Chicago Tribune Excerpt:
“I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but a recognition of the role of American leadership” in the world, Obama said. “To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures. I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st Century.”
Friday, October 09, 2009
Peace Prize Should Have Gone To Voters
Not to take anything away from President Obama, but if the absence of Bush and his war-mongering party affiliates from leadership positions has changed the global atmosphere and outlook for the better, shouldn’t the Nobel Peace prize have gone to the voters of the United States of America?
Feingold Explains Vote On Patriot Act Redo
Sen. Feingold's Perspective:Read the Senator's entire statement here.
Four notable excerpts
Bad news today from the Judiciary Committee. At the beginning of the year, I had high hopes for the Patriot Act reauthorization process. We had just elected a President with a strong civil liberties record in the Senate....
Over the course of two business meetings, Sen. Leahy’s bill was diluted to the point that I had to vote against it. It falls well short of what the Congress must do to correct the problems with the Patriot Act....
Today particularly, I started to feel as if too many members of the committee from both parties are willing to accept uncritically whatever the executive branch says about even the most reasonable proposed changes in the law....
I am also very troubled that administration officials have been taking positions behind closed doors that they are not taking publicly....
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Flu Shot? Experience The Power Of Community
In an internal memo passed along as a "News Release" most likely for the free publicity, the politically active private group of local government insiders known as "Forward Janesville" want you to know they will be offering free flu shots to the communi...oops sorry, it's for members only.
JG Excerpt Titled "Forward Janesville set to offer flu shots":And what better recruitment tool is there than the prospect of catching a good ol' fashioned flu...huh?
Flu shots will not be given to the public.
Wheeler Report Excerpt:This is where the "public" ends and the "private" begins in this community partnership.
The FJI / United Healthcare Flu Shot Clinic is another great reason to belong to Forward Janesville!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Wisconsin GOP Want No Part Of Clean Elections
The Wisconsin Republican party never cease to amaze me.
But as far as the issue of public financing is concerned, we can take that as a "no." Republicans are not interested in severing the ties to third party special interest money. They practically created it.
Instead of a positive exchange among decent and respectful statesmen, we get a sanctimonious party leader spin shift statements meant to deride an opponent while diverting attention away from their own absence on this one single important issue.
But who could blame politicians for refusing to engage in debate about public financing when they have wheel barrows of cash flowing in from third party special interests? So far, one Democrat is willing to take a chance against the odds and the only thing state Republicans can think of are reasons not to. The Republican statement actually bolsters the need for campaign finance reform while proving to us again how needless Republicans are. So what else is new?
Common Cause Excerpt:
Rep. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire), the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections, announced last week that his committee would be holding a series of public hearings focused on public financing of Wisconsin elections for statewide and legislative candidates--beyond just State Supreme Court candidates.
Wisconsin GOP Excerpt:You might have to read that line twice - slowly, and then think for a moment that if there was any truth to the statement, why would Republicans try to belittle the effort?
Assembly Democrats know their miserable record on jobs will make it hard to win elections next fall, so now they’re asking the public to chip in to pay for their reelection campaigns.
But as far as the issue of public financing is concerned, we can take that as a "no." Republicans are not interested in severing the ties to third party special interest money. They practically created it.
Common Cause Excerpt:Not according to Republicans. Forever stuck in 24/7 campaign mode, they would rather reframe the public financing issue by attacking the legislator in hyper-partisan style.
The current campaign finance system is completely outdated, ineffective, full of loop-holes, and not worth the paper the law is printed on. It has been thirty years since Wisconsin last addressed its public financing system in any meaningful way and significant reform is long overdue.
Wisconsin GOP Excerpt:If state Republicans really believe Smith's clean election hearings are a sham, wouldn't it work to the GOP's benefit to call his "bluff" by participating in the hearings and champion the cause they claim Smith is unqualified to lead? Keeping Smith and the hearings honest so to speak?
“Smith’s claims to be ‘pro-reform’ are empty promises from someone who has cashed in on special interest cash,” Priebus said. “If Jeff Smith really wants to limit the influence of special interests in campaigns, he’ll have some checks to return.”
Instead of a positive exchange among decent and respectful statesmen, we get a sanctimonious party leader spin shift statements meant to deride an opponent while diverting attention away from their own absence on this one single important issue.
But who could blame politicians for refusing to engage in debate about public financing when they have wheel barrows of cash flowing in from third party special interests? So far, one Democrat is willing to take a chance against the odds and the only thing state Republicans can think of are reasons not to. The Republican statement actually bolsters the need for campaign finance reform while proving to us again how needless Republicans are. So what else is new?
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Rip Rap
Corruption has nothing on the Culture Of Conservatism
In this video, conservative pundits and cable news hosts refer to a city with a crime rate ten times that of Chicago as "awesome," warn of gangster politics that'll make Al Capone so happy if the Olympics comes to Chicago, and insult American women as "fat people eating." Dennis Miller tries to channel his own racism onto the IOC. Michelle Malkin said the push for the Olympics is a "great way to white wash all of Chicago's ills." Lou Dobbs says, "Michelle Obama talking smack with the first lady of Brazil." The last time I heard such insulting anti-American rhetoric and cheering on for an American loss was from an enemy crashing airplanes into our buildings. And then these America haters wonder out loud about whether President Obama is pro-American?
Video: Glenn Beck Laughing All The Way To The Bank
More America Haters Trying To Cover Their Tracks
Besides Newsmax who recently deleted an article laying out plans for a military coup against the President, Weekly Standard deletes reference to "cheers" in their offices after Chicago lost bid for Olympics.
Americans ForProsperityDuplicity Cheer for Olympic Loss
Stand Up With Rep. Alan Grayson
The more I read about this guy – the more I like. In this Huff posting, Grayson kept a cool head while Fox stooge Neil Cavuto became unhinged defending huge executive bonuses for performance failure. Grayson, "You should not get rich off public money, and you should not get rich off of abject failure." He argued in an op-ed on the Huffington Post that Congress must put an end to "theft" on Wall Street, "which is apparently the only place in the world where you can steal from the taxpayers and then bill them for services rendered."
Let Rep. Alan Grayson know you support him for having the backbone to stand up against the GOP machine. You can "heart" Rep. Grayson on Facebook here.
According to professional hypocrite and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner - Losing in a Crooked Election Should Condemn a person for life.
Traditional News Congressman Angry Over Judicial Appointment
One Wisconsin Sensenbrenner's Phony Outrage Over Appointment
Perhaps the most upsetting to Republicans about Louie Butler is he will now be in a position where the GOP's local anti-Wisconsin group, the WMC, will be unable to smear him off the bench.
Illegal Immigrants Then: Good People Just Coming Here To Work.
Illegal Immigrants Now: Don't Deserve Health Care.
Tommy Thompson Defines Emergency Rooms As Universal Health Care
Video: Fox News is a political organization.
In this video, conservative pundits and cable news hosts refer to a city with a crime rate ten times that of Chicago as "awesome," warn of gangster politics that'll make Al Capone so happy if the Olympics comes to Chicago, and insult American women as "fat people eating." Dennis Miller tries to channel his own racism onto the IOC. Michelle Malkin said the push for the Olympics is a "great way to white wash all of Chicago's ills." Lou Dobbs says, "Michelle Obama talking smack with the first lady of Brazil." The last time I heard such insulting anti-American rhetoric and cheering on for an American loss was from an enemy crashing airplanes into our buildings. And then these America haters wonder out loud about whether President Obama is pro-American?
Video: Glenn Beck Laughing All The Way To The Bank
More America Haters Trying To Cover Their Tracks
Besides Newsmax who recently deleted an article laying out plans for a military coup against the President, Weekly Standard deletes reference to "cheers" in their offices after Chicago lost bid for Olympics.
Americans For
Stand Up With Rep. Alan Grayson
The more I read about this guy – the more I like. In this Huff posting, Grayson kept a cool head while Fox stooge Neil Cavuto became unhinged defending huge executive bonuses for performance failure. Grayson, "You should not get rich off public money, and you should not get rich off of abject failure." He argued in an op-ed on the Huffington Post that Congress must put an end to "theft" on Wall Street, "which is apparently the only place in the world where you can steal from the taxpayers and then bill them for services rendered."
Rep. Alan Grayson on the U.S. Chamber of CommerceMore on Grayson by John Nichols.
"I wish they would take their talent and practice their talent in Russia or China and bankrupt them instead of us."
Let Rep. Alan Grayson know you support him for having the backbone to stand up against the GOP machine. You can "heart" Rep. Grayson on Facebook here.
According to professional hypocrite and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner - Losing in a Crooked Election Should Condemn a person for life.
Traditional News Congressman Angry Over Judicial Appointment
One Wisconsin Sensenbrenner's Phony Outrage Over Appointment
Perhaps the most upsetting to Republicans about Louie Butler is he will now be in a position where the GOP's local anti-Wisconsin group, the WMC, will be unable to smear him off the bench.
Illegal Immigrants Then: Good People Just Coming Here To Work.
Illegal Immigrants Now: Don't Deserve Health Care.
Washington Times Excerpt:How about drawing the line on every American business that allows an illegal immigrant to break into a job?
Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, said proposals that include government coverage for illegal immigrants leave him incredulous.
"If anybody can, with a straight face, advocate that we should provide health insurance for people who broke into our country, broke our law and for the most part are criminals, I don't know where they ever would draw the line," he said.
Tommy Thompson Defines Emergency Rooms As Universal Health Care
Seattle Times Excerpt:
March 03, 2004 -- Congressional Democrats have criticized the administration for helping Iraq to establish universal health care without doing the same for U.S. citizens.
"Even if you don't have health insurance," said Thompson, who toured medical facilities in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Tikrit on Saturday and Sunday, "you are still taken care of in America. That certainly could be defined as universal coverage.
Video: Fox News is a political organization.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Limbaugh, GOP and Fox Win The Gold
The vast right-wing conspiracy against America succeeded. Chicago has been eliminated from hosting the 2016 Olympics.
At the end of this "Thomas Friedman is a nutjob" video from yesterday, the GOP czar demonstrated once again that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as a weapon in a partisan attack. He could not even bring himself up to plug for his countrymen's efforts to acquire the Olympic games. Steele hasn't reached that "Michelle moment" yet in his life where he can unequivocally say how proud he is of America. Sadly, he probably never ever will reach that point.
Conservatives attack Chicago as unsuitable for Olympics.
Chicago Tribune Chicago stunned.
At the end of this "Thomas Friedman is a nutjob" video from yesterday, the GOP czar demonstrated once again that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as a weapon in a partisan attack. He could not even bring himself up to plug for his countrymen's efforts to acquire the Olympic games. Steele hasn't reached that "Michelle moment" yet in his life where he can unequivocally say how proud he is of America. Sadly, he probably never ever will reach that point.
Conservatives attack Chicago as unsuitable for Olympics.
Chicago Tribune Chicago stunned.
Rooting against America Excerpt:
Glenn Beck called the news that Chicago's bid had failed "so sweet," Rush Limbaugh declared himself "happy" and "gleeful" with the results, and Matt Drudge proclaimed: "World rejects Obama.
Wing Nut Radio Spins Both Ways
Last week, Janesville talk radio host Stan Milam reeled off a series of baffling comments poking at the Left after he repeated James Carville's Clintoneque "It's the economy stupid" quote in his newspaper column as the basis for his plead for more government interference in the private jobs sector. Afterwards, a newspaper caller forgivingly aligned Milam with the left-wing.
According to his "jobs" column in last week's Saturday Gazette (Sept. 19), Milam stated "no single issue in America trumps employment" and approved of heavy corporate tax incentive packages while completely avoiding the consequences this relationship will have on non-incentivized taxpayers. Like a politician in campaign mode, he's clearly spinning both ways.
Exactly how is the government supposed to create the demand absolutely necessary and crucial for job creation? I don't think Milam or the anonymous caller had "cash for clunkers" in mind. From their comments, they both support the re-distribution of wealth from the taxpaying masses to the wealthiest at the top, and insist government should play the interferer, decider and job maker. Milam's column referenced here was titled, "Where is the focus on jobs?" It was not directed at the business community, entrepreneurs, investment bankers, venture capitalists, honest-to-goodness developers or the free market at-large. He was pointing to government, and let's be clear - he's NOT a left-winger.
Here's stripped-threads nutism number two: The workers, under the latest definition of global economic progress, were never intended to be the recipients of the hundreds of millions in tax incentive dollars bundled together. In fact, with both GM and Mercury Marine, the workers are the ones whose wages and benefits were slashed or frozen even further, with new hires starting wages cut as much as 40%. We're promoting corporate tax incentives while simultaneously cutting worker wages. The disparity between richest and poorest Americans widened in the wake of job losses and will widen even further under these wrong-headed incentives to fabricate job gains. Do you have to be a left-wing nut to see the death spiral here? And what of the CEO's and their money managers in the meantime? They're not happy like the workers are expected to be just to have a job - instead, they'll collect performance bonuses while the flow of stockholder dividends remains uninterrupted. Obviously then, the tax credits and hand-outs were never meant to support the incidentals (demand, wages, benefits) of job creation (left-wing). They're for lining the pockets of the profit-takers. This is far gone right-wing corporatist nutism well beyond the point of no return.
Sound Off (anonymous column in the Gazette)Can (or should) state governments afford trying to reverse the damage inflicted on the their local economies from the GOP's "Contract on America" followed by eight years of Bush tax cut wealth re-distribution voodoo economics by offering the wealthiest entities among us hundreds of millions in tax and wage concessions? So far 43 of 50 states have experienced noticeably deep job losses. Is it the state's fault? I'm not implying that something should not be done stateside. However, in Wisconsin, we had a state government and a labor union join forces to offer a global corporation over $400 million in local tax and wage concessions. And that was just one corporation! Can we afford to stay on that course? Milam and his "not left-wing" fans think we can.
On Milam: Although I usually don’t agree with Stan Milam’s left of center views, he’s dead on in his article about jobs. Without jobs, nothing else the government is doing is helping our country and especially our state. In fact, everything they’re doing is causing job loss. They all need to be voted out.
Milam's Column Excerpt:Milam obviously approves of deep taxpayer (government) involvement for job creation, but only to the ownership side of the so-called free markets.
It's jobs, stupid...Although a $409 million bid for production at the Janesville plant fell short of Michigan's $1 billion bid, the exercise was used to help retain thousands of jobs related to Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac.
Milam Show Audio: (Excerpt)On his radio show, Milam seemed almost shaken for being considered politically left of center by the anonymous newspaper comment.
"We are going to see concerned people passionate about causes, and taking matters into their own hands trying to find some funding trying to make changes to make our life a better place…we can’t always rely on the government to solve all our problems…Now do I sound like some left-wing wimp…as they call me in the paper." -- Milam
Milam Show Audio: (Excerpt)Well, THAT convinced (eyeroll) me. But what about education, health care or the environment? Apparently those are all merely trivial sideshows that can be dealt with while government coddles the corporate sector for jobs.
”I would want you to talk to some of the people I deal with before you accuse me of being a left-wing..ah, nut. I’m in support of any efforts folks want to take that allows them to take hold of situations without involving government. Because I pay taxes, and I don’t mind paying taxes for the essential things that we need, clean water, sewage treatment, decent roads and …recreational activities.
According to his "jobs" column in last week's Saturday Gazette (Sept. 19), Milam stated "no single issue in America trumps employment" and approved of heavy corporate tax incentive packages while completely avoiding the consequences this relationship will have on non-incentivized taxpayers. Like a politician in campaign mode, he's clearly spinning both ways.
Exactly how is the government supposed to create the demand absolutely necessary and crucial for job creation? I don't think Milam or the anonymous caller had "cash for clunkers" in mind. From their comments, they both support the re-distribution of wealth from the taxpaying masses to the wealthiest at the top, and insist government should play the interferer, decider and job maker. Milam's column referenced here was titled, "Where is the focus on jobs?" It was not directed at the business community, entrepreneurs, investment bankers, venture capitalists, honest-to-goodness developers or the free market at-large. He was pointing to government, and let's be clear - he's NOT a left-winger.
Here's stripped-threads nutism number two: The workers, under the latest definition of global economic progress, were never intended to be the recipients of the hundreds of millions in tax incentive dollars bundled together. In fact, with both GM and Mercury Marine, the workers are the ones whose wages and benefits were slashed or frozen even further, with new hires starting wages cut as much as 40%. We're promoting corporate tax incentives while simultaneously cutting worker wages. The disparity between richest and poorest Americans widened in the wake of job losses and will widen even further under these wrong-headed incentives to fabricate job gains. Do you have to be a left-wing nut to see the death spiral here? And what of the CEO's and their money managers in the meantime? They're not happy like the workers are expected to be just to have a job - instead, they'll collect performance bonuses while the flow of stockholder dividends remains uninterrupted. Obviously then, the tax credits and hand-outs were never meant to support the incidentals (demand, wages, benefits) of job creation (left-wing). They're for lining the pockets of the profit-takers. This is far gone right-wing corporatist nutism well beyond the point of no return.Milam Show Audio: (Excerpt)Just like the folks who occasionally accuse the Janesville Gazette of being a Liberal newspaper, I worry about how far to the right or confused someone must be to lovingly call Stan "left-wing Louie." You got me there, I've never felt so insulted.
But when we start whining about every single thing that isn’t going our way, and we want government to solve it. Talk to guys like Dean (a volunteer)… For all you listeners who like to call me left-wing Louie and all that sort of thing, perhaps you hadn’t been listening.” – Milam
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Edgerton Company Begins Move With Blame Game
JG Excerpt:Does it really matter how unreasonable one side may or may not be in a private business transaction? When two parties cannot agree on a contract for whatever reason – it's time to just move on. So why lob firebombs?
“It’s important for people to understand that Jim Grafft is entirely responsible for this move.”
No question, this whole thing stinks.
JG Excerpt:Once again Rock County tax payers are left in the informational dark ages regarding the level of county government's interactions and influence into these private transactions. It would be very interesting to see an honest timeline of all the landlord/renter negotiations including the effort to view and purchase the Lear Building. Of course if our local government played no part in this, then the entire deal is private and should remain so.
“The objective from Day One, given the problems between the company and its landlord, was to do everything we could to resolve the real estate issue in Edgerton, and if they couldn’t stay there then at least keep them in the county,” Otterstein said.
But whatever part of our taxes if any, played in this, (marketing, tax incentives, TIFs, DOZ, etc.) that information should be made public without request. Also, whatever part the county played "to do everything we could" in the marketing and sale of the Lear building should be no less the effort to do the same for the soon to be vacant former Dorsey Trailer building in Edgerton.
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