Billowing Smoke

I’m starting to question the decision-making of El Presidente.

The first sign of worry was when he said the public option was not needed to pass health reform. This was the only element of a bill that would have actually fallen under the category of “reform.” The biggest problem for the middle-class is affordability of the skyrocketing cost of health insurance, and a public option would have almost certainly provided more affordable coverage. What did we get instead? Access to health care if you’re poor (Ok, that’s good, but what about the middle?), the option to stay on your parents’ plan until you’re 26 (Ok, that’s good, but most young people could get by without health insurance anyway), and finally, elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions (Nice). But the biggest problem—cost containment—was not addressed. Doesn’t feel like reform to me. More like shoving the sticks of lollipops in a big pile of manure.

Worry #2: The Big O hires Wall St. insiders for Secretary of the Treasury (Geithner), and economic advisor (Larry Summers, part of the three-headed hydra that told derivative whistle-blower Brooksley Born to take a hike—the economy is booming, thank you very much!). Remember all that talk about Main Street? Woulda been nice if O’s economic team didn’t have their tentacles wrapped around Big Money.

Three: The Decision to invade Libya. So while America is sinking in a recession (I don’t believe the Economic Bureau of Research for one second) and has nothing left to feel hopeful about—education, the infrastructure, cost of living, health care, the concentrated wealth at the very top (top 1% has control over 20% of national wealth), the drowning of the middle class, the real estate market, the wars in Iraq (yeah, no combat missions, but we’re stuck there a while) and Afghanistan—a decision is made, without clearance from Congress btw, to bomb Libya, a country that has no impact whatsoever on our national security. It’s literally absurd.

Oh, and #4: The Extension of tax cuts on the very rich. Increasing taxes by a mere 3% to get back to Clinton-era levels, would do wonders for the national debt. But O caved to the Great Oppressive Party. And now we’re talking about cuts for middle class programs?? This is a sick, sick joke.

I’m beginning to think he does not know who to listen to, or how to create a plan to get this country out of W’s mess. Furthermore, it appears he’s basing his decisions on those of prior administrations solely because they were decisions, even that of the dreaded W. Come on man, you’re smarter than this. Trust thyself. Get these fat cats out of your way, and listen to Main Street. Tax cuts for the rich do not trickle down. This has been proven ever since the debt has escalated to astronomic proportions after Reagan cut the tax on the rich from 70-ish% to 28%. Correlation can not be disputed.

He’s not sunk yet. Things he can do to inspire me:

1) Increase cap on Social Security

2) Fight for a public option (yeah, right, good luck with the GOP House)

3) Increase the tax on the wealthy by 5% (they won’t even know it’s gone, trust me)

4) Do something, anything, to make aggressive plans for clean energy. Good for the planet, good for jobs. Solar, wind. It. Can. Be. Done.

Do I see any of these things happening? No. Well, I give him room on #4. But at this point, we’re sinking too fast to be able to see any light above.

It’s rapidly becoming apparent that the Supreme Court’s recent appalling decision in the Citizens United case has torn down the walls of democracy. The decision to allow corporations, under the guise of shady “non-profits”, to contribute unlimited money–without disclosure–to political campaigns has replaced our democratic platform with one dominated by the very wealthy. And–surprise!–the GOP is the primary beneficiary of these contributions which are being used mostly to instill fear into the voters by demonizing the democratic (yep, lower case)  agenda.

Forget about grassroots campaigns. Forget about everyday Americans having a say in their government. It’s so bad that even foreign corporations have been solicited by the GOP to contribute money for their smear campaigns against Democrats who are trying to limit outsourcing, ergo, create jobs, for middle America. Some Pledge to America, eh?

“We promise to solicit undisclosed sums of dollars from international sources to prevent the creation of small businesses and jobs here at home. But look, I drive a pick-up truck!”

I was reading the dissenting opinion of Justice Stevens and a few quotes jumped out at me:

“The majority’s approach to corporate electioneering marks a dramatic break from our past. Congress has placed special limitations on campaign spending by corporations ever since the passage of the Tillman Act in 1907…”

And:

“The Court today rejects a century of history when it treats the distinction between corporate and individual campaign spending as an invidious novelty born of Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce , 494 U. S. 652 (1990) . Relying largely on individual dissenting opinions, the majority blazes through our precedents, overruling or disavowing a body of case law including FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life , Inc., 551 U. S. 449 (2007) (WRTL) , McConnell v. FEC , 540 U. S. 93 (2003) , FEC v. Beaumont , 539 U. S. 146 (2003) , FEC v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life , Inc., 479 U. S. 238 (1986) (MCFL) , NRWC , 459 U. S. 197 , and California Medical Assn. v. FEC , 453 U. S. 182 (1981) .”

Finally:

“The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution… Their conclusion that the societal interest in avoiding corruption and the appearance of corruption does not provide an adequate justification for regulating corporate expenditures on candidate elections relies on an incorrect description of that interest, along with a failure to acknowledge the relevance of established facts and the considered judgments of state and federal legislatures over many decades.”

Gulp. Democrats can not even remotely compete with this explosion of corporate funding. Is it any wonder the Democrats are going to lose seats this November?

In the two years of the Obama presidency, there was long-awaited health care reform, financial reform, a job stimulus bill, combat troops were mercifully pulled from an unpopular war, and repeated extensions of unemployment benefits were given, yet the senseless, pulverizing demonization of “Obamacare” by the GOP and insurance lobbyists has scared most Democrats up for election this November into not even mentioning that they voted for health care reform, something this country was begging for. What is going on here??

Well, now we know. The deep chasm this country still finds itself in stems largely from W’s administration, yet the GOP has successfully, unbelievably, convinced millions that the Democrats are to blame. That’s simply not possible without massive sums of undisclosed campaign contributions wielding Wormtongue-like influence over the party that has lost its way.

Common Cause, anyone?