December 21st, 2009
PolitiFact.com is a web site that tracks the truth in politics, or rather the lack of truth. The stats are compiled from entries on the site, so it is supposedly bias free, but that’s always an ideal, isn’t it?
Anyway, the runner up lies for 2009 include some Obama, a Joe Biden snip, and an assorted smattering of other statements from other statement makers. One hilarious runner up for lie of the year is Rep. Joe Wilson (R - SC) who yelled out “You lie” at Obama during a speech to Congress. Apparently the claim that Wilson was making - that Obama was lying about illegal immigrants being excluded from the proposed health care bill - was not a lie. That makes Wilson’s “You lie” statement a lie. Gee, this is confusing.
So, drum roll (ta-ta-ta-ta), the #1 political liar for 2009 is Sarah Palin. Yep, not even a political figure anymore but still a political force, her statement that as part of the new health care initiative the government would set up boards to determine whether seniors and the disabled would be judged whether worthy to receive care, was a lie so well done it became worthy of being #1. Go Sarah Go!
Tags: Lies, PolitiFact, Sarah Palin
Posted in Opinion and Commentary, Politics as seen by the people, Polls | No Comments »
September 21st, 2009
Imagine this - in the economic climate of these pressing times, your job title is viewed as worse than being the CEO of a company. Think about it - much of the financial straights of this country can find in big business leaders the greedy decisions that have created the problems of today.
Corporate shenanigans, excessive waste, such as private jets and bonuses that exceed the annual budgets of some small countries - what type of person could be viewed less favorably than this?
Why your local friendly representative - that’s who!
From a Rasmussen poll comes the skinny - the public views members of Congress as less respectable than a plate of other occupations, among them CEOs, stockbrokers, lawyers, and bankers. Didn’t banks and stock firms have much to do with collapsing our economy? Didn’t Congress bail them out? Therefore the supposed saviors of the economy are less liked than the ones that pulled us down?
Guess so. Read all about it here.
Tags: Rasmussen Poll Job
Posted in Congress at work, Politics as seen by the people, Polls | 1 Comment »
July 17th, 2009
A typical news day - up, down, all around:
Such an interesting economy we have. Never mind delving into the stories, but here are some headlines from a number of popular sites. All of these headlines appear today Friday July 17 at the same moment of 10:40 am Eastern Time:
“Geithner Sees Evidence of a Financial Recovery” (NY Times)
“June unemployment topped 10 percent in 15 states; Michigan rate exceeded 15 percent” (CNN)
“New Jobless claims down sharply last week” (MSNBC)
“Housing starts surge” (CNN)
“Citigroup has surprisingly big profit” (CNN)
“Bank of America reports 2.42 billion profit” (Yahoo Finance (per AP))
“Big bank results mask wider weakness” (MSNBC)
“GE earnings fall 49 percent” (Yahoo Finance (per AP))
“Recession’s grip eases in 23 cities” (MSNBC)
So the economy is getting better, worse; banks are doing great, except for the ones that are not; and unemployment is much worse, although it’s better since the reduction of jobless claims.
And that’s the economy, folks!
Tags: economy, jobs, news
Posted in The Economy | No Comments »
July 8th, 2009
Al Franken was sworn in as the junior senator of Minnesota seven months after winning the election! Norm Coleman threw in the towel last week, and now Franken can get down to business.
Franken brings the Democrat majority of Senators up to 60, giving the Dems a majority balance not seen in the Senate since the 1970s. This number can bust filibusters the Republicans might initiate when they see fit. A vote of 60 Senators can end a filibuster.
Franken will be on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (notice the acronym - HELP!). The Judiciary Committee starts debates on Sonia Sotomayor’s nod to become a Supreme Court Judge, and the HELP Committee is working on the health care bill. Al gets to be in the thick of it from the get-go. Go, Al, Go!
Tags: Franken, Senate
Posted in 2008 Presidential Election, Congress at work, Elections, Your Government at Work | No Comments »
July 2nd, 2009
One has to wonder on occasion why we live in such a complex world of jobs, money, keeping up, fear of falling behind, fear of failing. In an earlier period of human history, barter worked well. That’s where you trade something you own or a service you can do - with another who has a tangible or a service you need. I have cows but no grain. You have lots of corn but need milk. Let’s make a deal! How about a cow for 20 bushels of corn. A win-win situation.
The jobless rate in June hit 9.5 percent. That is a worrisome number. Yet like all worrisome numbers, you wonder if that is the worst it get, or will it get worse than this. At least it always bounces back. The level of unemployment will subside, but when? Lots of guesses are in the air. Ben Bernanke, the Fed Chairman, predicts the recession will end before the year is out. Yes, no, maybe. One thing that most seem to agree on is that the system needs a tune-up. Deregulation in a number of industries led to lower prices, better products (because of competitive innovation), and more choices for consumers. All true. Deregulation also led to abuses and opportunists needling their way through loopholes to clean up at the expense of others.
There was the great depression. Maybe this period of history will be referred to as the great deep recession. What we are going through will come into its proper context after it is over. So we have to get through it first.
Job cuts in June have been fairly even among industries:
- professional services - 118,000 jobs slashed
- construction - 79,000 jobs slashed
- financial - 27,000 jobs slashed
- manufacturing - 136,000 jobs slashed
This is typical with how the cuts have landed - no dominating industry, and in fact some industries grew - education and health added new jobs.
In the meantime, I could use some eggs, a new coat, and need some yard work done. I can offer books, apples, or write you a story. Anyone wanna trade?
Tags: barter, jobs, unemployment
Posted in The Economy | No Comments »
June 14th, 2009
Today, June 14, is Flag Day in the United States. A holiday of honor and national pride, Flag Day came to be on June 14, 1777 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the first flag of the United States.
A number of flag ideas were being floated at the time, and what we recognize as the first United States Flag, designed by Betsy Ross, was not the one referred to on that first “Flag Day.” The June 14, 1776 adopted design simply stated - “Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” There were no particular instructions to put the stars in a circular pattern, nor to have the field of stars be in the upper left.
And in fact, this first flag was the apparent initiative of the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress, for the probable purpose of flying it on naval boats.
The Betsy Ross flag design is the output of Betsy being tapped by George Washington who sketched out the design and gave it to Betsy. 
None of this is provable history except its the story told by Betsy’s descendents. Such folklore does become history when there is no great rebuttal, and so in our national consciousness Betsy Ross gets the credit for the first flag. Her house is still standing in Philadelphia:
Happy Flag Day!
Tags: Betsy Ross, flag, Flag Day
Posted in Political History | No Comments »
June 11th, 2009
Norm Coleman has been ordered to pay Al Franken $95,000 for the court costs Franken shelled out on the appeal Coleman brought to court in hopes of uncovering a victory. This is still going on since November when Franken edged out 312 more votes than Coleman for the Minnesota Senate seat.
Norm Coleman
The order to pay for Franken’s court costs is based on the view that the appeal did nothing to alter the result. And still this hullabaloo goes on. The decision is still in the hands of the Minnesota Supreme Court, who it seems aren’t looking too closely at their hands.
Tags: Coleman, Franken, Minnesota, Senate
Posted in 2008 Presidential Election, Elections | 1 Comment »
June 5th, 2009
In an apparent disrespect for the Constitution and for some families in the town of Brookfield, WI, the Brookfield East High School and Brookfield Central High School graduations will take place this weekend in the Elmbrook Church. A court suit was entered to oppose this violation of Church and State separation, and the case resulted in support of the allowing the graduations to take place in the Church.
U.S. District Judge Charles Clevert ruled against the plaintiff, the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The AUSCS had filed on behalf of several families that stated they would be uncomfortable attending a graduation in a church.
So how does education work in this school district? Are students introduced to the Constitution and its values? How does this district explain the conflict? I dare ask any school official of The School District of Elmbrook to state what they have taught concerning the separation of Church and State? May we see your curriculum please? The District Superintendent, Dr. Matt Gibson (find his email address there), seems pleased with the decision to have the graduations at the Church, per his statement on the District web site. Readers - go see this soon as I expect it will not be there come next week after the graduations (which are for this weekend June 6 and June 7).
Best wishes to all the graduating seniors. May you look back at your high school graduation one day and realize that you were involved in a possible violation of civil rights. I guess that is your 15 minutes of fame.
Tags: Brookfield WI, Church, School, Separation, State
Posted in Constitution, Opinion and Commentary, Politics as seen by the people, Uncategorized | No Comments »
May 26th, 2009
For the first time in 15 years a Democrat president gets to nominate a Supreme Court judge. Pres. Obama has selected Sonia Sotomayor to replace the retiring David Souter. Sotomayor currently serves as a federal appeals judge. If and when Sotomayor is confirmed, she will be the third woman to be a Supreme Court judge, and will bring the current court back up to having two women. Ruth Bader Ginsberg also is on the court, and Sandra Day O’Connor served with Ginsburg till O’Connor retired in 2006.
Sotomayor represents a good demographic swatch. She represents women, the Hispanic community (she is Puerto Rican), and has personal and intimate experience with both health issues (she has diabetes), and family loss (her father died when she was nine).
Even politically she has been on both sides of the fence. She was first nominated a federal judge by Bush #1, and then as the current appeals judge by Bill Clinton.
Her view of the court’s role in upholding the constitution is clear, as she stated during her Senate confirmation in the 1990’s - “I don’t believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstances.” Well that sure cuts it to the chase. Follow more than re-interpret.
As for the big issue that rears up around judgeship confirmations - Roe v. Wade - there apparently is not much from her past to pin her into a corner. Perhaps like Souter whom she is replacing she will have a surprise or two in the decisions she makes.
Tags: Senate, Sotomayor, Souter, Supreme Court
Posted in Supreme Court | 2 Comments »
#1 Political Lie of 2009
December 21st, 2009PolitiFact.com is a web site that tracks the truth in politics, or rather the lack of truth. The stats are compiled from entries on the site, so it is supposedly bias free, but that’s always an ideal, isn’t it?
Anyway, the runner up lies for 2009 include some Obama, a Joe Biden snip, and an assorted smattering of other statements from other statement makers. One hilarious runner up for lie of the year is Rep. Joe Wilson (R - SC) who yelled out “You lie” at Obama during a speech to Congress. Apparently the claim that Wilson was making - that Obama was lying about illegal immigrants being excluded from the proposed health care bill - was not a lie. That makes Wilson’s “You lie” statement a lie. Gee, this is confusing.
So, drum roll (ta-ta-ta-ta), the #1 political liar for 2009 is Sarah Palin. Yep, not even a political figure anymore but still a political force, her statement that as part of the new health care initiative the government would set up boards to determine whether seniors and the disabled would be judged whether worthy to receive care, was a lie so well done it became worthy of being #1. Go Sarah Go!
Tags: Lies, PolitiFact, Sarah Palin
Posted in Opinion and Commentary, Politics as seen by the people, Polls | No Comments »