Stop with the lies. Start telling the truth !

This is a repost from a community moderator on the Huffington Post . I felt That the truth needs to be brought out to combat all the filthy dirty lies comong from the Republican lying spin machine.

NOT A TAX INCREASE, A TAX CUT FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS,
AND GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY

There is no massive tax hike- best estimates are 1 to 2 percent will have to pay the tax.

28.6 million Americans entering health care exchanges will be eligible for the tax credits in 2014, valued at $110.1 billion to provide much-needed assistance to insured individuals and families facing ever increasing rising premiums, as well as to uninsured individuals and families who need help purchasing coverage.. Most of the eligible families will be employed, many for small businesses, and will have incomes between two and four times poverty (between $44,100 and $88,200 for a family of four based on 2010 poverty guidelines).

AND THE OVERALL IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY WILL BE POSITIVE:

1) Obamacare will reduce the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2011 that Obamacare will reduce the federal deficit by $210 billion over the next decade. The law is expected to save about $1 trillion over its second decade, according to other CBO analyses. The CBO found that repealing the law, as Republicans attempted to do in 2011, would increase the deficit by $230 billion over the next 10 years.

2) Health care costs for young Americans won’t skyrocket. More than 3.1 million young Americans have insurance thanks to Obamacare. Without the law, the cost of acquiring an equivalent health care plan would have risen dramatically at a time when young people are still struggling with the effects of the Great Recession.

3) Millions of jobs will be created. Health reform will help create roughly 4 million jobs over the next decade, according to a 2010 Center for American Progress report, by reducing the cost of health care and making it cheaper for businesses to hire. The law will create between 250,000 and 400,000 jobs a year, and they will be spread across sectors: according to the study, the law will help create more than 200,000 manufacturing and 900,000 in the service sector by 2016.

4) It will be cheaper for employers to provide health care. American businesses are under tremendous pressure thanks to rising health care costs, and these costs are often passed on to customers (one study estimates that each car sold by General Motors contains $1,200 in built-in health costs). The ACA, however, will make it cheaper for businesses to provide care, and not just by reducing the cost of care. Small businesses are already receiving tax credits contained in the law to help insure their employees, and it has already offered more than $4.7 billion in reinsurance payments to companies that are providing health care to retirees who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare.

Republicans are funny.
They parade this idea of "American Exceptionalism".
They say we are better than everyone else.

We were the laughingstock of the industrialized world, as we had a poor healthcare system, even though we were spending more than double what other countries were, countries who had a far more effective system.
Now that we have moved to correct that issue, Republicans have a problem with it?
Does the GOP even know what exceptional means?

The Gov. of Ohio Johnny K. Has so far refused to start to impliment this bill. He refuses to do anything or give credit to the President for any improvement in the economy.  There are only 1% of Americans that can afford to buy health Ins. but refuse to do so. This so called middle class tax the republicans are yacking about is only aimed at these morons.

The new A.C.A. and the evil people against it.

Theodore Roosevelt made national health insurance one of the major planks of the Progressive party during the 1912 presidential campaign . He lost the election.

Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted national health insurance but, even with his power in the New Deal Congress, he did not dare to tie it to Social Security in 1935 but he did not want to lose the whole program. Harry S. Truman pushed it on a Congress that wouldn't buy it.

While Dwight D. Eisenhower balked at national insurance, he tried to get Congress to support a reinsurance program to buttress private insurers and gain coverage for high-risk patients and the needy.Congress said no, twice .

John F. Kennedy made health care a major issue in his 1960 campaign. He concentrated on what then was called medical care for the aged. He couldn't get it through Congress.

Lyndon B. Johnson did, but even with his legendary legislative skills and the overwhelming Democratic majorities in Congress after the 1964 elections, it took more than a year of hard, sometimes arm-bending persuasion to get Medicare enacted. It was a hard sell with conservative Democrats, not unlike the problem Obama faced with his plan.

Not only for LBJ, but also for Republican Richard M. Nixon, who proposed universal health insurance in 1974, seeking to use employer-based coverage along with federal subsidies so that all Americans would be insured. It was to be done by private insurers, not the government. There was bipartisan support until Watergate intervened.  Sounds a little like Obama's plan today.

Today we spend almost twice as much for coverage than any other country with no where near the benifits. Now" Obama Care " as it is called has been proved to be constitutional and the battle begins.

I just wonder how people who call themselves Christian can be so mwae and so against a program designed to provide care to sick men,womwn and children. Why ?  I have Insurance and I worry about the health and care of others. I am really not that good of a Christian and that makes me wonder . If I care why don't they?  What kind of Christians are they? A new sect I never heard of?  My God people,It's health care not free vacations to Hawaii. Don't working people deserve at least that much?

Today I find it hard to to even call or contact family or friends who are against this law. They kind of makes me sick.

Health Care ,My Ass !

Tomorrow thw High Court will determine if the Affordable Care Act ,of President Obama, is Constitutional.  Let's be honest here. We have no working health care system. The only group that gets good care are the wealthy. They are the ones that do not need permission to go to a special cancer clinic or permission to try a new drug. They just pay for it.The rest of us need the permission of a corporation that will and does decide if we receive tests,medicine or care, We are at their mercy. Our so called systen stinks. I would love to see the Ryan budget pass and in ten years watch retirees try and buy care with a $8,000 voucher. Most even won't  be accepted by companies because of poor health fron doing hare and dirty jobs their whole life.Whatever the high court does our system will still stink and people will die early because of it. People with Insurance can't afford to use it with all the deductables and out of pocket expences today. People on Medicare can't afford medicine because of a donut hole. Who puts a don ut hole in drug coverage?  The Republicans that's who. The new cancer centers and treatments are not for working Americans but the rich and privleged. When are people going to wake up and demand some real care for their taxes?  If the republicans take control of the Government there will be Death Panels for sure. I also expect the court to vote along political lines. They are not guardians of the Constitution but frauds and will go down in history as such.

Liberals are not the enemy of the Second Amendment !

Anti-gun crusaders seem worried about the advent of a Republican administration. Heaven knows why. Republicans, in recent years, have managed to do much more damage to the Second Amendment as Democrats.

In 1969, journalist William Safire asked Richard Nixon what he thought about gun control. "Guns are an abomination," Nixon replied. According to Safire, Nixon went on to confess that, "Free from fear of gun owners' retaliation at the polls, he favored making handguns illegal and requiring licenses for hunting rifles."

It was President George Bush, Sr. who banned the import of "assault weapons" in 1989, and promoted the view that Americans should only be allowed to own weapons suitable for "sporting purposes."

It was Governor Ronald Reagan of California who signed the Mulford Act in 1967, "prohibiting the carrying of firearms on one's person or in a vehicle, in any public place or on any public street." The law was aimed at stopping the Black Panthers, but affected all gun owners.

 Years later, Reagan was still pushing gun control. "I support the Brady Bill," he said in a March 28, 1991 speech, "and I urge the Congress to enact it without further delay."

One of the most aggressive gun control advocates of all time is former Republican mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York City, whose administration sued 26 gun manufacturers in June 2000, and whose police commissioner, Howard Safir, proposed a nationwide plan for gun licensing, complete with yearly "safety" inspections .

Why Republicans and their Tea Party brothers are trying to spread lies that President Obama wants to take your guns if he is given a second term baffles me. The only reason that I can think of is that Republican supporters will believe any thing they are fed. Some would believe almost anything without checking. 

Screw it !

I received a call from by Representative Bill Johnson (Republican) how he is working, on my behalf, to pass the Ryan budget and save Medicare.  I spent a few days gathering some stats to write about the subject. He said, in his recorded call that if I was over 55 I need not worry. My Medicare would not be touched. Their Voucher system would only affect people 55yrs of age or younger. These proposed vouchers would be around $8,000 and paid to the Insurance Company when a retiree bought one of their health plans.

After the call I started to find stats that compared what the Gov. Pays now for Medicare per person and what they would pay with the new voucher system. I looked up studies that commented if seniors could even afford a health care plan in order to claim their voucher discount. I actually had a large blog planned for this week.

Today I changed my mind. If people 55 and younger can’t take the time to care about their future why should I.  I get tired of writing about issues no one seems to care about. The news said the Majority of Americans were against the Affordable Care Act. I wondered why? Surly they could not have looked into the provisions and protections of this bill.

Today I don’t have the energy or the will to try and convince a group of younger people what is good for their future. As long as My Medicare is not changed I say that starting in about ten years these people will have to live with their indifference. I wash my hands of this issue. Voters can believe the GOP. They can cry later.

The 776th.Radar Station

After my graduation from Radar Repair school I looked at my diploma. I completed 1, 176 hours of class time in about a years . It was time to move on. One by one my classmates received their assignments and left. After two weeks I was the only one left. I talked to my First Sargent and he told me to check my mail each day and relax. Two more weeks passed and I took a trip to headquarters. It seems that for some reason my name was not on their list to issue orders to. I was a forgotten Airman.

I was taken into a room by some officer where a huge map of the world was full of red pins. He told me that these were all the slots that needed radar repairmen. His exact words were “pick one”. I felt a lot of anxiety and pressure as I looked at that map. What should I do?  My eyes were drawn to the state of California and I pointed to a pin in a town named Point Arena. It looked to be somewhat close to San Francisco. Hippies and free love! Yea Baby! I was ready to go.  I got to go home for two weeks leave first.

After my leave was over I bought a ticket to San Francisco and left.  When I arrived at the Airport I looked around for some answers on how to get to Point Arena. I was told that there was no public transportation and Point Arena was at least 135 miles north of the city. It had looked closer than that.  I saw a Military bus picking up Airmen going to Hamilton AFB. I inquired and they said I could come along and check on transportation from there.

We arrived a half hour later since Hamilton was only 5 or 6 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I checked in and was told that I would have to wait for a food run to my little radar station. I was given a room in the base officers’ quarters where I sat for three days. On the third night there was a knock on the door. As I opened it there stood a 6’7” Master Sargent who said he was stationed at the 776^th. Radar Station. He informed me that our little base only had 220 people on it and was considered a remote assignment. What the heck?

Two days later I sat in the front seat of a big two tome food truck going to deliver supplies to the 776^th. Radar squadron. I have a phobia of letting any part of my body touch another guy so I almost sat sideways to protect my own space. The trip took us High way 1 along the coast for 135 miles. Because of the winding, dangerous, but beautiful road it took us five hours to reach the little town of Point Arena.

Next we began to climb a mountain that was part of the coastal range. We climbed over 3,500 feet in an 8 mile stretch. We had arrived and for the next two years I would call this beautiful remote place my home. It just gets more interesting from here. Stay tuned

LeBron James was Family to His Fans.

I have been reading all the blogs on LeBron James and his NBA Championship. Most of the Heat fans feel that it is their duty to rub it in to the Cleveland fans. They call us haters and generally degrade the city and its people. I must admit that I did not want to see him win a title but do not really hate him no matter what I have said. I watched him play almost every game for seven years and in some cases he played his heart out. I asked myself why it hurt so much when he left to go to South Beach.I have tried to put it into words in this post.

The thing that is so interesting to me about LeBron is that, unlike any other sport star in any other city in the country--he was born, raised, and lived in the same area all of his life, up until he left for Miami. He never went away to college or played for any other teams. He had no father, no siblings, and his mother had many, many issues--in and out of jail, arrested numerous times, all sorts of addictive problems--and so it was up to the community to raise him--coaches, teachers, neighbors, friend's parents--they took him in, fed and clothed him and made him the person he is today.He even received a scholarship to play high school ball at Akron St. V. and St. Mary. I don't think that he realized that these people are his true family. When he made such a public display about leaving, and especially when he gave up playing in those final games in Cleveland--it was a much more personal attack than just another sport star leaving for greener fields. I think that no matter where he goes for the rest of his life. he will never, ever be loved as much as he was by those people in Cleveland--they adored him--I've followed many sport stars and never seen anything like it.

I hope he is happy with his decision and the ring was worth it. He did turn his back on his family so to speak and all the ESPN reporters of Miami fans will never really get it.  He was a once in a lifetime player for us not just another MVP.  I would have hoped he would have turned into a better man.  Oh well !

Basic Training !

I remember a day late in Aug. 1966. I was to report to the county seat, In Lisbon Ohio, for a bus trip to enlist in the Air Force. All the paperwork was done and I had passed my Physical.  I was told not to bring anything but a small shaving kit with a toothbrush. No suitcase or extra cloths were permitted. My dad drove me to Lisbon before he went to work. We arrived a little before 8:00 AM.  We were met by a group of little old ladies that gave each of us a pack of gum, a small bible, of the New Testament, and something else that escapes my memory. It was a long ride to Cleveland because of the heat and a bus with no air conditioning.  We arrived at the Terminal Tower around 11:30. There we were given a quick lunch and sworn in the Air Force. We were to travel the Rapid transit system (I think) to the Airport but problems interfered.

It seems that we were in the middle of some riots protesting the Huff riots earlier in July. For whatever the reason we were checked into a hotel and kept there for three days. We were given food vouchers and sat all day looking out the window. Needless to say but our cloths were getting a little funky by the third day.

Finally we were transported to the airport for our trip to Lackland AFB for our basic training, or so I thought. Our plane went to Detroit instead to collect another 30 recruits.  Then we took a very long plane ride to Texas. We must have made five stops along the way. We were tired, hot, and dirty. I was sure they would understand and give us a little rest. What an Idiot I was. We were issued winter field jackets from WWII and stood at attention, in the sun, for two hours.

Next we marched to our Barracks and our week in hell began. I actually had tears in my eyes that night. What the hell had I gotten myself into!  We were told that because of the high numbers of men being checked in we would not receive our uniforms for a week. We had to spend 10 days in the cloths we had on our back.

When they cut my hair I felt better. The heat was unbearable. We had to swallow salt pills every time we left the barracks. There were even Red Flag days that were deemed too dangerous to venture outside.  I thought ,How could people actually live in such a place? I was so hungry most of the time that I ate food I never would have eaten otherwise.  It never seemed enough.  I hated the weather in Texas and will not go there for any reason I could think of.

Eventually we got our uniforms and completed our basic training .  We did the marching running,weapons training and the dreaded obstacle coarse. I actually enjoyed that.  After some sort of graduation ceremony I was shipped to Biloxi Mississippi to electronics school and not very happy to be stuck in another hot shit hole for a whole year. The Deep South was not a friendly place to be in the 60’s.  The year was long and the school was hard but I made it.  Only 40% did pass and the Air Force used electronics  school as a ploy to enlist cooks and other crappy jobs no one wanted to do. After graduation from Radar School I awaited my next assignment. That is another story for another time and it is worth telling. Nothing ever seemed easy for me.

Attack the Government Employees Unions !

People who don't understand why government workers should have good pay and decent benefits in tough times are asking the wrong question - and the press has largely accepted the framing coming from the right on this.


A better question is, why can't everyone else have what unionized government workers still have? Right now the stock market is booming and the major corporations are flush with money - yet all we hear is the need for sacrifice. What's wrong with this picture? They tell us employment will pick up when spending picks up - but how is that supposed to happen when the owners of the private sector continue to slash pay and benefits? Times may be tough - but not for everyone. Yet who is being asked to give up still more?


The reason why conservatives target government employees is because they do jobs that can't be shipped overseas for private profit, and more importantly, because they are the ones who can make government work for everyone - if given the resources. Want to destroy government? Demonize its workforce - and keep giving the rich tax welfare.


Anyone who doesn't realize there is a class war in America isn't paying attention. We no longer create jobs or make things in this country because the financial powers that be have decided it's easier and faster to strip mine the little remaining wealth from the vast majority of Americans into the hands of the few. Government union jobs are one of the last places they can go after - that and Social Security.


The same people who have been destroying the middle class for decades are now going after one of the last places where ordinary workers can still have some say over their fate. This is the latest chapter in the race to the bottom Republicans have been taking us to since Ronald Reagan. They're no longer 'growing the pie' - they're fighting over who can get the biggest slice

Arrogance and Ignorance

I believe that the top echelon of the wealthy Republican Party is very arrogant people.  I feel this way because of the positions taken over the last 20 yrs.  The republican leadership has made the decision to support the wealthy in this country to the detriment of the working poor and middle class.  They have supported a huge tax cuts and then led our country to war in order to protect the oil and gas rights of Hugh corporations. Make no mistake they are driving this patriotic feeling the country has to hide the fact that most of their children did not have to suffer from these wars but benefited from them.

They went to war while cutting taxes. They passed a Prescription drug bill without paying for it!  This bill was passed for the drug companies. It has a large donut hole that makes it very hard for most sick elderly to use it. Their leadership has driven our economy into a severe recession and banking collapse. They would say otherwise but the facts say otherwise.

They have refused to work with the President calling him all kind of names while holding up all legislation designed to support and help people in economic trouble.  They are even running a candidate with a country club nickname Mitt.

Their budget experts want to pass a budget that has cuts in Medicare and Social Security. The sad facts are that the only reason Social Security has a deficit that Congress owes the fund to the tune of 3 trillion dollars.  This, by law, must be paid back. The Republicans do not want to do that. In order to pay off this debt they must raise the taxes on the wealthy .They must also raise the cap on Social security to at least a Million dollars of earned income.  This will save the program that so many old rely on. Will they? NO Q they are too arrogant.

They hate Medicare because it is a program that holds costs down and requires Doctors and Hospitals to charge fair prices for services.  Medicare was passed in the 60’s because seniors could not pay their medical bills. A 1.5% tax was withheld from a worker’s pay with an employee match. Remember this was a time when it cost $5.00 to see a Doctor and a night in the hospital cost $200.00.

Since then the cost of medical care has risen 20 times when the wages of workers has not risen at all compared to medical care. No wonder the program is in trouble.  Do the Republicans have any plans to stop the rise in health care? NOPE, there is too much money to be made.

The Republicans have rejected an Affordable Care Act that was designed by their party in an effort to bring down a President. They have even voted against Bills that they themselves sponsored because the President agreed with them.

Arrogance is the only word I can think of. They can live with a bad economy and high health care costs because they can afford it. They refuse to help their fellow Americans that need it. No bills for workers.no bills to curb health care costs. No bills at all to solve any problems. All they seem to want to do is keep the taxes and regulations low for all Corporations. They want to turn the clock back to the 20’s and turn all workers into Wal-Mart workers, sad scared and underpaid. The six heirs of Sam Walton have more wealth than the bottom 30% of all Americans.  Why not treat their workers better? ARROGANCE!

Now how can a minority of wealthy Republicans get their way and control the majority? Ignorance is the answer. Most stupid people think we live in a democracy but we don’t. Our founding fathers were wealthy and did not want average people, the majority, to really have a vote.  We have a republic. Of the three branches of government we only vote for our Congressmen and Senators and that was only after an amendment to the Constitution.  We have a representative Republic. Our founding fathers did not want the people to have too much power to run the government.

The Republican Party today is a combination of wealthy corporations and ignorant backwoods segregationists from the South. That is the majority of their base. They support segregation in the South and have since the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed. They have also captured the born again stupid Christian vote. These are the people who hate blacks, gays and educated northerners who believe in science. These morons are kept in line by talk radio and FOX news where a steady stream of disinformation are shoved down their pathetic throats. These people will waste their votes on politicians that will not support unions of better working conditions for them. They will support politicians who deny women equal pay or control over their bodies. They will deny people decent Health Care. They will support politicians and a party that will take away their Social Security, Medicare and a free public education.  Why you ask? Ignorance, pure and simple. Sometimes I think we really are the Land of the Lost.

How the South became Republican.

The South has now shifted from being the conservative Democratic stronghold to a Republican base and southern politicians bring the baggage of excessively conservative social and greedy irresponsible economic policies into the Republican fold. Interestingly, it was the Republican Abraham Lincoln’s presidential elections in 1860 and 1864 and the Democrat Lyndon Johnson’s election to the White House a century later in 1964 that rallied the Southern politicians to enforce their conservative and segregationist stronghold. Race has always been at the core of Southern politics and the South has always closed ranks against any efforts for equality. This, in spite of the fact that it was a "white" Democratic southern politician, Lyndon Johnson, who passed the most important civil rights legislation in the country’s history.

Let’s look back to the end of the Civil War.  Having lost that war, the South went through a period of reconstruction in which the federal government tried to bring the fruits of citizenship to the newly freed slave population. The federal government sent federal troops into the South to implement the reconstruction program.  There was a sudden end of that reconstruction period in 1877. In order to bring closure to the tightly fought and bitterly contested election of 1876, in which a Democrat and a Republican came to a virtual tie–does this sound familiar?–a resolution got done in a back room.

There were certain southerners in Congress who were going to have the deciding vote in who was going to win that election and made the compromise that they would support the Republican candidate, Rutherford Hayes, if they could get their governments back, f they could end federal reconstruction… That "Compromise of 1877" marked the beginning of a conflict that goes on to this day because the Southerners got the federal government to get off their backs so they could go on and create a new form of slavery called "segregation"–so called "separate but equal" that was always separate but never equal.

Through the first half of the 20th century, southern Democrats were all segregationists and all white, all male with very few exceptions. There were a few Blacks who got elected to Congress from the South up until about 1904 following reconstruction–but by 1904 segregation was the law of the land in the South. And the north was willing to look the other way and let that happen. It is one of the countries dirty little secret.

Following WWII there was the beginning of a drive for equality for black citizens. Blacks had fought in two world wars and could not be considered full citizens…. Not just in the South, but in other parts as well. Their rebellion against that was beginning to come to a head in the late 1940′s and in to the 1950′s. The 1948 election was a time that Harry Truman decided to run for a full term, having succeeded Franklin Roosevelt (who died in the 1945). Along comes Strom Thurmond, and he and others bolted from the Democratic Party when Truman was nominated and tried to form the "Dixiecrat Party" to pull all the southern white segregationists together in a party that would be for all time against any equality for Blacks.  Southern Democrats opposed, among others, Truman’s integration of the armed forces and his embrace of policies to protect minority rights in employment.

Truman won the election in 1948. The Southerners who had seniority in Congress and members of the Senate and House were in open revolt against Harry Truman and the Democratic Party. That was the beginning of the transformation in the South from a Democratic Party base to a Republican base. And most of them changed not by changing parties–they remained Democrats for a long, long time–but they changed simply by showing their true colors. They were segregationists and they would go to the mat to keep the South that way.

So we come to 1963 and John Kennedy’s been assassinated and Lyndon Johnson, southern Democrat from the hill country of Texas, a former member of the House of Representatives, then Senate and then Vice President under Kennedy–became president by virtue of assassination.

When he successfully passed these Civil Rights Acts he said to his aid Bill Moyers that I may have turned the South over to the Republican Party for the next generation., I don’t think he could possibly have known just how prophetic that statement was.

It was in 1964 that Strom Thurmond finally switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party that began this avalanche of "coming out" parties where all these Democrats, who were really closet Republicans, came out of the closet to present themselves as what they truly were, which was super conservative and still segregationists….

The Democrats have, since the Civil War, been attempting to bend over backwards to accommodate the interests and concerns of the conservative southern Democrats that has resulted in them diluting their social and economic policy agenda.

Remember it has been the progressive Democrats that have given us policies and laws that have protected and expanded or access to the rights given to us under the Constitution.  The Republican Party, for the most part has championed segregation not only between Black and white but between the elite and the working and poor class. This concept will lead me to my next post “Arrogance and Ignorance”

Wealthy Families Do Not Like The Middle Class or the Poor

Republican leaders are out in front on the war against the poor and the lower middle class.  Why do the Republicans think that minimum wage earners make too much money?  Rick Perry has created more minimum wage jobs than any other Governor, but Eric Cantor and Michelle Bachmann think those people are being over paid.  Governor Walker thinks that teachers, policeman, fireman, and state workers also need a pay cut.  Has anyone heard a Republican speak out against the compensation of CEO's or Hedge Fund managers on Wall Street?  No, they harp on the over paid workers who a struggling to get by.  It sounds like Republicans want our poor and lower middle class to be living like 3rd world workers.  They won't rest until workers put in 10 hours a day, 7 days a week just to feed their families. They seem to want to turn back the clock on 80 years of gains by American workers.  The government is not the enemy; it's just being used by the rich to keep the rest of us from moving up.  It's time to take back our government and use it to level the playing field to give all Americans a change at the American dream.  The Republicans have given the rich all the power and created this American nightmare, let's restore this country to the middle class and the poor to develop the American dream.

I think the divide between the wealthy and the middle and lower class goes much deeper than we think.  I believe the wealthy think they are better and more entitled to a better life than the middle class. Just from personal experience, from the small town I live in, the wealthy stay hidden. They have their own club and play eat and generally keep away from the rest of us. There are only 12,000 people in my town and I never see the families of the wealthy using the same facilities my family uses. They will accept my business but not associate with me. I think they resent the fact that middle class and even poor families can find a way to send their children to college, I believe, in my heart, that they resent the fact that we take vacations where they do or that we can afford a new car. They seem to be upset that our children can rise above their station and become lawyers, Doctors, engineers, and even President.  I feel they look down on the rest of us and would like to keep us in our place.  Getting rid of unions and decent paying jobs accomplishes part of their goal. The attack on public schools is an attempt to deprive a good education to you and your children For God’s sake don’t they care about the future of their children and grandchildren?

Many of you will think I am nuts. I have had this feeling about the wealthy for years and feel their dislike he rewards is theirs.

Climate change will not affect them. They will have the money to move, buy food, and continue their lifestyle. You won’t. You must use your vote to stop this disturbing trend.  We must all fight for a continuation of the struggle for health care and better pay and working conditions. They won’t just give it to you. Look at history; do not let it happen again. This time it may take a lot longer than 80 years to gain some respect and a decent life.

Someday you will look back and say that crackpot was right. Remember they are already sending your sons to wars for oil and pipe lines .They do not sent theirs. How many of Mitt Romney’s five sons have served? Answer NONE

School Daze !

I went to a Catholic school till the eighth grade. School started each day in church for 8:00 mass.  Next we had classes like any other school. Our art class was different because a lot of it was centered on Bible pictures and events. I drew a lot of crosses in my day. We also had a class on religion each day.

My dad was having a hard time because my mother was sick with kidney stones and he was laid off from his job. He struggled to pay the bills and keep our house by bagging groceries and delivering auto parts for a local parts store. He worked for low wages and long hours doing two jobs. This from a man that was in combat in WWII fighting Japan. He had jungle rot on his feet and suffered relapses of Malaria.

I remember the Nuns teaching us that if your parents would give at least 10% of your wages (tithing) to the church God would provide for you and your money problems would disappear.  I remember that I would go home and tell my dad that the reason we were having such a hard time was a result of us not tithing.

I was a member of a class with 60 students in it. We were never taught critical thinking let alone real science. We never learned how to play a musical instrument either.

After I grew up I felt ashamed that my church would teach me such things. I felt ashamed of blaming our financial problems on my dad.  I had a hard time adjusting to a public high school. I was used to just keeping my mouth shut and never asking any probing questions.

I did manage to overcome my experience and did become a high school teacher. Over the years we had many transfers from religious schools .Some did quite well while others had problems. I guess they did as well as most other students. We had many Religious parents that could not afford to send their children to private church schools and homed schooled them.  The majority of these students did have serious learning problems. Not all but most had a very hard time getting along and many were very far behind in class work.

Please do not keep your children home to be educated. Unless you are a very smart and educated person who wants to devote your life to home schooling you will do harm to your child. Send your children to school. I prefer Public schools because of all the testing and scrutiny but a good private Christian school is just as good except for the sciences. When you hear stats that our children are not doing well compared to the rest of the world on tests remember that we educate everyone in the U.S. Other nations do not. You have to test into a secondary education. We also test and count the scores of our students with learning disabilities.  The best doctors, scientists, engineers and other professionals all come from our country

Cuts in Benifits.

I have been having a lot of give and take with some retired military personnel lately. Please remember that I am a veteran with four years’ service.  Because I did my duty in 1966 I started College at 23 and graduated at 29. Many of my friends had already been working and had 10 years seniority, pay and a married life with children. I had a late start. 

When I think about my service I had no complaints. I never served in a combat zone because I was a Radar repairman and they had only two heavy ground radars in Viet Nam. There were many men how wanted to go so my chances were slim.

Mostly I served on the coast of the United States. Life was fairly good. The pay may have been low but the food was free as were the cloths.  Medical and dental care was also free. My housing was free as well as all the utilities. Most of my money was for spending!  Things were cheap. I could buy things at the Base Exchange at a huge discount and the commissary had food at a reduced price. Smoking and drinking were cheap because there was no tax on these items.

When I left the people of the United States paid for my college with the GI Bill. I am very thankful for that but in no way think I really deserved it. It was free and although I am grateful I in no way felt I earned  it just because I served.

A lot of my military friends feel the opposite. Many retired at 20 yrs. at half pay and at 30 yrs. at full pay. Although I do not begrudge them their retirement I must acknowledge that they contributed not one cent into any retirement fund. They also receive Social security but they paid their share toward it. Retired military also receive Tricare health care in a variety of plans that has deductibles as low as $250 in some cases. They mostly live near military towns because they can still shop at the commissary and Base Exchange.

Does any of this bother me? Not really. What bothers me is that some of these same people decry Government spending as being out of control. Many feel that the Affordable Care Act costs too much and adds to the deficit. These same men and women do not seem to understand that their health care and retirement checks also add to the deficit since 100% of their benefits have to be borrowed.

Why does this bother me? Let me tell you. If the Congress makes cuts in food stamps children’s Medicaid and Social Security, to name a few ,shouldn’t they make cuts in military benefits too?  If we, as a country, do not have the money to help the poor and aged do we have it for retired military?  Let’s face it. Most lead a pretty good retirement receiving both Health care, Social Security and their military pensions to the tune of almost $800 billion a year.

My position is that if Congress has to make cuts for the good of the nation make them across the board while raising taxes for the super wealthy. It only seems fair. I won’t complain if my Social security is cut as long as everyone else has to make sacrifices too.  Men who are wounded in battle are a different case and need all the help we can give them for their service.

Science and the Educated.

Science seems to be a dirty word to Tea Party Members. I find it hard to believe that poor and middle class working people refuse to trust the facts about climate change sinse it will affect them the most.  The public’s rejection of global warming  more dangerous for working class and poor people. It’s well-understood that poorer people bear the brunt of environmental destruction, since they can’t afford to move out of polluted areas that are linked to health issues like asthma and cancer. There’s no reason to think that global warming won’t create similar problems, with wealthier people abandoning areas that are now flood plains. As summers get hotter, air conditioning is going to become all the more necessary, but soaring fuel prices will start putting it out of reach for ordinary people, even as the annual death toll from heat stroke continues to climb.
But because the media portrays climate change as “controversial”–strictly because of conservative distrust of science–most Americans are oblivious to the severity of the problem. Campaigns barely touch it, and lower-income people have even more obstacles when it comes to demanding action on this issue, because they’re usually too busy worrying about immediate economic concerns. Better science education and more trust in science could help the raise the issue higher on the priority list for all voters, but especially those who will be most affected. As it is now, it’s nearly impossible to get the the conversation started. The media still ignores the facts.

The funny thing about science and facts is... They don't change. Our understanding of them may get altered over time. Things that were believed to be true may not be. But the actual facts and natural laws behind them are the same as they ever were.

The sun didn't revolve around the earth just because the Catholic Church said it did. The earth wasn't flat when people believed that it was. Sea level won't stop rising just because the North Carolina Legislature says that it won't. Evolution and climate change (natural and man made) will continue, regardless of whether people believe in it or not. And the sum of all human knowledge was not acquired 2000 to 5000 years ago, with nothing of significance to be added.

As far as I'm concerned, if people want to remain ignorant, then that is their choice. However, they should not ignore/debase science while reaping the benefits of 5000+ years of it. All too many people today could not survive long living in the circumstances of 2000 years ago without all of the benefits that science and innovations have brought. Little things like electricity, refrigeration, the growing and transportation of food from hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away, manual labor only, antibiotics, modern medicine, etc.

However, such ignorance leads to a very real risk management paradox. A potential problem, like climate change for example, can usually be dealt with fairly cheaply, in the grand scheme of things, if addressed early on, so the "price" of addressing it early is fairly minimal, even if it turns out to be incorrect. If it is ignored, however, and the problem turns out to be accurate (partially or in full), the cost of dealing with it later becomes much more expensive. Additionally, many such problem are of an escalating probability, meaning that potentially catastrophic results become more probable the longer the problem is ignored.

The day is rapidly comong where we will all have to pay for our ignorance.  The wealthy won't. Do you really think rich educated people do not believe in evolution or climate change. They do and are preparing themselves and their families to deal with the consequences of climate change. By keeping half of the public ignorant of science the wealthy are protecting their own future and could give a crap about yours.

The Real Hunger Games.

As I woke up this morning to unusually hot June weather I made a cup of coffee and turned on MSNBC only to find the host interviewing the author of a new book that takes a look at the struggles and demons President Obama had growing up. Next they announced a new show with rotating hosts and are injecting a Conservative host to give a balanced point of view. Next I turned on FOX and they were doing their own usual hatchet job on Democrats and the President.  I turned on the radio and listened when a host said President Obama could not work with the opposition like Reagan could. He lacked the skills. I turned on my computer and could not fins stories about the effects of climate change. I looked at the local paper on line and read stories about gas drilling in my county.

This started me thinking. If gas and oil companies were offering huge money to gain the mineral rights to all the land in my area what was their end game? Were they trying to get the last bit of fossil fuels out of the ground before they ran out?  What will happen to the water and land? Will it ever be put back into production and produce food or will this only add to the predicted food shortages the next 30 years and cause severe illness and death to the world’s population?

Shouldn’t the media be concentrating on the real issues that will affect our future or are they just ignoring the problem?  Have the Conservatives already succeeded in using hug amounts of money to control the message that people are hearing?

Will the media ever report stories about the heat in Texas and California? Will they ever explain about the coming food shortages and the illness and death that will result?  Will they continue to ignore these problems until it is too late and the wealthy have squeezed out every cent out of the earth before the gas and oil are gone and we are left with nothing? Is the movie The Hunger Games just a story or a predictor of our future?

The Salem news gets Two Thunbs Down.

I feel bad that the print media is on its way out. Newspapers are closing everyday.  The problem that I see is that they put their own slant on the news instead of doing a fair an equal job of conveying facts.  The newspaper I used to get was the Salem News. I loved getting up in the morning and reading it.  I know it always had a Republican slant on its opinion or editorial page but I noticed that the guest columnists were Conservative at a 10 to one rate. I actually emailed both the editor and owner explaining that I needed both sides of issues in order to make up my mind on issues . I did not want the RNC talking points or the DNC talking points either. I required a more balanced approach to the news. Since all three papers in my county were owned and operated by the same group they just parroted each other. The response I received from the owner and editor were negative. The next day I called up to quit and when the woman asked my why I told her . She just laughed at me and said OK.

Today I had my wife pick up a copy to see if things had changed. Here were the guest columnists on the editorial page .The Editor did a piece on how unfair Obama was in the area of trade. There was an article by Bill O"Reilly.Michelle Malikin,Pat Buchanan,Andrew Napopitano,and Ben Shapiro all attacking either Democrats or the president. There was a fluff piece called Classic Andy Rooney. Nothing has changed.

Very few newspapers are owned independently and more and more seem to be Conservative just like the radio stations I get. I guess it is more important to advance one political party instead of being the watch dog of our freedoms. I could care less if they shut down. I will miss local news but cannot support a paper that pushes one side of an issue 100% , There is no reason they can't have a couple columns written by Progressives every Sunday and during the week. I give the Salem News two thumbs down for fairness.

Grape Juice or Wine ?

I often hear Some Born Again Christians tell their children that Jesus drank grape juice not wine.  Well I beg to differ.If you put juice in a container and leave it alone for a few months what do you get? Fermented, alcoholic wine. That’s what you get after a harvest. Grape juice can't be kept on a shelf for a year So I say get over it and deal with reality. People drank wine 2,000 yrs ago .  Wine often changed to vinegar when opened too long.  Please do not teach your children things that are not true.

While I am at it please please don't take them to the Creationist museum.  The Earth is not 10,000 yrs old. There is geological  and fossil proof that it is much older than that. The people in our country are behind other countries in science and math and teaching our kids crap just makes it worse.

I really don't care if some people don't believe in evolution - as in other fields of science, you don't have to believe in evolution for it to work.
What bothers me is the attempt to pass off intelligent design and creationism as equally valid scienctific theories, when they don't adhere to the basic requirements of science, i.e the ability to disprove a theory.

I just find it hard to believe in religions that use a reward and punishment system. Follow all the rules and you will be rewarded when you pass on. Really !  I am more spirtual and wonder why we are here and is their really a creator. I look to science to show me proof not a 2,000 yr old religion that uses fear to keep followers in line. Does any rational person expect educated people to believe that if you do not believe things that are shown to be false that you will be made to suffer for all time by a merciful God. I think not.I think that some religion gets in the way of science and learning. If left alone science may someday find proof of a diety or creator. If they keep teaching falsehoods people will never advance or learn a darn thing.

Republicans Hate Governmet Workers.

 Rich Republicans hate government workers.  Actually, they hate all union workers too.  For example, let’s take a close look at the state of Wisconsin, where multi-millionaire Governor Scott Walker is putting an end to collective bargaining while increasing the cost of state employees’ health care and pension’s plans to the tune of $137 million.  Why?  In part the answer is to pay for the $140 million tax break he gave last month to the largest corporations, including that anti-union stalwart, Wal-Mart. Let me repeat this. He is going to charge middle state employees an extra $137 million in order to give Wal-Mart and other large corporations a $140 million tax break, got that? Walker is just following the formula being used to by the Republicans at the Federal level. Here is why austerity will not work.

Cutting spending on all federal programs that promote the public good while cutting federal and state jobs during the Great Recession will do nothing more than put a small dent in the deficit while significantly deepening the divide between the haves and have not’s.  It will also make our neighborhoods less secure and our schools less capable, as well as rob all of us who give a damn about a quality of life and the chance at an even playing field of our due.

These two notions of public access and a level playing field are central to the American Dream.  Both allow free access to good public schools, public parks, and libraries, as well as to real news and information that is now pretty much limited to what we get from NPR and PBS.  And need I mention that for many working people, the power of unions and the tools of collective bargaining are all that we have to leverage against the rich and oppressive.  Without Unions all wages will drop and all employee rights will be a thing of the past.

 Why must these programs be cut?  Because millionaires don’t tax other millionaires.  And, according to an investigative report in Mother Jones and verified by Forbes, billionaires pay them to make sure it stays that way.  In Wisconsin’s case, those billionaires are the Koch Brothers.

To them, those of us who aren’t rich are little more than the shiftless lazy and dirty people not to be associated with but to be used.  In their estimation, if we really had a brain, really believed in capitalism and weren’t entirely lazy and/or lame, we would start our own small business, work hard, and become rich just like them.

But is that what most Americans believe?  Or is it part of the Big Lie that has been so often repeated that we are afraid to contradict it?  Put simply, do most of us working people really want the same things, the same budget cuts that rich Republicans say we want?

According to a new Pew Center study, the answer is no.  “62 percent of Americans want to increase education spending. Only 11 percent want to cut education spending. Combined with those who want to leave education spending as-is, 87 percent support it. This massive disparity plays out all across the board. 71 percent of Americans want to increase or to continue health care spending at the same levels. Only 24 percent want to cut it. Only 26 percent want to cut spending on environmental protection. I can go on and on. Only 12 percent want to cut Social Security. Only 21 percent want to cut infrastructure. Only 23 percent want to cut scientific research. Only 28 percent want to cut unemployment benefits.  Most of us embrace government spending, but we're afraid to admit it.”

The rich Republicans are liars.  Spending cuts aren’t what we want.  It is what they want. That is the final insult and one that I hope all of us take personally.  Unless we do take it personally, and vow to do something about it, we are the dupes, the rubes, the fools they want us to be.  After all, their narrative of hate is a fat wad of spittle aimed squarely at our faces.  Normally I don’t rant.  I’m more of a reasoned argument sort of guy.  But thirty years of Republican propaganda has brainwashed too many people into believing that government is always bad, taxes are always bad, and regulations are always bad is unlikely to be turned around using cool reason alone. You can’t reason with people who hate you.

It is time to wade through all their shit and stick together. We do have the power of the vote and must vote out people who deny women equal pay or decisions about their reproductive rights.  We must take a stand against the 1% that wants to lower our wages, reduce or eliminate our safety net. We must follow our ancestors that fought for these working rights like better pay, health care, vacations, and a safe working environment.  And that is the hell of it. If we don’t fight back we will have blown the great American experiment that is our democracy.  If that happens, shame on us all

The Republican Agenda

The republicans used to try and hide what their agenda was.  Now that they are dealing with a majority of the electric that does not know their ass from a hole in the ground they can go forward with their plans to reach their coveted goals.  The have followers that think the President is a Muslim or a Socialist.  They think that the affordable care act is intended to give people free health care using their taxes.

Republican politicians are determined to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act in order to address their concerns that some undeserving person will be able to afford health care. To insure that no undeserving senior is likely to be able to afford health care, the same people intend to transfer the risk and burden of Medicare cost increases from government to the individual, thus stripping the entire population of any semblance of health security, except for the deserving few. The great mystery is how the tea parties who supposedly demand that they do this to America will survive

The truth is just the opposite.  The Affordable Care Act is working. 2.5 million More young adults ages 19 to 26 now have health insurance. The shrinking of the Medicare "donut hole" allowed 3.6 million seniors to save $2.1 billion on their prescription drugs last year. And the ban on insurers refusing to cover pre-existing conditions is saving lives (even among those who opposed so-called "Obama care"). And even though most of its provisions don't go into effect until 2014, the data from Oregon and Massachusetts strongly suggest the 30 million people who will gain coverage will be much healthier and more financially secure.

In Massachusetts, the 2006 health care reform Governor Mitt Romney signed into law lowered the insured rate from 10 percent to a national low of two percent. Even with its individual mandate, "Romneycare" is extremely popular, enjoying a 3 to 1 margin of support from Bay State residents. Now, a new study by Charles J. Courtemanche and Daniela Zapata published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBR) shows that universal coverage in Massachusetts is indeed making people there healthier.

It is unfortunate that Mitt Romney cannot even mention his work on the Health Care bill he instigated for Mass. the same Bill that Barack Obama used for the country. It was the one good thing he did and he can't use it for his nomination speeches because the Lunatic Fringe would ostracize him on the spot.

I find it amazing that after passing the Medicare prescription drug plan, a proposal of George W. when he was president, the republicans now want to kill Medicare. Their claim of the costs being too great is in large part the way the drug coverage plan was structured. No bargaining on drug price and no funding identified. Anyone surprised at the results?

I have no Idea why I keep posting on this subject. I sadden me to watch my fellow Americans turn their back on common sense and vote for policies that are against their own interests just because they are ignorant and bigots. Why else would they ignore the facts?

Why the wealthy hate Social Security.

Why do wealthy people hate Social Security so much?  They don’t have to pay it for all of their income because it is capped.  They still are allowed to collect it when they retire and believe me they do. So why do they hate it so much?

They hate it because it has helped millions escape destitute poverty in their old age. What is the fun of being filthy rich if you can't watch old people dying? They hate to see us going on cruises and flying to Europe and beyond. That stuff is for THEM! We should be working 3 jobs and getting 4 hours of sleep, dying in our 50s. THEY are the ones who are entitled, not us. How dare we think we should be comfortable and have fun in life! Outrageous. They are the feudal lords and we are the peasants. Who cares what we need or want? Certainly not them and by them I mean the republicans. Any person who is a republican and isn't filthy rich is a dupe. A pawn, and May I say, not a very bright pawn.

I have watched this attitude for years in my town. Even the town has only 12,000 people in it you never he rich. They spend their time at their private Golf club where they eat, play tennis, golf, cards and generally keep to themselves.

Social Security is an "entitlement" because workers have earned their benefits by paying into the system throughout their careers; it is clearly either welfare or "the dole." Also, Social Security could be simply and painlessly funded into the indefinite future by raising the upper threshold on which a wage earner's payroll tax is imposed. Financial elites hate the fact that to date they have not been granted access to these funds to gamble with in the Wall St. casino.

It really doesn’t matter though because the Republicans have been able to convince a whole group of middle class and poor people that their Republican Party will take care of them. In the end they will steal Social Security from the hard workers of this country. In a way we will deserve what is coming. Back to the good old days (1929).

Republicans support Fascism.

Are today’s Conservatives and Tea Party becoming fascists? I’m not saying that the Republicans are like the Nazi’s or the Fascists in their grand plan toward a “final solution”. However, what I am arguing is that they are embracing some of the same ideological beliefs and tactics that two of the most dangerous political movements the world has ever seen. What I am saying is the Republicans, Tea Party, and other elements of the far Right are creeping toward fascism. What I am also saying is that American’s need to seriously look back history in order to avoid repeating it

Fox News, radical Right-wing radio, and extremist’s blogs have been purposefully misleading their people. They are have been propagandizing the flock to believe liberals and liberalism is related to fascism. A recent revisionist history book titled “Liberal Fascism” became a best seller amongst Right-wing ideologues. All the while Fox News stars and talk radio hosts like Laura Ingraham and Glenn Beck, along with a host of Tea Party speakers, have been sinisterly misquoting Niemoller’s profound poem with absurd quotes like, “First they came for the rich, and I did not speak out because I was not rich, Then they confiscated the property owners, Then they took away our right to bear arms, but I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t armed. What a bunch of crap.

Fascism is a movement where a strong dictator leads his government in a takeover of all corporations and are supported by the church and wrapped in a blanket of nationalism and the flag.

The only difference today is that instead of the government being I charge of corporations the corporations are using their money to buy the government.

The end results will be the same. There will be a loss of liberty and freedom for all working people.  There will be deregulation of workers safety, pay and benefits. They will make you do their work until you die and you will never get ahead.

Teddy Roosevelt tried to warn us about allowing power to corporations as did other presidents. This is clearly demonstrated, and contrary to what the crazy Right-wing has been saying, Fascism is simply another word for “corporatism.” It is the empowerment of militant, rich property owners over minority groups like Socialists, unionists, teachers, and press. It is a movement that demonizes liberals and religious minorities, while propping up ardent militant nationalism.

Imagine an America where the Commander and Chief manufacture crises, declares a state of emergency, and then replaces all the democratically elected officials with corporate shills that support his own personal ambitions. That is how soft-core fascism works. That is also what has now been permitted to happen in Michigan, thanks to the corporate shill Repugs. Are the Republicans and the far Right-wing leaning toward fascism? There is certainly reason to believe this might be true. Nonetheless, only history will tell us if the Republicans will ultimately abandon democracy for the absolute power a fascist/corporatocracy

Same old Indians.

I went to see the Indians game yesterday. Gas,tickets $7.00 burgers $4.00 water cramped seating. I have some obsevations from the game and this years team.

How much longer will Tribe fans be asked to endure Kotchman, Sipp, Duncan and Damon? The management knew all off-season and even during the season last year that first base and left field were big, big problems for the Inidans. Who does the management get to solve those problems: Damon and Kotchman to add to Duncan. Their combined batting average cannot get past .200. Sipp has been a complete waste this year and much of last year. If the mangement wants to bring Indians fans to the ballpark, they had better start acting as though they belonged in the big leagues themselves.

The infatuation with Damon is shades of Michaels and other washed up players the Tribe would pick up - Professional hitters, Wedge used to call them. And they would almost always be professional busts. Because the front office would hope that a 30 year old would revert to his single best year, and it doesn't often happen. And Wedge didn't know what to do with young players - Phillips being the best/worst example. What do they expect from Damon, even if he ends his year long slump? The guy is OLD and declining. Is .250 with no power in LF going to do anything for this team?
LaPorta has to be better than Damon. And if he isn't the team isn't going anywhere anyway. Play LaPorta! His .250 at least would come with some power.

My overall sumation of the team. 
and some OBSERVATIONS:
-That's the worst game I've ever seen Duncan play.....although the error could have been charged either way.
-Johnny Damon isn't cutting it
-Carlos Santana need to take some meditation lessons; he's really pressing. I think he'll be fine, but he needs some help...in the line up and the relaxing department.
-Tony Sipp needs to be reminded that Columbus is a pretty nice city
-Nick Hagadone needs to keep the 97 mph heater about 2 feet closer to the hitters feet or their chins or he'll be Nick HagaGONE
-We have a problem in the Hannahan/Chisenhall issue....Lonnie has to play..everyday, sink or swim. Hannahan has to get lots of playing time. Something will have to give here.
-Jiminez didn't pitch horribly, not saying he pitched really well, either, but the bull pen and the hitters are the big culprits in this loss.
-Acta is managing to win something....he's so handcuffed by the roster assortment that it's painful to review his options. This didn't and doesn't have to be like this.

Condit v Scarborough

Gary Condit is a former representative for the 18th and 15th district of California. He served as a representative in California from 1989 to 2003. In 2001, Condit was heavily publicized for having an affair with Chandra Levy, who went missing in May of 2001. Levy's remains were found in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Gary Condit was pulled into the Chandra Levy dissappearence case after it was found out that Condit had an extramarital affair with the 23-year-old Washington intern. Although he was questioned three times by authorities about Levy's disappearance, Condit was never named a suspect in the case.

He was all over the news especially FOX. He was treated as if he was guilty. I fact the real killer was found in 2009. That did not stop the Conservative media from roasting him alive and making his and his families lives a living hell. The only thing that made the media ease up was the attack on 911.

Around the same time another Congressman was having trouble but ,you,the public never heard a word.  His mane was Joe Scarborough.  Charles “Joe” Scarborough is an American Talk Radio and Cable news host, as well as an author and former politician. Scarborough currently hosts the MSNBC morning show, Morning Joe. Scarborough formerly served in the United States House of Representatives for a six year term, from 1995 to 2001, as a Republican from the 1st district of Florida. Into his fourth term as congressman; however, Scarborough announced his desire to spend more time with his children; the resignation came five months into his fourth term in Congress. In addition to this somewhat unexpected resignation, Scarborough was at the forefront of a fairly bizarre scandal in the same year as the Gary Condid affair was going on.


On July 20 of 2001, Joe Scarborough’s constituent services coordinator, Lori Klausutis, a 28 year old, died after striking her head on Scarborough’s desk. Klausutis fatal injury occurred when the young woman fainted and struck her head, while she was alone in Scarborough’s Fort Walton Beach, Florida office. According to the former congressman, following reports of the young woman’s death, widespread allegations were attached to Scarborough for precipitating the death or being directly involved in it.

Although there was no evidence that linked the former congressmen to the death of the young employee, the Scarborough scandal picked up intensity, when in 2003, Scarborough made some ill-advised jokes and comments about the incident with Don Imus. In the upcoming years, the Joe Scarborough scandal did not directly revolve the allegations that the former congressman was responsible for the death, but around his distasteful comments concerning the incident. Throughout 2004, the Joe Scarborough scandal was the subject of a public dispute between the former congressman and infamous filmmaker Michael Moore. Since this time, a few employees of MSNBC have been terminated for mentioning the Joe Scarborough scandal on air or through their respective Twitter feeds. Scarborough was never formally charged for the incident, nor was he investigated; Joe Scarborough was not around during the time of the death and post-humorous studies on the young girl’s body found that her fainting spell and the blow to the head was the true cause of death
On July 20 of 2001, Joe Scarborough’s constituent services coordinator, Lori Klausutis, a 28 year old, died after striking her head on Scarborough’s desk. Klausutis fatal injury occurred when the young woman fainted and struck her head, while she was alone in Scarborough’s Fort Walton Beach, Florida office. According to the former congressman, following reports of the young woman’s death, widespread allegations were attached to Scarborough for precipitating the death or being directly involved in it.

Although there was no evidence that linked the former congressmen to the death of the young employee, the Scarborough scandal picked up intensity, when in 2003, Scarborough made some ill-advised jokes and comments about the incident with Don Imus. In the upcoming years, the Joe Scarborough scandal did not directly revolve the allegations that the former congressman was responsible for the death, but around his distasteful comments concerning the incident. Throughout 2004, the Joe Scarborough scandal was the subject of a public dispute between the former congressman and infamous filmmaker Michael Moore. Since this time, a few employees of MSNBC have been terminated for mentioning the Joe Scarborough scandal on air or through their respective Twitter feeds. Scarborough was never formally charged for the incident, nor was he investigated; Joe Scarborough was not around during the time of the death and post-humorous studies on the young girl’s body found that her fainting spell and the blow to the head was the true cause of death.

So the media gave Gary Condit a rough time but never covered or mentioned the Scarborough affair.
The media is considered liberal? I don't think so. I would also like to know why people that bring it up are fired. What is so special about Morning Joe?

Health Care and the Economy.

High health costs in an employer based system are killing our economy. In fact, employer sponsored health care is a huge federal tax break. If employees had to claim their employee health care "benefits" as income, it is estimated they would be paying about $126 billion dollars in federal income tax. In other words, private sector employer sponsored health care is really part of a government backed health system. A National Health care Plan, by spreading out the costs to everyone, would take the monkey off an employer's back. What will business do without this huge expense and increased profits? Might they create jobs? Expand their business? Lower prices? Of course, they will have to pay taxes on their increased profits, thus contributing to improving our unacceptable budget deficit. Here lies the  conclusion: A National Health care Plan would stimulate and improve the economy. It would do this by creating jobs, promoting business expansion, lowering prices, reducing the budget deficit, and increasing our global competitiveness.

It is unlikely you will hear any of this mentioned by any major reporter, or major media network during the health debate. After all, a National Health care Plan is just not politically viable. There is just too much profit built into our health care system and this profit pays for lobbyist and this in turn buys votes.  This money also pays for all the disinformation out there. People I know bad mouth the systems in England and Canada. They tell horror stories or spread untruths they have heard.  This disinformation is now trying to convince people that economic problems in Europe are caused by their Health Care system. Common sense would tell you that spending less on health care would add more capital for spending and increase the buying power of people while lowering the burden  placed on an employer based system.

We just need to use a little common sense here. Spending more for tests and medicine does not help anyone except the providers and Ins. Companies. It is a drain on our economy and holds the growth of our economy back. Health Care is one issue that is keeping our economy from growing. If we could spend less of our income on health care everyone would benefit .

I could be a Republican if ........

Those who founded this country spoke the language and upheld the ideals of the republic. Most of us find that confusing and rarely take the time to ask why. But it's a question worth asking. Why did the Founders want to create a republic and not a democracy as many of us think?

Many people never learned this in their history books but the Hamiltons, Adamses, and most Federalists were frightened of democracy. For them it meant mobs in the streets. They believed in a aristocratic elite that would supply national leaders.

 The more radical Jefferson, his close ally Madison, and most of the Republicans embraced democratic principles and thought leaders could come from all social classes and all should participate equally (except, tragically, for slaves). This led them eventually to form what was called the Republican Democratic Party.

 They all wanted to create a republic, patterned after the ancient Greek and Roman models, but on a scale never before realized. Up to our founding all republics had been small. Nevertheless, all republics throughout history have shared at least four common denominators: a duty to participate , power to the people, resistance to corruption (special interest lobbying); and a sense of the commonwealth (we own many things in common that bind us together.

 We've lost sight of the fact that we the people are the sovereign authority. The lobbyists control government. And we don't want to be told we share a commonwealth and the responsibility for it.
If someone comes along to start a classic republican party, it would attract great interest among those of us who still believe in those four basic principles upon which our nation was founded. I could see myself actually joining such a party.  Sadly the Republican party has turned into a hybrid that is composed of wealthy corporate owners who pay lobbyist to do their bidding and working Americans that follow the Republicans because of irrelevant social issues that have very little to do with our freedom.

My school years

I did not hate my high school but did not love it either.  I had some problems there. I did attend a Catholic school until the eighth grade so the transition to a public school did take some time. I was not a bad kid or a great athlete or a brilliant student so fitting in was hard.

My school had at least four social clubs (gangs) that kind of ruled the school unless you played sports or were in the top 20.  I was neither. I was a year older and started working at the end of my Sophomore year.  I would leave for work ,at the Burger Chef, right after school.  I usually worked until ten at night and worked one day on the weekends. I have no reason why both the school or my parents allowed me to work so much.

I never had the time to become involved with any groups or activities centered around my school. I never acted bad enough or pushed any one around so the social clubs were out as were the sport teams. The teachers never took much interest either. The guidance dept never called me in for my bad grades or asked me why my two major subjects were Metal shop and English.  I started out as a 135lb sophomore and ended up a 175 lb Senior.  I guess that by the time I was getting ready to graduate I could take care of myself and did not have to stay clear of the members of the social clubs (gangs) that did push weaker students around. What makes me mad today was the fact that my school actually let these bullies wear their colors around school. They even wore their jackets and shirts to class and in class everyday. How or why did the school allow that?

I did graduate though and joined the Air Force thinking I was stupid and without much promise. Boy was I wrong. I spent a year in electronic school and became one of the best radar repairmen on the west coast.  When I went to college I found out how dumb people really were , I did well at both undergraduate level and at graduate school. 

I do think back to my high school days and still have some pride when I see the band or the sports teams do well. I did send my own children to Salem after a few years at United. I felt that they needed to see what a tough world they were going to have to face. Maybe ,in a way, the experience of surviving at that school did me some good.

Still,l I do not remember my years there though with fondness and never have attended a reunion. I have no plans to do so in the future.

Being Liberal is a good thing .

"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." Once again we turn to George Orwell to understand the need of some among us to reverse the meaning of words. As the author of 1984 knew, totalitarianism begins with the perversion of language. It is not accidental that the rise of the new right began with demonization of perfectly sound words like "liberal". These are some synonyms for liberal: magnanimous; benevolent; open-minded; generous; and unselfish.

We describe our form of government as liberal democracy. It has the principles of freedom, liberty, equality, and justice. Its principles were set forth by John Locke and written in our Bill of Rights. We engage in wars to bring this same government to others or we did in WWI or WWII.

It is understandable that the far-right supporters begin by perverting language. They are profoundly anti-liberal in every sense of the word. The values of magnanimity, benevolence, open-mindedness, generosity, and unselfishness are foreign to them. Nor is it coincidence that the age of anti-liberalism is one that is anti-scientific, whether having to do with our evolution, changing climate, or stem cell research. Totalitarianism has always wanted to control science for its own purposes.
If we restore the true meaning of important words like "liberal," perhaps at least a few politicians will not be afraid to use them. As a free man, and a liberal man, I know I am not. Being Liberal is a good thing not bad.

The Devil Rove.

Rove's own tendency to be sick-minded originates with his mentor Segretti. The 2000 GOP primary was a chance for Rove to hone his skills in dirty tricks. His target then was Senator John McCain who appeared to be within striking distance of Dubya in South Carolina after the then-GOP maverick's surprise upset victory in New Hampshire. Rove's operation proceeded to target McCain with false stories: McCain was a stoolie for his captors in the Hanoi Hilton (this from a lunatic self-promoting Vietnam "veteran"); McCain fathered a black daughter out of wedlock (a despicable reference to McCain's adopted Bangladeshi daughter); Cindy McCain's drug "abuse"; and even McCain's "homosexuality." In the spirit of Segretti, Rove engineered a victory for Dubya but at the cost of trashing an honorable man and his family. Muskie, McGovern, Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Hart, Tsongas, Clinton, Biden, Dole, Perot, and others had all seen the Segretti/Rove slash and burn tactics before.

Now Rove is going to start working for the Romney campaign and that just means more dirty tricks and lies against Obama.  Can’t we ,as voters. Just listen to the issues and decide on our own without any made up stories and half-truths?  I would like to see both sides just run on issues instead of attack adds.