It has been an age since I have written here or anywhere about politics. The why? I could say it was because I am busy, but the truth is I have always been too busy, even back when I was writing more than a post a day.

I am actually disheartened. The anti everything movement is so ugly and hateful. And our own progressive movement is fighting so much amongst ourselves that I just feel overwhelmed. Today I woke up to read that tea baggers called John Lewis a nigger today, and that members of congress were spat upon. Is that what we have come to? How can any of this be resolved in any sensible way? What will become of our country if the haters manage to stop us from fixing what is killing us.

I had dinner the other night at a wine event. One of the attendees after getting fairly buzzed started going on about healthcare in the usa/ He said that Health care is a commodity and those who can afford it deserve it and forget about the others. He really believed that. I asked about people who were going bankrupt or losing their homes because of medical expenses and he said that it was just the way it is and not his problem. What can you say to people like that? how can we move forward if we can't agree that stopping suffering is an obligation we owe to our fellow humans? What can we do if that is the frame we are working within?

Anyway, I am still engaged in the battle, and I am going to get back on the horse I hope and start writing again. Hope there are still some readers out there who will stop by. I miss you guys.

I have not given up hope yet, and this is not a good bye cruel world post. BUT I am struggling to see where we go from here? thoughts?

IN my inbox today I got a glimpse of a piece I had actually already read about- and it was interesting watching what happened to that story over a number of hours over at the New York Times.

Yesterday I heard through an NPR news source that because one man filed a complaint in Jakarta about a statue of Barack Obama as a boy- the statue would be moved from a public park to the school where Pres. Obama went as a young student. The person who filed the complaint with the gov. raised awareness about his concerns via facebook. And his concerns were two fold. 1. the public park should be used to celebrate local heroes, and 2. Jakarta doesn't always like the way the USA does things so maybe this statue would send a message that Indonesia was too close to the Obama administration. All seemed reasonable. They moved the statue, the guy dropped the complaint- though he bitched a little that it took too long.

Then in my mailbox this morning under my news alerts I see this headline from the NYT;
"After Outcry in Indonesia, Obama Statue Is Evicted"

catchy.

See how they make it into and OUTCRY, see how they make it sound like Obama is hated there- kicked out. And the use of the word evicted is another swipe at class, poverty and racial stereotypes.

Then when I went to the story an hour or so later- presto changeo the headline was cleaned up to read "After Complaints in Indonesia, Obama Statue Is Moved"

Now I applaud the changing of the headline to a real live news headline but I wonder at the first version. The headline and photos set the tone of the story. Also the original story I read via NPR had a quote from the school being very excited to receive the statue and a sense that everything had be solved amicably. I find it fascinating to watch the media spin, hide their spin, and then spin again.

There was also this catchy little racially stereotyped headline today over at the Canada Free Press. "Barack Obama: Robin Hood or Robbin’ Hood?"

nice.

What follows that little headline is a politically charged rant fueled by what Stephen Colbert would call lots of "truthiness." And this is a news media outlet not a right wing blog.


Sickening really. And this is one of the problems that we have not even begun to solve over the last 9 years.

No one said any of this was going to be easy. BUT damn.

So each day I wonder, where has my political fervor gone? I worked my ass off from 2002 till last year. Not a day went by where I did not do something political. And I mean way beyond blogging. Registering voters, making phone calls, going on political trips to learn more and do more. I worked on the Dean Campaign, The Kerry Campaign, The 2006 midterms and the Obama Campaign. I wrote, cried, and shed a lot of blood sweat and tears.

But summer 2009 till now... it has been the hardest ever. I just feel my will weakening under so many disappointments. And I ask myself. Do I want it enough? I mean nothing is going our way fast enough and the voices of the progressive movement are being shouted down in every arena.

Do we want it enough?

What is IT?

It is the whole deal... social justice, human rights, peace, health care, civil rights, women's rights, a sane world where science is real and religion is between you and your god.

That is IT. And what is clear is that if we want IT> we are going to have to keep working. Because "they" don't want it, or don't understand it, or are too afraid of it. And we are the only things slowing the slide into crazy land. Really I don't want to diminish the humans on the right but it is crazy...

a snapshot of what they believe...and do.


Declaring how our great health care system is and resisting change as we slip into nationwide medical bankruptcy and hover at the low 30's in quality health care.

Denying climate change as DC gets more snow than they have had in over 100 years and other places see record rains, drought, heat, hurricanes, etc.

Denying evolution as the rest of the world celebrates the life and contributions of Darwin.

Shouting at Tea Party rallies as families lose their homes.

Yammering on about founding fathers and the consitution as the highest court in the land grants unlimited election influence to corporations with money and limits voting access to regular Americans with election fraud claims and voter discrimination laws.

Taking control of a woman's body while women make advances around the world and lead many nations into the new decade.

Those are just some of the choices. I am sure we can all name more. That is what they want. Do we want to stop them?

Do we want it enough?

If the answer is yes, then we damn well better figure out how to get the Dems to do what is right as they are the only choice we have right now. We better force that spinal transplant any way we can.

And I better get back to political action each and every day. I better find the will to keep on fighting. How about you?

The senate sucks.

Not much else to say about that except that if something doesn't change soon then we are sure to get to hell in that hand-basket faster - oh and we will lose a record number of seats in the august most deliberative body in the country. (and the house)

It is going to suck. Almost as much as they do.

almost

Howard Dean went on the Rachel Maddow show and kicked some major butt calling for the Dems to get a spine transplant. Basically in 2004 when the pubs were going on and on about the nuclear option- they were complaining about the abusive democrats. The dems at the time had used the filibuster 50 some times... in the first year of the Obama Administration those conservative filibuster hating gop' ers have used the filibuster option more than 100 times. Blocking absolutely everything. And instead of going nuclear- the dems are sitting back and whimpering. As usual.

So what is next?
What can the progressive base do if our leaders sell us down the river for a wink and a smile that they might do some bipartisan deal making in the future?

do we have any options left?

So, I've been off the blog for a bit- trapped briefly in DC during snows and the DNC meeting. Back now to regular life.

Great news about the Saints!
Sick to Death of Sarah Palin.
Lot's to do for work and future planning.

The trip to DC was good. Frustrating. But good.

I am hoping to see some movement and some legislation on the horizon.

So what have you all been up to?

I haven't posted up any music in a long long time. But I heard these guys today and they blew my socks off!

The embed is disabled on youtube but if you go here you can listen. Let me know what you think.

Sonos
Cover- I want you back

Much much worse than the hysteria over the MA election (and the wrong lessons learned on that) this week is the news of the supreme court decision yesterday to roll back big provisions in McCain Feingold campaign finance reform and open the door to huge money from corporations that will be used to unfairly affect elections.

A divided Supreme Court on Thursday swept away decades of legislative efforts to limit the role of corporations in election campaigns...

The court split 5 to 4 over the ruling, with its conservative members in the majority.

The decision upends the court's precedent that corporations may not use their profits to support or oppose candidates, and it rejects a large portion of the so-called McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act that the justices had declared constitutional just six years ago. It seems likely to apply to the political role of labor unions as well. Washington Post

The vote broke on ideological lines with the 5 remaining conservative justices (hacks) voting to reverse the restrictions. On the more sane side of the bench Justice Stevens gave a scathing dissent speech for over 20 mins. Putting this horrible decision in historical perspective.

The White House also immediately spoke out against this decision President Obama calling it

a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics" and represents "a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.

This, ladies and gents, is the Big Bad. And it gets worse from here. This is the long lasting effect of presidential power and Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II did truly stack the deck against all Americans. Truly this is a start of worse things to come, in a big way and I think there is little that regular folks can do.

The arc of the universe bends towards the sane (=justice). Remember when Connecticut voters brought Lieberman back to life? Yes, I know he is a thorn in our side to this moment. But he's a diminishing thorn. And, most importantly, just like sane voters recognized their mistake in voting Bush in again in 2004, and Connecticut sane voters have recognized their mistake in voting Lieberman back in, Massachusetts' sane voters will figure it out when they see who Scott Brown is, what he stands for, and the people he has around him.

The arc of the universe will bend towards justice. I'm sad and disappointed in Mass. voters, but I also understand that many folks don't know where to turn with their anger and frustration at banksters and health gangsters and the like, and so take what seems to be the easy way out via a guy with a pretty shell and ignore the rancid core (or worse, the minority who agree with him). I also understand that the fired up progressives let our disappointment and lack of patience take us down the dopey road, in this particular election. Yeah, complain like crazy, but campaign like crazy at the same time.

But this puts lots of useful stuff in stark relief.

First: it's clear to me that Mass. voters will speak again - this is not the last election of the state's lifetime folks. And the backlash, which will come from real experience with this Brown person, will be beautiful, and real enough to stick. Pain now, for intense progressive pleasure later. I don't like it, but sometimes, it's necessary. Huh, one could almost say that mine is a 'conservative' view on this;-)

Second: while the President and some in Congress have made good political moves, in terms of pissing off the base they've miscalculated. Ultimately, it's not Rahm Emanuel's or the Blue Dogs fault: it's the President's and Majority Leader Reid's: this loss lies at their feet. The base is a lot more important, and a lot bigger, than they realized - or hoped for. And we, the base, are also responsible: our smart, principled bickering led us astray. Surely, we realize now that making sure Democrats are everywhere and ensuring the better Democrats get elected are job one for us: and we have to do both at once. Well, if we didn't get that before, this experience should help do the trick. Shades of 2004.

But here's where I trust that my President is a smart man, and he doesn't like to lose, least of all this seat of his dear friend. I think this loss is going to fuel a serious internal review of what went wrong and why. And, progressives (his fired up base) and the majority of the American people who are sane (the vast majority who brought him the Presidency), are going to benefit from that in the long run, though that may seem unlikely now.

And here's where I trust the American majority. We voted in this remarkable president. Our disappointments notwithstanding, it was still the right choice. We're going to suffer for a while longer, because many of us didn't realize that bitching has to also be accompanied by standing up in your precinct, and going to Town Halls, and engaging neighbors and all the rest of the constant outreach and persuasion that opens people's eyes to our side. Progressives have no choice but to multitask if we're going to be effective at all.

Hey, ya know what? I'm a Deaniac. I understand the disappointment of seeing where things could have gone and seeing them temporarily shut down. But I also was trained in the fire of a modern grassroots campaign and I see what Gov. Dean is doing now, despite being dissed by the administration (um, y'all might want to remedy that, Mr. President. Gov. Dean gets it, in a way that many of the most prominent people in your cabinet don't seem to). Not only does he not give up. He doesn't go away. He keeps his eyes on the original prize: a sane, healthy, fair, intelligent, compassionate nation, whose power comes from those very qualities. He doesn't give up, and I won't either.

Third-and this is why this insanity is temporary and sanity is inevitable: the American electorate is changing, and changing fast - from the kinds of people who could gleefully vote in a Scott Brown or a Joe Lieberman or a Mr. YouLah!, the electorate is getting smarter, more aware, younger-minded, and more diverse. People who lie like they do, who hate like they do, who are corporate-fueled without any hint of people-power like they are, are on the way out. I don't mean it's all going to be unicorns and butterflies laced with kitten smiles. I mean that the large group of Americans who vote is going to weigh the results of this vote, and President Obama and Leader Reid are going to look at the base and understand at least in part where they went wrong, Senate comity and DLC stupidity notwithstanding. The bad consequences of this election are going to be clearer and clearer as Sen. Brown lies and tries to legislate his agenda. You know he will, we can count on that: or the 'baggers will put someone more rabid up to run against him, and I bet he knows that. The sane, but angry and not as politically involved Mass. voters who voted for him are going to be more than ready to vote him out, so it'll be a short tenure. As the netroots, we need to be ready to help them do that and to make sure they understand the consequences of his every breath. He will be a favorite cautionary tale. And we need to help identify a real progressive who deserves Uncle Ted's seat. And all the sane folks need to do it right this time, myself very much included, all the way up to Pres. Obama. Not scrambling at the last minute. But fighting for every inch, for every step, for every gain. I'm not religious at all, but that's the kind of constant fervor we need to deploy. We are in a real fight for the soul of America. At the micro level, the macro level and everywhere in between, we need to play a longer game than the right wing, and fight to win next time.

Ok, I am no fan of Sen. Harry Reid, Majority Leader of the Senate. But this is just crazy. His remarks were unfortunate but it was more a product of his age than his inclinations or intent which are clearly shown in his service and policies. And for people in our government to go so haywire over it after releasing the SAME language in the 2010 census is just crazy.

Here are the basics in the arguments about using Negro in the census.

But the 2010 census forms mailed out last week still include the term "Negro" as an option for respondents to choose for their ethnic identity, which some contend is outdated and could be confusing or offensive....

Census officials say they are simply trying to make sure they get the best count and not exclude blacks who might not identify with the term "black" or "African-American," which are also listed as ethnic choices on the census form.

In the last census count a decade ago, 56,175 respondents wrote in the term "Negro" in response to the question of race, even though the term was included in the category label for a check box, according to Census Bureau spokeswoman Catherine Crusan.- Chattanooga Free Times Press.

Words matter for sure.

But really, can the same people keep this offensive word on the census explaining that it is an age thing, then not understand that Harry Reid used the word in the context of his comments because of his age? I don't condone it- and Harry should get out more and understand the modern world- he'd be a better majority leader if he did. But he was saying this in the context of electability- and it was dumb but he apologized, President Obama accepted. The intent was not at all like that behind the racist comments of Trent Lott who basically felt like Jim Crowe was good and if we'd just go back to those good old days of racism and segregation then everything would be so much better!

There are so many real problems out there, Including terrible expressions of racism, so many people who use words and actions to hurt other people. Do we really have time to go 20 rounds on this?

Haiti suffered "massive and broad" destruction from the devastating earthquakes which may result in large number of casualties, including UN peacekeepers still unaccounted for, the UN mission in Haiti said Wednesday. Fifty to 100 UN staff remained unaccounted for a day after the earthquake, said Vicznezo Pugliese, spokesman for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Separate reports say the dead included soldiers from Brazil, China and Jordan.- spokesperson from The UN from EarthTimes

The horrors of this mag.7 earthquake are going to be difficult to comprehend and get our heads around over the next week. This one was beyond bad and it hit a population already suffering. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to all the vicitims, their families, and all the people of Haiti. To send help you can read more at the White House homepage.

I was thinking of some follow up comments to yesterday's Palin-Fox-Palooza news but then David Rees did my updating for me. enjoy.

In breaking news that surprised no one...

Gov. Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum, and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the Fox News lineup,” Bill Shine, the network’s executive vice president of programming, said in a statement.

“I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News,” Palin said. “It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news. LA Times

ah yes, Fair and Balanced, right. Just like Snowbilly Sarah. Fair, Balanced and so Intelligent that she can't remember Joe Biden's last name. Fox just became that much more evil and the black hole in the news media got that much larger.

Her first appearance will be, of course, on the O'reilly factor on Tuesday night. At least, given her track record, she will probably quit before she finishes her first contract. We can hope. Not that I will ever see her on Fox mind you- but even the clips on the daily show and colbert will be more than I can take. sigh

In a pretty interesting turn of events, FORD is unveiling new aps for their cars at the Consumer Electronics Soow this week. One is an ap that will read your twitter feed aloud to you as you drive - so now instead of bookshon tape we can listen to the rants and raves of our friends in 142 character sound bites as we commute.

I think this is an interesting idea but the problem I see upfront is that twitter has gotten less narrative and humurous overtime and has gotten to be more of a quick way to share interesting links and news which will not really read that well aloud. Plus inquring minds want to know- does it have the HAL voice of the KIT voice from Knightrider?

Pelosi says that the senate and house are close to resolving and presenting a final bill. But she says just a few small things remain up for discussion including the public option and abortion provisions... yeah right... just those two teeny tiny issues that are so easy to agree on.

I have to admit I have completely lost hope for the public option. I don't get congress. 75% of americans wanted it. There was plenty of political support for it. But no. we can't seem to get anything that is just plain good for the american people. It was an OPTION folks. We were not asking to mandate a public plan, but offering to give people a chance to choose it and make the insurance companies actually compete for health care dollars. What a bad idea. feh. I am sick and tired of the whole thing.

Secret Service officials are looking into an incident in Plains Georgia. Apparently an effigy of President Obama was found hanging by a noose in front of the "welcome" to the city sign downtown. Hatred is ugly, racism is ugly, sexism is ugly and they all lead no where but to a worse world.

The right wing crazies don't have a corner on this market sadly as I remembered this morning that right around halloween during the campaign last year some guys in California had an out door display at their home featuring a doll-version of Sarah Palin hanging from a noose. But of course nooses in the south and race have a different weight and measure that should be considered.

Gratifying to know the Secret Service is looking into this and will hopefully be paying a visit to someone who needs a real intervention moment in their lives.

It turns out that the entrenched special interests are still stronger than all of us put together. The divide and conquer and fearmongering strategy still distracts us and misinforms. The big pharma and insurers are still in the driver's seat. SO discourgaing. I am worried for all my friends and family in the usa and worried for myself if I ever have a chance to move back home.

Everyone keeps saying we should be happy with this bill as a starting point. But it seems to me it too little too late. I don't mean to be pessimistic but living in a place where healthcare is provided and provided easily and affordably I just don't understand why we can't put people first.

I read a great piece in the New Yorker, just an editorial that basically made the case that if we get rid of the pre-existing conditions then we really don't need private insurers at all since they make all their money in the gambling game of risk assesment. Overweight older people higher risk- charge more... young healthy 20 something less risk charge less. If you get rid of this cruel profiteering on people's health and provide better preventitive care, better food education and design a system where healthcare is based on making people healthy not making billions in profits then we really do not need the insurance industry at all. But watching people freak out over government health care has been sobering and sad. I don't get the disconnect. the USA is 37th in the world in healthcare and still people say we can't change the system because our healthcare is the BEST dammit and if we let the government get involved in helping to care for people we won't be the best anymore... What the hell can we do in the face of such delusional lack of logic?

I hope this bill is a forward flag in the ground as my friend told me last week. But I am concerned that it is just more settling for less than we need. Time will tell.

painting from Art By Delilah

Not sure where I saw it, but one of the papers was running the end of 2009 issue with the headline, "well... THAT sucked!" and I kind of concur. It will be nice to turn a new page on the calendar and move into a new year/ new decade/ new time. Don`t get me wrong, lots of cool things happened in 2009 but truth be told, in balance it was a very very hard year here in chez gator.

So, that takes us to the new decade. What will come of 2010? It is likely to be a hard year politically if the dems don`t really try to change the way business is done in the beltway. And the bills we are passing, have passed have been watered down versions of their better angels.

It is likely to get slightly better economically but to still be a slog of financial stresses for most regular people. For me, I am hoping it is a less roller-coaster year. What about you?

I`ve got lots to say post my christmas journey back to the USA- but today the jetlag is high and motivation is low, so I just want to say to all of you- Happy New Year to you and yours, and here is to a bit of "more" for 2010

more time to write
more time to get a bit more organized
more good adventures making memories
more progressive gains in politics
more love, laughter and fellowship.

Cheers!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I have a new mulled wine recipe, and we found a source for egg nog, way over here in Japan! We'll be leaving to go to NYC and Pa. later this week. Can't wait!

How are your holiday preparations going? Do tell...

Winding down 2009 is an emotional experience, that is certain. This has been one hell of a roller coaster year. From the heady experience of going to Inaugration with 2,000,000 other people high on hope, to the closing of the restaurant I worked for, to the opening of my own company, money stress, economic collapse, the tea-bagger summer, the wars, the slow disasterous weakening of the health care bill... it has been exhausting.

I don't know about you all, but for me reading about the senate has become one of the saddests and most frustrating things that I do. How can we be getting so little done for american people AND be in charge of the house the senate AND the White House???

And then there are the folks on the right- the racists, the crazies, the confused and the top of the heap are the malicious ones using fear and hate to hold together their diminshing base. Climate denial on the rise, Sarah Palin running around the country whipping up the birthers again, gun toting racists at political rallies... I swear it is enough to drive a progressive off the cliff.

The Nobel speech this week was great. Maybe it is aspirational but I want to believe that this first year was one of transition and then we will really work on the change and progressive improvement part in the coming year. Whatever the case I am more than eager to leave 2009 behind.