Daily Topics - Wed June 9th 2010 - Do card carrying socialists love Obama?
By louisehartmann
Quote: “An election cannot give a country a firm sense of direction if it has two or more national parties which merely have different names but are as alike in their principles and aims as two peas in the same pod” -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Hour One - Election results - the big winners were sneaky Republicans and big money
Plus...Stephanie Miller www.stephaniemiller.com
Plus...How did you live without money for a year? Mark Boyle "The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living", founder of the the freeconomy community www.justfortheloveofit.org
Hour Two - The oil co's are not profitable and we need to nationalize them for the good of america Steve Malzberg The Steve Malzberg Show www.wor710.com
Plus...Do card carrying socialists love Obama? Billy Wharton Co-Chair, Socialist Party USA http://socialistparty-usa.org
Hour Three - Newsflash...atheists ask for Federal Faith based money?! August E. Brunsman IV Executive Director, Secular Student Alliance www.secularstudents.org
Comments
#2
I need people of California to explain to me why they voted to allow candidates to lie about their Party affiliation (Yes on 14) and to insure that BIG MONEY corporate interest can buy our elections (No on 15) . . . There are more of then SO they need to man-up and tell me why they voted their vote away.
The issue is we, the voters of California, have just removed a mechanism to choose the best person . . . and consciously chosen to codify lying to the electorate. The issue is now fourteen gazillion Republicans can run and one Green or a DEM and because we voted them the right to lie about it, statistically we will have to choose from two Republicans in the Fall . . . And we won't even know it. The State of Washington took a swing to the right just after they did this exact same thing. We are never going to learn. Welcome to California, the State of endless Liebermans . . .
Party used to provide the mechanism for a person to communicate their platform. Now, we are just left with big corporate $$$$. A corporation or a winger-interest group can bank-roll their top two or three acceptable choices and we, the voters, will never even hear from or about the best person . . .
Yes, Party is not perfect. Party has been co-opted by big moneyed interests. BUT Party is (small ‘d’) democratic and what we now have excludes that democracy in our democracy.
Yes, we need to take back our Parties and, heck, add a dozen or so.
A better solution would have been instant run-off elections . . . It woulda actually focused on actually choosing the best person. But the taxpayer union and the Club for Growth and the Republican Party and the Chamber of Commerce felt otherwise and Folk voted to support them screwing us.
A better solution woulda been public paid elections . . . We pay on average one plus thousand tax dollars for every dollar donated by a corporation to buy a election. BUT folk voted to squelch that . . . probably because they love corporate welfare.
Sigh.
#3
Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North AmericaTUESDAY, 08 JUNE 2010 08:10
A dire report prepared for President Medvedev by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources is warning today that the British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico is about to become the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent with “total destruction”.
Russian scientists are basing their apocalyptic destruction assessment due to BP’s use of millions of gallons of the chemical dispersal agent known as Corexit 9500 which is being pumped directly into the leak of this wellhead over a mile under the Gulf of Mexico waters and designed, this report says, to keep hidden from the American public the full, and tragic, extent of this leak that is now estimated to be over 2.9 million gallons a day.
#4
Senator Nelson: The BP Well May Have Lost Structural Integrity Beneath the Sea Floor
http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/
#5
Yes 13 Property Taxes and Seismic Retrofit of Buildings 3,200,194 84.5% - 588,582 15.5%
Yes 14 Primary Election Participation 2,077,100 54.2% - 1,761,410 45.8%
No 15 California Fair Elections Act 1,593,698 42.5% - 2,147,745 57.5%
No 16 Local Electricity Providers 1,830,278 47.5% - 2,015,297 52.5%
No 17 Auto Insurance Pricing 1,848,768 47.9% - 2,004,410 52.1
#6
@rladlof, as I figure it, hardly any progressives showed up yesterday to vote, since Brown had the primary sewn up from the get go. That, and uber wealthy groups can spend unlimited amounts of money convincing the morons to shoot themselves in the foot... because it feels good.
N
#7
THOM: NO!!! Prop 16 & Prop 17 broke to NO once they counted Los Angeles County . . . See above . . . The Secretary of State totals are above.
#8
The live stream on KTLK just went down.
#9
Los Angelinos should be completely ashamed of themselves - and the vast majority certainly don't have ANY right to complain!!!
Los Angeles county narrowly beat Orange and San Bernardino for the lowest voter turnout in California (19.6%, 19.7%, 19.8% respectively): http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/status.htm
Props 14 & 15 - pure tragidies. Props 16 & 17, surprisingly we landed upright on; I don't know how, but we did.
Everybody should know that there were election intergirity issues in LA too: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-wellington-ennis/polling-place-proble... ---> And surprise, surprise, they were in Marcy Winograd's district too! Here's another account: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7884
#10
I noticed last night the Wicked Whitman of the West had a banner behind her stating that "The Jobs Are On Their Way", I can only assume that the fine print below continued with "....To China."
Ferino had Aisan American support banners behind her, I think the American part was added as an afterthought.
Damn, damn, damn, damn.... it's an uphill struggle for progressives here in the Golden State, the state where those who have gold rule.
N
#11
THOM: I am beginning to type like a broken record . . . President Obama IS a Super-Conserva-DEM. Why are you continually surprised that he acts like who he is?
#12
Proposition 14 is WAY more insidious than Open Primaries.
Prop 14 throws all Primary candidates into ONE buck with Party affiliation spurged THEN the TOP TWO go off to the General . . . SO Corporations and winger special interest groups can dump big bucks into the their top two or three wet-dream candidates and we have to choose between two wing-nuts in the Fall.
#13
@rladlof, many of us are just learning that 16 and 17 flipped to No (thank god for small favors). However, with the passing of 14, its just a matter of time before they're put back on the ballot for another go. Thom probably is swamped with the rest of the country's results to be completely up to date.
The shenanigans in Arkansas is proof that the DLC is screwing the progressives, and I can't disagree with you're take on Obama. However, Obama is becoming less and less of a concern to me, as my attentions are becoming more and more focused locally. I don't know what I'll do if Brown loses, and I don't even care all that much for him. Christ, it sucks to be a progressive on days like this.
N
#14
@Maxnels, Radlof, re: all of the above -
Maybe you guys need to leave the fascist state of CA.
Maybe we ALL need to leave the fascist nation of Amerika. Denmark & the Netherlands are lookin' better to me EVERY freakin' day!
#15
@MAXROT: I live in the Valley and work on the Westside . . . Are you a local Los Angeleno also?
#16
Re: President Obama IS a Super-Conserva-DEM.
Shortly after Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) emerged victorious, an anonymous White House aide began spreading word that the President Obama's political team thought that the money unions had spent on Halter's candidacy was a massive waste and damaging to the party.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/blanche-lincoln-win-spark_n_605443.html
#17
I knew there was a reason I liked these guys:
The Arizona Diamondbacks announced Monday that Daryl Hall and John Oates canceled their postgame concert scheduled for July 2 at Chase Field because of their personal stance against Arizona's new immigration law.
Hall and Oates issued the following statement:
"In addition to our personal convictions, we are standing in solidarity with the music community in our boycott of performing in Arizona at this time. We would like to emphasize that this has nothing to do with the management of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have been professional and cooperative throughout our dealings with them. This is our response to a very specific action of the state."
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/
#18
Conservadems buy into the right's 'laws of economics' rhetoric. Sociology is also an empirical science. The laws of sociology, like the laws of economics, are self-enforcing and non-negotiable. While there's no escaping the fact that 'there's no such thing as a free lunch,' there's also no escaping the law to the effect that 'no justice, no peace.'
#19
@rladlof, re #15, yes, I'm in downtown LA on a daily basis 9 out of 14 days during a two week pay period. Last week I attended my first Long Beach Green Party meeting. I'm getting too pissed with politics as usual to do nothing.
N
#20
Last night's election results point toward most Californians being too lazy, stupid and/or insane to read before they cast their ballots.
Rule of Thumb: If folk are not going to read the booklet and the law in the big booklet or on-line . . . PLEASE take note of who is paying for the advertisement. The insurance industry or a big insurer . . . Not your friend. The same can be said for bankers, brokers and real estate firms. The Chamber of Commerce hates you... The taxpayer's union and the Club for Growth want the middle-class wiped from the face of the planet. The Republican Party wants to lessen your power and give it to big corporations. Even if they don’t wanta read they could figured out they were being screwed by just paying attention.
On the other hand, There is another possibility . . . They could hate themselves and their fellow Californians sooooo much they will happily farg themselves into the dirt to inflict pain upon themselves and everyone else.
#21
Off subject & totally coolamundo:
#22
As a general rule with consumer products, the more heavily advertised it is, the less a prudent consumer would want it. This goes triple in the marketplace of 'ideas.'
#23
Carly Fiornia, previously most notable for almost destroying Hewlett-Packard and personally out-sourcing off-shore literately tens of thousands of California jobs, BUYS GOP Senate Primary with moneys HP paid her to get lost . . .
Meg Whitman BOUGHT the GOP Gubernational Primary . . . It only cost her $71 million of $80 million . . .
#24
FILE UNDER: Sign me up on the mailing list . . . I'll pay a penny.
#25
@rladlof, an even easier rule of thumb to follow (at least the one I follow), check your partys' website and see what they endorse and why. Generally if you're a progressive, your party should reflect your views. Oh and here's another easy rule of thumb (not directed at you personnely) get off your fat ass, go to the polls and vote, because your vote does count if its there to be counted.
It takes all of maybe 10 minutes to see who your party endorses, and maybe a total of a 1/2 hour to go to the polls and vote and return home, all in all, less than an hour to do it all and get back to the couch to watch American Idol.
Siiiigh.
N
#26
Just received a contestment from a "free market" guy I know. The claim is that "liberals" are stupid with respect to economics.
http://econjwatch.org/articles/economic-enlightenment-in-relation-to-col...
#27
Being one of the largest recipients of our largess by accepting corporate welfare does not make BP profitable.
Malzberg appears to lack the sense that God gives mold.
#28
Steve's concept of freedom of choice is nothing but the support of the freedom to bully and oppress by the monied interests. His juvenile tone does little to convince me that he has any ablility to use reason and rationality.
N
#29
It's only a matter of time before the USA functions like a typical third world country, in which upper middle class people buy civil service jobs, while the upper crust buy elected office.
#30
One in four Republicans in California is insane:
#31
n8chz, here in CA we're halfway there.
N
#32
Sad that people try to talk over each other. The last visitor listened not to Thom. The last visitor will not be convinced.
#33
<a href="http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2010/06/is_the_ruling_c.html#111066">http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2010/06/is_the_ruling_c.html#111066</a>
#34
re: #30: 1 in 4 californians are insane. How many californians on this blog? raise your hands or eyebrows.
#35
Where do I start my comments? Thom is right about open primaries.I know that many people are upset by the results of Tuesday's primaries. We were all excited about the results three weeks ago in the primaries. Yogi Berra said "It ain't over until it is over." I recall a quote "One swallow doesn't make a Spring." Here is a gerald's quote "The United States of Hell is a Mengelese nation." Passing estate wealth to their children without taxing estate wealth is obscene. I oppose giving money to children to attend a private school. The talk was to give $i,500 to the school to help a child attend a private school. If the private school costs $7,500 per year, poor children still could not attend the private school. How does a poor parent come up with $6,000? The $1,500 donation to a private school is another tax cut for the wealthy to have their children attend a private school.
#36
http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2010/06/is_the_ruling_c.html#111066
sorry about the mangle.
in reply to Gene's contestment.
#37
Meg Whitless-Woman spent $71 million of her own monies to receive 1,101,528 last night . . . That boils down to spending $64.46 for each vote.
#38
My problem is that I can't stomach listening to loud-logic, hyperbole from so-called "conservatives." A conservative is supposedly someone who wants to preserve the status quo, to prevent change, to conserve the present socio-economic structures.
These "limited government" charlatans are no more conservatives than Stalin or Hitler. They don't want to retain the rights of Americans to participate in a government of, by and for the people.
When they say limited government, what they really mean is government that works for a limited number of citizens. They don't want everybody engaged in self-government. They want the few wealthiest potentates engaged in compelling the majority of Americans to follow the rulers, their dictates, and their limited government structures and practices that deny the rights and equality of ALL Americans.
They want to limit the function of government to serve the interests of a limited number of Americans, namely those with unlimited money and power.
#39
An Amy Goodman article!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_obscenity_of_war_20100330/
#40
At that rate, hopefully, she'll be broke by election day.
#41
re: #37: Dear Mysterious floating Head: you wrote: "Meg Whitless-Woman spent $71 million of her own monies to receive 1,101,528 last night . . . That boils down to spending $64.46 for each vote."
I bet Lincoln got 'em cheaper at Wal Mart. :)
#42
Re: Sad that people try to talk over each other.
I Agree!
What ever it was, it wasn't a conversation.
#43
Bush, Obama, and Mengele - three peas in the same pod!
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/08/legacy/index.html?source=newsletter
#44
@harry, can I put my hand and eyebrow down yet?
N
#45
re: #44 thanx, maxrot. didn't see you back there. put your hand and eyebrow down. That was the left eyebrow, right? OK rresults: 2 admitted from CA. so I guess thats a total of 1 half-insane. OK?
#46
As far as insane, 1 Texan trumphs at least 3 californians,so I guess its a wash.
#47
You're asking the wrong question! How did those propositions get onto the ballot in the first place? I make it a practice to not sign the damned things and to vote against them when they do show up on the ballot. It is an exercise in "pure" democracy and it fails for all the reasons Madison pointed out in Federalst Paper number 10. Our state is being ruined by the system. Sooner or later it'll get bad enough for us to leave the state and let let the perpetrators live in the cesspool they've created.
#48
@harry, I think you misunderstood the original point of rladlof's statement. He wrote that 1 in 4 REPUBLICANS in California are insane, not 1 in 4 Californians. But I didn't check out the link he had there, so maybe you have a different take on that.
It was a reference to Oily Taints' support in the Republican Party.
N
#49
Here is an open letter to Thom and his listeners.
I have been trying to hold back on a previous comment that God does not work in mysterious ways. I concede that God does work in mysterious ways. A tearful Gerald is reminded of Job’s words. “It is God’s will and God knows best.” What is happening in the United States of Hell must be God’s will. I do not know why my God of love, mercy, and forgiveness is permitting the total destruction of our Mengelese nation?
#50
@maxrot: Oh, ok sorry thanx. It only takes 1 insane California Republican to cancel out 1 insane Texan.
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Criminey, here in California we took a beating on our progressive Prop 15, and anti progressive Props 14, 16 & 17.
If the progressives in California can't even prevent an open primary prop from passing, we may as well prepare for Gov. Whitman.... I think I'm going to be sick.
N