Blog Archives
The most powerful number in the nation…
A quote from the Mashed Potato Bulletin… and one I can’t help but agree with:
I tell the students in my class at the City College of New York that “five” is the most powerful number in the nation. For as we have seen, five votes on the Supreme Court can pick a president—voters notwithstanding—and five votes could redefine our understanding of Congress’ power under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution—precedents notwithstanding.
So… as the President comes forward to hope that the Health Care law remain unjudiciated by the SCOTUS, we have to sit on our seat edges to see if they want to be the third legislative house.
What can we do when the Court defies the Constitution they are supposed to preserve by interpretation?
Will Dennis Kucinich find his way back into Political Office? – Quotes for the afternoon:
“I’ll find a way back in to public service, there’s no doubt about that. The only question is where and when.”
—–
“Tomorrow’s victories will be built from the embers of defeat. Of this I have no doubt. How do I know this? I started my career in 1967 and since then, I have lost a total of eight times. Indeed, when I was elected to Congress in 1996, it was on my FIFTH try.”
There has been speculation that Kucinich may try to gain a seat from Washington state after losing in a redistricted election in Ohio. To that end, he has taken up speaking in the west coast state where the filing deadline for candidacy is May 18th.It is also easier to get on the ballot in Washington, without petitions or other expenses and complications getting in the way.
A Congressional candidate in Washington state must only pay 1 percent of the annual salary of a House Member as his filing fee and declare his party affiliation. A group called Washington Citizens for Kucinich knows how simple the requirements are and feel it is best if Kucinich makes a decision to run by the end of April.
The new 10th district, which he would run in, is a safe Democratic seat.
Related articles
- Kucinich back to Washington State (politico.com)
- Kucinich: Washington’s political guest returns (seattlepi.com)
- Rep. Dennis Kucinich to headline WA forum on Social Security (ssworkswa.org)
- You: Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich hailed by colleagues after primary loss (latimes.com)
- Congress Loses Its Most Liberal Member: Dennis Kucinich Was Defeated In Ohio (businessinsider.com)
Gabby Giffords will be leaving Congress…
It is unfortunate, but Rep. Gabby Giffords (D -AZ), who was shot last year while speaking to constituents in a mall parking lot, will be stepping down from her seat in order to continue her recovery.
We are losing a Representative of great promise and distinction.
Here is her statement:
Always keep the truth in mind…
So the SuperCommittee isn’t getting anywhere. So what will the government do about our financial problems.
And what about jobs?
Do Republicans care if 42 million folks work again?
Let’s see what they spend their time on in Congress (thanks to the Daily Kos):
Related articles
- Does the GOP enjoy the misery of others? (dangerousminds.net)
- Truth Squad takes on GOP debate (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest: Peter Kinder bails on Missouri governor’s race (dailykos.com)
Quote of the Day – Time for us all to get involved…
|
Senator Sanders hits it right on the head. For my local fans, Occupy Martinsburg is starting this weekend… let’s get out there and see what Shelley Moore Capito (millionaire, btw) is going to do about it.
Why don’t we go after a 21st Century government?
I was watching Walter Mosely on Book Notes this afternoon as he promoted a new book about American politics. One of the things he said has stuck in my head: we have an 18th century government in a 21st century environment. What he was referring to was the fact that we still elect representatives to “represent” what we believe in Congress and to vote on items for us, whether we, in the end, agree with them or not. And, since they are easily corrupted by corporations and lobbyists putting money in their campaigns to get the job of “representing” us, we often do not agree with what they are voting for… for us.
Yet we are in an era that is pervaded by technology, where Facebook keeps thousands of us at a time, no matter where we are, communicating together. What if we all put a particular amount of time (Mosely suggested 90 minutes, but I don’t believe that much is possible on a daily basis… more likely 30 minutes) into being on-line and voting on those things ourselves? All of a sudden there is no need for Congress… the only way big corporations could influence us is by making their products and services cheaper or higher in quality (it would be realyl hard to pay off 220 million voters who are representing themselves.)
Certainly, there would have to be technical administration services created to hold the wiring together. nd we would have to have volunteer committees to control things like the military and the treasury and other important needs. But think about a real Democracy here… 1 on 1 in operation, but a huge scale overall. I know there will be so many arguments on why it can’t be done… but didn’t the imperial governments of the 18th Century think the great American experience, freeing itself from Great Britain, was certainly going to fail?
All I am saying is think about it… and remember that right now, right this very second, you and I are in a potential debate on the subject and that debate could be expanded and millions could take part. Then all we need to do is have a vote…
Related articles
- Congress Tweets its Way into the 21st Century (webpagefx.com)
- How To Use Shortmail, A Twitter-Inspired Email Service That Limits Messages To 500 Characters (businessinsider.com)
- Needed — a 21st century voter registration system for California (sfgate.com)
- The 21st Century (firearmsguru.com)
- How Our Government Has Merged With Corporations (tipggita32.wordpress.com)
- New Language of 21st Century (ayeshanaveed.wordpress.com)
- To The 21st century American Patriot (artofevolution.wordpress.com)
- Working for the government is no longer secure (cbsnews.com)
What’s your opinion… are congressional legislators ethical?
According to a poll reported on by The Hill:
58 percent of voters think most members of Congress are “unethical,” while only 25 percent consider the majority to be principled. Seventeen percent are unsure.
Furthermore, those polled didn’t seem to trust one party over another… and 68% believe that ethical standards have declined among politicians in recent decades while only 7% thought they had improved.
The poll was taken three days after Weiner announced his responsibility for sending suggestive photographs of himself to women he didn’t know.
69% of those polled said they somewhat or strongly disapproved of the job Congress is doing, 25% said they somewhat approved and just 3% said they strongly approved. 33% said men in office are less ethical than women.
The figures are based on a national survey of 1,000 likely voters conducted by Pulse Opinion Research.
Related articles
- Is Congress Getting More Unethical? (politicalwire.com)
- Poll: Weiner constituents say stay (politico.com)
- Everybody Hates Congress (outsidethebeltway.com)
- Pols misread polls, spin wrong message from Weiner (proseandthorn.wordpress.com)
Eric Cantor Exhibits Legislative Insanity
The House Majority Leader thinks that the House can pass a law without the Senate also passing it word for word and without the President signing it.
Perhaps Cantor should consult any grade school student who has studied U.S. History and find out what he is suggesting is unconstitutional.
This from HuffPo (if you click their URL below there’s more):
|
Related Articles
- Echo Chamber? House Plans New Vote on Old Spending Bill (blogs.wsj.com)
- Eric Cantor Admits Republicans Want to Kill Social Security (firedoglake.com)
- Cantor Debuts Bill That Would Make GOP Budget Law Of Land Should Shutdown Become Imminent (huffingtonpost.com)
- Eric Cantor: No Stopgap Spending Bill Beyond April 8 (huffingtonpost.com)
Do we deserve an Article V Convention? Congress doesn’t think so…
Article V of the U.S. Constitution: The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight [1808] shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
So what happens when the Congress ignores (and has since 1965) applications by ALL 50 STATES to call an Article V Convention? Take a look at requests for a Balanced Budget Amendment, which would keep the government from going further and further into debt on Military expenditures, let’s say. 171 Balanced Budget/General-Call-for-an-Article-V-Convention applications were submitted by 39 different states (rescissions excluded). Has an Article V Convention occurred?
No.
Friends Of An Article V Convention are pushing the cause at their web site. This is what you find at foavc.org:
What is Happening to Our Country?
Are you aware that We The People are being denied our constitutional right to an Article V Convention to propose amendments, despite a whopping 400+ (or more) Article V applications from the state legislatures of ALL 50 states? Only 34 (i.e. two thirds) are required.
FOAVC is a non-partisan association of American citizens from every state comprised of a broad range of occupations,
ethnicities, religious affiliations and political persuasions. Our common bond and mission is a deep commitment to preserving the values and principles embodied in our founding documents – the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America – upon which this nation was founded. Article V of the United States Constitution provides that Congress, “on the application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments…“. The Founding Fathers of our nation recognized the importance of providing this means by which the citizens of our country could initiate amendments to change and/or clarify the Constitution; the fundamental document which they intended to be not only the blueprint for our federal system but also “the supreme Law of the Land“.
If you’d like to see the 400+ applications for the Constitutionally Required Article V Convention? Go HERE.
And once a Convention is called, there can be other amendments brought in (I think this is the real fear of our legislators… we might get lots of our government problems changed.)
So what do you think? As Joel S. Hirschhorn of FOAVC has stated:
American society is saddled with distractive consumerism, a culture of dishonesty, and rampant corporate corruption of government. Despite what false patriots tell us, we now have a delusional democracy, not one that citizens can trust to serve their interests. We clearly need a Second American Revolution.
Truly American Quote of the Day
— Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, explaining how he exaggerated ( ie: lied about) his military record.
It would be nice to have politicians who didn’t lie… but it is not a situation that we are likely to have. It would also be nice to have politicians who could speak English.
Here’s a message from my friend John Case…
If you are near Shepherdstown, WV tomorrow in the late morning, here’s something you may be interested in attending. This is from my Friday Morning radio friend, John Case, and I pass it on to you:
Hello Friends.
I know many of you may be busy. And I also know financial reform is a thorny topic not easy to get ones mind around — even after you read the economic literature!
However, there is no issue before Congress and the administration more crucial than financial reform. Failing it, one cannot name another challenge after it that will not be fraught with great peril of another collapse, and a descent from a Great Recession — to a Great Depression 2.
Please join me for a lunch time street corner conversation lunchtime hour at the corner of German and King streets in Shepherdstown. The link below is a flyer endorsed by the President as a guide for talking and understanding whats going on in Congress on financial reform. We will have a 100 copies, plus some stickers. Lets meet at Mellow Moods at 11:AM, Thursday. Tomorrow! Then converse on the square for lunch!
Both WV Senators are on board — but neighbor to neighbor calls to Senator Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, the man who will lead the charge to block reform, will not hurt the cause.
LINK: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wsrinfo/
Senator McConnell
601 W. Broadway
Room 630
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 582-6304Cheers
John Case
I’ll be there, camera in hand (I usually get to Mellow Moods around 10:30 AM).
Congress vs. Supreme Court? Television and Radio vs. Politicians?
|