If at first…

 astroturfing, Birther, debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Politics, town halls, Truth  Comments Off
Mar 232010
 

The United States has had one of it’s toughest years in a generation.

We are engaged in two wars. We live daily with the threat of global terrorism, a belligerent Iran, a fragile Iraq, a defiant North Korea, a precarious Afghanistan and oh yes the worst financial crisis since the great depression…

This year we have faced challenges that may be less dramatic but ultimately just as devastating as the tragedy in the fall of 2001. At that time I might remind everyone the nation came together to face our challenges despite ideological differences. Coming together then required the left to put aside differences from a contentious election for the unity of the country and that is exactly what happened, at least for a time. The Democrats were willing to work with the GOP for the good of the country, hell they were willing to go along with the asinine invasion of Iraq based on manufactured evidence that never exceeded incredulity at least in the eyes of this observer.

But I digress, we were talking about unity… Where has the right been this last year in the face of our enormous challenges? Checked out, whipping up the base, opposing everything that moves all in the name of political gamesmanship. I might also remind the GOP that George W. Bush presided over both the crashing of the planes and the crashing of the economy and even if they despise the idea of Barack Obama their responsibility is to the governance of the country and the problems they were so culpable in creating.

Not that I was present but on a smaller scale it feels like the secessionist movement, a man of color has achieved a status that cannot be processed by an admitted minority of the country and they are ready to stop all functions of the country… even rip the country apart before acknowledging the legitimate leader of the United States of America and work with him in the honest business of the country and it’s people.

Meanwhile Democrats in the face of this hateful rhetoric and fearful hyperbole have passed health care reform without any Republican votes only to have the GOP claim that the Democrats have poisoned the well and they are unlikely to cooperate in the future… are you freaking kidding me? The GOP is threatening not to cooperate? I wonder if “country first” ever meant anything to the GOP and so I can’t resist asking “does it anymore”? The very least the GOP owes this country is a good faith effort at honest debate so let’s start with this. The people didn’t send your sorry asses to Washington so that you could act like petulant children. This is a government of the people by the people and for the people. You work for the people so get off your asses and get to it, step up or step off, secession from the responsible engagement in our government won’t work any better than the south trying to leave to retain attitudes that the country was ready to abandon. If you insist on making yourself useless, the American people would be happy to relegate you to the position permanently, and I for one will help them.

 Posted by R. Paine at 8:23 pm

Surely

 debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Politics, town halls, Truth  3 Responses »
Mar 212010
 

By the time that I publish this post the house will have passed the Senate version of health care reform.

Wow, this has been an incredible process that seems almost more sweet for the extreme hyperbole from the opposing and even occasionally theoretical allied voices. At the end of the day there is still a lot of work to do but certain victories must not be overlooked:

Insurance companies will no longer be able to exclude people for pre-existing conditions.

Insurance companies will no longer be able to rescind your insurance policy when you get sick.

Insurance companies will no longer be able to kick you to the curb to literally die when the cost of your life exceeds a “cap” that they have set beyond which your life is worthless.

The most disingenuous part of the Republican arguments is the ascertain that we are losing freedoms by requiring that the insurance companies can’t throw us on the heap of dead and dying for the health of their bottom lines. We have suffered under the current system for far too long to fall for such hateful and deceitful rhetoric and tonight, finally the United States congress has taken the first step in the greater goal of providing basic health care to the citizens of the United States.

This is far from the last battle in the ongoing war to perfect our union. The healthcare system will still include huge injustices that must be rectified and yet this step changes the dynamic of health care in this country. This will not be the last battle about health care but it is perhaps the most transformational in the history of this country.

Surely this is not the final step.

Surely we have to make the system even more inclusive and comprehensive.

Surely we must stop treating women and their body parts as wedge issues with respect to health care or any other matter of governance.

Surely we must do more…

But just as surely this is a sweet victory and a major step in the perfection of our union.

Yes we did!

 Posted by R. Paine at 6:45 pm

DemonPass

 debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Politics, Truth  2 Responses »
Mar 162010
 

The latest in a long line of Wingnut Media Distractions (referred to as #wmd herein) is the concept that “deeming resolutions” are some kind of Socialistic gambit to sell the soul of America to the ghost of Marx…

Shall we bring a few facts to bear? A deeming resolution was first used in 1933 to raise the debt ceiling (I know it is SUCH a shock that Obama didn’t create ALL of the debt). Republicans used the procedure 36 times in the congressional session encompassing 2005-2006. It is a common tool of the House, not unlike John Boehner.

In this situation it allows members of the House to tell their constituents that they voted for the Senate bill in the context of the fixes to that bill. Period. It allows members to say “I didn’t like the Senate bill but I voted for it because the fixes made the vote palatable”. That is the extent of the situation.

Of course the right is screaming “unconstitutional” like the Democrats had just authorized warrantless wiretapping or something. The truly sad commentary to be taken from this latest kerfuffle is that the media is completely willing to report what the wingnuts are yelling, without bothering to offer any of the context that I happily provide. Gosh I guess corporate ownership really does influence the quality of the “news”.

“Deem and pass” or “DemonPass” or “unconstitutional power grab” is a valid, recognizable tool that has been used by both parties to provide political cover… trying to make it more is just the most recent attempt to distract the media and by extension the American people from the greater debate about the merit of health care reform… Style over substance because let’s face it without the former the GOP’s lack of the latter is glaringly apparent.

 Posted by R. Paine at 7:18 pm

Beware the lies of March…

 astroturfing, debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, media, MediaFail, Politics, Torture, Truth  1 Response »
Mar 152010
 

The situation has reached the level of absurdity. The right in what can only be described as a fit of desperation has decided that for the GOP to survive, the truth must die.

Rewriting history books in Texas.

Purging the “liberal” portions of the Bible.

Agreeing to disagree when presented with indisputable facts that contradict public ascertains.

The GOP seems to have unilaterally decided that the truth has a liberal bias and therefore has no useful place in their politics or pursuit of policy.

Here is the problem, if they manage to gain even a little bit in the mid-terms it will in their mind validate the methods and practices that they have been employing. Can you imagine what the GOP would do if their behavior in the 111th Congress yields electoral benefit? Can you imagine how much more dishonest, vitriolic and hyperbolic they will get if what they have been doing since the election of Barack Obama is the basis for a comeback with respect to legislative power?

The truth must be defended but in order to accomplish that the narrative must be shifted. Politics in the media has devolved into reporting on a competition. Truth has no place in the conversation it is strictly winners and losers. Oh sure the media may give a passing reference to the veracity of a claim here or there but day in and day out the meme continues to be about sound bites and winning the news cycle. The media will not change the narrative if we ask them to. The media will not change the narrative if we scream it in the streets. The media will change the narrative when the truth wins. The media wants to report the results and if the truth wins, that will be the narrative.

So here’s the deal…

We must see to it that truth wins the debate over health care.

We must see to it that truth wins in the debate for real financial reform.

We must see to it that truth wins in the debate for immigration reform, torture, student loans, economic stimulus, Guantanamo, campaign finance, protection of our constitutional values and a hundred other things that the government must deal with…

Then we must see to it that truth wins in the mid term elections.

Beware the lies of March, make certain that that they are not rewarded, not now, not in November, not ever.

 Posted by R. Paine at 8:32 pm

11 Answers…

 astroturfing, debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, Obama, Politics, town halls, Truth  1 Response »
Mar 112010
 

There has been a list of questions bandied about on Twitter today asking for “Thoughtful Obamacare supporters” to answer 11 questions. Starting the conversation with the “thoughtful” challenge while insisting on the “Obamacare” handle is a little petty, but what the hell, you asked, I’m answering.

What does it say that the American polity has consistently rejected a wholesale government takeover of health care for 100 years? What did it say that the country rejected the abolition of slavery for a hundred years?

What does it say that it took one hundred years to secure the abolition of slavery? Are you trying to suggest that a just cause is negated by the time it takes to overcome?

What does it say that public opinion has been consistently against the Democrats’ health care takeover since July 2009? It says that the description “government takeover” is frightening, what public opinion has been against is your demonization  of reform. Of course “takeover” is NOT the reality of the legislation, if it were, we would be talking about single payer and you would have some VERY happy progressives.

What does it say that Democrats are having this much difficulty enacting their health care legislation despite unified Democratic rule?  Despite large supermajorities in both chambers of Congress, including a once-filibuster-proof Senate majority (see more below)?  Despite an opportunistic change in Massachusetts law that provided that crucial 60th vote at a crucial moment?  Despite a popular and charismatic president? This battle has been going on, as you pointed out in the first question for a very long time, if it were easy, it would have been done already. Are you claiming that only things that are easy are worth doing?

What does it say that 38 House Democrats voted against the president’s health plan? It says exactly what every legislative vote says… that someone has a tough election, that someone doesn’t agree with the language, that someone can’t stand the bill. Just like every other bill that has ever been in Congress, to suggest that it “means” something specific and unified is disingenuous at best.

What does it say that Massachusetts voters elected, to fill the term of Ted Kennedy, a Republican who ran against the health care legislation that Kennedy helped to shape? Mostly it says that more people voted for Scott Brown than Martha Coakley. Since many of those who voted for Scott Brown claimed they were dissatisfied with the Democratic choice because the Dems were not supporting a strong public option in the health care bill would indicate that what you want it to mean doesn’t really fit.

What does it say that the only thing bipartisan about that legislation is the opposition to it? It says that no Republicans voted for a bill that is pretty much what they claimed they wanted the last time health care reform was defeated in 1993… Move the goal post much?

What does it say that 39 senators voted to declare that legislation’s centerpiece unconstitutional? It says that there are three branches of government and the legislative is not who you consult to determine constitutionality, that would be the judicial.

What does it say that health care researchers — a fairly left-wing lot — think the Senate bill is unconstitutional? See the last question… Seriously.

What does it say that the demands of pro-life and pro-choice House Democrats, each of which hold enough votes to determine the fate of this legislation, are irreconcilable? It says that abortion is a very contentious issue, pretty much why Republicans have been using it as a wedge issue since the passage of Roe V Wade.

What does it say that House Democrats are actually contemplating a legislative strategy that would deem the Senate bill to have passed the House — without the House ever actually voting on it? What does it say that you ask questions that are not based in fact for the purpose of eliciting a predictable response? YOU asked for thoughtful, you might have tried harder with the questions.

Given that ours is a system of government where ambition is made to counteract ambition, what does it mean that the only way to pass this legislation is for the House to trust that the Senate will keep the House’s interests at heart? What does it say about your questions that the interests of the American people are at best a distant second to the politics of the situation? What does it say that the Republicans have done nothing to solve the health care crisis since they scuttled health care reform seventeen years ago? What does it say that Republicans insists they “want” health care reform and yet rarely add anything, including honest effort at debate to the process? What does it say?


What does it say that the American polity has consistently rejected a wholesale government takeover of health care for 100 years? What did it say that the country rejected the abolition of slavery for a hundred years?

What does it say that public opinion has been consistently against the Democrats’ health care takeover since July 2009? It says that the description “government takeover” is frightening, that of course is NOT the reality of the legislation, if it were, we would be talking about single payer and you would have some VERY happy progressives.

What does it say that Democrats are having this much difficulty enacting their health care legislation despite unified Democratic rule?  Despite large supermajorities in both chambers of Congress, including a once-filibuster-proof Senate majority (see more below)?  Despite an opportunistic change in Massachusetts law that provided that crucial 60th vote at a crucial moment?  Despite a popular and charismatic president? This battle has been going on, as you pointed out in the first question for a very long time, if it were easy, it would have been done already. Are you claiming that only things that are easy are worth doing?

What does it say that 38 House Democrats voted against the president’s health plan? It says exactly what every legislative vote says… that someone has a tough election, that someone doesn’t agree with the language, that someone can’t stand the bill. Just like every other bill that has ever been in Congress, to suggest that it “means” something specific and unified is disingenuous at best.

What does it say that Massachusetts voters elected, to fill the term of Ted Kennedy, a Republican who ran against the health care legislation that Kennedy helped to shape? Mostly it says that more people voted for Scott Brown than Martha Coakley. Since many of those who voted for Scott Brown claimed they were dissatisfied with the Democratic choice because the Dems were not supporting a strong public option in the health care bill would indicate that what you want it to mean doesn’t really fit.

What does it say that the only thing bipartisan about that legislation is the opposition to it? It says that no Republicans voted for a bill that is pretty much what they claimed they wanted the last time health care reform was defeated in 1993… Move the goal post much?

What does it say that 39 senators voted to declare that legislation’s centerpiece unconstitutional? It says that there are three branches of government and the legislative is not who you consult to determine constitutionality, that would be the legislative.

What does it say that health care researchers — a fairly left-wing lot — think the Senate bill is unconstitutional? See the last question… Seriously.

What does it say that the demands of pro-life and pro-choice House Democrats, each of which hold enough votes to determine the fate of this legislation, are irreconcilable? It says that abortion is a very contentious issue, pretty much why Republicans have been using it as a wedge issue since the passage of Roe V Wade.

What does it say that House Democrats are actually contemplating a legislative strategy that would deem the Senate bill to have passed the House — without the House ever actually voting on it? What does it say that you ask questions that are not based in fact for the purpose of eliciting a predictable response? YOU asked for thoughtful, you might have tried harder with the questions.

Given that ours is a system of government where ambition is made to counteract ambition, what does it mean that the only way to pass this legislation is for the House to trust that the Senate will keep the House’s interests at heart? What does it say about your questions that the interests of the American people are at best a distant second to the politics of the situation? What does it say that the Republicans have done nothing to solve the health care crisis since they scuttled health care reform seventeen years ago? What does it say?

 Posted by R. Paine at 8:31 pm

Teabaggers, a primer

 astroturfing, debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, Politics, the media, town halls, Truth  1 Response »
Mar 092010
 

Teabaggers (in the political sense) break down into three distinct types, very different in method, motivation and madness. Let’s bring them out into the light so we can see them for what they really are.

The first are the organizers and lieutenants, they are fully cognizant of the stakes, goals and truth in this battle. The leaders work for very well funded lobbying and advocacy groups largely funded by corporate interests with very real financial motivations, health care reform could cost them literally billions of dollars. For them, the debate was never about a “government taker over” or “death panels” is was always about stopping any restrictions on the obscene abuses of the American people. Denial of claims, dropping coverage, rescissions, pre-existing conditions maximizing their profits on the suffering and not uncommonly death of their customers. The real “roots” of this so called grass roots movement is money in the soulless pursuit of more.

The second category of teabagger is what the country sees, what the media reports on and what largely gets mistaken for a ground swell of populist anger. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t deny that the anger is real it is, the point is that it’s not based any rational understanding of policy proposals let alone disagreement with them. The anger among these people is based in their own fear and prejudices and though some of it is directly manufactured by the ludicrous talking points of the aforementioned lobbyists, they manage to bring plenty of their own hate to the party. These are the group that can do the most damage to the prospects for health care reform but only of we forget who is pulling the strings and what their motives are. Populist anger in the tea party crowd is propaganda, fabricated by power to take more from the powerless.

The final group of teabaggers is the group I worry about, the unstable, impressionable, depressed, repressed, angry misfit just waiting for someone to work them up enough to lose the last tenuous grip on peaceful co-existence in our society. These are the people that hear “government takeover” and start stock piling guns, talk about death panels and they buy and extra ammunition, references to Fascism and re-education camps and who knows what’s next.

The fact that groups like FreedomWorks spread their lies and distortion for greed is bad. Deliberately stoking hate, fear and prejudice for political advantage is deplorable. Wild hyperbole that holds the possibility of inflaming passions in the less stable in the population is stupid, irresponsible and should be called out by everyone along the political spectrum for the good of the country, our democracy and our citizenry.

So as we push through this last hurdle in this battle of the ongoing war for social justice in the perfection of our union. Let’s make sure we maintain a clear vision of exactly who we are going up against, how they are organized, funded, motivated and what their goals are. Let us also make sure that the media cares enough to report to the country not just the anger but the players and the increasingly staggering price of the status quo.

 Posted by R. Paine at 8:24 am

Sowing fear

 Birther, debate, Faith, Glenn Beck, government, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Obama, Politics, Religion, Torture, Truth  Comments Off
Mar 062010
 

Voice a theory like FEMA is building re-education camps, a seed is planted.

Theorize the Census is a plot to leverage political advantage, a seed is planted.

Reinforce the notion that end of life discussions are “death panels”, a seed is planted.

Perpetuate the assertion that the President of the United States is a foreign agent, a seed is planted.

Call for the investigation of public officials with “anti-American” views, a seed is planted.

Suggest lawyers who represent terrorists in our adversarial system of justice, sympathize with the views of their clients, a seed is planted.

Claim that the government, our government elected by the people, wish to enslave those people, a seed is planted.

Publicly declare that our elected President is trying to “destroy the country” a seed is planted.

This is commonplace rhetoric coming from the right for the last year and a half. It is so common that frequently it is not even called out, and even when it is, rarely do those who spout it pay any price, not politically, not socially, not financially. The result of course is people who crash their planes into buildings and shoot people without provocation.

I had a conversation recently with someone that was adamantly insisting that John Patrick Bedell “belonged” to the left because he was a registered democrat… So?

Political affiliation means nothing. People who pull out a gun and start shooting are not well. People who fly their planes into IRS offices are not well. People who send bombs and anthrax through the mail are not well. Being Democrat or Republican is not the problem nor is it a symptom.

The question is how are the parties comporting themselves in the public arena? How do we speak to our countrymen in the struggle for political sway? We all recognize that there are people who are not well, if we recognize the crazy is out there why in the hell should we be alright with politicians, commentators and entertainers speaking to their fears for the sake of politics? Feeding paranoia and driving wedges of hate between the peoples of this nation, estranging people from each other and their government.

Rhetoric that speaks to fear and paranoia for political advantage is reckless. Those that engage in such practices are culpable in the atrocities that they encourage. Freedom of speech protects the communication but doesn’t excuse the speaker from wielding that freedom responsibly.

You reap what you sow… Planting fear, nurturing hatred and growing paranoia may win you elections, but the crop you harvest is pure poison.

If  my words don’t persuade, try these…

“for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

“As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”

 Posted by R. Paine at 11:52 am

GOPcrisy Now… Stop!

 debate, government, healthcare reform, Hypocrisy, MediaFail, Politics, Rachel Maddow, Truth  1 Response »
Mar 032010
 

The GOP in typical fashion is playing to the most malleable of their so called base. The primary methods of whipping up distortions and vitriol would, of course, be through the use of wild hyperbole that isn’t only completely divorced from fact, it never even got married.

Rachel Maddow did a stellar job of pointing out the reach of this repugnant tactic that has infected even the most senior and moderate of the GOP Senators when she called Senator Orrin Hatch for flat out lying about what the reconciliation process, the history of it’s use and the ramifications of utilizing it as a “side car” to the passage of comprehensive health care reform (that video is here).

The Senator responded on Twitter by claiming that the dress down was a “badge of honor” functionally doubling down on the lie and trying to crow about it to his base without ever even bothering to address the fact that Rachel called him out and hands down proved that he lied about the process, the usage and his own support for reconciliation for the Bush tax cuts even though they had a larger negative financial impact with respect to the deficit than the health care reform bill, seriously, a bigger negative impact on the deficit for the benefit of the wealthiest Americans than the health care bill that is designed to help ordinary Americans avoid DEATH.

I have been arguing for weeks that the Bush tax cuts were passed through reconciliation to the tune of 1.3 trillion dollars and the GOP did it with the tiniest of majorities for the benefit of the tiniest of minorities. The health care bill will cost between 900 billion and 1 trillion dollars in the same time frame and millions of hard working, everyday Americans will benefit. What I failed to point out in my argument is that the tax cuts directly added to the deficit and the health care reform bill will reduce the deficit, this fact was brought into sharp contrast this evening when Rachel broadcast “The best graph ever” on her show.

The chart shows three pieces of legislation, the first Bush tax cut, the second Bush tax cut and the health care reform bill as already passed with a super majority through the Senate. The sole point of the chart is to graphically demonstrate the impact to the federal deficit of these policies, two which were passed through reconciliation with razor thin majorities and the health care bill which passed the Senate with a super majority of 60 Senators.

So reconciliation has been used, by smaller majorities, with more devastating financial repercussions for the wealthiest of Americans and NOW the GOP finds fiscal discipline? And the real kicker is that if they get their way the federal deficit will take another hit!

The hypocrisy is accelerating faster than a Toyota and the country could really use some brakes on the crazy.

The original source of the chart with additional explanation “sans-snark”  is here.

 Posted by R. Paine at 9:27 pm

Media-ocrity

 debate, Fox News, MediaFail, Politics, the media, Truth  Comments Off
Mar 022010
 

I know that most television media feel that they endeavor to report the news as fairly and evenly as they can, given the pressures of the 24 hour news cycle, the constraints of network formats and intense competition for ratings. The fact though is that few manage to earn the trust that the American people vest in them, few manage to even come close.

Don’t buy it? Try these examples of how the main stream news media fails the American people everyday.

“Just reporting what happened”

The media reports the event, elevating hyperbole and idiocy to news worthiness and promoting more of the same, the more outrageous the behavior the bigger the story.

“Just reporting what they said”

The media reports what someone says and spotlights the controversy it creates instead of making those guilty of lies, distortions and obfuscation the subject of correction and ridicule.

“The basics are…”

The media simplifies stories, dumbing them down to the point of inaccuracy, as though they are fulfilling a service by offering the cliff notes instead of the facts.

“We called them out”

The media corrects the bullshit once, and they are done, but that is not really enough is it? We need the media to be as persistent at correcting the lies as the purveyors of the crap are at shoveling it. The job could be painfully tedious but the American people deserve the full measure of effort in the defense of the truth.

“We tell both sides of the story”

The media needs to realize that “fair” is not the even apportionment of time between fact and some wild distortion, it is even handed reporting and fact based analysis to help the American people understand the truth in political discourse without making politics their life.

It is vitally important that the media understand that just because they deal with these issues and talking point everyday the vast majority of Americans don’t and the flippant dismissal of blatant bullshit because you’ve dispelled it before isn’t good enough.

It might be easy to dismiss these complaints as trivial or picky I assure you it is not.

A substantial portion of the electorate believe our President is: foreign, Muslim, socialist, fascist and actively trying to destroy the country. If the media had handled any of these ridiculous claims responsibly how could it be possible that so many people still believe demonstrably false claims? Laugh it off if you will, but when some people are buying ammunition at record rates, searching for signals of the end of times and crashing planes into IRS offices the strenuous defense of the truth is perhaps the highest calling for anyone who would call themselves journalist.

BTW – I am not including Fox News in what I describe as main stream media, Fox is clearly an advocacy group promoting a particular ideology, for them the accurate dissemination of fact is a distant concern.

 Posted by R. Paine at 12:13 pm

American Idiocy

 debate, government, healthcare reform, MediaFail, Politics, Truth  Comments Off
Feb 262010
 

I guess for me the most disturbing take away from the health care summit is the media’s praise of the Republicans for “consistency of message” as if being disciplined in your performance somehow matters more than the substance of the debate. Seriously, the media is grading the performance of the Republicans because they were able to turn the debate back to their talking points over and over and they never forgot to mention them?

I thought that we had all pretty much acknowledged that there is a real health care crisis in the United States. Did not the media all report on the gargantuan rate increases being sought by Wellpoint in various states only days ago? So in a unique venue to air these differences and justify positions the media comes down on the side of consistent talking points…

What about truth?

What about accuracy?

What about an acknowledgement that the finances and even lives of American citizens may very well hang in the balance?

Why should politicians try to legislate with truth and facts if the watchdogs are going to grade them on style points?

Want better government?

Start by demanding that the media quit pandering to the reality TV mentality and report the news of the country like there is more at stake than American Idol.

BTW. The Republicans want to “start over” because the Senate has already passed the bill… If the house passes the same bill health care reform is done and the Republicans are irrelevant (just so you know).

 Posted by R. Paine at 11:46 am
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