Still Fighting

Activism

Normally, we think petitions against companies do not work. Too many people will simply continue to shop there. But when we came across this, we were a little taken aback. Wal-Mart is a sponsor of Good Morning America's "Only in America" series, a series that features the patriotic and brave stories of so many Americans who make this nation better and stronger. But did you know that 70% of all of Wal-Mart's products are made overseas? Did you know that more than 80% of the 6,000 factories in Wal-Mart’s database of suppliers are in China? In fact, Wal-Mart is the largest importer of Chinese goods in this country, in any industry. In summary, Wal-Mart is about as American as borscht. We encourage you to go to the above link and sign a petition to ABC News President David Westin, asking him to remove Wal-Mart as a sponsor.

News

Bush Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low. Is it catty for us to say that a 45% approval rating is still too high? Speculation runs rampant that the Schiavo case lowered Bush's rating from 52% last month. 59% also believe that the economy is getting worse. Wasn't it a mere three months ago that Bush was praising his "mandate?"

Too Little, Too Late. Even stories that don't involve Terri Schiavo involve Terri Schiavo. For example, last Monday, a 16 year old at a school on an Indian Reservation in Red Lake shot nine people before killing himself. Through Friday, Bush was silent about it, causing a huge outrage throughout the Native America community. Today, Bush apologized, but did himself no favors by doing so. Clyde Bellecourt, a Chippewa Indian who is the founder and national director of the American Indian Movement in Red Lake, was very vocal about Bush's response. "He does not have any problems flying in to restore the feeding tube to Terri Schiavo. I'm sure if this happened in some school in Texas and a bunch of white kids were shot down, he would have been there too." The sad thing is, he's probably right.

U.S. to Sell F-16s to Pakistan. It's gotten so bad that we're not even flummoxed by this. Sure, Pakistan and India have been on the precipice of war for years, and the selling angers the Indians, but we realize Bush is going to do what he wants to do. In this case, he doesn't care about a potential war between two other countries - he simply wants to reward a loyal lapdog with a treat, just as he's done with countless others in his administration (Wolfowitz, Bolton, et al). And if he can make some money out of it, so much the better. Don't mistake our lack of surprise as a lack of anger - this is simply maddening. Rice wants the pat on the back for "solidifying relations with Pakistan and India." We're not sure how she thinks we've done both.

Editorials

A Thin View of "Life." E.J. Dionne Jr. looks at what it actually means to be "pro-life," and how it relates to Terri Schiavo. From Medicaid to Tom DeLay, Republicans are showing a decidedly mixed message, and looking more and more like fools for doing so.

How to Turn Your Red State Blue. This is a little long, but really, what else do you have to do on a Saturday? Christopher Hayes, over at In These Times, has written a fantastic article on growing the Democratic party. He asks and answers, among other questions, "What are progressives doing to win conversions to our faith? Where are our young people on bikes approaching unfamiliar doors? How are we preaching the good news?" Hayes has written a real eye-opening essay here, and we encourage you to read it. Who know, you might be inspired to do work in your neck of the woods!

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!

Activism

Keep the Heat on Bush. In what may very well be considered the biggest blunder of Bush's presidency, the fight of Social Security has left him holding the bag. Democrats unified over this topic (well, most of them, anyway) to send the message that private accounts don't work. Many Americans think so also. But Senators and Congressmen are still getting pressure from those in the public who believe Bush's drivel. Go ton the above link and pledge to support the Democratic Party, which will allow us to continue to spread the truth about Bush's Social Security plan, and deny the Republicans another "fast one."

News

Independent Confirmation. There aren't many people left who believe Bush's spin that we went to Iraq for WMDs. Now, we've got even more proof that the intelligence was couched to make the case for war. Back in 2003, the head of MI6, Britain's uber-effective foreign intelligence agency, told Tony Blair that the U.S.'s case for war in Iraq was "fixed." Richard Dearlove told the Prime Minister that "The facts and intelligence" were being "fixed round the policy" by George W. Bush's administration. As more and more facts leak out about this blatant lie to the world, we still can't understand how anyone can support this President's war. If you're not at all outraged by how we went to war, and how this revelation adds to the 1984-esque society we've become, you really must have some low standards for leadership.

Santorum's About-Face. Continuing to show spite for his constituents, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) voted against an amendment that would give financial assistance to Amtrak, which will have to close down if federal funding isn't provided. A month ago, Santorum promised to fight Bush's plan to eliminate funding for Amtrak. Yet last week he voted against the $1.04 billion allocation. Keep in mind that almost 5 million people in the state of Pennsylvania use Amtrak. The final vote on Amtrak funding was 52-46 against. You can be sure that this will be a key issue for Democrats as Bob Casey Jr. attempts to take Santorum's seat next fall.

And Speaking of Bob Casey Jr...Since being tapped to be the candidate of choice to run against Santorum, Dems have come under fire for Casey's views on abortion. Specifically, he is pro-life. Casey's Democratic record in Pennsylvania isn't an issue - with all other core issues, he is firmly behind the party. Democrats have been accused of "positioning" with candidates like Casey, but the bottom line is that Casey has name recognition over the whole state, is well-liked, and leads Santorum in every poll taken to date. Former head of NARAL Kate Michelman, who opposes Casey's nomination, has said, "Can you imagine recruiting people to run for the Senate with a record of opposition to affirmative action or to Brown v. Board of Education (the 1954 school desegregation decision)?" We think that's a little extreme. Remember, Harry Reid (D-NV) is also against abortion rights, and he has done a more than decent job as Minority Leader of the Senate so far. Although we support NARAL, we also want to win back the Senate. And the House. Oh, and that President thing too, while we're at it. At this point, we need people of conscience, with conviction and leadership, who will fight for American citizens. Casey would be a fantastic step up from Santorum (maybe even a whole staircase), and as long as he generally embraces progressive ideals, he should be supported.

Editorials

Wrong Man for This U.N. Peter Beinart discusses why John Bolton is the wrong man for the U.N., and it's not what you've heard so far. Bolton discusses America's history of putting "mavericks" in the post of U.N. Ambassador, and how it's been appropriate in the past. However, in the past, the U.S.'s role in the U.N. was drastically different than it is now, and Bolton's promotion is the wrong approach to take at this point in time.

Will Republicans Go Nuclear? Harry Reid certainly thinks so, and is prepared to fight back. E.J. Dionne Jr. explains exactly what's going on with the filibuster, and why it's so ludicrous. The issue now is about judges, but don't think that it's going to end there. Also keep in mind that, during Bush's first term, Democrats filibustered a whopping 10 judicial nominees. They merely confirmed 204 others. Those un-American, anti-democratic bastards!

From All Sides. Despite their cowardice, the American media are still free to write what they want. Not so in Iraq, according to Mariah Blake, of the Columbia Journalism Review. Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite network, was the only source of news available from inside Iraq during the 90's, up to 2003. In 2003, with bombs rocking the city, Al Jazeera stayed while all other networks left. Since then, Al Jazeera has been involved in tumultuous war, been shut out of press conferences, had reporters killed by American troops, and had the station threatened by insurgents. The big hit came in June 2004, when the Iraqi interim government created "the Media High Commission. Its reported task was to establish 'red line' rules and punish journalists or news organizations that crossed them." Blake's history is shocking, scary and frustrating. We may detest Tucker Carlson or Robert Novak, but we won't deny their right to speak. If Iraq is to become a real democracy, shouldn't Al Jazeera get the same rights? Or in American's exported versions of democracy, do only those who agree with us get rights?