Ron Mills- News And Commentary

Health Care Debate between Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart

2009-08-24T20:36:00.000-04:00

What Do People Mean When They Say "I Want My Country Back"

2009-08-23T08:14:00.002-04:00

There is a buzz phrase coming from tea baggers, birthers, deathers and right wing people who are raising a ruckus at Town Halls dealing with President OBama's Health Care Reform. I will now translate what people mean when they say "I want my country back".

"I Want My Country Back" means:

1) All immigrants from Mexico, Latin America, Central American Countries, Asian countries should be deported immediately!

2) Black people can remain athletes and musical entertainers. They cannot be presidents or in any position of political power. Once that they are done playing their professional sports and entertaining us with music and dancing, they must go home to their neighborhoods and not return to all white places until they come to clean, cook, entertain or play sports.

3) Black entertainers can only perform jazz, blues, pop and easy listening R & B, Motown hits and early 70's R&B. Hip Hop will be banned.

4) All none English speaking people should be placed in language assimilation camps until they speak English.

5) All movies, television and Broadway shows should have 99% Caucasian casts and White Christian American themes. Black and of color people should be reserved for token roles that reinforce racial and ethnic stereotypes. Caricatured blacks, Asians and other minorities should be encouraged in all movies, television and Broadway shows.

6) Gay people must go back into their closets or else be sent to assimilation camps to be reprogrammed back into white, Christian, heterosexual society.

7) All Gay, Lesbian and transgender people who have children will have their children placed in new foster homes of proper white, fundamentalist Christian familes. Children of mixed races will be appropriately placed in fundamentalist Christian homes of their none white heritage race.

8) Racial profiling will be made legal and encouraged.

9) Hate crimes laws will be reversed.

10) Gay bashing, non Christian grave and temple desecration and lynching will be made legal and encouraged.

11) Politically correct terms will be made illegal. Offensive Racial and sexual epithets will be encouraged.

12) Anti Semitism will be encouraged and made legal.

13) Abortion will be made illegal except for wealthy women who can discretely arrange them with their private physicians for a "DnC" meaning dusting and cleaning. DnC's will be paid for by top insurance companies. DnC is a code word for abortion rights for privileged white women. Poor women can arrange back alley abortions at their own risks. However if they are discovered they and their abortionists will be sentenced to immediate execution.

14) Racial segregation will become a new law. White children will get better educations in general, especially if they are wealthy. Middleclass white students will receive mediocre educations with no art history, music clubs or classes. Poor whites will receive little education and be sent to work by age 12. Creationism will be the only history and science allowed to be taught in schools.The newest and best books will be available in order of income to white children.

15) Child labor laws will be revered. Poor children will be encouraged to work at their earliest possible age with no legalized work shifts.

16) Women and African Americans will lose voter rights.

17) Women's salaries will be reversed to pre 1973 inequality. Girls will be taught in the virtues of being home makers.

18) Non white members of the Supreme Court and female justices will be fired and replaced by white evangelical Christian male justices.

19) America will then be back to the country that all tea baggers, birthers, deathers, white Christian conservatives and right wingnuts want. These are the people that hate President OBama's election. For such people it simply feels wrong to have a black man in the white house, they cannot wrap their head's around the concept of a black man who is educated.

Even though American once belonged to Native American Indians, the America that most uneducated white Christian Conservatives want back is a White Evangelical Christian America. Can they "have their country back"? Thank God this will be very unlikely as American will continue to evolve as a nation of freedom of speech, religious freedom and a land where human rights will prevail. In 2042 Caucasian people will become a minority, however American will become a nation of multi-cultural and multiracial people.

Educated Americans will continue to fight for the greater humanitarian good of our country. At the end of the day America will continue to grow as a wonderful country based upon inclusion and equality. One day we will look back at these town halls and the disruptive, misinformed people "who want their country back". They are the shameful remnants of an America that was once was unenlightened about racial, religious and gender equality.

Posted by Razoretta

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Research 2000 Poll Obama's Approval rating down 2 points

2009-08-21T17:24:00.003-04:00

Research 2000, Adults MoE 2%, Aug 17, 2009 - Aug 20, 2009 (last week's results in parentheses)

Full Crosstabs

	FAVORABLE	UNFAVORABLE	DON'T KNOW	NET CHANGE
PRESIDENT OBAMA	58 (60)	38 (36)	4 (4)	-4

PELOSI:	34 (36)	57 (56)	9 (8)	-3
REID:	33 (34)	56 (55)	11 (11)	-2
McCONNELL:	17 (16)	65 (66)	18 (18)	2
BOEHNER:	13 (11)	65 (66)	22 (23)	3

CONGRESSIONAL DEMS:	41 (43)	53 (51)	6 (6)	-4
CONGRESSIONAL GOPS:	12 (10)	75 (76)	13 (14)	3

DEMOCRATIC PARTY:	44 (45)	49 (48)	7 (7)	-2
REPUBLICAN PARTY:	18 (17)	72 (74)	10 (9)	3

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7 Ways We Can Fight Back Against the Rising Fascist Threat

2009-08-21T10:17:00.002-04:00

7 Ways We Can Fight Back Against the Rising Fascist Threat

First: The teabaggers must not win this one. Back in elementary school, most of us learned that when a bully learns that intimidation and threats work, he'll will keep doing more of it. In fact, the longer he goes without comeuppance, the bolder and badder he becomes, and the harder it is to make him stop. Every success teaches him something new about how to use terror for maximum effect and tempts him to push the envelope and see what else he can get away with. Do nothing, and he'll soon take over the whole playground.

And it happens like this for bullies in groups, too. Living in a fascist regime is just living in a town dominated by the Mob, a street gang, the KKK, or a corrupt sheriff.

It only takes a small handful of thugs to terrorize people into giving up their civil rights, abandoning democracy and doing what they're told, just so they can keep their jobs, windows and families intact.

The main imperative in life becomes staying off the goons' radar. All the enforcers need to do is make an horrific example out of one or two troublemakers every now and then -- and the resulting fear will keep everybody else quietly in line.

Conservatives have tried to subdue other Americans this way for centuries, so there's nothing new going on here. And this is the way they've always done it: they used race (and yes, the birthers and anti-health care rioters are, at root, all about race) and economic calamity to whip up a posse of terrified, well-armed vigilantes, and then turned them loose on society to "enforce order."

Given their colossal investment in organizing and indoctinating the teabaggers, we'd be stupid to believe that this is all going to go away when Congress returns to Washington in September. Having had a taste of power and publicity, these newly empowered mobs are very likely to stick around town and see what else they can do to keep the muck stirred up.

Our choice now is stark: knock them back while they're still new, small and not yet entrenched; or deal with them later, when they've got some real power to fight back with, and the cost to all of us will be so much higher.

Second: Think nationally, fight locally. The conservatives are running this effort as a national campaign -- but that's not where the real fight is. The terror that fuels fascism is always intensely, intimately local in scale.

Fascist goon squads always recruit from the neighborhood -- they're built on people you know. Since that's where they start, that's where they have to be stopped.

This is why all the best tactics involve community-level action. The high-level fight in Congress and the media is already under way, and the Democratic leadership is fighting it with unusual elan. But anybody who sits this one out because they assume that the folks in D.C. have it all handled for them shouldn't be surprised when they start getting "special treatment" from longtime neighbors, or discover that they can't park their car downtown any more without having it vandalized.

That's just the next baby step up from where we are now; and in some places, it's already started to happen. Winning this means getting out there and defending our community's standards and boundaries now, while they're still there to be defended.

Third: Brush up on our nonviolent resistance -- but leave the heavy lifting and rough enforcement to the cops. It's true that the only way to stop a bully is to stand up to them. But there are ways to stand up to them that don't involve getting down to the eye-for-an-eye level.

Back home, we had a saying: "Never mudwrestle a pig. You will lose, and the pig enjoys it."

If we meet thuggery with thuggery, we will lose, because they're just plain better at it. And make no mistake: they will enjoy it. Right now, the right wing is looking -- hard -- to make the case that they're the innocent victim and the left instigated this whole thing. This quote from religious right organizer Gary Bauer is typical of the genre:

My fear, given the stakes and emotions on both sides, is that union thugs, ACORN activists and left-wing anarchists (who ransacked the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul during last year's Republican National Convention) will turn violent, and innocent people will get hurt. If that happens, the radical left will bear the responsibility for demonizing free speech.

The Nazis used this kind of victim-blaming to tremendous effect as they built up their party.

We must not -- must not -- give our proto-brownshirts any basis to make the same kind of argument. (Of course, the absence of evidence will only drive them to make up fake victims; but then we get to call them out as whining liars with a big fat persecution complex, which is always a fun way to spend a news cycle or two.)

It's about the moral high ground, people. Any choices we make must be consistent with our own values, or we betray both ourselves and the country.

Standing up for health care reform is important; but before that, the country needs to see us standing up for civil discourse and the right to democratic free speech. Since we're defending the rule of law, our best tactic is to use that law.

You have a right to attend a public meeting and speak your mind in a civil, respectful manner. You do not have a right to be disruptive or deprive other people of their right to be heard. And most jurisdictions have laws about disturbing the peace and creating a public nuisance -- laws, let's not forget, that the Bush regime didn't hesitate to stretch until the elastic gave out against people who merely showed up at meetings with the wrong bumper stickers or T-shirts.

Since we're not Bush goons, we can't go around arresting people who haven't yet broken any laws. But when people -- from either side -- cross that line, it's time for the cops and prosecutors to make the point for us: bullying people in a public meeting (or anywhere else) is illegal and will not be tolerated in this county.

Fourth: We need to make absolutely sure that the media get the story right. The teabaggers would run out of power with the flick of a switch if the media would just turn off their cameras. But the cold reality is that this kind of drama is a real ratings-booster.

It would be like telling lions to lay off that elephant carcass. Left alone, the media (local news in particular) will turn these people into cultural heroes. They couldn't turn their backs on this if the republic depended on it.

Since we can't beat 'em, we'll have to join 'em. The best cure for bad speech is always more speech. This means bringing cameras and documenting everything, getting it up on YouTube, and blogging it.

It also means coordinating rapid-response letterwriting to the local paper and keeping down-home reporters well-fed every single day with some new theme that reinforces the idea of concerned nonpartisan citizens trying to keep control over their democratic discourse in the face of organized thugs. Since the media are watching, let's make sure they see it all.

Fifth: Support legislators who don't show fear. The Democratic Party seems to be playing this just right (so far). The leadership has made it known that these noisy, scary people don't represent the 73 percent of Americans who support health care reform. The GOP is running the risk of being marginalized as not only the Party of No, but the Party of Moonbat Crazy.

If you've never attended a public meeting in your life, August 2009 is the month you need to start. Your congressperson's Web site probably lists a schedule, or at least a number you can call to inquire.

But that's just a first step. Do more. Write. Call. Find out where your local congressional office is, and just drop by when you're in the neighborhood. Tell the staff how you feel -- about health care reform, about the teabaggers, about your legislator's brave stance in the face of this.

If they're showing stress, encourage them to stand firm. A constituent in the office counts for thousands writing e-mails, so an in-person visit is 15 minutes incredibly well spent.

One visit or call is good. More is better. Put it in your schedule to contact your representatives at least once a week for the duration, and make sure they're not buckling under the pressure.

Sixth: Shut down the hate talkers. In most parts of the country, the teabaggers are coming straight out of right-wing talk-radio audiences. For hours every day, they're mainlining raw emotion and toxic misinformation.

They're going put your kids before "death panels!" They're going to kill your granny! You're going to have to call the White House to get a bone set! You'll be a Real American Hero if you get out there and join the "resistance!"

Cutting off this endless torrent of lies, fearmongering and validation will go a long way toward powering down the whole movement. (Conversely, what happens when these kinds of radio instigators are left to spin it all the way out to the end can be summed up in two words: Radio Rwanda.)

The basic recipe: Record their shows. Take notes of anything they say that is intimidating, threatening, or aimed at inciting violence against a named target. And while you're at it, note every single advertiser they have.

Then write a polite letter the CEOs of the sponsoring companies. Throw them some choice quotes from these shows and ask them if this is the kind of thing they want their product associated with. (Point out that if their own employees said things like this at work, they'd be fired on the spot.)

Often, the CEO has no clue that any of this is happening and will pull the ads as soon as she finds out what's being done in her name. This has worked extremely well -- and quickly -- at both the local and national level.

Finally: Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Even if we succeed this time, let's not kid ourselves that this is over. The conservatives are investing a lot of money and effort to build a mass movement that is explicitly aimed at destroying a Democratic government -- and if we learned anything from the Clinton years, it's that they're not going to let up for a second as long as the Democrats are in control.

This is our new reality -- and it comes straight out of Hitler's playbook (check out Chapter 6 of Mein Kampf). Their intention is to keep the outrage junkies high by giving them a never-ending supply of new, made-up reasons to act out.

When the birth certificate fracas cools, they're standing by with "death panels." When that one's run its course, there will be something else -- over and over, every few weeks, for as long as the Dems rule.

Which means that even if we win this round, we can't stand down. We're going to be pushing back against these bullies, over and over, for the next three to seven years.

There are only two outcomes here. Either we get very good at spotting and stopping these attempts at a brownshirt takeover the minute they crop up; or they're going to get very good at public intimidation and keep ratcheting it up further toward outright violence and goon rule.

That's how it's going to be for the rest of this administration. The sooner we resign ourselves to the zero-sum nature of this fight, the sooner we can get on with getting good at it.

Posted by: Sara Robinson

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Rahm didn't count on you

2009-08-20T11:03:00.002-04:00

Help us reach 25,000 petition signatures: House progressives need to keep the pledge for a strong public option.

When Congress returns to work on health care next month, Jane Hamsher and nyceve will be there to deliver the petition.

Click here to add your name to our petition.

After two months of your hard work, 65 members House drew a line in the sand: no public option, no health care reform. You responded by raising more than $175,000 for those members in less than 48 hours.

It's a great start, but it's just the beginning. We need to make sure these 65 members hold firm. We've shown them we have their backs. Now they need to get ours.

I'm starting a petition to the House to keep their pledge to support only a public option in both the House bill AND the conference bill.

I'm going to be in DC next month. If we can reach 25,000 signatures, Jane Hamsher and I will be there to hand-deliver the petition to the House when they return to take up health care.

Click here to add your name to our petition to members of Congress who pledged to support only a strong public option.

Members of the House who took this pledge will be under insane pressure from Rahm Emanuel and the rest of the Obama Administration to cave for an insurance industry bailout.

Rahm's plan all along has been to trade away the public option. But Rahm didn't count on you. Now that we've shown progressives in the House it's possible to stick together, it will be our job to make sure these members hold the line on a strong public option.

Let's be clear: these members need to hold the line on two votes. Once when the House passes its own bill, and again on the conference bill that's combined with the Senate's version. Anything less is a vote for an insurance industry bailout.

Help us reach 25,000 signatures on our petition to House progressives. You can make sure that progressives keep the pledge to only vote for a strong public option.

Click here to add your name to our petition: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/keepthepledge

Thanks so much for your help. I hope we can get to 25,000 signatures so I can deliver the petition with Jane next month.

Best,

Eve Gittelson (nyceve)

The Blue Dog Coalition

2009-08-14T10:11:00.002-04:00

Contact these members of Congress and urge them to support the public plan option! These are the Democrats holding us back from the best health care plan possible.

Key people to contact - view the entire list of the 56 Blue Dog Democrats here!

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration

Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy

Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications

Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip

Rep. Mike Ross (AR-04)

The List of Democratic Senators not directly supporting the public plan health care option

Call and email them, telling them to support President Obama's public plan option!

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Changing Hearts & Minds With Social Media

2009-08-06T12:06:00.003-04:00

Changing Hearts & Minds With Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and other social networking sites allow users to spread information quickly. So how does GLAAD use the Internet to highlight stories and get members involved? GLAAD's Director of Online Media Justin Cole cuts through the jargon and explains how you can get involved by simply pressing a few buttons on your computer.

Follow GLAAD on Twitter
Register for free at the new www.glaad.org to help GLAAD fight defamation
Visit glaadBLOG for daily breaking news

Join GLAAD's groups on Facebook
Official group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=10132006109

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The GOP's Appeal to White Trash Voters

2009-08-04T11:45:00.003-04:00

I mean "Birthers"

The appeal of the anti-Obama agenda has proven to be particularly strong among whites of low and moderate incomes. The Pew Center, tracking evaluations of Obama's job performance, found in a July 30 report that there "has been essentially no shift in opinion among affluent whites [but] among whites with annual family incomes of less than $75,000, Obama's approval ratings have declined substantially (from 57% in June to 47% today). Assessments of Obama's performance remain high among African Americans (85%)."

ABC News polling similarly found in late June that the possible costs to consumers of cap-and-trade legislation "are particularly important to less well-off Americans. Among those making less than $50,000 a year, support for regulating greenhouse gas emissions drops by 17 points (from 75 percent to a still-majority 58 percent) if it raises prices; support if it costs $10 a month is 49 percent; and at $25, just 35 percent."

The trend lines reported by Gallup are perhaps the most striking: At the start of this year, during late January, Gallup found that Obama's job approval ratings stood at 63 percent among whites, 86 percent among African Americans, and 74 percent among Hispanics. In the Gallup survey taken in late July, Obama had gained 9 points among blacks, reaching 95 percent job approval, and was holding his own among Hispanics, dropping a statistically insignificant 2 points to 72 percent.

Among white respondents, however, he had dropped 16 points to 47 percent.

These findings are reinforced by recent trend lines emerging in the Wall Street Journal/NBC polling series.

In that series, the decline has been sharpest among white men, whose approval-disapproval ratio fell by 27 points, from 50-36 to 40-53.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

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GOP Advocates Gerrymandering

2009-08-03T11:06:00.002-04:00

Governors Races are Where the Action Is, GOP Advocates Gerrymandering: "Forget about the lopsided House and the 60-seat Senate; the real races to watch in 2010 could have nothing to do with federal government. This cycle's 39 gubernatorial races are shaping up to be where much of the action is, with as many as half of them potentially switching parties and at least 19 open seats…Throw in the fact that, for the first time in 20 years, the races are being held immediately before the redistricting process, and the environment is shaping up to be nearly unprecedented." Later in the story, GOP operatives say they need to win governorships to take back Congress and the White House. Read more here.

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Hillary Clinton Recognizes Stonewall, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month

2009-06-01T19:20:00.002-04:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has released a statement recognizing June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

It reads:

"Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City, as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which all people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead.

"At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateful for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Their contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide.

"Human rights are at the heart of those efforts. Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation of human rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Though the road to full equality for LGBT Americans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world who yearn for a better future for themselves and their loved ones.

"This June, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a world in which all people can live in safety and freedom, no matter who they are or whom they love."

Time's Klein rips Limbaugh for "on a daily basis ... delivering misinformation, lies to a large audience in America"

2009-05-10T21:22:00.000-04:00

Democratic strategist James Carville explains why he thinks the Democrats will hold power for the next 50 years.

2009-05-09T23:11:00.000-04:00

Budget victory! Here's what's next

2009-05-06T13:06:00.002-04:00

Last week, Congress passed President Obama's budget. It's a budget that works for ordinary Americans, and it's all thanks to people like you.

Members of Organizing for America spoke up and asked Congress to lay a new foundation for American growth by passing a budget that invests in energy, health care, and education -- and that's exactly what they did.

But as the President said on his hundredth day in office, we should be pleased with our progress so far, but not satisfied. There's so much more work to do, and to get it done we need to keep growing this movement.

Please take the next step by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper -- share your story about how you helped pass this budget, and invite folks in your community to join in.

Write and submit your letter online by clicking here.

The 10 Hottest Campaigns

2009-04-30T07:47:00.002-04:00

March for Immigration Reform on May 1st
Posted by http://www.anewdayforimmigration.org/.

This May 1st, thousands of people will take to the streets to support immigrant rights across the country. From Miami to Chicago to Los Angeles (and everywhere in between), folks will be showing their support for President Obama's plan for immigration reform in 2009. Will join the movement and help our country work towards a fair and just immigration policy? Find the rally nearest you here or at http://www.anewdayforimmigration.org/

Taxpayers nationwide are organizing to demand Bank of America reform its ways. Led by SEIU, MoveOn.org, and other community groups, people from all over the U.S. are demanding that Bank of America fire CEO Ken Lewis and change the way they do business. We bailed them out, now they need to listen to us.Will you stand up and demand Bank of America change its way? To learn more click here: http://takebacktheeconomy.org/

Update: BoA has ousted Ken Lewis as chairman, but he is unfortunately still CEO of the company.

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Conservatives’ 100 Days Of no NO

2009-04-30T07:07:00.002-04:00

Conservatives are desperate to see President Obama fail. Seems to me to be quite unpatriotic to put their political preferences above the safety, security, and well being of the American people and the nation.

If you like it, click through to YouTube after you watch the whole thing, watch it again, and rate it!

Don't forget to share this with your friends on Facebook (via msgs, walls and your status), Twitter and wherever else you can!

http://budurl.com/bl6c

http://budurl.com/bl6c

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Signs G.O.P. Is Rethinking Stance on Gay Marriage

2009-04-28T16:25:00.002-04:00

Signs G.O.P. Is Rethinking Stance on Gay Marriage

Some Republicans say the issue of gay marriage may be turning into more of a hindrance than a help.

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A Real Taxpayer Revolt

2009-04-25T12:23:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, April 28th, taxpayers will stand up against corporate greed, rallying at 100s of Bank of America branches across the nation. Led by SEIU, CCC, Unions, US Action, MoveOn.org, and more, protesters are calling for the firing of CEO Ken Lewis, the end to consumer and predatory lending practices, and a commitment to real financial reform.

Click here to learn how to participate and why Bank of America needs reform.

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One Step Closer To Health Care Reform

2009-04-24T13:43:00.002-04:00

It all comes down to this: Because of grassroots pressure, Republicans didn't have the votes to block reconciliation for health care. Republicans are threatening procedural war, but it looks very likely that a minority of Senators will not be able to block health care reform this time. And so the GOP has a choice: They can work with Democrats in good faith (something they have declined to do so far), or they can be ignored as Democrats pass the health reform this country so desperately needs with a simple majority vote in the Senate.

Either way, progressives won a victory last night, and we're one step closer to winning quality, affordable health care for all.

Thanks To Everyone Who Made Phone Calls

Ron Mills

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Randi Rhodes to Return to Talk Radio

2009-04-24T06:45:00.002-04:00

San Francisco's Green960 announces 'Goddess of Progressive Talk' to be syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, home to Limbaugh, Hannity and other rightwing talkers

Updated: Premiere announces return date of May 11, show to broadcast live from D.C....

Following a nearly two-month absence from the airwaves, Progressive radio talker Randi Rhodes is set to return, according to an announcement this afternoon from John Scott of San Francisco's Green960 (KKGN). She will be syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks as reported in a video-taped announcement just posted on the Green960 website.

Premiere is known for their national syndication of far-right talkers such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dr. Laura and Glenn Beck. Rhodes, known by fans as the "Goddess of Progressive Talk", had formerly been with NovaM Radio, which folded when she left, and at Air America Radio prior to that...

Read More..............

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2010 Senate Ratings

2009-04-22T11:22:00.002-04:00

2010 Senate Ratings

Here are Rothenberg's* (leans Right-Wing) latest Senate ratings.
#- Moved benefiting Democrats
*- Moved benefiting Republicans

Lean Takeover (2 R, 0 D)

Bunning (R-KY) #
Specter (R-PA) #

Toss-Up (3 R, 1 D)

MO Open (Bond, R)
NH Open (Gregg, R)
OH Open (Voinovich, R)
Dodd (D-CT) *

Narrow Advantage for Incumbent Party (2 R, 1 D)

FL Open (Martinez, R) *
Burr (R-NC)
Reid (D-NV)

Clear Advantage for Incumbent Party (1 R, 3 D)

Vitter (R-LA) *
Bennet (D-CO) #
Burris (D-IL) *
Lincoln (D-AR) *

Currently Safe (11 R, 12 D)

Bennett (R-UT)
Coburn (R-OK)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA) *
Isakson (R-GA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
KS Open (Brownback, R)
DE Open (Kaufman, D)
Bayh (D-IN)
Boxer (D-CA)
Dorgan (D-ND) #
Feingold (D-WI) #
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Inouye (D-HI)
Leahy (D-VT)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Schumer (D-NY)
Wyden (D-OR)

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Rep. Jane Harman- Neo Con Traitor & Spy or just misunderstood?

2009-04-21T15:35:00.002-04:00

For over 4 1/2 years I have been writing about Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA).

Commenting on her being at the very least a Neo-Con Bush Cheney insurgent at the very worst a traitor and a spy. Every time I posted about Rep. Harman I received the most hateful emails, ranging from being a bad democrat to being ant-Semitic and even anti woman because, I suggested Nancy Pelosi, not appoint her as chair of the Intelligence Committee because she was a war lovin Neo-Con. If Rep. Harman is the terrorist and spy I think she is, she should go to prison.
I wrote this on Nov 28, 2006 6:22 pm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fight-the-right/message/20310

Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA).

in her own words

On Colin Powell's U.N. speech: "I happen to know that our intelligence agencies made absolutely certain that it was totally accurate, and that anything put out there had been reviewed 100 times to make sure it was accurate." (Fox News, Big Story with John Gibson, 2/6/03)

On Saddam Hussein's WMDs: "There's a strong intelligence case that Iraq has not destroyed its weapons of mass destruction and is building the capability to use them." (Washington Post, 1/30/03)

On the Iraq-al Qaeda connection: "There's a growing al Qaeda presence in Iraq, and I think the case can be made that there is a growing affiliation [between the two.]" (Washington Post, 1/30/03)

On victory in Iraq: "[V]ictory will mean displaying for the world the evidence of weapons of mass destruction, and the horrors and torture of a generation of abuse by this dictator and then rebuilding the country with a multi-national coalition, and the emergence of an indigenous, transparent, moderate, democratic regime in Iraq run by the people of Iraq for them. I think that that will be a marvelous victory." (CNN, Larry King Live, 3/19/03)

On the NSA domestic surveillance program: "I believe the program is essential to US national security and that disclosure has damaged critical intelligence capabilities. . . . Due to its sensitive nature, I have been barred from discussing any aspect of this program. . . .[However] I am deeply concerned by reports that this program in fact goes far beyond the measures to target Al Qaeda[.]" (Harman press release, 12/21/05)

On the leak to the New York Times which revealed the program's questionable operations: "I deplore that leak. . . I think it is tragic that a lot of our capability is now across the pages of the newspapers." (NBC, Meet the Press, 2/12/06)

Top Democrat tried to kill NSA wiretapping story in 2004

http://rawstory.com/08/blog/2009/04/21/times-confirms-democrat-tried-to-stop-wiretapping-story-possibly-before-2004-election/

The New York Times confirmed late Monday that a top Democratic congresswoman called the paper in 2004 and tried to keep it from publishing an article exposing the Bush Administration's warrantless wiretapping program — possibly helping to sway the balance in the 2004 presidential election.

The New York Times exposed the warrantless wiretapping program in 2005, revealing that the National Security Agency had engaged in the interception of thousands of American and foreign calls without a warrant as part of a program intended to disrupt terrorist plots. Upon running the story, they also admitted that they had withheld the article for a year at the urging of Bush Administration officials.

But buried in a Times article published Tuesday is the revelation that the top Democratic congresswoman on the House Intelligence Committee, Jane Harman (D-CA), called the paper's Washington, D.C. editor in "October or November" of 2004 in an effort to quash the story.

"Bill Keller, the executive editor of The Times, said in a statement Monday that Ms. Harman called Philip Taubman, then the Washington bureau chief of The Times, in October or November of 2004," the Times writes. "Mr. Keller said she spoke to Mr. Taubman — apparently at the request of Gen. Michael V. Hayden, then the N.S.A. director — and urged that The Times not publish the article."

"She did not speak to me," Keller said in a statement, "and I don't remember her being a significant factor in my decision."

In addition, "Shortly before the article was published more than a year later, in December 2005, Mr. Taubman met with a group of Congressional leaders familiar with the eavesdropping program, including Ms. Harman. They all argued that The Times should not publish," they Times reporters added.

At the time of her calls in 2004, Harman was part of the Gang of 8 — one of eight powerful members of Congress who are briefed on heavily classified intelligence matters. She was the most senior Democrat in the House dealing with intelligence affairs, and was sidelined after the 2006 congressional elections.

"October or November" 2004 would have been the month before, or the month of, respectively, of the election that Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) lost to then-incumbent President George W. Bush.

The paper did not give the exact date of Harman's call.

Harman's role in the wiretapping scandal emerged after a story Sunday in Congressional Quarterly, which disclosed that the California Democrat had been caught on an NSA wiretap promising an Israeli agent that she'd lobby to get the charges for two Israeli lobbyists accused of espionage reduced. The Times expanded on the story today.

An "official with access to the transcripts said someone seeking help for the employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a prominent pro-Israel lobbying group, was recorded asking Ms. Harman, a longtime supporter of its efforts, to intervene with the Justice Department," the paper wrote. "She responded, the official recounted, by saying she would have more influence with a White House official she did not identify.

"In return, the caller promised her that a wealthy California donor — the media mogul Haim Saban — would threaten to withhold campaign contributions to Representative Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who was expected to become House speaker after the 2006 election, if she did not select Ms. Harman for the intelligence post," the paper added.

The full Times story is available here.

-John Byrne

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Phoney Broward Tea Bag Protests

2009-04-10T14:57:00.002-04:00

Despite these attempts to make the "movement" appear organic, the principle organizers of the local events are actually the lobbyist-run think tanks Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works. The two groups are heavily staffed and well funded, and are providing all the logistical and public relations work necessary for planning coast-to-coast protests:

– Freedom Works staffers coordinate conference calls among protesters, contacting conservative activists to give them "sign ideas, sample press releases, and a map of events around the country."

– Freedom Works staffers apparently moved to "take over" the planning of local events in Florida.

– Freedom Works provides how-to guides for delivering a "clear message" to the public and media.

To read about the phoney Broward Tea bagging go to: http://budurl.com/rcwl

Ron Mills Blog Closing Down

2009-04-03T19:32:00.005-04:00

This will be the last Political & current event post.
On Monday April 13th 2009 this blog will be converting to
Ron Mills JavaTime Radio

We will be discussing New Social Media in Business Political Campaigns & Issues

Monday- Friday 9am- 10am EST

Join Us at http://RonMills.us/javatime

Message From Howard Dean

2009-04-02T13:07:00.002-04:00

I have an announcement. After four exciting years in Washington, I'm hitting the campaign trail again! Only this time, I'm campaigning to help President Obama win health care for all.

During the election, President Obama proposed a health care plan that would give every American the freedom to choose between keeping their private insurance—if they have any—and choosing a universally available public health insurance option like Medicare.

But for-profit insurance companies and HMOs are already working hard to strip this public health insurance option from any upcoming health care bill. They don't want us to have a choice, and they'll stop at nothing to kill real reform. Trouble is, some in Congress are siding with the insurance companies—and against what's best for the rest of us.

Today, we draw a line in the sand. A public health insurance option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans. And to show that we mean business, we all need to tell Congress we won't settle for less.

If 250,000 of you sign this petition, I will personally deliver it to Congress. Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/standwithdrdean/o.pl?id=15863-2954536-Ot11cKx&t=1

Here's our message to Congress: "Give America a choice. We support health care reform that allows individual Americans to choose either a universally available public health care option like Medicare or for-profit private insurance. A public option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans and its inclusion is non-negotiable. Any legislation without the choice of a public option is only insurance reform and not the health care reform America needs."

The fight is heating up over whether or not to include the public health insurance option. This is going to be the biggest fight in the debate over health care reform. It would take the power away from the private insurance companies that have driven up costs and denied coverage for years—and they're dead set against it.

But I've seen firsthand what people power can accomplish. And I know I can count on MoveOn members to help lead the charge.

Now is our moment to stand up. Together, we can generate broad-based support for a public health insurance option. We will need to canvass our neighborhoods, call our elected leaders, and arrange meetings with members of Congress in the coming months.

Our goal today is to show Congress that we are many and ready to fight. Can you click here to stand with me?

http://pol.moveon.org/standwithdrdean/o.pl?id=15863-2954536-Ot11cKx&t=2

After you add your name, spread the word to your friends, family, and co-workers. Send a personal email and include a link to the website, update your Facebook status to tell people about the campaign, write a blog post about why you support this campaign—we need all hands on deck to win this fight.

Thank you for all you do.

Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Ed Schultz gets MSNBC gig

2009-04-02T07:37:00.002-04:00

New show to complement Olbermann, Maddow

Talkradio host Ed Schultz has landed his own show on MSNBC, after much speculation that the cabler was looking for another liberal voice to complement its combination of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow.

"The Ed Show" will debut Monday in the 6 p.m. ET hour currently occupied by "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." The host of the latter show, David Shuster, will host a two-hour afternoon show at 3 p.m. ET along with Tamron Hall. Norah O'Donnell, who currently hosts that hour, will move to a morning time period which has yet to be announced.

Buoyed by the traction the network has received from "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" and "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC was said to be looking for a host to follow their shows in primetime at 10 p.m. ET. But MSNBC president Phil Griffin has said that a repeat of Olbermann's show in that time period does well for the network, making them more reluctant to alter the lineup. For the first time ever in March, the network edged out CNN in the primetime hours from 8 to 11 p.m., although Fox News Channel continued to hold a wide lead over both networks.

An unabashed liberal who touts his rural, middle-America credentials, Schultz hosts the syndicated radio program "The Ed Schultz Show," aired on 100 stations across the country. He has appeared on MSNBC numerous times, and recently filled in for Shuster on "1600." But some of his greatest exposure came at President Obama's first press conference in February, when he was conspicuously seated in the front row along with Washington journalists.

"He's already made his mark in radio and I'm excited to see what he'll do with the 6 p.m. hour," Griffin said in a statement.

Soure: variety.com