Meat-Eatin' Gun-Totin' Democrat

Sweet Jesus, I'm A Dork

2011-11-11T13:38:00.001-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the laffs is flyin' fast 'n' furious here at MEGTD today! Behold:

THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' D&D CHARACTER SHEETS.

Oh, the pee! There's so much pee!

CAIN!!!!

2011-11-11T13:25:00.001-08:00

And now, Herman Cain.

PLAYED BY MOTHERFUCKING MIKE TYSON.

If you're not weeping with laughter after thirty seconds of this, you're not really human. (You may be a computer programmed to think like Ronald Reagan, though.)

Thanks to the guys at Funny or Die for making me pee my pants even more often than normal.

It's Funny Because It's SAD.

2011-11-11T12:40:00.001-08:00

The GOP candidate slate summed up by the guys over at Funny or Die. Oh. My. God.

Go watch it.

Whassup, Blacks?!

2011-11-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus. You really can't make this stuff up.

Ann "The Mann" Coulter

-has her dander up because the "left-wing media" have had the balls, the AUDACITY, the sheer CHEEK to report on a news story! In case you're on Valium, you might want to know that Herman "Pizza Man" Cain has acknowledged accusations of sexual harassment levied against him during the '90s. According to Coulter the Politico article on this subject, plus the coverage of the Clarence Thomas case in the early '90s, taken together constitute a "bias" on the part of the "Left" against right-wing "blacks". (Evidently, when the media DOES ITS DAMN JOB by reporting on two high-profile cases concerning people who have done everything possible to get themselves in front of TV cameras, this represents clear evidence of a big scary conspiracy. I guess that also means that since both Bill Clinton and John Edwards are southern Democrats whose sexual misadventures were given huge attention in the media, that there's also a conspiracy to smear white southern Democrats...)

But wait! IT GETS EVEN BETTER! Having been invited onto Sean "I Have Never Read a History Book and You Can't Make Me" Hannity's Incoherent Hour, Coulter got up on her hind legs and began to trumpet. First, she made up some American history (blaming the entirety of the Democratic party, not just the Dixiecrats, for segregation, and refusing to acknowledge Presidents Kennedy and Johnson for their tireless work in support of civil rights legislation). She went on to suggest that "uptight white feminists" were getting their jollies from imagining "the most horrible sexualized fantasies" about conservative black men.

Nothing too out of the ordinary there; the modern GOP, despite their avowed distaste for "communism", has borrowed the entirety of the Stalinist propaganda machine's playbook. If it makes them look bad, it never happened ("there were no terrorist attacks on America when George W. Bush was President"); if it makes the Democrats look good, that's because it was really the GOP who did all the hard work, or else the work of Democrats who were secretly Republicans ("FDR wouldn't be a Democrat in this day and age").

The real zinger, though, is located right around the 5:45 mark in this video. Ann "the Mann" comes right out and says that the real reason Democrats can't stand Cain is that he's a black Republican, and us secretly racist liberals are all jealous because, and I quote, "OUR BLACKS ARE BETTER THAN THEIR BLACKS".

Just, wow. That sentence is wrong in so many ways. I'm not even going to attempt to list them, since the universe would end before I could possibly finish. And I thought I hated this woman before...

"Party of Lincoln", my entire ass. The GOP would truly love to say that Herman Cain represents their ideals and their diversity. Unfortunately, their own rank and file betray their true feelings every time they open their mouths. Pay attention, assholes: America's on to you, and we're not buying the bullshit any longer.

A Simple Concept

2011-10-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

For the record, in case you hadn't already guessed: The Meat-Eatin' Gun-Totin' Democrat is a 100% pro-choice blog. Thus you will never find us using the term "pro-life" anywhere in these pages. The correct term is "anti-choice". Please consult the following helpful diagram in case you have difficulty getting your brain around the reasons that abortion should remain legal.

Fox News Calls 2012 for President Obama

2011-10-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

Kids, when Fox News is calling the race for the Democrat this early in the game, you know the GOP is up shit creek without a paddle.
You can read the piece here.

Perry to Kick Obama Booty in Debate. (Yeah, no.)

2011-10-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

So, Texas Dick believes he'd be just FANTASTIC going toe-to-toe with one of the greatest speakers of the past fifty years. Trust us, Dick, we'd love to see you put on yer big girl panties and attempt to debate Barack Obama. In fact, the only thing I'd like better is to see President Obama debate the half-Governor of Alaska.

You might want to take the corndog out your hole before you start talkin', Wrinkles McGee.

Dr Froth Opens His Hole Again

2011-10-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

My jaw literally dropped when I read this one. Former Senator Santorum actually said that people shouldn't have a Constitutional right to consensual sex.

Go read it here if you don't believe me. This all just proves that the GOP, despite its sucking up to "Libertarian" interests over the last few years, STILL believes that they know better than you what you ought to do with your own person. They believe that a select few--preachers, the rich, and Republican officials--have the right to tell you what to smoke, what to drink, who to have sex with, and even how to have sex with that person!

Don't forget, sodomy laws also apply to you, straight couples. Done ANYTHING other than guy-on-top missionary-position humpin' lately? GUESS WHAT, YOU'VE COMMITTED SODOMY. Get your vile sodomizing ass in line with the other Sodomites and get on the bus for Jesus Jail, where you will be gently rehabilitated by a specially appointed cadre of Bachmann-selected "Dignity Restorers". Through prayer, Scripture readings, and carefully timed, gentle electric shocks to your junk whenever you're shown a picture of such scandalous activities as blow jobs and doggy-style sex, you too can know the simple pleasures of REPUBLICAN SEX.

(Personally, I'd just as soon kill myself.)

But hey, it could be worse. At least you won't be getting shot in the face like the faggots. Thank the Lord for Santorum!

Why I'm Voting for Barack Obama...Again

2011-10-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

The election is just over a year away.

In that year, the right-wing noise machine is going to be working non-stop to continue peddling the myth of the failed Obama presidency.

It's your job to reach out to disgruntled Democrats and waffling independents and to tell them that nothing could be further from the truth. This President has kept 151 of his campaign promises (and counting!), not that you'd know it since CNN and Fox are way too busy slavering at the heels of Perry and the Pizza Man. So when you run into someone who genuinely doesn't know which way they're going to vote in 2012, you're going to need to be armed with the facts.

Here's your ammunition.

(The following information was taken from The Opinionated Democrat. Thanks to th'OD for this info. Go check out her blog, and her facebook page.)

ETHICS

• Ordered the White House and all federal agencies to respect the Freedom of Information Act and overturned Bush-era limits on accessibility of federal documents (2009)

• Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible (2009)

• Placed limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House (2009)

• Placed limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration (2009)

• Signed a measure strengthening registration and reporting requirements for lobbyists (2009)

• Ordered that lobbyists must be removed from and are no longer permitted to serve on federal and White House advisory panels and boards (2009) * Note: After saying he would not hire lobbyists, a few have been hired in the Administration

• Companies and individuals who are delinquent on their taxes or owe back taxes are no longer allowed to bid for federal contracts (2009)

• Initiated the “e-Rulemaking Initiative” (in cooperation with Cornell University) to allow for online public “notice and comment” of federal laws and initiatives (2010)

• Issued the “Open Gov Directive” ordering all Cabinet departments to promote transparency and citizen participation in their policies (2010)

• Signed extensions on banning lobbyists from serving on agency boards (2010)

• Developed the “Do Not Pay List” with data on contractors and recipients of federal funds who are deemed to be ineligible because of fraud and abuse (2010)

ECONOMY

• Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants…) (2009) * Note: Bush was the first president since Herbert Hoover to not make infrastructure a priority

• Authorized the US auto industry rescue plan and two GMAC rescue packages (2009)

• Authorized the housing rescue plan and new FHA residential housing guarantees (2009)

• Authorized a $789 billion economic stimulus plan (2009) * Note: 1/3 in tax cuts for working-class families; 1/3 to states for infrastructure projects; 1/3 to states to prevent the layoff of police officers, teachers, etc. at risk of losing their jobs because of state budget shortfalls

• Instituted a new rule allowing the public to meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (in as quickly as one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying (2009)

• Authorized a continuation of the US financial and banking rescue plans initiated at the end of the Bush administration and authorized TARP funds to buy “toxic assets” from failing financial institutions (2009)

• Authorized the “Cash for Clunkers” program that stimulated auto sales and removed old, inefficient, polluting cars from the road (2009)

• Convened a “jobs summit” to bring experts together to develop ideas for creating jobs (2009)

• Ordered the FDIC to beef up deposit insurance (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era policy of protecting credit card companies (2009) * Note: In place of the old policy, new consumer protections were instituted and the industry’s predatory practices were banned

• Authorized the federal government to make more loans available to small businesses and ordered lower rates for federal loans to small businesses (2009)

• Placed a 35% tariff on Chinese tires and a few other products such as pipes after China was found to be illegally “dumping” exports below cost (2009) * Note: Clinton, Bush I, and Reagan all refused to “get tough” on China’s predatory trade practices; Bush II refused four times during his presidency

• In November 2009, Obama extended unemployment benefits for one million workers and expanded coverage for some existing homeowners who are buying again (2009)

• Called on Congress to deliver a “Jobs bill” (2010)

• Credit card companies are prohibited from raising rates without advance notification or arbitrarily if customers are paying bills on time (2010)

• Signed a bill to extend unemployment benefits set to expire (2010)

• Signed historic Wall Street reform bill (2010) * Note: Designed to reregulate and end abusive practices and promote consumer protections

• Signed the HIRE Act to stimulate the economic recovery (2010) * Note: The bill includes: tax cuts for small businesses who hire someone unemployed for at least two months; small businesses can write off their investments in equipment this year; etc.

• National Export Initiative established to enhance federal support (technical assistance, training, trade missions, etc.) and coordination efforts to help US businesses export products and services (2010)

• Initiatives to promote a “Wireless Broadband Revolution” (2010) * Note: Among other things, broadband is finally being considered as necessary infrastructure, with efforts to expand use, access, and spectrum…

• Expanded agricultural credit to farmers during current economic crisis (2010)

• Signed bill – US Manufacturing Enhancement Act (2010)

• Signed bill – Single Family Housing Mortgage Insurance (2010)

GOVERNANCE

• The White House website now provides information on all economic stimulus projects and spending, along with an unprecedented amount of information on our government (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era practice of circumventing established FDA rules for political reasons (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era practice of having White House staff rewrite the findings of scientific and environmental regulations and reports when they disagreed with the results (2009)

• Limited the salaries of senior White House aides (salaries cut to $100,000) (2009)

• Has urged Congress to adopt “Pay-Go” (whereby each dollar of spending is offset by a dollar in cuts or revenues, which was used in the `90s but abandoned in the `00s) (2010)

• Has been holding open meetings with Republican leaders, although they complain of a lack of access and information (2010)

• Signed the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (2010) * Note: To curb wasteful spending

• Tasked federal agencies to develop plans for disposing of unneeded real estate and then to eliminate unnecessary or non-economical lands, properties, etc. (2010)

TAXES

• Negotiated a deal with Swiss banks to permit the US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs (2009) * Note: The new policy promotes in-sourcing investments to brings jobs back to the US

• Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which provides small tax cuts for 95% of “working families” (2009) * Note: The tax cuts were not as big as was suggested during the 2008 campaign

• Convened an advisory board that is looking into simplifying the tax code (2009)

• Ordered the closing of offshore tax safe havens (for individual and business tax evaders) (2009)

• Reduced taxes for some small businesses to stimulate the economic recovery (2009)

• Extended the Home Buyers Credit for first-time home buyers (2009)

• Proposed doubling the child tax credit (2010)

• Called for the repeal of the capital gains tax for small businesses (2010)

• Proposed rolling back the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (2010) * Note: This would be for families earning over $250,000/year and would return their tax rates to the 1990’s level

BUDGETING

• Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut federal spending (2009)

• Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify wasteful spending and practices (2009)

• Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient (2009)

• Overturned the Bush-era practice of not listing certain federal programs in the federal budget (2009) (2010) * Note: Bush did this (so did Reagan) in an effort to hide programs and make the budget look smaller; such “off budget” items are now included in the annual budget

• Full appropriations for war are now included in the budget (2009) (2010) * Note: Bush did not list many of the appropriations for Iraq, Afghanistan, and War on Terror

• Funds for emergency appropriations are now included in the budget (2009) (2010)

• Proposed a three-year freeze on federal discretionary spending beginning in 2011 (2010)

• Is in the process of cutting 120 federal programs identified as either wasteful or unnecessary (2010)

• Established a bipartisan commission on fiscal responsibility, staffed by House and Senate members and private citizens, tasked with submitting proposals to balance the budget (2010) * Note: In the face of Republican opposition, the powers of the commission were watered down

• Established a bipartisan commission on the future of Social Security, tasked with submitting proposals to preserve and strengthen Social Security (2010) * Note: In the face of Republican opposition, the powers of the commission were watered down

• Cut $20 billion from federal budget and has pledged to cut at least this much every year (2010)

• Ultimately decided to cancel planned new presidential helicopter fleet and stick with marine One (2010)

• Freezing all discretionary spending for next three years, except on national security (2010)

• Presidential Memoranda to freeze discretionary awards, bonuses, etc. for federal political appointees (2010)

• Beginning to use “Pay-As-You-Go” (Pay-Go) to offset budget expenditures with budget cuts or revenue enhancements (2010)

NATIONAL SECURITY

• Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane (which wasn’t even used in Iraq/Afghanistan) and other outdated weapons systems (2009)

• Announced his intention to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay (2009) * Note: The closure has been delayed due to massive opposition but it remains on the agenda.

• Stated his interest in housing terrorists at a new federal “super max” facility in the US (2009) * Note: this has been delayed in the face of massive opposition but it remains on the agenda

• Cut the expensive Reagan era missile defense program, saving $1.4 billion in 2010 (2009)

• Cancelled plans to station anti-ballistic missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic (2009)

• Replacing long-range, expensive missile systems with more efficient smaller systems (2009)

• Increased US Navy patrols off the Somali coast in response to pirating (2009)

• Established a new cyber security office and appointed a cyber security czar (2009)

• Ordered the first nation-wide comprehensive cyber threat assessment (2009)

• Instituted a new Nuclear Posture Review, revising US nuclear deterrence policy to encourage more nations to join the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (2010) * Note: Components of the policy include: a pledge to stop nuclear testing; a pledge to not build a new generation of nucs; identifying nuclear terrorism, rather than a launch from another nuclear state, as the major threat; a pledge to not use nucs on a non-nuclear state in a conventional conflict; etc.

• Executive orders to block payment, transfers, exports, etc… of individuals and organizations support the regimes of North Korea, Iran, Somali pirates, and other foreign threats (2010)

• Presidential Memoranda to extend certain provisions of The Trading with Enemies Act which was to expire in September 2010 (2010) * Note: This includes freezing assets and banning trade that benefits the Cuban regime; however further efforts at normalizing travel to Cuba are supported

• Signed bill for southwest border security and increased funds and agents on the Mexican border (2010)

• Signed the Comprehensive Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act to deal with foreign regimes like Iran and North Korea (2010)

IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN

• Began the phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq (2009); continuing the withdrawal (2010)

• Changed the US military command in the Afghan conflict (2009)

• Tasked the Pentagon to reorganize US policy in Afghanistan; the new policy includes 30,000 additional troops deployed, priority training of Afghan forces, developing agriculture and infrastructure, limiting aerial bombing, etc. (2009)

• Ordered the Pentagon to send additional helicopters to assist US Marine units and Special Forces in Afghanistan (2009)

• Increased unmanned drone strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date (2009)

MILITARY & VETERANS

• Ordered the Pentagon to cover expenses of families of fallen soldiers if they wish to be on site when the body arrives back in the US (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era “blackout” imposed on media coverage of the return of fallen US soldiers (2009) * Note: The media is now permitted to cover the story pending adherence to respectful rules and with the approval of the fallen soldier’s family

• Ended the Bush-era “black out” policy on media coverage of war casualties (2009) * Note: Full information is now released for the first time in the War on Terror

• Ordered better body armor to be procured for US troops (2009)

• Funding new Mine Resistant Ambush Vehicles (2009) * Note: The old Hummers were very vulnerable to roadside explosives and an alarming percentage of our soldiers lost in Iraq were on account of IEDs

• Working to increase pay and benefits for military personnel (2009)

• Improving housing for military personnel (2009)

• Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses (2009)

• Ordered that conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other neglected military hospitals be improved (2009)

• Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military to a post-Cold War, modern fighting force (2009) * Note: Bush announced in 2001 his intention to do this but backed off the reforms after 9/11, which include: new procurement policies; increasing the size of Special Ops units; deploying new technologies; creating new cyber security units; etc.

• Ended the Bush-era practice of awarding “no-bid” defense contracts (2009)

• Improving benefits for veterans as well as VA staffing, information systems, etc. (2009)

• Authorized construction of additional health centers to care for veterans (2009)

• Suspended the Bush-era decision to purchase a fleet of Marine One helicopters from suppliers in favor of American made helicopters (2009)

• Ordered a review of the existing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military (2010)

• New GI Bill for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan (2009)

• Signed bill providing assistance for caregivers of veterans wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan (2010) * Note: The omnibus bill does the following: Training, funding, and counseling for caregivers; promoting pilot childcare programs for women vets under treatment at the VA; independent oversight to prevent abuse; readjustment counseling for National Guard and reservist units; etc.

• Eliminated co-payments for veterans who are catastrophically disabled (2010)

• Fulfilled campaign promise to have combat troops (90,000) out of Iraq by August 31, 2010 (2010)

• Established a new interagency task force to assist veterans owning small businesses (2010) * Note: The efforts include promoting federal contract opportunities, improve access to loans and capital, mentor assistance programs, etc.

• Signed The Families of Fallen Heroes Act, which covers the moving costs of immediate family members of those lost in service (military, intelligence, and security personnel) (2010)

RIGHTS

• Instituted enforcements for equal pay for women (Lilly Ledbetter Bill) (2009)

• Appointed Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina, to the Supreme Court (2009)

• Held the first Seder in White House (2009)

• Appointed a diverse Cabinet and diverse White House staff (2009)

• Spoke at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization (2009)

• Signed the first major piece of federal gay rights legislation that includes acts of violence against gays under the list of federal hate crimes (2009)

• Reversed the Bush-era practice of politicizing Justice Department investigations and prosecutions against political opponents (2009)

• Pushing for some of the 9/11 perpetrators to be tried in federal court (2009) * Note: The process has moved at a snail’s pace and, in the face of opposition, Obama has remained quiet

• Signed an extension of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Bill to provide federal research and support for treating the disease (2009)

• Allowed the State Department of offer same-sex benefits for employees (2009)

• Proposed that the Pentagon repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy; (2009) Passed in December of 2010

• After eight years of neglect, the Justice Department and EEOC are again enforcing employment discrimination laws (2009)

• Convened the White House Tribal Nations Conference, inviting representatives from 564 federally-recognized Indian tribes (2009)

• Provided increased school projects for Indian lands and increased funds for the Indian Health Service (2009)

• Signed an Executive Order mandating that his Cabinet develop plans to work with and consult Indian tribes on issues impacting Indian lands (2009)

• Called for federal agencies to look into recognizing gay partnerships in terms of benefits (2010)

• Signed an Executive Order for the President’s Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (2010)

• Increased funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (2010)

• Signed Executive Order to promote the federal government as a “model employer” when it comes to hiring the disabled (2010) * Note: This includes new efforts to increase the recruitment, hiring, and training for the disabled

• Programs to assist Spanish speakers with the US Census (2010)

• Elena Kagen appointed to Supreme Court (2010)

• Tasked all federal agencies to develop new strategies to address HIV/AIDS (2010)

• After organizing studies on the topic in 2009, tasked the Pentagon to eliminate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (2010) Passed and Signed.

• Signed Fair Sentencing Act (2010) * Note: The Administration continues to deescalate marijuana interdiction and raids; increased dramatically the amount of cocaine one must possess to be sentenced to jail; eliminated mandatory sentencing for first-time drug abusers and simple possession

EDUCATION

• Authorized construction funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access in K-12 public schools (2009)

• Increased funding for school construction (2009)

• Increased funding available for student loans (2009)

• Expanded the national youth service program (2009)

• Streamlined the federal student loan process to save $87 billion over the next 10 years (2009)

• Changed the rule to allow students struggling to make college loan payments to refinance their loans (2009)

• Beginning discussions with Congress for education reform (2009) * Note: Much of Obama’s education reform has been sidelined by opposition in Congress

• Initiated a “Race to the Top” competitive federal grant program for states who develop innovative policies (2009)

• Instituted a “judgment review” allowing families with student loans to petition to have their current financial status determine the loan rather than the previous year’s finances (2009)

• Launched “Educate to Innovate,” a public/private partnership making $236 million available for science, mathematics, and technology education programs (2009)

• Proposed capping the maximum amount students must pay on student loans (as percentage of their income) (2010)

• Proposed reducing student loan obligations for individuals going to work in community and public service jobs (2010)

• The federal government will offer direct student loans, cutting out the cost of private banks (“middle man”) who increase the costs in order to make a profit (2010)

• Increased investment in technologies for schools/education (2010)

DISASTER RESPONSE

• Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness (2009)

• FEMA once again reports directly to the president (2009) * Note: Bush removed FEMA (prior to the Hurricane Katrina disaster) from this status

• Demonstrated an immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters (2009)

• Ordered that funds be released and red tape be streamlined for the ongoing Hurricane Katrina recovery effort in the Gulf Coast (2009)

• Timely and massive relief effort in response to the January 2010 earthquake and ensuing humanitarian crisis (2010)

Components of the response:

- The FBI’s National Center for Disaster Fraud was tasked to look into possible fraud with organizations soliciting funds for relief

- Announced the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund

- Established an emergency Haiti Task Force in the State Department

- Established a website with information, resources, and a posting of a “person finder” online to help families and friends to locate loved ones

- Joint aid and relief planning with the U.K.

- Sponsored a resolution in the UN Security Council for additional security and police forces in Haiti

- Dispatched the US Navy floating hospital (USNS Comfort) and, within 5 days, 9 naval and relief ships, 5 Coast Guard cutters, 8 Coast Guard aircraft, and 12,000 US military personnel

- Initial dispatch of several ships and cargo planes full of humanitarian aid and supplies, 6 search/rescue teams (500 personnel), and 265 Department of Health & Human Services personnel for emergency medical and aid support

- Established a mobile US air traffic control center at the destroyed airport in Port-au-Prince

• After the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a freeze was placed on new deep water projects (2010)

• Executive Order to establish new security measures to minimize accidental release of bio and chemical agents; new strategies for public health and bioterrorism response (2010)

• Established a national commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon spill to examine facts and report a plan of action; new efforts to prevent offshore spills (2010)

• After a slow start in responding to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the White House is promoting a long-term plan to reconstruct the damaged Gulf and negotiated with BP the establishment of a multi-billion dollar trust fund for victims of the spill (2010)

• Extended national flood insurance program for those in need during current economic crisis (2010)

OTHER INITIATIVES

• New federal funding for science and research labs (2009)

• Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program (2009)

• Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program (2009)

• Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud (2009)

• Ordered the DEA to stop raids on medical marijuana usage (2009)

• Ordered a review of existing “mandatory minimum” prison sentencing (2009)

• Signed an order to limit airport tarmac delays and the time passengers had to sit in the plane/on the tarmac during delays (2009)

• Restored the EPA to “Cabinet level” status (2009) * Note: Bush removed the EPA from this status

• Beginning discussions with Congress for comprehensive immigration reform (2010)

* Note: Much of Obama’s immigration reform had been stalled by opposition in Congress

• Commissioned expert panels and reports from NASA; announced a new direction for human space flight that involves funding a new heavy lift-launcher and jettisoning the Ares 1 program; boosting NASA’s budget by $1 billion in 2011 (2010)

• Ordered a ban on text-messaging for all commercial truck and bus drivers (2010)

• Signed bill – FAA Air Transportaiton Modernizatin and Safety Improvement Act (2010)

FOREIGN POLICY

• Closed the Bush-era “secret detention” facilities in Eastern Europe (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era policy allowing “enhanced interrogation” (torture); the US is again in compliance with Geneva Convention standards (2009) * Note: Obama has permitted some controversial interrogation techniques to continue

• Restarted international nuclear non-proliferation talks and reestablished international nuclear inspection protocols (2009) * Note: Bush withdrew from non-proliferation talks and dismantled the inspection infrastructure

• Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic (2009) * Note: These were suspended under Bush

• Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions (2009) * Note: These were suspended under Bush

• Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office (2009)

• Banned the export of cluster bombs (2009)

• Overturned Bush-era plans to increase the US nuclear arsenal (2009)

• Authorized the Navy SEALS operation that freed by force the US shipping captain held by Somali pirates (2009)

• Restored the US commitment to the UN population fund for family planning; overturned the ban on providing funds internationally for family planning (2009) * Note: The family planning efforts were suspended under Bush

• Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return “home” to visit families (2009)

• Extended an offer of engagement (free from sanctions and penalties) to Iran through December 31, 2009 (Iran did not accept the offer) (2009)

• Sent envoys to the Middle East and other parts of the world, reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy (2009)

• Authorized discussions with North Korea and the private mission by former president, Bill Clinton, to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons (2009)

• Authorized discussions with Myanmar and the mission by Senator Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive (2009)

• Renewed loan guarantees for Israel (2009)

• Signed the USIFTA trade agreement with/for Israel (2009)

• Authorized a $550m advance for Israel (six months prior to the scheduled date) in order to accommodate Israeli’s economic and financial needs (2009)

• Continued agreements with Israel for cultural exchanges, immigration, etc. (2009)

• Spoke on Arab television, spoke at an Egyptian university, and met with Arab leaders in an effort to change the tone of US-Arab relations (2009)

• Ordered the US to finally pay its dues to the United Nations (2009)

• Attended the Summit of America’s meeting in Trinidad and Tobago (2010)

• Dispatched several envoys and initiated talks with numerous nations (2010)

• Signed a nuclear limitation treaty with Russia (2010) * Note: The agreement calls for both countries to reduce their nucs by one-third (1,500) and launch systems by half (800)

• Hosted nuclear non-proliferation summit for several nations (2010)

• Executive Order to establish support offices in the State Department to assist the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan (2010)

• Presidential Memoranda to continue drug interdiction support with Columbia (2010)

HEALTHCARE

• Removed Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research (2009)

• Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research (2009)

• Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children (2009)

• Established an independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare (2009)

• Reversed some of the Bush-era restrictions that prevented Medicare from negotiating with pharmaceutical firms for cheaper drugs, allowing government to again competitively bid (2009) * Note: Obama had promised to lift all restrictions but, while he did negotiate with drug companies for them to lower their costs the deal only lifted some restrictions

• Expanding government vaccination programs (2009)

• Issued new disease prevention guidelines and priorities for the CDC (2009)

• Authorized the FDA to finally begin regulating tobacco (2009)

• Tasked federal labs to prioritize research on and deployment of H1N1 vaccines (2009)

• Asked multiple congressional committees to bring forward a healthcare reform bill; held dozens of public hearings and town halls on the issue (2009) (2010)

• Established a new council on National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health to be chaired by Surgeon General and charged with promoting healthy lifestyles and integrative healthcare (2010)

• When accusations to the contrary arose, an Executive Order was signed to reaffirm that federal funds are not to be used for abortion services (2010)

• Historic healthcare reform bill signed – $940 billion over 10 years (2010) * Note: 32 million additional Americans will receive healthcare coverage and costs will be lowered for most Americans, but many of the goals are phased in over four years

Components of the bill

- Prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals/family members with pre-existing health conditions; a temporary plan is being developed to cover high-risk individuals with pre-existing conditions until the full reforms go into effect in 2014

- Prevents insurance companies from placing lifetime limits on benefits

- Bans “rescission” so insurance companies can’t cancel coverage if individuals keep their policies current or if they become ill

- An individual’s out-of-pocket healthcare expenses are capped

- Closes the “donut hole” (Part D) for Medicare prescription drug coverage (under Bush, Medicare helped pay for drugs up to $2,600 and above $4,550, but individuals had to pay 100% of the costs in between these amounts); now Medicare helps cover costs irrespective of the amount – seniors will now pay only 25% of drug costs up to $4,550 and only 5% of drug costs above that amount

- In 2010, an emergency provision will offer seniors a $250 rebate on the costs incurred within the “donut hole”

- Individuals living at or below the poverty line were eligible for healthcare under Medicaid, but by 2014 individuals/families living slightly above (making up to $14,404/$29,327) the poverty line will also be eligible for benefits

- Individuals/families making less than $43,320/$88,200 per year will qualify for government subsidies to help purchase health insurance

- All individuals must have health insurance or face a government fine; all large (over 50 employees) employers must offer health insurance to employees or pay a fine

- Small businesses can get a tax credit if they offer health care

- There are hardship exemptions if individuals can’t afford health insurance

- Families can keep their children in college on their plans through age 26

- Promotes health insurance “exchanges” so consumers can buy “wholesale”

- Creates consumer assistance offices to help consumers file complaints or appeal decisions from insurance companies; beginning in 2011, insurance companies can no longer make excessive rate hikes without justification and approval, and those doing so may be barred from participating in new health insurance exchanges

Funding sources:

- Large employers (over 50 workers) that don’t offer health benefits will be charged a $2,000/worker fee; if the employer offers coverage but employees instead purchase federally subsidized insurance the fee is $3,000/worker receiving federal subsidies or $750/worker (whichever is lower)

- Annual fees on pharmaceutical companies ($27 billion), health insurance companies ($60 billion), and medical device-makers ($20 billion)

- Annual penalties on individuals who do not have health insurance (up to a maximum of $695/person)

- Increase in the Medicare payroll tax from 1.45% to 2.35% for individuals making $200,000+ and families making $250,000+

- 3.8% tax on unearned income for millionaires

- Insurance companies will be subject to a tax on each high-end insurance plan (so-called “Cadillac” plans) they offer

Miscellaneous:

- Illegal immigrants are not eligible for insurance or subsidies

- By Executive Order, such federal funding can’t be used for abortion

- The federal government will assist states by covering all of the increased expenses of expanding Medicaid coverage (90% of costs after 2020)

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

• Removed a ruling that now allows individual states to enact automotive fuel efficiency standards above federal standards (2009)

• Offered attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles (2009)

• Overturned Bush-era rule that weakened the Endangered Species Act (2009)

• Announced plans to purchase fuel-efficient American-made fleet for the federal government (2009)

• Ended the Bush-era policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions (2009)

• Signed a measure requiring energy producing plants to begin producing 15% of their energy from renewable sources (2009)

• Announced that the federal government would reengage in the long-delayed effort to clean up “Superfund” toxic waste sites (2009)

• Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production (2009) * Note: Much of Obama’s energy reform was killed by Senate Republicans

• Proposed a new refuge for wild mustangs (2009)

• Cancelled several Bush-era mountain-top removal and mining permits (2009)

• Reengaged in international treaties and agreements to protect the Antarctic (2009)

* Note: Bush had withdrawn from such efforts

• Asked Congress for an energy reform and “cap and trade” bill (2009) * Note: The Congress failed to pass such a bill

• Developing plan to lease US coastal waters for wind and water-current energy production (2009)

• Overturned Bush-era policies that allowed uranium mining near national parks such as the Grand Canyon (2009)

• Expanded the Petrified Forest National Park (2009)

• Signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act that protects millions of acres of scenic, historic, and recreational lands and trails (2009)

• Requiring that government buildings and facilities be retrofitted to save energy costs (2009) * Note: These green retrofits are moving very slowly

• Authorized studies in several western states to determine how to support large-scale solar installations (2009)

• Attended the Copenhagen talks and, after the talks were stalled, negotiated an international (voluntary) agreement on reducing carbon emissions and raising funds to assist developing nations in offsetting carbon emissions (2009)

• Banned importation of pythons in response to a growing population of pythons damaging the Florida Everglades (2009)

• Committing the federal government to increasing research and use of renewable, clean energy sources such as wind, biomass, etc. (2009)

• Executive orders establishing a federal initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all federal operations (2009) (2010)

• Called for exploring the possibility of additional off-shore oil drilling in the Gulf, Atlantic, and off Alaska (but not in ANWR) (2010)

• Agreed to consider increases in nuclear energy production and requested a study on the feasibility of nuclear power plant construction (2010) * Note: Nearly all energy initiatives were defeated by Republican opposition in Congress

• Increased investment in clean energy projects (2010)

• Executive Order to develop a new strategy for and commitment to ocean and lake resources, and for scientific research on water quality (2010)

Please also take look at PROMISES KEPT via Politifact.

List of Accomplishments compiled by Robert P. Watson, Ph.D. Coordinator of American Studies, Lynn University. Redistributed by, blacks4barack.com.

A few accomplishments from 2011:

Osama bin Laden captured/killed.
Bailout funds have been paid back and are now producing business profits which are steadily beginning to increase the country’s GDP.
Educational Reform is producing a booming new industry, providing inexpensive career options for those adults without degrees and increasing the performance and test scores of children across the nation.

(Keep in mind this doesn’t include most of 2011 yet!)

WHO IS That Meat-Eatin' Gun-Totin' Democrat? (FAQ and general guidelines)

2011-10-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome, fellow angry lefties. Welcome, sensible moderates. Welcome, even, to those of you who thought you were conservative when Reagan was President and who now have been shoved rudely out of the tiny ideological tent that is today's Republican Party.

There's room for most everyone here. Before we go any further, though, you should know what you're getting into. Please note that disagreement with any or all of the points listed below does not mean that you and I cannot have a vigorous and meaningful conversation. I just want to make sure that everyone understands what the Meat-Eatin' Gun-Totin' Democrat stands for (and against), and to get a general idea of the tone of my future posts.

This IS a blog where foul language, profanity, obscenity, blasphemy, and vitriol will be flung about with abandon. If you have a problem with that, or think it's "unprofessional", or are otherwise uncomfortable with a very aggressive style of editorial journalism, you're probably going to have some issues with this blog. The Left in America is often guilty of excessive deference to the politics and ethics of the Right, while the Right just labels anyone less reactionary than George W. Bush a "traitor" or a "communist". I have no intention of being that simplistic. However, I refuse to accept bold-faced lies or, worse, anti-American ideas and policies disguised as "patriotism". When I see injustice, I get angry. When I see myth disguised as history, I get angry. And when I get angry, I swear like a sailor. In short, the adults are trying to have a conversation here, and that includes the use of adult language. And no, that doesn't mean I'm stupid or limited in my command of English; it means I'm pissed off and I don't see any reason to pretend that I'm not.

This is NOT an idealistic blog. The Meat-Eatin' Gun-Totin' Democrat (hereafter referred to as the MEGTD) is a forum for the discussion of politics as they exist . When you start prating on about how turning everyone vegan will save the planet, or how the country would be just peachy if Rand Paul manages to abolish the Fed and the Department of Education, I lose patience very quickly. Similarly, I don't want to hear a bunch of nonsense about conspiracy theories, or how the two parties are really in collusion and controlled by the Illuminati, etc. The world doesn't work that way. Also this blog is not interested in angry or despairing commentary on the subject of the United States government and its "inability to get anything done". Remember your high school civics lessons; the government of the United States is neither completely disconnected from reality nor capable of fixing everything. This is doubly true of the office of the Presidency. Let's talk about viable solutions, not pie-in-the-sky abstractions, whether positive or negative.

This is NOT a peacenik blog. The Meat-Eatin' Gun-Totin' Democrat has many family members who have served in the armed forces (primarily the Navy), and in case you hadn't guessed from the name, he is a proud gun owner and supporter of the 2nd Amendment. (He is NOT an NRA member!) The MEGTD is generally disgusted with idle talk of "world peace", a condition that has never existed in the history of the world and that is very likely never going to exist. He has no patience for those who disrespect the armed forces, nor does he have any patience with those who would use them, abuse them, and throw them aside. Our nation's military is the best in the world, and without them you and I wouldn't be sitting here blathering on about the finer points of policy. Yes, they have been misused, and sometimes horribly, such as in Vietnam and Iraq. Yes, there are issues with the power of the military-industrial complex. Yes, we do overwhelmingly send the children of the poor to fight and die. Yes, the military rank and file are underpaid. Yes, we need to use diplomacy first.

However, there is no way that a country that consumes 386 million gallons of gasoline a day can subscribe to isolationist foreign policy. There is no way that we can expect the rest of the world to do their duty in the face of genocide--look at the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo during the 1990s, when the EU did nothing even after Srebrenica, when it was up to President Clinton and the United States armed forces to put a stop to the mass slaughter of innocents based on their race or ethnicity. There is no way that we can expect the world's only other superpower, the People's Republic of China, to take over our duties as the bulk of UN Peacekeeping forces without forever changing the nature of global politics for the worse.

War is ugly. War is unfortunate. War is also, occasionally, necessary. Thus we must remain prepared. A large part of that preparedness must necessarily include not wasting our resources on needless conflicts. (Iraq, obviously, qualifies as a "needless conflict". Afghanistan does not.) We'll return to this subject again and again.

This is NOT a "blame-America-first" blog. I am a patriot (and no, that word is not owned by the Tea Party, by the racists, or by anyone who uses it as codespeak for "right-wing asshat"). Does this mean that I refuse to criticize my country? Absolutely not. Does it mean that I'm disgusted with the Left's inability to distinguish the difference between knee-jerk unpatriotic nonsense and sincere, useful criticism? Absolutely. Does it mean that I'm similarly disgusted with the Right's ridiculous "on-again off-again" patriotism, like the Fox News "government is good when the GOP is in the White House/Government is bad when the Democrats steal the Executive Mansion" dichotomy? Again, absolutely. With that said:

This is NOT, in any way, a "fair" or "centrist" blog. I am not trying to foster "bipartisanship". There was a time when bipartisan politics meant the Democrats and the Republicans meeting in the middle of the aisle to pass things like Medicaid and the Civil Rights Act. "Bipartisanship" in the 21st Century means, essentially, that the Republicans won't vote for even common-sense legislation without stripping any and all left-wing language or goals from a bill (and often means that said bill will get killed in committee unless they're allowed to put sixteen different and totally pointless cause du jour social-engineering amendments at the end, so that a perfectly ordinary appropriations bill can't be passed without making it illegal to spell the word "abortion" in semaphore). The GOP has completely lost its way. The Democratic Party of the United States is now the only voice of reason left on the field. While there is a definite bias here, the Democrats are also considered to be fair targets for satire or even invective. Which leads us to the next point:

This is NOT a "Blue Dog" blog. There was a time when I identified with the DLC and its members, but their desire to please Big Business and their refusal to maintain party discipline during the early years of the first Obama term have put me right off them and their bullshit. We agree on things like national defense and gun policy, and disagree on just about everything else. However, I'd still take any one of them over the Republicans. Party unity is a big issue for Democrats. We tend to forget that the President cannot make everyone happy, and we fragment over the least little thing, refusing to show the kind of loyalty the other guys do when the chips are down. Worrying about your damn pet issue instead of the general success of your party and your President is a sure recipe for disaster at the polling place and disappointment with your elected officials even when you win.

This is NOT a blog for most people who identify themselves as "libertarians". Note that I said "most". Certain ideologies included under the banner of libertarianism will probably feel comfortable with the general tone and content of this blog. Ayn Randers and other Austrian School devotees will completely disagree with me on economic matters, but we may have some common ground on social issues. Again, brainless ideologues need not apply: If you think the Founders were conservatives, leave now. If you believe that "government is too big", yet also think that that same government has the right to deny a woman's right to choose and to interfere in gay marriage, you're a fucking idiot. Go troll somewhere else.

This is NOT a blog for laissez-faire capitalists or their class-traitor shills. Don't like the Occupy movement? You won't like my blog. The super-rich are one of the biggest problems this country suffers from, and they need to start paying their fair share. However, I'm no anarchist either. Capitalism is necessary for all sorts of reasons; it works best, though, when it's managed, and balanced with the socialist social programs it helps to fund.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.