GOP failure in 31 seconds

Americans United for Change and AFSCME have teamed up to make an ad. It will air nationally on cable, and in D.C. The ad itself shows that the Republican Party, who have now turned to Rush Limbaugh for their marching orders, and become the party of "NO".

The Times they are a changin'

What is being witnessed in America today is astonishing on many levels, the jobless rate, the vacant homes and businesses, and the bickering between two sides of ideology.As a citizen who has fell victim to the unemployment wave sweeping across the country, it is clear that it is ugly out there.When the numbers are tallied at the weeks end, we see 10.6 here and 7.2 there, adjust those numbers where applicable.Displaced workers sit idly by await for the phone to ring with good news, or the mail to arrive with a check. In the midst of the crisis Americans face, many try and live modestly and search for work, and/or re-invent their skill(s). As diligent as they may be, the reality is, working class people in our country are hurting.

Being sure to know what is going on in the environment around, I make sure to check the headlines and editorials, and most certainly the letters to the editors. I have seen one clear message from our elected officials on the Democratic side, "we must act now", and another from the Republicans "tax cuts!". Well tax cuts don't mean anything to the citizens who are not getting a paycheck. A little help for people who are sharing concerns about groceries and energy bills is a little more enticing than a "tax cut". When we hear the rants of CNBC's Rick Santelli,his behavior is not rare in Republican circles, the "I GOT MINE" attitude is alive and well...for now. I was recently at a right-wing blog where I took part in the conversation and what we are seeing in a capitalist environment that helped the country onto this ridiculous road. Responding the Franken/Coleman debate I was greeted with hostility from a commenter. The full exchange can be read here.

Here are a couple excerpts: "You are a full blown pinko, commie bastard aren’t you? 50 years ago you would have been blacklisted or even tried for treason. I guess what they say is true; good things never last. Besides you losing your job doesn’t indicate that there is any problem with capitalism; it just indicates that you personally are worthless."

"How does that feel? To have chosen something to devote your life to and to be informed by your employer that you aren’t worth having on the payroll?"

First of all, the snaky remarks I had made were regarding the Minnesota Senate race.Yet, the comments were personal shots against those of us who became statistics. This is what we are encountering on our computers, televisions, and newspapers, as well as from some politicians. President Obama has signed the Jobs Bill and Housing Bill with the optimism that they will help the American people. Some Republican Governors such as Bobby Jindal of Louisiana , Sarah Palin of Alaska, and Mark Sanford of South Carolina are threatening to reject the monies being offered, are they ideological opportunists or Governing for the people of their respective states? I can venture a guess what their ailing constituents may think...

People in America who believe in aspects of Democratic Socialism have been ridiculed over the years, being called everything from unpatriotic, to "pinko commie". However, when the curtains are drawn, behind them are Americans of every class, every political color, and every race, after all they are all still American. While the Bills signed into law may have spending you do or do not agree with, it is critical in these times that we call on our officials to "promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty" and not put their future aspirations ahead of the people. It is also in the best interest of our fellow citizens to recognize the times are a changin...and when it comes down to it, we are all vulnerable and all affected .

Mayor Virg Bernero of Lansing,Mi. takes on Fox News

Leave it to Murdoch owned New York Post

The Rupert Murdoch owned New York Post ran a cartoon comparing the unfortunate event of Travis the Chimp's demise, and the Democratic Stimulus Bill signed by President Obama on Tuesday. While the Post has been historically a right-wing publication, to the best of my knowledge has never been "racist" . It has been made clear that Republican Congressional members, right-wing pundits, journalists, and bloggers hate the idea of helping Americans in need. More or less, they are saying "we don't like your ideas, but we don't have any!"


Reasonable people around the country are sharing in the outrage. To dismiss this as a joke, and suggest people are missing the joke, as the New York Post has,is not only irresponsible, but a step backwards in race relations for our country. They took their statement a step further by slighting Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke loud and clear about how offensive this caricature is. Following the historic election and inauguration of President Obama, many people made it clear they took issue with his race. On so many levels this cartoon is racist. It is widely known that "monkey" has been a term to degrade African-Americans, and while some may not have noticed, there is a "Beware of Dog" sign and yes, both Police officers are white.

One would hope that the Post would issue an apology, but we cannot expect that from Rupert Murdoch. However, it is clear that editorial staff members, and Republicans should and could issue a statement of condemnation .

Mike Papantonio receives Death Threats after appearance on Fox News

Frequent Fox News guest Mike Papantonio received his share of embittered threats from viewers. Mike is better known to the thinking class as a defense attorney, co-host of Air America's "Ring of Fire" , GoLeft tv causes. Mike's sometimes abrasive style of engaging debate is entertainment for his fans and friends, however the Fox viewers see it differently. Following his Feb. 10 , the outspokenness of his "Pap Attack" monologues, and his tireless efforts amongst progressives for civil rights, and environmentalth appearance, Mike was greeted with kind words like these...

"May you die a horrible death from brain cancer you frigging scumbag", and this "Better hope you're on a bail-out list when you start feeling the pain that the great-half-african icon, y'all put up there in Our face, falters again, and again, there won't be enough stimulus to keep your sad voices on the air,"

Keep in mind, Jim Adkisson of the Unitarian Church shooting in Tn. last year was a Fox viewer who hated liberals. His home was littered with the writings of Sean Hannity, Bill O' Reilly and their ilk.
What seemed to ruffle the feathers of host, and viewer alike was Mike saying "Republicans are a one-trick dog." I happen to agree with him. Since the historic election of Barack Obama , the right has been whining about tax cuts, the Fairness Doctrine, Socialism, and "spending". However, they forget about the spending the GOP was doing for the last eight years that assisted us in the direction we've been heading. While I wish a safe return to the airwaves for Pap, staying off Fox for a week might be wise.

Compliments of Lee Camp

Republican target Rep. Barney Frank spars with Jim Demint

Appearing on a panel on ABC's This Week, Rep. Barney Frank and Senator Jim Demint spar over the stimulus plan and tax cuts. While Republicans are delivering the newly spirited claim "Oh my! Just look at the spending", the win here goes to Mr. Frank for pointing out they did once worry about spending in Iraq.

The after Super Bowl

With all the celebrating and cheering for the Super Bowl, I wanted to take minute and commend Think Progress and Marcy Wheeler for mentioning the Arizona Cardinal who could not appear in the big game.

"I speak, of course, of Corporal Pat Tillman, who left the NFL after 9/11 to serve in the Army Rangers. Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. For months after his death, he was used as a propaganda tool to glorify Bush’s failed wars. The exposure of the truth behind Tillman’s death has since turned him into a symbol of the duplicity of the Bush Administration, the fight for the truth, and the futility of the war itself.

The New York Times writes that Tillman will not be forgotten this weekend. Soldiers will watch the game “from a U.S.O. center in Afghanistan that bears Tillman’s name and was built with money donated by the N.F.L. in his memory.” Tillman’s jersey, emblazoned with his number 40, is the best selling item on the team’s website. “It’s great,” said former Arizona quarterback Jake Plummer, who was Tillman’s college and Cardinals teammate and a close friend. “But in the grand scheme of things, it all kind of stinks because he’s not around.”

Here is an interview of our friend Jeff Farias and Pat's Mother Mary Tillman

The RNC's latest move to be relevant

The Republican Party has taken another step to find themselves and selected Former Lt. Governor Michael Steele to chair the RNC. After being called the party of "old fat white men" for years, they have chosen another ideologue to look diverse. While Michael Steele is respectable on certain levels, his positions on numerous policies are no different than the likes of Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh. Granted, Steele is not the embarrassment you get in the likes of Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnell, or George W. Bush,as he regularly will appear on Fox with a demeanor that is engaging.Although, he is clinging to falsehood that the 1994 power grab by the GOP, "Contract for America" is a good thing. While that campaign was spearheaded by Newt Gingrich, it served as nothing but to define the party, much like we witness today, the "party of no".

While the message of the Republican Party has been murky since the initial (s)election of Bush in 2000, the party faithful struggled to stay on track. Now they find themselves bloodied after two election cycles in which they continued their fall into the abyss. If your rhetoric is more tax cuts and Iraq was a good policy, you are stymied. Failing to recognize the needs of a country and the needs of our troops in harms way and offering no plan is not the strategy of leadership. When asked about what plans the party has, Steele as I mentioned, refers to policies that got us where we're at, Rep. Cantor's response this weekend, when asked of the "plans" of the GOP, he responded "I will get back to you".

We can only hope the party of "NO " does not resort to biting the ear of their Democratic opponents as Michael Steele's former brother in-law Mike Tyson did in the ring. Continuing on their current path of irrelevance, which could slide even more in the coming days does have a benefit, Democrats will be able to do work on behalf of their Districts and states truly represent the American people.

Mike Malloy vs. a Ditto Head

Thom Hartmann at Common Dreams on the "The Two Santa Clauses"

This weekend, House Republican leader John Boehner played out the role of Jude Wanniski on NBC's "Meet The Press."

Odds are you've never heard of Jude, but without him Reagan never would have become a "successful" president, Republicans never would have taken control of the House or Senate, Bill Clinton never would have been impeached, and neither George Bush would have been president.

When Barry Goldwater went down to ignominious defeat in 1964, most Republicans felt doomed (among them the then-28-year-old Wanniski). Goldwater himself, although uncomfortable with the rising religious right within his own party and the calls for more intrusion in people's bedrooms, was a diehard fan of Herbert Hoover's economic worldview.

In Hoover's world (and virtually all the Republicans since reconstruction with the exception of Teddy Roosevelt), market fundamentalism was a virtual religion. Economists from Ludwig von Mises to Friedrich Hayek to Milton Friedman had preached that government could only make a mess of things economic, and the world of finance should be left to the Big Boys – the Masters of the Universe, as they sometimes called themselves – who ruled Wall Street and international finance.

Hoover enthusiastically followed the advice of his Treasury Secretary, multimillionaire Andrew Mellon, who said in 1931: "Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate. Purge the rottenness out of the system. High costs of living and high living will come down... enterprising people will pick up the wrecks from less competent people."

Thus, the Republican mantra was: "Lower taxes, reduce the size of government, and balance the budget."

The only problem with this ideology from the Hooverite perspective was that the Democrats always seemed like the bestowers of gifts, while the Republicans were seen by the American people as the stingy Scrooges, bent on making the lives of working people harder all the while making richer the very richest. This, Republican strategists since 1930 knew, was no way to win elections.

Which was why the most successful Republican of the 20th century up to that time, Dwight D. Eisenhower, had been quite happy with a top income tax rate on millionaires of 91 percent. As he wrote to his brother Edgar Eisenhower in a personal letter on November 8, 1954:

"[T]o attain any success it is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything--even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon 'moderation' in government.

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt [you possibly know his background], a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Goldwater, however, rejected the "liberalism" of Eisenhower, Rockefeller, and other "moderates" within his own party. Extremism in defense of liberty was no vice, he famously told the 1964 nominating convention, and moderation was no virtue. And it doomed him and his party.

And so after Goldwater's defeat, the Republicans were again lost in the wilderness just as after Hoover's disastrous presidency. Even four years later when Richard Nixon beat LBJ in 1968, Nixon wasn't willing to embrace the economic conservatism of Goldwater and the economic true believers in the Republican Party. And Jerry Ford wasn't, in their opinions, much better. If Nixon and Ford believed in economic conservatism, they were afraid to practice it for fear of dooming their party to another forty years in the electoral wilderness.

By 1974, Jude Wanniski had had enough. The Democrats got to play Santa Claus when they passed out Social Security and Unemployment checks – both programs of the New Deal – as well as when their "big government" projects like roads, bridges, and highways were built giving a healthy union paycheck to construction workers. They kept raising taxes on businesses and rich people to pay for things, which didn't seem to have much effect at all on working people (wages were steadily going up, in fact), and that made them seem like a party of Robin Hoods, taking from the rich to fund programs for the poor and the working class. Americans loved it. And every time Republicans railed against these programs, they lost elections.

Everybody understood at the time that economies are driven by demand. People with good jobs have money in their pockets, and want to use it to buy things. The job of the business community is to either determine or drive that demand to their particular goods, and when they're successful at meeting the demand then factories get built, more people become employed to make more products, and those newly-employed people have a paycheck that further increases demand.

Wanniski decided to turn the classical world of economics – which had operated on this simple demand-driven equation for seven thousand years – on its head. In 1974 he invented a new phrase – "supply side economics" – and suggested that the reason economies grew wasn't because people had money and wanted to buy things with it but, instead, because things were available for sale, thus tantalizing people to part with their money. The more things there were, the faster the economy would grow.

At the same time, Arthur Laffer was taking that equation a step further. Not only was supply-side a rational concept, Laffer suggested, but as taxes went down, revenue to the government would go up!

Neither concept made any sense – and time has proven both to be colossal idiocies – but together they offered the Republican Party a way out of the wilderness.

Ronald Reagan was the first national Republican politician to suggest that he could cut taxes on rich people and businesses, that those tax cuts would cause them to take their surplus money and build factories or import large quantities of cheap stuff from low-labor countries, and that the more stuff there was supplying the economy the faster it would grow. George Herbert Walker Bush – like most Republicans of the time – was horrified. Ronald Reagan was suggesting "Voodoo Economics," said Bush in the primary campaign, and Wanniski's supply-side and Laffer's tax-cut theories would throw the nation into such deep debt that we'd ultimately crash into another Republican Great Depression.

But Wanniski had been doing his homework on how to sell supply-side economics. In 1976, he rolled out to the hard-right insiders in the Republican Party his "Two Santa Clauses" theory, which would enable the Republicans to take power in America for the next thirty years.

Democrats, he said, had been able to be "Santa Clauses" by giving people things from the largesse of the federal government. Republicans could do that, too – spending could actually increase. Plus, Republicans could be double Santa Clauses by cutting people's taxes! For working people it would only be a small token – a few hundred dollars a year on average – but would be heavily marketed. And for the rich it would amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts. The rich, in turn, would use that money to import or build more stuff to market, thus increasing supply and stimulating the economy. And that growth in the economy would mean that the people still paying taxes would pay more because they were earning more.

There was no way, Wanniski said, that the Democrats could ever win again. They'd have to be anti-Santas by raising taxes, or anti-Santas by cutting spending. Either one would lose them elections.

When Reagan rolled out Supply Side Economics in the early 80s, dramatically cutting taxes while exploding (mostly military) spending, there was a moment when it seemed to Wanniski and Laffer that all was lost. The budget deficit exploded and the country fell into a deep recession – the worst since the Great Depression – and Republicans nationwide held their collective breath. But David Stockman came up with a great new theory about what was going on – they were "starving the beast" of government by running up such huge deficits that Democrats would never, ever in the future be able to talk again about national health care or improving Social Security – and this so pleased Alan Greenspan, the Fed Chairman, that he opened the spigots of the Fed, dropping interest rates and buying government bonds, producing a nice, healthy goose to the economy. Greenspan further counseled Reagan to dramatically increase taxes on people earning under $37,800 a year by increasing the Social Security (FICA/payroll) tax, and then let the government borrow those newfound hundreds of billions of dollars off-the-books to make the deficit look better than it was.

Reagan, Greenspan, Winniski, and Laffer took the federal budget deficit from under a trillion dollars in 1980 to almost three trillion by 1988, and back then a dollar could buy far more than it buys today. They and George HW Bush ran up more debt in eight years than every president in history, from George Washington to Jimmy Carter, combined. Surely this would both starve the beast and force the Democrats to make the politically suicidal move of becoming deficit hawks.

And that's just how it turned out. Bill Clinton, who had run on an FDR-like platform of a "new covenant" with the American people that would strengthen the institutions of the New Deal, strengthen labor, and institute a national health care system, found himself in a box. A few weeks before his inauguration, Alan Greenspan and Robert Rubin sat him down and told him the facts of life: he was going to have to raise taxes and cut the size of government. Clinton took their advice to heart, raised taxes, balanced the budget, and cut numerous programs, declaring an "end to welfare as we know it" and, in his second inaugural address, an "end to the era of big government." He was the anti-Santa Claus, and the result was an explosion of Republican wins across the country as Republican politicians campaigned on a platform of supply-side tax cuts and pork-rich spending increases.

Looking at the wreckage of the Democratic Party all around Clinton by 1999, Winniski wrote a gloating memo that said, in part: "We of course should be indebted to Art Laffer for all time for his Curve... But as the primary political theoretician of the supply-side camp, I began arguing for the 'Two Santa Claus Theory' in 1974. If the Democrats are going to play Santa Claus by promoting more spending, the Republicans can never beat them by promoting less spending. They have to promise tax cuts..."

Ed Crane, president of the Libertarian CATO Institute, noted in a memo that year: "When Jack Kemp, Newt Gingich, Vin Weber, Connie Mack and the rest discovered Jude Wanniski and Art Laffer, they thought they'd died and gone to heaven. In supply-side economics they found a philosophy that gave them a free pass out of the debate over the proper role of government. Just cut taxes and grow the economy: government will shrink as a percentage of GDP, even if you don't cut spending. That's why you rarely, if ever, heard Kemp or Gingrich call for spending cuts, much less the elimination of programs and departments."

George W. Bush embraced the Two Santa Claus Theory with gusto, ramming through huge tax cuts – particularly a cut to a maximum 15 percent income tax rate on people like himself who made their principle income from sitting around the pool waiting for their dividend or capital gains checks to arrive in the mail – and blowing out federal spending. Bush even out-spent Reagan, which nobody had ever thought would again be possible.

And it all seemed to be going so well, just as it did in the early 1920s when a series of three consecutive Republican presidents cut income taxes on the uber-rich from over 70 percent to under 30 percent. In 1929, pretty much everybody realized that instead of building factories with all that extra money, the rich had been pouring it into the stock market, inflating a bubble that – like an inexorable law of nature – would have to burst. But the people who remembered that lesson were mostly all dead by 2005, when Jude Wanniski died and George Gilder celebrated the Reagan/Bush supply-side-created bubble economies in a Wall Street Journal eulogy:

"...Jude's charismatic focus on the tax on capital gains redeemed the fiscal policies of four administrations. ... [T]he capital-gains tax has come erratically but inexorably down -- while the market capitalization of U.S. equities has risen from roughly a third of global market cap to close to half. These many trillions in new entrepreneurial wealth are a true warrant of the worth of his impact. Unbound by zero-sum economics, Jude forged the golden gift of a profound and passionate argument that the establishments of the mold must finally give way to the powers of the mind. He audaciously defied all the Buffetteers of the trade gap, the moldy figs of the Phillips Curve, the chic traders in money and principle, even the stultifying pillows of the Nobel Prize."

In reality, his tax cuts did what they have always done over the past 100 years – they initiated a bubble economy that would let the very rich skim the cream off the top just before the ceiling crashed in on working people.

The Republicans got what they wanted from Wanniski's work. They held power for thirty years, made themselves trillions of dollars, cut organized labor's representation in the workplace from around 25 percent when Reagan came into office to around 8 of the non-governmental workforce today, and left such a massive deficit that some misguided "conservative" Democrats are again clamoring to shoot Santa with working-class tax hikes and entitlement program cuts.

And now Boehner, McCain, Brooks, and the whole crowd are again clamoring to be recognized as the ones who will out-Santa Claus the Democrats. You'd think after all the damage they've done that David Gregory would have simply laughed Boehner off the program – much as the American people did to the Republicans in the last election – although Gregory is far too much a gentleman for that. Instead, he merely looked incredulous; it was enough.

The Two Santa Claus theory isn't dead, as we can see from today's Republican rhetoric. Hopefully, though, reality will continue to sink in with the American people and the massive fraud perpetrated by Wanniski, Reagan, Laffer, Graham, Bush(s), and all their "conservative" enablers will be seen for what it was and is. And the Obama administration can get about the business of repairing the damage and recovering the stolen assets of these cheap hustlers.

Barack Hussein Obama takes Oath of Office

Randi Rhodes, Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, and Joe Madison on Supporting our Troops

Turning the Page

The "End of an Error is upon us, and while I am not a religious person, I thank the heavens above. Expectations are high for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as they should be, but a nation that is beaten badly, is as resilient as it is behind them. We must take a look at reality here, miracles are not going to happen. Yet, having someone in place who recognizes the realities of his own life, gives us "Hope". Spending the last 8 years challenging an Administration on issues such as War, minority rights, the environment, torture, foreign policy, and a laundry list of other disasters, what can we expect?

Well, it is conceivable that an Obama White House will have us either rolling our eyes at moments, or smiling upon our country. I have always said "If I agree with someone 100% of the time, then I am the idiot", I stick by that standard. That said, I expect the incoming Administration to recognize the outrage displayed over the last number of years to influence poor decisions made. "Yes We Can" was an addictive campaign slogan, it worked, and it was all inclusive, and it had it's detractors out in droves. From old friends to family members, I heard it all. The Sean Hannity talking points, to whatever the National Review or Heritage Foundation was pushing, or even "Socialism". I truly hope we see some better days ahead of us...we need it.

It is expected by many, myself included, that nothing will come of any investigations into Dubya, and Cheney and their misdeeds. Nothing will likely transpire, which I find disheartening. Although, "looking forward" is a promise we hope to see kept, but should crimes be repeated, we need to be there. While this week is filled by honoring Martin Luther King Jr., celebrating a new era in American history, and enjoying the music of Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Pete Seeger, and Will I. Am among others, remember this victory does belong to us. The End of an Error! As Barack Obama stated on the campaign trail..."Enough!" We heard him loud and clear and said..."Yes We Can!"

The Young Turks pick apart latest Osama Bin Laden tape

The Franken / Coleman battle for Senate seat carries on

The Minnesota Senate carries on, defeated incumbent Norm Coleman is challenging Al Franken's victory in the courts. While the slim margin of 225 votes could be realistically challenged, the fact that a recount has already been completed shows Franken the victor. The right-wing noise machine is chirping irregularities in the recount, and insist the Minnesota Supreme Court decide the matter. While attorney's from both sides are tirelessly working on their cases, the fact remains is that the people of Minnesota are without one Senator. On her own in the Senate is Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn).

What is evident in all of this, is the Republicans cannot believe they were beat by Al Franken. Hearing the right-wing pundits like Sean Hannity, Bill O' Reilly, and Rush Limbaugh, you could swear that their respective heads were exploding even saying Senator Franken. The former Saturday Night Live Star, and Air America Radio host, and liberal author Franken made a career of picking apart the disastorous decisions of the GOP. This scenario is likely to carry well into the new year, ass the courts will hear the appeals on Feb. 5th . Stay tuned.

Just when you thought he was gone

Today was to be "Dubya's " final press conference, and it was ridiculous. However, he address the country one last time on Thursday night. A primetime appearance that will be his moment where the bothersome press corps cannot ask silly questions. You know, like "Mr. President, could you talk about the alleged WMDs ?" or "Mr. President, could you reflect on any failings of your Administration?" etc.

Of course George dodged these questions as if they were size 12 loafers. When it came to Iraq, "Things didn't go according to plan" Oh really? Or Katrina "I've thought about Katrina," Ok? How about "Mission Accomplished"? "Clearly putting a mission accomplished on an aircraft carrier was a mistake," he replied when asked what he'd done wrong under his watch.
"Some of my rhetoric has been a mistake." Ok, here is the answer of the day "The question is, in the long run, will this democracy survive, and that's going to be a question for future presidents,".

Good riddance to this Son of Bitch! He went to express his gratitude to his critics, really "not hostile", really George? Are you that out of touch? In addition to his blathering today, he spoke of respecting the Constitution, ya know, the same one he called a "Goddamn piece of paper!". Well, tune in, we have one more "moment of reflection" from this President.

Help needed, misery at Michigan pound

1/7/09: Misery For Profit At Michigan Pound
This issue comes up for a vote at the commissioners meeting, 1/12/09
FOR A FORMATTED LETTER (WORD DOC), EMAIL: kinshipcircle@accessus.net
Easily modify letter. Copy/paste it into an email or print letter to fax or mail.


LT PHOTO: She was a sweet, shy yellow Lab named Liz... By all accounts, Liz
should have been adopted quickly, but for whatever reason her time ran out
at the Montcalm County animal shelter in Stanton, Michigan last week... READ
MORE ABOUT LIZ AND OTHER ANIMALS FOR SALE TO RESEARCH LABS:
Michigan Deals with the Devil, http://www.poocini.com/report/archives/964

===========================================================
FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. Sample Letter Follows
===========================================================

Many alerts currently circulating the Internet about Montcalm County's pound
seizure practice ask activists to CALL and/or SNAIL-MAIL comments, rather
than email them: "Please...write a good old-fashioned letter and copy it 9
times. Often when email is sent for something like this the commissioners
will simply hit DELETE."

STREET ADDRESS FOR ALL COMMISSIONERS:
Montcalm County Commissioners
Administrative Building, 3rd Floor
211 W. Main St.
P.O. Box 368
Stanton, MI 48888

Commissioner Marcia Walker
home: 616-754-8236; email: lloydwalker@chartermi.net

Commissioner Tom Lindeman
home: 616-754-4918; email: tblindeman@sbcglobal.net

Commissioner Ron Retzloff
home: 989-235-6827; email: comish@casair.net

Commissioner John Johansen
home: 616-754-5375; email: johm@pathwaynet.com

Commissioner Carl Paepke
home: 616-636-5692; email: johm@pathwaynet.com

Commissioner Ron Baker
home: 231-937-5465; email: rbaker68amx@hotmail.com

Commissioner Pat Carr
home: 989-352-8129; NO EMAIL

Commissioner Roger Caris
home: 989-268-5875; email: rcaris@gccmha.org

Commissioner John McCrackin
home: 989-584-3713; NO EMAIL

City of Stanton, Mayor Robert Burns
225 S. Camburn St.
P.O. Box 449
Stanton, MI 48888
ph: 989 831-4440; fax: 989-831-5756
email: mayor@cityofstantonmi.com

Montcalm County Animal Control
154 W. Quarterline St.
P.O. Box 368
Stanton, MI 48888
ph: 989-831-7355; fax: 989-831-7410

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee validity of email addresses. During
campaigns, recipients may change or disable their email addresses. Emails
from government or corporate websites may be incorrect.

===========================================================
SAMPLE LETTER -- This letter is prepared to inform you about the issue.
Try to shorten and personalize your letter before sending.
===========================================================

Dear Montcalm County Officials:

Please do not send companion animals to research laboratories. I implore you
to cancel the county's contract with R & R Research, Inc. and never again
engage a Class B dealer to dispose of homeless animals.

Behind a lab’s closed doors, animals undergo invasive surgeries, toxic
dosing, food/water deprivation, and prolonged pain. Still, your taxpayers
subsidize pound seizure whether they like it or not. They indirectly fund
animal tests that delay medical progress with misleading results.

It is particularly irresponsible to support animal research when strides in
in-vitro technology, computer automation, and many more animal-free methods
now uncover data relevant to human health and safety.

Clearly, there is no altruism in dealing cats and dogs for research. There
is only profit. In 2006, USDA records reveal R & R Research of Howard City,
Michigan grossed $196,723 from the sale of 621 dogs and cats. Moreover, R &
R flaunts an unethical history. A 2006 USDA citation shows R & R illegally
transported dogs chained to a livestock trailer. In 2005, R & R was cited
for procuring dogs and cats from Howard City, where there is no pound.
Apparently officials sold their strays to R & R.

Before that, the Michigan Attorney General ordered R & R to pull its "animal
shelter" listing in the yellow pages. In the 1990s, a WOOD TV investigative
video portrayed R & R owners gassing animals in a corroded "CO2 barrel."

At the very least, Montcalm officials ought to be embarrassed by their
relationship with a Class B dealer. I strongly encourage you to terminate
your contract with R & R and permanently stop pound seizure -- a shady
practice abandoned by most counties nationwide.

This issue has generated worldwide publicity via the Internet. I look
forward to your feedback.

Thank you

Don't Speak...

John Ziegler, filmmaker and former talk show host believes he is onto something, suggesting the only reason Barack Obama won the election was because of media bias. Referring to it as "media malpractice", Ziegler is making a documentary, and Sarah Palin was quick to oblige. In an interview, Palin, whom we heard enough from during the campaign, chose to accuse Katie Couric and Tina Fey of "exploiting me". She also answered the tough question of what she reads, after a few months thinking about it. What can be gathered here is that, Ziegler and Conservatives would like to say it was impossible for Republicans to have lost. And Sarah Palin would like to blame everyone but herself. One thing is clear, if you thought Palin was an airhead before, it is now confirmed. Sarah....Don't speak...

Happy Friday!

While the news is saturated with criticisms of President-Elect Obama's economic plans, the burning question is "what should we do?". Costs continue to rise for working poor, and mortgages, home energy, food are showing no mercy. Unemployment is now at 7.2%, which is a sobering number to say the least, and many fear by mid 2009 the bottom will drop out. I tend to find that number misleading, since people who's benefits that expired, many stopped looking. Becoming a statistic is all but imminent for numerous workers around the country, as commercial businesses are finding themselves having to close their doors, and the
buildings remain empty.

While Obama's plans will increase the deficit, the hopes are similar to the last stimulus package, with a larger amount of monies paid out. Yet, party infighting and partisan bickering may stall the plans. Economist and liberal columnist Paul Krugman is critical of tax cuts now, Senator John Kerry, an ardent supporter of Barack Obama, suggests larger spending on infrastructure in order to create more jobs. Ron Wyden, Democratic Senator of Oregon, had this to say
"In tough times people don't respond all that well to marginal changes, such as a small amount of money added per paycheck,".

As expected, the Republicans are not swayed by the needs of the people or the country. However, some are willing to work with Democrats to create some sort of plan. They fail however to mention that a large portion of this mess, is policies that they supported. What is clear, is that the President-Elect and members of both parties recognize that something needs to be done. After Fannie-Mae & Freddie Mac, Wall St, and the Auto Industry bailout/loans, the American people are hoping for their assistance. While many pundits on the right are calling the plan a "nanny state" policy , simply cause they are not recognizing the facts on Main St. Others have seen this coming for some time.

Rachel Maddow on the Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Rachel Maddow

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Poor little Ann Coulter

NBC canceled right-wing author Ann Coulter's appearance on the Mondays Today Show, so she appeared on the Early Show on CBS. Perhaps the launch of Media Matters campaign to point out her lies, err, mis-truths in her latest book caught the eyes of NBC's executives? Early Show host Harry Smith, opening the show with these words..."Ann Coulter is in the studio this morning. She has a brand new book ... and in it, she says that I am certifiably insane. Perhaps I am, for having her on the program this morning." As the right-wing , and GOP brand becoming increasingly insignificant, it is not hard to imagine the only place Ann Coulter and her ilk will be welcome is on Fox, alongside Sean Hannity. E.J. Dionne points out in the Washington Post, the thirty and under crowd is leaning to the left.

Thom Hartmann and Bernie Sanders discuss the Employee Free Choice Act

Senator Al Franken!

As the Minnesota Senate recount came to an end, and Democrat Al Franken is the victor...for now. The slim 225 votes, which he held over incumbent Norm Coleman is going to be challenged in court. While this was a hotly contested race, the significant result is that Minnesota now has two Senators. For Liberal Democrats, like myself, it is a joy to have the late Senator Paul Wellstone's seat filled by Al Franken. Norm Coleman's term in Senator Wellstone's seat was an insult, not because of the vile things he said over the years, but that he was President Bush's lap dog, lock-step with the agenda that has our country in a mess.

After Coleman defeated Walter Mondale for the seat following the tragic plane crash that took the Minnesota Senator's life he uttered words like
"I will be a 99% improvement over Paul Wellstone," Norm Coleman declared upon winning.
"Get over it" -Coleman on constituents grieving Paul's death

As I mentioned, declaring Al Franken the victor is going to the courts. Lawsuits are already in the works, as Coleman's lawyers are feverishly began filing in recent weeks. While the courts have favored Franken during the recount, the other issue will be the Republican Party, which numerous members have said they will fillibuster the seating. John Cornyn has stated that the Senate GOP will attempt to block the inevitable seating.






The following video is just class speaking of Paul Wellstone

Fox News? or RNC mouthpiece?

Nearly every independent, liberal, and moderate Democrat will agree, Fox News is a mouth piece for the Republican Party. Fox itself, is always offended when this fact is pointed out. Their regurgitation of RNC talking points on a regular basis has many hoping that some pepcid would be helpful. Their latest gaffe would be New Years Eve, where their ticker had the words "Let's hope the magic negro does a good job". As many know, this was initially a parody song on the Rush Limbaugh Show, and recently used as a Christmas gift for donors from Chip Saltsman.

Saltsman's hopes to become Chair of the RNC are slim after the criticism of his gift giving. For a Party that repeatedly is ridiculed for being the "party of old white men", you would think that maybe they could've of learned something over the last few years. American's are not appreciative of race-baiting.

Paul Jenkins from Huffington Post

When a 19 year-old white supremacist recently gained a seat on the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee, the election created such an outcry that embarrassed local politicians used a technicality to block his seating. The entire process was buffoonish, although the views of the spawn of a grand wizard of the KKK and his supporters were not. Events such as this, or the stunning success of David Duke in Louisiana in 1990, occur every few years within the GOP, a reminder of the party's racist faction. Even more standard for Republicans, especially in the year that saw Barack Obama's election, are the off-key comments about uppitiness, Senators whistling Dixie, and, most recently, a funny little party-endorsed mailer called "Barack the Magic Negro."

All of this stupidity, and hatred, is a symptom of the larger problem for the Republican Party: it is utterly unrepresentative of America in the 21st century. Its Congressional representation is nearly uniformly white, and overwhelmingly male. So much so, in fact, that there is not one single African-American GOP member of Congress (out of 219 or 220); nor, for that matter, are there any black GOP Governors (out of 22). There are just four Republican Latinos in Congress, all Florida Cuban-Americans; one of them, Senator Mel Martinez, has announced his retirement. He is the only non-white or Hispanic GOP Senator.

The current Republican party is so absurdly out of touch demographically (and, of course, politically) that the election of just one Asian-American Congressman in a fluke special election in New Orleans had the leadership gushing for days that the "future is Cao," a creepy play on the name of the new member of Congress. Left unsaid was that Ahn Cao's success came after the Democratic incumbent's corruption-related problems became too much for even this overwhelmingly Democratic district, and that the Republican is unlikely to survive electorally in a 2010 general election. Also left unsaid by the happily bewildered GOP leadership was the complete lack of support given to Cao by the national and state Republican parties. Cao, in fact, was one of the numerous sacrificial candidates, often women or people of color, whom the Republican party puts up in races that are impossible to win. It just happens that in this case the Asian guy won, and so "the future is Cao."

Of course, we know this is not the case. John McCain lost by a margin of 90% among African-Americans, and 2 to 1 among other ethnic and racial minority groups, and young people. The future hardly belongs to a party who is falling further and further behind among the fastest-growing demographic groups, and among those who will be voting for decades to come. Republicans' problems go well beyond their dreadful record of the past decade and their wrong-footed policies, although neither helps. As it shrinks, the GOP is becoming ever-whiter, more male, more Southern, more Christian-centric, and increasingly unable to appeal to voters, or potential candidates who do not fit its narrow mold. Besides the Cao novelty, the party's hopes seem to be resting on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and on Sarah Palin, which says a lot about the GOP's difficulty in recruiting diverse talent, partly because of the party's stringent litmus tests on social issues. Toeing the line, Jindal and Palin are both religious extremists, one of whom veils his social views under the guise of business-like competence, the other behind her down-home manner. Both achieved a measure of success by being elected Governor, but neither is exactly presidential material: there is little more to say about Palin's inarticulate ignorance, but as for Jindal, his first order of the day in Louisiana was to go on an oil-money-fueled spending binge that has come back to haunt him after just a few months. So much for McKinsey-an efficiency and competence.

Even non-white members of George W. Bush's cabinet appear to have turned on the party: people like Colin Powell, who heartily endorsed Obama, or Condoleezza Rice, who seemed at her very happiest the day after Obama's victory. The last African-American GOP member of Congress, J.C. Watts, who retired in 2002, is equally as disillusioned, not to say anything of potential candidates such as Charles Barkley, a one-time Republican with aspirations to Alabama's governorship, who says the Republicans "lost their mind." And so the GOP trots out the same sad losers, Michael Steele of Maryland, and Ken Blackwell of Ohio, who have achieved little more than secondary elected office in their respective states, both losing in landslides when they sought a bigger job.

Conservatives have for years hidden behind a disdain for quotas, political correctness and diversity gone wild to explain away the everlasting supremacy of white men in the Republican Party. The subtext, of course, is that selection, and election, is based on competence, not gender, race or ethnicity. And that the most competent simply happen to be white men. Always. Unless they are Sarah Palin or Clarence Thomas, whose nomination would have been a joke were its consequences not so long-lasting (his latest achievement, besides a bitter, angry, hate-filled book was to refer to his colleagues at the Supreme Court a frivolous case about Obama's citizenship.)

Let's be thankful for one thing about Bush's presidency: the white male leadership of the Republican Party showed the world once and for all that its cronyism, corruption and discrimination completely outweighed any shred of competence. And that it can no longer count on white votes to carry its divisive, prejudiced agenda, both because there are proportionately fewer white voters, and because outside of the Deep South and Appalachia, white voters are increasingly disgusted by the Republican Party. GOP leaders, not all stupid, have seen this coming for some time now, as one predominantly white suburb after another has fallen to the Democrats. And so for years they have been hanging their hopes on the perceived social conservatism of African-American and, especially, Latino voters. The 2008 elections put the final nail in that coffin, as even with the specter of same-sex marriage, supposedly conservative non-white voters stayed away from the GOP in numbers larger than ever before despite the stock Republican gay-baiting. For those of them who did want to take a stand, in California, Florida and Arizona, for instance, they voted against same-sex marriage rights and for Democrats. This presents a challenge for progressive Democrats, certainly, but one that pales in comparison to what the fast-shrinking GOP faces. Another fiasco by Republicans this year was their latest attempt at swaying Jewish voters away from the Democratic party, especially in Florida, this time with accusations that Obama, among others, is weak on Israel, and hints that he was a Muslim. The result: just 1 in 5 Jewish voters picked McCain. Perhaps the fact that there are only three Republican Jews in Congress (versus 42 Democrats) should have been a hint that there was far more work to do there than simply brandishing the specter of Islam in the White House. And that the party's rush to out-Christian itself is probably unlikely to appeal to people who are, well, not Christian, including Jews, Muslims, and agnostics, to name a few.

To compound the problem, the Republican Party is threatened by a bubbling religious war pitting younger evangelicals and Catholics against their more socially stringent elders. If the GOP cannot hold on to the most religious of Americans because they are more concerned with social equality than with, say, sexuality, it is doomed. Young people in general turned on the Republican Party's candidate with repulsion this year, and he hardly represents the party's most socially conservative wing. McCain received just 32% of the vote among 18-29 year-olds. Considering that about one in two young people consider religion "very important," that leaves a big chunk of very religious young people who did not vote for the Republican candidate. And if they don't, who will?

It was all supposed to end very differently: the Republican Party's Southern strategy, which seemed to many so cynically brilliant as recently as the turn of this century, has backfired so badly that even parts of the South, such as Virginia and North Carolina, are now dominated by Democrats, and not the old-school segregation-era Democrats. These new Southern Democrats come in all colors and both genders and they range from the most socially progressive to others who would have felt quite at home in the more moderate Republican party of old. The failure of the GOP's Southern strategy is also in evidence in one often overlooked respect: the election of candidates by electorates of a different race or ethnicity. Obama is, of course, the most extremely visible example of this phenomenon, but there are others, including in the South. In Georgia, for instance, the 2nd district's Representative, Sanford Bishop, who is African-American, has been comfortably reelected several times despite redistricting that has given his constituency a slender white majority. The same goes for Mel Watt, one of the most progressive members of Congress, an African-American elected in a narrowly white majority district in North Carolina. Conversely, the Memphis area Congressman is white and represents a district that is nearly two-thirds black. In total, there are over two-dozen seats nationally that are represented by members who are in a racial or ethnic minority in their own constituency; half of these are African-Americans, many of them in the Midwest (Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Kansas City) and in California. This represents a sea change from just a decade ago, when it was considered far-fetched to believe that a black candidate could be elected from a district that was anything less than 60% African-American.

The 1992 redistricting piled up non-white voters into congressional districts dubbed "minority-majority," to increase non-white representation in Congress. Republicans eagerly embraced the new take on voting rights, as they felt it would make dozens of white-majority districts less competitive for Democrats. There was also much hand-wringing among Democrats for the same reason, and some even argued that there was no point in increasing non-white representation in Congress if it meant that the party would never again regain power. Obviously, things have turned out quite differently for the Democrats, whose Congressional majority is now as strong as it has been in decades, thanks in part to its robust diversity, and to a growing indifference to race and ethnicity.

It is no coincidence that at the same time, the GOP has shriveled into a more uniform party than at most times since the 1960s. Like a restricted country club that would rather die than change, the Republican Party is marginalizing itself for the sake of the white men who run it. "Barack The Magic Negro" and Palm Beach aryanists are just the more bizarre manifestations of a party that has wallowed for so long in the privileges of its white male supremacy that it does not even realize that everyone has left the plantation, and they are not coming back.

A Happy New Day....

When one is a political junkie with opinions, it is easy to get overloaded to the point you are sure your head will explode. That said, it is also sometimes difficult to be a Maple Leafs fan. Toronto fan fav Curtis Joseph, on his second stint in the blue and white earned his 450th career victory.

At age 41, a rocky start to the year, and likely his last season, the classy veteran had this to say-

"This is my dream job and sometimes you don't realize it until you're gone,I've got some ruby red slippers."

Congrats Cujo!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!

Off the Record with World Party

Zbigniew Brzezinski on the Gaza conflict, schools Joe Scarborough

The endless conflict between Hamas, Palestinians, and Israel leaves room for so much blame to go around, and, yes, the United States has a hand in this. From it's conception in 1948, the division of two states has struggled. The United Nations, the U.S., and England among others have long tried to broker a peace treaty and/or a cease fire to no avail. While both sides cannot accept all of the blame, the world hopes that somehow rational minds will someday prevail. Condi Rice, to her credit has devoted endless trips to the Middle East intending to extend the cease fire which has expired.

As President-Elect Obama watches closely, and plans his plan for brokering a deal. Both sides should hope that he models his effort after that of Presidents Carter and Clinton. Both which saw some success. Ideally, he will demand that Hamas, whom was Democratically elected start behaving like it. Some factions have already adhered, but radical groups that are tolerated, have to be dismantled.

This morning's Morning Joe on MSNBC, featured Joe Scarborough ranting on the glory of Dick Cheney with Mike Barnicle. Following that, he got a lesson on the conflict from his co-host's father Zbigniew Brzezinski, former Carter National Security Advisor.

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Desperate Measures

Desperate times, generally call for desperate measures, but is America prepared for it? The economic chaos that far too many Americans find themselves in, is leading to practices the law does not look fondly upon. Robbery, drug dealing, and prostitution has been quick cash for years in America. However, are we headed down a fatal path? I was told a story this evening about a man in Westland,Mi. who was being pursued by authorities for armed robbery of a retail outlet. Fleeing from authorities, the suspect entered a local neighborhood. In his pursuit of safety, he went into an unlocked garage. Officers combed the streets and spoke with homeowners, and one eventually suggested they look in her garage. The astonishing part of this story, is that while we generally have respect for officers, the police sent the woman in the garage first, where she and the man stood eye to eye. This woman is my friend and one of my bosses, and what she expressed to me after telling the story is what is hopeful for all of us. Continuing the story, she mentioned how too many people are driven to this, they "snap" and we have to recognize that. Good on you Becky.

These stories are not far fetched in Metro Detroit, it never ends in a city that has been begging for a bailout for decades. Gamblers are angry that the ATF raided a local bar for gambling, friends and family are grieving the death a 27 year old prescription drug dealer who U.S. Marshalls shot 18 times after he barricaded himself in his home for 10 hours, the rash of auto theft in the area. I mention these stories, well knowing there are thousands of these around the country, but these are in my immediate area. Look at where we are America? Unemployment claims are at a 26 year high, and people are scared. This does not justify the actions of criminals, but it does make one wonder whether or not the wounds that ail America are self inflicted? Bill Maher was spot on when he stated that we look a "little silly waving the big foam #1 finger chanting USA, when we rank 67th in this, 42nd in that and on and on".

I don't have any answers, I only have questions. With health care providing looking more like thieves than caretakers, Wall St. looting the federal reserve, the Big 3 in turmoil, trade agreements making the working class obsolete, and federal funds to essential social benefits being cut quicker than the melting ice caps is it any wonder we are here? With a newly elected Congress and President-Elect we see a glimpse of rescue, but the roads we must travel in the next handful of years are full of twists and turns that some won't survive. While this post of cynicism lacks any self deprecating humor I usually indulge in, I hope it serves as a reminder that while we all were walking on sunshine after Barack Obama became the 44th President, the work ahead is going to require diligence and compassion.

HappyMerryChristmasKwanzakuh

To all my friends, I wish a safe and Happy Holiday! So, do not fret, 2008 is almost over. Enjoy the company of friends and family this season. While so many of us worked so hard over the year, looking for change (some of us literally), we have a new year ahead of us. The real work begins, with first wishing everyone a Merry Christmas or whichever you choose to call it nowadays. Then the vigilant work of the New Year.
Thank you all for the support, friendships, and effort.

What happened to Religion...or was it always this way?

President-Elect Obama's Pastor woes continue to be a problem. Inviting Rev. Rick Warren to give the invocation on Inauguration day has been a slap in the face of gays and lesbians and those who advocate for the rights they deserve as much as you and I. While Rev. Warren has earned his success with a tone in which he defined "the only difference between James Dobson and myself is tone". Really Rick? Admitting that comparison is not only an insult, but you should feel ashamed.

Obama's campaign, with pride and good intention spoke of being all inclusive if elected, and is holding true to that promise. My question is though, at what cost Barack? The gays and lesbians that volunteered for you are now standing up for the rights that were granted to them by the courts. Yet, Rick Warren was one who stated that the best he could do while supporting the removal of these rights was supply protesters with water and donuts. Extremists from any religion is a bad thing, and the moment we recognize that, the better off we become. Rick Warren states we are all going to heaven, if that is the case shouldn't we make it easier for those living here now? Denying someone rights in the name of the Holy Bible is the real abomination. Now that Obama has defended his choice of Warren, committing himself to be all in inclusive while alienating hundreds of people that supported him. I ask, Barack what was wrong with Rev. Welton Gaddy? or Jim Wallis? As a follower of Christ, and not religious at all, I vehemently disagree with this choice, do not see it as "Change" we can believe in.

Joel Mchale and Keith Olbermann talk shoes

The last few days has been full of shoe talk, more so than some women I know. However, as funny as this has been, what the Iraqi reporter is facing as a result is quite harsh. Muntazer al-Zaidi is in court today, and is looking at anywhere from 5 to 15 years for his actions. Some analysts have suggested a few different scenarios, A.) Maliki is facing re-election, and given the reporters new found popularity, and the protests in the streets, this will pass. B.) The U.S. Government could intervene and extradite al-Zaidi to the states. C.) The charges will be dropped. Afterall, Maliki is not Saddam.

The severity of the charges are an insult, almost as insulting as the shoe throwing itself. The Arab culture considers "having ones shoe thrown at you a great insult". It would be appropriate, at this point for our President to intervene. George Bush was not harmed, had a chance to duck a journalist, once again, and the incident provided endless humor for the world. As much disdain as I have for Bush, I do not wish him harm, but the charges brought against al-Zaidi, if convicted would be another crime against humanity.

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