9-11 Inc.

Ten years ago on September 11th, I was in a place not unlike many Americans, essentially surrounded by Europeans in a Las Vegas youth hostel trying desperately to sleep off a hangover…but that morning I heard people chattering, something about burning buildings, plane crashes and how it all looked like a movie, and through my bleary-eyed state, at first I thought they were describing a movie, until it became clear they were … Continue reading 9-11 Inc.

In case you missed it…reflections of a former Republican staffer

Required reading from Mike Lofgren at Truthout: Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult “Barbara Stanwyck: “We’re both rotten!” Fred MacMurray: “Yeah – only you’re a little more rotten.” -“Double Indemnity” (1944) Those lines of dialogue from a classic film noir sum up the state of the two political parties in contemporary America. Both parties are rotten – how … Continue reading In case you missed it…reflections of a former Republican staffer

At this point, on this labor day…

…it would seem perfectly reasonable, if most any national-level politicians were to show up at any labor event, nationwide…the only appropriate response would range from politely asking them to leave to forcibly throwing them out… If Republican, they actively attempt to stamp out unions that built the middle class, and if Democrats, their expression of support only rises to a level of occasional, mutual self-interest. … Continue reading At this point, on this labor day…

Is it just me, or…

…does it seem each time a politician refers to their budget as “bold” or their ideas as “bold,” or their plan to do anything as “bold,” one can easily replace the word “bold” with “stupid,” or “poorly thought out,” or “really screwing the poor and middle class so don’t look too close, go see the Smurf movie instead, it’s family-damn-tastic!” Take this example from a … Continue reading Is it just me, or…

Pencils, not prayer…

Sometimes, events just write themselves, such as this article at Think Progress…highlighting the two events in Houston last Saturday. At Reliant Stadium, Presidential wannabe Rick Perry and 30,000 others got together and prayed for the lord’s guidance in solving both the nation’s problems and Perry’s seeming inability to not wear a suit that doesn’t choke his neck til his head looks like a well coiffed … Continue reading Pencils, not prayer…

I’m not a child, Barack, but I do still work in the community, you?

On ABC’s This Week, White House Political Director David Plouffe said: “This isn’t about playing on a Republican playing field. This country, our economy, has to reduce the deficit, we have to live within our means. And if you’re a progressive, there’s a powerful case for deficit reduction. Things like college loans, college scholarships, spending on things like roads and bridges that put construction workers … Continue reading I’m not a child, Barack, but I do still work in the community, you?

GOP…if not the economy, the environment…

Seriously? “The House of Representatives, led by anti-environmental Republicans, are sharpening their knives to gut key health and wildlife protections that could benefit millions of Americans,” Marty Hayden, Vice President of Policy and Legislation at Earthjustice, said in a statement. “These are no small cuts; this is a complete butchering of environmental safeguards. Riders attached to the EPA spending bill decimate protections for air, water, … Continue reading GOP…if not the economy, the environment…

The Most Irresponsible Post I’ll Ever Write…on the Debt Ceiling

Responsibility and irresponsibility to whom, a people, a political party, a pledge… As we’ve sat back, watching this debt ceiling debate rage on, I continue to be struck by what Democrats and Republicans deem to be okay, what they consider to be responsible. It is responsible for both parties to give three trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in this country, under the pretense … Continue reading The Most Irresponsible Post I’ll Ever Write…on the Debt Ceiling

Bourbon street, war, violence…and hey! Take it down a notch…with Rancid!

I used to know a bartender at Molly’s on Toulouse, small bar on Toulouse (duh) between Royal and Bourbon, and I loved the place…small, pool table, open windows to the street…old feel, and it was close enough to Bourbon and all the idiocy contained therein one could step outside for a smoke and look the half block up to watch fraternities, sororities, christianit-ies, stupidities and … Continue reading Bourbon street, war, violence…and hey! Take it down a notch…with Rancid!