're pretty sure you remember the issue where Armstrong Williams, a supposedly independant commentator, was paid by the Department of Education to tout No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately for Bush, we live in a democracy, where there's actually a ban on "covert propaganda". So, it seems that charges might actually be filed in this case, at least according to Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Sometimes, it seems like it might just be a coincidence that all of these scandals are hitting now, but you have to wonder if the timing's actually intentional. Sure, the Bushies probably thought they'd never be caught, but they likely also figured that if they were eventually caught, at least all of their criminal activity would have guaranteed Bush's re-election by that time. These people should pay for their callous contempt for our country's principles and its citizens, and they should be made an example of, so these kinds of abuses never happen again.
Editorials
The Big Squeeze. We often mention how the middle- and lower-class are being screwed by conservative policies, as if it's just a basic fact of life. Well, along comes Paul Krugman with a very specific example of how the middle-class is being squeezed. Delphi, the parts Division of General Motors, is cutting wages. Meanwhile, dividends were payed to investors, while workers' pensions were neglected. And, of course, large severance packages were given to executives. And these changes may not just affect Delphi workers: "If Delphi slashes wages and defaults on its pension obligations, the rest of the auto industry may well be tempted - or forced - to do the same." The middle class, formerly the backbone of America, is now being squeezed out of existence.
Government's Disgrace. Following Krugman's article, here's some more detail from the Washington Post about what's going on with pension legislation. It seems that time and time again, our politicians are either too corrupt (Republicans) or cowardly (Democrats) to tackle important issues that affect all Americans. If you can, read the editorial and follow the tale of actual progressive legislation proposed by the Bush Administration: "It just says that companies making pension promises ought to fund them properly and that they should pay the government a fair insurance premium for guaranteeing benefits." Makes sense, right? So then cringe with disgust about how this sensible legislation got bogged down in partisan maneuvering and interest-group manipulation.
Blogger Commentary
Gephardt on Iraq: "I was wrong". Holy crap! Gephardt admitted he was wrong! He's a flip-flopper! A weakling! It's a good thing he didn't win the Presidential nomination, a man who can admit he was wrong. We don't want anyone like that in the White House. Obviously, we're just kidding. Maybe it's too little, too late, but we prefer to think of it as a nice start. Read the entire post to see how Democrats were fooled (and allowed themselves to be fooled) into supporting the Iraq war. But Gephart utters the magic words that can bring back this country and hopefully the Democratic party from the brink. Of course, Gephart's not in power any more, but maybe those that still hope to have some can learn from him. As Yahoo reports, Pro-War Votes May Haunt Democrats. But we'd like to believe that if they'd just go the Gephart route (are you listening, Hillary?), most, if not all, would be forgiven.
|
December 29, 2005
Activism
Tell Washington to Get Serious About Iraq. It's nice to send Washington petitions that tell them what we think. But it's all too easy for them to blow those petitions off, and do whatever the hell they want. So sometimes, we need to up the ante. This is more than a petition; it's a pledge. It says that you will only support candidates that acknowledge that the U.S. was misled into the war in Iraq, advocate for a responsible exit plan with a timeline, and support our troops at home and abroad. Maybe this'll be the kick in the butt that Democrats need to start fighting back. If not, maybe we'll take our votes elsewhere. (Green Party? Independents? Unsung primary challengers?)
News
Senator: Charges possible over Williams contract. We're pretty sure you remember the issue where Armstrong Williams, a supposedly independant commentator, was paid by the Department of Education to tout No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately for Bush, we live in a democracy, where there's actually a ban on "covert propaganda". So, it seems that charges might actually be filed in this case, at least according to Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Sometimes, it seems like it might just be a coincidence that all of these scandals are hitting now, but you have to wonder if the timing's actually intentional. Sure, the Bushies probably thought they'd never be caught, but they likely also figured that if they were eventually caught, at least all of their criminal activity would have guaranteed Bush's re-election by that time. These people should pay for their callous contempt for our country's principles and its citizens, and they should be made an example of, so these kinds of abuses never happen again.
Editorials
The Big Squeeze. We often mention how the middle- and lower-class are being screwed by conservative policies, as if it's just a basic fact of life. Well, along comes Paul Krugman with a very specific example of how the middle-class is being squeezed. Delphi, the parts Division of General Motors, is cutting wages. Meanwhile, dividends were payed to investors, while workers' pensions were neglected. And, of course, large severance packages were given to executives. And these changes may not just affect Delphi workers: "If Delphi slashes wages and defaults on its pension obligations, the rest of the auto industry may well be tempted - or forced - to do the same." The middle class, formerly the backbone of America, is now being squeezed out of existence.
Government's Disgrace. Following Krugman's article, here's some more detail from the Washington Post about what's going on with pension legislation. It seems that time and time again, our politicians are either too corrupt (Republicans) or cowardly (Democrats) to tackle important issues that affect all Americans. If you can, read the editorial and follow the tale of actual progressive legislation proposed by the Bush Administration: "It just says that companies making pension promises ought to fund them properly and that they should pay the government a fair insurance premium for guaranteeing benefits." Makes sense, right? So then cringe with disgust about how this sensible legislation got bogged down in partisan maneuvering and interest-group manipulation.
Blogger Commentary
Gephardt on Iraq: "I was wrong". Holy crap! Gephardt admitted he was wrong! He's a flip-flopper! A weakling! It's a good thing he didn't win the Presidential nomination, a man who can admit he was wrong. We don't want anyone like that in the White House. Obviously, we're just kidding. Maybe it's too little, too late, but we prefer to think of it as a nice start. Read the entire post to see how Democrats were fooled (and allowed themselves to be fooled) into supporting the Iraq war. But Gephart utters the magic words that can bring back this country and hopefully the Democratic party from the brink. Of course, Gephart's not in power any more, but maybe those that still hope to have some can learn from him. As Yahoo reports, Pro-War Votes May Haunt Democrats. But we'd like to believe that if they'd just go the Gephart route (are you listening, Hillary?), most, if not all, would be forgiven.
