SuperBowl

How do I decide whom I want to lose more?

bi·par·ti·san (b-pärt-zn, -sn) adj.

2004 Bush 50.8 %
Kerry 48.3 %

President Bush

"Let me put it to you this way: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style."
"I've got will of the people"

2008 Obama 53 %
McCain 46 %

What are the Republicans saying now about political capitol and will of the people.
Rush Limbaugh suggest that the only thing that would equal Bi-partisan would be nothing less than letting the republicans control a full 46 % of the legislative process.

President Obama has done a masterfully job of controlling the media narrative that he is reaching out and working on a Bi-partisan package. He is so effective in doing this because it is truly what he believes. This is what he campaigned on. The one amazing thing I have noticed and this is true of people on the left as much as any one. People are seemingly amazed that he is doing what he said he would do.

It would have been very easy and many in Congress would loved to have simply wrote a bill and passed it and said FU to the republicans in Congress. It was true in the campaign and appears to just as true in governing, he is always looking down the road taking in the big picture.

One more thing on the Rush's new definition of "Bi-partisan"

2000
Gore 48.38 %
Bush 47.87 %

Normally it doesn't matter what a fool like Limbaugh says. However, when you have the republican congress falling in line in |"Hoping Obama fails" then it is an issue.

What's Honest Abe got to Say?

Playing to the vast middle

I have mentioned time and again that President Obama does not intend to simply govern with Democrats. It is his intent to bring along a number of moderate republicans. This is especially true in the Senate where there is a need of at least 60 votes for cloture.

This is playing out in real time with President Obama going down to Congress this week to speak with House Repubs. Interesting, because he needs not one single vote from them. However, it made great TV. The storyline is being set of how much President Obama is reaching out and how the House Repubs. are falling back to the same old politics as usual. Which may play well with their individual constituents. This will probably not play out so well nationwide. The resulting anti republican sentiment may well have the effect of putting even more pressure on the moderate republicans to play along.

Nate over at 538.com has put together a quick graph showing which Republicans are voting with and against President Obama.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/01/fili-buster-watch.html

This is the playing out of the thoughts I put forward back when the Democrats voted to allow Lieberman to keep his chairmanship.

http://mysteryj.blogspot.com/2008/11/liebermans-demo-what.html

Pres. Elect Obama has a wide number of issues he wants to address and will need the broadest pool of support possible to draw from. Therefore, I believe the Lieberman vote was a result of signals sent from Obama's team. It was not about keeping that one vote in the Democratic fold. It was about sending signals to a broad spectrum of moderates in the Senate. The message is that there are going to be times that you may have to disagree with me for personal or political reasons. That's okay. We are going to need you and your leadership on the areas that we do agree on. It signals to Republicans that tend to agree with him on certain issues that they will not be used as a political pawns.It is not his intent to govern as Bush has for the past 8 years. Get in line or else. This administration will not be solely about loyalty and discipline. It will be about coalion building and governing. That is change the left should be able to get behind.

Let History be our guide

One thing that I find off putting about politics is the outright dishonesty. Intellectual dishonesty is one term that I use often. In order to put this to the test I dug up an old article regarding the House passing the Bush Tax Cuts in 2001. It may be too early to see how the economic stimulus plan works out. However, looking back to how the process flowed in 2001 provides for an interesting baseline on how politics have been played in the past and the positions many of the players took.


http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N10/taxes.10w.html

The push back must continue

I have stated before that there is room for honest debate on the best approach to handling our current economic crisis. That honest people can have honest differences of opinion on this matter. I have also spent much time calling out intellectual dishonesty. Paul Krugman, "my favorie economist", takes some time to call out the dishonesty of a number conservative agruments being repeated in Sunday's New York Times.

Krugman rebuts intellectual dishonesty

Take a few moments to look through.

Speech in Review

After 7 and a half hours of enduring and battling the cold on Inauguration Day the moment that I had worked for, for almost exactly a year, was upon us. Yes, it was bumbled, first by President Obama and then by Chief Justice Roberts. It kind of sounds like something one would read in a historical account by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Then upon completion of the oath the 44th President of the United States delivered his Inaugural Speech. Expectations could not have been higher or more eyes and ears focused upon him. The Sun was bright, the crowd attentive, the cold breeze busy. The speech began and the world listened. The honest assessment would have to be that the speech hit many of the expected notes and ideas, however, didn't attempt to loft people with a rousing oratory. The temper was rather serious and steadfast.

I was by no means disappointed by this speech. It did take a different tact than I expected. I was a little surprised by the direct rejection of much of the Bush era policy and attitude. I was pleased by the call to lay down the political divide, to answer the problems that face America.

Through the night, as my toes thawed and my blood flowed freely, I distanced my analysis of the speech from the totality of the experience. An understanding started to crystallize. This speech delivered to the approx. 2 million people on the Mall was aimed at a much wider audience. Not only the hundreds of millions in front of their TVs, it was delivered to history. This speech was a marker, a call. This speech was a line in the sand of history regarding the progression of history and America's place in shaping it.

I have since gone back and read the text and am even more convinced of the importance of this speech and its call to America. A main theme that ran through this speech was one consistent in President Obama's speech on race during the primary. "A more perfect Union". This is a theme drawn directly from Lincoln. The concept that our struggle as America and Americans is to continue to push this nation to fulfill the potential that America offers. A nation that was established with human bondage codified into its laws as a compromise. A nation that discerned the value of one human to be that of 3/5's of another human. This nation with its flaws, also established a goal, a potential, a reality that this experiment could and would be the beacon of freedom for the world.

The theme of perfecting this union is one in which Lincoln called upon time and again. Lincoln was able to recognize the faults of this country while appreciating the awesome potential that this land could provide. He gave his "last full measure of devotion" to moving this country along the path of perfection. Their have been many great Americans along the line of history passing the torch. Their have been many crossroads along the way in which great decisions with great consequences had to be made. We have arrived here, at this place and at this time. America has a choice to continue along the path we have for the past 8 years and longer. American has a new choice to carve a new path.

President Obama in his speech stating in very unequivocal terms "Now" is the time to carve that path. A path that will not be easy, but one that is necessary if we are to continue handing down to future generations a nation that continues to perfect itself. This path will require hard work, will require cooperation, will require acknowledgment that our strengths are our people (all of them). This path may be long but it will be worth it. When we emerge we will be stronger, better, and yes more perfect. Most importantly this country will be positioned to hand off to the next generation, the generation of my child, a country able to continue the process of perfecting this great land of freedom and opportunity for all.

"Our poor is their poor"

The following link is the story that ran on West Virginia Public Radio regarding our Food Drive.



There is a written article and link to the audio.



http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=7576&terms=jessica+lilly

Group of Missourians heading to DC

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/01/18/inauguration-road-trip-local-group-travels-dc-bus-take-part-history/

http://columbiatribune.com/2009/jan/20090119news008.asp

11 Hours and counting

It's 1:00 am I am sitting at computer terminal in Richmond, VA the capitol of the Old Confederacy. A state unlike MO voted for President Obama and it wasn't terribly close. We are to be on bus and moving in less than one hour. We have an hour and half by bus in normal traffic. We do not know what to expect on a day like this. Upon boarding the tram in theory we are 20 mins out of down town DC.

The weather is turning wet here but looks to be fairly stable up north in DC. We endured 20.5 hours of bus travel yesterday to arrive at this juncture. To be honest it wasn't too bad. I am guess Wed. will be worse when almost all of the travel will be in the daylight.

I am not certain what to expect to today, but will let you know soon enough.

Calling out the dishonesty!

A week or so a go I took the time to point out the dishonesty of both Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid in his dealings with the Burris situation. In addition I pointed out the inconsistencies of IL Sec. of State Jesse White regarding the same situation.

The post below points out the hypocrisy of "Joe the Hypocrit".

Now Rep. King of New York. He is shocked, I say shocked to hear the President Elect would have the audacity to place his full name in our historic record during the Inaugaration and swearing in.

Rep. King is an emarrasment

Is he really attempting to equate a man who has put himself before the country, who has won more votes than any President in our History putting his full name in our long American record and say a hysterical spattering of a talk show host talking about Barack Hussein Obama palling around with terrorist.

That is what he is stating either directly or in so many words.

Joe the Hypocrit?

Quote Unquote

Ever since the invention of the quotation politicians and pundits have complained that they have been taken out of context. As of late with the presence of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Rachel Maddow, and many many blogs it seems their problem is more that people are finally putting thier quotes into context.

Too Big for Philosophy?

I have stated that I was surprised by the fact I wasn't exactly certain what my take was on the automakers bailout. I just read this very interesting piece by Krugman. I think I may have figured out my uncertainty. The size scope and nature of the current financial situation maybe such that it breaks one's ability to simply fall back on standard political philosophy.



One can see this when the argument in Congress is not should the Government be doing something, but what and how much and where. We will certainly see politics played with the situation but it might not be the same that we have been used to where everyone digs their heels in and plays chicken. Let's hope. I sense there is a real debate going on and honest debate of what needs to be done. People are letting go of their political dogma in order look at this situation fresh.



President Obama (I know I am a week early) campaigned heavily on this concept and I believe him. We may be fortunate enough to truly have the right person in the right position to take advantage of the seriousness of this situation.

(I don't mean to simply beat up on Bush. It is easy to recall the Bush campaign in 2000. We are running surpluses and paying down the debt. We need to cut taxes to give this money back to the people. When the economy started to falter in 2001 we have to cut taxes to allow people to keep more of their money. So if things are good cut taxes, if things are bad cut taxes????)

This is a classic example of a simple fall back to political philosophy regardless of the actual facts on the ground. Let's all hope for better this time around even if we do disagree on what ultimately is best.

Did Congress just get played?

Reports are out that the Obama administration is willing to negotiate (compromise) on his Financial Stimulus program. Compromise with the Senate Democrats.??? I have stated some where earlier that Obama had learned some lessons from Carter's experience in the White House. The need to get things through a Democratic Congress in order to get things done.

Well he may have learned even better than I had expected. On first blush the Stimulus program was considered to moderate or too centrist by many Dems. There are now reports that in order to gain support he is willing to make some adjustments that seem to pull the package back to the left a little. Click Politico Here re: Compromise In addition after his initial announcement that the size would be roughly 775 Billion many cried that would be insufficient. Obama stated that he wanted to start at the lower end of the spectrum and see where congress went with the Bill.

This was smart on two fronts. First it is smart because it is true. I don't know how often a bill is actually reduced by congress once they get their hands on it, regardless of which party controls congress. Secondly, he is seen as a moderate who is willing to make the compromises necessary to get things done. This plays well to the general public. Maybe more important in working with Congress it makes the Congressional Dems feel good about themselves. In the end he will probably get the size, scope and conditions of a stimulus that he is after while appearing to be both even more centrist than maybe he actually is and greases the wheels of congress a little.

Although you don't know it, I told you so.

White to sign Burris' Appointment

This is really no surprise. White is smart enough to feel the political winds change. He is not about to get caught out in the middle all by himself. This is playing out just as I predicted a couple of days ago. Unfortunately my computer was screwing up and lost my post.

Let it go.

I have touched on the John Ziegler (How Obama got Elected) distraction previously. Unfortunately Ziegler needs to continue stirring the pot in order to make his money. That is okay, hey he has got his rights. I tried hard to ignore it after my last post.

After all we have news of another 500,000.00 jobs being lost. Unemployment at 7.2%. We are legitimately debating the best way to prevent "The Great Depression: The Sequel". Two weeks of war in Gaza with hundreds of people being killed. I am standing on my deck one day at 72 degrees and the next at 18 (Can you Global Warming).



(Onenote as I watch this, Does she believe this or is it simply political posturing. She kind of reminds me of Blagoyovich? 1) I very specifically remember bloggers suggesting that Trig was in fact her daughters and I was a little put off. However I do not recall any mainstream media reporting this story. Secondly those stories were started in part on the basis that her daughter was removed from school for a number of months due to some made up excuse. Turns out that she was taken out of school when it was found out she was pregnant. Now let me be absolutely clear I pass no judgement on the daughter, this does not matter one iota to me and is nobodies business. Period. I have stated this in previous postings. In those same posting I noted that this is a two way street. One can't come out and announce her daughter's pregnancy, announce how great it is, announce how proud they are, fly the father to Minnesota, buy him Fancy clothes, put him on the stage, announce how proud they are of him. Imply how great of a family they because the kids are getting married and the family is sticking togehter. Then say how dare anyone discuss this. Does she not understand the hypocrisy of the Republican Party for doing this, as stated before we all can well imagine how the party would have reacted if Pres. Elect Obama's daughter was older and in the same position.

Fair Game: Posted 09/03/08 here

As far as people still believing this story and how it must be an orchestrated media result. Does she care to examine how many people to this day believe Obama is a Muslim. This is an example of either complete ignorance, willful suspension of reality.)


So why does it piss me off so bad when Ziegler and Palin trot out and play the poor little victim game. (I have been following politics long enough to remember the charge that all Democrats and liberals want to do is pander to the victims and not take responsibility). I am not sure of the answer as to why this hits me so viscerally other than the outright hypocirsy and bold faced dishonesty of it. One part I guess, this is how the right had been so successful for so long is that no one has been calling them out on it. They utilized Rush and Hannity and Fox to distribute it. Understanding most people work long hours, tend to their family even longer hours, worry about their health care and how to pay their bills, the simplest to understand soundbite, the simplest narrative, the one they hear the most and they hear from the family and friends wins the day.

Fortunately this year when it become obvious that the Economy truly was in the shitter people were forced to pay attention. Guess what, substance won out over style. One doesn't have to be a Political Scientist to recall that when all hell broke lose in the financial markets the Republicans were running ads about pigs in lipstick, sex ed. in kindergarten, and telling us the fundamentals of the economy are sound. Oh and trotting out one of the least qualified and prepared candidates for Vice President in my lifetime (except maybe Dan Quayle). When they lose they have to go looking for a reason why. This is something I will give McCain credit. He is not out there doing the whining. I have long thought that maybe he wanted to win the Presidency but didn't really want to be President every single day for the next four years. That he is very comfortable in the lovely loser role. To be honest I can not think of a cushier job then Senator.

This was intended to be a quick post introducing the video above and then a response from a poster over at DailyKos. (now yes Daily Kos is a liberal blogging site, but that doesn't make the post false) So here is a strong response to to painting Sarah Palin as a victim game.

Dear Sarah Palin.

Does Illinois have a Junior Senator?

It is starting to look like Burris may be seated by the time this is all done.  There is already a back and forth between Senate Majority leader Reid and Illinois Sec. of State regarding the signature on Burris' credentials.  Reid stating that the only thing standing in the way of a Burris seat is the signature.  Jesse White Sec. of State for Illinois insisting that the signature was mostly ceremonial. 

Both of these "gentlemen"  appear to be looking for a way for climb back down from the edge.  White knew what he was doing when he refused to sign the credentials and claim anything different now is disingenuous at best.  Reid has made many firm statements about not seating anyone Blago. picked.  Now his claiming the only hurdle is a signature from Illinois.  

This first round of back and forth appears to be a game of hot potatoe.  More than likely after a couple of rounds of back and forth we will all see a compromise between the three parties worked out.  This is one of the reasons people are so turned off by politics.  Everyone putting up a big front, saying whatever they want with our consequence, and then doing what is politically expedient.  

Harry Reid is calculating that he is going to need to that Democratic vote to break filibusters on the Senate floor.  He doesn't want to let this drag out too long and he doesn't to personally insult Burris, in case he does make to the floor he will need Burris' cooperation.  White is not about to let himself get hung out to dry. 

Senater Majority leader...  all we need is signature

Sec. of State Burris backs Roland Burris

Updated! (like 3 minutes later)

Ok this was even faster than I expected 

AP: Senate Dems. plan to seat Burris

So much for Political Capitol

Does anyone remember all that political capitol Pres. Bush had after the 2004 election.  He spent it on his attempt to allow for partial privitization of Social Security.  Fortunately for us he failed, unfortunately for the Italians they succeeded. 

Bush couldn't do what the Italians did, Thank goodness

Italy’s benchmark stock index has fallen 53 percent since the switchover. Last year was the first time since 2003 that TFR outperformed private plans, ....

From Countdown to Recount.

This is live video from the Minnesota recount. Today's event is the counting of about 1,000 absentee ballots that have been improperly rejected. The two campaigns and the
Secretary of States office all are in agreement that these ballots should be counted. These ballots have not been opened until today. All suspect that these will slightly favor Franken based on the counties from which the majority are from.

For a political and elections junkie like myself this is like catnip. I have mentioned before that I got to witness the recount process in Washington in 2004. That one I was a little more emotionally tied too. This time it is simply fascinating the watch. These two experiences provide some illumination on how complicated the process is and that generally we have good hearted people trying to do their best to run an election.  

Follow the action here at Uptake

Update:  Response to a reader

Sad to say but yes i am. It appears to be all over but the singing now. Senator Al Franken. I love the hypocrisy that a tight race like this exposes. The day after the election Coleman leads by 215 votes. States I am the winner let's move on and not waste time and money. Coleman argues not to allow the counting of falsely rejected ballots. Loses in court. Told to work with Franken and Sec. of State to determine which falsely rejected ballots to allow. At first attempt Coleman agrees to like 46 ballots. After public pressure, agrees to the 950. The ballots are counted his deficit greatly increased, he now goes to court to ask that even more rejected absentee ballots be considered.

MN Supreme Court denies request. Secretary of State will certify election today or tommorrow and Franken will be sworn in as US Senator from Minnesota.

Coleman may or may not let this drop. His only hope is a claim that 130 some ballots were duplicated in the process and counted twice. Problem if all 130 were taken away from Franken Coleman is still 90 behind. What a fun ride this has been.