Daily Topics - Tuesday December 7th, 2010

Quote of the Day: It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach. - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Hour One: Why did Obama sell out his progressive base to make a deal with Republicans?
Hour Two: Topic:Is Big Brother is coming to a Wal Mart near you?
Hour Three: "Time to Think the Unthinkable: A Democratic Primary Challenge To Obama's Reelection?" Professor Clarence B. Jones, former speechwriter and counsel to Dr. Martin Luther King, will be here http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/
Comments

Crazy like a fox or fox guarding the hen house?
Thom, I think your statement that Obama hasn't had a bad guy to deal with yet acts more to condemn his lack of leadership--his passive aggressive, ambivalent behavior that has unraveled almost all progressive hopes. It would be one thing for him to have done combat with an evil demon and lost; but not to have had an antagonist as a foil simply means that he is all the more to blame.
I appreciate your kindness in looking past his accumulated failures (maybe next year w Boehner's help he will be strong!), but this line of argument is distractive and off the mark.
Respectfully and appreciatively
Thom - you keep mentioning Roosevelt and Eisenhower . . . . Does anyone remember that today is Pearl Harbor Day? Will 911 also be relegated to ho-hum status in 60 years?
Yesterday, I called every Democrat who voted for extending the Bush tax cuts as weel as the White house and Lieberman. I, also, called Nancy Pelosi's office to thank her for working for the people.
At this point, I don't know if it makes sense to vote. If the voting softwear is not fixed to favor Republicans, many Democrats and the President vote like Republicans. What's the difference? Maybe the people of this country need to experience the total control of the conservatives and their corporate buddies. I say let 'em have their way. Only problem is, we all have to suffer for their inability to form thoughts without the influence of Faux News and all those corporate tv ads.
Land of the Free, Home of the Brave.... except if we suspect someone of being naughty.
Yes, I'll feel much happier knowing that the every want to be patriot hero who is an ignorant, paranoid, secret vigilante citizen is watching out for (if not just watching) me.
Perhaps, just perhaps we should remove the boot heel of our country from other country's necks, that might be a bit more of a wise tact to take then trying to enlist every citizen to anonymously finger fellow citizens as being suspicious.
N
I've always heard it pernounced Gal-lip-o-lee
N
re: Walmart and Homeland Security: If you remember, just recently Homeland Security intervened on behalf of unnamed corporations by shutting down websites which either released copyrighted material or had links to other sites which performed that activity. Now we see a link of tax-supported Homeland Security to Walmart. Does anyone seriously believe that the public is being told to report "suspicious" i.e. terroristic activities - or is this an admonition to report shoplifters??? Walmart has mewled like a mashed cat for years about its losses to theft. My thinking is that we are funding yet another benefit for this giant corporation...I seriously doubt that "terrorists" are going into Walmart to do their Christmas shopping and then go out and commit terrorist acts.

Janet Napolitano, that annoying hyper-sensitive car alarm that seems to always be going off.
MY EMAIL TO MY REPRESENTATIVEAND TWO SENATORS:
The President’s “Compromise” with the Republicans is unsound.
Do not negotiate with economic terrorists. Please work fervently to squelch this exercise in extremely poor judgment. The long-term will exponentially out weigh any short-term benefit. The Republicans made it perfectly clear that they were happy to deny >>> 100% <<< of Americans any tax relief in their mindless pursuit of America’s economic ruin. It would be better to let all deficit enhancing ‘tax-cuts’ expire and excoriate the Republicans for destroying the unemployed during the holiday season.
I implore you to use any and all means at your disposal to keep this travesty from occurring.
Respectfully,
Richard L. Adlof

In Ohio, we have one of each senator. The retiring Republican has confirmed he will not vote for the bill. Interesting how Republicans develop a conscience on the way out the door.
As much as I hate the idea of fear-mongering in Wal-Mart, we probably shouldn't make such a big deal out of it because after about two weeks everyone will ignore the video anyway. If they really wanted people ot pay attention, they need to use Lady Ga-Ga or Paris Hilton--not Janet Napolitano.

Should we find a Democratic challenger for Obama? NO!!! We tried that in 1980 and look what it got us. We need to bring the pressue on Obama to do the right thing, but when we have the White House in Democratic hands let's work to keep it there. Two words "Supreme Court".
The President has become our newest pResident . . . President Obama appears to be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome or some other disease of the mind and maladjustment of the soul.
Failing to understand that the House WON on Bush Era Deficit Enhancers, he decided to gave handjob to the GOP to make them happy. WAIT!!!! No, that is not correct. More accurately: President Obama, realizing that House DEMs had won, he elected to screw America AGAIN with his best buddies, the Republicans.
The truth is that I am considering going to Change.Org and starting a petition asking President Obama to step down and let Vice President Biden serve out the rest of his term.

Thom if you think it "Pains you to pick on someone you helped get elected." Imagine how Huey Long felt. If not for Huey Long we would have no worth while New Deal.

If Julian Assange
has not been convicted of any crimes, how is it that Pay Pal and Visa can stop their services to him which he is legally entitled? Does Assange have a case for a viable law suit against them?
I wrote to you about this before, but I will now restate it.
Barak Obama was a community organizer in Chicago. His constituents were poor, but he was a Harvard educated lawyer, who used these credentials to gain access to those who could generate money and influence toward his success. Conservative Harvard banking types (yes they do exist) were his role models.
That is what he did. He worked very hard to become a patrician. Not only that, but these were the people who he would model his ascendency on, and those that he modeled his future upon, recognizing that Democrats did not exist in the rarified atmosphere of finance and banking, therefore he and his administration saw no conflict in allowing the Republicans to co-opt his administration from day one. They were his ideal.
Make no mistake; Obama is a conservative in the mold of a banker, but he quickly realized that because of his color he could not ascend to the heights he desired as a Republican. He would be given a spot at the table, but in a far subservient role.
His only choice was the Democratic party. Whether anyone knew it or not, he was a Trojan horse.
Obama has the other problem that Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees has. Growing up without a father lead them both to develop character traits that lead to always seeking acceptance, and never, ever being confrontational. If you are confrontational you’ll drive men away and no one will like you. They would be clever to a fault. The women that raised them furthered this weakness of character. That’s why he always returns with the same mindset of consiliation with the Opposition time and time again. It’s a very bad character flaw, one that is poison for a President and leader of a party.
He has never been a leader of a political party, especially one as messy as the Democrats. I believe that he finds it distasteful. That is why HE created the tax giveaway, because his caucus revolted yesterday in the White House meetings.
This is a very big problem. He is opening the door for another Republican ascendancy, and this time it may be Karl Roves’ dream in fruition: A permanent Republican majority.
He’s the gift to us Republicans that just keeps on giving.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
FDR's words have never been more apropos. Unfortunately, when we've finally and successfully confronted our own fears, turning them into constructive energies and initiative, we've yet to deal with the ugly fears of those whose life obsessions have their very basis in fear; those who hoard resources, those who must be armed to the hilt for fear of being unable to destroy at will, those whose lives have been spent in a pathetic fantasy in which they're entitled to accumulate prodigious amounts of unearned wealth at the expense of others, those who are hell-bent to demolish Obama's presidency and derail our country: the republicans in the U.S. Senate and their billionaire benefactors.

Bullshit Thom!
I'm a DC native and I can tell you that your mass transit experience in DC is based on Where YOU (Thom) live. Our infrastructure is woefully inadequate! The Metro sucks! I have no choice but to drive because I can't afford to live "walking distance" to a Metro Station like you do! You need to rent a car and sit in rush hour traffic on the 495 beltway, 66, 270, 395, or try crossing any of the bridges, into or out of the city, you will see things differently. Using the Metro or busses is not an option for MOST people around here because it cost just as much or more than driving. For example. I live in Arlington VA, 5 miles from work in DC, and it will always take 45 minutes or longer to catch a bus and/or ride the Metro. Or, I can drive to work, which takes anywhere from 10 - 45 minutes depending on traffic, usually less than 20 minutes. We all can't afford to live on Capitol Hill!
Plus, when I used to live walking distance to the Rosslyn Metro Station (Orange Line). I was packed in like sheep. The trains are always full and you may not even be able to get on. You have to guess where the doors will open so you can be one of the lucky ones to force your way on, on only to have the train pull in to the tunnel and stop for 15 minutes. It's inhumane! I used to get to work in the morning all sweaty from being packed into a hot train. Furthermore, there are not enough stations. It’s not like NYC where you are always walking distance to a subway stop that will take you where you need to go.
There are constantly inconsistent delays that make it less reliable than driving!
You Don't know what the hell you are talking about, when it comes to DC's mass transit! It may work for you but, it’s crap for the rest of us. That’s why the Post has a column written by “Dr. Gridlock.” Getting around our fair city is a challenge for anyone. You have to know what route to take, and at which time, to avoid delays. STOP exclaiming that the Metro is Great! You have no idea!

Again, I encourage you to read this article!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! I am truly elated with the facts in this article!!!

Obama just does not get the message!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-Still-Doesn-t-Get-Th-by-Allen-L-Roland-101206-394.html

Hypocrisy in the GOP!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Christian-Hypocrisy-in-the-by-Mary-Shaw-101206-799.html

More nails in a sinful nation's coffin!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Seven-Reasons-Why-Capitali-by-shamus-cooke-101205-756.html

Happy as a Hangman!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Happy-as-a-Hangman-by-Chris-Hedges-101206-278.html
Now that homeland security has been outsourced to Walmart does this mean I should avoid Sear or Kmart. "Welcome to Walmart - place your hands against the wall and spread 'em". With the way the Dems cave in on everything maybe they are lining jobs for after the next election
As far as reporting suspicious people... have the decision makers ever ridden a NYC subway

Jesus was a liberal!!!
As he stood there on the Mount, Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." [Matthew 5:9]
Still, the Republicans call themselves Christian (i.e., followers of Jesus Christ) as they continue to call for endless war, be it legally and morally justified or not.
And they try to justify torture. So I ask them, in the words of the popular button and bumper sticker: Who would Jesus torture?
And I get no good answer to any of it.

A little lengthy but a great read!!!
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/sermononthemount.html
Twenty years ago I was an activist woking for taxi drivers. The recurring issue was additions to the city's taxi fleet. There were three sides - the companies, who made more money, the drivers, who made less money (more taxis/same number of riders = less money per driver), and the riders, who got poorer service (long story, but essentially you get what you pay for; and the less the driver makes, the poorer service you get.) Then one day a mayor offered us a deal, In return for more taxis he would offset our losses with a fare increase and a 1 year moritorium on daily fees. We accepted the deal. We lost more riders than we made on the price increase, the public abandoned us politically over the price increase, and the companies broke the deal and raised our fees as soon as the extra taxis were approved.
Sound familiar?
We never won another political fight, and today, adjusted for inflation, we are making about 60% of what we were making. That's what you get for making deals.

DOH1304
I feel ya bra
my brother in law ( a dem) drives livery to midway and ohair and all round the town ( 18 hrs a day,,, zzzzzz,,,) and his biggest gripe is , arabs, ( his assessment ) who do not have a valid license, insurance, and no accountability, who were brought in to the u.s. on some asylum visa and now drive their own cars (crappy ones too) to shuttle regular fares around CH 60612, 60643 et al and pay no city tax, which just went up for the legit fleet !!! we held our noses and voted Dem. now we hold our noses and look at the new crop of over looked flotsam in the streams/path to tomorrow. I do not begrudge any honest competition but there needs to be oversight in the taxi commerce and it needs to happen soon. The remaining legitimate workers on the ground in the u.s. are loosing any connection/faith/ to the legislation and that is fomenting (( add your own negative implication))

Gerald
The avatar of constantine was Mithra, The sun god,, The "Jesus" of the greek codex called The Bible is a parody on the Mosiach of the children of Israel and his name is Yahshuah. Constantine kidnapped the story from the ancient text and blended the all the threads of truth into his own fabrication of his sign of the cross and in "in this this sign,, et al ad-nauseum, and started a second century cult, not unlike modern scientology. The " sign " of the true messiah/mosiach of the mighty one of Ab Raham is the menorah of seven lamps. There is no suffering , no torture, only a bloodless sacrifice/prayer/gift on the lips of the believers in the true mosiach.
I was lost in religion/withcraft like you GERALD
google "two house israel" and "Eddie Chumney " and read

Gerald
IS YOUR AVATAR PICKING HIS NOSE?????
WHY DON'T YOU PICK YOUR FRIENDS ,or
LEADERS;
MUSIC SELECTIONS,
ANYTHING ELSE,
GET SOME MANNERS !!!!
LISTEN TO GEOFFERY ORYEMA, LIGHTEN up YOUR HEART
stay in touch, but not with that finger
uncle blabby



If the Republican'ts start doing crazy bad stuff... IF???!!! I'm quite certain that the correct word is WHEN!
N