The March for Jobs

Someone in the Tampa Bay area finally made enough contacts with the groups organizing the One Nation Working Together's March for Jobs and has a bus scheduled for the trip to and from D.C. for the event.

Now comes the hard part: convincing my parents to babysit my kittehs while I go off to a ZOMG Socialist rally.  Dad, settle down!  Stop having a heart attack!  Yes, I know they're Socialists!  But Dad... DAD!  They're the only ones out there protesting for more jobs...!

Sigh.  And given my brother up in DC is openly Libertarian... this is gonna be a fun two weeks...

UPDATE: Well, I told my mom about the planned road trip.  Her primary concern is "watch out for trouble," and my reply is "I'm going Quaker," which is my code for "I'm going non-violent and will make sure my group goes that way too."  She seemed a bit upset that I was going, but I reminded her I do have this political bent and that I'm frustrated enough about my lack of success job-hunting to want to head up to DC to protest.  She taught history, so we debated a bit about FDR's New Deal with its four different Jobs programs which I argued helped reduce unemployment from 25 percent to 11 percent within 3 years (my math might be a little off, but that's how I remember it).  Mom, being fiscal conservative, argued that those programs increased the debt too much.  At least she and I agree on Marco Rubio being a crook and that the whole budgeting process is corrupt with lobbyists and hidden riders/bill attachments.
Good news is, they'll help watch over the kittehs and my car and help get me to the bus pick-up next Friday.  It better be next Friday.  Gotta call and make sure.

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The Republican Candidates of Scylla and Charybdis

Most of the news today has been about the upset victory in Delaware of a Tea Party-backed candidate (O'Donnell) over the establishment candidate (Castle) and how it has far-reaching consequences for the current Republican Party.

But it also has serious repercussions for the whole nation.

As Yglesias mentions in that link above, the political party structure in the United States is geared to two-party balance (third parties have been glorious failures at the national level: the few times there's been multi-party systems (1850s) it was a fight between one monolithic institution of the Democrats and a set of smaller remnants of the Whigs duking it out for the right to be the final challenger (which the Republicans finally earned); or a serious radical movement (1890s) where the third party Populists were consumed by the better-organized Democrats.  To quote Yglesias: "Ultimately, the two-party system operates near equilibrium, and so the internal state of both parties counts. It’s better for progressives and better for the country for Republicans to field strong, reasonable candidates."  Like it or not, we've got two parties - Democrat and Republican - and like it or not it hurts the equilibrium of the nation's politics when one party (The Republicans) are getting overwhelmed by Teh Crazies.

O'Donnell's victory is merely one of a long line of victories by the Far Right - not at the national level of creating elected leaders - over their internal party rivals of moderates and centrists that the wingnuts labeled "RINOs".  The effect is two-fold: it drives out the moderate, sensible candidate that has a good work record and a habit of, you know, actually doing stuff in office (it also takes that moderate's supporters along with him/her); and it makes it easier for the opposing party (Democrats) to field their own less-crazy candidate that tends to win and keep the now-crazed party out of actual political power.  There are exceptions, of course: Massachusetts's Sen. Brown was a Tea-Bagger candidate who won a prized seat (Ted Kennedy's old liberal lion throne)... but only because the Democrats went with one of the worst campaigners in that state's history.  The more notable examples are the Congressional campaigns of NY-23, or the fates of Lincoln Chafee and Wayne Gilchrist, or pretty much a lot of other Club for Greed failures over the past 20 years or so.

It's been written elsewhere that for the Far Right/Club for Greed/Teabagger crowd, this Pyrrhic victory/Scorched Earth practice of killing their own successful candidates and replacing them with more crazed and less electable ones is exactly what they want.  In part, they don't WANT to actually win in November - getting into office leads to the complex issue of, you know, actually doing what they pledged to do, meaning either total chaos or total destruction - they just want to seize control of the whole GOP mechanism (it's far cheaper than starting up your own third party, for example).  The other part of their ideology that WANTS to win the general elections really only wants to do so in order to prove how POPULAR (See! Real Americans ARE Right-Wing just like us!) and how RIGHT they are on their key issues (abortion, sex education, and tax cuts for the rich) which truly do fly against how the actual majority of Americans think (majorities are comfortable with abortion-with-limits, masturbation in private, and tax cuts for the middle class not the rich).  That part of the Far Right's mindset that wants to win also wants to impose their will in very scary fashions (I am not joking when I say that a Republican-controlled Congress in 2011 will start with Obama's impeachment over his Hawaiian birth certificate and go downhill from there).

Andrew Sullivan's fevered hope that a Republican win in November could be a good thing (are YOU MAD?) - "...the more anti-debt and anti-spending their rhetoric becomes and the plainer it is that serious defense and entitlement cuts are necessary for the problem to be solved, the more I'd like to see the GOP be deprived of their obstructionist no-responsibility posturing of the last two years. I'd like to see their bluff called on spending to escape the current impasse and get to a real debate rather than a phony one. If they win back the House, as it seems inevitable they will, they will have to offer something at last instead of criticizing everything in comically tired tropes and waiting for 2012..." - is one of the weaker maybe-it-won't-kill-us pleas to God I'd ever read. 

Dear Andrew: the Republicans are NOT bluffing.  Their game of Obstructionism wasn't just an attempt to force Obama's platform to be delayed or denied: it was also a genuine attempt to force Obama and the Democrats to accede to a wholly-far-right-wingnut agenda.  "Either make the laws just like we want 'em, Barack, or we vote en masse against them, and threaten filibusters in Senate on every one!  And we can get some of our Blue Dog Dem allies side with us, neener!"  Even though a vast majority of Americans voted AGAINST Republicans in 2006 and 2008, the GOP and their media allies remained sincerely convinced that the nation was still "Center-Right" and refused any sensible bipartisanship: the Republican idea of bipartisan between 2006 and now is/was "It Has to Be Republican-Approved".

Dear Andrew: your other plea - that a win in November would force the Republicans to grow up and govern - is on its face wrong, and will not happen.  If the Republicans win, it will only reinforce their beliefs that A) Americans are truly on their side (rather than disappointed with Democratic efforts or else distracted by Republican lies and fearmongering), and B) their efforts in Obstructionism works, meaning their behavior can get WORSE, and C) that they now have a mandate by the voting public to push their agenda however they see fit.  And that agenda is obvious: Drive Obama from office by any means necessary: impeachment, embarrassment, harassment, government shutdowns, whatever it takes.  Republicans are NOT interested in serious governing - read Matt Taibbi's work - they are interested in winning elections, debasing Democrats, and stealing from government coffers to make their business buddies richer.  No matter how much you want to wish it so, Andrew, if the Republicans are in control of even the House by 2011 it will be bad for the nation, bad for the world, and bad for the next decade.


As of right now, there's been a huge rift within the Republican ranks over O'Donnell's victory.  Karl Rove, of all people, had gone public with his disapproval (and is now getting flack from his once-media allies): Mitt Romney, desperate for relevancy in 2012, has come to O'Donnell's defense, and the NRSC pulled a quick 180 where they first refused to aid O'Donnell but now is sending her funds.

This is my plea to the whole nation: ARE YOU FUCKING MAD?  Stop Voting Republican.  Now and For The Next Ten Generations.  It's the only way to save ourselves from the wingnut madness.

Breitbart Delendus Est.

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Supporting Crist

I know I've made earlier posts giving some praise to the man.  Here I'm making it official:

I'm supporting Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate this November 2010.

There's not much I can do in the way of financial donations (being unemployed and all).  So I am trying to find out if there's volunteer time I can provide.  For the seven people reading this blog, if you've got some funds handy and want to piss off the Wingnut Republicans, here's your chance.  Click the link above.  I'll be adding the Crist website to my links on the right.

P.S. Go Gators!  Go Bucs!  Go Bulls!  Go Rays!  Go Spongers (Tarpon High)!

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You Guys Working the One Nation Working Together stuff Ought to Advertise Better

For the seven people following this blog, you might notice I've been unemployed for about, oh, 19 months now.  And that I've been YELLING AND SCREAMING for about most of that time FOR JOBS DAMMIT OBAMA WE NEED JOBS.


One of my pet peeves was this realization that for all the Congressional apathy that has been slowing down if not killing any legislative attempts to GET AMERICANS BACK TO WORK DAMMIT, the whole nation seemed to be in this funk of not wanting to do anything about the unemployment problem.  While the televised media itself seemed... distant and aloof about it (the local papers have near-daily news updates and check-ups and job hunting tips, so they at least are aware there's still a problem - and this being Florida with 14 percent out-of-work, IT IS STILL A PROBLEM), there didn't seem to be anything else out there going on.  No marches on state capitols, no rumors of marches, no mass rallies protesting the lack of effort to 15 million Americans back on their feet with good full-time jobs at good wages (As I've let Congress know, Wal-Mart Greeter is NOT a career!).

Not a peep.  And nothing on the Intertubes either.  Not from the liberal blogs nor the conservative ones.  Not from the blogs that tend to be truly balanced and informed.  It was as though NOBODY wanted to go through the hassles of getting into the streets and raising a fuss.

Which is getting really frustrating for me.  Because there are other groups in this nation taking to the streets, and these are groups that in my humble opinion don't have any legitimate grievances to drive them into the streets: the goddamn wingnut Teabaggers.

For one thing: these Teabaggers are NOT grass-roots.  By definition, grass-root organizations aren't funded by billionaires.  For another thing: these Teabaggers are out there protesting things - "OBAMA'S A SOCIALIST ZOMG!  OBAMA'S A SECRET MUSLIM ZOMG!  HEALTH CARE DEATH PANELS ZOMG!  DEMOCRATS ARE EVIL ZOMG!" - that are NOT TRUE.

It came to a head for me this weekend with the realization that a particular Rage Merchant was throwing his own Ego Rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on a High Holy Day (Anniversary for Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream speech during a march in 1963 for... get this... jobs!).  I felt angry and pissed that an idiot like Beck could get 80,000 Teabaggers to travel to DC to boost his ego, but that 15 million unemployed Americans couldn't get anything together to host a rally in DC to yell and scream for the good jobs we desperately need.

So I went to Daily Kos - yes, Dad, I know they're Socialists - mostly 'cause I figured that would be the one venue where I could vent this matter using a Diary entry.  Mostly I raged that we needed to organize and get a Jobs Rally on DC done as soon as possible.

Well, it kinda worked.  Within minutes, someone posted a response, letting me know that "Hey guess what?  There IS a rally planned for Saturday October 2nd!"

It's being hosted by a group known as One Nation Working Together.  It's really associated with the AFL-CIO, as well as the NAACP and SEIU.  Yes, Dad, they're unions and they're liberal.  They're also the only ones I'm seeing out there in the political arena giving a crap about the unemployment crisis.

So thank GOD there is actually something going on out there.  But here comes my next greivance:

WHEN THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS GONNA TELL US ABOUT THAT?

You'd think the AFL-CIO or the NAACP or SEIU would have a grasp on the concept of advertising.  Because I certainly didn't hear anything about this and it looks like this has been in the planning stages since June.  At least since August 4th, when these guys finally got around to securing the October 2nd event.  Nothing.  NOT A PEEP.

You've got friendly ears in the televised media, don't you?  This was something Rachel Maddow could have been talking about the last three weeks, or at least Keith Olbermann.  Why isn't Daily Kos dedicating Diaries and updates on their site?  Or FireDogLake, which devotes some talk about SEIU?  I will tell you one thing: I'm not hearing anything about this among my fellow unemployed at the Career Center!  Sigh.

Look, here's the thing: we've got about a month before the event takes place.  We gotta start getting the word out to the unemployed across the nation.  It's gonna take time, and money, and travel planning and expenses, and a lot of other things, to make sure we get a good turnout.  'Cause the media's not gonna sit up and take notice if you get just 5,000 people attending.  The media's not gonna pay attention if you even get 80,000 like Beck did.  No, you're going to have to impress the shit out of the news channels: you're gonna need at least 2 million in the streets of Washington DC.  You're gonna need to clog up traffic from Alexandria to Baltimore.  You're gonna have the scare the crap out of the political insiders who simply can't see the number of unemployed people who are out there in the United States.

I'll do my part to spread the word.  But you guys?  AFL-CIO, NAACP, SEIU, the lot of you?  Start getting your ads out there!  Start chatting up Maddow or Cooper Anderson or god help us someone at FOX.  GET THE DAMN WORD OUT.

We need everyone there on October 2nd.  EVERYONE!

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The Only Miracle I Want Today

A certain Rage Merchant is marching on D.C. today in mockery of a Real American's stirring call to action.  I refuse to link otherwise to anything about today's hatefest.

The S.O.B. hosting this travesty is claiming a Miracle will occur today.  Unless that miracle involves God turning Glenn Beck into a pillar of salt, I won't be impressed.

Breitbart Delendus Est.

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Reactions to the Primaries of August 24 2010

I did not wake up well today.

It's taking me a good while to write up this post-script to last Tuesday's postings about the primaries.  Mostly because Wednesday was a busy day for me, heading out to Charlie Crist's campaign HQ to rally for the November election. (you won't see me on the video, as a big fat guy I tried to stay in the corner out of people's way)


I'm not the only one miffed about Rick Scott being chosen by the Republican Party as their choice for the Governorship here in Florida.  At least one other Floridian is trying to use mockery in discussing the horror that is Scott, but still and all outrage should be the underlying emotion here.

To wit: THE REPUBLICANS CHOSE AN EX-CEO OF A CORPORATION THAT COMMITTED MASSIVE MEDICARE FRAUD UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP.  What words do you think the majority of Republicans overlooked on Scott's resume?  I think they missed the words FRAUD, also UNREPENTANT CROOK, and maybe EVASIVE SCUMBAG.

I've spent more than a few posts yelling and screaming about how the Republicans have failed in their leadership: about how they provide us with con artists, snake-oil salesmen, egomaniacal freaks, borderline racists, and outright liars.  But in previous cases the Republicans at least tried for a pretense of choosing 'sensible,' or least publicly clean candidates that don't have billion-dollar-sized damages trailing in their wake.  With Scott?  Dear fucking God, they're not even trying to hide it anymore.  This guy - responsible for the largest fine in Medicare Fraud history - is openly trying to buy himself an office ($40 million of his own money and counting), and for what purpose?  What do you honestly think Scott is trying to do achieve?  All I can think of is that he's hoping to get into office so that he can use the shield of "Public Trust" to avoid any culpability in the private sector he may have generated (being an elected official DOESN'T stop the criminal or civil charges from coming: it DOES delay it for years, and it gives the scumbag the "excuse" that he's being hounded for "political partisan" reasons.  Phooey.)

The simplest solution to all this is of course to vote for the Democratic nominee Alex Sink.  It's due time for another party to sit in the Governorship anyway (last elected Dem was Walkin' Lawton and that was almost 2 decades ago), and another thing Sink would be the state's first woman Governor (a nice milestone).  Still and all, this pisses me off.  The primary system itself FAILED to prevent someone known to have COMMITTED FRAUD on the scale of billions of dollars from even winning a party nomination in the first place.

WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU FLORIDIAN REPUBLICANS THINKING?  McCollum wasn't too radical enough for you?!  A perfectly sensible, long-time political hack who plays by the GOP purity rules, and McCollum STILL LOSES TO A CROOK?!  WHAT.  THE.  HELL?  Anti-incumbency attitudes alone does not explain this outright stupidity by the majority of the state GOP voters.

Any outrage I might have for voting results in Alaska or Arizona can't measure up to this.  All I can say now to everyone is STOP VOTING REPUBLICAN.  It's not helping this nation.  At all!


Breitbart Delendus Est.

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Florida Primary Day August 24 2010

Forgot to mention this, but then again I find the need to purge Rick Scott from my memory every other minute of the day.  Ye Gods, HE'S A VIABLE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR?

Anyhoo.  Updates on the primaries to be added to this thread.  Voting should be done by evening and updates will follow.  By 10:00 pm tonight we'll have a good idea how bad the GOP's choices will look like...

If you wanna follow the official tallying, linkage to the St. Pete Times politics website provided here.

Oh and I forgot to keep up with this:
Brietbart Delendus Est.

UPDATE: 6:40 pm EST.  It's been a rainy day.  How it will affect turnout across the state this year is unknown, but it does tend to depress turnout.  Usually the less-interested voters who tend to just vote on whim, meaning more dedicated (possibly obsessed) voters have a huge advantage.

UPDATE: 7:52 pm.  There's the Bay News 9 results page available as well (interactive).  The polls are closed and the counts are filtering in.  So far, it doesn't look good in the GOP gubernatorial race with Scott up over McCollum 47 - 42 percent.

UPDATE: 8:11 pm.  Bay News 9 is calling the Primaries for Rubio in the GOP Senate and Sink in the Democrat Governor races.  Pasco County's local elections are still dribbling in, so I can't say who won the Judicial campaigns.

UPDATE: 8:27 pm.  Last early update for some time.  Bay News 9 is calling the Democrat Senate race for Meek.  The Attorney General elections still up for grabs.  The Scott/McCollum race is still too close to call at 46-43, but the polling numbers are staying level so it's looking like Scott could win the GOP nom.  Get those Scotty Don't t-shirts ready.

UPDATE: 10:24 pm.  Greene conceded to Meek.  Results still not changed for Scott/McCollum, they're at 46 to 43 percent at 77 percent precincts in.  Will have to check again later.

UPDATE: 10:43 pm.  Go Rays!  Up 4-0 bottom of the Second Inning!  ...what?  Oh, the primaries...
Interesting tidbit: the Republican turnout was in the 1 million-plus count.  I didn't think there were that many registered Republicans in the state.  Last tally was around 900,000 or so in 2009.  Democratic turnout looks to be around 750,000 voters so far, which is 250,000 less than expected... although it can be said the Republican Gubernatorial primary especially had more at stake...

UPDATE: 10:50 pm.  May be my last update for the night.  Won't stay up long.  Best to say that Scott looks like he'll win the Republican nomination for the Governor's race (Boo Hiss).  Once that race is certain, I'll have more to say on it.  On a personal note, a woman who ran for a Congressional primary back in 1992 - Trish Muscarella - that I volunteered for then (she lost the primary: Bilirakis was an imposing incumbent) has won a race tonight for 6th Circuit Court Seat 18 (Pasco & Pinellas).  So in case I get tabbed for speeding again, I know who to ask for a presiding judge... :)

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