Yes, I know I haven’t written in a minute. But as I often tell my friends and my three or four fans (and yes that includes my mother..lol) I refuse to write just for the sake of writing. No matter how hard I seem to try I just can’t do that. If I’m not feeling an issue or a story or anything for that matter I just can’t seem to blog. To me writing when you don’t have anything to say is almost as bad as talking just to hear your voice and I refuse to do that too.
But over the past few days my inspiration bucket has overfloweth andLou ‘maybe I’m a birther, maybe I’m not’ Dobbs is the oneresponsible for getting me to start banging away on the old VAIO again.Dobbs’ statement, “I am one of your greatest friends,” on Telemundo didn’t just inspire me to start writing it also got me to burst into a fit of laughter and I haven’t done that in a while either.
Maybe Lou Dobbs believes we’ve forgotten or more importantly that we can’t do a YOU TUBE search for his Broken Borders segments on CNN, his insensitive and almost if-not-quite there racist rants or perspectives depending on how you look at it on immigration or his attempts at legitimizing some far, far right opinions and ideas.
But I haven’t forgotten and I’m sure millions more, his fans included, are already gasping with disbelief at his about-face statements on Telemundo but I would be lying if I didn’t at least acknowledge that I expected Dobbs to tone down some of his rhetoric if he was seriously considering running for office. But these statements aren’t simply toned down they are completely opposite to what he’s said before- he’s flip flopped. And flip-flopped really big. It’s probably the biggest one I have ever seen from a possible political candidate and it was completely unexpected.
Over the years that I’ve watched and listened to Dobbs I could never accuse him of being spineless and I honestly respected him for having the audacity and courage to speak his mind to favorable or unfavorable audiences. But this attempt to curry favor with Latinos could only be described as spineless since he’s now attempting to switch sides and appeal to an ethnic group he came pretty close to demonizing for years. That type of double talk might be acceptable on cable news shows but it’s not kosher in real life. In real life those types of people are called hypocrites and everyday folks like me don’t like to vote for hypocrites we like to find out our politicians are hypocrites AFTER we’ve voted for them not before! LOL
Ironically Lou Dobbs railed against hypocritical politicians and leaders for years now he is seemingly following in their foot steps. Mr.Dobbs has some serious explaining to do if he wants to get even close to a long shot presidential or senatorial candidacy but in the meantime I’m thankful to Mr.Dobbs for being my latest muse.
There is so much that has been said, can be said and will be said about Senator Kennedy over the next few days that I wouldn’t even attempt to discuss his legacy in this small, almost insignificant blog post. But I do hope that those who will be asked to speak about his legacy and his political efforts on behalf of all Americans will remember regardless of what side of the aisle they come from that “Great men stand like solitary towers in the city of God,” and though the ‘Lion of the Senate’ roars no more, his voice will echo throughout the halls and chambers of the American Senate forever.
I don’t understand why some liberals and Democrats are upset about Republican groups organizing and shouting at national health care reform town hall meetings?
I say, let them SHOUT!
There is nothing wrong with these men and women shouting or voicing their passion in an aggressive manner. Shouting at an individual may be considered rude and uncouth, yes, but a rational argument can still be had during and after these meetings. And in most cases the individuals shouting slogans will not change the mind or opinion of those present at the meeting with their behaviour.
What changes an individual mind or heart is information. Simple and clear information. And to be honest, a town hall meeting, isn’t the venue to provide information about a specific plan or subject as complex and detailed as health care. It’s a place to interact with your representative in a positive or negative manner. And that interaction can be productive or worthless but in the end if DEMS want to convince voters and the public at large to support their health care bill-direct mail and the internet is the way to go or even door to door meetings.
Republicans and those oppose to health care reform will show up to these town halls ready for a fight and to say NO and nothing we do or say will stop them from shouting or being disruptive. But liberal groups have now started to organizetheir own shouting groups too counteract this opposition. So what will we achieve in the end? A shouting match between two very passionate groups.
While I do agree that shouting at these meetings is not very progressive or polite IT IS very democratic.
My Monday morning just started and already I’m wishing I had just stayed in bed because these Monday morning blues are stressing me to hell out!
From the moment I turned on my television set, headlines and anchors across the cable news networks have been asking the question, “Will Obama raise taxes on the middle class?”.
OMG!! that can’t be right? I need more coffee! Taxing the middle class, with the economy as horrible as it is, would be Obama’sWaterloo. It was the first George Bush’s and Obama is smarter than him right? So he wouldn’t make that mistake…right?
I don’t know what Larry Summers and Tim Geithner were thinking when they appeared on the Sunday morning chat shows talking about the ways and means that could be used to pay for health care and to reduce our deficit.
Do Democrats want Obama to be a one-term president? Or more importantly does President Obama want to be president again? Or is he satisfied with the fact that he was able to beat all the odds and become America’s first black president? I don’t know anymore because if you analyze Obama’s actions and words lately you might think he wants the GOP to kick him out the White House in 2012! He just keeps giving them more and more ammunition. God, even John McCain thinks it’s safe to come out of hiding.
One way or another Democrats and liberals find a way to f#$% things up!
President Obama and the Democrats in the US Congress are in the process of hacking out a health care bill.
Some say we can’t afford to cover all Americans-it would cost too much. Others, we can’t afford NOT too cover all Americans.
With one in six Americans uninsured and with the highest health care costs in the developed world what looked like a sure thing a few months ago, has now become a huge dilemma for President Obama and the Democratic Leadership.
If Democrats don’t pass health care reform, and remember Democrats are the overwhelming majority in the House and the Senate, one of Obama’s major campaign promises will not be achieved and probably wouldn’t even be achieved in his first term. And in the end you can bet that he and fellow Democrats will pay for it come election day in 2010 and 2012. But if they do listen to theopposition,within their own party, the bill may be derailed anyway because most of these Democrats oppose a public option- a‘government health insurance programakin to Medicare which would be open to anyone’and would move with the individual from job to job and even state to state.
So Democrats are left with only one option. Pass a watered down version of a health care bill and tout it as reform and hype the hell out of it so that the public may actually believe that they accomplished something truly significant and monumental this session.
We all knew that comprehensive health care reform wasn’t going to be easy and that there would be significant opposition to the president’s efforts, however as Democrats appear to be lugging a bill through Congress and more and more officials talk about thespiralling costs of the proposed reforms, at a time when the economy is in perail and a lot of people don’t know where the next pay check is going to come from, its unlikely that we’re going to see any significant reforms.
An unscientific observation has led me to believe that during these hard times, mop soda and all that while many people may understand the importance and support health care reform they are unwilling to abandon an imperfect but tried system and put their faith, once again, in an untested and somewhat dubious process, in the end Democrats will have to balance today’s hardships against tomorrow’s benefits and do what’s in the best interest of the American people and not themselves.
Levi Johnstonbecame known for one thing- fathering Sarah Palin’s grandchild with her daughter Bristol Palin.
However, over the past few days, if you didn’t know better you might’ve thought Johnston was a seasoned political commentator. He’s been appearing on morning shows and most recently on CNNvoicing his opinion on Sarah Palin’s resignation.
Of course Johnston has a right to his opinion and in certain cases, the media speaking to knowledgeable family members can give the public valuable insight into a candidate or an individual, but not in this case. This guy doesn’t have any credibility or political knowledge so the media shouldn’t be legitimizing his opinions by broadcasting them around the world. I’m willing to bet they are only a handful of people in this country who would trust Levi Johnston’s opinion on the right brand of jeans let alone his opinions onwho to vote for.
Yet they keep seeking his opinion. I’m sure they don’t actually believe that Johnston’s opinion on Palin could actually contribute to a more informed electorate so the continuing focus on Levi Johnston’s opinion by the mainstream media is just baffling.
The political commentator debuted his show’s new intro and their new HD studio a few minutes ago.
The studio is HUGE! They did a wide shot and panned around the entire studio at the beginning of the show and just by the looks of it you could fit my first studio apartment into that place!
The intro to the show is now a lot more serious however I think I prefer the old one but you never know this one will probably grow on me too.
I’m sure there’s going to be just as much drama in this studio as there was in the last one because wherever Chris Matthews goes drama is sure to follow.
See. it’s only been 20mins into Matthews’ ‘new’ show and he’s already called former Vice President Dick Cheney, “that man” in regards to the reported involvement of the VP in aCIA secret assassination program.
Dr.Benjamin gave up lucrative career opportunities only to watch the practice she helped to build with her own hands be destroyed twice by hurricanes-Hurricane Georges in 1998 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
She has used her own money, gone without pay, accepts what ever her patients can afford, makes house calls all in in an effort to deliver quality, preventative medical care to the residents of this small rural town.
Nothing stops Dr. Benjamin. Not rain. Not fire. Not money. With a dedicated staff firmly by her side, including 78 year old nurse Nell Stoddard, Benjamin continues to receive numerous accolades and awards for her valiant attempts and successes at providing affordable health care at her family practice clinic, helping others establish rural clinics across the nation when interviewed Benjamin has said that her goal in establishing the clinic was, ” To find a way to provide the best possible medical care to patients who often can’t afford health insurance and the only way to do that was to learn how to run a business efficiently.”
Should Benjamin become the next US Surgeon General and she still maintains the goal of finding ‘a way to provide the best possible medical care to patients who can’t afford health insurance’ you better believe she will have just as big an impact on the nations’ health care system as she’s had on La Batre, Alabama.
I disagree with those who assert that Sotomayor’s journey has been remarkable.
Like most who succeed Sotomayor went to the best schools, worked extremely hard, put in her time on the job and became known to all the right people. The only thing that differentiates Sotomayor from other nominees is her race. And what is truly remarkable, to me, is that it has taken us this long as a society to recognize the contributions and abilities of those, like Sotomayor, that weren’t born white and male and that firsts like Sotomayor’s and Obama’s are still occurring.
However, in a few hours we’ll watch numerous Senators applaud and celebrate Sotomayor’s nomination. They will tell us how impressed they are with her life story and recite what a uniquely American story hers is and that will fill most of our hearts with pride and joy.
However, as we watch the hearings I will also be hoping that the next time a Hispanic man or woman is being considered for the Supreme Court, his or her life story wouldn’t garner as much attention and that hopefully in the future when my generation are controlling the reigns of power we can honestly say to the public that the only aspect of any nominee’s life that will be considered will be their opinions and rulings on the bench and we hopefully would’ve climbed another rung on the ladder of equality.
For the past few days its been Michael Jackson but for the past thirty years, idiots, celebrities, sports stars, reality stars, porn stars have received, in many cases, baseless adulation, catapulting these mere mortals into the relms of gods and goddesses.
So do you think Rep. Peter King has a point when he says we have to start admiring those who protect, serve and educate society instead of those who merely entertain us?
I can only hope, our fair-minded representative Peter King, would include Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly in the entertainer ranks as well and that he would admonish those within his own party who seek to elevate the opinions of these two..well..you find the word? LOL
The wife of outspoken Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi may be under detention in Iran.
According to some unconfirmed reports circulating the web, Zahra Rahnavard who has been likened to Michelle Obama by many Iranians, may have been detained by the Iranian government after she called for the immediate release of those who had been arrested since the beginning of the protests.
If she has been detained we can only assume that Mousavi may be next on their list.
I just finished reading a few excerpts from emails between Mark Sanford and his mistress and I have to confess I’m actually starting to feel a bit sorry for the guy (I’m sure that’s going to disappear soon..lol)!
And I usually don’t have any sympathy for men who cheat on their wives particularly sanctimonious men but in this case it does sound like he’s in love with Maria.
I know that doesn’t excuse what he did and if I was his wife, he would’ve received divorce papers long ago but these recent revelations by Republican politicians of extra marital affairs should force the GOP to accept the reality that they cannot govern or dictate what men and women do in their bedrooms. And that their so called ‘family values’ party is and has always been just a figment of their imaginations.
So Gov Mark Sanford was really in Buenos Aires, Argentina instead of hiking the Appalachian Trail!
Again, his wife didn’t know, his kids didn’t know and his staff had no clue where he was why couldn’t he tell them that he was taking an ‘exotic’ trip?
Well,Buenos Aires is known as the gay capital of South America!
I’m watching his press conference about this incident and dude is crying..seriously crying..can you believe this…he’s talking about him letting down his loved ones..now he’s talking about God!!! WTF!!! This entire situation is weird it just makes you more curious about what he really did in Argentina!
For the past week, I, like so many of you, have been riveted to my seat as I’ve watched the infancy of yet another Iranian revolution play out right before my very eyes.
Americans have devoured and disected every image, parsed ever morsel of information and formulated their own opinions on what is taking place in that Middle East country. And as Iranians have turned to Twitter and Facebook we’ve publicly followed and encouraged them while simultaneously praising their bravery in disobeying their governments’ bans.
Iranians have inspired us and made us extremely hopeful that for the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the majority in the country were finally prepared to take the first steps towards establishing a true democratic state.
However, as the week wore on and protesters’ calls fell on deaf ears many of us suspected that their demands would be rebuffed, at Friday prayers Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed a crackdown was immenient.
This past Saturday millions of us watched as grainy videos uploaded to Youtube made their way into our living rooms via national news channels showing demonstrators being beaten and attacked in the streets as they defied their Supreme leader and rallied in support of Mousavi.
But after all of this I am still unsure of how far these supporters are willing to go in support of Mousavi and if the movement I’m watching on tv and the internet has really morphed into a pro democracy crusade similar to the one that occurred in Lebanon?
I sense this is no longer about an election.
I believe this is no longer about deposing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and appointing Mir Hussein Moussavi.
And I know that the majority of protesters do not want the Islamic Republic to fall.
But what do they really want and are they willing to continue to spill their blood and sacrifice their lives in pursuit of a democratic state if that is truly their demand?
So far the death toll, as reported by the Associated Press, stands at 19.
However like most movements that oppose oppressive regimes expect that total to increase. And undoubtedly a critical point will be reached when leaders and protesters, enforcers and supporters start to play a dangerous game of chicken.
In Iran this game has been occurring at various levels for the past 30 years. The battle between democracy and despotism, modernity and tradition may finally have come to a head this past week but in the past these drives have been crushed and the reformers have always backed down.
But this time the elites and intellectuals, leading the movenment appear to have significant support among the mases and that could lead to significant societal change.
And if we are currently witnessing a regime change in Iran unfortunately and inevitably that means there will be hundreds moreNeda Soltans. I don’t know if the protesters or the ruling elites and clerics are really prepared to accept that reality.
Am I the only one that believes that the banks are onlyrepayingus because they want us (the government) out of their business?
Because I really don’t believe they would be repaying these TARP fundsif we hadn’t got on their cases and called them out as quickly as we did or if the media hadn’t been keeping a watchful eye on their behaviour and what they were doing with our money.
But it’s all good.
Hopefully, we’ve all learned something from this government bailout debacle.
This time we were able to stop the collapse of our economy, save the banks’ and CEO hides and STILL get our money back. The next time and believe me there will be we may not be as lucky.
Sarah Palin has every right to demand an apology from David Letterman.
His jokewas crude and offensive and his apology or lack thereof was insufficient.
I just finished watching Ed Schultz and Danny Deutsch on MSNBC imply that Sarah Palin must be a bad mother because her teenage daughter got pregnant out of wedlock!
They also implied that Palin is a hypocrite because she’s using or has used her kids to get a political advantage and that she’s irresponsible for ‘parading’ her daughter around in the media and that she should expect attacks like the one Letterman dished out.
WHAT THE HELL!!
Are they serious?
It almost sounded like they were blaming Sarah Palin for Letterman’s tasteless joke!
Now I’m no fan of the Republican party or Sarah Palin (she has potential but she needs brush up on some critical areas) but I do know right from wrong and this isn’t a liberal v conservative issue it’s a simple right vs wrong.
Sarah Palin is not the first and she certainly wouldn’t be thelast politician to use their family for political advantage. All politicians have at some point in their political career used their relatives to appear more appealing to women, to men, more normal and ‘just like us’.
What do you think all those photo ops with Obama and his wife, Obama his wife and the kids, Obama, his wife, the kids and the dog are all about?
Hello??
Sarah Palin is not a horrible mother for ’using’ her family to get votes. She’s not a horrible mother for not knowing that her teenage daughter was sexually active either. Sarah Palin is not in the wrong here, at least, not this time. David Letterman is and anyone who suggests that his joke was acceptable because she brought her family into the political limelight is missing the point.
Just call it what it is. An offensive joke about a 14 year old girl who happens to be the daughter of a politician. If the joke was about any other 14yr old girl would we be laughing? No. So why should we laugh if it’s about Sarah Palin’s daughter? We shouldn’t and it’s unacceptable regardless of who the target was.
Unfortunately this type of offensive language and negative media coverage directed towards female politicians and their families prevent many women from seeking political office (it’s not going to stop me..you betcha..lol) and as a female politician your skin might be as tough as an elephant’s but your family members may not and ultimately many women choose to do what’s in the best interest of their families.
It’s a pity we’re still forced to make that choice family or career because many in the media aren’t big enough to leave our families out of it.
We’ll soon find out how willing the Iranian people are to take those first crucial steps towards normalizing their relationship with the West and the United States.
The last time I got this excited, for the middle east, was way back in 2005 during Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution.
And now that same excitement coupled with anticipation is killing me.
Last year, young people in the US finally stepped up and put their votes where their mouths and hearts have been for a very long time. Young people all across the United States worked their butts off, convinced their friends, families and in some cases coworkers to vote for and support a candidate that many pundits had declared as having a snow ball chance in hell of winning the American presidency.
But most importantly millions of those young people showed up at the polls on voting day showing that with unparalleled determination, hard-work and just a bit of luck change is indeed possible even at the highest levels of power.
And for the past few weeks we’ve been watching a replay of that same process in Iran.
Iran’s young people have catapulted their version of Barack and Michelle Obama unto the world stage by openly displaying their support for underdog presidential candidateMir Hossein Mousaviand his wife Dr. Zahara Rahnavard.
Obama won the election because he was able to harness and direct the energies and passion of millions of young people. Mousavi is hoping that their efforts coupled with the current economic conditions in Iran and the desire for positive changes amongst the Iranian people will be enough to topple the country’s current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Can Mousavi accomplish the same thing? Maybe. It’s certainly looking like he has a real shot at winning but it is a long shot. Nevertheless I’m willing to argue that his chances are much better than Obama’s were that’s for sure..lol
And what happens if he does? Would a Mousavi win have any influence on Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hoseyni Khamenei the ’real’ leader of Iran? Maybe. According to some reports it appears Ayatollah Khamenei is willing to work with Mousavi although the two men were once fierce rivals for the affections and adulations from the previous and first Supreme Leader Ayotallah Khomeini.
However it appears Khamenei is willing to put the past behind him and Mousavi appears to be a realist and if elected he intends to pursue a pragmatic approach on the international stage andhe’s even said it!
So should Mousavi win we could finally see direct talks, (remember what Obama said during the election?) or we could see multi-lateral talks but chances for constructive and significant diplomacy undoubtedly increase with a Mousavi presidency.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you should start planning a trip to Iran or that President Obama will be visiting Iran anytime soon but should Mousavi win we can definitely expect a thaw in US-Iranian relations.
How significant a thaw? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see…
This is a tough one for me and I really, really don’t know how I feel about this one.
After Dr. George Tiller was allegedly murdered by 51-year-old suspected anti-choice terrorist, Scott Roeder on May 31st his family has decided to close his Kansas, Women’s Health Care Services Inc, clinic forever.
According to one of Tiller’s lawyers, the family is ’proud of the service and courage’ shown by Dr. Tiller and they will continue to honor his death by contributing to private charities.
While I understand and respect the family’s decision to close the clinic I can’t help but wonder if Dr. Tiller’s memory, honor and courage wouldn’t have been better served by keeping the clinic open?
In just a few hours President Obama will deliver arguably one of the most important speeches of his presidency in Cairo, Egypt.
But I believe that in order for Obama to get the Arab world actively engaged in the issues that are important to us and our allies he must do three things.
One reiterate that the US is NOT at war with Islam. Reinforce our support for Palestinian statehood. And three show respect for the view held by many people across the Arab world (and arguably the entire world) that the American way is not the ONLY way.
These are the three main points Obama has to hammer home in order for his words to resonate with the average muslim man and woman in the Middle East.
Every rational American can accept that the US is not at war with Islam however amajority of muslims believe that we are actively seeking to destroy Islam. This perception has arisen primarily due to conflicting political interests and it will disolve into thin air after his speech. But what Obama and diplomats can do is to highlight our common interests-the establishment of a free and secure Palestinian state and the mutually desired withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.
If we can actively work to align these two key interests and maybe even achieve one of them in coming years we can then begin to work on our differences. However, in order to achieve a desirable outcome on those two issues I believe that we must be willing to accept and adjust our way of thinking.
Now I’m not suggesting that the adjustments have to made solely on our end, not at all. Arab states and muslim men and women everywhere must be willing to do more than simply pay lip service to the idea of rejecting radical elements within their communities. Instead they must wholeheartedly renounce and squash those elements within their midst before members of their citizenry have become radicalized and a threat to America and its allies. We can’t do that for them they must do that on their own.
As ahyperpowerthe United States could tell any state or nation ’to shove off’ but we tried that route look how far it got us? Our influence and dominance on the world stage can be increased tenfold if we admit to a few mistakes.
And this is one of those occasions.
To admit a mistake as a nation doesn’t make usapologists as some have suggested instead when a world leader is willing to admit his or her mistake what it says to the rest of the world is that the country is big enough to admit its shortcomings, accept that it doesn’t have all the answers and is wise enough to seek counsel and assistance from others in an effort to never repeat that mistake in essence it is a state deserving of the mantle of leadership.
However the idea of our President acknowledging past mistakes bothers millions of Americans.
And I can understand that.
Forgive me for using my own character as an example but like most people I hate admitting mistakes but what I hate even more is act of admitting to others that I was WRONG that gets under my skin. And I don’t know a single individual as strong willed and stubborn as I am that likes to admit that she/he could’ve been wrong on anything…LOL!.
But there are times in our lives when a simple acknowledgment of a past mistake is enough to garner us respect and admiration from our loved ones and even our enemies and I believe this principle can be applied to a state as well.
How we go about rectifying those mistakes will say more about us as a country than any wrong we have committed in the last past years. Let’s hope that those men and women in the Arab world are also ready for a fresh start because I know that we are.
Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak was on Hardball with Chris Matthews a few minutes ago discussing his potential Senate run against the newest Democrat in the US Senate Arlen Specter.
He still hasn’t decided according to him he’s still consulting with his family. I don’t buy his reason at all but it does sound nice and keeps the press back a bit. But what I think he’s really doing is weighing the costs to his political future if he runs against Specter because he knows he wouldn’t be running against Specter alone he’ll be running against Obama, Biden and the current Democratic leadership.
And that’s a tough call for a politician.
But I hope he does run.
We’re Democrats damn it! We don’t want people telling us who to vote for even if that order comes from a well liked President. Leave the anointing of leaders to the Republicans..lol.
Sestak might be a long shot and he might suffer severe blowback for running against Specter BUT this is America if you believe in something you go for it and fight for it every inch of the way and I think if Sestak really believes that he’s the better candidate he shouldn’t let anything deter him from running.
Who knows he just might win and all he has to do is look at the current occupants at the White House to know that anything is possible in this great country!
So it’s Friday and we don’t really want to read anything heavy right?
Well here are some very cool and not so cool (I’ll let you decide which ones aren’t) facts about the guys and gals that have sat in those seats.
1.Robert H Jacksonwas US Attorney General and a Supreme Court Justice and he didn’t graduate from law school.
2. Justice Byron ‘Whizzer’ White was once the leading rusher in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Steelers and the Lions.
3. Justice Thurgood Marshall was a big fan of soap operas (so was my dad..lol) and he loved to play poker. I wonder if he was any good?
4. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female jurist on the Supreme Court we all knew that but did you know that she learned to drive by age seven, had a bob cat as a pet and learned to shoot a gun before she was eight? She’s also a fan of the Olive Garden.
5. Before Frank T Murphy became an Associate Justice his professional career included: First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District (1920-23), Recorder’s Court Judge, Detroit (1923-30), Mayor of Detroit (1930–33), Governor-General of the Philippines (1933-35), U.S. High Commissioner of the Philippines (1935–36), Governor of Michigan (1937-39) and United States Attorney General (1939–40). My goodness what did this guy do in his spare time?
7. Associate Justice Charles Evans Whittaker got admitted to law school without a high school diploma. He dropped out in the ninth grade to go hunting, trapping and farming! Hmm how does one go farming? lol
8. The second US Supreme Court Justice John Rutledge was the only Justice in American history to be forced out of office against his will.
9. Celebrated Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis belonged to a polo club but never played polo but he loved canoeing. And apparently he preferred to reorder his suits rather than go shopping for a new one. I think he’ll get the support of most men on that one.
10. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg took her love for opera to the next level when she appeared as an extra in two Washington Opera productions once in full costume and once as herself.
Without the Constitution America and it could be argued the world would be a significantly different place.
So here are six facts you should know about one of the world’s most important‘living’ documents.
1. Over one hundred nations have used the American Constitution as a model to create their own constitution.
2. You will never find the word ‘democracy’ in the Constitution. Interesting…
3. Treason is the only crime defined in the Constitution.
4. The 10 amendments known today as The Bill of Rights (whenever I read the Bill of Rights I get goose bumps..lol) were added three years after the ratification of the Constitution.
5. Bucking convention Vermont ratified the Constitution on January 10, 1791, even though it hadn’t officially become a state.You gotta love Vermont.
6. During World War II the constitution was moved to Fort Knox.
We all understand why Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) hasn’t resigned but why haven’t the Democrats found a way to unseat him?
Hopefully, with the release of the FBI wiretap tapes Democrats, maybe even President Obama, can now persuade Burris to resign since we now have proof that he was involved if only on the margins in the effort by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to sell Obama’s US Senate seat.
Burris is an embarrassment not only to himself and the Democratic Party but he has become a recognizable stain on the United States Senate. The longer Burris remains seated the longer, we the public, have to endure the media’s coverage of this egomaniac and his pathetic attemptsto cover up his role in this deplorable scandal.
You gotta hand it to Blago he knew what he was doing when he appointed Roland Burris but in the end all parties got something from this Burris/Blago debacle.
Blago got a really good laugh not the last, mind you, but he got a hearty chuckle.
Burris gets to engrave the title Senator on his tombstone and Hardball Awardrecipient.
And the American people got yet another shocking glimpse at high-level public corruption.
But enough is enough. Democrats. Republicans. Independents. GET ROLAND BURRIS OUT OF THE SENATE!!!
In celebration of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, all this week, I’m going to write a post about the Supreme Court and the US constitution. Hopefully at the end of this week we’ll all be a little bit more knowledgeable about the highest court in the land and the American constitution.
1.The president of the United States has the right to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court! Yup! And the last president to argue a case before the court was Richard Nixon..he lost!
2. The US justices used to wear white wigs, similar to the ones worn by British justices, but during the first session of the court in 1790 William Cushing was the only justice to show up wearing the wig (I guess he thought it was cool..) But his fashion faux pas didn’t go unnoticed. And Thomas Jefferson eventually convinced Cushing to get rid of it declaring that the wigs made the judges ” look like rats peeping through bunches of oakum.”
3. The US Supreme Court has no specific size and the number of Justices on the Supreme Court has increased as the US has grown geographically and as judicial circuits have increased.
4. If the10 000 bill was still in circulation it would be called a Chasey (at least that’s what I would call it..lol) because Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase appeared on it.
5. The 27th President of the United StatesWilliam Howard Taft also served as the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. He was nominated by President Warren Harding after the death of Chief Justice Edward Douglass White. Wouldn’t you just love to have those two jobs on your resume?
Sotomayor is the first Hispanic to be nominated for the highest court in America.
I can’t wait for the confirmation hearings..’cause you know the Republicans are just itching for a fight? We’re already hearing claims that while Judge Sotomayor’s personal story is inspiring, she’s really not that smart and of course the Republican cliché is being tossed around repeatedly..she’s an activist judge amazing!
I wonder what other types of mud will be slung at Judge Sotomayor?
Republicans have to be extremely careful in resorting to their traditional tactics as the confirmation hearings progress.
Republicans have already alienated a significant portion of the Hispanic community with their immigration policies which are widely seen in the Hispanic communityas anti-Hispanic and if their questioning of Sotomayor is viewed as unfair or discriminatory Republicans run the risk of losing the Hispanic vote completely.
Well that didn’t take long Rush Limbaugh is now calling Sotomayor a racist!!!
Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s rebuttal speech on national security at theAmerican Enterprise Institutein one word-stupefying!!!
This man is defiant!
He refuses to accept the world has changed and that his world view is no longer acceptable orrational.
And he refuses to lay down his arms and he still has the energy to fight the old battlesagainst the New York Times, the peace loving liberals and those sissy Europeans man..he just wouldn’t let go will he?
Unfortunately, I must say that Dick Cheney is the real leader of the GOP!
Is this what Michael Steele meant when he said the GOP had ‘turned the corner’ and that they were done‘ looking in the rearview mirror’?
I don’t think they can do that with Dick Cheney clinging to their bumper..
But in his speech yesterday all he did was look back.
From his comments about Reagan to the fact that he failed to offer no new policy positions on any current issue all Steele did was remind millions of Americans why they aren’t Republican anymore.
Steele tried his very best to convince us that there is a new GOP we just haven’t seen it yet, ” Our comeback is well underway out in the states, I can assure you of that..the folks inside the beltway don’t know it yet but those of you who toil in the vineyards, spending time in communities, in diners, barber shops, and coffee shops where real every day people can be found…you know it is real.”
Steele obviously sees things that we don’t.
It has become quite obvious that the only reason Michael Steele got the RNC Chair is because he’s a black guy. And unfortunately, many GOP leaders wrongly believe the only way to effectively criticize President Obama is to have another black guy do it. That’s the only conclusion I can come too because Michael Steele has nothing else going for him.
The GOP seems to be perpetually stuck in the past on everything and instead of moving forward Republican leaders are constantly looking over their shoulders as if they are hoping President Regan will ride in on his white horse and save them from themselves and those bad Democrats!
The GOP must STOP LIVING in the past and STOP DIRECTING their message to those who want to return TO THE PAST because if they aren’t careful they will become a PARTY OF THE PAST!
But who am I to offer any advice? I’m just a no good liberal right? LOL
Ok..so if Obama does provide the plan, which is only fair, he’ll get Democratic support to shut down Gitmo right?
Wrong!!!
Even if President Obama provides Congress with a plan there’s no guarantee that Guantanamo Bay will be closed because our leaders don’t want the responsiblity of housingconvicted terrorists in their backyards.
And it isn’t just the Republicans who are saying no Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined them as well. He states emphatically, ” We don’t want them them around,” and if Reid can’t be convinced to shut dowm Gitmo how can he be expected to rally other Senators behind Obama’s plans?
Greaaaaaaaaaaaat..Obama just celebrated his first 100 days a few weeks ago and already Democrats are stabbing him in the back.
Let’s see how long we keep that Democratic majority if Obama is handed significant defeats like this over and over again? You can bet it wouldn’t be too long..
After admitting that she knew the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was torturing detainees from as early as 2003 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosihas effectively said that for three years (Democrats retook Congress in 2006) she stood quietly and allowed others to break our laws and international treaties.
I didn’t believe Bush and Cheney then, I don’t believe Speaker Pelosi and the CIA now.
They were all telling lies.
And I think one of the reasons those briefings are as vague as they are, in part, is to protect the politicians.
These agencies expect politicians to protect their interests first and a combination of fuzzy memories and ambiguous documents give them the cover to do that.
We’ve seen it play out before a member of congress is being pressured for information on a controversial topic or issue she/he fingers or blames some governmental agency, opposition members pressure the agency, in this case it’s CIA, in order to clear their name the CIA waves their records (the intelligence briefings) around asserting, “Of course the member knew what we were doing. Look it says so right here!”
In effect it forces the issue to a stalemate and who are we to believe in a situation like that?
A member of congress trying to cover her assets or a political agency seeking support for its past illegal actions? Hmm..it’s a tough one isn’t it?
I do think the Speaker of the House has given the Republicans the opening they were looking for. Her rambling press conference yesterday, the constant changing of her stories and her tacit support for their actions by her inaction, will allow Republicans to exploit the situation and damage her reputation.
Pelosi should’ve known and expected that the use of these enhanced interrogation techniqueswas going to comeback to haunt her and if she truly believed that what the Bush administration was doing was wrong and illegal she should have been more vigorous in her disapproval and more importantly have a record of her actions. And if she really wanted to make a stand against them she should’ve resigned and then speak out.
She wasn’t powerless and to suggest that she was Pelosi does herself and the United States Congress the biggest disservice.
ASU and Arizona officials are expecting 71, 000 people to attend ASU’s five hour long graduation ceremony some in the Arizona press have even begun to call the event ’a spectacle’. Hmm if John Mccain was president and he was giving the commencement address would the event still be called a spectacle?
Alice Cooper and the President of the United States on the same stage..I wonder if Obama will be able to resist the temptation to holdCooper’s snake? I just couldn’t resist sorry..lol
Every single wordCarrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California, has uttered about gay marriageI disagree with.
I think Prejean is on the wrong side of the issue and that her idea of‘protecting marriage’from gay men and women is laughable BUT Prejean does have a right to her opinion as wrong and discriminatory as it maybe just as we the masses have a right to reject that opinion the first chance we get and in the near future America WILL reject her prejudice overwhelmingly.
Last night KeithOlbermann and Michael Musto blasted Ms.Prejean but they seemingly forgot that Prejean is only using the platform she has been given to advance her belief in the validity and morality on an issue and her career. Olbermann does it every night and politicians and celebrities do it everyday Prejean is only following their lead.
Who cares about her breast implants and who paid for them? What does that have to do with her opinion on gay marriage? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
And if pageant officials released the breast implant information to embarass and force Prejean off the national stage I’m not convinced it’s going to work she’s handled the questionsabout her implants extremely well so far and support for her should the personal attacks continue will only grow.
Prejean’s views on marriage represent a significant portion of the American electorate and although I’m pretty certain we wouldn’t convince many on the religious right to support our views on specific cultural issues, like gay marriage, to demonize the opposition or resort to name calling or taunts simply because we don’t like their stance on the issue only deepens the divide (and is hypocritical) and does nothing to get us closer to full equality for gays.
So criticize Prejean’s views all you want but leave her breasts out of it.
As my page states, I am a black liberal. I was born into a family of unapologetic liberals and will undoubtedly remain one for the rest of my life. My blog title borrows from a book I once read called Conversations with an unrepentant liberal by Julius Bixler if you should get the ... Continue reading »
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Chris Matthews show, Hardball, got a makeover..
In Politics, Social issues, The next four years.., conservatives, crimes, current news analysis, health issues, international issues, law, liberals, messed up stuff, popular people, the press, the republicans, tv shows on July 13, 2009 at 9:30 pmChris Matthews’ show Hardball with Chris Matthews got a makeover.
The political commentator debuted his show’s new intro and their new HD studio a few minutes ago.
The studio is HUGE! They did a wide shot and panned around the entire studio at the beginning of the show and just by the looks of it you could fit my first studio apartment into that place!
The intro to the show is now a lot more serious however I think I prefer the old one but you never know this one will probably grow on me too.
I’m sure there’s going to be just as much drama in this studio as there was in the last one because wherever Chris Matthews goes drama is sure to follow.
See. it’s only been 20mins into Matthews’ ‘new’ show and he’s already called former Vice President Dick Cheney, “that man” in regards to the reported involvement of the VP in a CIA secret assassination program.
Let the drama begin!