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HOW DO WE START?
I was chatting with my wife the other night, and we were wondering if we missed the boat on this or if there is still hope to enact my idea.
I know we weren't alone in wondering during all of the Tea-Bagging hooplah "Gee, why don't we don a genuine, and real Grass roots gathering for Healthcare reform?"
If the polls we keep hearing about are correct, that would be an awful lot of Americans willing to fight for reform. It is necessary, and it needs to happen NOW! Congress is debating it now, Thom is right in promoting Single-Payer, it may not happen, but it would be easier if we start with a public option.
Can you imagine the media coverage, and how laughable the next tea-parties would be, if we could organize a nationwide event like this?
I am in 100% and will help in any way I can. The question is how,and where to begin?I am relatively new to this activism thing :)
Thom's listeners are intelligent, and willing to work, so I figured I'd start here. I will contact my reps tonight as well, but if we can work hard for 10+months to elect our President, we need to do as Thom says we can't relax now, we need to push and Remind President Obama now more than ever.
Love the show and keep fighting the good fight. Maybe Move On will help....
why do men feel the need to frame the debate on pro choice and pro life. this should only be a dialogue between women. can someone help me to understand this?
The operative word in Don's letter is "LOCKSTEP" ! That alone shows us that the clueless, who follow without questioning, are likely to be Republican. Nothing more need be said. Their history and their failures confirm it all.
WHEN DOES LIFE START? BILL MAHER STATED THAT YOU CAN FREEZE AN EMBROY BUT YOU CAN NOT FREEZE A BABY. MAKES SENSE TO ME. AS A MAN I HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL WOMEN WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR LIFE. THIS IS A TOPIC THAT MEN NEED TO STEP ASIDE OF.
Thom, a couple of quick observations:
1) An IUD is not a "chemical" ("pesticide") contraceptive.
2) Why does God "kill babies"? Any babies? Either after fertilization or as children?
3)Most of these pro-Lifers support the Death Penalty, yet when you asked about people enacting vengeance against doctors, he implied that it was wrong: "Instead, maybe God will kill them in a plane crash". Why don't they apply the same standard to people on Death Row?
What is So Rare As a Day in June
AND what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days;
Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune,
And over it softly her warm ear lays;
Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
Thrilling back over hills and valleys;
The cowslip startles in meadows green,
The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,
And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean
To be some happy creature's palace;
The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o'errun
With the deluge of summer it receives;
His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings,
And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings;
He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,
In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?
Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with a ripply cheer,
Into every bare inlet and creek and bay;
Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it,
We are happy now because God wills it;
No matter how barren the past may have been,
'Tis enough for us now that the leaves are green;
We sit in the warm shade and feel right well
How the sap creeps up and the blossoms swell;
We may shut our eyes but we cannot help knowing
That skies are clear and grass is growing;
The breeze comes whispering in our ear,
That dandelions are blossoming near,
That maize has sprouted, that streams are flowing,
That the river is bluer than the sky,
That the robin is plastering his house hard by;
And if the breeze kept the good news back,
For our couriers we should not lack;
We could guess it all by yon heifer's lowing,
And hark! How clear bold chanticleer,
Warmed with the new wine of the year,
Tells all in his lusty crowing!
Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how;
Everything is happy now,
Everything is upward striving;
'Tis as easy now for the heart to be true
As for grass to be green or skies to be blue,
'Tis for the natural way of living:
Who knows whither the clouds have fled?
In the unscarred heaven they leave not wake,
And the eyes forget the tears they have shed,
The heart forgets its sorrow and ache;
The soul partakes the season's youth,
And the sulphurous rifts of passion and woe
Lie deep 'neath a silence pure and smooth,
Like burnt-out craters healed with snow.
James Russell Lowell
Barbara Craig, here's the email Al Franken's campaign sent out today:
"Dear Friend,
Today, after a long and careful recount and trial, our legal team defended our close victory in the U.S. Senate race before the Minnesota State Supreme Court.
On behalf of Al, Franni, and all of us, I want to thank you again for your support (and your patience!). And I'd like to take a moment to answer a few questions many of you have asked.
Q: WHAT CAN I DO?
A: Although this should be the last step in the process, national Republicans have offered to bankroll even more legal challenges on behalf of their candidate. Our talented legal team will continue to protect what we've won - and your contribution will allow that work to happen.
CLICK HERE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
Q: WHEN WILL THIS BE OVER?
A: After today's oral arguments, Norm Coleman's appeal is in the hands of the Minnesota Supreme Court. We don't know when they'll issue a ruling - but we're confident that our victory, which has withstood so much scrutiny already, will stand once again.
Q: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE COURT RULES?
A: A ruling upholding our victory will allow Al to receive the certificate of election and take his seat in the U.S. Senate. However, national Republicans have pledged to do anything they can to block the seating of a 60th Democratic Senator, no matter what the Supreme Court says, so our legal team will continue to protect what we've won. If you'd like to help them do so, please make a contribution today.
Q: HOW ARE AL AND FRANNI DOING?
A: Al and Franni are incredibly grateful for all the support they've received - and, although they're enjoying being able to eat dinner together a bit more frequently than during the campaign, they're working hard in preparation for their move to Washington. Al is building a staff, receiving policy briefings, and meeting with Democratic leadership so that he can hit the ground running as soon as he's sworn in.
From all of us at TeamFranken, thank you so much for your hard work and your strong support. The victory we won together was close but important, and I know that when Al is seated, he'll be a Senator who makes all of us proud.
Thanks and best wishes,
Stephanie
Stephanie Schriock
Campaign Manager
Al Franken for Senate"
I just saw that the blog for Tuesday's show hasn't been cleared for tomorrow yet. I'll TRY to remember to post the message about the one time payment tomorrow.
Thom,
84 year old Steven was your last caller today. He said he and his wife were expecting checks for their one-time tax cut by the end of May, but they haven't seen their checks yet.
It's my understanding that if they recdeive Social Security, their one time payment will be paid in the same way that their monthly SSI payment is made. So if their SSI payments are deposited directly into their bank accounts, this one time payment will be paid the same way.
So if they get their SSI through direct deposit, they should ckeck their bank accounts to see if the payment was deposited electronically. If they receive their SSI payments in the mail, they should have received their check already.
I don't know how this will be handled if they receive other taxible income.
Maybe you could mention this on tomorrow's show. I'll repost this on the Tuesday blog page as a reminder or in case you don't see this post.
Does anyone know what's going on with Al Franken? We need him on the job now!
Oh, sorry, I forgot that he was electrocuted. How about a robot?
In regard to that breathless female caller, these are the kind of people who one is incapable of having an intellectual conversation with, left or right. It’s always about me, myself and I. Never the big picture. Morality and ethics be damned. She clearly does all her “critical” thinking after the fact; “Call me a baby killer”—hey, whatever you say. I will grant her this, however: this country has a bad habit of waiting for the consequences of bad decisions for doing anything about them.
In under the radar-under the radar news last week, the Supreme Court rendered a 5-4 decision to allow police to continue to interrogate people even after the presence of an attorney has been requested. This is yet another example of the continuing assault on individual rights by the Court’s current majority. Justice Kennedy, allegedly the “swing” vote on the court, continues to prove that he has no moral or ethical center. Maybe these guys watch too much television; shows like “Law and Order” portray cops and prosecutors who always get their man (it’s always a man) within the first five minutes. They’re never wrong–thus their trampling of civil rights with over-the-top self-righteousness is never called into question. When I was young, there actually were TV shows where individual rights against abuse by the system were paramount; today, the opposite is true—all we have are caricatures according to the latest propaganda and “special victims.”—none of whom ever lie.
In regard to the alleged problem Sonia Sotomayor has in regard to the New Haven fire fighter issue, the complaints almost seems incestuous: it is always some white guy’s son, brother, father, or cousin, as if being a firefighter is an occupation passed down from white father to white son. This is white “privilege” of a sordid sort. I wonder if the token Hispanic who was persuaded into joining the lawsuit realizes that these people could just as easily turn on him. It is interesting to note that most Hispanics in New Haven are Puerto Rican, just like Sotomayor; since she sided against her “ethnicity” in this case in order to see the bigger picture, this should reflect well on her. One-third of the population of New Haven is African-American; the white population has a large Italian-American contingent, and knowing the racist element that exists in that population (see Tom Tancredo, Bensonhurst, et.al) I think bigotry and actual discrimination should not be rewarded.
I’d also like to note that the evidence against Roland Burris revealed by that phone tap is somewhat laughable. I wonder how many “revealing” details about how politics works we would find equally “damaging” if all lawmakers had their phones tapped. Everyone has their hands in some cookie jar, and what is a campaign contribution from a corporation or a labor group but an attempt to “buy” a candidate?
Anyways, I thought I’d comment on that posting from a listener that Thom read at the close of business on Friday. What came to mind? Umm—sycophantic, icky-poo, sticky-sweet, saccharine, sappy, gushy, corny and otherwise a valentine to Thom’s ego, apparently so fragile it is in need of such reinforcement. At first I was amused, but like with all such consumption of fatty, high-calorie/low-protein content, nausea set in. I’m quite incapable of it myself.
Same as my last post with corrections in my name...
I propose Ted Bundy for the Supreme Court. He has absolutely no empathy for another human being. He’d be perfect!
Barb
Libertyville, IL
I propose Ted Bundy for the Supreme Court. He has absolutely no empathy for another human being. He'd be perfect!
Barb
Libertyville, IL
In under the radar-under the radar news last week, the Supreme Court rendered a 5-4 decision to allow police to continue to interrogate people even after the presence of an attorney has been requested. This is yet another example of the continuing assault on individual rights by the Court’s current majority. Justice Kennedy, allegedly the “swing” vote on the court, continues to prove that he has no moral or ethical center. Maybe these guys watch too much television; shows like “Law and Order” portray cops and prosecutors who always get their man (it’s always a man) within the first five minutes. They’re never wrong--thus their trampling of civil rights with over-the-top self-righteousness is never called into question. When I was young, there actually were TV shows where individual rights against abuse by the system were paramount; today, the opposite is true—all we have are charicatures according to the latest propaganda and “special victims.”—none of whom ever lie.
In regard to the the alleged problem Sonia Sotomayor has in regard to the New Haven fire fighter issue, the complaints almost seems incestuous: it is always some white guy’s son, brother, father, or cousin, as if being a firefighter is an occupation passed down from white father to white son. This is white “privilege” of a sordid sort. I wonder if the token Hispanic in the lawsuit realizes that these people could just as easily turn on him. It is interesting to note that most Hispanics in New Haven are Puerto Rican, just like Sotomayor; since she sided against her “ethnicity” in this case in order to see the bigger picture, this should reflect well on her.
One-third of the population of New Haven is African-American; the white population has a large Italian-American contingent, and knowing the racist element that exists in that population (see Tom Tancredo, Bensonhurst, et.al) I think bigotry should not be rewarded. Or arrogance, for that matter; at the airport, the white fire fighters, whenever they decide to leave their compound, like to offer contemptuous remarks about people not like them. The problem is, the people they disparage are actually doing something resembling hard work, while they themselves rarely do anything useful unless some jett fueler accidentally spills something on the ramp.
There was an incident that occurred in Republican Kent that has also troubled me. A few years ago there was a fire in the downtown area, which burned out two Hispanic businesses; apparently a crew repairing the roof of the building they were located in placed down hot tar which started the fire. I heard about the fire a few hours after it occurred, and decided to take a look for myself. What I saw gave new meaning to word “containment.” The part of the block-long building where the Hispanic businesses were located was completed gutted; the side of the wall to the rest of the building that directly abutted these establishments barely appeared to be singed. Across the street, patrons of some redneck bar were speaking disparagingly of the “Mexicans.” Two firefighters who happened to be there seemed to be amused by the whole scene; when I walked past them I said “You let this happen, didn’t you?” But of course that can’t be true.
Anyways, I thought I’d comment on that posting from a listener that Thom read at the close of business on Friday. What came to mind? Umm—sycophantic, icky-poo, sticky-sweet, saccharine, sappy, gushy, corny and otherwise a valentine to Thom’s ego, apparently so fragile it is in need of such reinforcement. At first I was amused, but like with all such consumption of fatty, high-calorie/low-protein content, nausea set in. I’m quite incapable of it myself.
On the front page of today's Sunday NYTimes, a headline reads "Industry Fears U.S. May Quit New Car Habit - Is Slump Now Norm for G.M. and Chrysler?" I want to scream back: "As long as good jobs and a livable wage are not the NORM in the U.S., people will not have money to spend on new cars!"
Ken Lay's heart attack was quite remarkable for a man that could have had an ambulance on staff and a cardiac surgeon if needed for a man of his means. I know he was in jail, but give me a break . Yasser Araafat---most likely poisen, the Russians use poisen too------radioactive. Deregulate was, in Thom's words, spot on. W always refered to his bud as Kenny Boy. Just old buds when it's cool, but when the shit hits the fan, anyoneone can have a heart attack.
GAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles are industry/academic standards and have happy horse hockey to do with the government . . .
OMG! I just revealed that I'm an accounting/finance dude . . .
I was listening to an OLD podcast (September or October 2007) where Thom interviewed Daniel Brook about his book, "The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America" and wanted to suggest that folk pull it off their shelves and give it a re-read.
It will get your blood pumping and your ire up . . .
Richard Adlof,
Right! If I only knew then what I know now. Oh well, you do the best you can at the time.
On the other hand, I tell my son that some of the best saints came from the worst sinners...
as a progressives i stand up for truth and justice. this is what gives me such great joy and fortune in my life. i do not follow anyone blindly be it in my religous belief, my politics, and any thing else in my life. i live with total freedom on the side of truth and justice.
FRAG Party politics! We are the owners o' the government and NEED to take back the wheels of government.
If only I hadn't so misspent my youth in such a wild and wooly manner . . . Wait! That worked for Andrew Jackson . . . Hmmmmm.
Advice for President Obama from a song by Jerry Riopel, "Let the strength of your words, come from your deeds"
Hey- I am with Louis the Truck Driver. In addition to the list you ran off today, yesterday I am heard reports that Obama is buidling some embassy the size of Bush's in Iraq- in Pakistan???
Can you de bunk? I hope this can be debunked, I have not the time to run this down.
Great job with David- listen to how ill informed and or misinformed these people are.!
Hi Thom - Please, ask Bernie to tighten G.A.A.P. standards. Currently, a company can report huge profits to Shareholders and simultaneously report huge losses to the IRS. Under current standards: Both statements are perfectly legal.
Get Tough on Crime measure - we should institute a formula for financial crimes. If a person can get 10 years for stealing $1,000 in a robbery, then that should be the formula: 10 years for every $1,000 ---- Charles Keating would still be in jail. Ken Lay would be in jail and his assets seized (his 'death' protected all his assets). I bet he found a homeless guy that looked like him and put him in the casket.