U.S. Senator Arlen Specter

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania announced he was leaving the republican party to become a democrat.  He was candid in his reasons why he was leaving the republic party.  He said he was not prepared to have his 29 year record with the U.S. Senate decided by the jury of the Pennsylvania republican primary electorate.  Specter also said the republican party had moved far to the right.  Specter's republican colleges were not happy with the move and were not so kind about his decision to change.

 

There was immediate talk by people in the news media that Specter would give the democratic party the 60 votes in the Senate needed to shut down debate.  That seems to be premature since no one knows how Specter will vote as a democrat.  However, between now and his reelection bid he will have an opportunity to develop a record as a democrat and the people will be able to judge just who is Specter the man.  Is he the man who cares only about his reelection or will his voting record reflect progress for the country and its people.

 

The present time should  be a defining time for the American people because of all the serious problems the country and its people are facing.  There are a lot of votes coming up in congress on many of those issues and the people will be able to see how our elected officials vote.  We the voters have to take note and see if elected officials vote for progress or vote to retain the status quo.  That is the bottom line regardless of party affiliation.  Time will tell.

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu

Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu announced on 4/27/09 she was supporting the retention of Jim Letten as U.S. attorney for Louisiana's Eastern District.  Jim Letten, a republican was appointed by President George W. Bush.

 

Senator Landrieu's decision was a good one and showed her courage and class.  It was in sharp contrast to the firing of 7 U.S. Attorneys by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, which was done for partisan reasons that have come out in hearings before congress.  Louisiana's junior U.S. Senator, David Vitter had pledged to fight the nomination of anyone but Letten.  This is the same David Vitter who finished second on a list of the least by partisan republicans according to a survey by the Capitol Hill Newspaper, "The Hill" reported in the Times Picayune of 4/26/09.

 

Senator Landrieu noted in her recommendation of Mr. Letten that President Obama said that he wanted to reach across the aisle and build bridges and middle ground.  This recommendation does that.  The people of Louisiana can be proud of Senator Landrieu's actions.  It is just one more example that separates the democratic party from the republican party.

A Fiscal Responsible Government

I have written many times in past commentaries concerning the federal budget deficits and debt that has been the republican trade mart of the last 3 republican Presidents and how their ideology of trickle down economics has failed.  Those commentaries were made long before the economy crashed, the wall street financial collapse and the massive job losses that have occurred over the past 15 months.

 

It was pointed out in those commentaries how the republican ideology and a lack of a true fiscal and economic policy failed to create a sustained economy and a sustained job creation for the American people.  The country and its people are now living through the carnage and the government has embarked on a massive stimulus plan to turn things around.  I also spoke about the greed of corporate America and how innovation has been lost in America, especially in the automotive industry.  It should be noted no other form of news media were talking about those issues at that very early time. 

 

Now, the news media is paying a considerable amount of attention to all of those issues.  President Obama"s commitment to put the U.S. on track again to balance the federal budget and have a sound fiscal policy has gotten little attention in the news media however, which is very unfortunate. 

 

The President has already started the ball rolling to put the country back on a sound fiscal policy.  He has already ordered his cabinet to identify programs that are outdated or not working and in his radio address to the nation on 4/26/09 called on congress to pass "pay as you go" legislation to deal with the budget problem.  He also said, government must act the same way any responsible family does in setting its budget.  The President's initiative to stabilize the economy will result in larger federal budgets for awhile.  That has been compounded by record deficit spending by the Bush administration for eight straight years.

 

The Presidents desire to return the government to fiscal discipline should be given that chance and the American people should make it be known they too want their government to be fiscally sound and balance the federal budget.  No one really knows how much money the federal government waste each year but if our leaders really want to do the right thing, I believe the government could afford those things that really matter to our country and its ;people without creating more debt.  The Presidents leadership in this will make a difference.

The Torture Flip Flops

The United States is party to more than one international treaty that forbids torture and other cruel and inhumane treatment.  Those treaties forbid torture regardless of what rationale is given by those who think torture is a legitimate tool.

 

The Bush administration has repeated the line the U.S. does not torture however, we know now because of the release of intelligence documents and testimony before congress and the debate that is going on now the U.S. did indeed use torture on several prisoners.  More and more people who served in the Bush administration are now talking openly about the situation.

 

President Obama said it would be up to the Justice department to see if they have a case to prosecute those in the Bush administration who authorized torture.  Some seem to be getting scared, especially former V.P. Dick Cheney.  He has been on Fox cable news proclaiming that torture works and got results and prevented some terror attacks in the past.  After denying the U.S. tortured anyone he now wants to justify that action because he said they prevented more terror attacks.

 

Cheney wants it both ways especially now since he may be in legal jeopardy with more and more information coming out.  It is also reported that a few CIA agents said torture was used to establish a link between Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden and the 9-11 attacks.  Bush and Cheney have been trying to find that link before the Iraqi war and after when no WMD were found.  Their justification for going to war in Iraq was a lie so they were looking for another excuse and even though it did not exist, they still tried to plant that seed in the mind of the people.

 

The U.S. government should find out the truth and if indeed torture was authorized, those responsible should have to answer to the law.  Treaties are a two way street for all who are a party to them.  Laws are what people have to live by and the U.S. is the one nation that can make a difference in upholding the law.

 

U.S. Representative Steve Scalise, The New Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich, the Republican who when Speaker of the House introduced his contract for America (which America never asked for), opposed President Clinton's deficit reduction and economic policy, shut down the federal government and then later resigned in disgrace is now being imitated by U.S. representative Scalise.

 

Mr. Scalise is opposing almost all of the Presidents proposals and says they are job killers.  Yet it is Mr. Scalise and his party who have no record of job creation.  The economy lost over 4 million jobs in the last 13 months of the Bush administration.  All one has to do is look at the republican record for the last 8 years. 

 

The republican party has yet to find a new face that represents change and progress for the American people.  Its new faces represent the same failed ideology and policies that has brought the economy to its knees.  Scalise is all over the ball park on the "cap and trade" proposal congress will be debating and as usual offers no proof for his statements that the legislation, if adopted would result in huge job loses.  It is almost laughable when republicans talk about job losses. 

 

The democratic party over the years have proven they are open on various issues.  On the other hand, the republican party is still the party who think they and only they know what is good for America and its people.  Well the people rejected that sad ideology in November.  Republicans in congress have nothing to offer the people so far so what is their new strategy?  They are trying to brand the democratic party as the socialism party.  When you have nothing to contribute, attack and attack.

 

Thomas Jefferson would not look at the republican party of today as a viable option for the American people.  Mr. Scalise and his party need to grow up.

Republicans, Conservatives and The Tax Tea Party

The republican party and conservatism does not define each other and has been that way since the election of Ronald Reagan as President.  The last 3 republican Presidents and members of their party in congress have by their actions proven there is no such thing as a conservative politician.  The same holds true for many republican leaders who are no longer in congress but still play a major role in the republican party decisions such as Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Tom DeLay and others.

 

Then you have those in the news media like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Riley, Niel Cavuto and others who I will refer to as the "group" who preach conservatism but in fact are right wing radicals who care nothing about the principal foundations our country was built on. 

 

The "group" and those mentioned above have banded together and high jacked true conservatism and replaced it with right wing ideology, then created a base to promote and practice that ideology.  The result has been to divide America, deficit spending and debt for 20 years, a transfer of wealth from the middle class, failure to regulate corporate America and the economic situation the country finds itself in today.

 

The American people in the last 3 elections, two congressional and one Presidential, made a decision to reverse the ideology policies of the republican party and put the democrats in control.  As a result the republican party has no real leader today that has any credibility.  The "group" will not support any republican who puts country first that is why they are promoting and leading the current tax and tea party.  They can not compete with new ideas so they try to create an issue for the new President.  At the same time they are silent on the subject of the cause of what is taking place in America today, republican ideology. 

 

What the republican party needs is a new leader who is willing to stand up to the present leaders of their party and the "group" and put the country first.  The days of beating on ones chest and proclaiming, "I am a conservative" and that makes me better than any one else are gone.  The republican party has failed to offer the American people any constructive direction. 

Who's Side Are They On?

Louisiana representatives Charles Boustany and Steve Scalise's letter to the eidtor of the Times Picayune dated 4/17/09 is just another scare tactic to maintain the status quo of corporate welfare to the Oil and Gas Industry.  Congress has already given that industry over a year ago $7 or $8 billion of corporate welfare at a time when oil was over $100 barrel and gasoline $3.00 gallon.

 

They now say the government should be giving them more to increase production.  What is stopping that industry now from increasing production?  Oil is over $50 barrel and gasoline around $2.00 gallon.  The rig count both nationally and in Louisiana has been going down.  That reflects supply has overtaken demand because the people have cut back on their driving habits and are using less fuel.  That is good sense by the consumer and good for the economy, they can spend their money on more productive things like consumer goods, health insurance and education.

 

Mr. Boustany and Scalise need to leave the pockets of corporate America, especially the oil and gas industry and their lobbyist.  They preach conservatism and then cater to the special interest groups, then use the Cap and Trade legislature passed by the U.S. House to scare the people.  The oil and gas industry has made record profits for the last several years, they can afford to do what ever need to be done on their own.  Using tax payers dollars to give the oil and gas industry to increase production is wasted money. 

 

The public needs to also remember it is members of congress who stack the tax code with loop holes and goodies that allow corporate America to pay less than their fair share of taxes and shields a good portion of their revenue from tax with offshore accounts.  If any one believes corporate welfare will allow business to reduce their products costs to consumers, they need to study economics and learn that it is greed that fuels corporate America. 

 

The status quo seems to be Mr. Boustany and Scalise's agenda.  The American people voted the opposite way in the November elections.

Louisiana Politics: Still Cloudy

Former Louisiana Governor Blanco decided not to run for reelection because she thought the aftermath of Katrina would dominate the campaign instead of the many other issues important to Louisiana and its people.  That was a courageous decision.  Most elected officials put self before any thing or anyone else. 

 

The people elected Bobby Jindal as governor.  A republican has not occupied the governor's office seat very often and the word was spread that a new era in Louisiana politics would began for the better.  Politics concerning the proposed budget that is in deficit reflects the same old political solutions.  Higher education, health care and funding for the arts are taking a heavy hit.  Nothing new there and so far no original thought.  The increase in property taxes is once again with us and home owners are mad.  Nothing new there either.  One member of the legislature is proposing a tax rebate to help out and also will introduce legislature to raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 to replace the present $75,000.  Nothing new there because the problem is still with us after many years of debate and elected officials seem to be all over the ball park.

 

More and more people are writing to the Times Picayune letters to the editors expressing their disapproval of governor Jindal's many trips out of state to raise campaign contributions.  Nothing new there either.  A lot of our past governors have been AWOL.  Jindal tells the people often how lucky the people of Louisiana are that the economic down turn has not been as severe for its people as other parts of the country.  Yet the Times Picayune reported 3/30/09 that Louisiana's rate of personal income growth in 2007 was 10.2% and dropped to 4.2% in 2008, a decrease of 6%.  That number would be pretty severe to a lot of folks.

 

The people are told finding new revenue sources is not easy.  Is that supposed to mean our elected officials can't make the hard decisions when necessary?  Former republican governor David Treen resurrected just recently a way for the state to raise new revenue.  Its called CWEL, "Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy."  The levy would produce substantial revenue with the impact on Louisiana hardly noticeable says Treen.  The problem is that elected officials are afraid to do their job when anything that looks like a tax is mentioned.  Instead, they find a way to get into the consumers pockets a hundred different ways.

 

Our politicians tell us they know a lot about oil and gas in this state.  Yet they got carried away with their budget projections on revenue from oil and gas which was part of the budget problem.  They thought the price of oil was going to stay sky high.  They acted like they were from Nebraska.  Is there any one in Louisiana who knows the price of oil will come down.  Nothing new there either.

 

At this point I don't believe any one can say with a straight face a new era has begun in Louisiana.  The people who run government still lack any original thought. 

Yes America, A War Is Still Going On In Iraq

ix more Americans were killed in Iraq in a three day period recently.  Truck and roadside bombs were the killers weapons again, again and again.  The war is in its seventh year and the U.S. still has no defense against these weapons and our men and women in uniform still go out on patrol and are exposed to the hazards.

 

The Obama administration and our military planners should find a way to end the U.S. presence there at a faster pace than has been announced.  Over 4000 Americans have given their lives for their country in that war because they were sent to fight a war over WMD that did not exist.  Not one more American should have to die on Iraqi soil.

 

It was a betrayal to America to have a foreign policy based on the premise that Iraq was tied to the national security of the United States.  It has always been the Israeli-Palestine, Syria and Iran connection that has a bearing on our national security in that area.  Sadly, the people who started this war knew that.  And if that is not sad enough our own military advisers are still telling us we have no way of knowing what will happen in Iraq after the U.S. leaves.

 

Israel and Egypt have had normal relations since the Camp David accords over 30 years ago that was prodded by President Carter.  If the Israel, Palestine, Syria and Iran problem is not addressed, Iran will hold the wild card over Iraq when the U.S. departs.  If that happens, what will our experts who started and supported the war in Iraq tell the parents of our men and women in uniform who paid the ultimate price.

Conservatives And Socialism

Conservatives in Congress, cable news and so called leaders of Conservatives are once again using the word socialism to try and describe President Obama's agenda.  It represents the typical republican rhetoric to divide the country because they have no record themselves concerning progress for the country and its people.

 

Obama's $787 billion stimulus package passed by congress is socialism, but the $700 billion stimulus Bush pushed through congress  was not, even though that money was given away with no checks and balances.  But that is ok with conservatives.

 

Medicare is government socialism along with universal health care conservatives say.  Medicare cost the government $437 billion in 2007 which 59% was paid for by premiums and dedicated taxes.  Conservatives forgot to mention that.  Welfare is socialism conservatives say but the last 3 republican Presidents have no record of ending or changing welfare for the better.  But President Clinton did. 

 

Conservatives love to give corporate welfare to corporate America and other special monetary favors, but to them that is not socialism.  It is just the conservative thing to do for the transfer of wealth.  Ronald Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 ran the country 20 of the last 28 years but had no sustained policy or record of reducing the welfare or poverty rolls, but the Clinton administration did.  It was called jobs and the Clinton administration created more new net jobs in 8 years than all 3 republican Presidents combined in the 20 years they served. 

 

Conservatives republicans talk about socialism to try and escape their true identity as the masters of deficit spending and creators of debt.  As a party, progress for our country and its people have escaped them.

U.S. Policy Change Toward Cuba

The Associated Press has reported senior U.S. officials have said President Obama plans to announce a policy change toward Cuba before the Summit of Americas April 17-19 in Trinidad and Tobago.  The President recently signed legislation that rolled back rules imposed by the Bush administration that limited Cuban travel by Americans to just two weeks every 3 years and confined visits to immediate family members. 

 

The legislation that Obama signed now allows Americans with relatives in Cuba to visit once a year, stay as long as they want and spend up to $179 a day.  That is a common sense change that should have been made years ago.

 

Hopefully President Obama will continue to change our policy that will bring that Island and its people into a relationship as close allies for the benefit of both countries.  A free Cuba to manage its own affairs with a good relationship between both countries will be a benefit for the hemisphere. 

 

I have written in a recent and past posts about American-Cuban relations that our past policies should be updated to fit the times we are living in.  A country only 90 miles from our shore line would be better as an ally and partner, than an adversary.  The next step should be to lift the embargo. 

A New Foreign Policy Direction

President Obama ordered a review concerning our foreign policies in Afghanistan and has already announced his decision in that regard.  The same commitment should be made for our foreign policy around the globe.  The status quo will not serve the changes that have taken place, nor will it protect our national security in the future.  President Bush after the tragic events of 9-11 proclaimed that the U.S. was in a global war on terror.  But there is no global war on terror going on.

 

The unnecessary war in Iraq cost the taxpayers over half a trillion dollars, over 30,000 U.S. casualties and when no WMD were found, the war was put in the category as part of the global war on terror, even though it was the unnecessary war that brought the terrorists to Iraq.  When Presidents make tragic mistakes they like to link their actions to some grand scheme.  All the while it is the people who pay the price.

 

President Obama has some serious thinking to do before he gives the go ahead to install a missile shield in Russia's back yard as Bush planned to do and that would cost the taxpayers billions of dollars.  Bush said the reason for the shield was to protect the U.S. from a missile attack from Iran.  Obama needs to test that theory.  Any missile launched from Iran towards the U.S. would be lights out for Iran and its leaders.  Iran knows that and that is not how they operate.  The Soviet Union during the cold war was a super power and would not dare to attack the U.S. because they knew what the response would be.

 

The notion that Iran would let some terrorists launch a missile from its soil to attack America is nonsense, because the U.S. response would be the same.  The U.S. has the capabilities through its intelligence systems to pick up the preparation steps needed to launching a missile before it is ever launched.  Terrorists actions are much harder to pick up and stop, that is why terror tactics are used. 

 

After the lessons of Viet Nam, who ever thought we would still be in a 6 year war with Iraq and still counting and a soon to be 8 year war in Afghanistan and still counting. Our generals running the war say we still do not know the outcome of the Iraq war even though there is a time line for withdrawal because they say the situation can still be reversed.  Our generals and secretary of defense tells us after almost 8 years we are not winning in Afghanistan.

 

One foreign policy decision to start a war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist was a tragic mistake and error and the one to go to war in Afghanistan was done on a shoe string.  The tragic cost in American casualties and money is a betrayal of what America stands for and President Obama needs to reassess our foreign policies all across the globe. 

 

President Obama has his work cut out for himself, but our foreign policy reassessment can not and should not wait any longer.  We can no longer have policies that create more terrorists and unrealistic policies that do not address what is really taking place across the globe.  The U.S. has the military power and capabilities to protect the country with sound policies that are thought out and related to what is really happening in the world today.

Time For The United States To Take Action

The Defense Department says we still have over 20,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea 56 years after the war ended.  Why are those troops still there after 56 years of economic and military aid by the U.S. to that nation.  Lets examine how things are today compared to how they were during the Korean War and a few years there after. 

 

The North invaded South Korea in 1950 and the United Nations and the U.S. responded by sending troops to defend South Korea.  The U.S. and its U.N. allies destroyed the North Korean army in the first year of the war.  China, which was called Red China at the time entered the war when General MacArthur threatened to take the war to China.  President Truman fired MacArthur for those actions.  MacArthur said China would not enter the war and he was wrong.  China fought the last two years of the Korean War for North Korea.

 

Today, the China North Korean relationship is different and the South Korea and North Korea relationship is different.  We are told that the U.S. still has troops in South Korea to protect that nation from an invasion by the North because South Korea only has a 600,000 man army and North Korea has a million man army.  Lets examine that.

 

On an economic scale of one to ten, South Korea is a 9 and North Korea is a one.  So who has the means economically to do what it takes to protect and defend their country from invasion?  Yea, you got that right, South Korea.  So let them do what ever it takes to protect their country if they feel threatened from the North.

 

North Korea has better sense than starting another war and invasion of the South.  They could not afford it economically and they could not count on China or any other nation to support them starting another war on their own.  The leaders of N. Korea are not so unstable that they would sign their own death warrant.

 

The U.S. is in its 6th year of war with Iraq and near its 8th year of war with Afghanistan and our military leaders have said our troops have bee depleted and we can't afford to fight both wars at the same time and as a result our men and women in uniform have been over extended.   Yet we have 20,000 plus troops in S. Korea when that nation has the capabilities of defending itself.

 

President Obama needs to rethink all of our foreign troop deployments and bring all those home that will not harm our national security.  Budget restraints dictate that and we need to recognize the world concerning war as it exist today.  The real answer for North and South Korea is to reunite both countries into one nation.  They should take the steps and do it on their own with no outside interference.  The North is an economic basket case that can not provide for the needs of its own people.  The South is an economic power house that can do just about any thing they need to do.  As long as those conditions exist they will always be at odds with each other.  But that is no reason to have U.S. troops there forever.  Their highly charged accusations is also no reason to have U.S. troops there 56 years after the war. 

 

President Obama should bring our troops home from South Korea.  It is not only past time to do so, but under the present circumstances it will enhance our national security.  If South Korea can not defend its own country after 56 years of American aid, our foreign policy has been a failure.  President Kennedy in his inaugural address said:  "My fellow citizens of the world, Ask not what America can do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."  Our troops in South Korea have served their purpose and the U.S. has done more than its part. South Korea has to step up to the plate.