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Hold on to your Butts!

I know that we have put a lot effort and hope into this Health Care reform. I am frustrated just like many of my progressive friends. I have felt sold out and forgotten and help hostage by a couple of jerk senators.....thanks a lot Joe and Ben! I think we have to view the following items to place the current situation into perspective.

Filibuster- I have been asking for the Dems to make the Republicans and Joe do a full filibuster. I thought that if they had to stay on the floor through the holidays that there would be a quick end and they would have to explain their efforts to the public. The problem is, that the Senate changed the rules a while back and it is no longer an actual filibuster but more of a virtual one. This is garbage and has to change or reset the rules to rely on a simple majority.

Mandate- There is a mandate in the current plans and I was angry when being told to buy coverage from private insurance companies or face a fine. The Public Option would have offered a real alternative however, it is out. The only saving grace is that it would appear that there will be Government assistance to purchase insurance for those making less than $90,000 per year. It is based on a sliding scale. The less you make, the more the Government will pay for you. This will actually help a lot of people but without a true Public Plan Option, there will be no guarantee of stopping future rate increases.

Future changes- I have heard many Democratic leaders today speaking of improving upon this bill in the next few years with a goal of true Universal Health Coverage for all. I have a hard time believing this will happen, especially if history holds serve and we actually loose seats as opposed to gaining them.

Too Much to Expect- I suppose it was over reaching to expect single payer or a Public Option at this point. We did not even know that it was possible to reach the numbers that we have. We do not really have 60 seats. We have Independents that caucus with us as well as conservative Democrats and we have more in the line of 54-55 solid reliable votes. Of course when the numbers were better than we thought, it fostered false hope and hope of getting everything that we have craved for so long. The bottom line is that we need a few more seats and then we can implement a true liberal agenda. I think we can all agree that the conservative agenda failed and therefore, the tea party folks and Bush supporters have no rights to govern at this point based on their past failures.

Mr. Obama- I think that if we truly look back at the campaign for President and the over all comments made by our current President. The bill that is coming through now, is exactly what he and his handlers wanted. The end result is 30 million people being covered, an exchange set up even though it has no public option and Government assistance for those of limited means. We are seeing a health care reform that will be a step forward but it in no way represents the best options for the country.

Where do we go from here?- There are a few courses of action. We can fall in line and give the President what he wants. We can have all out war on the President and all that have given up on the ultimate goal. We can start over and make this a financial bill....medicare for all, etc. and go with reconciliation...majority rules. If the Republicans were in charge, I think we all know that they would not hesitate to go it alone and ram whatever they want down our throats. We have proof of this with the Bush tax cute and recess appointments of controversial appointees.

No matter what course we decide upon, it will be a rocky road and all I can say is hold on to your butts!

Show me the Money!

I have been a good soldier for my beloved Democratic party. I have started to wonder if we are not being played in the health care reform debate. The two party system is primed for fraud and abuse with the voters caught in the middle. Take as example the case of the Democrats caving down to a weak public option or none at all. The Republicans are still calling it Socialism. This is anything but a government takeover of health care. We could only be so lucky as to have a government takeover. Despite all of the misinformation out there, the best available option would be medicare for all or something similar. Everyone in and everyone pays. This would provide care for all at greatly reduced prices and we could negotiate drug prices at reduced rates of 30-50% just as the other major countries with provided medical care do. There would no longer be denial of coverage or claims and preventative care would be easily available to all and would prevent the major jams at the emergency rooms. I just wonder if both political parties are not playing football with the health and wealth of out Nation? Please say it isn't so and make us all believe that there is hope out there. Below, I can sum up what I believe the progressive / Democratic party should stand for. If these simple beliefs could be pulled together, I believe more of the general population could once again see a distinction between the parties and would support the leaders that have produced real results for the Nation.

Universal Health Coverage for all. Not some delayed minor coverage with restrictions that keep it from the masses.

Free higher education for anyone with a minimum grade ratio. How could it hurt us to be more freely educated?

Remove the rights that corporations now enjoy. I mean that a corporation should not enjoy the same rights as humans....i.e. freedom of speech that allows endless donations to political parties.

Public funding of all elections. This would eliminate the politicians from selling their souls for cash.

Eliminate the electoral college. 1 person, 1 vote. The system as we know it has failed. When the State that I live in is given 100% to 1 candidate and no credit is given to the minority vote, this is wrong. The least that should be done is a change to an ability to divide the electoral college on a percentage basis. If a candidate carries a state at a 60 / 40% rate, that is how the electoral votes should be divided as well.

Term limits are needed is order to allow the average person to have a chance to be involved in the process.

Make it illegal to be a domestic terrorist and pursue them to the fullest extent of the law and this includes people that harm abortion doctors and clinics. These folks are no better then the terrorist that hit us on 9-11.

Protect a woman's right to choose. Men should never be allowed to make these decisions unless men can have the kid.

Provide protection under the law against discrimination based on sexual orientation. This includes gay marriage. Military included as well.

National free access to high speed Internet.

Pursue green projects and fossil free energy programs. Get off of foreign oil and local reliance on big oil.

Restore our privacy rights and end broad monitoring of communications without warrant.



Please feel free to comment on additional party platform ideas.

Taught to Believe

Taught to believe without a doubt
Often wondering what it is all about
Guilt from above stains the soul
Told that heaven is the ultimate goal
Conformity is a must
Please control your sinful lust
Pass the plate and pay the cost
Heaven needs your pennies to save the lost
Wearing a suit changes the vocal tone
Lectures from the pit take far too long
Hypocrisy lurks each time we meet
Be sure to be here each and every week
Oh to be free to live as we feel
To finally admit what is real
Maybe the future will yield some light
And generations to come will be alright
Until that time, sleep will delay
And try to keep the demons at bay.

A late night poem about Southern Religion.

Only In the South

My Grandfather gave my Dad a present. It was a wall clock with the last supper on it, showing Jesus and the Disciples. The unique feature was that every hour it played songs including Dixie and Yellow Rose of Texas.

A local Church had a concealed carry permit class. This is where you take a class and can be approved to carry a gun. The fact that they had the class is funny enough but the kicker is that there was a gentleman there that shot himself during the class and still passed the course.

We had a local business that sold hot dogs, tires and bait all under one roof.

I had a man tell me one time that if the King james Bible was good enough for Jesus, then it was good enough for him.

Hillbilly / Redneck Rich- These are folks that keep everyhting that they own either in the front yard or on the front porch so that the neighbors can see how well that they are doing. Nothing says success like having 2 new trucks in the yard.

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You Lie Like a Rug!

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Never forget 9-11. Remember the people that were in charge. The same people did not believe the warnings and allowed us to be hit. These are the same people who want to talk about keeping the US safe? These are alos the same folks that took us to war in Iraq and we are still there. This move is like Mexico attacking us and we the attack Canada.

Sipping on Haterade?

For those that still doubt that there is hate out there...check this out.







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Persecution

1. The act or practice of persecuting on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs that differ from those of the persecutor.
2. The condition of being persecuted.

I feel persecuted on an almost daily basis. Everywhere I go, I seem to run into people that want to shove their politics and their belief systems in my face. I have historically tried to simply avoid conflict over these issues however I have reached a point that I feel backed into a corner. I feel as though I have no choice but respond to the bias that my family and I have to endure. You may assume that I am speaking of Christian Persecution. I am speaking of this but not in the way that you would presume. I am being persecuted by "Christians". I have been told many times that I am going to hell because I am a Democrat. My kids have had to go through teachers preaching the virtues of Republicans and the evils of Democrats. Below, are a few examples that I have been through.

While visiting at the hospital, my brother and I were in the waiting room. The television was on and they were showing a video of President Clinton. There was an older man standing next to me and he said..."ain't you glad that Bill Clinton ain't our President anymore?" I said...well, I actually voted for him 2 times and I really miss him. The older guy took a step away from me , pointed at me and yelled...draft dodger! There was an African American lady sitting near us and she said that she agreed with me. There was also a receptionist in the area and she said that she agreed with the older guy. I ended up leaving the room instead of causing more trouble. The ironic thing about this episode is that this guy was miffed about Bill Clinton's military service when the new President George Bush allowed the biggest terrorist attack on our soil and his military service is a joke.

When my middle girl was in the 2nd grade, her teacher told her that John Kerry kills babies. I was shocked and was forced to answer abortion questions because of this teacher's whacked out beliefs. The principal did address the problem but it was a bit late. My question would be, is it better to expose your beliefs to an audience that is too young to hear the graphic details or is it better to keep your beliefs to yourself? My question to the anti abortion crowd would be, how can you be "pro-life" and yet support the wars and the killing of innocent people in Iraq,etc? And don't tell me that these deaths are keeping me safe. Iraq did not attack us or have anything to do with 9-11.

One of my friends went to church and was approached by a rich, white man. The man told my friend that he was going to hell because he voted for Obama. My friend replied in kind by saying that the guy was going to hell with him for judging him.

There is persecution taking place in this Nation but it is not the kind that we have been warned about. The ugly trend is that the religious right is busy mixing politics and church to the point that if you disagree, you are no longer welcome in their sight. We are forced to live with constant pulpit support of Republican talking points as well. Christan music has been taken over as well. I just wish that some of the people that love to scare their fellow Christians into submission and fear mongering over the coming persecutions would do a little research. Consider the Jewish people and the attempt to rid the earth of the race. Also, consider the torture that some other societies put Christians through. These people know the meaning of persecution.

Persecution is happening but it is reverse. If you dare to disagree with the Southern mantra, God = Republican, then be prepared to fight for your rights.

Jesus Did not Play Sports

The winds of change are always blowing. I remember back in the 70's and 80's, sports were not for the weak. My cousin played High School football and he was a big boy....6'-6" and about 280 lbs. He had a bad play and the coach who was much shorter, grabbed him by the face mask and shook him into attention and laid a few choice curse words on him. Flash forward to today and wow have times changed. There are still a few tough coaches out there but to a large degree, the winds have blown God and Jesus into every football stadium in the land. There are prayers on the field with both teams joining hands and kneeling on the field and players wearing bible verses on their eye shadows and entire pre game shows highlighting players relationship and faith in God...."Tim Tebow". The quote from Mr. Tebow was that when something goes well, then it is God's will. My concerns are many. How about when things go poorly? Is that the will of the Devil? Also, how can we make such a big deal about and highlight the beliefs of Tebow or any other "Christian" and not allow any other belief systems to be shown? What if the next star is a Muslim or an Atheist? I am not anti religion but rather, I know that God has no favorite teams or players. I am further concerned over how players can exhibit a horrible attitude on the field and then be in the prayer huddle afterwards. I have coached kids basketball for several years and have experienced some of the worst attitudes and non "Christlike" conduct in the land. I have been cursed by other coaches and fans and pastors and I have had to break up fights and I have seen coaches encourage their teams to punch and foul and mock the other team to the point of tears. There is usually a prayer at the end and when I go through one of these games and the teams thank God for the Christian attitudes shown, I always want to laugh out loud. Can we not let sports just be what they are and not make them into a religious event? Sports are mini wars and war can not be made religious. Church ball is typically for the kids that do not make the School teams or in the case of softball, for folks who have long since outlived the glory days of youth. Practice your faith and play hard but there are no lives that will be changed by seeing college football players in a prayer huddle after the game.

Popcorn Thoughts

Afterpoop- Have you ever had the great pleasure of visiting the bathroom just after another person has left a deposit? The shock to the nostrils can be overwhelming. This is exactly what it must have been like for Mr. Obama when he took over as President. The former leaders left stinky deposits all over the world that he must now try and clean up.

It must be nice- I recently played golf with a friend who said that it must be nice to be Tiger Woods and not speak to the police for 2 days after a wreck. Anyone remember Dick Cheney shooting his friend in the face and not meeting with the police for several days? It must be nice to have that much money or power. I don't know anyone that could pull either one of those moves.

God,Guns and Gays- When the Right Wing is in doubt, they always go to one of these issues. Pay attention and prove me wrong.

Prayer in School- Prayer has not been removed from school, it is simply not sanctioned. Students can pray to any God that they choose as long as they do it quietly and to themselves.

War on Christmas- There is no war on Christmas. What difference does it make if a company decides to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas? There are people of Jewish faith and Muslims and Deist and Agnostics out there. My opinion is that it is being polite and not an assault on Christmas. When the police come to your home and take you to jail for saying Merry Christmas, then we can discuss further.

More popcorn to be published later.

The Chickens of War

President Obama did not get us inot these God forsaken wars but he will get us out...eventually. Lest we forget, We were attacked on 9-11 under the watch of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. These same folks love to brag about keeping us safe. We went into Afghanistan because that is where Osama Bin Laden was located. The curious part is that Six years too late, George W. Bush finally acknowledged that 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers were citizens of the U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia. This fact begs for further investigation. We did have a shot at Bin Ladden early in the war but Bush screwed it up and we allowed him to escape. We then took our eyes off of the ball and went inot Iraq on false information and lies. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11. I thought it might be worth considering the chickens that caused all of this grief and their cheer section. Please see the facts below....

George Bush- In January 1968 Bush was set to graduate from Yale University, making him eligible for the draft and, in all likelihood, service in Vietnam. Bush sought entry into the officer corps of the Texas Air National Guard, which would minimise his chances of being dispatched to Vietnam. Despite scoring low on the entrance exam, Bush was accepted.

The controversy over his military service has concentrated on whether his father, George Herbert Walker Bush who was a U.S. Congressman at the time, exerted influence to ensure his son obtained a 'soft' posting in the National Guard and whether he completed his duties sufficiently to justify his honourable discharge in 1973.

"Bush signed a six-year "military service obligation," he was required to attend at least 44 inactive-duty training drills each fiscal year beginning July 1. But Bush's own records show that he fell short of that requirement, attending only 36 drills in the 1972-73 period, and only 12 in the 1973-74 period." [1]

Bush was assigned serve at the Houston Air National Guard base between 1968 and 1973. Bush graduated from flight school in November 1969 and undertook a further six months training in the F-102 fighter-interceptor. Between June 1970 and April 1972 he flew frequently with his unit.

However, in May 1972 he sought and gained approval to move to Alabama to work on the U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Party candidate, Winton Blount. While in Alabama Bush was obliged to continue his duties with another National Guard unit. After failing to have an annual physical examination Bush was removed from flight duty on August 1, 1972.

Bush's military records reveal that he did not do any duty between April 16 and October 28, 1972 and missed training altogether in December 1972 and February and March 1973. There were no records of him having served with any unit in Alabama. It is a requirement of members of the National Guard that they accumulate a minimum of 50 service points in a year. (Each full day of weekend training is worth two points).

On May 2, 1973 one of Bush's superiors noted that "Lt. Bush has not been observed at this unit during the period of report. A civilian occupation made it necessary for him to move to Montgomery, Alabama. He cleared this base on 15 May 1972 and has been performing equivalent training in a non-flying status with the 187th Tac Recon Gp, Dannelly ANG Base, Alabama." However, no records for service in Alabama exist.[2]

Subsequently Bush spent 36 days in May, June and July 1973 on duty, accumulating 41 points. According to the Boston Globe, he was then awarded 15 'gratuitous' service points - enough to get him across the 50 service points threshold. His last service day was July 30, 1973 and - while originally due to serve through to November 1974 - was honourably discharged early to enable him to attend Harvard Business School. [3]

Furthermore, a U.S. News analysis showed that "during the final two years of his obligation, Bush did not comply with Air Force regulations that impose a time limit on making up missed drills. What's more, he apparently never made up five months of drills he missed in 1972, contrary to assertions by the administration."

Dick Cheney- "On Oct. 6, 1965, the Selective Service lifted its ban against drafting married men who had no children. Nine months and two days later, Mr. Cheney's first daughter, Elizabeth, was born."

This quote comes from a Saturday NYTimes article --
"Cheney's Five Draft Deferments During the Vietnam Era Emerge as a Campaign Issue" -- discussing the lengths VP Dick Cheney went to in order to avoid serving during the Viet Nam war.

It is apparent from the piece that Richard Cheney did everything humanly possible -- short of fleeing to Canada -- to avoid military conscription: He applied for and recieved 5 student deferments, a number described as "incredible" by professor David Curry of the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Curry has written extensively about the draft, including a 1985 book, "Sunshine Patriots: Punishment and the Vietnam Offender." The Times quotes Mr. Curry as observing: "That's a lot of times for the draft board to say O.K."

G.O.P. presidential candidate Giuliani had the gall to question the courage of Democratic war hero John Kerry. Yet,
"Giuliani did not serve in the military during the Vietnam War. He received a student deferment while at Manhattan College and another while at NYU Law. Upon graduation from NYU Law in 1968, he was classified as 1-A, available for military service. He applied for a deferment but was rejected. In 1969, MacMahon (the judge for whom he was clerking) wrote a letter to Giuliani's draft board, asking that he be reclassified as 2-A, civilian occupation deferment, because Giuliani, who was a law clerk for MacMahon, was an essential employee. The deferment was granted. In 1970, Giuliani received a high draft lottery number; he was not called up for service although by then he had been reclassified 1-A.

Rush Limbaugh- After using his pilonidal cyst - a congenital birth defect - to
avoid military service in the Vietnam War, Limbaugh briefly
worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, PA and Kansas City,
MO. Fired from both jobs, he worked as a wiener salesman for
the KC Royals baseball franchise, eventually slithering back into
the radio business.

If you want to do a general search on the internet, you will see the many Rebublican Chickenhawks vs. the Democrats that actually did serve. Check it out for yourself.