On the April 21st episode of Bill Maher, there was a Congressional guest Rep. RAHM EMANUEL, (D) Illinois who had one of the most staggering quotes that was simply astounding:
EMANUEL: Well, you’d better come out here to the north side of Chicago. Let me just lay out a couple points to you. One, 40% -- education costs are up 40% for the American people. Energy prices are up 80% for the American people. Health care costs are up 58% for the American people, and their incomes are down 2.3%. You know, the American people have got a cut in pay, and all the expenses that come along with building and sustaining a middle-class life have actually gone up. I know the economy for the people who live from a paycheck on the first all the way to the 30th, that paycheck ends its value on the 26th, and they’ve got figure out how to make ends meet for that last week.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Tough Summer?
I caught the following headline today:
"Bush warns of 'tough summer' with higher petrol prices"
I simply can't be so dismissive -- especially in-light of the Exxon executive that received a very handsome retirement settlement and there's a lot of people protecting this guy because of the BILLIONS he has made for Exxon.....
How nice for him..
No regret..
No sympathy..
No questions..
No inquiry..
No nothing..
Simply accepting that this is what it's like being an American..
So what is it like being an American??
-Energy prices have risen 58% in the last year..
-Medical care prices continue to rise above 40% this year..
-Housing costs have risen another 40%
-This along with the 8 trillion dollar debt, the 1 billion dollars a day spent in Iraq, and the college program being ripped apart to shreds..
It wasn't until I watched Bill Maher's program this week that I realize that the middle class is splitting apart.. If you're upper middle class - you might be okay because there are tax breaks that are helping you get by.. If you're mid to lower middle class - I'm sorry, the outlook doesn't seem very bright for you..
What's ironic here is the Republican party is heading into the November elections - a very decisive moment if they are to secure the House and Senate.. The irony is that they are *reporting* a generally better range of numbers for the economy: more people working for instance, but when you look at how much the cost of living has become - then that's not a really telling sign of just how well it is.. Yes, people are working, but wages have not increased since the 90's.. Let's do a little bit of math:
$5.15 an hour x 21 days a month x 8 hours a day: $824
After taxes: $648 and some change
$648 a month..
You need to pay rent, utilities and you have to pay for food..
You need transportation, clothing, and medical insurance..
You need gas for your car, insurance..
If you have children - your life is even more complicated..
Rent is at least $600 in most places..
Leaving you $48 remaining for utilities, food, insurance and gas..
So when the price of gas goes up a dollar - for most cars that's $10.00 at the very least.. How long does that last?? A week maybe?? $40 a month.. $480 a year.. Yeah - that's right.. Almost a full month's salary gone - just to keep up with the price of gas..
So this is what it means for it to be a "tough summer.." It's also what it means to be "uniquely American," that now infamous quote Bush told a working mother who had 3 jobs just to try and make ends meet.. No Mr. President.. I'm sorry.. That's not uniquely American..
What's uniquely American is how an Exxon executive can make $400 million just by retiring, while a divorced mother of three is forced to work three jobs to keep up with paying her bills..
So I guess if you support this President, you support his idea of cannibalistic capitalism.. And if you support this type of capitalism then you're supporting the fact that the Exxon executive should just walk freely out the door while the mother is unable to keep up because he needs to maintain the fuel expenses for the company jet that is being leased to him..
No, no.. Maybe you're right, George.. This is a much, much better situation for everyone..
"Bush warns of 'tough summer' with higher petrol prices"
I simply can't be so dismissive -- especially in-light of the Exxon executive that received a very handsome retirement settlement and there's a lot of people protecting this guy because of the BILLIONS he has made for Exxon.....
How nice for him..
No regret..
No sympathy..
No questions..
No inquiry..
No nothing..
Simply accepting that this is what it's like being an American..
So what is it like being an American??
-Energy prices have risen 58% in the last year..
-Medical care prices continue to rise above 40% this year..
-Housing costs have risen another 40%
-This along with the 8 trillion dollar debt, the 1 billion dollars a day spent in Iraq, and the college program being ripped apart to shreds..
It wasn't until I watched Bill Maher's program this week that I realize that the middle class is splitting apart.. If you're upper middle class - you might be okay because there are tax breaks that are helping you get by.. If you're mid to lower middle class - I'm sorry, the outlook doesn't seem very bright for you..
What's ironic here is the Republican party is heading into the November elections - a very decisive moment if they are to secure the House and Senate.. The irony is that they are *reporting* a generally better range of numbers for the economy: more people working for instance, but when you look at how much the cost of living has become - then that's not a really telling sign of just how well it is.. Yes, people are working, but wages have not increased since the 90's.. Let's do a little bit of math:
$5.15 an hour x 21 days a month x 8 hours a day: $824
After taxes: $648 and some change
$648 a month..
You need to pay rent, utilities and you have to pay for food..
You need transportation, clothing, and medical insurance..
You need gas for your car, insurance..
If you have children - your life is even more complicated..
Rent is at least $600 in most places..
Leaving you $48 remaining for utilities, food, insurance and gas..
So when the price of gas goes up a dollar - for most cars that's $10.00 at the very least.. How long does that last?? A week maybe?? $40 a month.. $480 a year.. Yeah - that's right.. Almost a full month's salary gone - just to keep up with the price of gas..
So this is what it means for it to be a "tough summer.." It's also what it means to be "uniquely American," that now infamous quote Bush told a working mother who had 3 jobs just to try and make ends meet.. No Mr. President.. I'm sorry.. That's not uniquely American..
What's uniquely American is how an Exxon executive can make $400 million just by retiring, while a divorced mother of three is forced to work three jobs to keep up with paying her bills..
So I guess if you support this President, you support his idea of cannibalistic capitalism.. And if you support this type of capitalism then you're supporting the fact that the Exxon executive should just walk freely out the door while the mother is unable to keep up because he needs to maintain the fuel expenses for the company jet that is being leased to him..
No, no.. Maybe you're right, George.. This is a much, much better situation for everyone..
Monday, April 10, 2006
Wha?
A brief chronology:
June 12-15, 2003: Plame's name starts to be circulated from the administration to Bob Woodward (the same Woodward who was responsible for exposing Watergate.)
June 23, 2003: Libby tells Judith Miller wherein he discloses that Plame *might* be working for the CIA.
July 7, 2003: Libby tells then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleisher that Plame works for the CIA, but that information is not "widely known."
July 8, 2003: Libby was authorized by Bush and Cheney to reveal previously classified documents to the public to counter-act anyone who opposed the war.
July 8, 2003: Judith Miller meets with Libby for a 2-hour breakfast. Libby divulges Plame's name as working for the CIA.
July 30, 2003: Letter sent to CIA criminal division outling a possible crime had occurred.
September 14 & 16: White House begins denying having knowledge of the leak.
September 16, 2003: CIA concludes its investigation and refers it to the FBI for a "full criminal investigation.."
September 28, 2003: Bush adamant to go after anyone who had a part of the leak.
October 2, 2003: White House changes tone, saying they had no idea a covert agent may have been involved.
December 30, 2003: Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is appointed head of the investigation.
January 6, 2004: The administration starts offering "no comment to an ongoing investigation" sound clips.
October 28, 2005: Scooter Libby is indicted on charges (the next day, he resigns)
April 10, 2006: Bush said today: "I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth,"..
Okay..
Let's back up a second..
Does Bush have the right to de-classify information? Technically, it appears he has the legal right to do so..
Did the CIA know about Bush's declassification of the Plame-CIA documentation? It's unclear.. The inference from Fitzgerald's response to a Discovery motion lends the possibility that Bush and Cheney gave "blanket authority" over intelligence-leaks to the press.. His response does not make mention that Bush or Cheney gave their "blanket authority" as to the Plame leak..
That's significant - even though Libby's lawyers are apparently contending that there was a "'a strong desire by many, including multiple people in the White House," to undermine Mr. Wilson."
Was the "blanket authority" intended?? Apparently it was - because the administration came out over the last few days confirming that Libby had authorization to release declassified information.. Even if the outing of Plame was "purely by accident," the act itself remains negligent.. Because at some point this administration would've had to say: "Bad bad, Libby.. We told him not to do it.." But they didn't.. Moreover, when Bush admitted today that he personally authorized "information" to be leaked and declassified attempts the repercussions are slowly emerging..
Okay, okay - Bush gave the greenlight, get over it.. Even with Bush's speech today stating how he "... wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth," Consider that on July 8th, 2003 - Libby supposedly gets the green light to leak declassified information.. Information that this administration said did not happen, then later it was not known that a covert spy was exposed.. Regardless - a greater question remains:
did anyone from this administration think to tell the CIA the information was no longer classified??
The CIA investigated the leak starting July 30, 2003 until September 16, 2003 when they hand the case over to the FBI for criminal charges. Patrick Fitzgerald wasn't given the case until December 30, 2003 - another 3 1/2 months after the fact. Moreover, Fitzgerald has been investigating this matter going on 2 years, which begs an even greater question:
why would there still be an investigation if the information was previously declassified by the President??
What would the point be to this whole investigation if the information was declassified?? Why didn't the administration come right out in the beginning to say: "the information is declassified, here's the memo" - move on..
No..
They didn't..
I'm sorry..
It wasn't declassified information..
It was classified..
Bush knew it.. Cheney knew it.. The CIA knew it.. Afterall, they investigated it for two weeks before turning it over to the FBI.. It wasn't for another 3 1/2 months later when Patrick Fitzgerald was called in to investigate it.. They had an opportunity to air their "declassification" stance for over 6 months and they didn't..
...and even if it wasn't classified - Plame's identity was now exposed.. It's been widely reported that Valerie Plame's identity entailed working as a front in what was supposed to be a spying operation into Iran's nuclear program.. Even if she wasn't working on collecting evidence on Iran's nuclear program, whatever protection she had, her front, the company, the intelligence she had collected - all of that was now gone.. Moreover, if her identity wasn't all that secret and if she was nothing more than a desk jockey -- then why not come out and say exactly what she did, what was her involvement and what about her role was with the CIA?? If her involvement with the CIA was so minimal that the information could be declassified and her identity revealed Mr. President - what did she do for the CIA?? Evidentially her role was a bit more substantial than is being revealed so far.. Evidentially the CIA felt that the breach was important enough to investigate criminal charges and pass it along to the FBI and a special prosecutor for further investigation..
...and even if it wasn't classified - Bush admits that the information was being leaked so that it could be used as a weapon against anyone who came out against the justification for the war in Iraq.. A weapon for those who would refute the WMD claims Bush laid out in his justification for the war in Iraq.. A slander war.. Because Wilson had the facts, his claims were supported and verified.. Bush had a slander war to attempt to smear Wilson and his wife as collaborating in an effort to undermine the American war effort in Iraq..
(problem is, Wilson had verifiable facts, Bush didn't and still doesn't..)
Consider that we have an administration that used information in retaliation against someone who was doing his job.. Joe Wilson, like him or hate him - was doing a job to try to find any sort of nuclear link between Iraq and Niger.. When he found none, he spoke out.. When he spoke out - the administration sought revenge against him and his family..
Remember when there were the voices screaming out to be absolutely sure we know what we were doing when we went into Iraq?? Remember what those voices were saying, how we should let the inspectors complete their job and how we should be patient with the process?? Why didn't we listen??
What kind of country do we live in when we're afraid of the truth, or when it guides us to destroy those who try to report the truth when it flies in the face of this administration's policies??
Is this the type of role-model, is this the type of morality we want govern over us??
June 12-15, 2003: Plame's name starts to be circulated from the administration to Bob Woodward (the same Woodward who was responsible for exposing Watergate.)
June 23, 2003: Libby tells Judith Miller wherein he discloses that Plame *might* be working for the CIA.
July 7, 2003: Libby tells then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleisher that Plame works for the CIA, but that information is not "widely known."
July 8, 2003: Libby was authorized by Bush and Cheney to reveal previously classified documents to the public to counter-act anyone who opposed the war.
July 8, 2003: Judith Miller meets with Libby for a 2-hour breakfast. Libby divulges Plame's name as working for the CIA.
July 30, 2003: Letter sent to CIA criminal division outling a possible crime had occurred.
September 14 & 16: White House begins denying having knowledge of the leak.
September 16, 2003: CIA concludes its investigation and refers it to the FBI for a "full criminal investigation.."
September 28, 2003: Bush adamant to go after anyone who had a part of the leak.
October 2, 2003: White House changes tone, saying they had no idea a covert agent may have been involved.
December 30, 2003: Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is appointed head of the investigation.
January 6, 2004: The administration starts offering "no comment to an ongoing investigation" sound clips.
October 28, 2005: Scooter Libby is indicted on charges (the next day, he resigns)
April 10, 2006: Bush said today: "I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth,"..
Okay..
Let's back up a second..
Does Bush have the right to de-classify information? Technically, it appears he has the legal right to do so..
Did the CIA know about Bush's declassification of the Plame-CIA documentation? It's unclear.. The inference from Fitzgerald's response to a Discovery motion lends the possibility that Bush and Cheney gave "blanket authority" over intelligence-leaks to the press.. His response does not make mention that Bush or Cheney gave their "blanket authority" as to the Plame leak..
That's significant - even though Libby's lawyers are apparently contending that there was a "'a strong desire by many, including multiple people in the White House," to undermine Mr. Wilson."
Was the "blanket authority" intended?? Apparently it was - because the administration came out over the last few days confirming that Libby had authorization to release declassified information.. Even if the outing of Plame was "purely by accident," the act itself remains negligent.. Because at some point this administration would've had to say: "Bad bad, Libby.. We told him not to do it.." But they didn't.. Moreover, when Bush admitted today that he personally authorized "information" to be leaked and declassified attempts the repercussions are slowly emerging..
Okay, okay - Bush gave the greenlight, get over it.. Even with Bush's speech today stating how he "... wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth," Consider that on July 8th, 2003 - Libby supposedly gets the green light to leak declassified information.. Information that this administration said did not happen, then later it was not known that a covert spy was exposed.. Regardless - a greater question remains:
The CIA investigated the leak starting July 30, 2003 until September 16, 2003 when they hand the case over to the FBI for criminal charges. Patrick Fitzgerald wasn't given the case until December 30, 2003 - another 3 1/2 months after the fact. Moreover, Fitzgerald has been investigating this matter going on 2 years, which begs an even greater question:
What would the point be to this whole investigation if the information was declassified?? Why didn't the administration come right out in the beginning to say: "the information is declassified, here's the memo" - move on..
No..
They didn't..
I'm sorry..
It wasn't declassified information..
It was classified..
Bush knew it.. Cheney knew it.. The CIA knew it.. Afterall, they investigated it for two weeks before turning it over to the FBI.. It wasn't for another 3 1/2 months later when Patrick Fitzgerald was called in to investigate it.. They had an opportunity to air their "declassification" stance for over 6 months and they didn't..
...and even if it wasn't classified - Plame's identity was now exposed.. It's been widely reported that Valerie Plame's identity entailed working as a front in what was supposed to be a spying operation into Iran's nuclear program.. Even if she wasn't working on collecting evidence on Iran's nuclear program, whatever protection she had, her front, the company, the intelligence she had collected - all of that was now gone.. Moreover, if her identity wasn't all that secret and if she was nothing more than a desk jockey -- then why not come out and say exactly what she did, what was her involvement and what about her role was with the CIA?? If her involvement with the CIA was so minimal that the information could be declassified and her identity revealed Mr. President - what did she do for the CIA?? Evidentially her role was a bit more substantial than is being revealed so far.. Evidentially the CIA felt that the breach was important enough to investigate criminal charges and pass it along to the FBI and a special prosecutor for further investigation..
...and even if it wasn't classified - Bush admits that the information was being leaked so that it could be used as a weapon against anyone who came out against the justification for the war in Iraq.. A weapon for those who would refute the WMD claims Bush laid out in his justification for the war in Iraq.. A slander war.. Because Wilson had the facts, his claims were supported and verified.. Bush had a slander war to attempt to smear Wilson and his wife as collaborating in an effort to undermine the American war effort in Iraq..
(problem is, Wilson had verifiable facts, Bush didn't and still doesn't..)
Consider that we have an administration that used information in retaliation against someone who was doing his job.. Joe Wilson, like him or hate him - was doing a job to try to find any sort of nuclear link between Iraq and Niger.. When he found none, he spoke out.. When he spoke out - the administration sought revenge against him and his family..
Remember when there were the voices screaming out to be absolutely sure we know what we were doing when we went into Iraq?? Remember what those voices were saying, how we should let the inspectors complete their job and how we should be patient with the process?? Why didn't we listen??
What kind of country do we live in when we're afraid of the truth, or when it guides us to destroy those who try to report the truth when it flies in the face of this administration's policies??
Is this the type of role-model, is this the type of morality we want govern over us??
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
It's not just the Republicans
Democratic Congresswoman Rep. Cynthia McKinney has been in the news recently after allegedly striking a Capitol Hill Policeman after she failed to produce adequate identification after going through security at the Hill.. She claims she was inappropriately touched and that security "should've known better.."
Well - I'm not siding with Rep. McKinney in this matter because it was HER fault that she forgot the magical pin to begin with.. If it's her FAULT that she forgot her pin, she should KNOW that she would be inconvenienced at the security gate..
This isn't a race thing..
It's a security thing..
There are security things all the time at the capitol and other places.. Security is one of those things you just don't mess with.. If security is approaching you - there's a reason; especially at the nation's Capitol..
So my message to Rep. McKinney is to apologize and admit you made a mistake.. If the police can accept that - then the charges should be dropped (assuming she didn't become overly disrespectful and belligerent to the officers) and life should go on.. If she was disrespectful and what not - then I'm sorry, I don't care if you're Tom DeLay, Hillary Clinton or Dick Cheney: you're responsible for your actions - period..
Well - I'm not siding with Rep. McKinney in this matter because it was HER fault that she forgot the magical pin to begin with.. If it's her FAULT that she forgot her pin, she should KNOW that she would be inconvenienced at the security gate..
This isn't a race thing..
It's a security thing..
There are security things all the time at the capitol and other places.. Security is one of those things you just don't mess with.. If security is approaching you - there's a reason; especially at the nation's Capitol..
So my message to Rep. McKinney is to apologize and admit you made a mistake.. If the police can accept that - then the charges should be dropped (assuming she didn't become overly disrespectful and belligerent to the officers) and life should go on.. If she was disrespectful and what not - then I'm sorry, I don't care if you're Tom DeLay, Hillary Clinton or Dick Cheney: you're responsible for your actions - period..
Monday, April 03, 2006
Oh - the coincidence...
Tom Delay is quoted as saying: He decided last Wednesday after "months of prayer and contemplation" to spare his suburban Houston district the predicted battle.
What struck me about this quote was the date..
.. "last Wednesday.."
Last Wednesday would've been March 29th, 2006..
Here's one of the major headlines for March 29th, 2006:
Jack Abramoff Sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison in fraud case...
I'm wondering what the months of prayer and contemplation actually was....
...What deal did Jack strike with the feds??
...Will his deal implicate me??
...Did I do anything wrong??
...What will happen to me, the party, the president??
I'm sure there was a great deal of contemplation when the headlines hit the paper: Abramoff Sentenced to 6 years.....
I'm thinking I'd have a great deal of contemplation too..
I can't say I'm a big fan of Tom or Jack, so this is a bit of a celebration of sorts because it really says a great deal about some members of congress: regardless if they are Democrat or Republican - and if they or didn't take money from Abramoff.. Regardless of who you are - if you're dealing with mud like Jack, then you need to pay.. I don't care if you are a Dem or a GOP member of Congress..
A reform is desperately needed - on both sides of the aisle.. I can only hope this is but a start...
What struck me about this quote was the date..
.. "last Wednesday.."
Last Wednesday would've been March 29th, 2006..
Here's one of the major headlines for March 29th, 2006:
Jack Abramoff Sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison in fraud case...
I'm wondering what the months of prayer and contemplation actually was....
...What deal did Jack strike with the feds??
...Will his deal implicate me??
...Did I do anything wrong??
...What will happen to me, the party, the president??
I'm sure there was a great deal of contemplation when the headlines hit the paper: Abramoff Sentenced to 6 years.....
I'm thinking I'd have a great deal of contemplation too..
I can't say I'm a big fan of Tom or Jack, so this is a bit of a celebration of sorts because it really says a great deal about some members of congress: regardless if they are Democrat or Republican - and if they or didn't take money from Abramoff.. Regardless of who you are - if you're dealing with mud like Jack, then you need to pay.. I don't care if you are a Dem or a GOP member of Congress..
A reform is desperately needed - on both sides of the aisle.. I can only hope this is but a start...
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Time is running out??
We've crossed the 3-year mark awhile back when we crossed into Iraq..
...now it appears we're expected to "make a government" in 2 years or less...
Condi Rice is in Iraq right now in hope to "unbreaking the deadlock" because Time is running out to form an Iraqi government...
That's real ironic - considering how long it took us to form our "more perfect union" after Paul's famous historical ride in 1775 (not 1776 like most people might think).. It took a *long* time for our government to form.. Why?? Because even though most of the folks at that time were "alike" in belief, there were still major differences of opinion.. Contrary to papular belief, this process took a long time..
...so then why is time running out??
Because the Iraqi people are fed up with the chaos, the fighting, the lack of infrastructure, the decay of their medical, housing, employment.. US companies are building Iraq again - not the Iraqi people..
And this proves - once again, that there was never an exit strategy.. In fact, you could ascribe that there was not much of an entrance strategy either.. Moreover, I've even heard reports where Bush took the advice of a very close circle concerning Iraq, even though there agencies that worked around the clock for the plan that was never considered or instituted..
Time is running out in a lot of ways, Condi..
...and that's something I completely agree with...
...now it appears we're expected to "make a government" in 2 years or less...
Condi Rice is in Iraq right now in hope to "unbreaking the deadlock" because Time is running out to form an Iraqi government...
That's real ironic - considering how long it took us to form our "more perfect union" after Paul's famous historical ride in 1775 (not 1776 like most people might think).. It took a *long* time for our government to form.. Why?? Because even though most of the folks at that time were "alike" in belief, there were still major differences of opinion.. Contrary to papular belief, this process took a long time..
...so then why is time running out??
Because the Iraqi people are fed up with the chaos, the fighting, the lack of infrastructure, the decay of their medical, housing, employment.. US companies are building Iraq again - not the Iraqi people..
And this proves - once again, that there was never an exit strategy.. In fact, you could ascribe that there was not much of an entrance strategy either.. Moreover, I've even heard reports where Bush took the advice of a very close circle concerning Iraq, even though there agencies that worked around the clock for the plan that was never considered or instituted..
Time is running out in a lot of ways, Condi..
...and that's something I completely agree with...
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