With the latest round of killings sending shock waves through Chicago's gang-infested neighborhoods, local activists are clear on one thing. Mayor Daley is in danger of losing the latest battle to save our city in the larger "war" with they city's street gangs. Under duress, he appears to be closing ranks in the post-Olympics-loss blame game, while simultaneously being exposed as having allowed the Olympics to consume his administration's attention as Fenger High, Uptown, and countless other hot spots flared into mini-versions of "Lord of the Flies."
Where is the leadership that Daley so proudly proclaimed last year in attacking the gang problem across the city? Sure, Taste of Chicago was relatively tame this year, but we have all-out war in the neighborhoods. When he was wining and dining the Copenhagen glitterati, posing with Oprah and Obama, and cajoling every reporter in town that the Olympics were coming; his embattled police command couldn't even keep their cameras pointed down range to insure officers were where they needed to be when the mobs turned into wolf packs out for a kill.
When you look at the videos of the wilding gangs chasing victims in Uptown, the lynch-beating murder of sixteen-year-old Derrion Albert, or the tearful soul-ripping pleas from victims' mothers and grandmothers for help from our city fathers; what don't you see? You sure as hell don't see the Mayor, political candidates, Aldermen and Alderwomen, county board members, or business luminaries descending upon our blood-stained poor neighborhoods giving real triage to the root of the problem.
Nope, they're still nestled safely in their chauffeured cars, protected by staff behind marble-lined, cordoned-off, wood-paneled environs; glass-and-steel towers, and echelons of security personnel to keep them "safe" to do the "people's business." All the while, the city's children are slaughtered in the streets.
Its time for these political opportunist power-brokers and money-hounds to leave the damn Loop to really walk the walk with the ministers and community activists who are trying to pick up the pieces of our duct-taped-together neighborhoods before another entire generation of young kids are either dead or incarcerated. It is time for our city and county leaders to actually prioritize REAL attention and money to what matters, instead of chasing a dream off to Copenhagen, or DC, or whatever glitzy benefit happens to be on at the Four Seasons or Peninsula that night. Its time for them to ride-along with our cops, social workers, teachers, and EMTs; to see what's really happening out there in the REAL Chicago instead of the "idealized" version that's been rolling in the 2016 promo videos.
Mr. Mayor, it starts with you. You need to leave City Hall for a few weeks, and spend every day in the neighborhoods, listening, learning, and then acting to save the city you say you love so dearly. Your legacy, and your loyalty to us...the people who got you there, is at stake--not to mention hundreds of thousands of young lives who should be preparing to take over and lead in our city's uncertain future.
Right before network deadline time yesterday, it became clear that corporate health care companies were digging-in on Congressional Democrats. These companies, the same entities that have doubled the average American's insurance premiums, hooked millions of people on prescription drugs for life, and discriminated against individuals with pre-existing conditions in favor of profit; showered Capitol Hill with lobbyists to bury health care reform with every resource they have.
Chief amongst the turncoats behind closed doors on Health Care Reform is Senator Max Baucus and his "conservative Democrat" contingent of Blue Dogs. These Republicans in sheep's clothing have collectively taken more money than their Republican counterparts, all while pretending to represent the Democratic party.
Well it is time to raise hell with these folks, and call-the-ball on them. This message is specifically for my fellow Progressive Democrats. Its time to get our brooms out and let these folks know we mean business.
The Blue Dogs will be replaced with Progressive Democratic candidates if we don't get a public option.
We must take control of our own destiny for the sake of all Americans. The public option is not something that can' be swept under the rug, as 70% of all Americans want it. Confusion, disinformation campaigns, and outright lies are being touted by the right in order to foster the "death" of the public option as part of the debate. The Blue Dogs are walking right along, their leashes being held by the same health care companies that feed their Republican counterparts.
That is wrong.
It is time for Progressives to pull our brooms out and remind Congressional Democrats (PARTICULARLY THE BLUE DOGS) that we are the ones that put them there with our votes. Sure, they can take all the corporate health care money they want, but when it comes down to it, we won't think twice about kicking their asses out of office and replacing them with Representatives and Senators who truly represent the wishes of the people.
We also have to remind President Obama that we put him there as well, and his hyper-modulation over what the meaning of "Health Care Reform" actually means will not be tolerated either. Time to buck up, Mr. President, and remember that the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party went along with your rhetoric, but we expect that you will deliver the public option. You can't give billions to the Finance industry on one end, and screw the people on the Health Care Reform mandate. You are expected to stand and deliver on this one, and call on Congress to do the right thing too.
If not, you're a one-termer as well.
Blue Dogs' feet, whether they belong to members of Congress or the occupant of The White House, must be held to the fire. They must understand that the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is not going to allow corporations to control our future. We've put up with it for nearly 40 years, and it is no longer acceptable. The people must take back control over our representatives, and put them in their place, reminding them that without our votes, they don't have jobs.
I was appalled yesterday to learn the IL General Assembly had adjourned without a budget bill. Governor Quinn and state legislators just couldn't come to to the table and at least halt the bleeding. At a reported $100,000.00, they all showed up for a special session to do nothing, and meanwhile the people suffer. Cuts are coming, a train wreck is just about to hit, and our state officials took a two-day trip to Springfield just to sit there and do nothing.
Whether the hole is $9 billion or some other number is not the issue. Whether Gov. Quinn and John Cullerton are having a disagreement over recall legislation isn't the issue either. The issue is that what is best for the people of Illinois is being ignored, again. Unfortunately it seems to be more important to pontificate about whose fault it is, who is running for Governor or U.S. Senate next year, who's marching at what parade, and who's got the next bead on the next political rally; than it is to actually govern.
We have no idea where or when this is going to be resolved. Meanwhile, millions of dollars in IL Dept. of Human Services programs sit on the chopping block. Line items directed at cutting HIV/AIDS programs, drug treatment, food for the hungry, and emergency intervention services for the homeless also are pending. Finally, literally billions of dollars in stimulus program money may be in jeopardy, again, simply because the Governor and the Assembly still can't come to figure out a solution.
Early reports this morning are that Gov. Quinn and the rest of the Democratic majority in Springfield has one set of numbers (around $9.2 billion in the hole) and Republican Gubernatorial aspirant State Rep. Matt Murphy claims to have another...and a solution. Of course both camps are positioning this budget fight about who's going to be in the Governor's mansion while Illinois' dependent citizens and the rest of us suffer.
It seems that the only person in Springfield who doesn't have his head in politicoville is IL State Comptroller Dan Hynes. According to Tuesday's Chicago Tribune, Hynes is reportedly proposing a 60-day spending plan coupled with state agency disciplinary policies that could align the budget into something the Guv and the Assembly might be able to see eye-to-eye on long term. Of course, neither Quinn nor Cullerton are budging, or jumping behind Hynes' plan--the only reasonable option that has been proposed in any real detail.
Why? Well its really simple really. Neither the Governor nor the members of the General Assembly want to go on the record to cut programs, pass ethics reform, reel in campaign contributions, or curb spending. None of them want to be seen as doing anything that would be seen as hurting someone. The problem with that attitude of course, is that we put them there to take action, and have the intestinal fortitude to actually make some decisions. It is common sense not to target these programmatic cuts at the poor, and liberals will scream bloody murder when it happens (and it might). On the other side, the endlessly pro-business Republican troops led by State Rep. Christine Radogno claim Illinois will continue to lose jobs and businesses if Illinois raises any taxes or fees or passes any sort of perceived anti-business measure.
So who's right? First and foremost, Hynes. He is the only executive within the State of Illinois who is proposing a solution. Both sides need to strap on a pair and get in line behind his simple first-step plan. Otherwise we're going to be in the middle of that aforementioned train wreck before the end of July.
This morning Vice President Joe Biden appeared in the Roosevelt Room at The White House to talk about the jobless rate and a plan to "ramp up" the National Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the summer.
The takeaway from today's announcement (we'll post vid later when we get it) is that on Monday the President and VP will make a major announcement of taking the NRRA to a new level over the summer in response to the current economic numbers, which indicate that there has been significant movement in the positive.
Before the Obama Administration gives Bank of America a damn dime, it needs to lay down the law with all 19 of America's largest banks.
For nearly my entire lifetime, now at 38 years, large banks have gradually become predatory in nature; disguising themselves as being "better for the consumer" through size alone. Over that period they have gobbled up every community bank they could. The ability to actually have "a banker" you knew personally, and who knew you personally (i.e. a real relationship) evaporated.
In tandem with the attack on the personal bank, came the all-out assault on customer service. Personal service from your bank was replaced with McDonald's-like service, complete with bank employees who didn't give a shit whether your information was safe, whether you needed help or not, or even a motivation to fix a problem without spending thousands of hours on the phone. Hell, even when a fly-by-night ripoff operation violated your bank account through fraud, these banks didn't care enough to investigate, let alone pursue the money and get it back for consumers.
I remember back in college and when I was a young adult, being showered with credit card offers, and then unceremoniously being screwed by every credit card company I dealt with in one way or another. When the credit card companies became the banks, and the banks became the most ruthless screwers of all--using debit card fees as their hook in everyone's spine; I was hardly surprised.
Then came the mouse-and-cheese-laden trap of asset management and consumer lending. These companies sold people mortgages, gave them credit lines, and encouraged small businesses to borrow money; none of which any of the aforementioned borrowers could afford. These victims of course became victims because they never had the financial training necessary to know when the bus was about to hit them, again because the personal relationship with the banker who taught us these things was no longer there. I know, I am one of them.
Finally, to protect themselves and get even MORE money in their coffers, they created cultures of greed within their organizations that inspired methods and processes for cultivating consumers through lies and deception at all levels. From the front-line teller, to the retail manager, to the investment banker, to the fund broker; all were taught to lie and deny better than a 70's used car salesman.
The effect of all of this greed was to inbreed an expectation of high salaries, inflated bonuses, outrageous lack of oversight, Congressmen and women on-the-take, and government oversight that was a joke...literally everywhere in the United States.
This all needs to end before Bank of America gets $34 Billion more bucks, or any of the other big 19 get another damn dime. I want that money put towards giving small businesses, start-ups, innovators, students, and the average Jane and John Does of the world a way to fix their damaged credit profiles. This can only be achieved through active consumer education, programmatic financial repair packages for all, and massively-enhanced and strengthened oversight over the entire financial industry from banks to brokers.
President Obama and Members of Congress: Don't screw this up. Don't allow the big 19 or Wall Street to bully you into giving them anything less than a total reform package for the entire financial industry. We voted for change, and we mean it this time. The time for corporate stimulus is over. The time for stimulus and help for the American people takes higher priority.
To B of A and the big 19: Take a number. We are in line in front of you, and your business doesn't deserve our tax money until you clean up your act.
When I was a kid, I used to get a kick out of taking a quick run out to the barn to sit in my great-grandpa's old 34 Chevy Pickup. The standard paint job, a forest green, took all who viewed the old truck back to the depression era. Built like a tank, the truck became a symbol in my family. We all were thrilled when my uncle acquired it from the folks, and got it up and running several years ago. It still carries a farm family's legacy, even though it has seen better days since my uncle's passing last year.
My mom told me the other night that the old Chevy was fabricated in GM's 85-year-old Janesville auto plant. Unfortunately, last night in Janesville, the last shift of workers completed the final vehicle to run off the assembly line, and the plant closed.
WXOW-TV in Janesville notes that the first truck rolled off the Janesville line in 1923. Since then, generations of Wisconsin and Illinois auto workers have commuted to work the line. The plant long has been a symbol of the strength, quality, and honorable work that was produced there. Indeed, it was the single largest major manufacturer in the area, and when the last of 1200 jobs ended yesterday, so did the idea in Janesville that if you got on at the plant, maybe where your dad or mom worked, you too would have a pretty good life; thanks to the UAW and your "other family" at the plant. Once in, one found that the "other family" were as intregal to one's life happiness as ones' blood family.
Now the plant is silent. Yesterday the last SUV rolled off the line, and will be donated to charity. Its a muted tribute to a plant that saw now President-Elect Barack Obama visit during the Presidential campaign. He promised to try to save the American auto industry. Unfortunately, he isn't in office soon enough to save the Janesville Assembly Plant.
Janesville saw it coming, but it was still a shock. In June, when the closing was announced, UAW leaders said they were going to try to get GM to change the decision. That's all gone now, as have the smiles on a lot of the faces of people on the street in Janesville.
The story of what has happened to the American manufacturing industries in the last 20 years is a shameful legacy of the global economic downturn. When I was growing up, part of my life was spent living in strong manufacturing towns like Newton, IA, Middle Amana, IA, and East Moline, IL. Union folks, my dad and mom taught me, were the best kind of people; to be respected for their hard work to build and live the American Dream. Management was often arrogant and aloof, and rarely respected in these towns, mainly because of their actions to sell-out their neighbors. Well, they weren't neighbors, really, they just moved-in and moved-out to follow the next promotion, or more money.
When the Newton, IA, Maytag Assembly Plant was finally closed in 2007, many in the town blamed themselves. They wondered if they had done everything they could to save their jobs and their town. It was a dark time in the former home of "The Maytag Repairman." After all, "Newton" had been the name of the repairman's faithful dog; together parts of one of the strongest manufacturing brands in the United States. Whirlpool, which acquired Maytag in 2006, never really held a commitment to Newton, as the people there were seen as a pain in the butt for their tendency to protect themselves through tough labor negotiations with the company.
Newton has begun to bounce back now, with a group of new "green" industry jobs taking hold in the town. A commitment from civic, business, and political leaders in the town has brought a bounce back to workers in the town. From giant wind turbines to the concrete towers that support them, Newton's manufacturing plants are once again seeing life, and pride has been restored to some of the workers there; although it is but a fraction of the number that worked for Maytag and its supporting suppliers. An estimated 1800 jobs have been added statewide in Iowa, not even close to offsetting the numbers of people Maytag and its suppliers once employed in Newton alone.
The building success stories in Newton and other towns are stories that Janesville, WI, is going to have to emulate in the next few months. In order for the town to survive, it will have to commit to aggressive economic development, and without much support from the States of Wisconsin or Illinois, both of which are suffering massive deficits. So far Janesville has had some success, with a few new smaller plants, some in plastics, others in food services, each picking up a little bit of the slack created by the void that the GM's plant closure has created.
There is opportunity for new "green" jobs there too. The stated commitment by President-Elect Barack Obama may be the best shot for this bastion of Badger and Packer pride. Always working hard, Janesville's leaders never have been people to slack off on the job.
They will need our support, though, and it is critical that as we celebrate the holidays, we remember Janesville and hundreds of other towns around the country that have seen real quality "honest work" jobs go down the tubes while Wall Street elites collect their ill-deserved holiday bonuses on the taxpayer's dime. We need to make a point of shopping in these towns, investing our business dollars and retraining program dollars in the people there, and insure that Obama and other political leaders keep their promises to the good Union folk that have supported our country from the beginning. Most of all, we need to remember what caused this whole calamity in the first place--the failure of Americans to buy American and insist that American companies keep jobs here. That is the only way we can ever expect to regain the American Dream for all of our people.
This holiday, please remember Janesville, and Newton, and Middle Amana, and East Moline. These people are hurting, and we need to help our neighbors get through this. Let's all say a prayer in our own way that things are about to get much better for all of us.
>>>>>>>>>>> ScottsBigMouth Is Presented By <<<<<<<<<<<
Does this man have no shame? No, um, he doesn't. Blago appeared
this morning before a gaggle of reporters to tell them he couldn't talk
to them, but the day is coming when he could. Funny enough, he talked
to them...and said nothing. So much for talking. Meanwhile, he's hired a lawyer, Ed Genson, to fight the impeachment proceedings currently proceeding in Springfield. Apparently Genson has put the muzzle so tightly on Blago's mouth, that Blago actually chewed through the muzzle in order to open his mouth again. Wow. Can you say "asking for it?"
UPDATE: AP is reporting that IL Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan has been rebuffed by the IL Supreme Court in her ploy to have Blago removed from office because she said he was not able to perform as Governor. The Court apparently refused to hear the argument. Madigan has been a whisper candidate for replacing Blago, and her father, Dem. Michael Madigan, is the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Madigan and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn initiated the call for a ruling from the IL Supreme Court after making the media rounds to make their case that the Guv's arrest and charges for corruption have basically paralyzed the State of Illinois' ability to continue operating. The Court apparently doesn't agree, as Blago has continued to sign tons of bills and act like he's actually doing something useful while squirming under U.S. Attorney Pat Fitzerald's microscope.
>>>>>>>>>>> ScottsBigMouth Is Presented By <<<<<<<<<<<
If there is one thing that Chicagoans absolutely will not tolerate, it is a lack of responsiveness from Chicago and surrounding communities when a snow or ice storm hits. Based upon the responses from people on the street and in the media today, the heat is ratcheting up on Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation as the streets have frozen over. The grumbling on the street and at the supermarket this morning was palatable, and cell phones all over town are buzzing with crankiness about the snow and ice piled high this morning, many hours after the snow stopped last night.
This morning several of Chicago's Aldermen appeared for the cameras, calling for better snow control from S&S; although it did seem that the squeaky wheels might be getting the grease. On the one hand you have Ald. Billy Ocasio who claimed on camera this morning to WGN-TV 9 News and others that he "drove around for more than two hours looking for a salt truck" last night. On Chicago Tonight last night, the most vocal critic was Ald. Tom Allen, who appeared to question why Snow Czar Matt Smith was using a "wait-unti-the-snow-quits" approach instead of a "clear-it-while-it-happens" approach, no matter what it costs. Allen appeared with Ocasio this morning and echoed last night's message that Chicago should not be covered in snow and ice more than a couple of days, and that if it takes more money to get it done, well that's what the city's primary municipal responsibility should include, along with water, fire/emergency, and police services.
On the flip side, the Trib reported South Side Ald. Pat Dowell had noted her streets had been cleared at 3:30AM, and she seemed pretty pleased with the response on her side of town. This is an interesting perspective, considering that I was on the phone with a couple of people during the storm, one who was navigating South Side primary arteries (Matt Smith claimed primary arteries were first priority). My clearly angry friend said that after leaving work, also located on a primary south side artery, and staying only on primary arteries; that she had seen up to 6 S&S salt trucks "running with their blades up and not laying down any salt." It took her greater than 2 1/2 hours to get to her home just a few miles away from her job. The question is, was Pat Dowell a frequent caller to S&S and that's why she got her streets cleaned so early this morning, or did the entire city just clueless as to how the plan works as Matt Smith seems to be asserting in his AM presser?
Up here in Uptown, every side street is screwed. The ice has taken hold, and on the several side streets I checked this afternoon, several right off of Marine Drive (which carries tons of people on CTA buses along with Sheridan and Broadway), there appeared to be zero salt laid down or even a pass by an S&S truck. Of course the local Ald. up here, Helen Schiller, barely can keep her eye on all the drug dealers, hoes, and crazies walking around, let alone actually get S&S to clear the streets; so who knows whether she actually picked up the phone to complain about the poor snow removal service. She's way more concerned with helping the developer of Wilson Yards rip off the ward's TIF funds, by appearing in court for his benefit instead of more than 2,000 folks who've signed a petition and filed a lawsuit to halt the project and return it to the original plan. Who would be surprised if she was just letting us ice over so we can't make it to the public hearings or to court.
Of all these Aldermouths, Allen and Ocasio have it right. The City of Chicago has only a few real core responsibilities when it comes down to it. On the top of the list is snow control. Chicagoans will tolerate a lot of crap--poor public transportation, high taxes, skyrocketing fees and fares, faulty automated traffic camera systems, drunk and disorderly police officers, even a Governor who's a total mobster. What they won't tolerate is having to navigate an uncleaned icy street, an alley piled with garbage, dirty water, or poor fire or police coverage. If Matt Smith doesn't get his head out of his keister and realize that he has screwed up, that he's providing major firepower for people to go after the Mayor's job, and could fix the whole situation just by being competent, not perfect; he's going to get his ass handed to him faster than you can say "Jane Byrne."
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Yesterday's supposed "grilling" of the Big 3 auto executives on Capitol Hill proved how bitterly partisan and embarrassingly misinformed many of the members of Congress can be sometimes. Watching the proceedings, one was struck by how, with very busy yet truly sheepish CEOs sitting before them; certain members focused on whether these guys took a jet to the hearings rather than making them earn their multi-million-dollar salaries. As usual, rather than practicing real "Discovery in a time of economic crisis, preposterous grandstanding reigned supreme.
I couldn't believe it, how clearly out of their own league these members really were. They could have asked intelligent, well-crafted, economically-relevant questions that really mattered. They could have hammered these guys on why they shouldn't just make them take bankruptcy, why their business models suck, or even why it seemed they were doing everything to bow out of organized labor contracts and commitments to the line that actually makes their products. But no, these simpleton members (many on the right wing) instead went for a simplistic parlor trick--being unsophisticated and trying to "embarrass" the execs for taking their corporate jets to DC instead of flying on a commercial carrier.
Give me a break. Everyone knows that these executives' jets are flying offices, and they use them as extensions of the executive suite; keeping in touch and doing business around the globe. They allow them to make their meetings at plants, with labor leaders, and yes, with the Congressional committees who summon them ON TIME instead of spending their day waiting for American, United, Delta, or another carrier delay them for hours at O'Hare or Detroit International due to "an equipment problem" or weather delay. In other words, the whole question is just a red herring of an argument instead of a core issue to the economic crisis.
Our Members of Congress had a red hot chance to put these guys butts on the line, and make them stand-and-deliver in order to get the $25 billion loan that they were asking for in order to survive. They had a chance to stand up for millions of labor union members and other non-union workers who stand to lose their jobs if the Big 3 are allowed to reorganize and dump their contracts, or worse...just go belly up and send the entire country's economy into a true depression. They had a chance to really get some results for once from these overpaid captains of industry, and force them commit to protect laborers' pensions and simultaneously retool in order to get the loans.
Instead, they focused on stupid red herrings, and missed a golden opportunity to prove that they were more focused on what is best for the American People instead of their own egos. These same legislators tried to make themselves look like populists by attempting to make the auto industry look like losers, ignored the needs of workers inside the auto industry and dependent industries, and ignored their real responsibilities to protect the U.S. economy from an economic meltdown. They proved that they really don't understand the needs and worries of the common folks, but are more schooled in infighting, image, and what they think will enhance their own stature. What they missed, however, is that the people are listening, watching, and focused on results. Ahem, that's why there is a new, populist, responsible President-elect waiting in the wings.
These members are going to find out that their actions are going to have consequences. They're going to find out that if the auto industry isn't saved at all costs, and laborers' interests represented valiantly, that they're going to be looking for new jobs pretty damn quickly. The American People aren't going to take this crap anymore, and they're watching every player individually to gauge whether they're doing the right thing for them, and not what's politically expedient. They're also watching when members just sit back and stroke their own egos instead of standing-and-delivering on what the voters expect.
Watch out, idiots. The American People are not as dumb or easy to manipulate as you think; and they're becoming more sophisticated about what is a real issue and what is a red herring. They're even figuring out that Organized Labor is on the sides of the American worker, and that many members of Congress are being dubious in their own self-righteous, loud, and clearly deceptive behavior.
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By the time the Presidential Town Hall
Debate rolled around Tuesday night, my mind was already in Laramie,
Wyoming. On Sunday night I had attended a screening of “For The
Bible Tells Me So,” (http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org)
a documentary film about Christian fundamentalists' war on gays,
lesbians, transgendered, and questioning people in America. The film
is a poignant reminder of how GLBTQ Americans like me are not yet accepted as
full members of society, and how extremist religious leaders have
manipulated their parishioners, contributing to a hostile environment
in the U.S. towards people who are “different” than them.
Little did I know that the film would
pop back into my head less than 48 hours later during Tuesday night's
debate. Not even 30 minutes in to the telecast, when describing how
Senator Obama voted on a particular issue, Senator John McCain
pointed at Obama and said “That one.” The phrase seemed
disrespectful and even disdainful at first, but soon it began to eat
at me. My partner, who hails from South Carolina, immediately sensed
my discomfort. He sat straight up in his seat and turned to me and
said, “you know what he really meant by that, don't you?”
Without giving an indication of what I was thinking, I replied, “What
do you mean?” Clearly disgusted with what he was watching, his
eyes narrowed and he sternly said “In the South 'that one' is code
language for a black person.”
I realized my partner was right. John
McCain had pushed a psychological button that should not have been
pushed. An old racist code phrase left over from the era of slavery
had been skillfully planted in a nationally-televised debate by a
candidate for President of the United States. While auditioning to
be the leader of the free world, John McCain demonstrated that he
wanted to win by any means necessary. In this case that meant race
baiting the American people.
Unfortunately, this act of political desperation should have been expected. As extremists have turned up
the heat of intolerance and division with an onslaught of code words,
distortions of the bible, and twisted perspectives on everything from
civil rights to gay rights; they have programmed a whole new
generation of followers in the old hateful tactics of the past. The
same people who took over evangelical churches through fire and
brimstone 25 years ago, took over the Republican Party 15 years ago
in the same manner; such that the moderate and tolerant Republican
party of old is barely recognizable today.
Ten years ago this week, Matthew
Sheppard was assassinated by a pair of ignorant, angry, and worked up
malcontents who made a “statement” about how they felt about
homosexuals. They got to that point through social osmosis, having
absorbed a steady diet of intolerant messages growing up. That
social programming, delivered through messages in church, school,
music, television, and yes, political leaders; created a mindset of
intolerance and dehumanization of gays, that in effect ended a
bright, charismatic, smart, promising young man's life.
A decade later, in the heat of the
biggest national crisis our nation has seen since 9/11/01; John
McCain should have been serious, balanced, and above
all...Presidential. Instead, in the heat of the last month of the
campaign, as the pressure mounted, with his campaign reeling from a
string of mishaps and needing a serious win; he decided to go dirty.
He attempted to dehumanize Barack Obama using racial code, delivered
to 63 million people on television, then reinforced his decision with
more code phrases delivered on the stump by surrogates.
He made a judgment on advice given to
him by his advisers—mostly ex-Bush guys like Steve Schmidt and Karl
Rove that have proven in the past they have no problem with voter
suppression, media manipulation, and outright lying in order to gain
and retain power. He made a judgment to push the “Easy Button”
he could use to try to win, uttering code words to activate an army
of ignorance, anger, and closeted fear, harboring the hope he can
beat “That one” and finally make it to The White House after
repeatedly falling short in the last 8 years.
Well he's right about part of it. The
code phrases activated the hate army, with “terrorist,” “kill
him,” and “socialist” already streaming from supporters mouths
at McCain-Palin rallies. McCain's calls of “Who Is The Real Barack
Obama” and running mate Sarah Palin's repeated assertion that
“Obama started his political career in the living room of a
domestic terrorist” reinforces the division, and fear has begun
bubbling up amongst undecided white voters.
McCain has proven multiple times this
year that he's willing to do anything to get the power he wants.
This year he's repeatedly flipped positions on critical issues,
picked an ultra right wing ex-beauty queen governor as his running
mate, grandstanded during the financial bailout, and now he's used
racial code to divide and conquer the electorate. Once again, and
perhaps in the most blatant way so far, by pushing the “Easy
Button,” John McCain buckled under political pressure rather than
really leading.
There is a serious question looming in
the final days remaining before the general election. Who has the judgment and mindset to lead our country out of division, failed
policies, global financial turmoil, and wars on two fronts. It is
about who can really lead a unified United States back from the brink
of its own self-destruction under the failed policies of George W.
Bush. John McCain thinks that he can win by dividing people, and
then they will all fall in line behind him after the fact. He
doesn't get it that in order to lead, you actually have to have as
many real people behind you as possible; and that if you don't, you
don't win.
There is hope for the politics of
unity, though. The signs are already there, signs that a majority of
the electorate will no longer stand for the politics of character
assassination and division, of bigotry and class warfare. There is
only one way to know, of course, and that is for the election to be
held, and for every vote to be counted. That is Barack Obama's real
challenge as the election approaches. Winning an overwhelming
victory will be the only way to show the extremists and their cynical
political puppets that the politics of personal destruction and
social division will not stand this time.
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