This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
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The thing is this, while previous to the earthquake it might have been best to give Haitian children up for adoption, that might not be the case now. There needs to be a thread of understanding that as this nation reclaims itself and it will, over time, there may be some people that return when conditions are better.
Red Cross rescuers help a man injured during scuffles among people taking goods from quake-damaged stores in Port-au-Prince, 18 Jan 2010
But looting, gang activity, scuffles continue to plague Port-au-Prince
U.S. and U.N. officials say the flow of aid to destitute Haitian earthquake survivors is improving, despite continued looting, gang activity, and scuffles on the streets of Port-au-Prince.
U.S. helicopters are at work in Haiti, ferrying food and water to distribution points in and around the devastated capital, where three million people struggle to survive.
General Ken Keen, who is commanding U.S. military relief operations in Haiti, says logistical obstacles to aid delivery are being overcome.
"Every day, we increase our capabilities to reach out [to Haitians in need]," he said.
That assessment is shared by the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes.
"What we are seeing is that the aid effort is beginning to scale up. We are all frustrated by the fact that there is not as much aid on the streets as anybody would like, but I think you will see that effort scaling up very rapidly," he said....
GUATEMALA CITY — A strong earthquake has rocked Guatemala and parts of El Salvador, but no there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in either country.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.0.
The USGS says it hit Monday morning about 60 miles (97 kilometres) southwest of Guatemala City, where it was felt by many residents. There were reports of shaking in the Guatemalan countryside and in El Salvador as well.
Civil protection officials in the two countries says so far there are no reports of injuries or damage, but authorities are still checking.
There is a lot of seismic activity with the North American Plate. Do I see a pattern that might predict any further seismic activity in Haiti?
The problem with the earthquakes of the North American Plate is the depth of the quakes. They are occurring in less than 10 kilometers of the surface and that is common of this plate.
I believe it would be imprudent to any rescue effort to think the worse is over. This might be just the beginning.
Rebuilding can probably proceed within a strong earthquake area, but, it has to be done prudently and with the thought it is a very unstable area people are working in.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
I don't know of any leader that sought JUSTICE in reform more than Martin Luther King, Jr.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
He knew all to well the pain of being ostracized from a just world.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
He lead civil injustice to his race under the only just being that existed. That was God. When man failed him through dedication of seeking change, he reconciled that there was justice in a spirituality. It gave him solice. It provided a platform of strength and he went forward.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
Change in the USA is not about seeking people to come together to resolve their problems, it always manifests when 'the opportunity' presents itself.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
Once change has occurred, the reality of the lie becomes to obvious to ignore.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
The USA has no dignity except for what the party of inclusion has brought it.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
The very fact the Democrats exist, is a proud point for the USA. It is unfortunate that morality does not exist in majority across the board in every American's heart.
Pass a Reconciliation Bill with 51 votes that either has a Public Option or Single Payor.
And.
Don't worry about paying for it. Implement it immediately.
Ax Medicare Advantage and do the right thing for the country.
Evidently when Democrats attempt to do the right thing for the country, including responsible legislation that doesn't add to the National Debt it isn't appreciated. I would never try to pay for anything else again. Just pass legislation the country needs, in the way it needs it and I wouldn't look back.
Don't be tax and spend Democrats anymore. Simply be spending Democrats no different then Republicans.
By Jay Fitzgerald Monday, January 18, 2010 t’s going to be an interesting week to hold a major health-care reform conference in Boston.
As the Massachusetts race for U.S. Senate comes down to the wire with health-care reform at center stage, hundreds of health-care experts are expected to converge on Boston later this week for a nationwide meeting on expanding medical-insurance coverage across the nation.
The conference, co-hosted by the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiative, is titled “How to Organize Exchanges and Other Lessons Learned” from Massachusetts’ experiment with universal health care....
The new Health Care Reform that this administration puts through will be the new entitlement we have needed for a long time and it will be paid for no different than any other entitlement. Put the Health Care Insurance Reform Bill together the way it will work best while cutting Medicare Advantage, a proven corrupt and expensive plan, and don't bother worrying about paying for it. I don't know any persons more than Barak Obama and Ted Kennedy that has worked harder at helping the Middle Class and evidently it isn't going to be a feather in anyone's cap. People don't appreciate change they only want to vote for it, especially, when it comes in the form of a candidate that hasn't changed anything in his life, including his Republican Voting Record.
Just do it ! We will have five years of sanity and we'll work on it over time.
Republicans never worry about paying for anything and give the public a faux sense of security even if they have to lie to facilitate war. It is time the Democrats realize, the imposition placed on them by political rhetoric is to DEFEAT them and not elect people that are honest and sincerely care.
The Republicans for over 30 years simply took advantage of the American electorate and never cared about them. They exploited them for personal gain and they get away with it because of the propagandists. It just is the way it is. We have an opportunity to sincerely change the face of this country in the next three years, I suggest we make the best of it and saddle the Republicans with the responsibility they love most, electing a candidate that will cut taxes and exploit the American people with lies of the American Dream.
If, through reconciliation we can put through sincere health care reform and environmental stewardship we will have done this country a great service. They'll have plenty of time to realize it, too.
These are direct quotes from Brown's Boston Globe Editorial. He is running on the Bush/Cheney Fear Agenda. The Democrats are back where they were in 2004 and holding onto their base. It is a bit typical of off year elections. The hope was that with Bush's extremism the American people would have learned they can't trust Republicans. Basically, the Democrats are too honest and too transparent. The Republicans never say what they mean, they simply say what people want to hear.
"I’m running because more of our people are unemployed today than ever before.
Public debt has reached $12 trillion and counting, and Washington politicians want to borrow trillions more.
Terrorists want to strike our country again, and they will do so if we let down our guard.
We have fighting forces in two theaters of war, and those men and women need our support.
There is NOTHING enlightening about those statements. Nothing. They are observations. He goes on in that editorial to simply state the Republican Rhetoric of fear. He makes no policy statements. None. He only promises to be the candidate of No in the Senate.
But the healthcare bill under discussion in Washington is not good. It will raise taxes and increase spending. If you are a senior on Medicare, it will lead to a half trillion dollars in cuts to your care. Since we are way ahead of the rest of the country with our own state reforms, we will get nothing in return. My opponent, Martha Coakley, will vote yes on this bill. I will insist we start over.
Brown is going to go to Washington, DC with no real legislation in mind, he will never achieve anything for Massachusetts and will not know where to begin to establish himself. He'll have an easy time of it. The Democrats will go forward with their agenda, the nation will see improvement in their circumstances and he'll ride their coattails in his next election bid. It is always the way it works.
Independents react to 'fear of change' and 'anger,' Democrats have never taken that into consideration in any of their campaigns. When Republicans run their campaigns it is always based on returning to 'old ways' and 'fear of change' and now they know fear works well for them. Honesty never enters their campaigns. Never.The Independents 'plug into' visceral feeling one might find at the Patriots stadium and not civility.
If the Democrats read any of the accounting of the news articles regarding the Brown rallies, it was all about hate and driving home that hate to DC. They don't care about what is best because their lives have been degraded and destroyed by the previous eight years. It is nearly impossible to appeal to their civilized side when they aren't thinking in a civil way.
Martha Coakley is a Democrat through and through, loyal to her value system and 'people centered.' Democrats need to realize as soon as they become honest in their 'statements' regarding their agenda they loose the Independent voter. Independents don't have a value system, they seek to vote what they understand and what they hear. They don't care about what is best for them in the long view, they only care about 'the here and now.' Let the Democrats get their mind around this one.
The country laughs at Democratic honesty. They always will. No need to be 'real' in a 'real world' it won't get them anywhere. People can't handle the truth, the American lifestyle is about unreality based on voyeurism into others reality.
I have witnessed Republicans lie and lie and lie and they are returned to office over and over again. People vote what they feel and not what they 'are educated' to vote by well meaning Democrats. If a candidate is a moral person within the Democratic Party they'll never win an election. That is the truth of the circumstances and it always will be. The American Political System is corrupted by this and it will never be the country its people want. The Independents don't have a value system yet they want to vote. How does anyone choose a candidate at the ballot box at the last minute. Independents openly state, I'll make up my mind when I am in the voting booth. That is an educated voter? No. That is a voter without a clue and it is because they don't value morals. Not at the voting booth. The Republican Base is as corrupt at their candidates and have been a long, long time. Voters measure morals based on 'faith' not 'decency.'
Despite the backlash, the President is making progress after 12 months in office, says Alex Spillius.
...Americans have fallen out of love with their charming President at a fast rate, even as his popularity has remained high abroad. As early as October, his approval ratings had tumbled from 65-70 per cent to the high 40s. Obama's inheritance from George W Bush – some wedding present – was two wars, the worst recession for 70 years, unemployment heading for 10 per cent and a $1.2 trillion deficit. It guaranteed a first year of unprecedented challenge....
...The President has confessed to disappointment at breaking his vow on changing the political culture. "What I haven't been able to do in the midst of this crisis is bring the country together in a way that we had done in the inauguration," he admitted to People magazine. "That's what's been lost this year … that sense of changing how Washington works."...
...Contrary to Obama's big-spending image, he has cut more superfluous spending programmes in Congress than his Republican predecessor. And despite the image of stagnation – created in large part by the 10-month health care debate – Congress has passed more legislation supported by a president than any before him, according to Congressional Quarterly.
Furthermore, he has banned torture (just in case there was any confusion about America's position on this), ordered the closure of Guantánamo and sent the 9/11 suspects for trial in the civilian courts. Federal funding has been restored to stem-cell research, women's rights to equal pay have been improved, and new emissions standards have been set for vehicles. This is not a President who can't get things done.
And it is why 'the Democratic Base' is satisfied over dissatisfied.
And lest we forget, by his very presence, and by his handling of race when it has reared into public debate, he has gone some way to erasing what Condoleezza Rice called America's birth defect...
...Obama's first year has not been nearly as bad as the received truth in Washington would have it. Having swooned for him in the campaign, the media has overcorrected its earlier collective abandonment of balanced reporting. But if he wants to win back those Americans he has lost, President Obama needs to appreciate that, as he often said on the stump, their relationship isn't about him, it is about them....
In every race where President Obama has gone into help a stumbling Democrat their final turnout has been better and their margin of loss was less. It might be that more consistent help along the way is better than last minute upticks.
This was Brown's response to Coakley's so called negative ad. Gotta feel sorry for the guy, don't you? He states no policies, but, simply plugs into rhetoric, paints himself as a candidate for change unlike any other candidate any voters has ever witnessed, but, his voting record has proven otherwise.
See Barak Obama WAS the candidate of change, but, Brown is the candidate of change that will finally give DC a makeover. He couldn't care less and is he going to do it through bipartisanship? Nope. He never once states he is strongly in favor of bipartisanship because he never practiced it. He is going to DC to vote NO and that is the only reason he is going.
Coakley's ad was right on the mark, he is a 'rubber stamp' of the Republican Party is does not have change as an agenda. If he does, he never STATES policy in a way that will mark his image. He is the candidate of 'position,' backed by rhetoric. It is all Independents care about. They don't care about platforms or carrying the banner of a party, they simply vote on whims. It is a corrupted point of view without any vision for the future. The morality of the Democrats is their greatest burden.
Brown has a 'shadow Republican party' of supporters with substituted that are celebrities and sport figures.
The American Future Fund collected all 'the trigger words' and put them in an ad. Scott Brown is about rhetorical Republicanism only with a different face. He has never made one policy statement.The AFF IS the Republicans. The Republicans do this all the time. They create new non-profits all the time in order to look new when the wind shifts in the electorate.You'll never hear how Democrats have the right direction for the country. Never. Not from AFF.
New name, new face, old style and old dysfunctional selling methodology. Brown will have his strings pulled just like every other elected Republican, by the media.This radio ad is proof. Those that control the monies and the media to his 'electability' will pull his strings the entire time he is in office. It is all too familiar. He is a position candidate, not a policy candidate.
The Democrats need to be able to 'match' this style. Same type of 'selling methodology.' When the Republicans come out with this type of ad, the Dems have to have one ready to go and immediately release it.
The American Future Fund, a conservative group that has criticized Coakley, expects to spend $500,000 on ads, spokesman Nick Ryan said.
AFF Launches Statewide Radio Ad in Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 15, 2010
Contact: Jill Latham (515) 720-5250
The ad asks whether you’ve had “enough” of higher taxes
(DES MOINES, IA) – Today, American Future Fund launched a new radio ad running statewide in Massachusetts encouraging people to call Martha Coakley and tell her they’ve had enough with higher taxes – they can’t afford more new taxes.
“There are 300,000 people without jobs in Massachusetts, this is not the time for higher taxes,” said AFF President Sandy Greiner.
Greiner continued, “People are struggling to put food on the table and provide for their families – the last thing they need to worry about is how much more they are going to owe the government in taxes. It’s time for fiscal restraint and real leadership – not more new taxes.”
The people of Massachusetts need to make their voices heard by calling Martha Coakley today.
The US unemployment rate is 10%, 300,000 Massachusetts workers don’t have jobs, and families are struggling.
But Washington and Beacon Hill politicians just don’t get it.
And incredibly, Martha Coakley says quote “we need to get taxes up.”
Congress goes on a massive spending spree…trillions of your tax dollars that dig us deeper into debt.
But Martha Coakley supports the reckless spending by Washington politicians – and would vote to spend even more.
And Coakley supports hundreds of billions in new taxes that will hurt Massachusetts families and jobs.
Call Martha Coakley at (617) 727-2200. Tell her we can’t afford more taxes and wasteful spending.
American Future Fund is responsible for the content of this ad. Paid for by American Future Fund. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. www.AmericanFutureFund.com
