Telling Thoughts

PARK AVENUE: Money, Power & The American Dream [I Files TV] Via Salon

John — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:43:54 +0000

Telling Thoughts:

PARK AVENUE: Money, Power & The American Dream

An I Files TV documentary (Via Salon).

The story of the grotesque realities of the wealth and power of 400 Americans, and the damage this financial inequity and political advantage wreaks on the rest of America.

PARK AVENUE: Money, Power & The American Dream .. 59. 04 mins

The Race for America’s Future Has Begun.

John — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 02:01:43 +0000

The general election of 2012 is over, but the mid term race for 2014 and America’s future has just begun.

Despite the Democratic Party’s marginal increase in its House numbers, party supporters remain concerned that the new Congress could be rendered unworkable due to the prevailing GOP mindset.

Worried about their 2014 mid term prospects,Republicans are busy distancing themselves from the stench of their Party’s defeat in the 2012 Presidential election. Not surprisingly elements of the GOP remain captive to a plethora of flawed social and economic ideas as supporters of Paul Ryan, Romney every other day, and the Tea Party recipe so resolutely and recently rejected by the electors.

Regardless of the improved Democratic vote, America’s confidence and sense of itself will continue to be measured by the grudging state of the economy and the real possibility of another obstructionist Congress. After 4 years of conspiring to employ blocking as an anti Obama strategy, Republican congressional leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, regardless of their public statements to the contrary, still fail to exhibit a genuine desire to work with the White House in the National interest.

Meanwhile, Congress remains compromised by the pork barreling practices of those engaged in vote buying and election funding in providing financial grants as ‘earmarks’ to home states regardless of the need or the impact on the National economy.

For Democrats the mission is clear. Control of both Congressional chambers is paramount for 2014. The importance of this cannot be exaggerated. Having raised the bar, with more to achieve, the President’s legacy already guarantees a sound foundation upon which his successor could constructively build.

Should the Democrats fall short in 2014, the blood, sweat and tears expended by supporters in the previous 6 years will account for little. The general election of 2012 is over, but the mid term race for 2014 and America’s future has just begun.

The Boston Globe Endorses Elizabeth Warren

John — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:15:48 +0000

The real promise in her candidacy lies deeper in her character. She’s a relentless striver whose life story represents the best of American upward mobility.

Editorial

Ted Kennedy has been dead for more than three years, but his shadow hangs over the battle for his old seat between Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Elizabeth Warren. It’s the people’s seat, all right, and the citizens of Massachusetts deserve a senator who can represent their interests and their values. Still, each candidate claims a piece of Kennedy’s legacy — Brown, as a politician willing to cross the aisle, and Warren, as a fierce advocate for improving the lot of working families, creating educational opportunities, and expanding medical research. As Kennedy’s career revealed, an effective senator needs both qualities — not just giving voice to important causes, but also following through with legislation and building alliances across party lines to change policy.

After three years in office, Brown can point to a few high-profile instances when he’s bucked his party. But his longer-term priorities — the issues on which he would stake his career — aren’t easily discernible. In the Senate, he’s held back on divisive matters like repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” often making up his mind after most of his colleagues have already weighed in. By then, it’s too late for him to have a major impact. Meanwhile, vital Massachusetts needs like medical research and renewable energy aren’t properly addressed. As a political moderate, Brown has major clout in a polarized Senate — but Massachusetts has too little to show for it. The problem is less with Brown’s political skills, which are obvious, or his centrist values, than in his conception of the job. He often seems to view being a senator as an exercise in political positioning.

Warren sells herself short with her big applause line: “I don’t care about Scott Brown’s truck; I care how he votes.” Yes, her vote would be more reliably in line with Massachusetts’ traditional liberalism. But the real promise in her candidacy lies deeper in her character. She’s a relentless striver whose life story represents the best of American upward mobility. As a young mother, she worked her way through community colleges and state universities to become the nation’s top expert on financial consumer protection.

And after earning an enviable job at Harvard Law School, she pushed her way into the political arena, wrangling with such renowned inside players as Larry Summers and Tim Geithner to achieve her goal of creating a consumer protection bureau. Her crowning achievement, the bureau guards the interests of average citizens contending with credit-card companies, student-loan holders, auto lenders, credit bureaus, and more. Anyone who’s felt powerless to escape a fee that seems unfairly imposed, or to cover an interest rate they didn’t bargain for, owes Warren a debt of gratitude.

The real promise in Warren’s candidacy lies deeper in her character.

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The fact that she didn’t stay on the sidelines, enjoying her teaching gig, attests to her commitment to what she believes in. Those who say that Warren’s passionate advocacy won’t play as well in the clubby Senate should consider how much of a senator’s power derives from simply being sharper on the issues, from agreeing to take on the gritty work of writing legislation, and from having a plan in place to seize the political moment. And she’s not, in fact, the diehard Democratic partisan that Brown paints her as; she was a registered Republican for 10 years. She’s every inch her own woman.

On the campaign trail, Warren warns incessantly of a coming crisis in student-loan debt and the challenge it would present both for students and universities. This is a matter of no small concern in the higher-ed capital of the United States, and it’s easy to envision Warren becoming the Senate’s leading policymaker on higher education.

She also speaks passionately about medical research, a once-bipartisan priority that’s diminished under the Republican party’s ideological clampdown on government spending. Two years ago, for the first time in memory, the National Institutes of Health budget was reduced by 1 percent — this in a federal account that Kennedy twice succeeded in doubling over five-year periods. One of every five of those dollars goes to Massachusetts. Kennedy, for one, would never have let such a reduction happen. Brown voted in favor of the cut.

Federal research dollars are vital to workers across Massachusetts. The state’s leading institutions, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Massachusetts General Hospital, depend on them. And much of the state’s economy grows out of those types of institutions; they seed the start-up companies that employ technicians, lab workers, accountants, and secretaries. Those jobs provide customers for copy shops, lunch places, and pharmacies. Medical research should be sacrosanct to any senator from Massachusetts. And it’s Warren, not Brown, who talks about it with appropriate urgency on the campaign trail.

For his part, Brown prefers to define himself as a retail politician, helping constituents directly with their problems. And, indeed, he’s gone quickly to bat for local constituencies like fishermen (who also enjoy the support of John Kerry and members of the House delegation) and even the Cambridge Innovation Center, for which he helped engineer a change in the law to allow more “crowd-funding” on the Internet, to incubate start-up businesses.

Those worthwhile moves don’t have the tectonic effect of increases in medical-research funds, but Brown deserves credit for them. Likewise, his support for the Dodd-Frank reforms was important in defeating a Republican-led filibuster. But Brown’s willingness to bridge differences between the parties would be more meaningful if he had a clear agenda. Then, he would provide cover for other Republicans to join him in bucking their leaders; he could actually shape legislation rather than wait and pass judgment on other senators’ work. But on the biggest issue of the moment, the looming “fiscal cliff” of automatic budget cuts and expiration of multiple tax cuts, Brown foolishly tied his hands by signing Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge.

The “fiscal cliff” is a situation that cries out for moderate leadership. A centrist Republican like former Senator Warren Rudman of New Hampshire would call out his own party for resisting any revenue increases through taxation, even when accompanied by record budget cuts. But Brown seems to lack the confidence or commitment to play that role.

Brown has also sacrificed some of his good will with Massachusetts voters by making personal attacks on Warren. After having milked every conceivable benefit out of the news that she identified herself as Native American at points in her teaching career, Brown returned to the theme as a closing argument. He thinks it helps him to portray her, without clear evidence, as an unwarranted beneficiary of affirmative action; it may make him seem like the more relatable figure. But relatable doesn’t cut it if you don’t excel at your job; and by campaigning on his personality, rather than his abilities, Brown seems to be bucking for his own form of affirmative action.

Warren would do more for Massachusetts.

Bill Clinton’s DNC 2012 Address

John — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 01:30:47 +0000

Telling Thoughts

Former President Bill Clinton’s brilliant Presidential nominating speech at the 2012 DNC National convention was a reminder that in the world of politics, anything is possible.

At the Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, there was not a hint of the past rivalry which had reflected the fight to the death atmosphere, of the Democratic Party primaries battle between Hillary Clinton Vs Barack Obama in 2008. By now that issue had become history. It had been dealt with and was consigned to the past.

Bill Clinton’s contribution in supporting President Obama’s nomination for re-election as President was evidence that the Clintons’ rivalry with Mr Obama had transformed into mutual admiration and respect in the past four years. For this, Mr Obama, as Commander in Chief, must accept a lot of the credit.

As a result, the Democratic Party now has the opportunity to become more unified and a much stronger political force in America.

NB: The New York Times article of Jan 8th 2008, “The Clinton Camp Unbound”, recorded elements of the heated atmosphere which existed at the time of the 2008 Democratic Party primary battles.

Former US President Bill Clinton’s DNC 2012 Address .. 50 mins

Elizabeth Warren @ 2012 DNC Convention

John — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 04:51:18 +0000

Telling Thoughts

Delighted with Elizabeth Warren’s contribution in Charlotte NC tonight and pleased to see the reaction she received from the Convention floor. I hope that the voters of Massachusetts will appreciate how much good she could do for all Americans as their Senator.

Elizabeth Warren speaks to America .. 15 mins 33

Michelle Obama Stars @ DNC Convention

John — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:23:30 +0000

My Comment on Facebook

Watching a live stream on C-Span from Australia I must compliment the Democrats for organizing such an outstanding line up of speakers on day one of the DNC Convention.

Impressive as the many speakers were, the star performance award (for writing her own speech and its powerful delivery), must go to the First Lady, Michelle Obama.

From the heart, informative and incredibly moving, her rallying call was a major success. The First Lady’s performance will be long remembered and quoted.

Michelle Obama’s Speech .. DNC National Convention .. Charlotte NC .. September 4, 2012

Introduction ..7min 53

Part 1 .. 13 min 48

Part 2 .. 10min 28

Clint Eastwood Delivers for the Democrats

John — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 08:08:33 +0000

In the end it finished up as a political gift and unintended bonus for the Democrats

The suprise guest at the 2012 Republican Convention turned out to be the acclaimed actor and director Clint Eastwood. The man who played “Dirty Harry” (Go on, Make my Day) as a tough detective in the 1971 movie of the same name. As a famous movie personality who is better known and more publicly popular than Mitt Romney (the GOP nominee for President), Eastwood’s role was to personally champion Mitt Romney and enhance Mr Romney’s chances in the 2012 US Presidential race.

From the moment the famous actor arrived at the lectern he was seen to be sharing the platform with a single wooden chair. Speaking as if the chair was occupied by President Obama, Mr Eastwood proceeded in the next 12 minutes to achieve the exact opposite of what the Republican organizers had planned. His speech was anomalous and his delivery was poor. It displayed a lack of respect for the office (of President) and a number of statements on major matters were clearly false. Across America , disbelieving and angry responses emanated from Twitter, Facebook and dominated discussions and articles in main stream media.

After spending 50 plus years of building a reputation as an actor in fictional roles and achieving success as a movie director, there seems little doubt that following his effort in the real world of politics, Mr Eastwood should stick to fiction. His echoing of disingenuous GOP claims proved to be a high risk strategy and fraught with danger. In the end it finished up as a political gift and unintended bonus for the Democrats.

Go Obama in 2012!

* Clint Eastwood’s Speech at the 2011\2 Republican Convention in Tampa Florida USA. Video 11 mins 40.

Remember! It’s Only Half Time in America

John — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 03:22:10 +0000

If Obama voters stay true, the country’s promise can be restored and the full time score from the Obama years, won’t need a fairytale ending.

All who voted for Barack Obama and the Democrats in 2008 can take heart from this wonderful advertisement. And wavering voters should be reminded that Detroit was sold down the river by the Mitt Romney in 2008, when in refusing to support General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, he wrote in New York Times 18th Nov 2008, “Let Detroit go Bankrupt”.

Fortunately for the economy and American workers, President Barack Obama took a tougher decision with a better plan. Now America is back on top in the motor industry and again leading the way with innovation and sales.

Much has been achieved in Mr Obama’s first half. However a second term is essential to build on this foundation otherwise it could all have been for nothing. Voters made the right play with their historic vote in 2008, but with such an inherited GOP mess to clean up to get the Country back on track, it really is only ‘Half Time in America’.

Further progress to consolidate America’s recovery will require Obama voters in 2008 to stay the course and return the President to the White House in 2012 with a Democratic majority in Congress. If Obama voters stay true, the country’s promise can be restored and the full time score from the Obama years, won’t need a fairytale ending. The world will bear witness that a real American recovery is underway.

‘Halftime in America’ The Official Chrysler 2012 Super Bowl TV commercial .. 2 mins

Montana Fights Back for all Americans

John — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:40:56 +0000

Montana Fights Back!

The State of Montana has vowed to overrule the US Supreme Court’s ‘Citizen’s United’ decision by placing a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot this Fall, on behalf of all US Citizens no matter where they live.

US Citizens can join this action by signing at .. ElectionsAreForUs.org

Montana’s Official Announcement Video 2 mins 51 secs

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) and Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger (R) respond to the Supreme Court’s action invalidating Montana’s 100-year-old Corrupt Practices Act.

Adele sings: ‘Someone Like You’. Brit Awards 2011

John — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:24:45 +0000

Telling Thoughts

What an incredible voice. In ‘Someone Like You’, Adele delivers a beautiful, yet powerfully poignant message, in baring the hurt and feelings of someone deeply touched by the experience of a lost love.

Adele : ‘Someone Like You’ at the Brit Awards 2011 .. / video 5 min 50 sec