A number of my friends want to OCCUPY CONGRESS. Jan 17 Opening Day. I suppose every day might be appropriate to read our representatives the riot act, but doesn't such an action perpetuate the delusion that our legislators ever listen? Proponents, Dems typically, argue "well, it's the only system we got." They say that about elections, about incumbents, and about Capitalism. Well, ours are the only lives we have too. Why piss them away on old assumptions, which have delivered us from absolutely nothing? A corporate-trust, inherited-wealth hierarchy is designed to outpace ordinary lifespans. Occupy Congress? Who is that really keeping occupied?
Tag: Congress
I know where Congressman Lamborn is – because no one is telling OR asking. Re: media blackout on junkets to Israel
Calls to Doug Lamborn's office inquiring as to his whereabouts produces this charade: "Um, I don't know. Let me ask. They don't know. I'm not certain who would know. Could you hold please?" And we never get an answer. That his office won't say, coupled with the media's strange incuriosity, points to a self-enforced news moratorium on where a fifth of US congress is spending the August recess: as guests of Israel and the most powerful DC lobby. It's been reported that a record 81 members are on an all-expense-paid junket to Israel, but their identities are a closely guarded secret. The US TV audience can be let to see their representatives give standing ovations to the Israeli prime minister, but visit Israel? The media blackout would have you think there's something wrong with that. Middle East peace groups and Palestinian rights organizations have had to painstakingly gather the information from stray news reports out of Israel, or from congressional offices reluctant to let it be know. So far 45 names are known to be on this year's junket. Doug Lamborn is not on the list, but his office probably has a lower self-respect threshold for playing dumb. You'd think with the recent furor about calling Obama a Tar Baby, that the media would want to be calling Lamborn to the hot seat. Apparently not. All that's said is that he hasn't surfaced to meet with constituents, or give interviews. Last week Lamborn issued a press release unrelated to his recent trouble, probably preplanned, in collaboration with fellow Colorado Congressman Tipton. Tipton, by the way, is among the officeholders known to be in Israel. Lamborn vacationing in Israel would not be a far-fetched possibility. He attended the junket in 2007 and since then has acted on Israel's behest in lobbying to drop charges against an accused Israeli spy, in removing legislation which prevented the US from relocating its Tel Aviv Embassy to Jerusalem, and this Spring Lamborn was made co-chair of the Israel Allies Caucus. What a damn missed opportunity to press them on contacting Tar Baby Lamborn. It would appear that keeping the congressional Israeli lobbying junket on the QT outweighs making Lamborn squirm on camera to explain his non-racist remark. Never mind complicating the issue. What's a racist WASP doing in the land of Apartheid racism? Well, of course, they're absolutely related. Oooh, terrible timing. And Lamborn's a Christian Zionist, so he "likes" Jews, but come the end times, he won't touch them either. How is it American elected officials are allowed to behave as agents of a foreign government would be one question, but the more glaring one would be why it is the media is complicit in keeping citizens in the dark? Partial list of 81 US congressmembers on Israel junket over August recess, according to MoveOver AIPAC Gus Bilirakis R-9 FL Mo Brooks R-5 AL Anne Marie Buerkle R-25 NY Eric Cantor R-7 VA Russ Carnahan D-3 MO Kathy Castor D-11 FL Steve Chabot R-1 OH (went last month) Judy Chu D-32 CA David Cicilline D-1 RI Yvette Clarke D-11
Springs congressman Doug Lamborn tells citizens he answers to private propertied constituents not to public
COLORADO SPRINGS- Local citizens have had plenty to protest with Congressman Doug "Obama is a Tar-Baby" Lamborn, so now the Tea Party bigot has put up a sign, NO PROTESTING. Lamborn declined to meet with community leaders from the NAACP on Monday, or Move-On organizers on Wednesday. Are you in Colorado Congressional District Five? Well, you may neither SOLICIT a meeting with your government representative, nor LOITER hoping to wait him out. Politicians like Lamborn who want to shove undemocratic corrupt legislation down people's throats, and spout deeply offensive racist rhetoric out of sheer stupidity, have to hide where constituents can't reach them. Situating your office where your constituents can't reach you reminds me of former Senator Allard's office in the Plaza of the Rockies, where security guards forbid entry to anyone who didn't look investment-banker friendly. The plaza complex is now the Booz Allen Hamilton building, the world's largest weapons industry firms, chaired by James Woolsey and his wife, one of the Colorado College trustees. You'll note that one of Lamborn's neighbors is AECOM, another giant war profiteer. At least Allard chose an office which was centrally located, only a block from Congressman Hefley. Doug Lamborn's office is situated in an industrial office park where no one can hear you scream. So is isolating yourself from you constituents now standard MO for legislative office-holders? Not really. Representative government is hardly where you want to take a stand against a public's right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Especially someone espousing to be a patriot for the Tea Party. Actually, if Lamborn wants to assert that his corporate representation gig is "private property," I'd say the crafty bugger is right. No shirt, no shoes? No representation.
War Funding in trouble? I would hope so, but I don’t think so…
The AP report is that War Funding increases were passed by the House, that's a kind of Dog Bites Man story that's never changed in my lifetime. Is it a call from the Propaganda Ministry to have "concerned patriots" flood their senators with requests to "get behind the troops" once more? It's not bloody likely that anybody in elected office will ever stand up to that baseless emotional plea that not funding for-profit private corporate wars with public money somehow puts "The Troops, Holy and Noble" in more harms way than actually starting such wars in the first place would. The same loudmouth Hawks, especially those of the ChickenHawk species, who push funding for expanded war every Election Cycle and every Congressional Session are either curiously silent on the subject of compensating the families of the soldier-slaves when they're destroyed either partially or completely in the course of giving their lives In Defense Of Freedo Conquering Lands and People which and whom do not actually belong under our jurisdiction.... or actively cutting any such compensation. Far less holding the Corporations that make the money from the bloodshed ever being held responsible for their crimes or even financially responsible for paying the bills on the Wars that profit them, and only them, in the way of Taxes. They even get extra tax incentives to take part in the War Effort. How sick is that? It would be refreshing to see, more often that is, a Senator or Representative actually stand up in Congress even in committee and demand that any increase in War Funding should be done by a raise in income tax, Specifically On Money, including capital gains, gotten from ANY so-called "defense" contract but, that's always done by somebody on the "far left" who isn't going to get any support from the political establishment, and the WarMonger propaganda industry will immediately call out their trusted Voter Shock Troops to make a loud noise about Treasonous! non-support for "The Brave Troops". Do these same Fox News inspired Morons ever get out in the street and demonstrate against sending Their Own Families and Friends off to kill, die or become crippled or D) All Of The Above for the profit of Rich People who buy their way out of every such war? Slave-soldiers, break your chains! Break the chain of your sons and now, daughters, for generations to come, being gulled into "serving the country" and Other LIES the recruiters tell them. For God's sake, there are still people telling their kids that their Great Great Great Great Grandpa "fought and died for States Rights" and that they need to carry on the Family Tradition, but when the "tradition" is one of abject servitude and absolute unquestioning obedience to people who Tell You that they have the authority to order you around like some kind of slave... they're not being recruited to fight for Freedom in any form. They're being recruited to fight for Corporate Slavery, and to make people in other countries
Tea-Party Skulks decide to ramp up their terrorism…
Only, like the jackals they truly are, they did drive-by windowbreakinsgs and split before anybody could fight them. Guess it's a Republican thing, you know, institutionalized cowardice. Their Skulk "leaders" at DumFox Noose Nutwerx are "fighting a war against Liberals" the same way they "fought" in the VietNam War, which they universally supported, just, you know, not with their own personal presence. Beck and Limbaugh and Malkin and O'Reilly, Ted "I shit my pants and didn't shower for a month to play crazy in order to not go to the VietNam War I supported" Nugent, doing their Same Old Tired Ass ChickenHawk routine, urging OTHER PEOPLE to commit the crimes they're just too yellow to commit themselves. These "leaders" also tell their Demented Disciples that all you have to do is show a gun to a Liberal and he'll fold up like a soft-shell taco and say "Oh, Please, Mr. Minuteman Coward, Sir, Please don't shoot me!" Even though they were proved wrong at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville TN... Adkisson is right now in protective custody, hiding behind several rows of bars and a phalanx of Tennessee cops while he shouts "Nigger nigger nigger" at fellow inmates... like the True Monkey in The Zoo that he is. That's Republican "courage" in action. He picked a fight with a church where he thought everybody was helpless. Kind of like a 4th grade kid who tries to make a reputation beating up on Kindergarten students. Yep, them Republicans sho' does love them some Baby-Killing. By the way, for those of our newer readers who were hiding under a rock for the past couple of years, two of the "Liberals he shot to death before being wrestled to the ground, one was a Retired Marine.. and both of them got between the muzzle of his Elmer Fudd pop-gun and the CHILDREN of the church who he was targeting. "Be vewwy vewwy quiet--- I'm hunting Wibewals! huhuhuhuhuhu!" See, Oh Big Bwave "patwiiots", the problem with your leaders' plans is that exactly NONE of you Tee-Pottie freaks are man enough to do anything like that unless you catch somebody out alone, and you have several of your Big Bwave Patwiot Fwiends with you. And your Elmer Fudd guns. You're just as yellow as your "leaders". Karl Rove, speaking of Killer Kowardice, actually wrote a book using the word "courage" as part of the title. I used to wonder if all the Republicans are a bunch of chickenshit Retards. Now it's been confirmed.
Act Blue is not going to stop Joe Wilson
Progressive websites are raising money to defeat GOP Tourette's poster child Joe Wilson in the next election. Is it going to work? No. You can't stop populist assholes like Wilson, or Vitter, or Delay, or Gingrich, or Lieberman, can you? Incumbent embarrassments have legions of loyal constituents. That's who you have to stop. If you want to stop Wilson you have to insist the South Carolina prosecutor's office isn't dropping charges of domestic violence, disorderly conduct, child truancy, poaching, littering, lying about sales use tax, and loitering at nursing homes trying to register voters. Shroud that crowd in red tape and Joe Wilson's base will head for the hills.
Obama presidential address to Congress addressed to dueling teleprompters
Have you noticed that Obama rarely looks forward when he speaks, not even by a fraction of 45 degrees? I think this censored camera shot which gives viewers President Obama’s point of view, the perspective exposes his complete reliance on the teleprompters. That’s why Obama turns his head completely from side to side, never facing forward, never appearing to address the majority of the audience who must obviously be in front of him. Anyway, it’s just an observation, but the mannerism has spoiled me for watching Obama make speeches, and I particularly question his use of the teleprompters for his press conference appearance.
Rod Blagojevich a Great American Hero
Deposed Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich earns my nomination for great American hero. What hyperbolic laurels would fit a loudmouth buffoon? Be fair. Blagojevich brought the media spotlight to an overlooked exploit of American political cronyism: a governor's solitary prerogative to appoint national legislators. Alright, Blago didn't mean to. But if the little Dutch boy had stuck his Rod Blagojevich into the dike, instead of his finger, would the little pervert be any less a hero? Had you wondered how so many otherwise quite obviously unelectable, pasty white men of entitled bearing, each of them visibly the creepiest of crooks, become unassailable political incumbents? They sneak into office aided by other white cronies. And the governor's appointment is the fast track. Blagojevich wanted his share in the payola, but maybe other governors have simply been more discrete. A look at just the appointments made after the formation of Barack Obama's cabinet, turns up odors of the most dubious of machinations. In this case, those chosen were Democrats who look more like Republicans, and certainly nothing like the kind of politician which the mostly progressive American voter would have supported in the last election. Should legislative seats be appointed by a governor? Someone has to do it I suppose. A governor is elected after all. Maybe in this instance he's representing his constituents in choosing a senator for them. But a recent Obama cabinet appointment episode calls that justification into question. When Obama picked Republican Senator Judd Gregg for Commerce Secretary, a deal was struck whereby the senator would only consent to the appointment if the senator's state governor agreed to allow a Republican replacement. Who then, can be said to have made the choice of that representative? Whether it's a bribe paid to a governor, fundraising shenanigans, or a favor offered by the president, it's still crooked.