Lack of motivation

I just haven't had the motivation to blog lately but I will get back to it in the next few days. A lot of things on my mind including the health care debate and upcoming legislation as well as the lack of financial reform even after our financial system was on the brink of collapse not so long ago.

Keith Olbermann at his best

Well, WELCOME back Keith. And back with a vengeance!

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Jon Stewart is awesome

Here is his breakdown of Governor Sanfords handling or mishandling of his affair from Jon Stewart.

Now is the time!

Great news today, we now have Senator Al Franken who will be seated next week. So now is the time for the Democrats to lead and pass important legislation.



Now is the time to stop waiting for a consensus on every issue before getting things done. Don't compromise our values. Don't compromise our ideals.

The republicans have been bitching about a lack of bipartisanship since the beginning of the Obama administration, all the while he was meeting with there caucus and hosting them at White House events. They will never be pleased unless there agenda of NO is adopted. Now is the time to move on and realize we won this last election and get the things done this country voted for.

Cantor: Obama won't let us spit in his face anymore
by kos

Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 01:48:04 PM PDT

Oh brother...

GOP leaders complain that the phone calls and White House invitations have slacked off — perhaps because Obama’s early efforts to woo Republicans yielded few votes.

"I think that in the beginning they seemed a lot more willing to go in and engage with us," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor.

Yup, Obama was far more willing to go in and engage with them. And Republicans took those opportunities to extract concessions, then vote against Obama's agenda en masse. So finally Obama realized what we had been arguing the whole time -- that it was a waste of time to deal with Republicans who had little incentive in supporting Obama's agenda and were more obsessed with "unity" as the path out of their electoral troubles.

Engagement is obviously a two-way street, and Republicans had zero interest in returning any consideration to Obama. So, he turned his attention to more worthwhile endeavors.

Given the Republican Party's continued opposition to any significant reform on any issue, it'd be nice if Congressional Democrats would stop giving Republicans the time of day. They are an irrelevant party, rejected en masse by an American electorate desperate for change.

The Republicans lost there opportunity to have meaningful input by playing the politics of NO. Now is the time for the Democrats to lead and give America "change we can believe in".

Iranian Election Protests

The protests in Iran have gotten very brutal. The protesters have been faced with harsh police tactics, everything from being hit with clubs to helicopters dropping something that has been described as foul smelling and that burns the eyes. Citizens are being arrested in there homes and journalists are being detained. Yet despite all of this danger they continue to try to get there voices heard. Many are using the social media to get there stories out. Even CNN is relying on twitter and facebook messages and videos to tell there story to the rest of the world.

And locally there families and friends are showing their support by protesting throughout the States in various cities. One of the places with the largest Iranian population is Los Angeles and thousands have turned out over the weekend to show support. Luckily here we don't face the same dangers that those in Iran have faced.



One story of the brutality the protesters have faced is the tragic story of Neda. From what has been reported she was 27 and protesting with her father. Video was captured of her as she died after being shot. I won't post that video here but below is a great photo compilation of the protests in Iran.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 20, 2009


Statement from the President on Iran

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said - "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.

Let's hope something good will eventually come from all of the turmoil in Iran as a respected colleague of mine said.

Wait, What?

According to the LA Times the majority of California senators agreed to pay cuts during the current budget crisis. Ok, this is not really going to help much with our budget deficit but in times like these symbolism matters.

It is shocking that only a majority agreed to this pay cut. Why wasn't it unanimous? I realize these senators have families and bills like anyone else but when so many other state jobs are being hacked or cut back these lawmakers need to step up and take one for the team despite whether or not they have refused raises or taken cuts in the past.

Keep the heat on for accountability

One of the people who is doing just that is Rachel Maddow. Watch this piece from her show on June 17, 2009.

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Senator Whitehouse also continues to fight the good fight. His hearing on torture was extremely enlightening.

In this Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Sheldon questions Attorney General Eric Holder about the status of the Office of Professional Responsibility report into the Bush Administrations detention and interrogation program, the role of the CIA in assessing the report, and the importance of releasing its findings.

Also the ACLU keeps on keeping on, bravo! Here is a look at their FOIA timeline. Keep up the great work ACLU and don't forget to contribute to them if you can.



Finally, a link back to my previous post on torture. This includes links to a couple petitions for both a truth commission and prosecution.

I realize there are many important things going on in the world and tough issues to tackle here at home but we cannot move forward without getting accountability for the atrocities our country committed under the Bush administration.

Fox News - Good for something?

OK, this is painful to watch but it is also completely hysterical. Enjoy......

Maybe just maybe a look into election fraud

Huffington Post among others are reporting that Iran's supreme leader is ordering a probe into election fraud.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the powerful Guardian Council to examine the allegations by pro-reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has claimed widespread vote rigging in Friday's election. The government declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner in a landslide victory.

It was a stunning turnaround for Iran's most powerful figure, who previously welcomed the results.

All the reports had been that is was a close election and then suddenly Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is declared the winner in a landslide victory. I look forward to see first how the probe is handled and then of course what the results turn out to be.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

From The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

Message From Mousavi - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

14 Jun 2009 10:58 pm
Message From Mousavi

Via my contacts at the Farsi-speaking BBC, a telephone plea:

I AM UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE TO ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE SHAM ELECTION. THEY HAVE CUT ME OFF FROM ANY COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE AND AM UNDER SURVEILLANCE. I ASK THE PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE STREETS BUT AVOID VIOLENCE

This picture from The Atlantic's Daily Dish, "SOS From Tehran"

Iranian Election, protests, and good news sources.

From GPS on CNN with Fareed Zakaria



Iran Updates (VIDEO): Live-Blogging The Uprising on Huffington Post

Below is just part of the live blog on the Iranian election.

5:44 PM ET -- "This is not fraud." A fascinating interview with a female Iranian journalist who works for a moderate newspaper, conducted by Radio Free Europe:

Journalist: Please don't use the word "fraud" because it is mitigation of what has happened in Iran. Fraud is what was happening in the past 30 years. This is not fraud. They haven't [counted ] people's votes. Using the word fraud is like calling a deep cut a small scratch. There was no fraud; it was a coup.


RFE/RL: Please explain why you call it a coup. Based on what?

Journalist: Based on the military atmosphere that is now ruling [in the country], based on the threats against senior officials in the country. What are the elements of a coup in the world? Just now as we're speaking, [Mahmud Ahmadinejad] said I'll clean the Iranian establishment of all these corrupted elements. [If this isn't] a coup, then what is it?

Coup means that right now they're beating people in the streets. A coup means they didn't even count people's votes. They announced the results without opening the ballot boxes. It was sent as a circular to the state television, which announced it. Is it so difficult for the world to understand this?

5:33 PM ET -- That video. I continue to get email about a stunning piece of video showing two things -- 1) a group of riot police on motorcycles charging into a massive crowd of people, and 2) a touching act of compassion, as several demonstrators help a bruised, exhausted police officer to safety. I posted it early this morning but thought I should put it up again since so many have written in about it.

5:27 PM ET -- "Deafening." Last night, at nearly 4 in the morning Iran time, I posted this email from a reader:

"My next door neighbor is an Iranian immigrant who came here in 1977. He just received a SAT phone call from his brother in Tehran who reports that the rooftops of nighttime Tehran are filled with people shouting 'Allah O Akbar' in protest of the government and election results. The last time he remembers this happening is in 1979 during the Revolution. Says the sound of tens of thousands on the rooftops is deafening right now."

Check it out including the videos of the events.

Then there are the political opportunists here in America trying to say that President Obama's Cairo Speech and policies are somehow responsible for the current situation in Iran.

Well let's take a look at that speech.



All you can say about that speech, if you are being honest, is that it was brilliant on many levels. It was honest and even handed. Simply put, it was the right speech at the right time in the right place. As for his policies, he has managed to accomplish the undoing of so much of the damage the Bush policies did to hurt us as a country worldwide. No more of the Bush years and the alienation of entire regions of the world through irresponsible rhetoric, a torture program, and preemptive wars.

-------------------------------------------------------------

My thoughts go out to those in the dangerous parts of the world, our service men and women serving in war zones, the courageous protesters and reformers in harms way fighting for what is right, journalists in several countries risking their lives to bring us the stories as they happen, to name just a few. So many heroes and I thank them all.

Palin the great public speaker?

OK, even Chris Matthews has said her great strength is delivering speeches. After seeing her latest in anchorage, despite the Gingrich outline for her speech, she is HORRIBLE. If this is her greatest asset.......... she has got nothing!

My Unlikely Favorite.

I have a new favorite Sunday show. I say that this is unlikely because I tend to thoroughly enjoy the right vs. left banter. I also very much enjoy the liberal biased views of the MSNBC political nightly shows.

But a very nice break from all of this is GPS with Fareed Zakaria. Each week he tackles the current issues but he does it unlike any other Sunday show. He goes deeper and examines issues more thoughtfully. He lets his guests actually answer questions and has meaningful follow up questions.

He does not shy from tough issues. One of these is the Isreali-Palistinian issue. One show a few weeks back had representatives of both points of view. I came away from that show a bit depressed because there seemed to be no common ground on either side. Both sides were dug in and unwilling to see the other side.

GPS goes beyond right vs. left and America centric coverage. He covers stories that have more of a world view and interviews with foreign leaders, but I dare say some of the best interviews and analysis about the American financial crisis has been on Fareed's show.

I recommend if you have time to watch GPS is on Sundays on CNN at 1:00 P.M. EST. http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/fareed.zakaria.gps/

CNN's description of the show "Fareed Zakaria GPS is an hour-long program that takes a comprehensive look at foreign affairs and the policies shaping our world. Every week we bring you an in-depth interview with a world leader, as well as a panel of international analysts who examine the major global developments of the week. As always, Fareed's emphasis is on new ideas and innovative approaches to solving the world's toughest problems."

My Gender

I am not one who usually thinks about gender inequality. That is to say I grew up after the feminist movement, I've always had the right to vote, and going to work full time was not an option but instead expected.

I watched Meet The Press this week and an interview with top CEO's about the economy and David Gregory's reporting of the statistics of women CEO's. I'll be honest, I was taken aback and began to think of my own workplace situations and opportunities throughout my working life.

The statistics are that women make up about 60% of the workforce and yet remain severely underrepresented in top positions. They make up only about 14% of CEO's or corporate officers. In 2009 only 15 women CEO's in fortune 500 companies. This is appalling to me.

For all of my liberal politics I think this is one issue I have always let go unnoticed. I do think women generally, and speaking for myself, need to be more supportive of each other. That so called glass ceiling is very much still in existence and hopefully one day will be shattered.

Torture

Everyday there seems to be new developments on this "torture issue" and I think that the issue continues to get clouded. It is not a question of weather torture produces quality intelligence and it's not a question of what is faster in the stupid ticking bomb scenario. The question is simply is it right? And the answer is no.

Now we are no longer engaged in using torture thanks to President Obama keeping a campaign promise but shouldn't there be some accountability for those who implemented torture as a justified method of interrogation? After all it was illegal when the Bush administration implemented this torture program.

Useful reading

The Torture Moment : Arianna Huffington
The Truth About Richard Bruce Cheney : Col. Lawrence B. Wilkerson
Emptywheel


Petitions

For special prosecutor
Truth commission

So It's Mothers Day

Every year at this time for the last 6 years I get sad.

I can remember my grandma always got sad just before Christmas because my grandfather had passed away just before. And when my mom passed away at the beginning of Novemeber in 2002 I kinda figured each year around the holidays I would get sad. But that hasn't happened and I have even noticed the 7th of November come and go just like any other day rather than the anniversary of my Mom's death. Instead I have my yearly mourning on Mother's Day.

My mom was a wonderful person. Maybe another day I will write more about her.

So I have decided to blog

For the longest time I didn’t even know what blogging was. When I finally did find out what it was I never thought I would bother with it. I mean, who would care what was on my mind or what I thought about different issues.

So now that I have decided to blog. While that feeling of who would care hasn’t gone away, I am not blogging for an audience. Instead this is a way for me to express what is on my mind at any given time whether it gets read or not.