Tax Deal: Why Pelosi and Reid are Unwise to not support it
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, Democrat leaders in their respective houses of congress, have both joined in in opposition to Obama’s deal with the republcians on tax reform. And unwisely so.
Republicans have given in multitudes. They made an agreement to concede on unemployment benefits that the Democrats have relentlessly wanted to promote, in order to guarantee certain things in the bush tax deal agreement, which includes compromise. Now, after December, Republicans will gain full control of the house and will have a new speaker- If the deal is not passed, or as Pelosi threatened, to drop it from the queue, then republicans have the opportunity to pass republican ideals in both areas with a straight window.
This deal should be something democrats leap on, not have their higher-ups and far left resent it.
Julian Assange’s Arrest, WikiLeaks Payback and More Madness
I am sure many have heard explicitly, if they have been keeping up with modern news, about WikiLeaks and it’s recent cable releases on US diplomatic corps. Called by a Huffington Post writer as near “high school memoranda”, it has resulted in mass embarrasment, but invariably lead to Assange’s universal dislike, in which he turned himself in under the threat that his harm would result in even more embarrasment.
What started as an open movement against implied government secrecy has quickly degraded into nothing less than threats, bargains and apparently now, hacking.
In a “payback” method, several hackers in defense of WikiLeaks made an attack on the websites of MasterCard, Visa and the Swedish Prosecuter’s Office, all of which (excepting the Prosecuter’s Office), have financially cut off their provisions to the leaks site, joining PayPal and the Swedish host.
It seems a group that needs to use threats and documents handed from a hidden military bunker does not win much trust from the world.
Economy and Bad Choices : Can There Be A Compromise?
One of the most prominent concerns with the furthering of health regulation restrictions on foods is the concerns over the drop in economy.
Starting at the beginning, with school cafeterias. Many companies, given sales to schools due to their low costs, sell many foods that are unequivocally not healthy. As legislation prepares to go further, lobbies powerful in governments argue that the costs to companies could be drastic if new reforms passed that brought new procedures for food in the cafeterias of our nation’s schools.
Yet several schools have already begun healthier initiatives, and find costs can be brought to an equal level, as shown in documentaries such as Supersize Me and reports from various organizations as sources.
Not to mention that the money saved by promoting more healthy initiative could save us so much for health costs.
It is a good argument that we should educate instead of only offering nutritional foods to youth in schools, and I agree. But it is a detriment to only offer such detrimental foods for economy, when it is pseudo economy, the economy as far as the interests of the food lobby.
Now we should move to something beyond schools- Lobbies hold a strong influence to keep politicians from bringing a motive to declare legislation against “supersized” serving sizes, to post nutritional information and to advertise it in a way to instill it as a cost-effective and nearly impossible to avoid manner in aspects of many ways of American lives.
It’s time we replace the pseudo-economic concerns of costing businesses money and replace them with the practical economic needs of regulating the unreasonable detrimental health involved in fast food and unhealthy diets. This doesn’t mean radical “bans”, it means more required information and where needed, regulation.
It’s time to get passed the economic arguments by the lobbied base over certain businesses, and realize the bigger economic concern – our health as a collective economy.
Nothing is wrong with a business marketing it’s product. What is wrong in my view is it’s stranglehold on seemingly the majority of economic movements in this nation. It’s a persons choice, but in order to be given a full opportunity, they must be given full resources.
Sharia Law, Islamophobia and Radical Voices
I’m sure we’ve all heard the recent commentary about Obama’s response to a question given to him about his stance on Jihad, wherein Obama stated that he felt that radicals make up a part of each great religions and should not stand to represent them, several conservative commentators, including Sean Hannity, blasting his lack of mentioning a stance on Jihad.
This comes after concerns over the islamification and spread of Sharia Law in the United States and other western nations. But here is my take on all of this controversy.
The radical islamic organizations want nothing more than to associate themselves with Islam. It keeps their following stable in their feeling of connection to Islam, and it angers those they believe to be infidels into becoming radicalized against Islam, which in turn benefits them by adding fire to their cause.
The pit of a situation in which too many Americans only view Islam through the media, where the Muslims of most notoriety are those with the loudest and most extreme voices against America- Such ignorance and arrogance to want to find any other source has caused despicable injustice against Mosques, Muslims and Arabic-Related things in general. It has started as a concern against radicals that has sweeped all rationality and turned it into a seemingly incorrigible chain of phobia, fear and association of Islam to it’s radicals, in turn only radicalizing ourselves.
Obama has made concise points- that do defeat the radicals we must not let them for a second pretend to represent any glory of a religion or belief, and that radicals that seek to overcharge moderates who simply want a change from the pace of radicalism will not be rewarded with our ignorance.
The growing conflict across the spectrum is due to this very thing. It disheartens me to think that right now, this very minute, young are being raised in America with a pretense against those of Islamic descent- and that in the Middle East, young are being raised to look upon Americans in a negative pretense, all without any direct connection to either party. These are the world’s future. The young are our chance for change from the petty social stereotypes.
And now what is being spread is the same intolerance and ignorance rooted under the banner of pride and patriotism.
Decision Points : George W. Bush on NBC Interview with Matt Lauer
On the eve of the Nov. 9 release of his new book, Decision Points, George W. Bush sat down for an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer. Reflecting upon his decisions in the presidency and in his personal life, President Bush cited how his faith helped change him, and how he ultimately made the beginning decisions in the US reponse to 9/11. He expressed his views and disappointments on the war, his perception as president, and his relations between Karl Rove and Dil Cheyney, as well as with the public.
Murkowski The Winner of Alaska Senate Race?
In what has been a drawn-out count of many write-in ballots, close numbers and statistics, Lisa Murkowski, Write-In Candidate in Alaska, has been reported as the unofficial winner of the senate race, still with around 41% of the vote being Write-In, apparently more than Tea Party Backed Miller’s 34%.
Scott McAdams, the Alaskan Democratic Candidate for Senate, conceded the race last week in a press conference, leaving the race up to Miller and Murkowski, in a wait for solid results that some estimates bring to past Thanksgiving, while Miller still challenges his competitor’s supposed lead .
Nancy Pelosi To Run For Minority Leader in House
Nancy Pelosi this afternoon announced her intent to run as Democratic Minority Leader in the 112th Congress, House of Representatives.
This comes after a deal of uncertainty about her role in the House after being Speaker. Appearing on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, Ms. Pelosi said that she had no regrets about her role as speaker and needed time to contemplate her decision.
Several Republicans are even applauding her run, saying her role as minority leader will guarantee their success in the future.
Madame Speaker : “Job Well Done”
Tonight in a released interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC World News, Nancy Pelosi talked about her feelings about the elections, her ambitions for the future, and her decisions about her situation.
She started off by stating that she was saddened to hear of the loss of several established members of congress in the “tough race”.
She then continued to say that she was going to talk to her fellow members and confer in the democratic caucus and that “we’ll have some announcement to make”, and that she would have to actually take time to think about her situation, confer with her caucus and her family to come to a decision.
She then said that she had “No regrets” about her time as Speaker, reflecting on her ambition and power with the gavel, certainly in the passage of healthcare reform, on which she said it would be “most unfortunate” if it were repealed, emphasizing that it was not something to be completely taken down but fixed and looked at again, from a more bipartisan perspective.
She continued by focusing that her consideration and focus goes to the progress of the people, to the candidates, old that lost, and new that won, and in kindling new bipartisanship where she is likely to hold considerable influence even if she does not make it as Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, both in her effectiveness as Speaker and her lifelong admirable feat in being the first “Madame Speaker”.
……Well, being the first woman Speaker and breaking the marble ceiling is pretty important. But I think the– the contribution is– the legislation that we have passed for all of America’s children. And it certainly was an honor to be in– in the position to do that, to gavel the House to order on behalf of all of America’s children, to be recognized by the President of the United States. And I– I relish that. I treasure it. But it was– it’s– it’s in it’s time, and it’s in it’s place, and now it’s time to move on.
-Nancy Pelosi, ABC Transcript of Interview
Pink Elephants & Increased Females in Congress : The Tsunami That Never Came
“Look out Washington, there’s a whole stampede of Pink Elephants coming….”
-Sarah Palin, Sarah PAC
That was before November 2nd. Sarah Palin was enthusiastic in saying and endorsing several female republican candidates, very few of whom won. Saving perhaps Palin-endorsed Haly, who won with a 51% majority.
Actually, according to many reports, the number of women in congress has decreased – the highest among them ousted by the Republican “tsunami”, which was spearheaded by males.
So what does this mean for congress and our legislative future?
Considering a House mostly occupied now by pro-life Republicans, a decrease in women issues a decrease in representation for women’s health issues and advocacy for issues such as Abortion. While America might have spoken, it’s new sentimental movement may, or will, affect more than the economic direction the nation is in.
