Like many other progressive Democrats I was really rooting for Dennis Kucinich in the last presidential election. I voted for Dennis in the Georgia primaries knowing he was a long shot but I had hoped to send a message to whoever the front runner ended up being. A message that Dennis was on the right track. Judging by this he still is:
Social Security’s "Sleeper Issue":
Price Indexing Exposed By Kucinich
Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) today brought forth a new case against the Administration’s so-called Social Security reform plan by exposing the precipitous drop in future retiree benefits implicit in the Administration plan to switch from wage indexing to price indexing.
In a speech this morning on the House floor, Kucinich said:
"Social Security benefits have increased over the years because they long have been calculated to wage increases, which on the average go up 3.6% a year. So Social Security benefits increase with rising wages. The Administration wants to change all that. They want to index Social Security benefits based on a price index, not wages.
"As a result, millions of future retirees will see their future Social Security benefits reduced as much as 40%. Because prices do not increase as fast as wages.
"Let me give you an example. If you began working in 1959 and retired in 2003, at age 65, under wage indexing, your benefits rise with rising wages, you would get $1158 a month. Under price indexing, your benefits would be frozen, you would get only $701 a month. So it would be a 40% cut in benefits with price indexing, and a person would lose $100,000 in retirement benefits over a lifetime.
"Why the switch to price indexing? Because, the privatization of Social Security will create an additional budget shortfall. The Administration is going to have to borrow money to set up private accounts. The shortfall is going to be for 45 years, and the Administration is going to have to borrow $15 trillion dollars.
"They are going to get the money off the backs of America’s retirees. It is wrong, say no to privatization, no to price indexing."
Kucinich added that while much attention has been focused on private accounts, price indexing, once understood by both the media and the American people generally, will create such an uproar that it will jeopardize not only the Administration’s plans, but could create great political risk for members supporting the plans.
2.28.2005
...if you're rich!
Here's a fun little game via Democratic Underground:
It works just like the Salada Tea Bags lines, or that game people play with cookie fortunes, where you add the words "between the sheets" to make a meaningless platitude much more interesting.
All you have to do in order to make Republican domestic policies make sense is take their talking point and add the words "...if you're rich!"
For instance: "Privatizing social security makes a lot of sense...if you're rich!"
Or, "Our health care system is the best in the world...if you're rich!"
Or how about, "The economy under Bush is the strongest it's ever been...if you're rich!"
Just add three little words, and all of a sudden, these bastards are telling the truth.
It's most fun if you do it in a group with one person beginning the talking point and everyone else finishing it in unison. I think it could be productively adapted as a protest tactic for some of those Social Security meet-ups Santorum and friends are doing now, for instance.
It works just like the Salada Tea Bags lines, or that game people play with cookie fortunes, where you add the words "between the sheets" to make a meaningless platitude much more interesting.
All you have to do in order to make Republican domestic policies make sense is take their talking point and add the words "...if you're rich!"
For instance: "Privatizing social security makes a lot of sense...if you're rich!"
Or, "Our health care system is the best in the world...if you're rich!"
Or how about, "The economy under Bush is the strongest it's ever been...if you're rich!"
Just add three little words, and all of a sudden, these bastards are telling the truth.
It's most fun if you do it in a group with one person beginning the talking point and everyone else finishing it in unison. I think it could be productively adapted as a protest tactic for some of those Social Security meet-ups Santorum and friends are doing now, for instance.
STOP CAFTA
CAFTA is a "free" trade agreement that includes the United States, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. The Dominican Republic may also be added to the group. Negotiations for CAFTA were complete in December and January.
CAFTA is modeled after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has been a disaster for small farmers and working people in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Hundreds of thousands of jobs lost, family farms foreclosed, and public interest laws overturned or challenged in secret NAFTA courts. Despite this dismal record, the Bushies are seeking to expand NAFTA to Central America and the rest of the Western Hemisphere.
Go here.
The new AG is coming for your pr0n
Looks like Gannon's "other" job will be targeted by Big Brother Alberto. Read all about it here .
I heart Maureen Dowd
And all they have is Ann Coulter The Shrill Blonde Harpy :-)
Maureen had this to say about Bush's less than stellar appearance with Vlad Putin:
The only balance W. likes is the slavering, Pravda-like "Fair and Balanced" coverage Fox News provides. Mr. Bush pledges to spread democracy while his officials strive to create a Potemkin press village at home. This White House seems to prefer softball questions from a self-advertised male escort with a fake name to hardball questions from journalists with real names; it prefers tossing journalists who protect their sources into the gulag to giving up the officials who broke the law by leaking the name of their own C.I.A. agent.
Read the entire NY Times column here.
If you are prompted for a user name and password use "wildsects" and "12345".
UPDATE: Great link from George over at RANTZILLA.
Shrill Blonde Harpy
Maureen had this to say about Bush's less than stellar appearance with Vlad Putin:
The only balance W. likes is the slavering, Pravda-like "Fair and Balanced" coverage Fox News provides. Mr. Bush pledges to spread democracy while his officials strive to create a Potemkin press village at home. This White House seems to prefer softball questions from a self-advertised male escort with a fake name to hardball questions from journalists with real names; it prefers tossing journalists who protect their sources into the gulag to giving up the officials who broke the law by leaking the name of their own C.I.A. agent.
Read the entire NY Times column here.
If you are prompted for a user name and password use "wildsects" and "12345".
UPDATE: Great link from George over at RANTZILLA.
Shrill Blonde Harpy
Luckovich 02/28/2005
The attempt to hoodwink Georgia voters and give away taxpayers' money for financial gain has been outed by the AJC. The issue of secret development negotiations has not been hijacked by the media as Sen. Jeff Mullis asserts. It has been put forth for the voters to see what the "smaller government" Republicans are doing with their newfound majority.
2.27.2005
Kids say the darndest, most Stalinist things
by Bill Maher
A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval. And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from expressing unpopular opinions.
Lemme tell you little darlings something: This is my livelihood you're messing with, so either learn the Bill of Rights or you don't deserve Social Security.
Now, to those of you who think I'm overreacting: Yes, I understand that when you're in high school you're still very young and that no one really cares what kids say anyway.
But the younger generation is supposed to rage against the machine, not for it; they're supposed to question authority, not question those who question authority.
And what's so frightening is that we're seeing the beginnings of the first post-9-11 generation -- the kids who first became aware of the news under an "Americans need to watch what they say" administration, the kids who've been told that dissent is un-American and therefore justifiably punished by a fine, imprisonment -- or the loss of your show on ABC.
President Bush once asked, "Is our children learning?" No -- they isn't. A more appropriate question might be, "Is our teachers teaching?" In four years, you can teach a gorilla sign language. Is it too much to ask that in the same amount of time a kid be taught what those crazy hippies who founded this country had in mind?
I know the Morals & Values folks want us to take time out of the school day for prayer and the Ten Commandments and abstinence training and at least two theories of evolution -- the one agreed upon by every scientist in the world and the one that involves naked ladies and snakes -- but, lest we forget, last month the people of Iraq risked death and danger to send a simple, inspiring message: America, get out of our country. But also, we want the freedoms you take for granted.
Now, I didn't mind being on the losing side of the last election. But as a loser, I guess I have some "unpopular" opinions -- and I'd like to keep them. I'd even like to continue to say them right out loud on TV, because if I just get up there every Friday night and spout the Bush administration's approved talking points, that's not freedom or entertainment. It's Fox News.
A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval. And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from expressing unpopular opinions.
Lemme tell you little darlings something: This is my livelihood you're messing with, so either learn the Bill of Rights or you don't deserve Social Security.
Now, to those of you who think I'm overreacting: Yes, I understand that when you're in high school you're still very young and that no one really cares what kids say anyway.
But the younger generation is supposed to rage against the machine, not for it; they're supposed to question authority, not question those who question authority.
And what's so frightening is that we're seeing the beginnings of the first post-9-11 generation -- the kids who first became aware of the news under an "Americans need to watch what they say" administration, the kids who've been told that dissent is un-American and therefore justifiably punished by a fine, imprisonment -- or the loss of your show on ABC.
President Bush once asked, "Is our children learning?" No -- they isn't. A more appropriate question might be, "Is our teachers teaching?" In four years, you can teach a gorilla sign language. Is it too much to ask that in the same amount of time a kid be taught what those crazy hippies who founded this country had in mind?
I know the Morals & Values folks want us to take time out of the school day for prayer and the Ten Commandments and abstinence training and at least two theories of evolution -- the one agreed upon by every scientist in the world and the one that involves naked ladies and snakes -- but, lest we forget, last month the people of Iraq risked death and danger to send a simple, inspiring message: America, get out of our country. But also, we want the freedoms you take for granted.
Now, I didn't mind being on the losing side of the last election. But as a loser, I guess I have some "unpopular" opinions -- and I'd like to keep them. I'd even like to continue to say them right out loud on TV, because if I just get up there every Friday night and spout the Bush administration's approved talking points, that's not freedom or entertainment. It's Fox News.
INTERNET BLOGGER
(to the tune of "Paperback Writer" and with apologies to the Beatles)
WELL I READ A RUMOR ON A COOKING SITE
THAT GEORGE BUSH'S DOG GAVE HIM QUITE A BITE
BASED ON MY GOOGLING AND A LEXIS SEARCH
I'M ON TO THE TRUTH AND I WANT TO BE AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
IT'S A LITTLE STORY WITH A LITTLE SLANT
BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME FROM A RIGHTEOUS RANT
THE SOFTWARE'S EASY, I CAN TYPE REAL FAST
AND THE HOSTING'S FREE SO I GET TO BE AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
I WOULD POST SOME PICTURES BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW
DO YOU THINK WONKETTE WILL SAY THAT I'M A 'WOW'?
I CAN'T READ YOURS BECAUSE I'M WRITING MINE
AND THEY’RE MAKING PROFITS OFF THEIR DIRTY WAR
LOOK! I GOT THREE HITS! AND THAT PROVES THAT I'M AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
SOON I'LL HAVE CREDENTIALS AND ADDRESS THE PREZ
SEE ME SUNDAY MORNING DOING 'MEET THE PRESS'
WHILE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA LOOKS ON WITH DISDAIN
THEY CAN'T SHUT ME UP, BECAUSE I AM AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
WELL I READ A RUMOR ON A COOKING SITE
THAT GEORGE BUSH'S DOG GAVE HIM QUITE A BITE
BASED ON MY GOOGLING AND A LEXIS SEARCH
I'M ON TO THE TRUTH AND I WANT TO BE AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
IT'S A LITTLE STORY WITH A LITTLE SLANT
BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME FROM A RIGHTEOUS RANT
THE SOFTWARE'S EASY, I CAN TYPE REAL FAST
AND THE HOSTING'S FREE SO I GET TO BE AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
I WOULD POST SOME PICTURES BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW
DO YOU THINK WONKETTE WILL SAY THAT I'M A 'WOW'?
I CAN'T READ YOURS BECAUSE I'M WRITING MINE
AND THEY’RE MAKING PROFITS OFF THEIR DIRTY WAR
LOOK! I GOT THREE HITS! AND THAT PROVES THAT I'M AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
SOON I'LL HAVE CREDENTIALS AND ADDRESS THE PREZ
SEE ME SUNDAY MORNING DOING 'MEET THE PRESS'
WHILE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA LOOKS ON WITH DISDAIN
THEY CAN'T SHUT ME UP, BECAUSE I AM AN INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
INTERNET BLOGGER
2.26.2005
USANext just another scam mail outfit
That fine group that has been attacking the AARP of late has a very interesting past. It seems as though just about everything and everyone (*cough* Gannon/Guckert) tied to Bush has an interesting past.
There is no crisis
Paul Krugman had this to say. If you are prompted for an ID and password use "wildsects" and "12345".
There is no crisis
Paul Krugman had this to say. If you are prompted for an ID and password use "wildsects" and "12345".
Thanks George!
A post from G's blog RANTZILLA:
Entendre thy name is Aseff
I love it when I throw down the gauntlet and someone picks up said gauntlet and smacks me upside the head with it. Behold Wild Sects, the brainchild of John Aseff.
About John: John is a padna in crime when it comes to calling hypocrisy by its name. Smart, funny, and with a little edge, he makes life go down better.
Naughty bit: his cell phone does the 24 deet-deet-deeeeeeee-booooooop, never failing to crack me up
Thanks G. Hopefully I'll get it up to speed soon. Thanks again for the KITA!
Entendre thy name is Aseff
I love it when I throw down the gauntlet and someone picks up said gauntlet and smacks me upside the head with it. Behold Wild Sects, the brainchild of John Aseff.
About John: John is a padna in crime when it comes to calling hypocrisy by its name. Smart, funny, and with a little edge, he makes life go down better.
Naughty bit: his cell phone does the 24 deet-deet-deeeeeeee-booooooop, never failing to crack me up
Thanks G. Hopefully I'll get it up to speed soon. Thanks again for the KITA!
Resist the temptation
In a recent memo to Congressional Republicans up for re-election in 2006, Republican pollster Frank Luntz suggests that they “resist the temptation" to use facts and figures about the economy. I suppose if you can't run on your record, run on bullshit.
Think Progress
Think Progress
2.25.2005
Quote of the day
"If you try that again, I'll ram my fist up your ass."
- Colorado State Rep. Bill Cadman (R) warning a colleague on the floor of the house.
In light of Gannongate, I have to wonder if this was a threat or if this was some awkward form of courting.
- Colorado State Rep. Bill Cadman (R) warning a colleague on the floor of the house.
In light of Gannongate, I have to wonder if this was a threat or if this was some awkward form of courting.
Fear and loathing in the red states
When you get a chance, rent the movies "Where The Buffalo Roam" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".
Thompson 'shot himself on phone'
I can't help but think that he would have loved this
Thompson 'shot himself on phone'
I can't help but think that he would have loved this
Ok , it's a done deal
At the urging of one of my favorite co-workers who is also one of the most enlightened people I know, here is my blog. Thanks G for the kick in the ass. Not to mention the public humiliation :-) Please visit G at http://rantzilla.blogspot.com/
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