Day: June 12, 2008

McCain’s Comment On NBC

The issue erupted after Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview with NBC‘s “Today” show that the timetable for U.S. forces to come home from Iraq is not of great concern as long as U.S. casualties in the Middle East fall to levels comparable to those in allied countries where U.S. forces have been stationed for decades without incident.

“That’s not too important,” McCain said, when asked by host Matt Lauer if he could better estimate when U.S. forces would come home. “What’s important is the casualties in Iraq,” he said. “Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine.”

McCain has long emphasized bringing U.S. military casualties down in Iraq to bolster the American public’s commitment to stabilizing Iraq. But even if McCain’s statement yesterday differed little from his past pronouncements, it came at a delicate diplomatic juncture. The Bush administration is trying to hammer out bilateral agreements governing the future status of U.S. forces in Iraq, to take effect when the current U.N. mandate expires at the end of December. The two accords — a status-of-forces agreement and a broader security “framework” — have come under sharp criticism in Iraq because of administration proposals to retain unilateral control over U.S. military operations as well as the ability to detain Iraqi citizens while providing legal immunity for U.S. security contractors. Iraqi politicians have also charged that the United States plans to maintain up to 60 military bases there.

I guess I am looking at it differently, if the US pulled forces from Korea, Germany or Japan there would be NO violence, but I guess that is part of the argument, that if we had left too early from aforementioned countries they would not be as stable as they are today…..Now I am looking at other statements…like the US has a duty to bring stability to Iraq..well yes and no..first we caused this massive f/up so there can be a position made that we need to fix it.  But also, the US cannot bring something that the people do not want.  It depends on your thought process.  There is NO easy answer to the Iraq situation.  My biggest problem with the war is that the squandered funds that could be more expertly used in the US.  I also have a problem with this war because they were told what would happed if the US invaded, especially by Dr. Zbig (and I wish I could spell his last name), when on the day of the invasion he told the media what would be the outcome.  Everything else is hindsight and once again the powers that be do not have foresight.

Health Care According To The Green Party

Green Party leaders and candidates said today that the health care reform plans offered by Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are designed to benefit insurance and pharmaceutical corporations — including contributors to their own campaigns — rather than American people who need coverage and treatment.

The Green Party and its candidates strongly support the Single-Payer national health care plan, also called Medicare For All (http://www.gp.org/organize/sicko.html).

“Anyone who believes that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will offer real reform in the next administration has been misled by the Democratic Party leadership and their shills in the media. Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama are among the highest recipients of money from insurance firms, HMOs, and drug manufacturers [source: Center for Responsive Politics, http://www.opensecrets.org],” said Jody Grage, treasurer of the Green Party of the United States.

“Except for a handful who are marginalized by their own party, most Democratic candidates are running to prevent real health care reform. They intend to keep control over our health care in the hands of corporate insurance firms and HMOs who make their profits by denying treatment. That’s why over 45 million Americans don’t have health coverage and millions more can’t get the treatment they need even though they have insurance,” said Ms. Grage.

Ms. Clinton’s $110-billion-per-year ‘mandatory coverage’ plan would offer a gigantic subsidy for the HMO-insurance industry, while shifting the burden — and the blame for lack of coverage — onto people who desperately need health care. Mr. Obama rejects the Single-Payer option and has promised that his plan would sustain the HMO and insurance industry.

Greens noted that the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions will be funded by numerous corporate sponsors seeking favors from the next White House and Congress (“DNC sponsorships raise questions on motivations,” Rocky Mountain News, March 12, 2008, http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/12/dnc-sponsorships-raise-questions-on-motivations/).

The Green Party, which accepts no corporate contributions, will hold its national convention in Chicago, July 10-13 (http://www.greenparty2008.org). The candidates for the Green presidential nomination — Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, and Kat Swift — all support Single-Payer.

“There’s no incentive for either Democrats or Republicans to pursue real campaign finance reform and get corporate money out of politics and public policy, because they both benefit from the current system. The only way to shock the system and get real reform is by voting for Greens, giving a noncorporate party seats in Congress and state legislatures, and showing the Democrats that they can’t take their seats for granted,” said Bob Kinsey, Colorado Green candidate for the US Senate (http://www.kinseyforsenate.org).

“Greens are the only party with the solution for the health care crisis. Democrats and Republicans have nothing to offer when it comes to health care, except more denial of treatment, more financial ruin for working Americans who suffer a serious emergency, and big bucks for corporate cronies,” Mr. Kinsey added.

The Single-Payer/Medicare For All would guarantee every American health care regardless of age, income, employment, or prior medical condition; allow choice of health care provider; provide low-cost or no-cost treatment and prescriptions (including complementary and alternative medicine); and cost low- and middle-income Americans far less than they now pay for private or employer-based coverage by eliminating insurance and HMO company overhead. To contact Green health care leaders in the Green Party Speakers Bureau, visit (http://gp.org/speakers/healthcare.shtml).

Change For Change Sake

Everybody in this election cycle is claiming that they are the agent of change for Washington.  McCain is perceived as a maverick and will bring some sort of conservative change  if he is elected.  Obama is a Washington outsider, at  least that is the perception, is seen as some sort of “progressive” change, if he becomes the president.

But the change has not been evident in the campaigns of the two candidates, hell the tax debate they are having is about as “old school” as it comes.  McCain will make all better with massive tax cuts, a typical conserv point and Obama will be a “tax and spend” Dem.  This debate could have been had in the 70’s and gives the voter nothing new or anything resembling change.

I have been watching both campaigns and so far I have seen nothing that would indicate a change in Washington no matter which one of them is elected.  McCain is traveling the tired path of Bush and Obama is leaning to the same lame path of the Clinton years and the domination of the Party by the DLC.

So, I suggest if the voter is truly looking for a change in Washington, that they spend their time checking out other candidates, but that would take foresight and most voters prefer hindsight.

US Companies Call For Passage Of Tax Extenders

The companies did not waste anytime trying to make sure that their tax cuts and such stay in place.  Tax cuts help the bottom line and that is what is most important….gotta keep the investors in cash.

Hundreds of companies signed on to a statement calling for the U.S. Senate to renew tax provisions expiring at the end of the year, citing a potential negative impact on the U.S. economy if Congress doesn’t approve an extension measure.

The Senate on Tuesday swatted down a bill introduced by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., to extend expiring tax cuts and provide incentives for renewable energy. The Senate voted 50-44 on a procedural motion on the bill, falling 10 votes shy of the necessary votes to move forward to debate the tax package.

“Failure to act this summer on tax extender legislation will have significant negative consequences for the U.S. economy,” the letter said. “The value of the legislation to the U.S. economy and the need to act quickly at this critical time should be the dominant considerations.”

Most of the opposition to the bill in the Senate came from Republicans, who argued that the tax extension shouldn’t have to be offset with tax increases. Baucus said Tuesday that he hopes to negotiate an agreement with Republicans on the tax extensions in “a week, (or) a week and a half.”

The Senate bill, largely similar to legislation passed by the House in May, renews for one year expiring business tax cuts such as the research tax credit, quicker depreciation for restaurant properties, and a tax break for overseas financing income.

It would extend production tax credits for wind energy by one year, and for energy generated by biomass, hydropower and geothermal energy by three years. It would extend the solar energy investment tax credit for eight years.

The Fist Bump Heard Around The World

This media frenzy is just plain stupid.  For days, we have been bombarded with visions and explanations over the fist bump Obama and wife exchanged on the stump.  Why?

The affectionate fist bump between Senator Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, before his victory speech last week in St. Paul became an instant source of fascination among commentators in the news media, who for days have tried to decipher the meaning behind this supposedly odd gesture.

But perhaps none went as far afield as E. D. Hill of the Fox News Channel, who, teasing to a segment last Friday on the Obamas’ moment, said: “A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently.” Media Matters, a liberal group, called attention to her comments that day and demanded an apology on Monday.

The Fox News segment was part of a fist-bump-related media dorkathon that continues, even a full week after the Obamas’ onstage moment.

Um, people: This is a common gesture, and its use is not limited to Democrats with unusual names. In 2001 it was used by Carleton S. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive — now advising Senator John McCain — and Michael D. Capellas, then the Compaq chief executive, to salute the completion of their merger. And in 2006, former President George Bush shared a fist bump with Anna Kournikova at a celebrity tennis event — and he was 82 at the time.

Is there nothing else the media can focus on……I don’t know…..like taxes, gas, Iraq, and I am sure there is a wealth of subject that need to be covered, and this one is no where on the list.  A fist bump is the new high five….it is that simple and that innocent….please move on to something important.

GM Sues Canadian Auto Workers

This is a scary thing to me…….the automaker suing a union over a blockade of a plant.

General Motors of Canada is seeking C$1.5 million ($1.47 million ) in damages from the Canadian Auto Workers union and is seeking an injunction against the union’s blockade of the company’s Oshawa, Ontario, headquarters, court documents showed.

The union’s blockade has prevented anyone from entering the headquarters for eight days now. Union members set up the blockade after GM announced last week it would close its Oshawa truck plant in September 2009, with up to 2,600 workers losing their jobs.

The company and the union signed a new contract agreement just two weeks before the GM announcement. In the contract, GM said it would keep the plant open until 2011.

But the company said a sudden and drastic shift by U.S. consumers away from gas-thirsty trucks and sport utility vehicles is forcing it to close the truck plant, along with two others in United States and one in Mexico.

Union Critical Of Obama’s Economist

“For years we’ve expressed strong concerns about corporate influence on the Democratic Party,” John J. Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, said Wednesday in a statement implicitly critical of the symbolism of the appointment, no matter Mr. Furman’s economic skills.

Of particular concern to labor is the Hamilton approach to trade. While labor wants restrictions that would preserve jobs, the Rubin camp wants free trade that might cost jobs but would be offset by a broader safety net channeling more income support and job training to the job losers. Mr. Obama talks of “fair” trade agreements that include labor and environmental standards, a position that falls short of what Mr. Sweeney has in mind.

In his statement criticizing Mr. Furman’s appointment, Mr. Sweeney said, “The fact that our country’s economic policies have become so dominated by the Wall Street agenda — and that it is causing working families real pain — is a top issue we will be raising with Senator Obama.”

I had said that I was not an Obama supporter until I saw who he would choose for his VP. Well, it appears that I may not have to wait that long……he is already embracing the DLC’s trade policies….I will continue to be vigilant……but so far the choice of economic adviser has shown that labor will be in for more of the same if Obama is elected.

THe Two Candidates Tax Plans (Simplified)

Len Berman, a former Treasury tax official who is now a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, says if Obama’s proposals—which include plans to rescind the Bush tax cuts on couples making more than $250,000, close corporate tax loopholes, and tax private equity earnings known as “carried interest” as ordinary income—were adopted in 2009, for example, married couples with earnings in the lowest quintile of the population would see their aftertax income rise 5.8%. Those in the next quintile would see an increase of 4%. Those breaks would be paid for by those with high incomes: the top 1% of taxpayers would see aftertax income fall 8.4%.

Under McCain’s proposals, by contrast—including an extension of the Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers, a corporate tax cut, and a larger reduction in estate taxes than Obama would support—far more of the benefits would go to the top. If his plans went into effect in 2009, married couples in the bottom fifth of the population would see aftertax income go up just 0.2%, while those in the next quintile would see a 0.7% hike. But those in the top quintile would see a bump up in aftertax income of 2.7%.

“It’s just flat wrong” to say people would do worse under Obama, says Berman. “Most lower- and middle-class people would pay less taxes under Obama than they would under the proposals being put forth by McCain.”

Very basically, McCain is a supply side proponent, that is cut taxes and the economy will grow.