The 99 by William Steiskal

The 99

The number 9 in Japanese Culture is a homonym of the word for pain and suffering.

By William Steiskal Ó 2011

When the Twins fell

The 99 rushed to their aid

Into that smoking cement canyon it rained

Both the living and the dead

Some were recovered that day

By those that sacrificed …and prayed



While searching for the missing

Their fate was unknown

They cleared that toxic avalanche

Then grew sick and alone

They asked for assistance as many of them died

Only to be told the nightmare is over

Run along and hide



The 99 now occupy those very same streets

Financial Giants can no longer be ignored

Evicting the continuum of self interest is at stake

America’s business as usual can exist no more

A sweeping revolution has reached the front gate

Are you going to tell them to go eat cake?



Engine rooms of wealth and excess

Hide behind our Representatives doors

Armies of Lobbyists barter for influence

While the 99 clean their floors

Parades of politicians

Concerned about their own fate

Obstruct the system that put them there

Pretending to debate



It’s the 99 who grow and distribute

The food on your table

The clothes on your back

And when young and able



Fight all of your wars

Recycle your waste

Support your lifestyles

With dignity and grace



They teach your children

With dwindling supplies

And yet when they voice their needs

You tell them to run along and hide



Years of empty slogans

Poured from the pitcher of hope

Has watered the fields of cynicism

These are the words that you spoke

“Putting People First”

“Change We Can Believe In”

“Kinder Gentler Nation”

“Compassionate Conservatism”

“Yes We Can!”

But when the 99 express their needs

You refuse to include them in your plans



You quote Reaginomics and Free Trade

Tea Party economics is the way

Let us take you to the austerity ball

Where you can dance for your existence

And have nothing at all



You deny collective bargaining when you can

Accepting the bullion of corporate treasure

To finance your stand

Bonuses in the Millions

Profits in the Billions

The insecurity of the masses

Schools cutting classes

Banks that won’t disclose

Robo-signed homes that are foreclosed



This is the legacy left in your wake

Tattooed generations have accepted their fate

Many turned toward this culture of greed

Hoping once and for all to be freed



They floated their dreams on risky loans

The waters were calm when they walked on its’ surface

Betting their homes, savings and goals

Their dreams sank like stones

Leaving their lives shattered

Nowhere to go



Who are these 99 as if we care

Let them clutter the streets feeling unfair

They all must be addicts, alcoholics, unemployed

Class warfare seems rampant nationwide

They’re gaming the system

Too lazy to work

No dignity or pride

There’s food on their fork

And so goes these dialogs

To assuage your fear

Let’s sing the song of denial

Into next year



Greed

We’ll all pretend

It doesn’t exist

Let’s do it again



(…and repeat)

First of Two Very Special Posts

I am both pleased and honored to present an original work by SoOC Correspondent and fellow Hamster William Steiskal. His ode to the 99% follows these quotes which he uses to provide context for his work.

“Democracy, disciplined and enlightened is the finest thing in the world.”


“The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of the heart.”

“A true and nonviolent combination of labour would act like a magnet attracting to it all the needed capital. Capitalist would then exist only as trustees. When that happy day dawned, there would be no difference between capital and labour. Those who labour will have ample food, good and sanitary dwellings, all the necessary education for their children, ample leisure for self education and proper medical assistance.”

Mahatma Gandhi


“I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no separate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great Assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our national policy, will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world.”

Excerpt from George Washington's First Inaugural Address

30 April 1789, Federal Building, Wall Street, New York

“The difficulty is that goodness and fairness are moral issues, not political ones. Government is the human attempt to mandate goodness and ensure fairness. Yet there is only one place where goodness is born, and that is in the human heart. There is only one place where fairness can be conceptualized, and that is in the human mind. There is only one place where love can be experienced truly, and that is in the human soul.”

“The real question is not why do governments impose so many rules and regulations on the people but why do governments have to?”

“If every person on the planet had basic needs met- if the mass of the people could live in dignity and escape the struggle of simple survival- would this not open the way for all of humankind to engage in more noble pursuits? Would individual greatness really be suppressed if individual survival were guaranteed? Must universal dignity be sacrificed to individual glory? What kind of glory is obtained when it is achieved at the expense of another?”

“The evolution of a society is measured by how well it treats the least among its members.”

“What is needed is a growth in consciousness, not a growth of government.”

Excerpts from “Conversations with God” Book 2

The "New" Party from the last post...

Well, our fellow Hamster who told me about it sent me a link to a Facebook page for the American Moderate Political Party, which hasn't had a new post in over a year. I also checked out the website listed on their page and found nothing. So, apparently the seeds are there, but there is no tree yet.

I still think it needs to happen.

It's the right time for the right reasons.

HP

The Rest of What He Said...

OLBERMANN: But — but one thing you wrote about — in the post, in the letter — was that this — your adherence to this — comes from — what? Sunday school and bible class and the little fundamental golden rule things. Isn’t it — that what it is?




MOORE: Yes. That we were taught that — we’re gonna be judged by how we treat the least among us. And that if you do have the good fortune smile upon you — you have to do even more. So, you have a greater responsibility to stand up for those who are the have-nots. And — and — I knew the folk singer Harry Chapin in the final years in his life — I don’t know if — do you remember Harry?



OLBERMANN: Of course.



MOORE: And he did 200 concerts a year. One hundred of them were benefits. And I said, “How do you do that?” And he said, “Well, I just — my philosophy is, one for me, one for the other guy.” And I — that kind of stuck with me, you know, my whole life and I just thought, “Boy, what a great way to live, if I ever get lucky enough to do that.”



And so, right away, with “Roger and Me” — my first film — I just — I gave away half the money, and uh — and proudly paid my taxes and told my guy — the tax guy –



OLBERMANN: Accountant?



MOORE: The accountant dude — H&R Block — oh no, no commercials — I said “No deductions, other than the mortgage. No deductions. I want to pay my full share here because I am proud to be an American, and I’m proud to spend that money as a citizen of this country.” And right now, if any conservative is watching that, that just made their head explode because –



OLBERMANN: What? You can’t money make money off that without those deductions. What are you, crazy?



MOORE: And they hate having to pay for and fund this great country.



OLBERMANN: Exactly — except for them. Except for the parts they use.



MOORE: Except for the parts that they use. Right, and the parts that protect them. The parts that are not investigating them. The parts that are not regulating their Wall Street. Oh, yeah — no. They are all for that.


Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann 10/27/11

What He Said...

"You’ve got these nine Republicans running, all right? And, of course, we all laugh, and there’s the joke about — you can make about each one of them. And we know that our fellow Americans, at the end of the day — they’re not going to go in the voting booth and vote for crazy. Even though they might be upset at Obama, they’re not going to go crazy.




So, it begs the question then. If this is the party of the rich — the Republicans — if this is the party of wealth and Wall Street, the party that brought about the crash of ’08, why don’t the wealthy — why aren’t the wealthy — making sure they have a Republican that’s running that’s gonna win?



It doesn’t look like they’re concerned at all about making sure they’ve their man on the Republican ticket unless — unless they believe they’ve got their man on the Democratic Party ticket?"


Michael Moore
From Keith Olbermann's Countdown show 10/28/11
 
Does make ya wonder, huh? I have said all along that we only have Republicans running and that Obama is the one who's closest to the middle...the only one in the middle. But he was only a little left of center when he had both houses. Now that he has to really fight, he plays to the right. Astounding how the party not in power has all the power. Or is it?
 
A fellow Hamster sent me an email that there is a new party forming to the center and I have asked him to provide sources so that I can check it out. I am also looking into the 2 executive orders regarding mortgages and college loans and will report what I find a little later.
 
It's the right time for the right reasons.
 
Hamster Prez

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people...

 

 

The Essentials of an Independent Party

Editor's Note: Last week, I posited the formation of a third party to counter the dysfunctional current system. Then, while watching Bill Maher's show this weekend, author Thomas Friedman is already promoting this concept. I knew nothing of Mr. Friedman's proposal when I made my declaration. It's good to know that there are people out there with a bigger megaphone than me espousing this idea. But, like OWS, it also takes us to make it happen. I am gratefult that the conversation is starting. As promised, I am still moving forward with the premise because I believe it is important. Discuss.

Due to the sheer number of issues facing the country right now, I am not going to attempt to list the platform agenda in order of importance. All of them are important, but I also think that the only way to solve the biggest issues is to first address the flaws in the system that prevent us from making the necessary changes. Senate reform has to be at the top of that agenda.

Operational Deficiencies

This may seem simplistic, but the single greatest deterrent to progress is obstruction. I have been writing to Vice President Biden to tell him that, as President of the Senate he is presiding over an unconstitutional assembly. The Constitution clearly states that the Senate operate under majority rule, therefore making the Super Majority now necessary to pass any legislation fundamentally illegal. I have not heard back from Mr. Biden, as shocking as that may seem. In order for change to occur, the mechanism to implement that change must work. The current system simply does not and none of the people who control that body have the nerve to fix it.

Our political structure is a nightmare of corruption. Citizens United merely codified what was already going on. Lobbying groups and political action committees have been perverting the political discourse in this country for years, but prior to the Roberts' court it still had to disclose just how much influence it was pedalling and where that influence was coming from. None of that is true now, of course, and it is to the detriment of our nation.

Therefore, the  candidates must refuse money from corporations, the banks, Wall Street, lobbyists, pacs, and super pacs. Instead, we campaign the old-fashioned way. Public speeches, personal contact, and broadcast appearances. Add in the new tools available like social media and the rest of the internet and a non-establishment candidate can still win. Simply by not taking money from the 1% and even the next 2% will get you the 57% that agree with OWS. And in our elections, unlike our Senate, the majority still wins. They may have all the money, but we have the ballot boxes.

What I am talking about is true campaign finance reform. The new party must be willing to take on and legislatively overturn Citizens United, eliminate the lobbyists (like England did), and close the loopholes that allow campaign contributions from undisclosed sources to be funneled to candidates. If someone wants to spend millions of dollars on an issue, so be it. But the money has to stop flowing to the politicians.

Campaign finance reform must also include a candidates own resources. No candidate can be allowed to "self fund" their campaign. What I propose is that a candidate can only give as much to their coffers as the current law allows anyone else to donate. Self-funding by multi-millionaires unevens the playing field by preventing less well funded potential candidates from even entering the race. Meg Whitman spent a crapload of money to lose to Jerry Brown, and lost to him for a variety of reasons not the least of which is that Californians routinely reject these types of people. However, if this reform had been in place, we might have Gavin Newsom as Governor right now instead of Mr. Brown. We might even have Ms. Whitman if she hadn't flaunted her money. Who knows?


There are a dozen more structural issues to be reformed, but they are of lesser priority. The system is broken and those in charge of operating the system have a vested interest in keeping it that way. Our elected representatives are not representing, they're campaigning non-stop. Legislation has come to a virtual standstill as these folks sell their principles to the highest bidder. Which underscores the basic problem: They have no principles.

Yes, there are a few exceptions and those brave people are to be commended. I can't actually name one right now, but I'm sure there have to a couple somewhere in DC. Pollyanna, is that you?

The Issues

I think we are all pretty well informed on the issues. We know what the problems are. Our government has insulated itself from us and they have this notion that they have all the power. That notion was well-founded because for quite awhile, we let them take it. We took their shiny objects of distraction and largely turned our backs, or at least a blind eye, to what they were doing.

What they fail to realize, apparently, is that we have the ballot boxes. We have the votes that allow them to keep their positions of power...or, hopefully, not keep them. We also have the power to take back the controls if we collectively choose to. And in my humble opinion, that is exactly what we need to do and the best way to do it is to create this new party that will challenge the old notions of who the government is supposed to represent. It is not and cannot be the lobbyists, banks, Wall Street, corporations, or special interests.

On every major policy issue and/or problem that has been polled, the majority of the respondents are against what they are doing. Time was once where that made a difference in how they behaved. Now, they just completely ignore those numbers and do what they want. This has got to change. What I cannot stress enough here is that they will not change it. At least not without a compelling reason to do so.

That compulsion may be aided by the introduction of a strong, grassroots, and real threat from the outside. Let's not forget that the majority of the voting public is now listed as "independent" by slightly over half. The two parties share the remainder with the Democrats holding the larger of that minority stake. So, it stands to reason, an independent party already has more than half the electorate by definition, and would certainly attract the disenchanted folks who still cling to the parties. Couple that with the 57% (and growing) of Americans who support OWS, it's completely doable.

The time is right for the right reasons.

Hamster Prez

Whether you agree or not, please share and participate. Thanks.

It's the Right Time for the Right Reasons...It's Party Time!

Khadaffi is dead. There, got the "big news" item of the day out of the way. Now, let's get down to fixing this country. After all, his being dead means nothing to what we are really facing here. It's a blip of a distraction that will last for another day or so, then *poof*, it'll fade out of the cycle. We've much bigger fish to fry here at home.

As we discussed last time, the OWS movement is not interested in either party. They see the current group of politicians as people who cannot be trusted, and with good reason. Yes, a lot of the anger is rightly put upon Wall Street and the bankers. They did, as we know, almost destroy the world's economy. They are keeping it on the brink of total collapse,somehow, but most of us think that it's time they move away from the ledge.

They don't know how, apparently, and that's the problem. Their greed and avarice are now  fueled by fear, the fear of losing what they have. And fear as a motivator can be a very bad thing indeed. And fear of loss is a pretty bad one. It can literally make you stupid. I know, I've experienced it. Most of us have.  It's never pretty.

According to recent polls, 57% of the country favor the OWS movement. Extrapolate that into 57% of the electorate having a general and palpable distrust for the government and it supports a rather radical, but done before, concept. As I said last post, it's time to shake up the establishment and there's really only one way to do that.

It's time for a new third party, which I'm calling Independent (I know, not very original, but it is true). The actual name may vary, and there will certainly be changes to the platform as it develops. And I also am aware that there is no way to field a presidential candidate, and I don't care about that. As I said a couple of posts back, Obama has shown clearly that it doesn't matter a whole lot who's in the Oval Office, the power is in the Congress and the state houses. And they have been bought.

Michael Moore (I know a rather polarizing fellow) was on Olbermann (I know, another one) tonight and what he said supports my idea. Anyone who ran a campaign who refused to take any corporate money would likely get elected, regardless of what was spent to beat him. And I think he's right. (It was actually going to be part of this post even if he hadn't said it, but since he did and I heard it, I figured I should give him the credit). To put that much distance between you and the crooks can only be a bonus. But, believe it or not, neither Moore nor Olbermann went far enough.

It has to go a lot deeper than that. What the party needs to do is to take the issues that the OWS folks are concerned about and run a campaign based on those ideas. I'm not suggesting co-opting OWS, but it is going to have to become political, so why not start it's own party? If a bunch of crazy old white people with funny hats and angry signs can do it, why can't we?

No funny hats required. Or wanted.

It's also a lot safer. Look, the longer the demonstrations go on, the more people involved, the more likely that it turns ugly. The incidences so far have been relatively minor (here) and that's great. But we are not new to civil disobedience. Yes, it's been a long time but we have video as a teacher to remind us how not to repeat our mistakes. Which does not guarantee that we won't. As I said last night, demonstrating is great, but the only thing it accomplishes is a shift in the conversation. We have to become part of the process.

We just don't have to do it their way. The number right now is 57%. I think it's a number that is going to continue growing. If we build a platform that encompasses all of the issues, with real common sense solutions, you don't need money to win. They can spend every dime they have and they won't beat us. We already have the majority!

If we want things to change, we have to change them. Barney Frank correctly pointed out that we have to vote. What he failed to note was that we don't have to vote for them. We can put up our own candidates in state and congressional races. Instead of giving money to the status quo, we support, as much as we can, the candidates who favor the real kind of change we believe in. We might not win them all, but we can win some if not most.

Tomorrow's post will be a starting point for our platform. I invite all of you to participate and send in suggestions. Pick the issue of the most interest and what you would do to solve it. Invite your friends and families to participate. I'm serious, here. I really think this is the right time for the right reasons. This is not a left/right deal. This is an open forum for ideas, and all are welcome. Link to the blog on Facebook.

The system is broken, and the only way to fix it is with a new set of tools. I'm counting on you, Hamsters. I know you have opinions. And I know that you can see the button on the page that says, "Follow". Go ahead, push that button now if you haven't already. I thank you.

Keep the Wheel Greased, Hamsters.

HP

The Austerity Death-Trap | Truthout

The Austerity Death-Trap | Truthout

Hamsters, please read this.

Hamster Prez

Part 2: The Set Up

(ed. note: That was a really stupid title and I 've yet to come up with a new one. Sorry.)

The Republicans are convulsing over the "mobs" in the streets while comparing it to the mobs that co-opted them a few years back Now the Democrats have finally shown their strategy for usurping the momentum of OWS. Rachel Maddow had Barney Frank on the other night, a man that I admire but can't stand to listen to, and what he said was quite telling. While agreeing in general with the idea of the protests, he pointed out that demonstrating by itself did not create change. The only way to do that is to vote.

He made that point several times, and the next guest was an economist/paid talking head for MSNBC, and he supported Congressman's Frank assertion. The only way to fix the problems is to work within the system. And, co-incidentally, we happen to be the party most aligned with what you are demonstrating for, so you should probably vote for Democrats. Subtle and nuanced. Like a brick bat in the hands of Rush Limbaugh.

The problem for both sides is that, to this point at least, OWS is fronting the idea that the system is broken, and that those who are a part of that system are the problem. They are not, therefore, the solution. Yes, at some point the movement will have to become more politically active. The unfortunate truth here is that Mr. Frank is correct. Demonstrating is just that, and the only change it truly affects is the conversation we are having.

We all know that the system cannot/will not be fixed by those who currently run it. They lack incentive to make those changes, while desperately trying to hang on to the status quo. And they will spend whatever it takes to win it, then take it back from us as soon as they do. We will foot the bill for their political maneuvering. We always foot the bill.

I've asked this question here before: When you have it all, then what? The 400 richest used to be the 500, and before that the 1000 and before that the 10,000. The bottom hundred of the 400 are next, and they don't even realize it. And it won't be the people that take it away from them, it'll be the 300 above them. Then the 200. Hyperbolic? I don't know.

Like the health insurance industry before them, the corporate class cannot see that it is poisoning the apple that it's about to eat. I'm not an economist, but even I see that they are working on an unsustainable business model. Lay off workers here and hire them overseas for lower wages and costs to increase your bottom line. Fewer of your customers now have money to spend on the product that you're making cheaper, causing you to sell fewer. In essence, you've only broken even.

As corporations continue to hoard profits and as the banks continue to stash their cash and the Fed keeps handing them money, more and more have less and less and there is no way to sustain that model. When we can't buy anything, then what? What are you going to do with all that money? It' s become worthless. It's what I've been calling "Vampire Economics" because when you've taken the last drop of blood, that's pretty much it.

There is only one cure for the economy, and by extension the global problem as well. Jobs. Investment in jobs by both the public and private sectors. The bottom line is really this: We do not have to be in this mess. It's completely unnecessary and foolish. There's a simple truth here that needs to be said;

When the majority of the people have enough, they tend to keep to themselves. The majority of this country is content with enough. We don't really mind if some have a lot more money than us. We're okay with enough. Enough to pay for our housing, our food, our clothes, and sending the kids to college. And maybe an occasional night out. We really don't ask for much, just enough.

This works to the favor of the corporations and the politicians. See, we like to spend the money you give us. So much so that we'll spend our paychecks buying the stuff we sell for you. Or make for you. It's a pretty clean system of money laundering. You pay us to work for you, and we buy your stuff. And when the electorate is satisfied, it stops paying attention to politics and you guys can go back to normal and do nothing.

What we all, the majority with barely enough to not enough to nothing at all, know is that you cannot fix what's wrong. You are too entrenched in your greed and power to make the easy choices. It really is easy, too. Just decide that it's more important to save this country, and the rest of the world at the same time, than it is to hang on to your precious possessions and fake crowns.

I would also like an apology and an admission of guilt to the whole world. After all, it was our Wall Street and banks, with a complicit government, that crashed the world economy. It was them selling bogus securities to other governments with the promise that they were good. They weren't, and now every major economy in the world is in crisis. Good job, fellas. I will not be here holding my breath, though.

Austerity does not work. It never has. The only solution is investment because deficits don't really matter. They really don't. Besides, the only way to get rid of them is to have a robust economy. And the only way to do that is to have a consumer-friendly economy. Give us some of the money back and we'll give it right back to you. Geez, if I know this, why don't you? They sure know it in Vegas.

Because the system is broken and because those who broke it are disinterested in fixing it, the OWS movement will have to become political. However, in tomorrow night's post I will put forth an old idea that I think is rightly timed and plausible. I think it's time we shook up the status quo just a little bit more.

Keep the wheel greased, Hamsters, and good night.

Hamster Prez

It's Our Party and We'll Try If We Want To...Part 1

The Democrats are desperate to make OWS their Tea Party moment(um). Barney Frank and some of the hired pundits at MSNBC have been trying to co-opt the movement by suggesting that demonstrating alone is not enough and that the occupy movement has to join the political process to be effective. While true, the OWS folks are not interested in the current political options, as evidenced by this piece provided to us by our SoOC correspondent, Sir William of Orange (more on that moniker after the post). Paragraph 4 is of particular importance.

Occupy Wall Street excerpt from article.. author below.


The Occupy movement operates similarly, with each locale establishing its own set of organizational practices. Locales, and the virtual Occupy communities in cyberspace, are federated according to a simple yet powerful point of unity: “The one thing we all have in common is that we are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%”—an obvious reference to the well-known, yet still appalling, statistic that the top 1 percent of households in the United States own somewhere between 30 to 40 percent of all privately held wealth. And counting.

Occupy Wall Street’s organizational presence is the New York General Assembly or “GA,” which convenes numbers in the high hundreds at its squat-site in Zuccotti Park. Daily GA meetings are led by facilitators who rotate on a regular basis, and facilitation training is open to all. Specific issues, such as food, medical, legal, outreach, security and others are handled by working groups—also open and inclusive—that periodically report back to the GA. Instead of issuing top-down directives, Occupy groups use a consensus process in which anyone can join in the decision-making and propose an idea. Proposers must field questions, justify the hows and whys of their ideas, and engage a large-scale group discussion. Votes are then cast via an innovative system of hand signals, and proposals are revised until a nine-tenths majority approves.

Of course, all this requires a degree of good faith. Embedded in consensus process is an ethical assumption that decision-making is not a competition: It is not about converting other people to one’s way of thinking. It is about compromise. For every person involved, there is a new viewpoint to consider. This can get messy, but efficiency is not the measuring stick of success here. Democracy is.

Similar to the feminist and alter-globalization movements, these groups want to avoid replicating the authoritarian structures of the institutions they are opposing. This is part of what differentiates them from the Tea Party. Occupy will never become an arm of the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party is part of the problem. These protesters want to prefigure within their own organization the free society they seek to create. And they want to demonstrate against the corrupt and hypocritical culture in mainstream politics and Wall Street—by operating with integrity.

The Occupy movement is a laboratory for participatory democracy. It’s a massive crash course in leadership training. Most of these activists have a particular issue, problem or political idea that is meaningful to them, on which they have developed an expert knowledge. Occupy is both a concrete and virtual space for connecting these issues and expertise without any one position or issue taking precedence. This movement is not mired in the competitive mindset of “my issue is more important than yours” that appears to be stymieing Congress as the country slowly crumbles.

Implicit in this structure is also a rejection of the narcissistic, “I know what’s good for you” form of leadership, now pervasive in this country, in which lawmakers fail to consider the needs and desires of the people they claim to represent. The failure of representative democracy in the United States is perhaps one of the most serious problems of our time, and the Occupy movement is a symptom of this crisis of legitimacy. The people no longer trust their leaders and are even starting to indict the system itself. They think we can do better. We are all leaders.

Heather Gautney, PhD, is an assistant professor of sociology at Fordham University and author of Protest and Organization in the Alternative Globalization Era (Palgrave Macmillan).

This will segue into my post later tonight about what to do next. Sir William of Orange is neither from Orange or is he John Boehner. The nickname was given to him by my mother because of his love of the oranges from her tree. Really.

Hamster Prez

An Uncomfortable Realization

I just noticed the following rather disturbing thing. At this moment, I am wearing a baseball cap (China), a long-sleeve T-shirt (Pakistan), a comfortable pair of lounge pants (Vietnam), a pair of socks (Unknown, but likely foreign), and tennis shoes (China again). Head to toe, not a single American made article of clothing.

Apparently I am the only thing in this chair that was actually made in America.

Hamster Prez

Changing the Paradigm...Again

Ok, so I've promised a blog about the perfect progressive candidate but have since changed my mind about posting it. Instead, starting tonight, I will be writing about something similar but different. I'm going to take the argument to the next, most logical, conclusion. And on this topic, I really hope to stir up some responses from you.

An apology: I just realized that a link that was sent to me was accidentally posted to the blog (twice!), which has since been deleted. It was deleted not because of any reason beyond that I wanted to comment on it when I posted it. It is coming back, but with comments added.

A note about posts: There will be gaps in the posts as I have discovered that writing at work is impossible and unethical. My boss is not paying me to write this blog, and so there will be very few to no posts on the weekends. Since I work 12 hour shifts, it's pretty unlikely that I will use my free 12 hours between shifts to compose posts.

Another PBS Moment: It's pledge week here at HP, and I once again ask you to get the word out about our little blog that could. Please tell your friends, family, co-workers, strangers on the train, whomever about the blog and ask them (and yourselves) to please become followers. That's how traffic is tracked and that's how numbers are created. Being a reader is great, and I appreciate it. Being a follower is better and gives all more internet exposure. So, again Please, like us on Facebook, Twitter, whatever and let's build something together.

Thanks, and more later including a Special Report from our SoOC correspondent Sir William of Orange. All that and more tonight.

Hamster Prez

OWS Worldwide: Apparently some didn't get the memo

Either some protestors around the planet didn't get the memo that this is a peaceful and non-violent protest, or those people are a lot more pissed off than we are. Either way, it's a shame that it had to be ugly in some places (especially Rome, apparently). Almost all of the others seem to have been along the same lines as ours here.

More updates as they become available or I have time (working tonight).

HP

Posting Etiquette Learned...

I'm a pretty low-tech guy. I don't have a smart phone of blackberry or even a phone that does emails. But it just occurred to me after I posted last night that some of you may have one and it may just alert you when you have an email and I really don't want anyone getting upset because I'm waking them up in the middle of the night with my blathering.

So, beginning with this post, I will only post during the day regardless of what time I write the post. I do my best work at night, you see. So, sorry if I'm a little late for some of you.

HP

Wow. Or Rather OWS. Wow.

For those of you expecting a treatise on the perfect Progressive Reform candidate, you'll just have to wait. Sorry, but I'm a little "occupied" tonight.

In just 27 days, a small group of people got together after linking up through social media, the crown jewel of the Shiny Objects Distraction Program, and today it goes global. Yes, global. Demonstrations are to be held all over Europe tomorrow, as well as the Middle East (I hear) in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. I'm freaking stunned.

Stunned that it has caught on so quickly and so well. And for all the talk of their lack of organization, they sure seem to have a pretty clear understanding of how to protest peacefully.  I find it amusing that the media is fond of calling them (us) "hippies" both derisively and even fondly sometimes. And these "hippies" are confronted in Denver with police in full riot gear against a few dozen unarmed, peaceful, citizens. Irony? If that cop hadn't shot the pepper spray at the four girls, this probably would have been over with by now.

More than 1100 cities and towns have Occupy demonstrations going on. Eleven Hundred communities. In 27 days. 951 cities around the world are expected to participate today. Already underway in Japan, Korea, Australia, and the Taiwan. According to MSNBC.com there are about 2000 in Sydney right now. More than 2000 protests worldwide  with essentially the same message.

We need a fundamental global paradigm overhaul because what's been isn't what needs to be. Democracy only works when the People are the voice. And no, Virginia, corporations are not people. This democracy is ours as bequeathed to us by the Founders and Framers. We have let it be taken over and as other countries around the world struggle get their democracies functioning, we may yet be able to show them how it's done.

We have an election coming up, and I say it's time for a completely new way of doing things. And to do that, we're gonna need a bunch of new people to do it. The perfect candidate on the next post.


(Circumstances prevented me going up to LA this week, but I am going and sooner rather than later).

Hamster Prez

The 100th Post: What A Real Progressive Candidate Looks Like, or What I've Learned After 3 Years of Obama

Welcome to the 100th post, Hamsters. I'm still working on the FTF posts, so in the meantime, here's tonight's rant.

I've learned many things in the last three years of the Obama presidency. Not all bad, not many good. The one thing I'm taking away right now is the if he has proven nothing else, it is that the office of POTUS is impotent. I've heard many liberals, progressives, and other alleged democrats whining that he's not been tough enough. That he's caved too easily and that they aren't getting what they wanted. And some of that, arguably, is true.

The reality is, they are the ones who have failed. It is the Congress that has the power. So, if they want to bitch about someone, they have only themselves to blame. Well, to be fair, the system is pretty screwed up, too. The Senate has been operating unconstitutionally for some time now, but no one will do anything about that...not even the so called Tea Party people who are supposed to be all about the letter of that set of laws. At least the ones they like.

By a show of hands, who can tell me what every politician's worst nightmare is. Cutoff from money? Scary, sure, but no. Nancy Pelosi? Only if you're John Boehner. No, the worst nightmare of any politician that wants to keep his job is not his opposite party contender, it is to be primaried by his own party.  It's what happened in '10 and it scares the bejeezus outta them now.

Richard Trumpka is the President of the AFL-CIO, and he has been talking a really good game of late, and the other unions are starting to join in. He's decided that the union is not going to get involved much in the presidential race, but rather focus their money and attention on state and local races and congressional races. And they are actively seeking Progressive candidates to support.

Because they know as well where the real power lies. And it is the states, not the feds, that are attacking the middle and working classes, the poor, and passing Draconian social issues legislation. Congress is to busy playing games to legislate, and some states are running amok. There is a lot of damage being done, hamsters, and it's going to take a major influx of Progressives to right this ship.

What does a perfect Progressive candidate look like? Well, to be honest, it's a pretty long list. That's going to be tomorrow night's post. It's 1:30 AM and it's time to put the brain cells to bed. So, until tomorrow night, give yourself a round of applause for making it through another day of this crap (Keith Olbermann), and I'll rant at you tomorrow.

Peace,

Hamster Prez

Thought for Today

Ahh, the bright shining light of hypocrisy. Gotta love it!

HP

A Plea For Your Help

Whether you are a follower or someone who receives the posts via email, I would really appreciate it if you would get the word out about the site. I would really like to increase my web presence and the only way to do that is if you tell others about it. Link to it on your Facebook page, email it to you friends. Whatever. I will be very grateful.

And, if you are a reader but not a follower, please change your status. There are a lot of you who read the blog, a couple who send emails/post comments and I would like all of you and your friends, regardless of their politics, to follow the blog. Invisible readers are like the silent majority. You know they're there, you just can't prove it.

I would also like this to be more interactive, so please feel free to post comments or send emails on any subject or point of view. If there's something you want my opinion on, you certainly know by now that I will have one and I will respond.

Thanks, and goodnight (for now).

HP

Bummer...

Hello Hamsters,

Well, I wanted to let you know that I did not make it to O-LA today like I had hoped...but may still try for Friday. Regardless, the movement is growing and has a life of it's own. The media is paying attention, DC is starting to pay attention, the world is paying attention and, most importantly, Wall Street is starting to pay attention. No, you won't hear about it on the news much, but trust me, they are.

The thing that I love about it is the thing they fear about it. It has no real cohesive message yet. It has a thousand messages. There are people at these protests who want accountability and transparency. There are those protesting the broken system. People are there for workers rights. Voting rights. Health and medical care. Jobs. The wars. In short, all of the things that are wrong are represented, and this scares the hell outta "them" because they don't know what to do with it.

Another aspect I like about is it isn't a left-right thing, it's an up-down thing. There is no party affiliation (in fact, most of the Occupy groups have not allowed politicians to speak publicly).

There is no corporate funding (unlike the Tea Party), and it cannot be co-opted. It truly is an organic demonstration. It is citizen democracy at its best.

The City Council of LA adopted a measure supporting the movement. DC extended the permit in the park for 4 more months. Except for some occasional over-zealous police, all the demonstrations have been peaceful. Local businesses in and near the protest sites have opened their doors so folks have bathroom facilities when port-a-potties are not provided. Organizations are sending in food. Local hospital and medical personnel are volunteering their services. It's amazing to see this happening right now. It's about time and it's about equality and its about what's right, not who's right.

Yes, we finally got to what I've been preaching here for some time.

Now, if only there was a Democrat running for POTUS, I would be one happy hamster. More on that later. Also, I am postponing my series on First Things First for a bit while I continue to try to organize my list of firsts. I'm keeping an eye on what I think is first as it is an evolving story. So, stay tuned.

Shameless plug: If you're not watching UP With Chris Hayes on the weekends on MSNBC, I recommend it. It's lively and he has had some very good guests on. It's relaxed and conversational and pretty darn good. It's on Sat/Sun mornings at an ungodly hour, so set your DVR and watch it later.

I'm getting my wheel ready for some new rants, so watch you inbox! Until then, as KO now says, "Congratulations on getting through another day of this crap!"

HP

First Things First, an Introduction

Hey Hamsters,

So, I'm back and ready to restart the blog. I have taken 6 months off for mental health reasons, i.e. I was so frustrated by what was going on in DC and the country. It all started to fall apart when the people of Wisconsin failed to recall all of the Republicans responsible for the crisis in that state. My thought then was, what do the republicans have to do before people wake up and see what they're up to? Apparently the answer was "more".

So, First Things First means that we have to prioritize the issues, then take them on one by one. There is no second thing or third thing. In this series, each is the First Thing because we confront and solve each one then move on to the next.

This series will begin tomorrow and will continue as time allots until I either run out of things to say (sure that'll happen) or all of the major issues have been addressed. It's great to be back, and I look forward to feedback from any who care to participate...which I hope is all of you. Also, I would be eternally grateful if you would turn others onto the blog, regardless of their leanings. I always welcome differing viewpoints.

As stated in an earlier post, I am hoping to go to Occupy LA next Wednesday just to see what's going on. If anyone else is interested, get in touch either through the blog, my facebook page, or email me at markv.potter@gmail.com or mvpotter@socal.rr.com

I hope you are all well, and I again look forward to re-engaging with you, my fellow Hamsters.

Nomastay,

Hamster Prez

A post you must watch, then more a little later.

http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/special-comment-keith-reads-first-collective-statement-of-occupy-wall-street

We will discuss this and so much more ahead. Hamster Prez has greased the ol' wheel and is back! Get ready, Hamsters. The world is about to change. Oh, and by the way, I will be going to LA next week to take part in the Occupy LA protests. Anyone want to go along? Send me an email.

All Hamsters, Go Here...

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov

This will take you to the Congressional Progressive Caucus website where you can read/download The People's Budget. I am challenging each of you to read it and offer your comments either here or via email (potterblog09@gmail.com) or mvpotter@socal.rr.com or on facebook. I really want to know what you folks think of this proposal.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you to discuss this.

HP

4-21: Ramblings from the Wheel

Does anyone else find it ironic that the Republicans hate welfare for people who need it and in favor of welfare for corporations and the wealthy who obviously don't? I mean, subsidies for the largest corporations in the world, tax loopholes and breaks for the corporate crowd, and tax breaks to the upper 2% all while eviscerating social programs, education, and services for the poor. Ridiculous.

Nice to see Obama take on the futures market as regards to the gas prices. Now, put some teeth to it and get it done.

Trump can sound as presidential as he wants, he'll never run. Why? Because he would have to disclose his wealth, or lack of it, and he's not about to do that. The last thing Trump wants is for folks to know the facts of his finances and business dealings. Every aspect of his life will be investigated and I'm pretty confident there are as many skeletons in his closet as there are in mine, and I can't run for President, either. Making noise to try and keep his show on TV, that's all this is.

Did you catch former RNC Chairman Michael Steele on Ed Schultz tonight? It was classic! Ed brought on two public sector workers, one a fireman from Florida and the other a policeman who had both been life-long Republicans until their respective Republican governors began their campaigns against them and the middle class. It was amazing to watch Steele trying to deflect and plead ignorance of the issues. He was even called out for his pandering by the firefighter. When Steele started the segment, he thanked them for their service as first responders. The firefighter responded by saying that he was tired of Republicans always starting the conversation with a "thank you, but...", which caused a visible reaction by Steele. Both of these stalwart Republicans have switched sides, and yet Steele's only answer when pressed as to what the Republican Party should do to regain their votes was, "Let me be clear. I no longer speak for the Republican Party." Fabulous.

If an overwhelming majority of your constituents do not support your policies and you continue to push them anyway, then are you not proving that your constituents are not the voters, they are the checkbook holders? Yes, you are. And that's exactly what the Republican Party is doing. You aren't going to win any elections with 400 votes.

And finally, a bartender in Wisconsin was offering free shots to anyone who would sign his petition to recall one of the Wisconsin 14. No such tactics were necessary for the Republican petitions, which have 140% more signatures than needed. And, there will be an recount for the Supreme Court election AND an investigation of the clerk who "found" 7500 votes that tipped the election in favor or her former boss.

Sleep well, Hamsters!

HP

4-20: Wheel Ramblings

After The Donald throws Michele Bachmann off the Birther Train, he jumps off for a couple of stops to make sense...what? After telling an interviewer that there was no need to raise taxes on the rich, he goes on to say that we need to bring jobs back to America. Really? A Republican suggesting that we bring jobs back? Not the same thing as job creation, but this is unheard of. This is so anti-Chamber of Commerce talk that he may likely have cut off any financial support he might have otherwise gotten.

Five of the eight Republican Senators in Wisconsin that can be recalled are about to face the voters. Let the process begin! And in other Wisconsin news, Paul Ryan went home to boos at town hall meetings largely attended by his OWN supporters. Huge numbers of people in this country oppose his ideas (including a majority of + Partiers), and he's finding his own constituents don't like what he's proposing.

Nothing else to present tonight. I have a couple of other things I need to get done, so I will be back as soon as possible. Until then, stay safe!

Hamster Prez

4-15: Ramblings from the Wheel

The Tea Party is not new. It's the re-branded evangelical right we all remember from the '90's. These morons were willing to shut down the government and make us the laughing stock of the world over Planned Parenthood. That has nothing to do with budgets or deficits or fiscal responsibility. From now on here at the Hamster Paradigm they will be referred to as the + Party because it's all about their practice of religious myopia.

Speaking of things having nothing to do with budgets, did you catch Scott Walker's grilling on Capital Hill today? Dude got beaten up. Had to admit that his collective bargaining fight had nothing to do with money, except the money his benefactors expected. He even got nailed on his hiring of donor's kin, known as cronyism, and the punk'd Koch brother call. It was not at all what he was expecting 'cuz his face was the very definition of defeat. Pretty sure that's not the new face of the Republican Party.

Obama sounded pretty fired up tonight in Chicago. Good, I say. I want him a little pissed off and, like the rest of us, a little afraid. Maybe, just maybe, he might be starting the realize he's the President of the United States and he needs to lead, not be led.

Don't ever forget what Paul Ryan said when he introduced his Medicare destroying budget proposal: "This is not a budget, it's a cause." Oh, and it takes 75 years to attain it's goals. Yep. Won't be around to see that.

Comedians everywhere are mourning the passing of Glenn Beck's Traveling Sideshow. Oh, he'll end up somewhere, but I bet it won't be following Olbermann on Current this spring. Love Keith, but that was a pretty obscure place to re-surface. Then again, he might just be the thing that puts it on the dial. Beck's too ego-maniacal and maniacal in general to fade into obscurity. He's not done being kicked around.

The Governor of Montana, Democrat Brian Schweitzer did an amazing thing today. He vetoed every single piece of Republican legislation that had passed with a series of "veto" branding irons on the steps of the capital building. “These bills are either frivolous, unconstitutional or in direct contradiction to the expressed will of the people of Montana,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. I copied that from his own website. Grandstanding? Yep. But effective. You Tube has the video, as does Rachel Maddow's bog.

That man, folks, is a Big D Democrat.

Good night, Hamsters,

Hamster Prez

Obama's Legacy: Missed Opportunities

President Obama spoke today, his campaign kick-off speech if you will, by sounding like he may have finally found out where they keep his balls. Now we'll have to wait and see if they let him have them. I believe that his greatest failing as a politician and, more importantly as President, is his unwavering need to be liked. He wants all the kids in the sandbox to play with him and hold hands and sing songs. He had both houses of Congress and his own office and the last thing he needed to do was negotiate. He would only play by the rules of bipartisanship with an opponent who made up the rules as they went along.

Medicare for all turned into a life vest and rope for the health insurance industry. Wall Street reform became nothing of the sort. Not only were the criminals responsible for a global financial meltdown never prosecuted, they've been rewarded time and time again. He creates a Consumer Protection Agency and puts in charge probably the most sensible person in the country, and I've heard virtually nothing about it since. He puts in charge of a new commission to explore economic and job growth the CEO of a company that got a $3.5 billion dollar tax refund on over $14 billion dollars of profit. Huh?

Immigration reform disappeared from the conversation after the mid-terms. A Congresswoman gets shot in the head and no real move on gun and/or ammunition control is taken. Protecting the environment lost out to the monied interests in the energy business. And less than a year after the worst environmental disaster in this country's history, his administration is issuing new deep-water drilling permits to the very same companies that caused it. Worse, they're doing that before their investigation is complete and against the recommendations of an independent Dutch engineering firm who reported that the blow out-preventers currently in use simply do not work.  

He did nothing to repeal DADT except start the conversation. Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullin, and the brave service members who spoke out like Lt. Col. Farenbach, Lt. Dan Choi and others deserve all the credit. He did not close Gitmo. He allowed the inhumane imprisonment Bradly Manning. He not only didn't end two wars, or demand a means to at least pay for them, he committed military resources in a third.

Did he do the Libya thing right? That depends on whether or not you can say military intervention and bombing in the same sentence with "for humanitarian reasons" and reconcile that in your head. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but killing people doesn't seem humanitarian to me and is not justifiable. Especially in a case where you only really need to kill one.

He has so far failed to put on the "pair of comfortable shoes" and march in the protests like he said he would if there was an assault on the unions and middle class. In fact, he's said virtually nothing at all. Huge majorities of the people in this country are against what is happening in their states, and the national party is staying out of it. The country wants you and all you do is stand there smiling.

Missed opportunities all. And there are many more. The worst of all, and this goes back to the beginning, he lost control of the conversation, the message as the pundits like to put it, and has never gotten it back. The right wing media machine always has been bigger and more powerful than the lefts, who can't even keep a radio network alive, and he either completely misunderstood that or he thought that being reasonable would make more people like him more. Yes, I meant to say it that way.

I hope that what I heard today is what he'll do tomorrow. I hope he means it and stands straight and to the left of Anthony Weiner and Bernie Sanders...but still somewhat right of Alan Grayson. Barack Obama has to stop protecting us from the bully by giving him his lunch money. Doing that doesn't give the bully any reason to stop being a bully. In fact, it incentive's him. Look how many times the end zone got moved in the budget battle. He gave them $6.5 million more in cuts than they asked for and ultimately that amount is spread out over years, so the immediate impact of all this hand-wringing amounts to less than 1% of the cuts. Who really won that?

And saving Planned Parenthood only cost a billion dollars.

I want to believe. I really do. As a Denver Broncos fan, I've seen many a first quarter that sucked only to have the team shake it off and play better. Mr. Obama is John Elway and it's time for a spinning tackle near the goal line of the Super Bowl. It's time for The Drive. More often than not it's one player on a team that sparks a comeback and more often than not the person is the team leader.

Mr. Obama, it's time to unite your party and get out with the people if you want a second term. Take the lead on the issues that matter to us. If you're going to use the (D) behind your title, start acting like one. And the next time you have the opportunity that you missed today, use a tone that sounds more like you mean it. Stop trying to be the bully's friend and kick a little butt. You kicked sand in their faces and they immediately cried. Good. One thing I learned a long time ago and in a very painful way was that when you stand up to the bully or fight back, win or lose the bullying stops.

Mr. President, it is time for you to lead.

Sincerely,

Hamster Prez

And the Tug of War Begins 4/6/11

On one end of the rope are the Money and on the other the People. I have no omniscience about the outcome, but I sure hope it's the latter. After all, there are 400 of them and 300 million of us. It all really comes down to money and their belief that they can buy the system, the process, and us with it.

We can't let that be our future.

Next, I want a viable Democrat to run against Obama. I mean a real damn Democrat, not the Social Republican we have now. Short of that, I'll take a majority in both Houses again and maybe we can actually get some stuff done. But I'm losing more and more faith in the President as the guy who can fix the messes we're in. He is without question a very smart man, and perhaps the only adult in the room in DC. But he doesn't know diddly about how to do capital P Politics.

A Rolls Royce with a driver named Boehner just pulled up to the White House and handed a silver tray with a box and beautiful bow on it that contains the keys to the government next year. And they don't know what to do with it. Or at least they haven't indicated that they do. Stupid Democrats.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race was a blotch on our legal and political systems. Yes, I'm glad the liberal one won. But I'm not happy about the why. See, it means that if Walker's illegal bill makes it to that once august body it means that it will likely be overturned. And while that's a good thing, what it really means is that I wanted the other candidate to lose because he would do the opposite and that is not what a Supreme Court is supposed to be about. It's supposed to be the final check in the balance of things and it has been perverted by the political process and financial gain.

Citizens United, anyone?

But the alternative, appointment, isn't any better. It does however provide one thing that elections don't, which is a thorough investigation by the other branches. Sometimes they get in because one party has enough votes to approve them easily, like Justice Roberts.

But they are both corrupted by money.

I have said this before, and I will keep on saying it: It has to be about what's right, not who's right. It has been pointed out to me that "right" is subjective and while that's true, I think the majority of us have a pretty good sense of fair play and that what we really want is to just be left alone to enjoy whatever time we have on the planet.

Corporations are not, regardless of the Supreme Court's opinion, people. And as such, they have no compassion or sense of fairness. They have but one objective and that is to post profits, no matter what it costs. There was a segment on Rachel Maddow tonight that talked about this, and I urge you to go check it out at msnbc.com

As a Midwesterner, I am shocked by the outcome of the court race in Wisconsin. The new head of Milwaukee is a Democrat who beat his opponent by almost 2/3. A mere couple of hundred votes difference in the court race is fundamentally incongruous. The values of the Midwest have changed, it seems from when I was a lad there.

I apologize again for the intermittent posts. I find that I require more mental health days lately as the stupidity levels increase.

And the realization that when one looks at the bigger picture, all of this seems pretty petty. The bees are dying in rapid number. The earth is literally falling apart. And we're fighting over imaginary money and perceptions of power.

It's really become rather pathetic.

Maybe we could just start over. You know, replace every last one of our elected officials with people who aren't bought and paid for and who have but one goal and that is to return this country to its core principles and values. You know, where all People are created equal, have the same rights and protections, and where the public and private sectors actually worked together instead of this cat/mouse game they're playing now.

Can we give this country its soul back? I think so, if we haven't collectively lost our own.

Hamster Prez

Comments welcome, here or on facebook. Thanks for reading.

Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? ADT home security offers a key fob remote to unlock your house and disarm your security system. Don't get car-jacked, or lose your keys.

Now, on to the important stuff:

So, polls and voter registration records indicate that less than 25% of the electorate identifies as Republican. Democrats don't fair a whole lot better at just over 30%. That means that 75% of the electorate identifies as either Dem or independent. Let's break this down a little, unscientifically. If 25% are Republican, let's say that half are moderate and half are Tea Party and/or evangelical. The 12% of moderate Republicans, which includes the majority of the religious right, my question is: How do you win elections with only 12%? Anyone?

Arm the Libyan rebels? That's a question being floated around the Sphere of Pundrity and my answer to that is No. My reasons are as follows:

Arming them drags out the conflict and requires more involvement on the ground.

They have to be trained not only in the use of the weapons but also in military warfare. Giving a guy a gun does not make him a soldier.

I think this is a Black Ops situation. It's over in a hurry if he's deposed/taken into custody.

Back home in Wisconsin: Scott Walker has broken the law again by having the rights stripping bill published by a department other than the Secretary of State as required by law in direct violation of the court order preventing the SofS from doing so. He's already started cutting wages, jobs, and benefits. This man is a Dictator Governor. He should be in jail.

Ohio passed its union-busting bills, but the voters will overturn it in the referendum process. Go ahead, they said, we'll just throw it our ourselves. Good for them!

And remember this: IF there is a government shut down, the Tea Party is responsible for it.

Take care, Hamsters...and join Progressives United!

Hamster Prez

A couple of other names are in the enlarging hat of Contenders and Pretenders to the Republican Crown. Newt "I never met a position I wouldn't change my mind on or a dollar I wouldn't keep" Gingrich and Michelle "I write my own history" Bachmann. Think Obama's fretting?

So tonight's question: I wonder if anyone at PETA has considered what would happen if we all stopped eating meat? Where would we put all the cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, etc.? Not only will it be crowded, it will literally smell like crap.

I think it's time we called the Republican governors exactly what they are: State Dictators. They, in lockstep with the Party, are not interested in governing as much as they are in ruling.

Fact:

Corporate America is hoarding profits to the tune of several TRILLION dollars.

Why? Citizen's United allows them to spend all of it, if they want, on elections without disclosing their participation.

Fact:

Hoarding profits keeps money out of the economy. And,

Fact:

Keeping people unemployed while cutting their benefits makes those people more dependent and pliant. And,

Fact:

Cutting education and/or making it too costly for the majority produces an illiterate and uninformed public which makes them more dependent and malleable. And,

Fact:

Privatizing the government is a highly profitable business decision that makes the people more dependent and meek.

Fact:

We must not let this happen.

Okay, now for a little Team Obama bashing, check out this Rachel Maddow exclusive report on the increased oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Enlightening and scary. Watch the first installment (at least) just so that you can be informed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/

And now for something even more amazing, check out this from MSNBC's website:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42260137/ns/business-us_business/

What makes that so amazing is not that we didn't know some of it already, but that MSNBC is still partly owned by GE.

Okay, that's enough for tonight. Good night and good luck.

Hamster Prez

3-23 Ramblings from the Wheel

Hello Hamster Nation. Hope you are all well and reasonably happy. I don't think I have a lot to say tonight, but I never know until I start typing where I'm going. So, let's start off with something easy.

When the Democrats take back control in 19 months, if they don't name Anthony Weiner as Speaker, they're idiots. Unless of course he runs for Senate, which I would wholly endorse. Love that guy.

Which naturally leads us to the Republican contenders and pretenders. First is Mitt "I hate Obamacare even though I created the same thing" Romney. Then there's Haley "there was no racism in the Mississippi I grew up in" Barbour. Mike "can't keep my feet out of my mouth" Huckabee. Sarah "I know foreign policy when I see it" Palin. Tim "I make Al Gore look giddy" Pawlenty. And leading up the pretenders, Donald "I need to fire my hair" Trump.

Really.

But when you look around the Republican Party, is there really anyone any better than that lot? Mitch Daniels has an outside shot if he doesn't get recalled in Indiana. Same for Christie, but I think he's rubbing too many folks the wrong way. None of the governors are likely to survive their whole terms without being recalled or having to work with Democratic majorities in their state houses.

Because of other things happening in the world the protests have fallen further back in the news cycle. But they are still going on, getting larger, recall efforts are progressing, and the People are still fighting back. Now if only the Democrats would get out there and take ownership of this thing, they might actually stop the 30 year Republican takeover of the country.

I was up and had MSNBC on in the background when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. It was the most amazing and disturbing footage I have ever seen. I've seen lots of disaster flicks, but that, the reality of it, was almost too much. And, living only a mile from the beach here in SoCal, a little nerve-wracking as well.

Head Rattling Hypocrisy of the Day: John Boehner's letter to President Obama shaming him for ignoring Congress before using military force in Libya. Really, John? Weren't you there and in full support of Bush's War of Lies? Quite frankly, Obama had no real choice. Things moved very quickly, and you guys only know Quick as a chocolate milk mix.

Well, as I said, not much to say tonight. Just wanted to get back into it. Again, hope you are all well. Stay safe.

Hamster Prez

3-9 Hamster Rant

The news today is too important to sound bite. In the news out of Wisconsin, where the Senate Republicans stripped out the collective bargaining issue of the budget bill (thus proving that it was never about the budget), and by illegally convening and passing the law, demonstrates that they will stop at nothing to disband the unions. What follows will answer last night's question, which was, Why is wealth re-distribution so vilified?

You know what...I'm just over this for tonight. This, I fear, is just gonna get ugly. We all know why where are where we are, and what ultimately led to this. I have not seen this country so polarized since Viet Nam, and we are in the beginning stages. That era started just like this, but we're talking about people's ability just to live here. The stakes are much higher, and there is a growing number of folks in this country getting more and more desperate.

Desperation is a bad enemy to have. SOSAD: There is nothing more dangerous than an enemy with nothing to lose. Caveat: Especially if you're the one trying to take the last of it away.

Irony of the day: The very baubles of technology that they provided us to distract from their agenda are the very things that are going to stop them. We have unprecedented access to the world, and a host of methods with which to organize and defeat them. Fifty thousand people showed up in Madison last Saturday because some guy on Facebook suggested that, even the there was a big rally planned for the following weekend, why not go anyway? Thirty-six hours later, 50,000 people showed up.

Our government is supposed to be a representative system where the politicians are directed by their constituents. Despite polling from every single outfit that does polling telling them that this was not what the voters wanted, they did it anyway. That, Hamsters, is NOT representative government. That's a dictatorship.

And while Wisconsin is the focus, what happened in Michigan is horrifying. Giving the Governor the power to completely dismantle not just unions, but entire city councils, school boards, and government services simply by declaring a fiscal emergency and appointing a single person to take over.

Hamsters, this is more than just about breaking up the unions and destroying the Democratic base...not that either of those by itself is small potatoes, but about the Corporate takeover of America. This is about privatizing services at the state and local level first. Then they can offer the jobs at lower wages and reduced benefits knowing that a job is better to have than not. We'll all be working for the company store.

Corporate America is attempting a coup. Seventeen states, 17, all led by Republican governors are simultaneously launching this attack. Here's a truly disturbing fact: 400 people in this country have more wealth than the bottom 150,000,000 COMBINED.

WTF???

I gotta stop for now, Hamsters. I've never had high blood pressure (I've been mistaken for dead a couple times because it's so low) but I'm pretty sure it's up there right now.

Stay safe, and good luck.

Hamster Prez

3-8 Wheel Ramblings

Starting off tonight is news out of Missouri that the state's Supreme Court has been petitioned to disbar Justice Clarence Thomas for a variety of issues, most notably his failure to disclose his wife's income for 20 years. This, according to the suit filed by a group called Protect Our Elections (POE), is in direct violation of the laws governing the practice of law in that state, where Thomas hangs his legal license. This will not affect his position as a Justice, but may cause the DOJ to look closer into his activities...or lack of same in this case.

Three major stories from Wisconsin. First, the Koch brother's rally over the weekend in support of Scott Walker and his plan drew a whopping 600 people to the largest gathering. At that gathering, the brave 600 listened to right-wing marionette Joe the Plumber (who knew he was still around) calling the unions and their members socialists and communists. What is remarkable about this is that while several thousand people still camp out at the Capitol, 600 people supported Walker.

Second is the recall petitions being circulated against 8 of the Democrats. What is remarkable about this effort is that it is coming from a group out of Utah, which is not Wisconsin, wholly funded by the Koch brothers. The recall petitions being circulated, and signed in droves against the 8 Republican senators and the Governor are home-grown and unfunded by a corporation.

Lastly, Governor Walker is caving. Internal emails out today show that he is changing his mind and is looking to take the collective bargaining issue out of the bill. Michael Steele was just on Rachel Maddow a few minutes ago and called the Wisconsin 14 "wimps", despite the fact that what they did ultimately defeated the Republican Corporatist agenda.

In other state news, Florida's new Republican governor is trying to slash $1.75 Billion dollars from his state's K-12 education budget in an effort not to balance the budget but to give $1.6 Billion dollars in tax cuts to corporations. In Michigan, that state's new Republican governor is proposing tax increases on the senior citizens and poor people again, not to balance the budget of cover any shortfall but instead to give $1.6 Billion in tax cuts to corporations. And let's not forget that the budget shortfall in Wisconsin was a direct result of Walker giving away the budget surplus in tax cuts to corporations. Hey, there are dues to be paid to those who get you elected.

Gingrich, Santorum, Pawlenty, and Daniels were in Iowa over the weekend preaching, yes preaching, social issues agendas in an effort to get the early lead in polling there. In all the sound bites I heard today, not one mentioned the economy or jobs or the war or anything else of importance. Nope. These old white men all talked about abortion and gay marriage and planned parenthood, and the Democrat Socialists.

On that same theme, it's nice to see that the right will still take the bait. Team Obama threw them a bone last week, and they took like a starving dog. When he directed the DOJ to stop defending DOMA, Boehner and the Republicans in the house took up the fight. The bone is this: he knew that they could not walk away from a social issue, which distracts them even more from what they were allegedly elected to do... create jobs. Never mind that it was never their intention to do that as evidenced by the complete lack of any jobs bills or anything that would resemble an economic agenda. No, they've been trying to legislated reproductive rights instead. Not sure what the fiscal impact is of that slate, but gotta love them not trying to fix what they broke.

Todays' Question: Why is the re-distribution of wealth so vilified? My answer tomorrow.

Does anyone who cared about Charlie Sheen still care? Never did, myself. Still don't.

That's tonight's early edition. Stay safe, Hamsters.

Hamster Prez

3-4 Post

There will be no post tonight other than the one telling you there will be no post tonight. Taking a night off. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Please tell your friends, and take a moment to add a comment or send me an email. I would love to hear/share your thoughts.

Sleep Well, Hamsters

Hamster Prez

3-3 Random Rambling from the Wheel

The Tea Party is going to primary Boehner because he hasn't cut the budget enough or in what they think is a timely manner. They are obviously clueless as to how government works...and at what pace. One TP advocate went so far as to say that Charlie Sheen makes more sense than Boehner. Wow, that's saying something.

Not content to bash the President, more Huckab-s today when he said that Natalie Portman was glorifying unwed motherhood. I will say this, the question by right-wing radio talker Micheal Medved was a leading one and proved that the Huckster will simply bite into whatever the interviewer feeds him. No shame, no sense, no business leading, yes leading, the polls in the GOP field. Unbelievable.

Ever-growing demonstrations around the country prove that the polls are right. The People are against the Republican plans. Team Obama can stop negotiating now. The TP's are splitting the Party and the People are giving voice to their displeasure. Which leads me to tonight answer to last night's question, which also comes from the SOSADepartment: Who is really to blame for the mess we're in?

We are. The People of the United States of America are to blame for what is going on in this country. This is why I posted on Facebook the other day the following: It's nice to see the country awaken from the technological narcolepsy it has been in and stand up for what is right. They distracted us with the shiny objects and told us that we work for them, not them for us. We gave up our voice in favor of satellite TV, IPods, IPads, IPhones, internet porn, whatever. They distracted us with the gadgets that caused our reversion to our primitive simian ways.

We went back into the trees and stared in amazement at the shiny objects. And they took over. The last 30 years has been a systematic and patient devolving of the middle class. Tax breaks for the wealthy, loopholes, subsidies, unfunded wars and other programs have all led to the deficit and debt which is, without question, a crisis. Democrats the other day introduces legislation that would end the tens of billions of dollars that we give in subsidies to the oil companies. The Big 5 have recorded almost a trillion dollars in PROFIT in the past decade and are currently gouging us again at the pumps. Here in Cali, we are probably just days away from $4 a gallon gas and the Republicans UNANIMOUSLY defeated the measure. Even the TP'ers.

That's how the rich get richer and the rest of us start saving cardboard boxes and stocking up on cat food even if we don't have a cat.

We let it get to this. And we are starting, finally, to take it back. Here's a couple of predictions: Scott Walker and 3 Republican representatives in Wisconsin will face a recall challenge and Walker will lose. In Ohio, the voters will get the bill there onto the ballot and defeat it by referendum. Chris Christie will back off the cops and firefighters. Democrats will win major seats and the White House in '12, but not necessarily with Obama.
Probably, but not guaranteed.

There's an old axiom out there that holds truer today than ever. Paraphrasing here a tad: There's nothing worse than an enemy with nothing to lose. And Hamsters, they are out for our last nickle.

Time to get off the wheel and get out there. Get involved, even if it's only online. Take part in polls. Get your voices heard. Let's give them a big Hamster Roar! (Ok, so hamsters don't roar so much as squeak, but if you get enough of them together and try to take the last of their food, you'll hear a deafening squeaky roar...like a million nails on a chalkboard!)

Hamster Prez

3-2 Random Rambling From the Wheel

Answer to last night's question #1:

Ok. so the day after I ask the question, Why isn't anyone talking about Bradley Manning, the government adds 22 charges with one that includes the death penalty. I guess they'll be talking about him now.

It doesn't matter whether or not you agree with what he allegedly did. What matters was the treatment he received. Almost 8 months in solitary confinement. No contact with his family, only his attorney. Held without charges for most of that time. Held as someone who had already been convicted then started a fight in the prison. I continually hear politicians say that America is a nation of laws while they recite select passages from the pocket-sized Constitution they carry around. And yet and American citizen is treated as Bradley Manning has been is okay. No, it's not.

The Republicans in Wisconsin are threatening the Senate 14 with losing their parking places at the Capitol. Wow, that must really be the incentive those rogue Senators need to get them back to Madison.

The Senator from Wisconsin that was on the Ed Show on MSNBC last night, the one who called the protesters in the Capitol "slobs", was back on tonight with four of the protesters. It didn't go well for the Senator. Meanwhile, since Gov. Walker locked the Capitol building, two Assembly Dems moved their desks outside to meet with constituents. Priceless.

Team Obama has waited long enough. It's time to put on those "comfortable shoes" and stand with your electorate. If you want to get re-elected, you'd better start acting more like a Democrat and less like a wimp.

In the game of Who Can Pass the Worst Laws With the Most Inventive Tactics, Ohio may have just passed the Wisconsin Republicans, although it is hard to determine which is worse. As you might recall, the Wisconsin Assembly passed the Walker bill by essentially calling the debate then allowing only a few seconds to vote. Since only the Republicans knew the plan, none of the Democrats got a vote cast. It was probably illegal and will likely go to court. In Ohio, they couldn't even get the bill out of committee because of Republican, yes Republican opposition. So the Speaker of the Senate removed said Republican from the committee, replaced him with a partisan member and passed the bill out of committee. Then did the same thing when the vote came up. It passed by one vote, with several Republican Senators voting against it. That was probably illegal as well, but we may never know.

Illegal procedures, non-negotiation, and the revocation of parking privileges. This is the Republican means to win at any costs.

It's heartening to see the Republican base, the real one- not the Tea Party one- start the backlash against the Party for where it wants to make its budget cuts. Tomorrow a coalition of churches is sending a large group of young people into the Capitol to distribute wrist bands to all the representatives and senators. These wrist bands look like the myriad others out there, the fat rubber band kind. What they say on them is great: What Would Jesus Cut? Priceless.

The SCOTUS got the Southboro Baptist case right. As deplorable as what they do is, Free Speech is Free Speech.

Answer to last night's question #2

There is no answer as there is no reason for Guantanamo to be open. I also indicated that there was a connection between the two questions. In both cases, we are holding people illegally and inhumanely. We are not only breaking our own laws, but we are breaking international laws. Of course, the Bushies broke international laws, too. One could argue that they started this, which while true does not exonerate the current administration who inexplicably continues to violate our laws and the Constitution. We are quite quick to point the spotlight on other countries who practice human rights violations while being arrogant enough to think that our own moral code doesn't apply to us. It's shameful.

Question of the Day: Who is to blame for the mess we find ourselves in? Answer tomorrow night.

Anyone who still believes the birthers aren't racist need only see this point: They never talk about his white mother or grandparents. They only talk about the half of his heritage that they see.

That's our show for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, good luck, Hamsters!

Hamster Prez