Various Reasons

Well after 7 months of absence, I'm back posting. Much has occurred in life, good and bad, tought and easy and all of it with a purpose. Work is good, family is good, music is suffering and that's just in my life. I promise to be more diligent in posting in the future. Thanks for your patience.

Spiritpark

That Damn Russert

I woke up on this Father's Day ready to have a nice time with my family and then I just went and did it. I turned on Meet the Press. There is Tim Russert with three heads of the largest Oil Companies in the world, softballing them on our energy issues of the day. I never cease to be amazed at the horrible job this man does when he's supposed to be asking tough questions of ANY guest who appears on the show, no matter what their station in life or position in the government or private business. Russert and perhaps George Stephanopolous are the most egregious examples, (I'm not even putting anything that Fox News reports even in this class of shows as it's a blatant Republican talking point from beginning to end), of people who don't do their job yet seem to coast right along in their jobs as hosts of shows that are watched by many many people. The horrible truth is that along with softballing guests and other punditry class members, these two men also represent a larger problem that exists in television as a whole. You have people who are all making substantial sums of money, living nice lives interviewing other people who all make substantial sums of money, or who already got rich and are now participating in decimating policies that are meant to do minor things like, KEEP A MIDDLE CLASS! Talk about living in a parallel universe! It's like going to a party with all people of one mind and talking about how screwed up the rest of the world is because, for whatever reason, these people aren't living in the same world we are!! It's up to us, the public, to demand that these hosts, in addition to the editors and reporters in the print media, start doing their job. Asking the hard questions of whomever. It doesn't just have to be Republicans, even though they are in charge of everything right now, but of Democrats, Independents and anyone else who is interviewed and/or reported on. We need to keep the pressure on. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but Ned Lamont is a prime example of someone we need to support, if not for any reason than to bring Old Joe to account for his Holier than Thou attitudes and behavior over the last 18 years.

Do something, anything to put the pressure on. Write to these people, Russert, Stephanopolous etc.....let your voice be heard!!!!!

another puffpiece

I just read David Broder's column in the Sunday edition of the Washington Post. It's a softball piece, pro Lieberman and dismissive of Ned Lamont. When will these inside the beltway guys get it. There is another world outside of DC and it's possible that some of the elected representatives, i.e. Joe Lieberman, can actually be not only out of touch with reality but also out of touch with the values and political sentiments of the majority of voters in their party. Lieberman is like the person who will kill his friends and family rather than be held accountable for his actions. He will kill his party to hold onto his perceived power in the Senate. His actions and statements are antithetical to the values that the democratic party stands for and he needs to be held accountable for his actions. He needs to answer to the voters, not only thru honest and open debates about his record and the issues of the day, but also for his actions in the Senate. Of particular interest to me and many others following this issue, Liebermans' continued undermining of party unity and desire to have it both ways on controversial issues, is enough to bounce him from office. I hope that in the days and weeks to come that the heat gets turned up on old Joe so he has to stand up and be accountable, not to the Washington press corps, or the entrenched corporate interests he is so close to, but to the voters of his state whom he has screwed time and time again. For Whom the Bell Tolls? It tolls for thee, Old Joe.

Yeah Yearly Kos!!! Go Ned Lamont!!!

Hopefully you have been paying attention to the Yearly Kos Convention that occurred in Las Vegas over the weekend. From everything I've read, the event was a smashing success, putting the blogosphere on the map of the mainstream media like never before. Coverage on major news programs, in major newspapers and of course important postings by the participants themselves. As an avid reader of Firedoglake, I've been enthralled at the impassioned postings and information provided in reference to the sins of Senator Joseph Lieberman and the strengths, energy and vision of his primary oppponent Ned Lamont. I encourage you to visit Mr. Lamont's site and to not only spread the word, but if possible donate to support a true Democrat and Progressive. Old Joe is so out of touch with his constituents that he is betraying every value that is dear to any Democrat. The party establishment needs to hear from us and a way to do that is to support and send Ned to the Senate instead of old, tired and out of touch Joe. Eighteen years in the Senate is enough, time to ride into the sunset old timer.

Starting Off or is it Starting On

It's Sunday evening June 11, 2006 and today is the initial posting of what I hope to be an informative and daily discussion on the events of the day. Many bloggers are commenting on different issues and doing so wonderfully well. I hope, in some small way to add to this discussion and it is my hope that I will add some cogent points and possibly help to move the discussion forward in a way that is beneficial to us all.

So let's get started:

I just finished Glenn Greenwald's excellent book - How Would A Patriot Act? Defending American Values from a President Run Amok.

If you've been following the news in any way over the last couple of years, you may have heard about some of the amazing and truly scary things that our current President and his minions are engaging in. In particular, signing statements, expansion of presidential power etc. etc.

Mr. Greenwald presents cogent and well thought out legal explanations and reasons as to why the actions and desires of the Bush Administration are truly dangerous and how it's our patriotic duty to understand not only what they are doing but to have the citizenry and the elected representatives in government actually do what they should, by carrying out their constitutionally mandated duties and short circuit this whole enterprise.

Of particular interest to me and something that I would like to see more discussion on, is the concept some conservatives have espoused for some time called the "Unitary Executive". As best I understand it, the Unitary Executive concept is something akin to being a King. Checks and Balances are minimized through the acceptance that the President and his administration can do what they wish, when they wish, as long as they feel it's necessary. Should they need to, and only if they feel it is necessary, do they have to either inform Congress and the American People, or belatedly ask for validation/funding after the fact. I think you could see that this could lead to a level of fascism this country has never seen.

Not being an attorney, I can't speak from a legal perspective, but from what I've read so far, it seems that for any elected representative to go along with this is not only a dereliction of duty and an abandonment of their constitutional role in this government, but also a betrayal to the very people who have elected these people to represent them.

I could go on and on and probably will at some point. I'm learning this as I go and would be the last person in the world to say I'm an expert at this or that I understand the intricacies of posting etc....but I hope to continue to improve this site and thru daily effort, create something that you'll want to come back to each day.

Peace Out