I was just doing my usual Sunday routine, watching CNN, browsing the internet, getting ready for my Monday morning commute when Don Lemons of CNN broke in to say that President Obama will be making a major announcement. A major announcement? On a Sunday?
And so–the speculations began on Twitter. At about 10:40 PM, John King of CNN stated, that according to his sources, the news President Obama was getting ready to broadcast to the world was that Osama bin Laden is dead!
I stared at the television as the words left King’s mouth, and I felt the news, this particular news, should have been given by the President himself. But as the initial shock wore off, a sense of relief came over me…and then the flashback.
On September 11, 2001, I was working on Wall Street. No, not as a broker, but in another capacity. And I remember the havoc and horror as I stood, with thousands of people, literally three blocks from The World Trade Center on the corner of Broadway and Pine Street, not sure what was happening, but sure that whatever it was, something major was taking place. We all stood together trying to make sense of the scenes taking place all around us.
Then the second plane hit and we all knew, collectively, that we were under attack. People began leaving the area. Others, like myself, continued to stay and watch. Downtown Manhattan was in chaos. I remembered looking up, way up, and saw what I thought were debris falling down from the WTC. I later realized that what I thought was debris, were in fact people.
And as news began to circulate that other planes were hijacked we became angry. Then the first tower came down. We ran, knowing that many lives were lost.
Two more towers fell and 3,000 more innocent lives were lost.
And now, 10 years later, President Obama at about 11:35PM, announced that on his command, American troops entered Pakistan and killed Osama Bin Laden, the man responsible for the attacks on America in 2001.
It’s a joyous time here in America and around the world!
Watching the last couple of hours of the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, aired on television this morning, was like having front row seats at a black tie comedy club! The President, showing his adeptness at adding some well needed humour to the absolute madness that is his life right now, was crackin’ on everything from the Birthers to Matt Damon! And Seth Meyers, head writer of Saturday Night Live?…I was laughing so hard I ended up having a coughing fit!…
BTW, Keep your eyes on Trump when the jokes turn on him…priceless!
Now, I don’t have a problem with any company or industry being rewarded for their success. The incentive of healthy profits is what fuels entrepreneurialism and helps drives our economy forward. But I do have a problem with the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies we’ve been handing out to oil and gas companies–to the tune of $4 billion a year. When oil companies are making huge profits and you’re struggling at the pump, and we’re scouring the federal budget for spending we can afford to do without, these tax giveaways aren’t right. They aren’t smart. And we need to end them.
Ron Paul, the Libertarian who caucuses with Republicans in Congress, wants to get rid of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security… and he’s running for President of the United States in 2012 with those cuts on his agenda.
Mr. Paul appeared on MSNBC and was interviewed by Host Cenk Uygur. Mr. Uygur asked Mr. Paul whether or not he will “transition” out of Medicare and Social Security if he became president, to which Paul answered;
“Well, you know, if I can get the people to agree and Congress to agree, yea, that will be my program. It’s to transit out, because this one has failed.”
We pretty much know how the people will respond to having their health care “transitioned out.” A recent poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly oppose cuts to these programs. Among registered voters, 80% oppose cutting these Medicare and Medicaid. Among Democrats, 92% oppose. 73% of Republicans also oppose cutting these programs and for Independents, 72% oppose the cuts.
And how does the Teaparty feel about these cuts Mr. Paul speaks of? 75% of Teaparty supporters oppose these cuts. Seems Ron Paul is already off on the wrong foot for 2012.
Democrats have filed a complaint with the FEC — Federal Elections Commission — against Mitt Romney, accusing Mr. Romney and his election campaign office of funneling “soft money” into his presidential bid. According to the report;
Strict limits exist under the Federal Election Campaign Act on contributions an individual can make to a federal election campaign, compared with the unlimited funds that can be sent to a PAC by individuals or corporations.
“Credible evidence suggests laws may have been broken by Romney using ‘soft money’ corporate, unlimited donations to fund (his) presidential campaign,” the party said.
Romney has been an aggressive fundraiser in recent years through his national Free and Strong America PAC, based in Lexington, Massachusetts, and state PACs nominally located in Alabama, New Hampshire, Iowa, Michigan, and South Carolina.
Mitt Romney recently made a statement that caused his opponents to question whether the Republican presidential wanna-be is ready for the demands of the office. Mr. Romney, questioned the spending of President Obama in an editorial he wrote for the Manchester Union Leader, saying “Barack Obama is facing a financial emergency…yet his approach has been to engage in one of the biggest peacetime spending binges in history.”
“Peacetime spending binges?” Who would have thought we were living in peaceful times? And this coming from the man Republicans want to take over the job as President Of The United States.
Steven Colbert gives his views on this. A must see…
Who would have thought attending an event as American as apple pie, could wind up getting you thrown in the slammer!
Nicole Sandler, a former Air America radio host and a regular fill in for progressive radio host Randi Rhodes, seems to have made that mistake. She went to her congressman’s town hall earlier in the week and did what most would expect at town hall meeting– she asked questions. Apparently her congressman, Republican Allen West was not in the mood to be bothered by his constituents and their silly questions. He was there to lecture and to let them know what was on his mind, not to respond to their nonsense!
So Sandler was arrested, and as she puts it, “… spent last night in jail and, thanks to the sickeningly awful people at the Broward County Jail was subjected to three hours in solitary confinement in a 7×10 room, and then maced.”
Americans going to town hall meetings to interact with their representative? Oh no, not here! That’s just not how it might go down in this, the land of the free!
Recently, I wrote a article on this blog titled ‘Why Blacks Left The Republican Party’ which sparked a discussion between a co-writer here at EzKool.com, Son Of Man and I. I’ve posted it here:
Son Of Man: Yes, the vast majority of black people in the United States have been loyal to the Democratic party since the days of Roosevelt. It has become quite clear that the democratic party is taking the black vote for granted. Black people in the U.S. have not shown the political savvy necessary to extract the possiblities of what America has to offer, politically & economically speaking. In this 2 party system, the black population’s relationship with the Republican party is so cold that its taken for granted that the black vote will be cast for the percieved ‘lesser of two evils’ in the Democratic party. The black vote shouldnt be automatically Democrat or Republican. The black vote if political savvy were in play would be cast for the party who’s candidates addresses the “black agenda” as presented to them by the black community.
Amy: Well—I’d wager to think that the idea of casting your vote for a presidential candidate that pointedly addresses the “black agenda”, especially if he or she is the first Af-Am president of the the US, or any other ethnicity that campaigns on any particular race’s issue is not very savvy. I think a big problem with many Blacks–like Smiley and West for instance who openly dissed Obama cuz they felt he wasn’t campaigning enough on black issues–should have had the savvy to know that white Democrats were not going to pitch in and help elect him if he had done so. And he couldn’t win with the Black vote alone, obviously. Yes, I know that white candidates do it all the time, but our POTUS is not white. And with a country that’s 15% Black, Obama had to be the adult in the room and show that he was going to be the President for All The People–as corny as that sounds. I think he’s hoping that Blacks will understand this and also understand that he knows the history leading up to him, his beautiful Black wife and kids being in the Whitehouse, and that he hasn’t forgotten who and what was responsible for that. Working on a more “universal agenda” can’t help but include Blacks, right?
Please check out this video on Youtube: “Black Intellectuals Pour Hate on Obama’s Speech!“
Son Of Man: Of course running a campaign as a “black candidate” is not only not savvy, its not right. That type of thinking is not fit for the office of the presidency. Utilizing broad, general tactics to resolve issues that are unique will not work. The economic woes for people of color are far worse than the general population and unemployment numbers for people of color are more than double that of the general population. Would the prescription for a common cold be the same as the prescription for walking pnumonia? is there a difference between an economic recession and an economic depression? The unemployment rate for blacks in the country put the black population at depression status. This needs to be addressed specifically while tending the needs of the countries economic woes in general. Your point seems to be that of an abused wife thats so used to being mis-used, mistreated and overlooked that she herself makes excuses for her abuser. The president must be held accountable to do the right thing, not just whats acceptable to whites. He himself said that he wouldnt govern to be re-elected, that he would govern to effect change. Well the Mr.President act on behalf of whats right and let those who need to catch up, catch up. You don’t digress backwards, you move forwards. If having a blackman in office means we have to continue being the dirty little secret, then put Bush back in office and lets get this thing over with.
Amy: If your expecting one Blackman to rectify an entire race’s indignation in this country for over 400 yrs in just 4 short years–a man who’s American nationality is being challenged everyday, adamantly, by his political opposition, a man who stepped into two wars and a major economic recession his first day in office, a man who’s own party shows division against his policies, a nuclear disaster in Japan, major earthquakes in Haiti,the worst oil spill in the Nations history and a pervasive racism that still beats strong in the heart of this country—than I think you might be a bit delusional. I imagine the changes Obama is setting into motion are of a more tumultuous nature. Like a pebble rolling down a hill and picking up mass and size and speed as it rolls along. Jobs, healthcare reform, education…are these not our issues? What do you propose he do differently? The ball is rolling. You wanna see it get bigger–get him into office for another 4 years.
Son Of Man: Your point is well taken. President Obama’s magnificent steady hand in the face of all that he has inherited has been just that, magnificent. I am not delusional at all. I believe that our president has THE most difficult job of all time. Only a fool would discount what another has accomplished of good. Allow me to share some clarity from the smoke screen provided for you by the circus parading as news. This is INsight from outside the box; If America is going to solve her current woes, she MUST consider the specific issues that plague a significant portion of her population. Issues that America herself had no small hand in creating and perpetuating. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, have you forgotten that its within YOUR lifetime that blacks faced lynch mobs for daring to attend a decent school to be educated? Have you forgotten the counter intelligence programs launched in YOUR lifetime against any black individual or organization that dared to inspire the disinfranchised population? Have you forgotten that the hundreds of years of black chattel slavery made America the richest most powerful country in the world? In the game of politics, its convenient to forget. But in the world outside of the one provided by the ‘powers that be’, know this.… universal law which we are ALL under, does not forget. Guess what. We matter. WE MATTER. We are here. What would I have him do differently you ask? for starters id ask our dear brother president to stop these ludicris wars which are costing tens of billions monthly. Can you imagine what can be done to rebuild and restructure the cities of America in general and the black population in particular? Or dont we matter? The banks certainly mattered when it was time to bail their asses out. How about using the justice dept to investigate why over 50% of the prison population is black males of which the vast majority are incarcerated for drug related offenses when theres not one statistic available that doesnt tell you that white men are the overwhelming majority illegal drug users. How about using some of that military testosterone to stop the atrocities in the Sudan and across Africa? Or dont we matter? Hey, black president must be held accountable by his base, black or not. Busy or not. We matter.
.
Amy: I will concede this SOM: That just as our Africans ancestors have said, “It takes a village to raise a child”, so will it take “our village” to raise this President to be OUR President as well as the rest of the country’s. Hopefully, with constructive criticism, skillfully applied pressure tempered with solid support and confidence, Black folks can strike the balance. And what America does, the world will follow.
As Ezra Grant, our publisher, says: “Obama said yes WE can, not yes I can!“
Peace.
Son Of Man: Just constructive criticism to our dear president and the American family… with love, peace and blessings. Son of Man
———————————————————
Don’t worry, SOM and I are still friends lol!
AND COINCIDENTALLY, one of my favorite writer’s of several genres from science fiction to political discourse, Walter Mosley, appeared on GritTv last night covering a similar topic of discussion with it’s host, Laura Flanders.
In his new book, ‘Twelve Steps Towards Political Revelation’, Mosley says that ordinary people must begin to use politicians as the tools that they are–just as corporations do–and demand what we need from them in an organized, conscientious and informed agenda. It will be the People who will make politicians into the heroes we expect them to be…and that includes our President.
You can’t make this stuff up. A new USA Today/Gallop poll finds that almost 40% of Americans have doubts as to whether Donald Trump is a natural born citizen.
The poll, which questioned 1,013 adults finds that “not everyone is convinced Trump was born in the USA either: 43% say he definitely was born here, and 20% say he probably was; 7% say he definitely or probably was born in another country. Nearly three in 10 say they don’t know enough to say.” That’s 37% who cannot say with conviction that they believe Donald Trump was born in America.
Jan Brewer appeared on CNN this week to discuss her veto of the latest attempt by the Birthers movement to stop President Obama’s re-election campaign. The bill, if it was signed into law in Arizona would have required all elected officials to give proof of citizenship before their name would be allowed on the Arizona ballot. The proof, according to the legislation, would possibly include the candidate’s circumcision records, and was a direct shot at the Birthers claim that President Obama was not born in the United States.
“Well, you know, it seems to me that we have talked about this issue now going on probably two years, and that I believe that most people have reached out and they did their investigations, and it’s become such a huge distraction,” said Brewer. “I for one, I believe that what I have seen, and after speaking with governor — or the prior governor of Hawaii — that indeed he [Obama] was born in Hawaii.” She continued;
“It’s just something that I think is leading our country down a path of destruction, and it just is not serving any good purpose.
“It was a bridge way too far to give one person in the state of Arizona — a partisan person at that — the ability to keep a person off the ballot. And it wasn’t just the President of the United States — it was all the way down the path of allelected officials.
“So, it was something that I felt very uncomfortable with signing, having been a prior Secretary of State. And I think we just really need to move on. Everybody’s had two years to prove, if they wanted to, that he was not born in Hawaii. They haven’t come up with any of that kind of proof.
“So, it just seems to me that it’s more political rhetoric, and that it takes the ball off the kinds of subjects that we all ought to be discussing, and that would be jobs and the economy.”
This cannot be the same Jan Brewer who recently signed the racial profiling law in her state. It simply cannot be!
This town hall by Republican Representative Dan Webster is being considered by most as the most “raucous” yet, where those in attendance shouted down the freshman representative and were even scolded by the police.
A town-hall meeting held in Orlando by U.S. Rep. Dan Webster degenerated into bedlam Tuesday, with members of the crowd shouting down the freshman Republican congressman and yelling at one another.
It could be a sign of things to come for Webster, a staunch conservative in a competitive district that Democrats hope to recapture in 2012. Last week, Webster took heat fromconservative tea party members for not pushing hard enough to cut the federal budget.
But Tuesday, the heat came from the other side.
The event was the last of a series of town-hall meetings Webster has held during Congress’ spring recess, which ends Monday. While the others were civil and largely uneventful, the 300 people at Tuesday’s meeting were so raucous they were scolded by a police officer to act “like grown people.”
It is a policy that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Giving oil companies billions of taxpayers dollars every year in subsidies, at a time when these same companies are making billions of dollars in profits. And the decision to continue these subsidies depends on what side of the political aisle you’re on. Democrats think the subsidies are a waste of money, and Republicans think that keeping the subsidies in place “creates jobs.”
Well, one very powerful Republican leader is sounding more and more like a Democrat on this issue. John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House told ABC World News that taking another look at these subsidies might be the way to move forward.
“We certainly ought to take a look at it,” Boehner said. “We’re at a time when the federal government’s short on revenues. We need to control spending but we need to have revenues to keep the government moving.”
For example, Boehner said big oil companies don’t need the so-called oil depletion allowance, but that taking it away from smaller producers would mean even less domestically produced oil. The allowance allows producers a tax deduction comparable to the break given manufacturers for depreciation of the value of an investment in plants and equipment.
Boehner is the most powerful Republican in Washington and his remarks could signal a significant change of heart. Republicans have blocked attempts by Democrats to curb oil company subsidies.
The subsidies have been a haven for the oil companies. One report shows that while America went through the biggest oil spill in history off the Gulf coast in 2010, “BP was reaping sizable tax benefits from leasing the rig. According to a letter sent in June to the Senate Finance Committee, the company used a tax break for the oil industry to write off 70 percent of the rent for Deepwater Horizon — a deduction of more than $225,000 a day since the lease began.”
The report continues;
“The flow of revenues to oil companies is like the gusher at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico: heavy and constant,” said Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, who has worked alongside the Obama administration on a bill that would cut $20 billion in oil industry tax breaks over the next decade. “There is no reason for these corporations to shortchange the American taxpayer.”
Although John Boehner is considered the most powerful Republican in Washington, he answers to a group of people who believe in corporate welfare. The Teaparty, the so-called grassroots organization, believes that giving money to billionaires under the guise of “trickle down economics,” is the only way to get America back on good economic ground.
With the news of Boehner possibly changing his mind on these subsidies, you can bet there will be marches on Washington by the Teaparty, trying to keep those poor billionaire oil empires off the unemployment line.
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