Bush’s Comments in Israel May 16, 2008
Posted by baxtersbrother2 in Uncategorized.Tags: Golf, Iraq, Keith Olbermann, President Bush
add a comment
The comments that President Bush has said in multiple parts has infurated this blogger so much that I can not even analyze it. Here is the article from : The New York Times.
There are two videos from MSNBC’s Countdown by Keith Olbermann which made me the most insane. I am not a fan of Keith Olbermann, and he can be slightly pissy. However, the way that everything comes together and what was said is something that has upset me enough that I can not even comment.
Here is Number two, it goes back a little, but emphasizes the golf point.
I could not have said it better myself. I think that now silently, Many of the GOP are just counting down the days until January 20th 2009. There will be no “Thank you Mr Bush” or “4 more years” demonstrations at the GOP Convention this summer. If so, it will be fake.
Bush’s arrogance will be coming to an end soon!
The Farm Bill, The Farm Bill, The Farm Bill. May 16, 2008
Posted by baxtersbrother2 in Fiscal, Just Ranting, Social Discourse, Tax Policy., US Government, Uncategorized.Tags: Farm Bill, Farmers, Farming, NYTimes, President Bush, Senate, US Congress
4 comments
Once every 5 years or so, there is a package from the US Congress that is commonly called “The Farm Bill.” Typically, the farm bill contains agricultural programs for the nations farmers and Food Stamp money for the nations hungry. As illustrated in the NYTimes, even though it is a bi-partisan bill, and almost veto-proof, President Bush should veto this bill. The present package is a $307 billion dollar package that is full of pork for very wealthy farmers who are benefiting from the Ethanol revolution and increases in Net income. In the fine details, there is tax breaks for racehouse breeders in Kentucky by Senator McConnell. They pay the farmers not to farm!! If they are farmers who do not farm, what are they?
Also:
- Continues to subsidize millionaires. Currently, all full-time farmers may be eligible for farm subsidies regardless of income (part-time farmers must earn less than $2.5 million annually). President Bush reasonably proposed limiting farm subsidies to those who earn less than $200,000 a year.
- It pays people to farm dirt or do not farm at all! Here is a article from The Washington Post.
- It goes to school nutrition programs which I think is great. However, many of the school programs are corporate run, and they are feeding the children garbage with sugar that is creating a bigger obesity crisis.
- Many of the farmers do not like the bill and believe that it is fraud. The Grand Island Independent reported the passage of the bill and how Senator Chuck Hagel voted against it. “We must reconnect our policy to its original purpose: providing a true safety net to real farmers when they need it most, while limiting government involvement in producers’ decisions,” Hagel said.
- Senator Chuck Hagel also said “It will continue to distort land valuations and inflate food prices, while jeopardizing our trade agreements,” he said. “We need a farm bill that significantly reforms our current policy. Agriculture is far too important to Nebraska and America for it to continue on such a misguided path.” As a person who has traveled thru Nebraska at 100 mph, I completely agree.
- Fewer than half of America’s farms benefit from our current farm policy and nearly 66 percent of farm payments go to only 10 percent of producers. It is unwise and wrong to continue these policies. The real farmers and taxpayers lose. The big guys win.
- The average food stamp receipts receives an average $1.10 per meal. That is it. At the local Safeway, you can barely buy a box of Mac and Cheese for that price.
Regardless of ones political philosophy, WE DESERVE BETTER!
California, and so goes the Nation.. May 15, 2008
Posted by baxtersbrother2 in Election 2008, Gay Rights, Uncategorized.Tags: California, California Supreme Court, Dick Cheney, Gay Marriage, President Bush, religious conservative, Senator Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, Wanda Sykes
add a comment
California Supreme Court acted wisely in overturning the “Same-Sex Marriage Ban.” All I got to say is “Right on.” It is an act of civil rights.
Here is the case.
Now the religious right says that it is desecrating marriage. I know many couples who “do not respect the sanctity of marriage.” MANY consider their marriage a piece of paper. Marriage is hard work. It is a union of two becoming one. That is it. Some may say that it is completely different. Gag me. Was Ted Haggard thinking of the sanctity of marriage when he was meeting up with his “male escort?” Was Senator Larry Craig when he was caught trying to pick-up someone in a mens room in Minneapolis? I do not want the governments coming in and saying that these people are better than these group of people.
Wanda Sykes says it best. Here is the video:
Though funny, she makes a point. It is incredible to me that so many people care about what two consenting adults do. If there are two people who love each other, respect each other, cherish each other, are monogamous, then what is wrong with them forming a committed relationship.
I do fear a backlash though. I do fear that some parties will use this as a sounding issue to divide the nation along similar lines as in 2004. President Bush used this as a wedge issue to divide the nation. I remember the twang “Marriage should be defined as between a man and woman.” There are many who believe that. However, in many Same Sex Marriage Bans, there is language that tries to also voids joint bank accounts, domestic partner benefits, leases, wills, etc that are between two people of the same sex as well. I fear that the language will be used again to spread fear and homophobia. The code that many conservatives were using was, “be afraid of the Gays.” This was just so hurtful. Even though I do not like Dick Cheney, he did say something and did something during the 2004 election that gained respect. He said: ”freedom means freedom for everyone” to enter ”into any kind of relationship they want to.” Read the quote again, I will wait……. Ready, This came from Dick Cheney, Dark Vader, hated by Liberals. He said this. And, quite frankly, as a political astute man, he may be onto something.
We can agree to disagree, but as Dick Cheney has said, Freedom means freedom for everyone.
Isn’t Biden Cute? May 15, 2008
Posted by baxtersbrother2 in Election 2008, Social Discourse, US Government.Tags: Barack Obama, Democrats, Iran, Iraq, President Bush, Senator Biden, Terrorism
1 comment so far
Senator Biden is keeping it real again in this posting calling President Bush’s comments accusing Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats of wanting to appease terrorists “bullshit” and said if the president disagrees so strongly with the idea of talking to Iran then he needs to fire his secretaries of State and Defense. Why couldn’t they use words like that before other conflicts?
Ta Da! Gas has hit $4 a gallon… May 14, 2008
Posted by baxtersbrother2 in Economy, Election 2008, Energy Crisis of 2008, Iraq, Oil Prices, Social Discourse, The press, US Government.Tags: ANWR, Election 2008, Family Values, Federal Gas Tax, Fuel Additives, Gas Prices, Heritage Foundation, NY Times, President Bush, refineries, Rush Limbaugh, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Wall Street Journal
1 comment so far
In connection with the last post, and what I saw on my way home, I thought that I would blog on an issue that is effecting families everywhere. The high gas prices are effecting food prices and of course discretionary income. This is ridicious to say the least. There are proposals everywhere, and this posting will go thru each proposal.
- Temporarily repeal the federal gas tax. A post on this blog goes into great detail about the case for repealing the Federal Gas Tax.
- Determine what is correct verses what is not. A post, confronts Rush Limbaugh regarding comments today about casting blame.
- Examine the issues regarding refineries. It sounds rational but NO OIL companies put up plans. Where does this blogger comes from it is called put up or shut up. As per an article from Money, that has not happened. Furthermore, it is based upon What the refineries are producing/focusing on. Another article goes into detail regarding this issue. Then further, there is evidence that it is because of refineries failures that drive up the price of gas. Review the NYTimes Article for details. An article from the Reason Foundation goes into detail that plays devils advocate. However, this posting is when Oil was $70 a barrel. Today, Oil Closed at $124 per barrel. The article is 3 years old, so the price of Oil has gone up 15% per year over the last three years or 45% overall.
- Determine fact from Fiction. OK regardless of your views on Global Warming ( It does exist), there are reasons why Gasoline Additives are added in the refining of Gas. Most Plainly, it is so people can not see the air that they breathe. However, it is ironic that every time gas rises, there is an instant call for the removal of ALL Additives from Gas. The additives are a part of an EPA Mandate for the Clean Air Act of 1973. There is a direct article from the Christian Science Monitor that addresses this question directly.
- Demand for Fuel has skyrocketed. If you can walk, do it or combine errands.
- Ok the next point takes some explanation. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the largest emergency supply in the world with the current capacity to hold up to 727 million barrels (115,600,000 m³) of crude Oil. As prices were rising dramatically, The US Government was adding to the reserve!! Yes Ladies & Gentleman, the crude that the US consumer is demanding be put into gas, the government is taking and putting into the reserve. So, the Government is actually hurting the consumer by increasing demand, and thus price! It is considered a first line of defense. A whitepaper goes into much more detail regarding this. There is sharp opinions regarding the opening the reserve. Heritage Foundation believes that this would be a mistake. The Christian Science Monitor remains neutral. This bloggers opinion is the same as demonstrated from The Wall Street Journal. Open the damn reserve already!
- My favorite point of debate, INCREASE fuel standards. God I like this one because it is so an issue of personal ego. OK. In the 1990’s we did not give a damn about fuel standards, but now that Energy is a problem, it is priority. If done at once, it may be a complete blow to an already struggling auto industry. If we modify standards, it needs to be done strategically, and would help better the auto industry.
- Open ANWR. Oh this is my favorite globally. There has been something so hotly debated, but little known. The environmentalist believe that this would be a global disgrace. People who believe in drilling do not see an issue. However, this has been an issue since 1980!!! There has been one report that says that there is oil there. Other than that, it would be a crapshoot. There are new technologies however, that make oil drilling more intrusive. President Bush and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson have been long advocates of drilling. There is a website that is very well put together that is very Pro-Drill. Other sites, suggests the contrary. MSNBC has an article that indicates, that there will be little impact. However, as a person who appreciates the outdoors, I would hate for the environment to be destroyed.
We need leadership and actual solutions. If we can not have our leaders be accountable, then we need to elect others that are.
Powered by FireStats