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If there is only one reason to vote Democratic this is it: The GOP’s Paul Ryan plan to
DESTROY MEDICARE and SOCIAL SECURITY.
Each Republican you elect brings this nightmare one step closer.
The new federal task force led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sent subpoenas to the 11 largest financial institutions in the past few days as part of its investigation into possible residential mortgage-backed securities fraud.
President Obama formed the task group and announced it during his State of the Union address Tuesday. Federal officials did not disclose which 11 banks have come under investigation.
Schneiderman said in a press conference Friday that he will be joined by Delaware AG Beau Biden, Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley, Nevada AG Catherine Cortez Masto, California AG Kamala Harris and Illinois AG Lisa Madigan.
In regard to the Jan. 13 editorial: Indeed, bipartisanship is needed but very difficult to achieve given the current Republican deadlock against President Barack Obama. Try reaching across the aisle and you can’t get through the brick wall.
As reported by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on National Journal, “The single most important thing we (Republicans) want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” Recent budget battles show Republicans’ commitment to this mantra and their unwillingness to negotiate, blocking all measures despite concessions made by the Democrats.
The candidate Mazie Hirono is up against for the Senate seat cannot hold a candle to Mazie’s championing efforts in supporting people’s rights, education and the environment. We need Hirono’s commitment to represent the people of Hawaii in Washington, not Linda Lingle’s Superferry debacle and decision to close down Healthy Start programs for early childhood education.
Lingle’s legacy indicates a desire for personal political gain, abuse of power, disregard for the environment, families and education, corporate interests over individual rights and war over peace.
Hirono represents the needs of the people. She introduced the Pre-K Act to help fund preschool programs. She has one of the best voting records on environmental issues. As a leader, her advocacy for the people strengthens the progressive side of Congress. We need her resolve in the Senate.
Dear Gov. Mitch Daniels and your Republican Brethren,
Your response to President Obama’s State of the Union last night was deceitful, historically tenuous, and politically unsophisticated. George Orwell once said that “in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
M.D. “The percentage of Americans with a job is at the lowest in decades.”
TRUTH: Daniels speaks truth without context. Yes, the unemployment rate is indeed the highest it has been since 1983, but it has actually fallen by 1.5% since its peak in December, 2009.
M.D. “In three short years, an unprecedented explosion of spending, with borrowed money, has added trillions to an already unaffordable national debt. And yet, the President has put us on a course to make it radically worse in the years ahead.”
TRUTH: Over the course of President Obama’s first three years he and Congress increased the national debt by 41%. And in Ronald Reagan’s first three years? You guessed it. He increased the national debt by 55%.
M.D. “The federal government now spends one of every four dollars in the entire economy.”
TRUTH: Yes, but since 1980 federal spending as a percentage of GDP has changed very little. Since Reagan’s first term Republicans presidents have spent on average 21.53% of GDP on federal programs, Democrats, 21.6%.
M.D. “The President’s grand experiment in trickle-down government has held back rather than sped economic recovery.”
TRUTH: Just two weeks ago President Obama detailed his plan to supplant six current federal agencies with one in order to create a “more efficient and lean” government. The move is projected to save taxpayers $3 billion over ten years. Republicans still refuse to support his proposal.
M.D. “Those punished most by the wrong turns of the last three years are those unemployed or underemployed tonight, and those so discouraged that they have abandoned the search for work altogether.”
TRUTH: Mitch, please. The National Bureau of Economic Research has indicated time and again that the U.S. has been in a recession since December, 2007. (Recessions are typically defined as two or more quarters of negative growth.) 2012-2007? That’s five years, Mitch, not three.
This message is from Mazie Hirono‘s Campaign manager. Since we have not chosen our Democratic candidate for Senate who will run against Republican Lingle, the exhortation to financially support the candidate in the face of the GOP tsunami of money applies equally to the other Democratic Candidate, Ed Case. (Links on their names take you to their websites where you can donate)
From Mazie Hirono’s campaign:
Our campaign’s fourth quarter fundraising surpassed all expectations — thanks to you and the rest of our fantastic base of grassroots supporters.
By more than doubling what we raised during the previous fundraising quarter, and earning the financial support of more than twice as many Hawaii contributors, it’s clear our momentum is surging.
But we can’t take anything for granted — especially because our potential general election opponent, Linda Lingle, just announced that she brought in a haul of more than $1.7 million last quarter in her effort to put Hawaii’s open Senate seat in Republican control.
We saw this coming, and always knew this was going to be a tough race — after all, Lingle has boasted that her extensive national right-wing fundraising network will help her raise as much as $10 million. Now is the time for us to step up our game.
National Republican operatives in Washington, DC are chest-beating at Lingle’s total, but it’s really no surprise that the person who nominated Sarah Palin at the 2008 GOP convention, and who campaigned hard against Barack Obama, has raised a lot of money from conservatives across the country.
They know what they’re getting by funding Lingle’s campaign: another obstructionist Republican who will do everything she can to stop President Obama’s agenda of creating jobs, protecting our air and water, and improving our kids’ education. Despite her claims of bipartisanship, it’s clear Lingle would be just another vote for the Republican Party.
And you know what you’re getting with Mazie: an undeniable champion for the middle class who will go to the Senate to fight for what’s best for the people of Hawaii, not to play obstructionist partisan politics.
That’s why more than 48,000 people have joined this campaign — and why we had twice as many individual contributors than Lingle last quarter, who is relying on big corporate donors to bankroll her campaign.
Right now, we need the support of our broad coalition of grassroots supporters to keep Mazie’s momentum going and to fight back against Lingle’s big campaign war chest.
I had to laugh while reading the Jan. 13 editorial that said Linda Lingle would act in a bipartisan manner in the U.S. Senate. Hasn’t the editorial writer been reading news that the sole purpose of the Republican Congress and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is to oppose all of President Barack Obama’s policies and make him a one-term president?
How could that spell the future of Lingle bipartisanship? Perhaps the editorial writer believes the GOP and Tea Party might make some arrangements with each other as right and far-right bipartisan deals and shove that down the nation’s throat?
I was comparing the op-eds in the Jan. 8 New York Times – when The Maui News ran a right-wing opinion piece – seeing several excellent essays from Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman and particularly Nicholas Kristoff on the subject of a poverty solution and early childhood care, health and education.
Those are subjects which Rep. Mazie Hirono continually battles with GOP members of Congress over the funding of, as the GOP wants to eliminate it entirely despite research showing spending on early childhood health, intervention and care will prevent future destructive behavior, persistent poverty and crime – the very ideas Hirono spoke about at the coffee talks.
In the old days the GOP Congress believed and voted for early childhood care but nowadays that’s too Democratic and not even considered common ground.
For the sake of common ground, will The Maui News run point and counterpoint opinions on Sundays?
Lance Holter Paia Letter in Maui News Jan 20, 2012
The Maui News editorial writer favors Linda Lingle over Mazie Hirono in the race for U.S. Senate. So we disregard his biased, inaccurate editorials about the campaign.
But we expect objectivity from the news section. Earlier this month, Linda Lingle sneaked onto Maui with no announcement, yet The Maui News (Jan. 11) gave her a big write-up with two large photos.
Mazie Hirono publicized her talk story meetings. Everyone was invited and she answered the public’s questions in her open and responsive meetings. Yet there was only one photo with the write-up of Hirono (The Maui News, Jan. 12).
Hirono has been earning multiple endorsements for months and that news barely gets mentioned in the paper.
Lingle gets a single endorsement and it’s treated as huge news. (Which maybe it is, since so many people in Hawaii are still mad at her for the furloughs and for investing a billion of our state money in a sketchy investment that was unavailable when we needed it.)
This Senate race may determine whether the GOP takes over the Senate. There will be literally millions of dollars of GOP PAC money pouring in to smear the Democratic candidate.
Unbiased news coverage will become extremely important.
Yet Again, Republican Linda Lingle Embraces National GOP, Fundraises with Poster Child For Extreme Republican Policies
How Will Lingle’s Right Wing Republican Agenda Play in Hawaii?
Republican Linda Lingle is once again showing her true colors as a hyper-partisan loyalist who is beholden to the national GOP and committed to their reckless agenda. The latest from her campaign, news that she will campaign with the poster child for some of the most extreme of extreme Republican policies, former Presidential candidate Steve Forbes, tells voters everything they need to know about Lingle’s priorities.
When push comes to shove, Lingle will stand with national Republicans, do what’s best for her politics, and oppose President Obama.
Forbes, a notorious backer of a tax plan that benefits the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and dangerous plans to privatize Social Security, is reportedly raising money for Lingle’s campaign. Hawaii voters are rightfully disturbed by Lingle’s decision to embrace this kind of ideology.
“Anyone who thinks Linda Lingle is any different than her national Republican leaders and their reckless ideology is confused, at best,” said Shripal Shah. “Time and again, Lingle has proven to be a loyal partisan Republican and when faced with a choice, has always sided with national Republican leaders over Hawaii. Her decision to campaign with one of the most extreme of extreme Republicans, Steve Forbes, is simply showing off her true colors, just like her incessant attacks on President Obama and her outspoken support for Sarah Palin.”
Lingle’s record as a loyal partisan foot-soldier is long and well documented. Lingle not only attacked President Obama in 2008, but she also proudly touted Sarah Palin’s candidacy and even called President George W. Bush the “best president ever.” Her decision to campaign with Steve Forbes is just the latest example of Lingle kicking her “independent” image to the curb in favor of partisanship that benefits her politics.
“Steve Forbes and his anti-seniors, anti-middle class agenda couldn’t be more misguided for Hawaii families. Linda Lingle’s decision to embrace these policies in order to rake in some campaign cash speaks volumes about her misplaced priorities,” added Shah. “Hawaii voters already knew Lingle was a partisan Republican lackey for the national GOP’s agenda who only cares about her own politics. This episode only reinforces that notion.”
BACKGROUND:
Forbes’ Key Platform During Presidential Campaign Was Imposition Of A “Flat Tax.” According to his biography, “In both 1996 and 2000, Mr. Forbes campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Key to his platform were a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice of schools for their children, term limits and a strong national defense. Mr. Forbes continues to energetically promote this agenda.” In addition, Forbes penned a book titled the Flat Tax Revolution in 2005. [Forbes Biography, Forbes.com, accessed 1/11/11; Steve Forbes, Flat Tax Revolution, 7/18/05]
A Flat Tax Would Shift Tax Burden from the Rich to the Non-Rich. According to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, lower tax rates for the wealthy under a flat tax would have to be financed by some combination of higher taxes on the middle class and larger budget deficits. A flat tax that raises the same revenues as our current tax code would shift a significant portion of the tax burden from the rich to the non-rich. According to Citizens for Tax Justice, under a flat tax, the fortunate few with incomes above $200,000 would see their taxes fall by an average of $53,940. [“Falling Flat: The Dubious Case for a Flat Tax,” Economic Policy Institute, 1/17/96]
Expert: Flat Tax Would Be “Massive Tax Cut” For Wealthiest Americans. “A 17 percent or 19 percent flat tax certainly would be a massive tax cut for high-income people,” said Eric Toder, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington, in 2007. “Simpler? Yes,” he said. “But a flat tax would be inconsistent with the preferences of the American people. By and large, people — not all people, but many people — prefer a progressive system. We have increasing inequality in society. There’s no reason to make it worse.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 4/11/07]
Washington Post Editorial: Optional Flat Tax “Would Be Less Simple And Less Fair.” In October 2011, the Washington Post editorialized that presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry’s flat tax plan “would be less simple and less fair — all while raising less for the Treasury. The Perry plan would give taxpayers a choice between the existing tax code and his flat tax. So taxpayers would end up having to make two calculations — three, if you throw in the alternative minimum tax — to determine which deal would be best. . . . Finally, the fiscal impact. The current tax code does not raise enough revenue to meet the needs of an aging society. Mr. Perry’s plan risks exacerbating that gap. Because you could choose your tax plan, Mr. Perry can safely promise that no one would have to pay more. But some (mostly well-off) people would pay a lot less. The result is that the government would not collect as much.” [Editorial, Washington Post, 10/26/11]
Forbes Supported Privatizing Social Security, “Going Far Beyond More Modest Overhaul Discussed By His Rivals For The Republican Nomination.” In February 1996, the AP reported that “Steve Forbes wants to push quickly to privatize the giant Social Security fund for younger people, going far beyond more modest overhauls discussed by his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination and by Democrats… His plan would put part of young people’s Social Security payroll deductions into private savings instead of a government trust fund, and that has some senior citizens groups worried.” [AP, 2/9/96]
Lingle Introduced Palin At The 2008 Republican National Convention And Was A Surrogate For Her After The Vice Presidential Debate In St. Louis. On October 16, 2008, the Honolulu Advertiser reported that Lingle “also introduced his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, at the nationally televised Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., last month, and was a surrogate for Palin with the national news media after the vice presidential debate in St. Louis this month.” [Honolulu Advertiser, 10/16/08]
Lingle: “Like Queen Esther, Gov. Palin Has Faced Tremendous Adversity, And Time And Again She Has Risen To Overcome Obstacles. This Is The Sign Of A True Leader.” In September 2008, in a column published in the Jewish Chronicle, Lingle wrote, “Like Queen Esther, Gov. Palin has faced tremendous adversity, and time and again she has risen to overcome obstacles. This is the sign of a true leader.” [Jewish Chronicle, 9/18/08]
Lingle Called Palin “Intelligent, Fearless And Genuine.” In October 2008, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin Reported That, “Speaking To Star-Bulletin Editors And Reporters Last Week, Lingle Called Palin ‘Intelligent, Fearless And Genuine.’” [Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 10/14/08]
Lingle Defended Palin’s Comment That Obama “Has Been Palling Around With Terrorists.” In October 2008, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported that “Asked about Palin’s comment that Obama ‘has been palling around with terrorists,’ in reference to Obama knowing William Ayers, a 1960s radical in the Weather Underground, Lingle said it is important. ‘Talking about who a person associates with is certainly appropriate for a campaign,’ Lingle said.” [Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 10/14/08]
Lingle Reportedly Referred To Bush As “The Best President Ever.” In October 2006, the Honolulu Advertiser reported that Lingle’s opponent in the 2006 gubernatorial election “repeatedly invoked Lingle’s ties to Bush, pulled out a picture of Lingle and the Republican president together, and noted that Lingle had once referred to Bush as one of the nation’s best presidents ever.” Gary Hooser of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin noted that “Lingle once called President Bush ‘the best president ever.’” [Honolulu Advertiser, 10/7/06; Gary Hooser, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 9/7/08]
The SOPA Strike is the day the web goes on strike, January 18, 2012, in protest of the SOPA and PIPA bills.
How Could SOPA and PIPA Affect My Blog?
The most obvious and scary part about these bills, is that they will allow the government to censor and shut down any website/blog it sees fit. If your blog/website is a significant source of revenue, this could have dire consequences.
Wed March 07 2012
