September 2008 Archives

Republicans like Rep. Eric Cantor don't realize it just yet, but he and Republicans just handed the keys to the kingdom to the Democrats. And if Democrats don't get the cooperation from the GOP on Thursday, they will use those keys in crafting their own solution, giving the people what they expected, and then let Republicans balk and wear the consequences for a failed economy for decades to come, if they so choose.

94 Democrats and 132 Republicans in the House of Representatives chose to vote for election on Nov 4, rather than prevent a financial industry heart attack, with global recessionary implications. A few moments before the vote, Rep. John Boehner (R) said America is on the brink of financial disaster, and as much as he hates the imperfections of this compromise response to an emergency, failure to act shall push us over the brink.

How would you vote on the "Work Out", "Bail Out", "Rescue Bill"? It has many names, but, its purpose is to free up money for lending so that our economy does not fail in the weeks and months to come. Below, courtesy of Politico.Com, are how some notable scholars and educated folks would vote:

Nations come and go, rise and fall as elites and the wealthy make victims of most citizens and plutocracies prevail. Current dogma is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth. Perhaps in terms of ideals there is some truth to that. But with another trillion dollars that we now must borrow at higher costs because of the meltdown of the financial sector, solidifying our position as the greatest debtor nation, Americans have little to be proud of. Our government and politicians as well as the corporate state have failed us. What do our young people and future generations have to look forward to? Be prepared to eat your cats and dogs.

There may be an objective way to score tonight's debate. Assuming one could find anyone objective to score it. My subjective take was that McCain won on foreign policy debate points, and Obama won on style and presidential diplomacy. Both men demonstrated a knowledge of geography, the hot spots in the world of foreign policy, and the names of leaders of various nations. There were no guffaws.

There is much debate and discussion about what is at stake regarding our economy and this bailout of wealth institutions who have gorged themselves on the profits of bad loans, collateral, and absence of prudence in managing that wealth of others. But, no one is telling the truth about what is at stake, or why these politicians are working feverishly with little sleep night and day. What is at stake is what no one in Washington D.C. wants uttered in a public forum. But history is not so silent about what is keeping them all up at night.

Are Americans ready for a revolution? What worse than the current meltdown of the financial sector, the unraveling of our economy, and burdening us and future generations with astounding debt is needed to convince Americans that the two-party plutocracy has sold out ordinary Americans? What we are witnessing is far worse than the taxation without representation that spurred the American Revolution. Taxation with MISrepresentation is a greater evil and shameful sellout of democracy that so many Americans have fought and died for.

Three days ago, the world took a half step that had one foot on the cliff and other other over the abyss. Fed Chairman Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Paulson, and Congressional Leaders gathered in an emergency meeting and observed to the shock of many, the other foot stepping into the abyss. They agreed in unison and immediately to pivot the dangling foot back onto the cliff side. The abyss was a run on money market funds around the globe, which was poised to take place in hours or days, at most, creating a global financial meltdown.

Today, September 17 is Constitution Day, but very, very few Americans know this or will celebrate it. If you think of yourself as a politically engaged, civic-minded and patriotic American, then I urge you to celebrate today by expanding your mind about a critically important but never-used part of our Constitution.

Gov. Palin will not be cooperating with the Trooper-Gate independent investigator. Rep. Charles Rangel (D) comes clean on details of ethical lapses before media journalists, and vows to accept Ethics Committee's ruling after the facts have been fully discovered. What a difference in style and approach.

There is nothing as depressing as to be right about calamity foreseen and have such warnings go unheeded. To see what is coming, take advantage, and walk away, allows one to feel intelligent, profit from the knowledge, and avoid looking back at the suffering of others who didn't see what is happening. This, of course, would be the corporate executives and Republicans in power who fought against regulation and oversight since 1994, and won.

I confess. I believe there is a ruling class that sustains the two-party plutocracy running the nation for the benefit of the rich and corporate class. Their broad strategy is deception and delusion. Tactically, they use government, the mainstream media, the financial services sector, funding of politicians and the two major parties, and many other parts of the culture and economy to maintain their power and control.

Sen. McCain has borrowed so much of the Obama campaign's issues and positions in the hopes of stealing away some of Obama's support, that one has to wonder if we will see him next on one knee in black face singing Al Jolson's song, "Mammy" in order to make inroads on Obama's Black supporters.

Sen. John McCain said:

My friends in the Democratic Party -- and I'm fortunate to call many of them my friends -- assure us they share the conviction that winning the war against terrorism is our government's most important obligation. I don't doubt their sincerity.

Palin's speech was delivered as well as it possibly could have been. But, it wasn't written by her, and one has to wonder if she even understood the fallacious allusions and logical holes in her statements big enough to rival the Grand Canyon. Perhaps Noonan and Murphy knew what was coming when, on an open microphone, they said the McCain ticket is dead, or words to that effect.

It is none of our business. The out of wedlock pregnancy of Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter will be read into for meaning by people in accordance with their own similar, or lack of similar experiences and how they chose to deal with it. But, it has no bearing on whether Sarah Palin would be competent to step into the role of President should McCain be elected and not be able to finish his term of office.