Election Day Is Tuesday - VOTE DEMOCRATIC!

Election Day is on Tuesday.

Therefore, I would like to point out that we literally have white supremacist Nazis in the White House running our country. This is not a figure of speech; this is not hyperbole; this is not exaggeration. They are white supremacists, using the Nazi playbook. They use Nazi language and rhetoric. They gleefully flash white power signs. Their dog whistles are now full-blown, blaring, racist megaphones. They are working to divide us by race, religion, and sexual orientation. They are inciting violence against the “others”. They are pitting us against each other while they amass power and wealth and move us closer to a fascist dictatorship. They are literally rounding up people into camps. They are taking about stripping citizenship from people who were born here. 

 Make no mistake. If you are not a European (read White), Christian heterosexual, you are not welcome in their America. They will target all of us who don’t fit this profile. 

 The Republican Party has demonstrated that they are fully supportive of this Administration. They have proven over and over that they may offer a mild criticism once in a while, but when push comes to shove, they are part of the team. They will not provide any checks and balances to ensure the integrity of our democracy. They are no longer the Republican Party of Reagan or even the Bushes. They are a white supremacist party, supporting this Nazi Administration. Election Day is on Tuesday. We MUST vote in Democrats so that there are SOME checks and balances. 

Democrats: we must not be complacent! Vote! Volunteer! Protest! When they tell us something is only being said/done just to rile up their base, WE need to get riled up! He has said he will reverse birthright citizenship. He has said that a lifetime appointment as President is a good idea. He praises dictators such as Putin and Kim Jong Un and alienates our democratically elected allies. HE IS NOT JOKING. I don’t put ANYTHING past this corrupt administration that has no respect for norms, rules, laws, or even the Constitution. We must resist! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US MUST VOTE! 

Republicans: unfortunately, this is not your party anymore. If you continue to support the GOP, you are on the side of Nazis. I understand there are conservative values you believe in, such as fiscal conservatism. But it is not worth it. This is now *his* party, and he does not truly hold these conservative values. He is out for power and money and to make America white. The deficit is now ballooning due to unfunded tax cuts for the rich and the corporations. The stock market is jittery as the realization that he doesn’t understand the complexities of the economy sinks in. History will judge those who continue to support this man just as 1930s Germans are judged for supporting that Nazi regime. Again, not an exaggeration. Scholars on fascism and the Holocaust say we are several steps down the same path. This is the time to make a decision on what side of history you will be on. Vote for Democrats until the Republican Party rejects this Administration and its white nationalism. Check out #GOPVotingBlue. You will not be alone. 

Progressives and Third Party voters: the reality is that the Democrats are the only ones standing in the way of this disaster for our country. Now is not the time for purity tests or protest votes. Our country is at stake. Take a deep breath and vote for the Democrat, even if they are not as progressive as you would like or you don’t agree with them on every issue. NOW IS NOT THE TIME! Any Democrat is better than any Republican. VOTE! AND VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRAT!

This election really is a moment of truth for this country. Election Day is on Tuesday. 

 Save us. Save US. Vote Democrat.

This Election Is Extremely Important If You Believe...

The upcoming election is extremely important if you believe any of the following:

• Women should have reproductive rights and control over their own bodies
• Planned Parenthood provides valuable health care services, including breast cancer screening, and should not be attacked and defunded
• Austerity and tax cuts for the wealthy do not create jobs (see Bush years)
• Investment in education is vitally important to ensure that the US remains a world leader going forward
• Health care should be accessible and affordable for all
• Medicare is a successful program that should not be destroyed and replaced with a voucher program that will cost seniors way more
• Social Security is a program that has worked for years and is actually solvent for many years to come
• Corporations are NOT people and should not get to pour unlimited money into political campaigns
• Marriage equality is this generation's important civil rights issue
• Global warming is real and needs to be addressed
• Ending the war in Iraq was the right thing to do

Mitt Romney has been out-fundraising President Obama for several months now, and this doesn't even count the Super PACs that Romney's wealthy billionaire donors have been supporting. I started my own grassroots fundraising page to build the kind of grassroots organization that will be needed for President Obama to win in November. I want my page to show that political power can come from organizing at the grassroots level all over the country, not just powerful interests in Washington. Together we can protect the progress we've made, and build on that progress over the next four years.
Will you please support the President by making a donation of $5 or more to my page today? https://donate.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/2012/cctate

Thank you for reading this message and hopefully considering donating to President Obama's campaign.

My Blog Post Syndicated on BlogHer!

I am very excited that my post ranting about those who get upset when people say "Happy Holidays" was selected to be syndicated by BlogHer, the largest community for women who blog! Check it out! Here is the link to my blog post.

Since When Did Saying "Happy Holidays" Become a Bad Thing?

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is upon us, and apparently, we can count on two things - a showdown in Congress and whining about the supposed war on Christmas. It's ironic, isn't it? Everywhere you look, there are Christmas decorations. Christmas music is being piped into every store and restaurant. The Christmas season has stretched longer and longer, with Christmas merchandise now appearing in stores even before Halloween. And yet, somehow, this isn't enough emphasis on Christmas for some. Consider the following examples:

• Recently, my sister heard someone respond to someone wishing them "Happy Holidays" by saying "We say 'Merry Christmas', not that holiday crap." 
• My friend saw someone wearing a button saying, "It's OK to say Merry Christmas". 
• I saw a bumper sticker saying "Keep Christ in Christmas", 
• And of course, Fox News is having their annual whine-fest about something somewhere being referred to as "holiday" instead of "Christmas". In this case, a tree in Rhode Island.

Give me a break.

First of all, wishing someone "Happy Holidays" is at its essence an expression of good will. It is a positive thing to say, a kind gesture. Since when is it OK to respond to a kind expression with rudeness and rejection? Isn't Christmas also about opening our hearts? Peace and goodwill to all? Please practice what you preach.

Second of all, can we all just acknowledge and accept that NOT EVERYONE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS! I know, this is shocking, but yes, there are Jewish people and Buddhist people and all sorts of other cultures and religions that do not celebrate it. Do you know for sure that the person you are speaking to celebrates Christmas? If not, then why would you wish them Merry Christmas? Saying "Happy Holidays" is a polite way of wishing someone well without making assumptions. The holidays can include Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years Day, and yes, Christmas.

Adding to the irony of people complaining about using the word "holiday" instead of "Christmas", did you know that the word "holiday" evolved from the words "holy day"? It just demonstrates the ignorance of these people that they are actually opposed to someone wishing them a happy holy day, and believe that it contradicts and does not encompass Christmas.

As for the sentiment of saying "Keep the Christ in Christmas", I can understand the frustration of seeing what to some is a very special, religious holiday turn into a spectacle of commercialism on steroids. I can agree that the original meaning of the holiday has been lost amongst the shopping and decorations frenzy. But you really can't have it both ways. If Christmas goes back to being a purely religious holiday, and you remove all of the secular trappings (and the people who celebrate it in a secular way), then that would correspondingly reduce the number of people celebrating it and the attention paid to in the retail world. Christmas is big business. It's called Black Friday, because that's when many retailers go in to the black, i.e. become profitable for the year. Remove that financial motivation, sorry to say, and there will be less "Merry Christmas" everywhere, not more. 

What makes Christmas special to me is not the presents and shopping but spending time with family. My husband and I enjoy passing along holiday traditions to our children and making our own. Part of that holiday tradition for me is also celebrating Hanukkah. See, I have one side of the family that is Catholic, and one side that is Jewish. That is why I am sensitive to the fact that not everyone celebrates Christmas. I always buy cards that say "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" so that I can send them to everyone on my list. I see this as being considerate and thoughtful. Not for one second is it meant to minimize Christmas for those who celebrate it.

For those who are getting so worked up about it, I challenge you to search within yourself to understand why it is so important to you. Do you need such constant validation of your faith? Are you really that intolerant of those that are not like you? Let me assure you that Christmas is alive and well. Look around you. Notice all of the green and red, the mistletoe, the Santas at the mall. Enjoy the reindeer on people's lawns, the lights on houses, the poinsettias, the holly. Hear the Christmas music played in the malls, and watch the Christmas shows and movies on TV. Read the cards you receive in the mail, the email greetings from friends, and the heartwarming stories in the newspaper of gifts donated to those who can't afford to buy their own. Christmas is truly a beloved holiday. It will be OK.

So from the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone the happiest of holidays.

Republican Strategy: The Two Santa Claus Theory

In order to understand the current political landscape, one must understand what the long-term strategy of the Republican party is. By now, it should be obvious that the GOP is only interested in power and that they are willing to throw this country under the bus in order to take back the White House. So, let's go back to 1974 to understand the big picture. If you analyze government spending and the national debt by President, you will see that the national debt is actually mostly attributable to Republican presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan. Why is that? Simply put, the two Santa Claus theory.Thom Hartmann, radio host and prolific author, wrote this comprehensive article on the Two Santa Claus Theory a couple of years ago, so you can read in its entirety, but here it is in a nutshell.

Democrats care about people. They believe that in this great nation, we should work together to help others. They put in place hugely popular programs like Social Security that have greatly reduced poverty among the elderly and ensure that widows and the disabled have a safety net. They structured Social Security in such a way that ensures it is a sustainable program. We each pay into the program through payroll taxes, and when we reach retirement age, we draw benefits. Even though the Republicans have been screaming that Social Security is bankrupt and in crisis for years now, the fact of the matter is that it is an extremely successful program that has never missed a payment and can pay 100% of benefits for next 20 or so years. If we implemented the simple fix of raising the cap on those payroll deductions so that those making over $106,000 continue to pay, it would be solvent forever. But I digress. Because Democrats care about people and put in place programs that actually help people, Republicans think of them as the first "Santa Claus".

The Republicans realized that they could never be as popular as the Democrats and needed to come up with a way to also be a "Santa Claus". Thus was born the mantra of cutting taxes. Cutting taxes is how Republicans are Santa Claus. And because they believe in supply-side economics, which absolutely does not work, they theorized they could increase spending too - just not on those social programs they hate. As Thom Hartman writes:

Republicans could be double Santa Clauses by cutting people's taxes! For working people it would only be a small token – a few hundred dollars a year on average – but would be heavily marketed. And for the rich it would amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts. The rich, in turn, would use that money to import or build more stuff to market, thus increasing supply and stimulating the economy. And that growth in the economy would mean that the people still paying taxes would pay more because they were earning more.

Of course, since supply side economics doesn't actually work - revenue does NOT go up when you lower taxes - huge deficits build up under Republican presidents contributing to over 2/3 of the national debt.  They actually took advantage of this with a new twist - "starving the beast". This strategy seeks to hamper Democrats' ability to play Santa Claus when they are in power by running up huge deficits and then when Democrats come into power, forcing them to be the mature, responsible ones and rein in spending and raise taxes to put things back on track. Does this sound familiar? It should. When George W. Bush was in office, I did not hear one peep from Republicans about deficits or debt, did you? But the second President Obama took office? Here comes the Tea Party screaming about cutting spending, lowering taxes, the national debt and on and on.  The same thing actually happened with Bill Clinton as well. He balanced the budget and implemented welfare reform. Remember,  he handed a budget surplus to George W. Bush, who quickly got rid of it by giving huge tax cuts to the wealthy and spending billions on the unnecessary war in Iraq.

So there you have it. The Republicans have been playing this game for years, and it seems to be working like a charm right now.

"I Wish 9/11 Never Happened!"

"I wish 9/11 never happened!!" That is what my 9-year-old son said this morning when I turned off the TV  and said I couldn't watch the coverage of the 10-year anniversary anymore. He knew what I meant immediately. "It's too painful?" he asked. Yes, too painful. Most years, I avoid television coverage on the anniversary of 9/11. I don't want to relive that day. I started boycotting the coverage, because I imagined the terrorists sitting around in Afghanistan or wherever, enjoying the hell out of the annual angst this country goes through, enjoying seeing our pain, our sadness, our anger, our fear. After all, isn't that the primary goal of terrorism? To instill pain and fear? That day was a glorious success for them, and part of me wished we could just forget it and not give them the satisfaction. I avoided coverage, avoided seeing those images again, avoided feeling the shock and horror.

"I wish 9/11 never happened!" I tried to think of something soothing to say as I headed upstairs to hide my tears from my sons; like something positive that came out of it, some profound lesson we all learned, some lasting unity brought to our great nation. But no, I couldn't come up with anything, and so I just continued up the stairs, surprised at how much pain and sadness the coverage brought to the surface.

"I wish 9/11 never happened!" I do too. I wish those people didn't die. Each person was a son or daughter, husband or wife, mother or father, brother, sister, friend. Each story is unbelievably sad. I watched a special last night on the History channel that focused on voices heard on that day, crying the whole time: voicemail messages left by people in the upper floors telling their loved ones goodbye; a recording of the radio dispatches from the firefighter who made it all the way to the 77th floor of the South Tower, before it collapsed into a mountain of dust; stories from family members who actually got to talk to their loved one live on the phone who were trapped, awaiting their fate. Every single story is tragic and heartbreaking, and there are thousands of them from that day, an overwhelming thought.

I wish this country had not spent billions of dollars on futile wars, causing the loss of so many additional people.

I wish our fear had not been used to trample our civil rights and protections under the Constitution and justify torture.

I wish that a whole religion had not been tainted by the acts of a radical few, leading to bigotry, discrimination and hatred.

I wish the 9/11 first responders who survived were not still suffering today from a variety of illnesses and injuries. I wish they didn't have to fight for benefits to cover these illnesses.

I wish the twin towers were still standing.

I wish 9/11 never happened.

My grassroots fundraising page for President Obama

I watched President Obama's job speech last night, and it inspired me. Seeing the Republicans refuse to show support for the very reasonable measures the President is proposing to get this economy moving again was appalling. We must get out in force in 2012 and not only re-elect President Obama but sweep the Republicans and their obstructionism out of Congress. To combat big money unleashed by Citizens United, we must start building a grassroots organization now. That's why I started my own grassroots fundraising page today for Obama For America 2012. Here is what I said:

In the fall of 2008, I was inspired to start a blog - Working Mom, Democrat, Patriot - to share my thoughts on the presidential campaign. The 2008 election was extremely important, but 2012 is even more critical. We must re-elect President Obama so that he can continue his efforts to dig us out of the mess created by the previous administration. We must send a strong message to the other side that obstructionism and putting politics above country is unacceptable. If President Obama is going to win, we need to build a grassroots campaign that's bigger and stronger than anything we've built before. He will need donations from real people like you and me to compete against the special interest and corporate money unleased by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. Please help me reach my fundraising goal by donating today. Thank you!

I hope you can check out my page and perhaps even donate.

An Inspiring Woman

The last time I wrote a blog post was the day Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot. I blamed right-wing extremist rhetoric, and I stand by my comments. Since that day, the rhetoric has not been toned down as I was hoping. If anything, it continues to be uncivil, disrespectful, inflammatory, and in some cases, downright racist. Yet another horrific shooting has occurred, inspired by extremist right-wing hate.

The debt ceiling debate has been a joke - a crisis manufactured by the Republicans and used to take this country hostage and make irrational ransom demands - cuts that only hurt the poor, middle class, senior citizens, children, disabled and yet no shared sacrifice from wealthy individuals and corporations earning record profits while still taking subsidies from the government.

It has been truly depressing and uninspiring, hence the lack of writing since that terrible day in January.

Yesterday, however, I was inspired again by an amazing woman, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who insisted on being in Washington DC to cast her vote for the debt ceiling bill; who received a thunderous ovation when she appeared; who has made a truly remarkable recovery; who is an inspiration to all.

As we enter this critical time leading to the 2012 elections, I will do my part to share what I know, what I think and hopefully inspire others to learn more, to get involved, to open their minds to different opinions, and most of all, to VOTE DEMOCRAT IN 2012!

Where Inflammatory Rhetoric Can Lead - Congresswoman Shot in Arizona

There are just initial reports that a Democratic Congresswoman has been shot in Arizona while holding a public event. While it is scary and shocking, unfortunately I can't say I am truly surprised. If you listen to the rhetoric and inflammatory language from the likes of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachmann and others, it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to envision crazies acting upon their words. It has been a turbulent time with a bad economy, high unemployment and people getting frustrated and angry. Just take a look at some of these quotes and try to tell me that these people aren't inciting violence.

"I hope that's not where we're going, but you know if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies [emphasis added] and saying my goodness what can we do to turn this country around? I'll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out." Sharron Angle

"Don't retreat. Instead - reload" Sarah Palin

"To the day I die, I am going to be a progressive hunter." Glenn Beck

"I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous [emphasis added] on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back." and "...having a revolution every now and then is a good thing" Michele Bachmann

Huffington Post is live blogging updates here. Apparently at least 12 people were shot, and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot point-blank in the head. There is no word on her condition yet. This is a horrible incident and one that should make the Glenn Becks and the Rush Limbaughs of the world think very carefully about their words. I certainly hope this is an isolated incident and doesn't lead to more violence.

UPDATE: It is being reported that Representative Giffords has died. What a sad day. My thoughts go out to her family and loved ones. We are speculating about the motive of the gunman, but whatever the case, I truly believe words have power, and the rhetoric in this country needs to be toned down.

UPDATE2: Apparently, Representative Giffords may be alive. NPR, CNN and Reuters have all retracted that she has died. She is in critical condition.

Ending the Year on a High Note

After the election on November 2nd, I was understandably pessimistic about what progress, if any, would be made during the lame duck session of Congress before the new crop of elected Congresspeople and Senators take office. The Republicans made clear their priorities when they promised to block any legislation until all of the Bush tax cuts were extended. In other words, the top priority for the Republicans was to ensure that wealthiest Americans would not see the marginal tax rate for amounts made over $250,000 (for families) increased approximately 4%. (Please note that any amounts earned under that $250,000 would be taxed at the lower tax rates that would be extended for everyone, so the wealthy would have gotten a tax break no matter what.) Nuclear arms treaty with Russia? Health care for the heroes who were the first responders on September 11th? Tax breaks for those making under $250,000? Nope, not as important.

So, then came the big tax compromise. Liberals gnashed their teeth and whined and moaned about President Obama being weak and giving in to the Republicans. It turned into a circular firing squad with liberal radio talk show hosts like Randi Rhodes and Stephanie Miller being criticized by others for their pragmatism and support of the compromise the President had made. Just like health care reform and the slow progress on Don't Ask Don't Tell, the liberals were furious and disappointed but misdirected this anger at President Obama rather than the Republicans who presented a united front and blocked and obstructed what the President wanted to do.

Things were looking pretty bleak for Democrats at this point. Then, however, we started to see a string of victories. The START nuclear treaty with Russia was approved by the Senate. The repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell first passed in the House of Representatives and then the Senate. Jon Stewart aired a brilliant episode dedicated to the 9/11 First Responders bill, shedding light on the hypocrisy of the Republicans and the complicity of the media in ignoring the story. The Republicans caved and the bill passed. Other less publicized legislation also passed, including new food safety regulations and the Child Nutrition Act. Yes, there were still some disappointments, biggest of all the success of Republicans in blocking the DREAM Act, but overall, it was an amazing set of victories for the President and more importantly, for the country.

My pure speculation is that there are two reasons it was such a successful lame duck session for President Obama. First, I think there was more to the tax compromise than we were told. I think it was broader than just the tax cuts, and President Obama was tougher in these negotiations than it first appeared. Second, I think the Republicans may have started to hear backlash from voters. Their glee after the election was due to the mistaken notion that they were victorious because the people agreed with them philosophically. I think the election results were more a result of anger at the status quo and the anti-incumbent sentiment. In reality, the majority of Americans agree with Democrats more often than Republicans on the issues. For example, the majority of Americans did not support extending the tax cuts for the wealthy. And I am sure the vast majority of Americans support taking care of the 9/11 heroes. It is now becoming clear what the Republicans stand for, and I think they are hearing that people don't like it.

So, the year ended on a high note. I would like to point out, however, that the entire 111th session of Congress was amazing. For all of those who declare that nothing happened, that President Obama hasn't accomplished anything and that you are disappointed in him, please check out this summary of the 111th Congress from outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi's website. It is a truly impressive list. If you think back to the terrible shape the country was in when President Bush left office, in the midst of a severe recession and on the precipice of a depression, it is abundantly clear that this President and this Congress saved this country and accomplished a hell of a lot. I would like to thank President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for their tireless work the last two years.

The next two years will be extremely challenging, The right has the better messaging and a powerful media machine. Let's not waste any time arguing amongst ourselves. We progressives must push forward and lend our full and complete support to the President to help him combat the Republicans and their obstructionism.

Disgusting Moments from the Bush Presidency - None Involving Kanye West

So apparently, George W. Bush thinks that one of the most disgusting moment of his presidency was when Kanye West called him a racist. Really? Are you kidding me? Here is a short list of way more disgusting moments of the nightmare of an eight years spent under Bush:

Hurricane Katrina
Stories of conditions at the Superdome and images of the devastation are still seared in my memory.

September 11, 2001
The worst terrorist attack on our soil took place under George Bush's watch. How about the images of people who jumped to their death from the World Trade Center rather than face the fiery destruction? How about seeing people holding photos of their loved one, hoping to find out what happened to them? How about the sight of the Twin Towers crumbling to dust? What the terrorists did to us on that day was devastating and disgusting.

Abu Ghraib
Disgusting is the perfect word to describe what was going on in this Iraqi prison, where our soldiers were torturing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners. It was embarrassment to this country, tarnished our reputation, and endangered us even more as jihadists leveraged the photos as a perfect recruiting tool.

Wall Street greed
The unfettered greed and accumulation of wealth that took place under the Bush presidency and ultimately led to the financial collapse of 2008 and the need to pour billions and billions of taxpayer money into the banks to stabilize the markets and prevent another Great Depression was indeed disgusting. The fact that these bankers continued to make literally billions of dollars in bonuses following the bailout? Reprehensible.

The Unjustified Iraqi War
Let's not forget that the Bush Administration lied in order to lead this country into war against Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and did not have any weapons of mass destruction. This war has resulted in over 4,000 U.S. deaths and 30,000 U.S. injuries. The number of Iraqi civilian casualties is a disputed figure that ranges from the thousands to over a million, but it definitely dwarfs the number people who died on 9/11.

The Outing of Valerie Plame
For Dick Cheney and Co to actually put politics above the safety of a CIA agent and the success of her work is absolutely disgusting.

America as Torturers
The fact that America began using waterboarding, a technique of torture that we executed Japanese soldiers for, is abhorrent. This authorization of torture came all the way from the top, as we now know from Bush's book and his talk show rounds. We lost the moral high ground under Bush and Cheney.

Yes, George, there were a quite a number of disgusting moments in your presidency. The fact that a celebrity went on TV -- after seeing horrifying image after image of his fellow African-Americans in a great American city being left to fend for themselves for days on end after a natural disaster -- and said something mean about you? That's not one of them.

Election 2010: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The midterm elections of 2010 are for the most part over. There are a few races still outstanding, most notably the Senate race in Alaska. Here are the good, the bad and the ugly of the election results.

The Good

• California. I love California. We stood as a beacon of hope in this sea of misery. Jerry Brown won. Carly Fiorina lost. We voted against rolling back our progressive global warming legislation. Thank you, California. I am proud to be a Californian today. And don't take that to mean I wasn't proud to be a Californian before, OK? I have always been proud to be a Californian. And I am always proud to be an American. OK, moving on.
• Several teabaggers lost, including Sharron "some of you look a little more Asian to me" Angle, Christine "I Am Not a Witch" O'Donnell, and Carl "Let's Teach the Poor Personal Hygiene" Paladino.
• The Democrats retained the Senate with some key wins in Colorado, Nevada, and West Virginia.

The Bad

• Some teabaggers did win, most notably Marco Rubio in Florida and Rand Paul in Kentucky.

The Ugly

• The Republicans took back the House or Representatives, raising the prospect of a gridlocked government for the next two years.
• Also ugly is the fact that the media is falling all over itself to proclaim the influence of the Tea Party when in reality, only a small percentage of the House and Senate will actually be teabaggers. Yes, the election reflects an angry, disappointed electorate. However, the anger and disappointment have been mistakenly channeled at the Democrats, because they have had the House, the Senate and the White House. The Republican strategy was to block progress at the expense of this country and then blame the President when things didn't get a lot better. Unfortunately, it worked. The American people have basically voted against their own self-interest by giving power to the party that wants to get rid of Social Security, Medicare and public education.

So now, we will see what the Republicans actually want to do for this country. If repealing health care reform, privatizing social security, and giving tax cuts to the wealthy are at the top of their agenda, they may face the same fate as today's Democrats in two years.

How I'm Voting on November 2nd

It's down to the wire now. Election Day is Tuesday, and we will find out if the reports of the Democratic Party's demise were premature or prescient. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Like any party in power during hard economic times, the Democrats will suffer some losses due to the short memory of the electorate. Somehow, the fact that the recession was brought about because of Republican policies has been forgotten in all of the noise. However, I don't believe it will be the bloodbath we have been hearing about for the last three months. We shall soon find out! Here is how I'm voting in some key races in California on Tuesday and why.

Governor: Jerry Brown
As the San Jose Mercury put it this morning, "...nothing is more important than electing [Jerry] Brown, because state government is the root of so many local problems...We need a political grown-up who speaks his mind, actually knows something and can broker a deal -- a nearly lost art in Sacramento." I reject the notion that a successful businessperson can come in and run the state. It's a completely different animal. What we need is an experienced politician who has dedicated his life to public service. 

Senator: Barbara Boxer
Again, I am not impressed by wealthy businesspeople entering politics. Carly Fiorina is campaigning as an ultra-right winger, endorsed by none other than Sarah Palin. Need I say more? Well, I will. Barbara Boxer is often portrayed as an extreme liberal, but in reality, Senator Boxer is more balanced. She is a friend to Silicon Valley business, supporting important issues such as R&D tax credits to encourage innovation, cash repatriation to allow companies to bring overseas profits back to the United States for investment here, and opposing efforts to impose a tax on the internet. She also is a tireless advocate for women's rights.

Lieutenant Governor: Gavin Newsom
He had me at hello and his courageous advocacy for gay marriage.

United States Representative: Zoe Lofgren
The fact that she brought Stephen Colbert to Congress only makes me love her more!

Proposition 19: Undecided
It is very unusual for me to be undecided about anything on election day, but I really don't know how I am going to vote on this one. As a mother, I want to vote "No" to ensure that we don't send a message to our children that drugs are OK. As a rational person, I totally understand the arguments for voting "Yes". Marijuana is not as dangerous as alcohol or cigarettes. Criminalization only contributes to illegal activities such as gangs dealing drugs and the unspeakable violence in Mexico. Prisons are overcrowded and disproportionately with drug offenders. Legalizing could bring in much-needed tax revenue to the state. And I may have just talked myself into voting "Yes". We'll see.

Proposition 21-Increasing Vehicle License Fee to support State Parks: Yes
This is a no-brainer. Our state parks need saving, since Governor Schwarzenegger put them on the chopping block, and California cars will get free parking. It's a win-win!

Proposition 23 - Suspending AB 32, the green bill: NO!
We can't afford to take any steps back in the fight against climate change. It is real, and it is happening.

Proposition 25 - Changes budget vote requirement from two-thirds to simple majority: ABSOLUTELY!!!!
Every year, we go through the same ordeal of getting a budget passed. It is beyond ridiculous, and it is due to this unreasonable requirement of getting a two-thirds vote.

Proposition 26 - Requires two-thirds vote to approve fees: NO!
See above. This is just a scheme for businesses to avoid any new fees. The founders of this country believed in the simple majority, and I do too.

So that is how I'm voting. How about you?

Why CEOs Are Not the Best Political Candidates

Two wealthy former CEOs are running for political office here in California: Meg Whitman (formerly of eBay) and Carly Fiorina (formerly of HP). They are both using the fact that they ran companies and were successful in business as evidence that they will be able to be successful politicians, but this is definitely not the case.

First of all, corporations are not run as democracies. Yes, there are varying levels of consensus that are built and people play "politics", but at the end of the day, the CEO is the boss and has total power over those beneath her in the organizational hierarchy. Corporations are more like dictatorships. CEOs don't have to negotiate and compromise. They can listen to everyone's opinions and then make the decisions. This does not prepare anyone for the political process at all. And I think one thing all can agree on is that we don't want this country run like a dictatorship!

Secondly, the goal of a CEO above all else is to make the company successful. A good CEO cares about the people of the company, but it's really because those people contribute to achieving the goals of the organization. The mindset of a CEO has to be to consider business goals first, people second. Leaving aside employee safety, which absolutely should be the top priority, to illustrate what I mean, a business leader should work to keep employees engaged, motivated and, therefore, productive. However, business leaders should not feel obligated to keep someone employed even if they are doing a bad job because that's better for the employee.

On the other hand, the goal of an elected official as part of our representative democracy is to represent the people who have elected him or her. Being a CEO does not prepare anyone for this role, because they think of people as an important means to an end. And I am not saying this is a bad thing! Business leaders have to think this way, but I sure don't want political leaders to. I want political leaders to represent their entire constituency, from CEOs to those struggling in poverty.

I would much rather be represented by an experienced politician, who understands the legal system, knows how to navigate the political process, and above all has demonstrated commitment and passion for representing "we the people" in this representative democracy: people like Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer.

September 11th and its Long-Lasting Impact

Last year, on this date, I wrote this post remembering September 11th. At that time, I wanted to focus on remembering those who perished on that fateful day. Now, one year later, with hatred, fear and bigotry even more pronounced, I can't help but reflect on the long lasting negative impact September 11th has had on this country. It's like we are still reeling from the blow to our innocence. My sister compared it to a case of national post traumatic stress disorder, and observing the turmoil and divisiveness taking place right now, I have to agree. The fear is so heightened that people are talking about "terror babies" and concocting wild scenarios of Islamic community centers being "victory mosques" or training compounds. There is no basis in fact for any of these outlandish theories, but people are still so scared, they will believe anything. And the very freedoms we are supposedly hated for and are supposed to be defending (freedom of religion, freedom from unlawful search and seizure, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment) are slipping through our fingers as fear takes over our rational minds and our Constitutional rights are diluted.

And of course, the money we have spent on the so-called "War on Terror" that could have helped our economy through the financial crisis is gone with absolutely nothing to show for it. Osama bin Laden was never found, Al Qaeda is still recruiting, we are caught in a quagmire in Afghanistan, and Iraq is a mess.

Yes, I remember 9/11 with terrible sadness, but now it's as much for where we are today as for what happened that horrible morning nine years ago.

Continuing the Constitutional Theme: The Fourteenth Amendment

I find it so amusing/infuriating that Republicans, who have been going on and on about how they are the only ones defending the Constitution, are now complaining about one part of the Constitution: the Fourteenth Amendment. Specifically, Republicans have a problem with the part of the Fourteenth Amendment that declares all persons born in the United States to be citizens. Here is the text:

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The text is about as clear as you can get. All persons born here are citizens. End of story. Well, apparently, only the parts of the Constitution that Republicans like are sacred. And Republicans don't like the thought of babies born to illegal immigrants automatically being citizens. Republicans claim that illegal immigrants are coming over the border (because this is really only about Mexicans, right?) to have "anchor babies" who presumably will help them stay in this country. Actually, children can only sponsor parents when they are 21 years old. That's a pretty long-term plan! There must be easier ways, right? Another outlandish claim is that terrorists are coming here to birth "terror babies" who will rise up in 20 years to rain terror upon us! Again, a pretty long time to wait for evil plots to come to fruition. I mean, seriously, where do they come up with this crap?

The argument Republicans are making that irritates me the most is that the Fourteenth Amendment was only put in place to guarantee citizenship for former slaves, and there was no intent for it to go beyond that. That is utter bullshit. The people who wrote the amendment and went through the onerous process of getting it ratified would not have gone through all of that trouble if they did not intend it to be a permanent addition to the Constitution. In fact, the reason it was a constitutional amendment was to take citizenship out of the political process. They didn't want a Supreme Court or Congress voting to take away such rights and wanted to make it pretty damn clear and well-defined.

Either you honor the whole Constitution or not. You can't pick and choose the parts you like (e.g. the Second Amendment) and then ignore the parts you don't like (birthright citizenship, freedom of religion - see mosque controversy, equal protection -- see anti-gay marriage movement, cruel and unusual punishment -- see Bush torture memos, unlawful search and seizure see Bush illegal wiretapping, etc. etc. etc.) Wow, seeing it all laid out, it seems the only part of the Constitution that Republicans do like is that part about the right to bear arms!

Explaining Freedom of Speech

So Dr. Laura Schlessinger is quitting her radio show, because she wants to "regain [her] first amendment rights". Once again, I feel it is my duty to educate right-wingers who claim to love the Constituion so much what it actually means. Provided below is the actual text of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

OK, there it is. The key words here are "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech." Now, please explain how people being justifiably angry about Dr. Laura using what is universally-agreed to be an offensive term and complaining (using their freedom of speech, I must note) to radio stations and sponsors destroyed her first amendment rights? The answer is it didn't at all, since there was no government censorship. It's that simple, case closed. So Dr. Laura and a certain other habitual tweeter who shall not be named? Go back to school and learn what the U.S. Constitution really means and stop spouting lies and distortions to your ignorant fans.

Defending Freedom of Religion

It is a sad state of affairs when the very freedom this country is founded on is being trampled by those who profess to respect and value the founders and the Constitution they wrote. I am, of course, speaking of the national uproar over the plans to build - not a mosque - but an Islamic cultural center - not at ground zero - but several blocks away. The fact that this is even a debate is just ridiculous. The Republicans are, as usual, feeding on fear and hatred to score political points. And the Democrats are not strong enough to stick to their principles and defend freedom of religion fully. Senator Harry Reid now has said that it should be built elsewhere. How sad.

Bottom line, separation of church and state dictates that none of these politicians should have anything to say about where and what a religious organization builds on private property. And if you can't defend that, then you do not understand what America stands for.

Matt Taibbi on Lara Logan

Lara Logan, CBS foreign correspondent, criticized the Rolling Stone reporter who wrote the General McChrystal story. Here is Matt Taibbi's awesome response.

Lara Logan, You Suck -- RollingStone.com

Random Thoughts

Here are my thoughts on some current events:

Tina Fey on SNL - I'm a bit disappointed with her Sarah Palin sketch. My favorite part was the re-edited Katie Couric interview, but I guess I wanted a skewering.




Supreme Court - With Justice Steven's retirement, I really hope President Obama doesn't enable the court to shift more to the right. Nominate a liberal and don't let the Republicans scare you into going moderate... PLEASE!

Nuclear Treaty - See Jon Stewart for brilliant counter to bullshit Republicans are spewing. President Obama is doing nothing more than President Reagan himself aspired to do. And Fox News is allowing straight-out lies to fill their airwaves. The treaty specifically excludes biological attacks from the agreement to not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries. And, hello? We have a lot of powerful bombs that are not nuclear do we not? We can certainly bomb the shit out of a country without using nukes...see Iraq.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Big Bang Treaty
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

ACORN hoax - See The Brad Blog for amazing story that finally hit the mainstream media with Rachel Maddow. Remember that horrifying ACORN tape that came out with ACORN workers giving advice to an outlandishly dressed pimp? Well, apparently, the tape was doctored after the fact. The "pimp" was actually dressed in normal college student attire when he actually visited ACORN offices, and the story he gave ACORN workers was that his girlfriend was trapped by a pimp. Didn't know that? Yeah, because even after it was determined the tape was a hoax, nobody reported it for months. Meanwhile, ACORN may be no more. What a shame.