Popular Opinion Starting to Stack Up Against Obama's Plan

As much as many of us voted for Obama and are inclined to back him up, this whole Wall Street/AIG Bonus/Failing Economy situation is starting to turn to shit. Writers, politicians, economists and just plain folks are starting to despair about the President's plan to deal with the current crisis.

For an excellent overview of the dire straits the country is in, and what Obama is going to face if this whole mess goes completely south, read this excellent article by Don Hazen from AlterNet entitled "The Voters' Uprising: President Obama What Are You Thinking?". You won't feel good after reading it, I guarantee you.

Be sure to also read William Greider's article from The Washington Post, and this from Frank Rich of The New York Times. These are gentlemen who want Obama to succeed, and they're not liking what's transpiring these days. And I hope you're also keeping up with Paul Krugman's always astute commentary on his blog for The New York Times. He's not very happy, either.

These are tough times, and Obama must step up to be the kind of President we voted for.

Tax Advantages for the Rich -- Get Rid of Them Now!

I was disappointed to hear, after watching President-Elect Obama's interview with Tom Brokaw yesterday on NBC's Meet the Press, that he and his economic advisers are still deciding whether or not to do away with the Bush preferential tax rates for the wealthy now or simply let them play out until 2011. Even if only as a symbolic gesture towards the reversal of the Bush pro-wealthiest Americans stance, these unfairly-weighted rates must be eliminated and those making over $250K per year must pay more, as they did only a few years ago.

After campaigning on a platform of making the tax system more fair, it is the least that this new administration needs to do, to strike a blow towards more fairness and acknowledgement of the importance of the middle class, which took it in the shorts under Bush. Repealing the Bush tax cuts would send a signal that Obama does not intend on doing business as usual, especially in this very important area. He should also quickly work on the so-called "Death Tax" -- actually the inheritance tax -- advantage which the wealthy have been playing under Bush's regime.

To understand some of the issues behind what the favoring of the upper-upper income class has done to America -- and it's not good -- please read this excellent article from today's AlterNet entitled "The Rich Are Hogging Our Common Inheritance -- We Must Take It Back" by Gar Alperovitz and Lew Daly, authors of the book Unjust Desserts. Here is an interview with Alperovitz and Daly from Dissent Magazine, worth reading, too. (Here is an audio podcast of an interview with Lew Daly, too.)

The unfair Bush tax scheme was one of the key issues for me in the past election. After all of McCain's lying and negative characterization of Obama's plan to make more fair, for the betterment of America's economy, the current tax code, to not do it, and quickly, is simply a mistake. I don't like the message it sends, and I'm with Joe Biden -- if you make a lot of money, paying taxes is your patriotic duty. Read that article -- I think you'll agree with me.

Great Article about Creating a Liberal Media...Finally!

Check out this article by Robert Parry from Consortium News, reprinted on AlterNet, entitled "The Time Has Come to Create a Real 'Liberal Media'". Many good points are made, and of course he's completely correct about the myth of the Liberal Media being, well...a myth. It just isn't so. The Media is about making money. There's no philosophy there, it just seems like the big businessmen who runs these companies all turn into corporate fascists (if they didn't start out that way) because they are, of course, purely motivated by profit, and they've discovered a huge right-wing audience out there.

Right-wing media got its glitz when Rush Limbaugh became a huge personality, and I think until the Left has someone as compelling to its potential audience as Limbaugh was to the Right's, we'll always lag behind.

Fortunately I believe we do have the perfect rising star, with all the right...um...correct qualities, to become our Liberal version of a Limbaugh, and that's Rachel Maddow. She's got it all -- brains, telegenic (which Limbaugh isn't, so she can do radio and TV) plus she's funny, and comedy is something that the Left surely can claim as its own. We all need to support her, watch her MSNBC show, listen to her Air America broadcast, and spread the word about this delightful real Liberal media personality. (I don't mean to slight her MSNBC colleague Keith Olbermann, who is always terrific, too. They both rock!).

I've added links to The Daily Kos, Democracy Now! and Link TV in our sidebar, three consistently good sources for Liberal news and outlook that we should all be checking out on a regular basis. It's up to each of us to support these alternative outlets to the traditional and often biased and even downright crappy news sources.

Read the article -- it will get you thinking!

Article by Michael Moore, Post-Election!

Great article by Michael Moore, who has been a tireless voice for change, on the significance of the Obama-Biden victory! "What Will It Be Like To Have A Smart President?" is the title of this nice piece, from AlterNet taken from MichaelMoore.com.

By the way, this blog isn't going away, as the excitement is only beginning with Obama's Presidency on the near horizon. Though we started up to get the word out on our splendid candidate, we're not stopping with the wonderful victory. We will continue to share news, articles, photos and other fascinating material which will enlighten and inform us all. It's an amazing new era we're entering, with so much promise, and we don't want to miss a second of it!

Go!! Read!!! Celebrate!!! Look to the Future!!! Be an Informed Citizen!!!!

Great Alternet Article on Ignorance in Politics

In case you've been pondering the weird reality that even in this world where Bush and the Republicans have screwed up almost everything they've touched -- and intentionally so most of the time -- that there are still 40% or so of Americans who would vote them in again. There's clearly one big reason, and this AlterNet article says it all: "The Triumph of Ignorance: How Morons Succeeded in U.S. Politics".

It won't make you feel any better after you read it, but it will give you more motivation to get out the vote for Obama and try to turn back the tide of the "dumb and proud" crowd. It's clear that with an Obama presidency, smarts will be back in style and brainpower will get working again all over America.

Have you paid attention to the horrible education statistics in the U.S.? Though overall high school graduation rates aren't too depressing -- but nowhere near 100% -- they are particularly grim in large cities and among minority and economically-disadvanted students. Somewhere only around half of them graduate, and of course these days a high school diploma is the very least a person needs in order to prosper at all. In addition to those who struggle to get an education, there are those who simply go through the motion and don't absorb anything, including the basic mechanism of how to think.

This isn't good, and it makes for a woefully uninformed public and voter base. Hence, you get voters who can't tell when they're being lied to -- they either don't care to find out or can't understand the simplest cause and effect relationship -- but they sure are susceptible to rabid smears and mindless chanted slogans like "Drill, Baby, Drill." I know I'm not the only one who finds that particular chant very nearly obscene -- ugly and ignorant at the same time.

Anyway, read the article, and hope that perhaps some of those uninformed citizens out there have kept enough common sense, at least, to recognize something good and something wise when it's in reach. And that something is a Barack Obama Presidency.

Go! Read!! Volunteer for Obama-Biden this weekend!!! Tell Your Friends!!! VOTE!!!

Great AlterNet Article on the Psychological Underpinnings of Politics

I've read several articles the past few months on this fascinating topic -- that people may be genetically hard-wired to certain reactions that impact what kind of politics they are drawn to. In a generalized nutshell, if you're easily scared, you might gravitate toward authority figures who make you feel safer, and tend to support Republicans. That's a huge over-simplification, but do read this great article on Alternet -- "Can You Guess a Person's Politics By Their Personality? Psychologist Team Says Yes" -- for some intriguing findings.

Are people born Democrats or Republicans? Obviously it's not that simple, but when they're describing Democrats -- creative, cluttered, curious -- I couldn't include myself out!

The implications for these findings are probably both good and bad. More understanding of what makes people tick and why could bridge some gaps, but also lead to evermore devious ways to manipulate emotions and push people's buttons. Clearly the McCain camp understands even at this point that many of their base supporters tend to respond to threats, fears and scares, because that's what they're throwing at them in these last days. Obama is countering with reasoned rhetoric and a hope that people will listen and understand and learn that what he offers them will be helpful and good for them and the country.

Completely fascinating stuff!

Go! Read!! Support Obama and Reason!!! Volunteer for Obama-Biden!!! VOTE!!!

Parsing Palin's Persona

There's an amazing and 100% blood-chilling article on AlterNet by Jill Hussein about Sarah Palin's particular brand of personal ambition, and it's horrifying and undeniable. It's a corollary to Bill Maher's excellent rant from my previous post here, so be sure you watch that for yet another view on SP's disqualifications, which are many.

You will also want to listen to this excellent excerpt from Air America radio's Clout program hosted by Richard Greene. In this segment -- "Palin-tology" -- he explains the two sides of Sarah Palin. He's dead right about what Palin has been specifically programmed to do and say, and what that means to the United States and this presidential race. This show is from last Friday, the day after the Vice-Presidential debate.



Of course the overall choice is between Obama and McCain, but the presence of this woman on the Republican ticket has many implications and none of them can be ignored or underestimated.

Read! Watch! Listen! Volunteer for Obama-Biden NOW!!!

AlterNet Scores Again with More Palin Facts!

Do not wait to read this important article detailing "8 More Stories About Palin the Public Needs to Know" on AlterNet. Despite the mainstream media halo placed around McCain's cynical and disturbing choice -- and you do realize it's just because they're chasing ratings, right, and that Big Media makes more money under Republicans, right, and so they want to help get them elected, right? -- the real facts are starting to come out, thanks to publications like AlterNet.

In addition to a slew of alarming political revelations, it seems that Palin also hates cats. Well...say no more.

Go! Read! Spread the truth! Volunteer!!

More Intelligence from AlterNet

The Top Ten Most Disturbing Facts and Impressions of Sarah Palin, by the AlterNet staff.

This has nothing to do with the revelation that her teenage daughter is pregnant, though I am puzzled that all the coverage cites the family's praising of the daughter's "decision" to have the baby. In their anti-choice world, there is no "decision" to be made. There is no choice. I guess there's no birth control, either, but then we know the Republicans hate that, too.

Just read the article.

Another Terrific AlterNet Article!

AlterNet author George Lakoff offers a new article -- "Palin Appeals to Voter Emotions -- Dems Beware" -- a sobering assessment of the emotional factor in the Palin choice, and he's dead on. It's not just about facts and issues -- or about facts and issues at all. Republicans love fuzzy sentiments, and how. Read the article now here!