In yet another setback for Progressives the Supreme Court has rolled back 20 years of campaign finance reforms. In a close 5-4 vote they decided that Corporate America can spend as freely as they wish to influence Congressional elections. This will obviously give Corporate America even more power to use their money to influence elections and is yet another example of our Republic for sale to the highest bidder.
How can we talk about the death and burying in a shallow grave of the public option without mentioning Mike Ross? Yes, this Congressman from Arkansas was the first to blow the trumpet and lead the march among Democrats to commit the heinous murder of real competition in the health insurance marketplace. While Ross has made some good votes in the past, his early salvo against the public option seems to have evolved into a fatal blow.
You know, every now and then the time comes around that you see things the way they are. We thought we had fought for and won a great victory in the last two elections. We thought we had given an inspiring Progressive new President a huge mandate and the Congress he needed to bring about real change in this country. Now, we realize we are being stabbed in the back and that many of the Democrats and those that caucus with them in office are no better than the Republican crooks that preceded them. It is time that these folks are exposed for what they are and we realize who really controls our government. No better example of a lying backstabber can be found anywhere than treasonous Joe Lieberman.
You know, every now and then the time comes around that you see things the way they are. We thought we had fought for and won a great victory in the last two elections. We thought we had given an inspiring Progressive new President a huge mandate and the Congress he needed to bring about real change in this country. Now, we realize we are being stabbed in the back and that many of the Democrats in office are no better than the Republican crooks that preceded them. It is time that these folks are exposed for what they are and we realize who really controls our government.
Here in Kentucky's First Congressional District we are represented by Exxon Ed Whitfield. It is no secret to many of us here that he has been for sale every since he was elected. The Congressmen voted in on the "Contract with America" pledge to serve two terms is now running for his eighth term. It seems the money rolling in is too much for him to resist.
Man, the Republican Party. If you want to get a good insight as to how hypocritical these folks are all you must do is look at the folks they worship. Dick Cheney can lie about wars that kill thousands and cost a trillion dollars of American treasure, as well as treasonably out a CIA agent but he is a Republican hero. Carrie Prejean can pose nude in pictures and masturbate in front of a camera for a man she is not married to but it is OK because she "loved" him and she hates gay people. Oh, but one of the best examples of Republican idiocy and hypocrisy is none other than newfound cultlike celebrity Sarah Palin.
So we are now finding out the answers to some of our questions about which members of Congress actually represent We, the People...and which ones represent, Them, the Corporate Masters.
We have seen a Democratic Senator propose a policy that would put people in jail for not buying health insurance and a Democratic President who has taken numerous public beatings from those on the left side of the fence for his inability to ram something through a group of people...and yes, folks, the entendre was intentional.
But most of all, we’ve been asking ourselves: “why would Democratic Members of Congress who will eventually want us to vote for them vote against something that nearly all voting Democrats are inclined to vote for?”
Today’s conversation attempts to answer that question by looking at exactly how money and influence flow through a key politician, Montana’s Senator Max Baucus—and in doing so, we examine some ugly political realities that have to be resolved before we can hope to convince certain Members of Congress to vote for what their constituents actually want when it really counts.
Sorry for the lack of posts, I have taken up a second job and time is limited. Today, there was a lot of news on the Healthcare front. It seems as if everyone is having some kind of problem or another with the way things are going. We have Corporate Democrats and Republicans who seemingly want no reform and are stalling for time, we have others calling for the states to take responsibility for a public option, and we have union middle-class workers crying foul for being expected to sacrifice even more as the drama rolls on.
The current debate on healthcare has shown us many things. It has shown us that many people in this country will believe anything you tell them. It has also shown us that many people have short memories. They show rage at what they percieve as government waste and encroachment on American rights but were mysteriously mum as the Bush Administration wasted a trillion dollars in Iraq, crashed our economy and wasted close to another trillion to insure the robber-barons in the banking industry and on Wall St. were bailed out.
Who is profiting handsomely by the debate over Universal Healthcare?? The almost 50 million people who are without coverage who may finally have the chance to afford it?? Businesses who need an affordable alternative to offer insurance to their employees?? Well, no it seems the only ones really profiting from the debate right now is the Blue Dogs, who are being bought off by the business and insurance sectors to do just what they are trying to do, block any real reforms.
Boy it is not hard to figure out why single-payer was taken off the table. It is not hard to realize why even a Public Option is now suddenly threatened. With folks like Max Baucus being bought off daily, no wonder doing the right thing has been so hard. Come to find out, ol Max is making a bundle off the Healthcare debate and it is likely shaping the way the bill will end up looking like in that Chamber.
The complete and total hypocrisy of the Republicans sometimes is too much to bear. I seem to remember one party totally in power for six years that gave birth to all the failed policies that crashed our economy. That was the Republican Party with Boehner as one of it's "leaders". Now he is worried about a lot of things that used to make him happy.
(Welcome To Hillbilly Report thanks for the diary - promoted by Hillbilly)
Following the money trail for Congressman Geoff Davis, we can see there is a clear connection with the special projects he has requested this year. This seems to expound on the details just released by Fourth Congressional District candidate John Waltz when he stated, “Countless times these earmarks have a singular goal, which is to line the pockets of politicians and to me that is not good governance of the taxpayer's money.” (http://www.johnwaltzforcongress.com/blog/2009/04/17/sensible-governance-of-taxpayers-money/)
Looking at the Cincinnati Airport project, we can see that the Kenton County Airport Commission's Executive Director Stephen Hatfield Contributed $250.00 to Davis' campaign last year, which might seem like a trivial amount but is the tip of the iceberg.
The Transit Authority of Kentucky is seeking a no-bid contract to procure $1,584,000 for a bus replacement program, which in turn awarded Davis with $7,400 in contributions from Dale Furtwengler who sits on the TANK Executive Committee.
The last contribution for projects comes from Ashland Inc. who is seeking over $6,000,000 in funding requests. The award for Davis in this instance comes to a grand of $8,000 from the Ashland Inc. Political Action Committee for Employees.
Many Kentuckians are tired of business as usual where their politicians are bought and sold to the highest bidder. It appears that Davis feels that his role as Congressman is to seek the greatest number of contributions in exchange for pet projects to keep him in power. It is time we put a leader in Kentucky's Fourth District who is a man of the people for the people and will govern under the auspice of what best serves the people.
