Argue With My Dad

With just about an hour to go before Midnight here in Illinois, I thought I would wish a Happy New Year to all of the Argue With My Dad readers and posters.  I am looking forward to a great and peaceful 2010.  Thanks for spending some of your valuable time with us.  See you next year!

After a cold and snowy Northern Illinois Christmas weekend, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from today, but we will try to hit the most interesting ones. If any of my “Musings” interest you, let us know what you think.

The first item that caught my interest is related to the failed terrorist attempt on an airliner landing in Detroit recently.  While every right wing pundit have been claiming that the TSA failed and the Democrats screwed up.  “…Florida Republican Rep. John Mica said in a statement that the TSA had grown lost and bloated in bureaucracy and called for a review.” http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/81356.html  Of course, in that same McClatchy story, we learn that part of the reason why the TSA is not operating at full strength.  It seems that Obama’s nominee to head the TSA has been held up by Republican Senator, Jim DeMint. ” The post remains vacant because Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has held up President Barack Obama’s nominee in opposition to the prospect of TSA workers joining a labor union.”  Can you imagine that?  Only the Republicants can complain about the performance of an agency and at the same time they are caught holding up the confirmation vote on the President’s nominee to head that vital agency.  This is one more example that the Republicans have no intention of governing.  They are only intent on stopping everything that the Obama Administration is attempting to do.  It doesn’t matter to them that they are putting the country at risk!

The last item that caught my eye is one more lie from a Bush administration official.  This one is by  our old friend, Mary Matalin. It seems that Matalin went on CNN and tried to claim that George W. Bush “inherited” the 9/11 attacks and a recession from the Clinton Adminstration. http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/27/matalin-inherited-terror/  “I was there, we inherited a recession from President Clinton and we inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nation’s history. “  That would be an amazing statement if it wasn’t false. Think Progress has the facts, in case anyone has forgotten. “In reality, the terror attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 — eight months into President Bush’s first term. Also, the 2001 recession technically began in March of 2001, well after Bush assumed office.”  Do the Republicans have any dignity?  Is there any lie that is too big for the Republicans?  Evidently not!  What do you think?  Let’s hear from you.

I want to wish everyone in the AWMD nation a Happy and safe Christmas.  During this time of peace, we must remember that many of our best and brightest are still in harms way around the world.  May they be safe and home soon.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

After a relatively mild Northern Illinois weekend, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from today, but we will try to hit the most interesting ones. If any of my “Musings” interest you, let us know what you think.

Of course, the big story remains the debate in the Senate over the Senate’s version of the Health Care reform bill.  We are getting close to a vote in the full Senate possibly as soon as Christmas Eve.   However, the Senate version of the health care bill does not include a public option and there has been substantial push back from the Dems on this bill.  As you can see from the linked Raw Story article, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold is not happy with the White House and claims that they gave up too many concessions, too quickly. http://rawstory.com/2009/12/feingold-slams-obama-losing-public-option/  Even though Feingold is not happy with the White House, he supports the bill, even without the Public Option.  ““But while the loss of the public option is a bitter pill to swallow, on balance, the bill still delivers meaningful reform, and the cost of inaction is simply too high. This bill significantly expands coverage and helps protect Wisconsinites from high costs and insurance company abuses, such as denying or restricting coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The bill also improves a flawed Medicare formula that denies Wisconsin fair reimbursement rates, encourages the kind of low-cost, high-value care practiced in our state, increases access to home and community-based long-term care, and reduces federal budget deficits by $132 billion over the next decade.” http://rawstory.com/2009/12/feingold-slams-obama-losing-public-option/  I have heard various good and bad reviews of the Senate bill, but knowing that a progressive like Feingold sees enough good things in the bill to vote for it, makes me more optimistic that we will get a good bill out of the conference process which combines the House and Senate bill.  Let’s hope that Feingold and others can get the Public Option reinstalled and the Stupak amenment removed from the House version.  What do you want to see in the finished bill?

The next story that caught my eye concerns our old friend, Dick Cheney.  It seems that the Angel of Death is spreading more lies about the success of the Obama stimulus package.  Cheney claimed that the stimulus did not produce any results. ” Q: And that’s how you would create more jobs?  CHENEY: I would. But you have to work the spending side in terms of trying to wrap up some of the spending that’s going on out there. When you start talking about another ‘stimulus two’ of hundreds of billions of dollars and we haven’t seen any results to speak of, of stimulus one, we can anticipate that the Bush tax cuts that we put in place in ’03 that are going to expire in the end of next year. That is a real tax increase. That is going to happen without Congress having to do anything. It’s going to automatically kick in when those cuts expire. And that affects capital gains and investment income and those are measures that you would clearly not take if you were seriously interested in growing the economy.” 

First of all, Cheney is still stuck in the mode of saving the capital gains taxes for the wealthy as a means to revive the economy.  If that was true, why did the recession begin in December of 2007 while the Bush tax cuts were in place?  It is not surprising that Cheney’s claim that the stimulus did not work, is erroneous. “Considering that the claim that the stimulus was a a “failure” is regularly thrown around by the right, it’s not surprising that the “conservative of the year” would repeat it. But the fact is that, as the CBO has reported, the stimulus is having its intended effect — creating or saving 600,000 to 1.6 million jobs. Additionally, the CBO found that “gross domestic product (GDP) was 1.2 percent to 3.2 percent higher, than would have been the case in the absence” of the stimulus.”  http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/21/cheney-conservative-year/ & http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/12/impact-of-stimulus-on-gdp.html.  I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that Cheney is talking out of his backside.  He has done that for over 10 years now.  Time Magazine recently called the Bush decade the Decade from Hell!  http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1942834,00.html  I would have to agree.  What do you think?  It is time for you to let us know what you think!

After another busy week here in cold and wintry Northern Illinois,  it is time, once again, for 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 one  suggested topic, but it is only a suggestion.  Today is Friday so only you can be the decider.   But you need to tell us what you want to discuss.  So, what the heck is on your mind today? With all that is going on, how can you not speak your mind?  This is the final Friday Free For All before Christmas so don’t hold back!

My one suggested topic concerns a Washington Post article that informs us that the hypocritical Republican Party is at it again.  It seems they tried to filibuster a military spending bill in a feeble attempt to block Health Care reform. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121800241_pf.html  It seems that only 3 Republicans voted for the military spending bill in their efforts to deny Americans the Health Care reform that they deserve and want. “On a 63 to 33 vote, Democrats cleared a key hurdle that should allow them to approve the must-pass military spending bill Saturday and return to the health-care debate. After years of criticizing Democrats for not supporting the troops, just three Republicans supported the military funding.” I was especially shocked to hear that the self proclaimed Friends of the Military Republican Party actually tried to use the military as a pawn in their game to defeat Health Care reform.   They ought to be ashamed of themselves.  Of course, the Republicans have no shame!  Maybe I am being too harsh….Naw, I was right.  The Republican Party has no shame.

I have made my suggestion, and it is just that, a suggestion.  Let’s hear what You want to talk about.  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.  It won’t hurt to let us know what You think.

After a relatively mild Northern Illinois weekend, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from today, but we will try to hit the most interesting ones. If any of my “Musings” interest you, let us know what you think.

The first item that caught my eye was the comments by RNC Chairman Michael Steele about Obama’s meeting with the bank executives earlier today.  Obama was meeting with the Bank executives to attempt to cajol them into increasing their lending to small businesses. Of course, Chairman Steele thinks that the best way to get Banks to start lending again is to reduce the unemployment tax! http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/14/steeles-tunemployment-benefits/  Does this guy really understand what is going on here?  The good news is with him leading the Republicants, the Dems can’t lose.

The big news today was the announcement that 22 Million missing emails from the Bush Administration have been found and accounted for.  The emails were recovered after lawsuits were filed by CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive in 2007.  http://rawstory.com/2009/12/22-million-missing-bushera-emails-set-2014-release/  If you remember, George Bush and his fellow felons told us that because of a snafu, there were many missing emails.  Of course, we first found out about the missing emails when Special Prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald reported them missing during his investigation into the illegal outing of Valerie Plame.  The emails are being processed and by law won’t be released to the public until 2014 at the earliest.  It will be an interesting day when those emails are released because there will be many crimes uncovered at that time.  Maybe earlier if an investigation on the torture by the Bush regime is undertaken.  One can only hope.

My final Muse concerns our old friend, Joe Lieberman.  It seems that the lying SOB is up to his old tricks.  Just a week ago Lieberman expressed his support for the Medicare buy-in compromise and now he is saying that he is against it and may back a Republican filibuster. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/14/politics/main5977243.shtml  I just have one thing to say about Lieberman.  Senator Reid and President Obama need to take him aside and put this deal to him: Play ball with us and you can keep your committee chairmanship.  If you don’t play ball with us and the reform bill gets defeated, you will lose your chairmanship and the entire Democratic party will be working for his opponent in the next election.  Plus, all lobbyists for the insurance industry, including his wife, will be legislated out of any access to any Congressman or Senator or their respective staffs.  Lieberman can understand this kind of quid pro quo.  He has been sticking it to the Dems for several years now.  President Obama and Majority Leader Reid, get it done and get it done right.  No excuses will be accepted.  If it takes reconciliation to do it, do it.  The whole world is watching!

After another busy week here in super cold and snowy Northern Illinois,  it is time, once again, for 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 one  suggested topic, but it is only a suggestion.  Today is Friday so only you can be the decider.   But you need to tell us what you want to discuss.  So, what the heck is on your mind today? With all that is going on, how can you not speak your mind?

My first suggested topic is the story that I saw earlier today about a “loophole” in the Senate version of the Health Care Reform Bill. The House version mandates that Insurance companies will not be allowed to put financial limits on health care coverage.  MSNBC reported today that the Senate version would allow insurance companies to put limits on coverage as long as they are not unreasonable. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34382653/ns/health-health_care/  Now, I realize that the bill is still being debated, but if the insurance companies are allowed to limit coverage, I can personally guarantee that it won’t be “reasonable”.  I would also guarantee that any Federal agency empowered to keep an eye on the insurance companies will be made up of former insurance industry officials.  What is your take on this issue?  Should the health care reform include a requirement that the insurance companies cannot limit the coverage?

My next suggested topic is the Bloomberg.com story that the brainiacs at Goldman Sachs will not be issuing bonuses to their top 30 employees, but instead will award deferred compensation vehicles. “The awards will consist of so-called shares-at-risk that start vesting next year and can’t be sold for five years, the New York-based firm said yesterday.” http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ahkGBrrRCH38&pos=3  The firm is making these deferred bonuses due to the extreme pressure and negative publicity surrounding the $16 Billion that they had originally proposed for bonuses.  Since $16 Billion is almost too high of a number for my brain to comprehend, I am glad that Goldman has had a change of heart. What do you think of the outrageous bonuses that Wall Street has paid in the past to executives of failing companies?

My final suggested topic involves the latest example of the Republicans nonsensical attempts to derail Health Care reform and every other legislative proposal from the Democratic Congress.  If you recall, the Republicans originally complained that the health care reform bill was just too big and had too many words.  http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/12/10/bill-length/  It appears that since that tactic did not work for them, the Republicants are now suggesting that the health care reform bill is not long enough!  “But today, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) opened the 11th day of Senate debate by arguing that the Senate bill was not long enough:  ‘And we talk about 2,074 pages, which seem like a lot, and it would be for a normal bill that you could debate in a limited period of time, which is what we’re being asked to do. But 2,074 pages isn’t nearly enough to cover health care for America. So why is it only 2,074 pages?’ ” http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/12/10/bill-length/  It is hard to keep up with the Republicans in Congress.  When their obstructionist policies are not working they put their collective brain power together and decide to argue the very opposite of what their original argument was!  It is amazing that these mental giants controlled Congress and the White House for 8 years! 

I have made my suggestions, and they are  just that,  suggestions.  Let’s hear what You want to talk about.  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.  It won’t hurt to let us know what You think.

I almost forgot that today marks the 29th anniversary of the brutal murder of former Beatle icon, John Lennon, by Mark David Chapman. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/lennon_john/artist.jhtml#biographyEnd  Can it really be that long ago?  I can remember my wife and I having to sit down after we heard the news that Lennon had been shot and killed. The news tool our breath away and we were in shock why someone who always stood for peace could be the victim of such a senseless murder.  When he died a part of our youth died with him.  The Beatles were a huge part of our pre-teen and teenager years and on that fateful day, an insane murderer shattered the life of John Lennon and the memories and lives of millions of his fans.  I think I will play Imagine one more time in his honor.  John, you are missed.

After a cold and snowy Northern Illinois Weekend, it is time once again for AWMD’s Monday Musings.  There are plenty of news items to choose from today, but we will try to hit the most interesting ones. If any of my “Musings” interest you, let us know what you think.

As the Health Care Reform bill proceeds in the U.S. Senate, the Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats are continuing their obstructive ways by adding amendments in an attempt to bog down the process or to kill the bill entirely.  One of the most offensive amendments happens to be the one proposed by Democrat Senator Ben Nelson and Republican Senator Orrin Hatch which says ”The amendment prohibits federal funds from paying for abortion. It prohibits the public option from covering abortion and blocks consumers from using subsidies to purchase a health insurance policy that covers abortion.” http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/Nelson_files_his_abortion_amendment_.html?showall    This amendment which mirrors the Stupak Amendment in the House version is one that many progressives find offensive and at odds with current law.  Senator Barbara Boxer took exception to this amendment by asking her male colleagues if they would agree to an insurance plan that outlawed Viagra.  “There’s nothing in this amendment that says if a man some days wants to buy Viagra, for example, that his pharmaceutical coverage cannot cover it, that he has to buy a rider. I wouldn’t support that. And they shouldn’t support going after a woman using her own private funds for her reproductive health care. Is it fair to say to a man you’re going to have to buy a rider to buy Viagra and this will be public information that could be accessed? No, I don’t support that. I support a man’s privacy, just as i support a woman’s privacy.”http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/12/07/viagra-boxer/   It is not too often that I agree with Senator Boxer, but she hit the nail on the head here.  This kind of amendment makes a woman a second class citizen when it comes to health care and women should not be discriminated against for just being women.  Earlier when Hatch first introduced this amendment, Senator Debbie Stabenow called it “offensive”.  http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/09/30/stabenow-abortion-hatch/  Since current law and most  insurance policies allow for coverage for abortions, why is it that these  men have this need to control women’s bodies?  What’s your take on this male/female controversy?

My next item of interest is the news that President Obama is about to announce a $200 million program to jump start job creation.  http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/07/president-obama-to-propose-200-billion-for-jobs-creation/  & http://news.firedoglake.com/2009/12/07/obama-to-announce-200-billion-dollar-job-creation-plan-tomorrow/   Where is this money coming from you ask?  It seems that the TARP money that Congress passed near the end of the Bush regime has not been used up because a good portion of the banks have paid back the money that they were loaned under the program.  That is actually double good news.  It is good that many of the Banks are paying back the money and it is a very good idea to use it to get people working on infrastructure and in helping small businesses.  Along with completing serious health reform, nothing could be more important than getting Americans back to work in real, full time jobs.  What is your best idea to get America back to work?  Don’t be shy!

After another busy week here in cold and snowy Northern Illinois,  it is time, once again, for 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 one  suggested topic, but it is only a suggestion.  Today is Friday so only you can be the decider.   But you need to tell us what you want to discuss.  So, what the heck is on your mind today? With all that is going on, how can you not speak your mind?

The first news item that I want to suggest as a possible topic of discussion is the decision this past week by President Obama to send an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan.  These 30,000 soldiers and Marines would bring our total military presence in Afghanistan to approximately 100,000 of our best and brightest.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120103864.html  I have had a hard time deciding if I agree with the decision, but that is not what bugs me the most about the so-called surge of troops.  What really upsets and confuses me is how so many Congressmen and Senators who are refusing to pay for Health Care for all Americans have no problem in paying for endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/30/gop-embrace-afghanistan-healthcare/  What is the reasoning that goes on in these legislators minds when they quickly and easily agree to pay the billions to prosecute wars, but cannot see the wisdom in providing health care for us all.  As the above linked Think Progress aticles states, “As the number of Americans on food stamps rises to an all-time high, the unemployment rate hits double-digits and Americans continue to perish due to lack of health coverage, how can these senators justify draining funding from crucial domestic programs to pay for an escalation of the war in Afghanistan?”   Especially when we have been given little or no evidence that continuing to pay for the war in Afghanistan will actually keep us safer.  What do you think?  Would you pay for endless wars with money that could improve so many lives here at home?

The last suggested topic that I have this week comes from a Huffington Post article that almost flew under the radar.  It discusses the idea that FDIC chairman Sheila Blair is looking into that would actually reduce the principal of $45 Billion dollars of loans and a be a big step in preventing more foreclosures.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/04/at-last-one-government-ag_n_379484.html  “The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation no longer owns the mortgages directly; but when it sold them to solvent banks, it agreed to shoulder some of the future losses. Blair’s move would effectively make sure that homeowners directly benefit from that guarantee, not just the lenders.”  This idea is one that I actually suggested months ago.  Instead of giving the money to the Banks and Brokerage houses that actually helped cause our recession, the money would actually reduce the mortgage amounts which would reduce the payments for people and free up their money to go back into the economy instead of going to Banks that already received monetary help from the government.  I have to admit that my original idea did not include the FDIC and the bank bailout money would have gone to the banks indirectly by paying off or paying down people’s mortgages.  However, the idea being discussed within the FDIC is finally one that would directly help those who need the help the most.  I am all for helping people instead of the banks.  What do you think?

I have made my suggestions, and they are  just that,  suggestions.  Let’s hear what You want to talk about.  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.  It won’t hurt to let us know what You think.