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| Debbie Wasserman-Schultz |
Why watch sitcoms or reality television when you have politics? Not long ago DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was supportive of the autoworker's union bailout. She suggested if it were up to those damned Republicans, we’d all be driving foreign cars. It turns out she already is driving a foreign car. Only in American politics is it not necessary to remember what make of car you drive, before pointing the finger at others you want to accuse of not helping the domestic auto industry.
God Bless America. The evolution of the union movement is accelerating. Over the last five decades union demands on private employers have chased millions of competition-sensitive jobs overseas. Not long ago union bosses realized future union growth was going to be easier in the public sector where bankruptcy was unthinkable. Union bosses are now doing to taxpayers supporting municipal and state governments what they used to do to the likes of Eastern Airlines, Bethlehem Steel and hundreds of other union-plagued and bankrupt companies. Unfortunately, state and municipal bankruptcies are now no longer unthinkable, and in some entire nations (Greece, Portugal, Spain) the public union's abilities to extort unrealistic wage and benefit concessions from their federal governments has taken several to the brink of bankruptcy.
This week MSNBC host Ed Schultz was suspended for a week without pay for calling someone he disagreed with (Laura Ingraham) a right-wing "slut." And this weekend The Nation columnist John Nichols characterized the subsequent apology from Schultz as “classy.” This leaves me wondering. Once we dumb down the idea of "classy" is there anything left?
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| Benjamin Netanyahu |
The Nation hit the daily double this week. Columnist Robert Dreyfuss let us know that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went over the top in reminding us that one million Arabs living inside the borders of Israel have what those causing unrest all over the Middle East are purportedly fighting for……freedom. Pointing out the existence of human rights is over the top? How can we reconcile the Dreyfuss contradiction? Easy. Those fighting for human rights are noble, but those who simply remind us they are providing human rights are...“boorish.” It would seem that
The Nation engages in a pitched battle almost every week with
The Progressive for the “defying all logic” prize. This week
The Nation gets the nod. Kudos to Nichols and Drefuss.
Finally, we come to the carefully crafted messages coming from Senator Tom Udall’s office. Udall posted a video on his website this week explaining why he voted against Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” budget plan. However, he offered no ideas whatsoever for spending cuts nor did he provide any explanation for why no Democrat in the Senate voted YES for either Ryan’s budget or……..President Obama’s budget which went down by a vote count of 97-0. It is also worth noting that like Udall, not a single Senate Democrat submitted an alternative to President Obama's budget or Ryan's budget.
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| Tom Udall |
Hmmmm. Correct me if I am wrong but that is a lot of “no” votes. Now, some might accuse Udall of being nothing more than a cynical demagogue for pointing fingers at the other side, voting against the president, and not even bothering to attempt a pitiful fakeout regarding his own responsibilities of leadership. However, it is important to realize that while Tom Udall is no leader, he is also no political dummy. He has surveyed the mood landscape in this state and in this country. Seasoned lawyers do have skills and Udall's skills help him exploit both the selfish and the uninformed. He is pretty sure he can look the other way while America borrows $4 billion a day and not get fired. All he has to do is blast those detestable “rich” people and keep voting “no” on any and all budget proposals for the foreseeable future. Good call Tom. Can't wait for your next "no" vote video.
Memorializing the Week
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