Blue Dog Democrats must go

Blue dog democrats are politicians who are more conservative under the democratic label and become indecisive on progressive legislation. They tend to come from states where republicans are usually dominant. Recently, they are the people who are preventing a public option or a health care bill from being passed. They are giving the republicans what they want which is a delay on health care reform and increase the vulnerability of it not being passed due to this stall. How do we combat these weak-kneed, indecisive, and anti-progressive democrats? My answer is to challenge them in the primaries and to pass legislation without their help if possible.

Primaries are supposed to be a time for candidates of a party to compete for the party's nomination. For some politicians they do not have to worry about this because they have become the default nominee and likely to win re-election. The majority leader of the senate is Harry Reid of Nevada. I do not know what to call him, but I call him a wimp. He caves to republicans on issues and does not block filibusters. He becomes a victim to them and lets filibusters kill bills in which it is not supposed to succeed as often. Harry Reid today has said that the vote on health care will be passed the august recess and enter into the fall. This is not leadership. This is caving into the republican party and putting the democrats at risk. We need to put progressive democrats in Congress instead of wishy washy indecisive little assholes who prefer money over constituents. I would be happy to see Harry Reid lose his seat even if it means a republican takes over it. It would mean that the senate will have someone else become majority leader.

In the senate it does not take 60 votes to pass something. The republicans easily passed legislation with less than 60 votes. If the health care legislation does not pass with an effective public option, then the democrats and President Obama are more at risk of losing seats. The blue dog democrats are not loyal nor do they care about real change. President Obama has to show some fight. He has to go and twist arms of politicians. How do you think the Civil Rights Act got passed? Lydon Johnson had to twist arms to do so. President Obama goes on a press conference last night and gives his usual talk. We did not need to hear that Mr. President. We need to hear you say that there will be bo august recess, that Mr. Bum Head Baucus needs to get his asshole together and to say to hell with bipartisanship. This is America. We do not need positive rhetoric that lacks the action. Mr. President, show some fight or you will be shown the door out of the white house.

Affirmative Action and the Sotomayor hearings

There are many Americans, particularly on the conservative edge, who believe that affirmative action is a gift, a pass, a lack of qualification for non-whites in this country. However, little to these people who are uneducated about this issue realize that all people who benefit from affirmative action have the qualifications to get into school, job position, etc. It is a benefit for this country to have this affirmative action because it is an attempt to level the playing field regardless of one's sex, race, or economic status. Also what many opponents of affirmative action fail to see is that most beneficiaries are women. People who benefit the most from affirmative action has nothing to do with race.

Since the conception of America, and before it, there has been a privilege for white men. White men were the presidents, CEOs, landowners, and among the wealthiest for centuries. Now we are at a time in our nation where people who are not white and are not men are getting the chance to opportunities. Non-whites who get promoted or accepted are seen as not qualified because of affirmative action. An attack on affirmative action is an attack on diversity in the workplace, schools, and society. It privileges a status quo that lacks a diversity necessary for a society to thrive. Becoming one culture, language, race, sex is what a status quo of America has been. Without affirmative action we will see a society become whiter, more masculine, divided, and a place for stereotypes to strengthen.

Sonia Sotomayor's hearings to become the first latina supreme court justice has brought the issue of affirmative action to surface. Republicans have attacked her for a statement about her being a "wise latina" as if it was a statement against white men. Republicans know that she is going to be approved, so they have played the race card as a means for political gain among the people who are uneducated about affirmative action and propose this as something that is working against white men of America. Pat Buchanan has been all furious over Sonia Sotomayor arguing that it is pushing whites back in society. He ignores the historical record of the world and especially in America. He does not recognize slavery as a legitimate discussion that have set black people back in America. He has tried to distract serious discussion of affirmative action by tryin to pain it as something that hurts this nation (of white men) and uses his uneducated beliefs of affirmative action to stir up the Sonia Sotomayor hearings as racial rather than arguing her experience as a judge and how she can perform on the supreme court.

The Republicans in the senate have disgraced latinos and other non-whites across the country that they do not matter unles you are Clarence Thomas. The Republicans are completely offbase when it comes to diversity, race relations, representation, and observing history of America. In the hearts of guys like Pat Buchanan 1950 was America and 2009 is a place that goes against their values of society. Sonia Sotomayor has been attacked and she still has performed her expertise of communicating and following the law as during the hearings. The future for Republicans is looking poor with non-white voters with these statements and views they have shown on affirmative action.

What does it mean to erase a deficit?

Lots of conservative people like to always discuss about the budget deficit and some see as doing nothing as an option. That the market will work itself out. Now, I am not an expert on economics or know much about the stock market (I find these areas kind of boring), but would it make sense that doing nothing results in nothing? This is not a fight between a married man and woman where doing nothing can help in certain situations, but this is an economy. These are peoples lives who depend on an income and services to live their lives. Now do we expect to erase the whole deficit that the U.S. has? Not in my lifetime. If we are to focus on the deficit as if it is the most important thing that many conservatives stress, then places that depend on funding from the government in order to operate. Like our educational system. Are we to just ignore it in the name of erasing a deficit? Conservatives have to understand that there are areas that we cannot ignore funding. Now why do we not reduce the amount of funding for our defense department or homeland security? I would not mind eliminating the department of homeland security. However, we cannot ignore the deficit either. I believe that there is an overemphasis on the matter of the American deficit. We do not abandon ship on matters of the environment, education, health care, and creating jobs in order to eliminate a deficit which I see as not possible.

What is America's solution? Well we need Americans to be able to consume in order to get the economy running well again. My state of Illinois is experiencing a budget crisis, but there is something that I do not hear from conservatives. Again I am not an economic expert, but how do we eliminate debt without raising taxes? Gov. Quinn of Illinois has to raise taxes in order to fight the debt. Many people are not happy about taxes because of the societal influence from republicans who have used taxes as a scare card to get elected. When taxing it is important to see who is getting taxed. I agree that the people who make the most money should be taxed the most. This is because there are many people who do not make anything close to the top 1% of Americans make. What also angers many are cuts in spending where people are laid off, organizations struggle with less money, and more people struggle to make a living. There have to be cuts, but not to the point where people are being hurt to an amount that is unbearable.

When it comes to such topics as I discuss here I speak in general terms because this is not a stronghold for me. I do not know jack about much economic problems, but this does not mean I cannot form an opinion or possible solution that can work. And this does not mean I have to agree with conservatives, libertarians, or wall street on what we have to do. I do not agree in doing nothing and I do not agree with letting the rich get away with paying less taxes. This becomes a top-down approach and the matters that are dependent on such government funding cannot die because we have to eliminate a deficit.

Obama has to be tougher

President Obama has to become tougher on republicans and twist the arms of conservative democrats to push through legislation in Congress in order to be able to pass health care with a public option, push through economic legislation without the compromise through republicans that would make the bill weaker, climate change bills (in which the recent one was barely passed in the house) and other legislation that is representative of progressive values. We need progressive measures passed in order to move forward as a nation. It is not about trying to be seen as nice, bipartisan, a good guy, or a man of good speeches. It is about representing the American people and they have elected democrats over the republicans in hopes that things can be done. We have had four years of George Bush as president in which a disastrous war in iraq, the lack of help in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, illegal wiretaps of the American people have all occurred. The Patriot Act which curtails on the rights of Americans' privacy. A No Child Left Behind Act that did the complete opposite of its title. This is part of what has happened the last eight years. Americans have changed their mind and support candidates with alternative ideas.

Obama has to be tougher or else the republicans will gain more power. Democrats have said they need 60 votes in the senate to pass more progressive legislation, but that is not true. There is a culture in the democratic party that tries to ignore conflict, be too nice, and compromise the American peoples interests. So this leaves a republican party with no interest in the American people and the democrats who are selling out the American people. The democrats have gained power because of the faults of the Bush Administration and the republican leadership. The democrats have gotten lucky and now have the opportunity to fight back with more power, but instead give the villain a helping hand who will pull the democrats off the edge. Obama has the most power in the democratic party (and of the nation) therefore he must assert strength in issues of health care, education, the environment, economical measures, and in forming a plan that can bring a progressive agenda to this nation. He has to draw the lines in the sand, tell the republicans what is and is not acceptable, and if they do not want to play to hell with them.

President Obama must be a fighter. A boxer does not win without throwing punches. Trying to run away from the opponent and make peace gives you a black eye. There is only one thing the reepublicans want and that is political power. They want to be back in charge and will do whatever they have to in order to acquire it. Harry Reid has demonstrated the utmost spinelessness of a politician by surrendering to the republican party because of a threat to filibuster. The republicans created somethign called a "nuclear option" which killed a filibuster and passed a bill when they were in charge. Now that the democrats have the power it shows that republicans can prevent progressive legislation by simply scaring Harry Reid (a former boxer by the way). The democrats will not be in power forever and I expect them to lose a couple of senate seats in 2010 midterm elections.

President Obama ran on the element of change in America with the wind of progressives to push him past Hillary Clinton to go on and win the presidency. One enters a new world when in such a higher political position. President Obama needs the people in order for change, however, he is not acting on such matters right now. Though it is less than a year since he has taken office, he can assert toughness on Congress and play the bully pulpit in order to make the lives of all Americans better. It will help the democratic party and any lack of toughness makes their power more vulnerable. They can easily shut off the republicans, but they keep on letting them do their own thing which is to prevent any legislation that can help the American people. Health care and the economy are the current issues right now in which toughness is necessary. It is time for President Obama to close his smile and twist some arms.

Public Option is a Must for health care

In Washington D.C. we have a Congress that is debating whether to include a public option, in which Americans will have a choice to join in on a public plan by the U.S. government to have health insurance. It is a way to bring competition to the health insurance companies. Currently, these insurance companies are deciding who gets to have health care and who does not. They are given the ability to make large profits off of the suffering of the American people. Though a single payer system is not possible right now, which would give all Americans the accessibility to health care, a public option is our best shot. The Clinton Administration failed to provide health reform and in our present day it is mandatory to succeed. If there is failure on this issue it is a huge setback for President Obama's administration and possibly a one term presidency for him.

The opponents of a public option, known as the republican party and possibly some democrats, have to put aside any contributions or support they have received from insurance companies and look at humanity. This should not be about politics, but it is. Politicians who oppose such measures of health reform need to realize that the health of a people is the life of our nation. Why should anybody in our country suffer, go bankrupt, or die because they cannot pay for health insurance or receive access to health care without being financially destroyed? This is an act of inhumanity. We have to care for each other. There are issues in which politics does not have to be a key agent in the final legislation. The ability for someone to not fear getting sick due to the costs of our health care system is a must. Instead republicans and other politicians who oppose these measures are playing politics. They worry that they will be setback from something that will help their own constituents.

This is not socialism. This is not a takeover of government against the people. Such fear tactics must die and the life of the American people is to not be setback because of such costs. This is 2009 and this country still has to get in the program of helping Americans in which the rest of the Western world has already accomplished.