The Do-Nothing 111th Congress

As the summer session of Congress comes to a close, the 111^th Congress is going to go down in history as the one of the least effective and well, in layman’s terms “laziest” meetings of Congress in American history—there still is roughly five months of this Congress’s life left but if I had a say my push would be to shut it down now and let’s get on to the 112^th as quickly as possible. Maybe then we can actually get something done.

In order to most fully appreciate just how little the Democratic-led 111^th Congress has done, let’s put on our trusty goggles of comparison—we all have a pair. If on and snugly pulled into place, let’s begin with the doomsday 107^th Congress.

The 107^th Congress

This was the 9/11 Congress and regardless of just how much legislation was passed or in the works to be passed, the tragedy of September 11, 2001 threw the whole thing out of whack. Yet some major pieces of legislation worth noting are the following:

·         No Child Left Behind Act

·         Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act

·         Farm Security and Rural Investment Act

·         Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold)

·         Authorization for Use of Military force against Iraq

·         Help America Vote Act--remember Florida?

·         Homeland Security Act

·         E-Government Act

It should be noted that the Republicans had a majority in the Senate until June 6, 2001 and then it switched back to the Democrats. The House was controlled by the Republicans and in the White House was none other than George W. Bush.

The 108^th Congress

This was the beginning of what many Americans feel was the end of our freedoms and the end of the era of rule according to the US Constitution. The Republicans had majorities in both houses and control of the White House and hubris and incompetence were king. Slowly, we started to move away from governing and providing the nation with a framework designed to make life more livable for all Americans and started the downward slide toward plutocracy.

Here are some noteworthy pieces of legislation that came out of the Republican controlled 108^th Congress:

·         Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003--Yes, that wonderful, job-creating tax cut.

·         Prison Rape Elimination act of 2003--No more rape in prison now.

·         Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act--ah, yes, government impeding on a woman’s rights…seems a bit un-Constitutional.

·         Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act

·         Unborn Victims of Violence Act--encroaching on Roe v. Wade.

·         The Belarus Democracy Act--seems to be working…or maybe not.

·         Flood Insurance Reform Act--two floods and you are out act. Good for business bad for homeowner.

·         Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act.

 The 109^th Congress

Here it is, the Congress everybody talks about on a daily basis—especially people who come in contact with the 1/4 of legislation that was passed in order to rename federal buildings. Yes, of the 383 pieces of legislation this Republican controlled Congress passed, a whooping 93 renamed post-offices and other such things of little or no value to an already stagnating economy. It is just what the Russians do whenever things get bad, change the names of streets and cities and police hoping that people will get so confused they will just forget.

Here are a few pieces of non-name changing legislation worth noting:

·         Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (Well, the anti-consumer, pro-business activities continued with this very first piece of legislation. The little man could now be offended by the “corporate citizen” and the corporation only sued up to $5 million! Big Biz spend more than that on Post-Its each month. Also, oddly, the fact that the federal courts suddenly take precedent over state courts strengthens federal power at the expense of state power—I thought he GOP was all for state rights! (They are when it comes things like slavery, guns and anti-health care reform but not Big Biz profits.)

·         Theresa Marie Schiavo's law (or The Palm Sunday Compromise). This was simply an appalling and emotional abuse of power by the Republican-held Congress. Again, stripping the power away from the state courts, the GOP forced “God” into legislation and passed a farcical law with no power to do anything that applied only to one person—they just wanted to have this already dead woman lie around for another decade (at whose cost) until God had made his final decision to take her. Oh, and the fact that the law was a violation of the separation of powers didn’t stop the GOP because they make up rules (and amendments) as they see fit. Our traditions mean nothing to them.

·         Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (Another pro-big business, anti-working class American bill.)

·         Energy Policy Act of 2005 (George Bush, Tom DeLay and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton –all from Texas—really drove this bill through because it gave great tax incentive to the oil industry and especially  Texas based companies.

·         Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (NRA baby!)

·         Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005—Sounds nice right? What it is really is, though, is nothing more than a blatant transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the wealthy. All of the taxes not being raised and in effect lowered benefit the super-rich and corporations while doing zero—that is nothing—to incentivize them to hire or invest in their businesses. Sick.

·         Secure Fence Act of 2006—That worked.

·         Tax Relief and Health Act of 2006—More wealth transference and generational theft.

 The 110^th Congress

With the Democrats back in power in both chamber but with only slim margins and the White House still occupied by a lame-duck and very unpopular president, the pendulum started to swing slowly back from the GOP’s main constituent—Big Business—and back to the American people.

Here is some noteworthy legislation. Not all of it is typical Democrat fare but the GOP still had a lot of power and the White House:

U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriation

Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007

 Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007

Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007--The GOP and Bush were really against this for some reason.

Protect America Act of 2007

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act

Water Resources Development Act of 2007 –Veto Overridden. Bush just really has a deep-seeded dislike of New Orleans to where a considerable portion of this bill’s funds would go to assist not only safe-guarding from future hurricanes but also provide assistance to small business dependent on the nation’s waterways—an infrastructure completely neglected by Bush in his first seven years.

  Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

Economic Stimulus Act of 2008—Thos silly Democrats.

 Food and Energy Security Act of 2007--Veto Overridden. Bush once again showing his true stripes. Got to give him an “A” for effort, though, he really keeps his promises to Big Biz.

Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008

The Lazy 111^th

And, here they are; these men and women of the US Congress should be ashamed of themselves. Let their actions speak my words:

·         Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

·         Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act—Such softies those Democrats are…a sick kid, so.

·         American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—The Stimulus.

·         Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009—What kind of bus? Provides some money for hungry mothers with infants, Amtrak and a bunch of other really good things. So sappy, they are, right?

·         Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009—Here we go again.

·         Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act—Very cool program!

·          Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009—Why bother? Just invade another country and get those homeless in a uniform and put an M-16 in their hands (no body armor, please.)

·         Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009—Going after DOD budgeting; accountability in government something we saw very little of under W and with the GOP at the helm.

·         Credit CARD Act of 2009—Going after Big Business where Big Business lives!

·         Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

·         Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, including the Car Allowance Rebate System (Cash for Clunkers)—Creative governing government at its best! The most creative thing we saw under W was his ability to make up words.

·         Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009

·         Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act—Something the GOP knows nothing about.

·         Travel Promotion Act of 2009

·         Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act—It’ll kick in, just give it some time,  man.

·         Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

·          Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, including the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act

·         Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010

·         Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010

·          Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

·         SPEECH Act of 2010

Now, it will also be fun to see what the 111^th Congress has proposed but what hasn’t made it to vote yet or was temporarily defeated:

American Clean Energy and Security Act

District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act

Employee Free Choice Act

Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009

Food Safety Enhancement Act

Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2009

Military Readiness Enhancement Act

Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act

Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009

Public Option Act

Respect for Marriage Act

Shark Conservation Act

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

Uniting American Families Act

Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act

Wow! Now that is some America-freedom-enhancing, improve the life of the working man (and all Americans mind you) legislation. It would seem that when you have Democrats in control of Congress and one of the best presidents we have ever had governing our nation, a lot of good can come from government.

Let’s take a quick look at what the 108^th Congress proposed but did not enact:

Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003—I guess they were too busy spending the money from those tax cuts on things like boats, four-wheelers and home repairs.

What did the 109^th propose but not enact?

Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act—More Big Business protection.

 Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 – Vetoed—This could have prevented a lot of people from suffering from Alzheimer’s. But…

Jessica Lunsford Act

Digital Transition Content Security Act

Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005 (Akaka Bill)—Say what?

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006—Welp, better luck next time.

 

 

A Failed Liberal Agenda?

The Spin

“Failed liberal agenda.” Senator Jim DeMint spoke these words about why Americans will be voting out the Democrats this coming November.

I simply cannot agree with his very partisan and rather misleading statement.

Let’s see, “failed;” this word would seem to imply that we actually tried something. In order to fail, you have to have made an attempt; in the case of governing our nation, you have to have put forth ideas and policies that could stop the spread of the GOP cancer that has grown in our nation since 1980.

While the GOP was governing there was one overriding policy tool (well, two actually): cut tax and less government; and, while they were saying this they were expanding government payrolls like only one other non-wartime president had in the past one hundred years—Ronald Reagan; and, they were cutting taxes leading us ever to massive, massive deficits (part of their agenda). 

When the GOP’s “failed neo-conservative, preachy and highly hubristic agenda” was scrapped in 2008, like good losers—and the tradition of being a good sport is as old as America—should have realized the err of their ways and tried to govern with the newly-elected President. Instead, they chose to vote “no” on everything he put before them; even in cases where they themselves had created the legislation he was asking them to vote “yes” on. Again, this obstructionism is part of their agenda—don’t help lead America to a better, healthier place for fear it will get Obama re-elected. They did this with Clinton and they are doing it now.

America is a massive and complex nation. President Obama has been president for a little over a year and a half—there is no way his policies have led us to where we are today. Some of them are just barely starting to kick in and others, very small ones, have run their course. Still other major ones will only start much later; President Obama is trying to rebuild the foundations of our nation—health care, education, green technologies and financial reform—so that the noxious fallout of 30 years of “failed neo-conservative agenda” can be, once and for all, laid to rest in the landfill of really stupid and really dogmatic ideas.

President Obama, like Clinton before him, has been forced to waste so much time trying to work with the GOP—modify his policies (like the stimulus which had way too many tax cuts), reaching across the aisle in the hope they would give real ideas and not just reruns of the ones that led us to this state of affairs—and the GOP has been successful in slowing him down only to the harm of America; yet, as always to the benefit of their agenda.

President Obama hasn’t had time to “fail.” So, take that word and shove it.

Liberal Agenda

If we ask the average supporter of the GOP, of the Tea Party, of Palin, “what is the liberal agenda?” we will hear something like the following answer: socialism, big government, choking out private investment, big brother, entitlements (SS, Medicare and Medicaid, unemployment, educational grants, etc.), anti-Constitution, anti-gun, anti-free choice, pro-illegal immigrant, pro gay marriage, pro-abortion: all untruths.

Let’s instead take a look at the “failed neo-conservative agenda” that has held America in its grips for the past 30 years: anti-choice (trying to legislate a woman’s right to have an abortion); anti-division of church and state (it seems they want to make us a theocracy like the countries they so hate); anti-education, pro-gun in every pocket, anti-government, militaristic (Palin’s great comment recently was “I want to use our military to fight for the protection of our Constitution.”—scary); anti-Constitution (this document’s beauty and strength is that it is left alone, the GOP would make it look like the Russian Constitution which at last count has over 7000 amendments); anti-immigrant even though we are a nation of immigrants, anti-worker (destruction of unions, shipping labor off shore to squeeze a few more pennies out of that margin, hoarding of cash as seen of late), pro-fear-mongering (newsflash: not all foreigners hate us and it is less dangerous to walk down the street in 99.7% of all cities in the world than it is to spend a Sunday at a Luby’s (25 were killed) or at day at work (recently 8 were killed); and, the “failed neo-con agenda” is a racist one—see government reaction to Katrina, more needs not be said; and, last but certainly not least, anti-intellectual--just look at their leader’s mockery of the teacher in Alaska peacefully protesting. Palin and her dumb daughter (whose great quote was “it’s called the United States” but then she made the shape of a globe with her hands…go figure.) showed in their empty and ugly faces just how the entirety of the GOP feels about teachers and education.

The failed neo-conservative agenda had led us to a place where for the first time in nearly a century America was disliked by the world thanks to our arrogance and foolishness in attacking Iraq. Because of this loss of leadership as a better and more-evolved nation, we had not been able to lead the world on stopping Korea, Iran, on slowing the effects of global warming; Putin of Russia has become a regional sickness again, etc. China does what it wants with little or no regard thanks to our failed neo-conservative agenda which espouses a “better-than-thou” attitude to the entire, educated world.

 As we sit at 13^th place among industrialized nations for number of college graduates per 100,000 and the Pax Americana system of “debt-consumption” has led the world to the brink of financial ruin, many countries are realizing that our way is not the right way. We made it as a nation to 2008 always believing that our scientists were the best and then thanks to 30 years of the “failed neo-conservative agenda” we now mock scientists if they, after looking at the data, say that global warming is real—Bush’s White House even had data showing that global warming was real stricken from all reports by federally-funded scientists. The world is shocked by what we have become and guess what: we need the world.

PS: Agenda, a very negative word suggesting that there are some hidden plans to be sprung once all the pieces have fallen into place. The GOP’s agenda was real: by cutting taxes to nothing you get the best of all of your worlds—less government because there is no money left and almost no entitlement programs for the same reason.

An Agenda

This election season make sure that when speaking about President Obama and the Democrats who control Congress you refer to their policies not as an “a failed liberal agenda” but merely as an “an attempt at refortifying our nation after 30 years of lies, abuse and treachery” for the overall betterment of all Americans regardless of race, creed or color (or who you sleep with, etc.).

God Bless that America!

Iraq will only cost us $3 Trillion!

Yesterday, the majority of politicians still governing the country voted to give $26 billion in aid to states to help them pay for education. With this move, the democrats saved up to 140,000 jobs and ensured that come the fall, class sizes in some parts of the country won’t double.

Education, the democrats so foolishly wager, has the possibility to make Americans more competitive in what is now a labor market that no longer concerns itself with borders—the money goes where it can get the brightest for the least: America is barely holding onto its leading position. If we let the Republicans have their way, we will lose our leadership on this front very soon.

How did the Republicans label the silly financing of education by the Democrats yesterday? “A vote for more tax-hikes and special interest bailouts,” said some random spokesman for John Boehner. Senator Gregg suggested it was a “pay-off to education unions.” 

$26 billion, fully paid for, goes to help strapped states pay for the education of America’s future; $30 billion was to be invested by Democrats in helping small business owners—the back-bone of any economy. The Republicans were against both of these measures calling them foolish, generational-theft and typical “tax and spend” policies of the Democratic Party.

The True Death Tax

When a soldier is killed in Iraq, the family of the deceased receives a check for $500,000. Who covers this cost? The US tax-payer—this is a tax against the middle class, the working poor; by giving this money to a grieving family, the government is making a choice: instead of invest in said crumbling bridge, education, health care or tax-breaks for entrepreneurs seeking to develop green energy technologies, the money goes to this family. The “opportunity cost” is $500,000. That money is now gone, off the books and with this family. In order to invest in the bridge or education, etc. we must take that money from somewhere else. (The Republicans will probably defend policy and say it is good that the government's wealth is being dispersed to the poor through the payment to the family--I think the family would most likely rather have their loved one.) 

So, as working-American stands in traffic because that bridge is crumbling resulting in two of the three lanes being closed because they are simply too unsafe, working-American is being taxed—taxes are not always in the form of money; this fact, however, the Republicans simply refuse to understand.

As the government readies that $500,000 for investment in the bridge, suddenly another American soldier dies in Iraq; and another, and another; and another. With each flag-draped coffin returning home—something the Republicans felt we weren’t mature enough to see all those years—the problems of America’s infrastructure mount. They worsen and the cost for fixing them increases.

Despite what Bush and Rumsfeld had said would be the cost for victory in Iraq--$50 billion was the amount Rumsfeld told the gathered journalists back in April, 2003—America’s involvement in that desert that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 (had no WMD and never, ever even hinted that they needed our messianic war) rapidly approaches the amount that was invested in World War II (in real terms).

Um, let’s see, World War II: participated in the largest, most horrific war in world history and through bravery, sense of purpose and American greatness, we conquered true and pure evil.

Iraq. I need say no more. Iraq has been a tragic waste of lives on both sides. Thanks to Iraq, the foundations of our economy are rotting as if there has been a termite infestation and the Republicans have the audacity--the gumption--to blame President Obama and the Democrats: Orwellian double-speak if there ever was an example.

When a soldier dies, the tax-payer not only has to pay his family the $500,000; but, the economy loses future economic value from the man or woman killed and the survivors also tend to become less economically efficient because of depression and sadness. 

The Costs

Iraq will end up costing our economy over $3 trillion dollars; it will cost us the lost ideas, accomplishments of those who have suffered and who are suffering with no arms or legs.

What is our budget shortfall today? How much will health care reform cost? What has Iraq already cost us? What was the cost of those tax-cuts for the richest Americans for whom George W Bush had the sheer arrogance to pass into law while we waged war on two fronts? (True generational wealth, true dispersal of the nation's wealth, true class warfare.)

The next time some Republican makes such absolutely ridiculous statements about Democrats caving to the “interests” (paying for education and helping small businesses) or “generational theft” (health care reform) just remember that thanks to the mistake that is Iraq—and those God-forsaken tax cuts (which they want to make permanent)—we are in the economic quagmire we see today.

When did we become so militaristic and just down-right stupid?

Sadness decreases the economic value of many Americans today...the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves; but, they aren't. They mock us instead.

 

 

 

Whose elite would you rather have?

CEO’s of most companies are smart, well-educated people with experience running things. The head of the NRA is probably a smart man, also. A corporation—the lobby--probably need such people to run their companies. If I were a share-holder, I would not want to think that the man or woman who is heading up my company was stupid or somewhat unbalanced.

The people given responsibility for companies and in the case of the NRA, pro-gun lobby, are most likely very wealthy. And, there is nothing wrong with that. According to most economists, the CEOs and the NRA head are part of an “elite” in America. They are the people who shape our nation through the Political Action Committees (PAC) they support and the politicians they anoint with their magical, bloated wallets. 

This “elite” have very simple orders for the politicians of their making: support and put forth policies that brought said wealth and preserve and when possible increase said wealth.

A market, like any game, has rules and the politicians supported by the elite, wealthy interests ensure that the rules of this game always favor the CEO’s, the heads of lobbies, etc.  The Supreme Court’s recent decision permitting companies not to take responsibility for ridiculous and often scandalous advertisements against any politician who is not willing to guarantee that all laws and regulations favor the wealthy elite will only further strengthen the wealthy elite. It will make the moat surrounding their fortress, protecting them from working Americans, ever wider.

To further understand the power of these elite, we must consider the fact that their corporations and lobbies are now being granted rights and privileges that used to belong only to citizens—one man one vote, one corporation one politician. And, when these corporate citizens commit crimes—sometimes leading to the death of hundreds or damage to other Americans in the billions of dollars—they are strangely usually let off with innocuous slaps on the corporate wrist.

A company with quarterly profits in the billions of dollars knowingly produces products that hurt consumers and gets fined a few million dollars; then they hire a great PR team, invest ten times the amount of their fine and somehow turn the tables so that the fault lies not in their decision as a board but in “too much government regulation;” or, the “socialist plans for the country that so-and-so president/politician has.” Had a regular Joe done what the corporation had, he would be on death row in most states.

The Myth

As the elite grows and gains power, it invests ever more money in creating a myth that some liberal, better-than-though, well-educated people—quite often from the north—seek to create an “elite ruling class” bent on making America socialist if not communist. These liberal people seek to obtain power so that they can offset the unfair advantages the “wealthy elite” have gained thanks to—in our case--thirty years of Republican obstructionist governing. Now, obstructionism in this case is not the same as it is today when the Republican minority refuses to govern while President Obama struggles to reset the scales.

The Republican obstructionism of the past thirty years has tried to completely alter all of the rules of the playing field so that they always favor the wealthy elite. So that the working American doesn’t pay too much attention to the fact that fifty-eight cents of every dollar of real income growth since 1976 has gone to the top 1% of the nation, the wealthy elite through their very own political party—the GOP—create emotional scandals and regularly find bogeymen in the dark: communism everywhere, Whitewater investigation (while we should have concerned ourselves with Al Qaeda), WMD, gay marriage, Swift Boat controversy, no global warming, Obama is a socialist Muslim, death-squads just to name a few.

Obstructed from being able to progress forward as a nation, from solving our current problems; from protecting our people from natural disasters and poor decision-making like the illegal invasion of Iraq, the wealthy elite thanks to their mouthpiece and protector guarantee that while the interest of the nation is held distracted by the endless scandals the GOP fabricates, they will plod forward, passing laws that further ensure the indentured-servitude of tens of millions of working-poor thanks to predatory lending policies; they will pass legislation that steals more and more of our Constitutional Rights while vociferously shouting from the rooftops that they are actually “preserving our Constitutional Rights;” they will find more nations of no consequence to play our fools only to then be invaded by us when the elite feel the next round of military technology is ready for use—to be bought by this same federal government they so claim to hate but whose pockets are always as deep as they need be when shifting the nation’s wealth from the working Americans to the elite ruling class.

The United States is the world’s largest economy. It is arguably the most complex and important society in the world today. The president and the people helping him oversee the massive machine that is the federal government should be well-educated, experienced, balanced and not given to emotional outbursts or just plain old deceit.

Smart People--so what

If the Americans, who happen to be smart, well-educated liberals running our country today happen to be considered an “elite” then I say so be it. Their elite status, for the most part, comes from the fact that they have always been the top of their class; they have always excelled academically and professionally and they probably went to colleges that are very selective. Today, they are President Obama and his advisors. I see nothing wrong with that. Actually, I love that fact. I love knowing that the President of the United States of America is smarter than me.

That couldn’t be said when referring to W; it certainly can’t be said about the current leader of the GOP, Sarah Palin. What can be said about them, though, is that they will do their “darndest” to make the wealthy elite proud of them—and vice versa.

Fox-News Flash: Obama is really a woman!