The wars in the middle-east have dragged on for far too long. As someone opposed to the Iraq War from the beginning, and who realizes we long ago under incompetent leadership lost the window of opportunity to capture Osama bin Laden and do any real good in Afghanistan, it is frustrating to see our party carrying on the disgraceful legacy of men like Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Why carry on a legacy created upon a lie?? What is really frustrating is how many politicians are more than willing to cower in fear rather than speak out about the fact that we have wasted too many young lives and too much national treasure, and quite frankly our troops deserve better from all of us than to have been sent into the wrong war in the wrong places at the wrong time with the wrong equipment and continue to be sent there over and over again.
You know for most of my life being a Democrat in a red area, I have constantly heard one thing. A lot of people here believe in a lot of the Democratic Party's ideals, but always state how they are too cowardly to fight for them when asked why they vote Republican. Well as much during the last few election cycles I have tried to convince them otherwise, this current crop of Democratic leadership who take their base for granted and cater to Republicans seems to prove their point. Now, the President is asking us to keep up the fight. All I can say is President Obama, back at ya...
WASHINGTON, DC, April 10, 1865 (FNS)-The Civil War ended yesterday with the surrender of General Lee's Confederate Forces to Ulysses S. Grant, the Union Commander, at Appomattox.
Although most observers are generally happy with the surrender, many of President Obama's most loyal supporters are livid with the Commander-in-Chief because of the concessions he made in order to obtain the future support of the Southern Senators who will rejoin the body when the next Session begins.
At a media event this morning, Press Secretary Dick Timoneous expressed the President's hope that the formerly Confederate Members of Congress are looking forward to changing the political culture and steering the Nation in a better direction:
"It's time for the opposition to realize that what really matters is putting America first. The President is certain that by offering some concessions now, Southern Senators will look beyond their own parochial interests and do their part to move this process forward."
In his anti-government crusade Rand Paul seeks to leave many folks behind. From the unemployed, to minorities that business owners do not like and now to Kentucky's farmers Rand Paul's heartless campaign to "starve the beast" leaves millions of people behind. Even in a farming state, Rand Paul wishes to end farm subsidies because quite frankly, he does not want Corporate America or the very wealthy to pay taxes. Over here in Western Kentucky that position would threaten many livelihoods.
I wrote this diary, "John Waltz Continues to Show Strength" yesterday when I realized that the Waltz campaign had put up a very strong showing in fundraising for the last quarter. However, now it appears as if I put it up before I realized just how strong this showing really was. You see, as a political newcomer and a Progressive in a red area John Waltz did the unthinkable. He actually OUT-RAISED the sitting Republican Geoff Davis. Even more remarkable is that Waltz smoked Davis in donations from individuals.
Over in Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District a Democrat is emerging that could very well take that seat back. While not on many radar screens, the good folks at the Waltz campaign have really worked hard and it is really showing. Now, they have posted a really great fund raising quarter and stand poised to challenge Geoff Davis for that seat. The race in Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District just got really interesting....
A funny thing is happening all across America. In tea-bag circles and in Washington, Republicans are raising hell about our national debt. Of course, this is an issue we should all worry about. Our debt HAS risen at an alarming rate. However, I think it is important to point out to America that while the Republicans now seem very worried about our debt, they are new to this game. You see, in typical Republican hypocrisy they have run our debt through the ceiling and now seek to lecture all of us on it. They are like a little kid that pours all the milk down the sink drain before they go to bed and then throws a temper-tantrum in the morning because they cannot have cereal for breakfast.
In Kentucky we have some great candidates bidding to pull upsets in the Congressional races. In the Fourth we have John Waltz and in the Fifth we have Jim Holbert. In the Second Congressional District we have Ed Marksberry, no stranger to us here at Hillbilly Report, and definately a fine candidate in his own right. He is ready to go to Washington and fight to once again expand the American middle-class. Today in a press release, he Unloaded on Kentucky Republicans for their "cozy industry relationships".
I was thinking it was just a matter of time. A matter of time until everyone else started to realize what I already knew. John Waltz in Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District has quietly turned into a very viable contender. Waltz has been working hard and one need only look at the money he has raised on ActBlue to be impressed. Now, Democracy for America is noticing the hard work and vision the Waltz campaign is offering and has nominated them as one of the top grassroots campaigns in the country.
In his quest to keep the rich and Corporate America from paying any taxes Rand Paul continually shows us one thing. He just does not get it. Yes, because of his hatred of the federal government his "starve the beast" mentality would actually "starve Kentucky" and deny us much needed federal money. Paul's answer?? Let our cash-strapped state pay for everything itself.
It is really an amazing thing. The more oil that gushes into the Gulf of Mexico, the more Republicans step forward to defend BP. It really should come as no surprise. Republican politicians have long ago sold what little soul they had to the devil that is Corporate America. They constantly defend the greed, lunacy and unpatriotic actions of the greediest and least patriotic among us at every turn. To them, all the folks out of work because of the actions of bailed out corporate America need only get off their lazy asses and get a job. Yes, while they want to hold YOU accountable, Corporate America should not be responsible for anything but sucking up Corporate welfare and taking huge tax breaks and taxpayer subsidies to outsource our jobs.
It's been a while since we had to have a real heart-to-heart, the Obama Administration and I, and last time it was because Rahm Emanuel had been a bit snippy toward those of us who are carrying the water for this Administration.
We need to have another one of those conversations today; this time the circumstances are a lot more positive-in fact, if the Administration follows my suggestions here, we have a real chance to put the Democrats on the road to victory, not just this November, but also in 2012.
What I'm proposing will create hundreds of thousands, if not millions of jobs, and it will stimulate millions more as we create a national source of discount electrical power that can be used by business and consumers alike.
Here's the best part: it's no "pie in the sky" promotion I'm offering here; we've already done the same thing before, it's been working out well for almost three quarters of a century...and even better than all that...my idea first pays for itself, and then...it actually makes the Federal Government a profit, forever after.
You know, as much as Progressives are always forced to speak out against their own party one thing should be certain. When we get a proven, Progressive voice that is not afraid of making the tough votes and fighting for real progress in this country we simply must fight for them. Russ Feingold, no matter what state you are from is a Senator for Progressives everywhere. His record speaks for itself and it is hard to forget when only one Senator voted against the Patriot Act that Senator was Russ Feingold. He has the courage and conviction to stand alone for the right thing, which is a rarity in Washington.
Well, after all the Tea Party banter and everything else in Kentucky's Senate race as Harry Carey used to say, "we have a brand new ballgame". Yes, even with his resounding victory in the Republican Primary after placing his foot in his mouth several times and being reeled in by Mitch McConnell, then joining the McConnell machine it appears as if Rand Paul may not be the odds on favorite in the Kentucky Senate race. According to Public Policy Polling as of today the race for Kentucky Senate is tied.
We keep hearing how this tea-bag movement is some new political awakening of moderates and Conservatives rebelling against the Socialist vision of our government. We keep hearing that it is an arising of all of America that will seriously affect the mid-term elections. Well, it seems as if what we have been hearing about this "movement" is all wrong. You see, the tea party movement is nothing but the same old crap in a shiny new bag.
Poor Rand Paul. He thought he would use the fundraising base of his father and cruise to tea-party victory. What he did not depend on however was his extremist views on just about everything being completely exposed by those who are voting. Now, in a state rich with farming some of those statements are coming back to haunt him as rural Kentucky sees that he scorns them as much as everyone else. Of course, in typical McConnell Republican fashion the Mad Doctor is just flip-flopping and floundering.
It is an enigma I have long struggled to understand. Anyone in the state of Kentucky voting Republican. For a while now we have had mostly Republican representation in the Congress except for the mixed bag voting record of Blue Dog Ben Chandler. Only with the inclusion of Congressman Awesome John Yarmuth from the Third District have working Kentucky families had a solid voice in the Congress on all issues. Now the price of voting against our own interests is catching up with us.
As if his shameful defense of BP, and comments condoning discrimination by business were not bad enough the Mad Doctor a few years back made some comments that sum him up in a nutshell. Far from the soaring rhetoric of smaller government and politicians that are responsible to the people who elected them Paul gave us a keen insight into his real mindset. You see, just like every other politician in the McConnell machine Rand Paul believes if he were to break the law and get caught he should be above that very law and pardon himself.
We all remember "the Architect" of the Bush Administration, Karl Rove. Yes, "the Architect" laid the foundations for trillions of wasted taxpayer dollars in the middle-eastern wars, Corporate Welfare, and deregulation which led to the crashing of our economy. Far from being satisfied with a failed Presidency that spurned a crashed economy, loss of American jobs, loss of American morale and prestige, Rove has moved on to newer things. However as it turns out every thing this man touches turns to failure.
