Sorry, But That's the Truth

Two great points made by Betmo over at The Siren Chronicles.

One: "...why we continue to lose so many soldiers in iraq and afghanistan. um- we lose soldiers because we invaded their countries and they are trying to expel us. it really is that simple. they don’t like us because we invaded their country and blew it to smithereens with dirty bombs; allowed genocide; and allowed looting of national treasures. oh, and our private, war profiteering contractors stole their money, raped their women and murdered their relatives. does that about cover it? why are we still there? very simple- it has nothing to do with taliban or al quaida- and everything to do with war profiteering, oil profiteering and the opium trade."

Two: "as for the health care debacle- i mean debate- there isn’t one. it’s just a matter of how sweet a deal the congress critters and other pols can make with big insurance, big pharma and the ama. and, yes, it really is that simple. these ‘americans’ don’t give a rat’s ass about the rest of us"

It all comes down to MONEY and their own ASS. If you think they care about us, you are stupid.

Sorry, but that's the truth!

What A Difference 3 Years Makes

Here is Joe three years ago while campaigning for election.



This video is from Jed Lewison at DailyKos.

Was Joe lying then or lying now? Maybe he just changed his mind? It is not possible that he has been bribed, is it?

Joe "Lying Bag of Shit" Lieberman.

I guess he is just living up to his name. After all, the first three letters of his name are L I E

Come on, Joe...

show some balls and talk to Rachael.

How Many...

...of our 435 Congressmen and the other 99 Senators do you think could duplicate this effort by Senator Al Franken?



I bet no one! Hell, they would probably have trouble naming all 50 states, let alone drawing them -- and drawing them accurately.

Maybe it should be a requirement.

McCain - Republican Tech Czar

Here is another interesting article from ThinkProgress.org.

John McCain has become the republicans technology czar by introducing the “Internet Freedom Act”. This is a bill to effectively block any net neutrality rules.

"The legislation would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from making sure that Internet service providers don’t create a pay-for-play system where they could selectively block or slow content and applications."

Want to know something surprising? McCain has collected $894,379 from the telecom industry over the past two years. This is out of a total of $9.4 million donated.

Of course McCain is the logical choice among the republicans because of his great understanding of every thing "computery". This is the man who has " called himself a computer illiterate who has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance that he can get, and he said he has “never felt the particular need to e-mail.”

Just more evidence that corporate money needs to be taken out of politics.

Another Example of Republican Hipocrasy

A new study released by Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) office today, as reported by ThinkProgress.org.

It shows "that 151 members of Congress “currently receive government-funded; government-administered single-payer health care — Medicare. Of those 151 members, 55 are Republicans who also happen to be steadfastly opposed [to] other Americans getting the public option, like the one they have chosen.”

The report shows that the 55 Republicans are:
Rep. Ralph M. Hall
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett
Rep. Sam Johnson
Rep. C.W. Bill Young
Rep. Howard Coble
Sen. Jim Bunning
Sen. Richard G. Lugar
Rep. Don Young
Sen. Charles E. Grassley
Sen. Robert F. Bennett
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch
Sen. Richard C. Shelby
Rep. Jerry Lewis
Sen. James M. Inhofe
Rep. Ron Paul
Rep. Henry E. Brown
Sen. Pat Roberts
Sen. George V. Voinovich
Sen. John McCain
Rep. Judy Biggert
Sen. Thad Cochran
Rep. Harold Rogers
Rep. Dan Burton
Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon
Rep. Frank R. Wolf
Sen. Christopher S. Bond
Rep. Michael N. Castle
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. Tom Petri
Sen. Lamar Alexander
Rep. Doc Hastings
Rep. Cliff Stearns
Rep. Sue Myrick
Rep. John Carter
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Jon Kyl
Rep. Phil Gingrey
Rep. Nathan Deal
Rep. John Linder
Rep. Kay Granger
Rep. John L. Mica
Rep. Walter B. Jones
Sen. Jim Risch
Rep. Ed Whitfield
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Sen. Michael B. Enzi
Rep. Elton Gallegly
Rep. Donald Manzullo
Rep. Peter T. King
Rep. Ander Crenshaw

Here is a video of the announcement.

Alan Grayson Asks Questions Like Al Franken

If you liked my last video post, you will enjoy this one also. This clip is from ThinkProgress.org.

"Yesterday, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) challenged the constitutionality of one of these anti-ACORN measures being supported by Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) during a hearing of the Science and Technology committee. Grayson repeatedly questioned Broun about the constitutionality of “bills of attainder” — which are punishments that single out a group or individual without a court trial."

The text of the questioning can be read here.

All Should Ask Questions Like Al Franken

This video has been shown on Bob Cesca's site, but it is too good to pass up and everyone should see it. Why don't more of our Senators question people and know their facts like Al Franken? This man has been a great addition to the Senate.

Corporations -- The New Super-Race

Just the other day THIRTY republicans voted in the U.S. Senate to deny justice to a human victim of rape in order to protect the so-called sovereign rights of corporations.

That right! To them, protecting the corporation is more important than protecting a PERSON that works for the corporation.

"A woman is gang-raped by her fellow employees at government contractor KBR. The company says her contract prohibits her from seeking justice in court."

"Thirty Republican U.S. senators voted to safeguard corporations from lawsuits in rape cases."

This is taking things even a step further than treating corporations as people, which is questionable itself. There was never a Supreme Court ruling on this matter. If was just mentioned in a headnote of an obscure 1886 ruling.

This is just more evidence that the republican party is becoming the party of the corporations, not of the people.

Corporations are the republican gods.

Goldman Sachs Obsenity

I guess the financial crisis is over for Goldman Sachs. They just awarded 23 BILLION dollars in bonuses. 23 billion dollars is a lot of dollars. How much you ask?

It could have paid for 460,000 full paying students to Harvard University for one year.

It could have paid health insurance for an American family 1.7 million times.

If you lived for 100 years, you could spend $230,000,000 every year of your life, or over $630,000 PER DAY for your entire life, or over $26,200 EVERY HOUR of your life, or about $437 every MINUTE of your life, or about $7.29 PER SECOND for your entire life.

I think we all understand how much 7 dollars is. Just think getting 7 dollars every second. It has taken me about 10 minutes to put this post together. 10 minutes is 600 seconds. I would have just made 4,200 dollars (actually closer to 4,370) -- just about the average monthly family income in the US.

$23 billion over 10 years is 230 billion or about ONE QUARTER of the cost of health care reform. And that is just the bonuses for this year, for ONE year, from ONE company.

And they say we can't afford universal health care???

THE HELL WE CAN'T!

insurers Say Senate Bill Would Raise Cost of Premiums

"Late Sunday, the industry trade group America's Health Insurance Plans sent its member companies a new accounting firm study that projects the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions in the bill would be in effect."

Hey, if private insurance can't cut it, too bad. It just means that a public option is needed even more. The difference between the overhead of a public option and a private plan is more than $1700 per year. Poor private insurance companies. They will just have to figure out how to lower their costs and give up some of their profits.

What??? They might even have to contribute more of their premium income to paying for their policyholders medical bills?

Heaven forbid!!!

Blankets -- The New Sleep Aid

As you may know (or maybe not, or maybe suspect), my dogs sleep with me. Not actually on the bed, but on the rug around the bed. They are quiet, don't snore, and don't bother me until it is time to get up in the morning.

Friday we had the carpets cleaned. The cleaner did the bedroom. The dogs had left their "mark" on the carpeting. No, they did not pee on it, just oils from their hair. If you looked close, you could see their favorite spots.

When it came bedtime, the carpet was still damp so I put down their blankets that I normally use when they have to stay in the kitchen on the tile floor. Low and behold, they did not get me up until 730 am, a full hour later than normal. Hmmmm, I thought.

Last night, down went the blankets again.

This morning, up at 730 again.

I think I may have found a way to get an extra hour of sleep each night.

Obermann On Healthcare

For those of you that are interested, here is the text of Keith Obermann's special comment on healthcare courtesy of commondreams.org.

It is also available on video from Gryphen at theimmoralminority.blogspot.com.

Believe me, it is well worth you time to read or listen to.

SF Public Option

If San Francisco can do it, why can't the rest of the nation?

Over the last two years, three-quarters of San Francisco's uninsured adults have enrolled in a public program that guarantees access to medical services, an effort that is being touted as a national model during the rancorous debate over healthcare reform... (continue)