Argue With My Dad

We had a rainy day here in Northern Illinois!    I can’t believe that it is September already!  This week is just flying by and I just can’t wait until our Friday Free For All so here are this week’s Wednesday’s Shorts.  I will take a quick look at some of the hot issues of this week and even some of the issues that fly under the radar.  I hope you like them.

My first Short concerns a story that really opened my eyes when I read it.  I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone, but according to this Think Progress article, the CEO’s of the 50 companies that laid off the most employees collected millions of dollars in compensation. http://thinkprogress.org/2010/09/01/ceo-compensation-workers/?wpmp_switcher=desktop  “Indeed, the report found that “CEOs of the 50 firms that have laid off the most workers since the onset of the economic crisis took home nearly $12 million on average in 2009.” Those CEOs’ combined compensation totaled $598 million, while at the same time, their companies eliminated 531,363 jobs despite reporting a 44 percent average profit increase for 2009.”  These facts just astound me.  How can these crooks sleep at night?

You gotta love the Tea Party and the Teapublicans!  Our next Short concerns a Teapublican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Ohio who was just indicted for an alleged inappropriate “relationship” with a teenager.  http://www.whiotv.com/news/24829497/detail.html?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss.  “Eric Deaton was indicted on one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old girl between March 2006 and March 2007. ” http://crooksandliars.com/jamie/constitution-party-candidate-indicted-sex-ch  Who would have thought that a true patriotic Teapublican could also be a child sex offender?

My final Short of the evening is one that really fries my backside.  It seems that Fannie Mae is planning on using Government bailout money to sue underwater homeowners who default on their mortgages in an attempt by Fannie to collect deficiency judgements. http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/68564   Fire Dog Lake has a great article that reprints Congressmen John Conyer’s letter to Treasury Secretary Geithner asking the Secretary to stop this planned abuse of the very same people that the Obama Administration is trying to help stay in those homes.  Here are the Congressman’s words: ” At a time of record deficits and a nation crying for the government to get its finances in order, it is also unclear why Fannie Mae is proposing to use taxpayer dollars to pursue legal judgments against individuals who will lose or have lost their homes, have wrecked their credit rating, and likely have little or no remaining monetary assets. Treasury has already invested $86 billion into Fannie Mae and considering Fannie Mae’s dependence on federal dollars to exist and operate, we think pursuing expensive litigation against a vulnerable population when there appears to be little to no economic incentive is questionable at best.”  I don’t know why this story hasn’t been given more coverage.  Damn that liberal media!

Those are our Wednesday’s Shorts.  Take a look at them and at the sites where I found the stories and let us know what you think!  We’ll be waiting for you! Let’s hear from you!  Don’t be shy!   See you on Friday!

Wow!  Where did the weekend go?  It went by way too fast and it is Monday already.   Therefore, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from after the weekend.  There are so many possible issues to discuss, it is hard to choose just a few, but I will choose ones that I think you will be interested in.    If my “Musing” interests you, let me know what you think.  Hell, even if they don’t interest you, let me know!  I am interested in your opinion too….as long as you agree with me!

It doesn’t surprise me that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives have been using the so-called Ground Zero community center fracas as a recruiting tool.  It is now being reported that the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are benefiting from the Right’s attack on the plans to build a Muslim community center two blocks from Ground Zero. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/30/taliban-using-mosque-controversy-to-recruit.html  ‘ “By preventing this mosque from being built, America is doing us a big favor,” Taliban operative Zabihullah tells NEWSWEEK. (Like many Afghans, he uses a single name.) “It’s providing us with more recruits, donations, and popular support.” ‘  The evidence is mounting that the Republicans concerted efforts to take political advantage over a legitimate real estate development project is actually harming our country and possibly putting our soldiers at risk.  Why would the Republicans want to help our enemies?

I guess that after Sarah Palin’s recent appearance at Glen Beck’s “Whitestock” maybe some may think that she is ready for a run for the Presidency.  On second thought….. maybe not.  It seems that a recent poll taken by Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes indicates that most of the country does not think Palin would make a good President.  “The poll asks,’ “Do you think SARAH PALIN would have the ability to be an EFFECTIVE PRESIDENT?” ’  59 percent of respondents agree that the former Alaska governor would not be effective while 26 percent think she would.” http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/0830/law-professor-huffpo-fair-palin-cnn-time/  Hell, I could have saved Vanity Fair and CBS a lot of money on that poll.  They could have just asked me and I would have told them to just listen to her for a few minutes and you will know the outcome of the poll.  Sarah from Alaska is one of the most unintelligent and uneducated politicians in the history of our country.  On second thought, I guess that actually means she is as prepared to lead as George Bush was in 2000!  Run Sarah run!   Please!?

Is it me or are these Tea Party/Republican candidates getting stranger by the day?  It seems that the “Teapublican” candidate for Senator in Alaska called his opponent, Senator Lisa Murkowski, a “whore”!  “Looks like his mentor, Sarah Palin, has taught him the fine art of “keepin’ it classy” on Twitter.  No need to rub your eyes. Yes, Joe Miller just basically called Senator Lisa Murkowski a whore.  Someone must have “handled” our nominee pretty quickly because the tweet was deleted.  Too late. It went out to thousands, and was retweeted before he could scrub it.”  http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/joe-miller-calls-senator-lisa-murkowski-who  Maybe Sarah from Alaska has some new competition for the title that I conferred on her earlier in this post!  By the way, this is the same guy who just defeated Murkowski for the “Teapublican” nomination for Senator in Alaska.  I think the Dem’s may now have a real shot at winning the seat from this champion of  politeness!

What do you think about my latest musings?  It is now time for you to let us know what you think!  Don’t be shy.  Get busy and give us your opinion!  Take the first step and write down what you think.  It won’t hurt!  I promise!

It has been a beautiful work week, but we have finally made it to the weekend.    It is now time once again for yet another edition of the AWMD Friday Free For All. This is the only time of the week when our arguewithmydad.com readers can control the topic(s) for discussion.  All you have to do is get someone else to respond to your suggested topic and then the floor is yours.  Don’t be shy and don’t hesitate.  Get busy and be sure to let us know your views and arguments so everyone can read and react to them.  Right here on arguewithmydad.com.  I will make some suggestions for a possible topic, but they are only suggestions.  Today is Friday so only you can be the decider.   But you need to tell us what you want to discuss.  So, what is on your mind today? With all that is going on, how can you not speak your mind?  Let’s hear from you!  TGIF! 

My first suggested topic concerns an old Republican friend, former Senator Alan Simpson.  Simpson is the co-chairman of the President’s deficit commission and he is trying to cut Social Security under the guise that the system is broken.  The Left has been asking why Simpson hasn’t been fired from the commission after making very disturbing public comments.  “Simpson likes to talk about the budget in terms of farm animals. In an e-mail to an older voter advocate he wrote that Social Security was like a cow with 310 million — I think you get the picture.”  http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/cenk-uygur-white-house-circling-wagons-aro   This Crooks and Liars article describes an interview withNew York University professor and Democratic strategist, Bob Frum,  who takes dead aim at the lies that the Right continue to spread about Social Security.  Mr. Frum’s facts are important to read, but his suggested cure for any Social Security shortfalls is the best part.

“Bob, look, this whole talk about how Social Security is going bankrupt, you don`t understand, you guys are milking it dry, doesn`t it have a $2.5 trillion surplus? Isn`t all this one big fat lie? 

BOB SHRUM: Yes, it is actually. The truth of the matter is that before Simpson loves to say Social Security goes bust in 2037. That`s not true.  There are 25 years of surpluses before then. The surpluses are supposedly secured by federal notes in the Social Security trust fund unless the federal government intends to default, those surpluses should be used in 2037 when the system starts collecting less money than it pays out.  Secondly, there`s another solution here. Let`s take the payroll tax cap off for people who make over $200,000 a year. The truth is, for Alan Simpson, for the Republicans who yearn to cut Social Security and always have, this is about one thing. They want seniors to get less so that the rich don`t have to pay more.”

 That isn’t the first time that I have seen that suggested fix for Social Security, but Prof. Frum laid it out in a very simple way.   I never have understood why I have to pay Social Security taxes on 100% of my salary, but someone who makes a lot more than I do doesn’t have to pay on 100% of his/her salary.  How does this make sense?   I think it would be interesting to get your argument why the payroll tax cap for those who make more than $200,000 should be retained.  Let’s hear your best argument!  This should be good!

My second suggested topic concerns a news story that made my head explode when I read it.  It seems that a Middle School in Mississippi requires that only white students can run and serve as class presidents of each grade level!  http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/27/nettleton-school-racism/ 

“A school memo, obtained by MixedandHappy and The Smoking Gun, was passed out to every 6th, 7th, and 8th grader to inform them of the breakdown. The upcoming elections are divided between offices delineated for black and white students. Of the 12 offices for which students can compete, “eight are earmarked for white students, while four are termed ‘black seats.” The presidency is reserved for white students across each grade, but a black student is permitted to be the 8th grade vice-president or reporter, the 7th grade treasurer, or the 6th grade reporter. So, along with a “B” average and “a good disciplinary status and moral character,” a child hoping to represent his or her class must be the right race:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/27/nettleton-school-racism/  I usually don’t like to quote such large sections of a story, but the memo was so disturbing, it needed to be reproduced in its entirety.  Would it surprise you to know that once this story made headlines, the local school board rescinded the racist plan!  Just who are these people who thought this “plan” was an acceptable way to teach our kids how a society should be constructed?  What do you think about this obscene idea?

My final suggested topic is just one more example of the excesses that the CIA has been responsible for.  It seems that the Vietnam Veterans of America have been suing the CIA to force disclosure of the tests that the CIA carried out on unknowing servicemen involving ’ “at least 250, but as many as 400 chemical and biological agents,” ‘.  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/0827/veterans-group-sanction-cia-experiements/  The CIA tested these chemicals and drugs on these servicemen without their consent and now they are stonewalling the court by withholding documents that have been ordered to be disclosed by the court as part of the discovery phase of the litigation. It is time for this judge to put a hurt on the CIA and put some people in jail until they decide to disclosed just who and how these veterans were abused. 

I have made my suggestions, and they are just that, suggestions.  Let’s hear what You want to talk about.  The sky is the limit and I will be anxiously waiting to see what You want to talk about.  It is time to get busy and let everyone know what you are thinking about.  Let’s hear from all of You!  Don’t be shy and do not delay in telling us what you think.  These are important issues that all of our readers should have an opinion on.   It won’t hurt to let us know what You think!

We had a beautiful day here in Northern Illinois!    This week is just flying by and I just can’t wait until our Friday Free For All so here are this week’s Wednesday’s Shorts.  I will take a quick look at some of the hot issues of this week and even some of the issues that fly under the radar.  I hope you like them.

The first Short tonight is another example of how out of touch the Republican Party is when it comes to their beloved tax cuts and the economy.  Indiana Congressman, Mike Pence claims that Obama should fire his entire economic team and, of course, extend the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy.  “VAN SUSTEREN: What — besides the sort of the usual — the — you know, the tax program, extending the Bush tax cuts that I know the Republican Party want, what is it that you could do to turn it around?  PENCE: Yes, look, the enemy of our prosperity is uncertainty. … the greatest uncertainty right now is — and you just heard — you heard the Vice President again kind of defend it in passing, their tax cuts — their tax increases on the rich — is this administration actually thinks that it would be a good idea to allow a tax increase on job creators on January 1st, 2011. You know, higher taxes never got anybody hired.”  http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/25/pence-tax-cuts/  The long and “short” of Rep. Pence and the Republican Party is that the wealthy must continue to get their tax breaks no matter how much it adds to the deficit!  What don’t they get?

My second short is related to our first one.  In an Op-Ed by former Clinton Cabinet member, Robert Reich, Mr. Reich reiterates why the Republicans are way off base in their claims that the tax cuts for the wealthy must be extended in order to save the economy. http://www.truth-out.org/robert-reich-tax-jujitsu-why-democrats-should-propose-a-peoples-tax-cut62665  The part of the Op-Ed that I liked best was when Reich teaches the Democrats how they have to attack the Republicans nonsense.  Here are just a few of his recommendations.  “So instead of playing defense, Democrats should go on the attack.  Accuse Republicans of being shills for the rich.  And don’t stop there. Do tax jujitsu. In addition to ending the Bush tax cut for the rich, put forward another proposal for growing the economy that cuts taxes on lower-income Americans.  Democrats should propose eliminating payroll taxes on the first $20,000 of income, and making up the revenue loss by applying payroll taxes to incomes above $250,000.  This would give the economy an immediate boost by adding to the paychecks of just about every working American. 80 percent of Americans pay more in payroll taxes than they do in income taxes. And because lower-income people would get most of the benefit, it’s likely to be spent.”  It is sort of the best defense is a good offense theory.  I think it is not only correct in its theory, it also hits the Right where they are weakest. What is your take on these bold recommendations?

Those are our Wednesday’s Shorts.  Take a look at them and at the sites where I found the stories and let us know what you think!  We’ll be waiting for you! Let’s hear from you!  Don’t be shy!   See you on Friday!

The weekend went by too fast and it is Monday already.   Therefore, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from after the weekend.  There are so many possible issues to discuss, it is hard to choose just a few, but I will choose just one tonight.  I don’t know if anyone else will be interested in the issue that I have chosen, but if so I hope you enjoy it. If my “Musing” interests you, let me know what you think.  Hell, even if they don’t interest you, let me know!  I am interested in your opinion too….as long as you agree with me!

My first and only Musing of the night involves the continuing lie by the Republicans that the only way to economic recovery is to extend and make permanent the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy.  We have outlined the numerous examples of this fabrication being pushed by the Right.  The latest argument for denying the extension of the tax cuts for the wealthy was made by Nobel Economics Laureate Paul Krugman.  In an op-ed in the New York Times he explains just how much money the extremely wealthy stand to gain if these tax cuts are extended. ” And the average tax break for those lucky few — the poorest members of the group have annual incomes of more than $2 million, and the average member makes more than $7 million a year — would be $3 million over the course of the next decade. ” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/opinion/23krugman.html?_r=1&hp   Of course, this giveaway to the wealthy would cost the Treasury 680 Billion over ten years.  The Republicans also refuse to admit that this huge giveaway would be a huge addition to the deficit.  Sen. Minority Leader McConnell claims that we don’t have to pay for a huge deficit loading tax cut! http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/22/mcconnell-pay-for/   You need to look at Krugman’s op-ed to understand the full cost of this gift to multi millionaires. 

However, the idea of a tax cut for the super wealthy is even more outrageous when you look at some historical facts.  Would it surprise you to know that ever since the highest income tax rates were lowered twice during the Reagan administration, the greed of our wealthiest Americans has increased?  In arguing that deregulation of the financial industry was only part of the problem, this LA Times author makes the claim that the financial industry went nuts since Reagan lowered the highest tax rates. “But when President Reagan cut the top marginal tax rate drastically from 70% to 50% in 1981 and then to 28% in 1988 (putting aside for the moment the cut in the capital gains tax and other investment incentives), that’s when the troubles began — from the S&L crisis right through to the fall of Lehman Bros. It wasn’t enough for the rich to be rich. Human nature being what it is, they had to be super-rich. Or put another way, tax cuts, including the Bush tax cuts, fed some of the worst aspects of human nature and led to some of the worst excesses. It was just a matter of time before Wall Street went wild.” http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/22/opinion/la-oe-gabler-greed-20100822/3  Mr. Gabler makes a very strong case that in order for the financial industry to come under control the tax rates for the wealthy must be raised substantially!  “To a surprising degree, economic misfortune has correlated with low top marginal tax rates. The top marginal tax rate at the time of the 1929 crash was 24%. After his election, Roosevelt promptly raised it to 63% and then to 94%, and one could easily make the case that it was this rise, rather than financial regulation, that played the primary — though certainly not the only — role in curbing abuses by attacking greed at its source, without, by the way, damaging the economy. Roosevelt essentially taxed away big money.”  Let’s digest that information.  The tax rates on the super wealthy has been low each time we have had a big economic crash.  Even during the Eisenhower years the tax rate for the wealthy topped out over 90% and yet the economy flourished. The common denominator in these economic disasters turns out to be Greed enabled by low tax rates. 

Mr. Gabler argues that the Glass Steagall Act might have helped rein in the financial industry until its unfortunate repeal in 1999, but it was really the incentive to get greedy, caused by the huge reductions in the high end tax rates that brought us back to the brink of Depression.   I have to agree with the bulk of Mr. Gabler’s argument, but I am not sure that I am ready for a 90% top marginal tax rate.  A rate that is significantly higher than the low rates we have now should also reduce the incentive for greed.   Can you imagine what Senator McConnell and his crowd would scream if the Bush Tax Cuts were not renewed and the tax rates for the extremely wealthy were raise to 50, 60 or even 70%?  I think I would be in favor of the tax increases, just for the pleasure of hearing the Republicans heads collectively explode! 

What do you think about my latest musings?  It is now time for you to let us know what you think!  Don’t be shy.  Get busy and give us your opinion!  Take the first step and write down what you think.  It won’t hurt!  I promise!

I realize that I am late, but my grandson spent the night with us and he was too much fun and too busy to allow time to do my posting!  However,  it is now time once again for yet another edition of the AWMD Friday Free For All. This is the only time of the week when our arguewithmydad.com readers can control the topic(s) for discussion.  All you have to do is get someone else to respond to your suggested topic and then the floor is yours.  Don’t be shy and don’t hesitate.  Get busy and be sure to let us know your views and arguments so everyone can read and react to them.  Right here on arguewithmydad.com.  I will make some suggestions for a possible topic, but they are only suggestions.  Today is Friday so only you can be the decider.   But you need to tell us what you want to discuss.  So, what is on your mind today? With all that is going on, how can you not speak your mind?  Let’s hear from you!  TGIF! 

My first suggested topic concerns the ongoing debate about the Bush Tax Cuts that expire at the end of the year and whether it makes sense to extend them for the wealthiest taxpayers.  President Obama and the Democrats only want to extend the tax cuts for those earning less than $200,000 individually or families earning less than $250,000.   The Republicans try to claim that if you don’t extend the tax cuts for the wealthy, small businesses will not hire new workers.  It is a nice try, but of course the facts do not back up their claim.  “According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, extending all the Bush tax cuts would yield economic growth worth only 10 to 40 percent of each dollar  lost in government revenues. But the projections note that continuing the breaks for low income earners would be more stimulative as they would spend more of it than the wealthy.” http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0820/69-percent-rescind-bush-tax-cuts-rich/  The CBO figures don’t lie and we already have seen that the tax breaks for the wealthy did not create jobs during the Bush years and they also did not create jobs during the Reagan years.  Why would the Republicans and the Chamber of Commerce want to keep the tax cuts on the wealthiest 2% of Americans when it is detrimental to the economy??  I guess you could consider it feeding their base!

My second suggested topic concerns a story I read on FireDogLake.com.  It seems that the military is still mixing religion into its training.  At least at two Virginia bases. It seems that 80 soldiers were disciplined by their superior officers for not attending concerts put on by a evangelical Christian rock band which was part of a training exercise they were required to attend.  ‘ “For the past several years, two U.S. Army posts in Virginia, Fort Eustis and Fort Lee, have been putting on a series of what are called Commanding General’s Spiritual Fitness Concerts. As I’ve written in a number of other posts, “spiritual fitness” is just the military’s new term for promoting religion, particularly evangelical Christianity. And this concert series is no different.  On May 13, 2010, about eighty soldiers, stationed at Fort Eustis while attending a training course, were punished for opting out of attending one of these Christian concerts. The headliner at this concert was a Christian rock band called BarlowGirl, a band that describes itself as taking “an aggressive, almost warrior-like stance when it comes to spreading the gospel and serving God.” ‘ http://firedoglake.com/2010/08/21/the-return-of-compulsory-government-sponsored-religious-indoctrination/  There is no place in the Military for any mandatory religious indoctrination.  We seen past problems at the Air Force Academy and now this nonsense.  As the story mentions, the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, should remove the general who has been forcing soldiers to attend this mandatory religious event.  What is your take on this subject?

The final suggested topic that I have pertains to the ongoing saga of building a Muslim community center 2-3 blocks from “ground zero” and the debate that has been raging since the news broke of the proposed development.  First of all, if Fox News is against something, I have to look very closely at the facts because I know they are not reporting the truth or not reporting all of the truth.  Once again, Fox News has not disappointed me.  They have been hammering this issue for weeks now and have falsely claimed that it was a Mosque and that it would be built on “hallowed” ground.  Here is a link to just one example of Fox News twisting the truth and pushing the false idea that the First Amendment doesn’t pertain to local governments.  http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/39150  When will people realize that any religion is free to build their community centers and mosques, and temples and churches anywhere that state and local government rules allow?  The idea that this Muslim development should not be built in a former clothes store because it is hallowed ground is simply, a joke.  Preventing any religion from building a lawful edifice on the grounds that it will upset people is an affront to our Constitution.  I must add that this barrage of falsehoods and outright lies has even brought election year Dems into the fold of asking for a halt to construction.  Sen. Harry Reid and the former DNC Chair, Dr. Howard Dean and New York Governor Paterson have recently voiced their opposition to the building of the Muslim center.  The facts don’t change just because any prominent Dems are against this project.  For the Fox so-called legal analyst to claim that it takes a real citizen to give up their rights for the good of the country is just outright garbage.  The First Amendment rights are designed to protect citizens from just this kind of attack by Fox News and their lying pundits as well as wavering Democrats.   http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/democracy-america-rebuts-dr-deans-mos & http://crooksandliars.com/matt-osborne/ground-zero-and-zero-sum-mindset  In the past people have tried to prevent Catholics and Jews from exercising their freedom of religion and freedom of speech, but thanks to the First Amendment, those attacks have failed.  This latest attack on freedom of religion cannot be allowed to win the day. 

I have made my suggestions, and they are just that, suggestions.  Let’s hear what You want to talk about.  The sky is the limit and I will be anxiously waiting to see what You want to talk about.  It is time to get busy and let everyone know what you are thinking about.  Let’s hear from all of You!  Don’t be shy and do not delay in telling us what you think.  These are important issues that all of our readers should have an opinion on.   It won’t hurt to let us know what You think!

We had a pretty nice day here in Northern Illinois, but we may be getting back to the heat and humidity!    This week is just flying by and I just can’t wait until our Friday Free For All so here are this week’s Wednesday’s Shorts.  I will take a quick look at some of the hot issues of this week and even some of the issues that fly under the radar.  I hope you like them.

The first news item to discuss tonight concerns the nonsense that the Republicans keep trying to spread about the Muslim Community Center and Mosque that is planned for a site 2 blocks from the World Trade Center site.  This Raw Story article not only gives us examples of the lies being pushed by Republicans, but it also gives us the true facts on each issue. http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0818/ap-fact-check-islam-already-part-wtc-neighborhood/  How can Newt Gingrich and the other quoted blowhards actually get away with spewing nonsense like this: ‘_”The folks who want to build this mosque — who are really radical Islamists who want to triumphantly prove that they can build a mosque right next to a place where 3,000 Americans were killed by radical Islamists — those folks don’t have any interest in reaching out to the community. They’re trying to make a case about supremacy.” — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a potential 2012 presidential candidate.” ‘  Of course, these Muslims are not radical Islamists as the news story explains.  Who would have guessed that Newt Gingrich would be telling a lie??

The next story is a happy one.  It seems that President Obama’s pledge to remove all of combat brigades from Iraq has been met.  The last combat brigade left Iraq today as noted in this linked Crooks and Liars story. http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/39112  “The official end to Operation Iraqi Freedom is August 31st. But today’s exit of the last Stryker Brigade into Kuwait signals an end to the United States’ active combat role in that country, and serves as notice that the promises made to leave are being kept.”  Now, let’s see if we can get the troops out of Afghanistan in short order.  That isn’t asking too much, is it?

My final Short of the night concerns a McClatchey story that asks the question that I have been asking for months.  Why is it that other countries are actually investigating the evidence of torture by U.S. authorities, but the United States isn’t?   ‘ “This is the remarkable thing: Other countries are reckoning with the legacy of the Bush administration’s torture program, and meanwhile the United States is not,” said Jameel Jaffer, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s national security program.”That’s part of why we’re so concerned. The Obama administration, rather than investigate the abuses of the last eight years, has increasingly become an obstacle to accountability.” ‘  President Obama, if the Bush Administration has committed crimes, why won’t you prosecute them?  Why are other countries doing the work that our Justice Department should be doing?   Don’t you think that the Republicans would be investigating Democrats if they had ordered the torture?  We either have the rule of law or we don’t.  Do your job!

Those are our Wednesday’s Shorts.  Take a look at them and at the sites where I found the stories and let us know what you think!  We’ll be waiting for you! Let’s hear from you!  Don’t be shy!   See you on Friday!

We finally got some relief from the heat and the weekend went by way too fast.   Now, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from after the weekend.  There are so many possible issues to discuss, it is hard to choose just a few, but I will choose just one tonight.  I don’t know if anyone else will be interested in the issue that I have chosen, but if so I hope you enjoy it. If my “Musing” interests you, let me know what you think.  Hell, even if they don’t interest you, let me know!  I am interested in your opinion too….as long as you agree with me!

I wonder if there is anything that Republicans won’t say or do to get themselves elected or reelected?  A great example of this is Rep. Steve King of Iowa who once again is on the stump calling President Obama a Marxist!  “He’s at least a Marxist. And he surely understands the Muslim culture.”  http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/16/king-obama-marxist/  This same Republican Congressman claimed that “He doesn’t have an American experience. He does not have an American experience.” Let me get this straight now.  Obama is a Marxist and he did not have an American Experience.  I guess growing up in Hawaii with a single mother and his grandparents is not an American experience according to the Republican Party.  When are reasonable conservatives going to wake up and realize that their Republican Party has been taken over by a small number of right wing crazies?  Senator Goldwater must be turning over in his grave by now!

When you hear the nonsense being pedaled by the Republicans that the sky will fall if the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy aren’t extended, I can only wonder why people with common sense and normal intelligence can’t see through this cloud of lies.  The Republicans only want to appease their base.  Their base seems to be taxpayers earning $200,000 or more.  This Crooks and Liars link has a very good graph which shows the hypocrisy of the Republican plan to extend the free lunch for millionaires. http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/maddow-gop-plan-extend-tax-cuts-rich  A quick look at the graph shows that once a taxpayer gets to $200,000, the Republican plan starts to benefit the wealthy.  If you go to the next level you will see huge give aways to the wealthy.  “New data from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation show that households earning more than $1 million a year would reap nearly $31 billion in tax breaks under the GOP plan in 2011, for an average tax cut per household of about $100,000.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/11/AR2010081105864.html  The Republicans want to add Billions to the deficit to assuage their biggest donors and we are supposed to be happy with that?  The Republicans keep trying to claim that extending the tax cuts for the wealthy will help create jobs, but as of yet, have not produced a single shred of evidence to back up that ridiculous claim.  All you have to do is look at what happened during the Bush years when these tax cuts were given to the wealthy and you know the Republican’s noses are getting longer again!

My final muse of the night concerns the Fat Man himself, Rush Limbaugh.  It seems that his lies just keep on coming.  His latest outrageous and incendiary piece of nonsense is that President Obama is “  “our first anti-American president.” http://tv.gawker.com/5614128/rush-limbaugh-barack-obama-is-our-first-anti+american-president  Of course, Rush does not provide the listener any evidence of his claim, but that is just standard operating procedure for the Liar in Chief.  He even puts his foot in his mouth again in that same rant. “Limbaugh sarcastically suggests that we build a Hindu Temple next to Pearl Harbor and a Mosque next to the Pentagon… without realizing that Shinto, not Hinduism, is the most common religion in Japan, and there is already a Mosque inside the Pentagon and a Shinto temple next to Pearl Harbor.”  Not only is Rush a liar.  He is also stupid!

What do you think about my latest musings?  It is now time for you to let us know what you think!  Don’t be shy.  Get busy and give us your opinion!  Take the first step and write down what you think.  It won’t hurt!  I promise!

After a beastly hot day today and thunderstorms this evening,  it is time once again for yet another edition of the AWMD Friday Free For All. This is the only time of the week when our arguewithmydad.com readers can control the topic(s) for discussion.  All you have to do is get someone else to respond to your suggested topic and then the floor is yours.  Don’t be shy and don’t hesitate.  Get busy and be sure to let us know your views and arguments so everyone can read and react to them.  Right here on arguewithmydad.com.  I will make some suggestions for a possible topic, but they are only suggestions.  Today is Friday so only you can be the decider.   But you need to tell us what you want to discuss.  So, what is on your mind today? With all that is going on, how can you not speak your mind?  Let’s hear from you!  TGIF! 

We have repeatedly reported on Republican hypocrisy here on AWMD.  In light of the upcoming mid term elections, it is time to highlight some of the crazier Republican candidates.  One of the most bizarre lies that the Right Wing is trying to pass off lately is the claim that terrorists are having “anchor babies” and then training those youngsters to attack the United States from within! Yes, you read that correctly.  The latest to push this preposterous and unfounded claim is Republican Congressman, Louie Gohmert of Texas. The good news is that even the main stream media smells the same rat that I am smelling.  “While Gohmert’s allegations went uncontested on Fox, CNN’s Anderson Cooper has begun looking into them, after hosting state Rep. Debbie Riddle (R-TX) on his show a few days ago, who similarly argued that pregnant foreign women are having babies in the U.S. “with the nefarious purpose of turning them into little terrorists, who will then come back to the U.S. and do us harm.” The next day, Cooper spoke with Tom Fuentes, the FBI’s former assistant director in the office of international operations, who affirmed that “[t]here was never a credible report — or any report, for that matter — coming across through all the various mechanisms of communication to indicate that there was such a plan for these terror babies to be born.” ‘  http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/13/gohmert-terrorists-immigration/  So Congressman Gohmert keeps spreading a lie, even after being reminded that the FBI has stated that there are no credible reports of such a plot.  I guess that is the key.  A  lie can rarely be credible!

Speaking of crazy Republicans, the next suggested topic concerns the Tea Party/Republican party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Nevada, Sharron Angle.  It seems that Ms. Angle has another great idea!  She suggests that our participation and membership in the United Nations is unconstitutional because there is no mention of it in the Constitution.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/13/sharron-angle-suggests-us_n_681198.html & http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/13/angle-un/  I guess some one forgot to explain to Sharron Angle that the United Nations was not around when the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.  I also guess that Ms. Angle forgot that the Constitution does provide for treaties to be agreed to by the government.  “Angle might want to actually read the Constitution before she starts talking about what’s in it. Article II of the Constitution provides that the president “shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.” That is why the United States may belong to treaty organizations such as the UN. President Truman entered into the treaty which creates the UN, and the Senate ratified that treaty.” http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/13/angle-un/  Where does the Tea Party find these braniacs?  How does the Republican Party think that these kind of candidates are actually going to net them control of either the House or Senate?  This is the same Sharron Angle who wants to privatize Social Security and start a system patterned after the plan that Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1980’s.  I wish I could say that I could make this stuff up, but the Tea Party hacks are real.  Real crazy.

Of course, I couldn’t discuss crazy Tea Party/Republican candidates without mentioning our old “friend” Rand Paul who is the Republican nominee for the Kentucky Senate seat.  Dr. Paul’s latest trip into the wackosphere is the claim by a fellow Baylor college student that Rand and a friend forced her to swear allegiance to a made up God. “But she maintained that they “took me out to this creek and made me worship Aqua Buddha.” Soon after, the woman severed her relationship with Paul and his friends because of the incident.” http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0811/rand-paul-denies-college-kidnapping-memory-fuzzy-aqua-buddha/  As I said earlier, you just can’t make up this kind of stuff.  These Tea Party candidates are not only bizarre and uninformed on the issues, they are going to bring the Republican Party even farther to the Right.  If that is possible!

I have made my suggestions, and they are just that, suggestions.  Let’s hear what You want to talk about.  The sky is the limit and I will be anxiously waiting to see what You want to talk about.  It is time to get busy and let everyone know what you are thinking about.  Let’s hear from all of You!  Don’t be shy and do not delay in telling us what you think.  These are important issues that all of our readers should have an opinion on.   It won’t hurt to let us know what You think!

We had another very hot and humid day here in Northern Illinois with no relief in sight!    This week is just flying by and I just can’t wait until our Friday Free For All so here are this week’s Wednesday’s Shorts.  I will take a quick look at some of the hot issues of this week and even some of the issues that fly under the radar.  I hope you like them.

I always enjoy stories about the hypocrisy of the Republican party and its officials.  It seems that the disgraced adulterer and Republican Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, recently accepted Obama stimulus money very quietly after railing against it.   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/politics/11carolina.html?_r=1&ref=politics & http://thinkprogress.org/2010/08/11/sanford-stimulus-jobless-benefits/   Should we really be surprised that someone who would cheat on his wife and his state to carry on an affair with a woman in Brazil, actually might lie about not accepting Stimulus monies??

How many former Republican president staffers and cabinet members are going to go on the record that Republican economic measures and policies are not only wrong, but are actually destructive to the American economy?  First, we heard from Alan Greenspan, then Former Bush Treasury Secretary, Paul O’Neill spoke out,  and now we hear from Reagan’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, David Stockman,  that Republicans are out of control.  ‘ “If there were such a thing as Chapter 11 for politicians, the Republican push to extend the unaffordable Bush tax cuts would amount to a bankruptcy filing. The nation’s public debt … will soon reach $18 trillion.” It screams “out for austerity and sacrifice.” But instead, the GOP insists “that the nation’s wealthiest taxpayers be spared even a three-percentage-point rate increase.” ’  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy-2010-08-10?pagenumber=1  Mr. Stockman claims that his fellow Republicans in Congress are trying to bankrupt the country.  I couldn’t have said it any better!

It wouldn’t be a Wednesday if we didn’t have two examples of Republican hypocrisy.  Our old friend New Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House in the 1990’s, has been outed by his second wife.  It seems that not only did family value Guru, Newt Gingrich cheat on his first wife, he cheated on his second wife and is currently on his third marriage.  His second wife tells us that Newt asked her to marry him even before asking his bed ridden wife for a divorce.  What a sweetheart!  http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/newt-gingrich-spiritual-leader-gop-expo  “And he did the same thing to her eighteen years later, with Callista Bisek, the young congressional aide who became his third wife. “I know. I asked him. He’d already asked her to marry him before he asked me for a divorce. Before he even asked.”  I guess by Republican standards, the third time is the charm.  I wonder if his third wife reads Crooks and Liars?? 

Those are our Wednesday’s Shorts.  Take a look at them and at the sites where I found the stories and let us know what you think!  We’ll be waiting for you! Let’s hear from you!  Don’t be shy!   See you on Friday!