Looking back

2011 is upon us, and so it is time for a review of 2010. What did we do to improve our country?

In 2010, a number of important things happened, here's the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good:

1. Healthcare reform was passed ensuring that most Americans will be able to afford healthcare while simultaneously saving the federal government nearly 100 billion dollars over the next decade. A proud moment for our great nation.

2. Despite Republican attempts to handicap the president's ability to improve America and the tea party's attempts to chain us to the glory days of Jefferson's yeoman farmer, Democrats were still able to take significant steps to strengthen the economy. Bipartisan tax cuts included a second, significant stimulus that should boost the economy and a financial regulatory bill was passed that theoretically puts in place the oversight necessary to make sure that runaway banking doesn't bring the world's economy to its knees.

3. Congress is able to achieve a few key agenda items during its "lame duck" session, notably repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," verifying the New START treaty and providing healthcare for 9/11 first responders.

The Bad:

1. Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives. While this doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, as Republicans do have some good ideas, the way the party has conducted itself during the last two years has been nothing short of disgraceful. Republican obstructionism and pandering delayed economic recovery and turned conversations about important issues like healthcare into spectacles of lies and fear mongering.

2. This really deserves its own category, the very bad, but America's failure to act in the field of green and alternative energy is going to haunt our country years from now. I've said it a million times before, but global warming is going to force our hand sooner rather than later. The unsustainable way we treat our planet is killing it, and this will become only more obvious. America should have done more to encourage development and innovation in the realm of alternative energy sources, and should also do more to help us end our addiction to fossil fuels. This must become a priority in 2011.

The Ugly:

1. This was rectified, but the Republican refusal to extend healthcare to 9/11 first responders using the deficit as an excuse after they had just forced through tax cuts that would cost the country 700 billion dollars was despicable. Even Faux News and Rudy Giuliani hammered the party for this appalling and contemptible display of disregard for Americans.

2. The "debate" over the not-at-Ground-Zero Community Center or perhaps the mosque of terror. The fact that this is an issue is also disgraceful. "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal," except maybe the Muslims who want to build a community center in Manhattan. While this fear of the other is just another hiccup along the American march towards true equality it's ugly nonetheless. To those who think this is going to be some kind of monument to Islam's triumph over America, I have two things to say: 1) turn off Faux News and get out of your bubble, not all Muslims are out to get you, no matter what Glenn Beck says. 2) If you ever make it to New York, visit the "mosque" and go to the 9/11 memorial located there. Arizona's law - while much of it has been ruled unconstitutional - still deserves a special shout out. Kudos to Jan Brewer for being willing to do the wrong thing even when when everyone knows it's wrong. It takes real fortitude to be that ignorant and bigoted.

3. The debut of the Tea Party. I can't find anything good to say about these people. They're naive, they're stupid, they're misguided (I mean really, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin? These are your heros? Really?). The Tea Party vision of America is a peaceful and idyllic one, but living in the past doesn't solve the problems of the present, and if the Tea Party really wants to live in that world then I suggest they stop paying taxes (they'll probably be fine with that), use the extra cash to buy a huge plot of land in Mongolia or some other far away place, and build a commune for idiots in which they can happily practice their 1790s ideas without harming the greater society.

Despite the bad and the ugly, I still look at 2010 as a great year, and I expect even better in 2011. This is America and not even the Tea Party can hold us back. Happy New Year.

Semper Fi

This post is designed to do two things, celebrate the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and laud the Marines for their foray into the realm of green energy. It's been a big week for the military.

First, kudos to Congress for repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This is America, it's ok to be gay. If a gay person loves our country enough to put his or her life on the line for it, they shouldn't have to compromise themselves to do it. It's really as simple as that. Studies showed this could be done without compromising the military's ability to kick some ass, so there wasn't really a reason aside from bigotry or political pandering to bigots not to repeal the act.

I support all of our troops no matter what color their skin is, what god they believe in, and regardless of their sexuality. Being a soldier in the United States Military shows far more about how you feel about America and what kind of person you are than any of those other factors possibly could. I'm proud of Congress (imagine that!) and I'm proud of the service men and women who spoke up and let the Pentagon know that openly gay soldiers wouldn't affect their ability to wage war.

I'm particularly proud of the Marines and the Navy who have been taking important steps to greenify themselves. You can buy a politician, but you can't buy a branch of the armed service. No amount of oil money in the world can convince the Marines that what they know - all that money we spend on oil is being funneled to people who are out to kill Marines - is wrong. While the American public weans itself from its oil addiction and American politicians continue to ignore the reality of global warming and the ever-growing Chinese lead in alternative energy, the American Military has had enough.

American soldiers and sailors are field testing biofuels, solar panels, and all sorts of other green equipment. Combine that with this cool new toy (not related, but really interesting) and it's clear that what will America's politicians lack, America's military has.

There are many reasons to love and be proud of our country, America's military certainly being one of them. In the last few days, the Armed Forces has taken a lot of positive steps. Semper Fi.

The tracks of his tears

I've written before about my distaste for John Boehner, the man who hates America. But perhaps I had Boehner all wrong, after all he's spent a whole lot of time lately crying about...well just crying, I'm not sure why.

But Boehner's tears are nothing if not proof of his love for America. It seems the very mention of our great country is enough to start the waterworks. He just loves Ameri...sob...sob...sob.

Nothing wrong with crying. It happens, it's even nice that John Boehner is moved to tears when he thinks of our country's glory. The problem is, the man is doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to ensure that America will be great for the next generation. In fact, he's doing nothing to make America great 24 hours from now. Though his faucets are leaking, his votes are lacking. Far from wanting to keep America great, John Boehner wants Americans to suffer.

If we trace the tracks of Boehner's tears to his voting record (or hell, just to what he has to say on television), we'll see that while America the country makes Boehner weepy, Americans the people aren't really on his radar screen.

Let's start with the most obvious example (which do I choose?), Boehner wants to repeal the healthcare law. Well the healthcare law is going to save the federal government money while at the same time extending health insurance to 30 million Americans. The country saves money, the citizens can afford healthcare. Everyone wins. Boehner weeps. Boehner also opposes a cost-saving measure to help Americans.

Boehner is also against extending unemployment benefits. It's only the Christmas season after all. Why not give out of work Americans money that they will immediately go spend on holiday gifts, thus providing a little Christmas cheer and a boost to the economy. Again with the crying, again with the disdain for our country and its people.

Finally, and most reprehensibly of all, John Boehner is against paying for the healthcare of first responders on 9/11. On 9/11 John Boehner, like many other Americans, probably cried and rightfully so. That day stands as one of the darkest and saddest in our nation's history. But on September 11th brave New Yorkers risked their lives to help their fellow Americans. Their heroism is enough to make you tear up, and I bet Boehner does when he talks about them. But his tears don't pay for their healthcare, and while he's ready to give them a whole well of his sobs, he won't give them his vote.

So all we've learned about John Boehner is that he's a cryer, but crying about something doesn't mean you love it, it just means you're a cryer. John Boehner is just a cryer. I'm sure in the future we'll see more of his tears. I'll start to be moved by them when he starts to give a damn about our country.

The Constitutionality of Healthcare

I'll be honest, I'm not qualified to comment on the Constitutionality of healthcare, but I'm good at keeping score, and so far that score is 2-1; 2 judges believe the law is constitutional, 1 doesn't. Hardly an overwhelming a majority, but certainly not an indictment either. The score will change, but since I'm one JD short of being an authority, I'll stray from discussing whether or not this is Constitutional and instead talk about whether or not it is necessary and practical.

You see, health insurance may not be a right. It may very well be unconstitutional to force people to buy insurance. But while health insurance may or may not be a right, healthcare is. In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. That's a long title for what amounts to this, if you need emergency medical care, you get it. Doesn't matter if you're a citizen; doesn't matter if you can't pay. If you need emergency care you get it.

Problematically, emergency care is the only type of care covered by EMTALA. Emergency care is also far and away the most expensive kind of healthcare, and emergency care is often used when and if people have no other healthcare options.

This healthcare is either paid for via Medicaid funding, or worse, just isn't paid for at all, driving the cost of healthcare for everyone up as hospitals are forced to charge more to people who can pay to make up the difference. In turn, health insurance premiums rise. The system is unsustainable.

So what does the new healthcare law do to fix it? The new law implements this supposed communist requirement that everyone buy healthcare. Forget that people will still be buying healthcare from PRIVATE companies, forget that most of the people vehemently opposed to this law already have healthcare (how dare the commies make me buy health insurance...wait, I already have health insurance, what am I pissed about...communists!). These things get glossed over by the sheer, overwhelming evil socialist plot to make Americans buy insurance.

Now again, I don't know if it's Constitutional, but I'm more concerned with whether it fixes problems, and this law seems to do that. By requiring everyone to have insurance - which most people would agree is something positive, it's not like the government is making you buy asparagus Judge Hudson - prices would be driven down because people wouldn't be taking advantage of the most expensive kind of healthcare. They would be able to afford cheaper preventative care rather than overburdening emergency rooms.

So I can only hope that judges decide that mandated healthcare is Constitutional, because, if they decide otherwise, healthcare costs will continue to balloon as people who cannot afford health insurance (or simply don't want it), receive free emergency treatment. Maybe mandatory health insurance is unconstitutional, but isn't an expensive and burdensome healthcare system that is causing our country hemorrhage money while neglecting nearly 40 million Americans a problem? Shouldn't our great nation be able to provide the best healthcare (which we do) at a price that is affordable to all citizens and doesn't contribute to our government's debt (which we don't do)?

Like Judge Hudson, I don't want the government telling me to buy asparagus...I'll buy it on my own, I think asparagus is tasty. But I don't have a problem with the government requiring everyone to have health insurance when that policy benefits America and Americans. The government requires us to have driver's licenses, but no one is outraged (except, perhaps Ron and Rand Paul). Why? Because there are a lot of very good reasons for it. Well there are a lot of good reasons for people to have health insurance too. As we continue to tally the score for the Constitutionality of healthcare, I hope we consider the important benefits that it will bring our country and not succumb to silly arguments about the forced purchase of vegetables.

In agreement with Fox!?

Today something truly extraordinary happened; I read an op-ed piece on Fox News and I agreed with what the author had to say. Apparently, even our nation's most ludicrously conservative are pissed at their elected officials for the betrayal of American heros that took place when Republicans refused to allow a vote on a healthcare spending bill for 9/11 first responders.

There's not a ton to be said here that I haven't said already. The only word to describe this is disgraceful, and I'm glad Faux News is willing to step up and say the same thing instead of posturing about the budget deficit.

I'll leave you with a letter that I wrote to my Senators from Mississippi. It's pasted below:

I am writing to voice my intense displeasure at your recent decision to vote against funding healthcare for first responders on September 11.

It is morally reprehensible and hypocritical beyond belief to cloak your disdain for American heros behind the guise of caring about the budget deficit. You and your party used September 11th as an excuse to lead our country into a war that has cost $750 billion dollars and over 4000 American lives. You use September 11th as an excuse to deny Muslim Americans their first amendment rights to build a community center a few blocks away from Ground Zero. Yet you will not allot seven billion dollars, a paltry sum for the federal government, to help actual American heros who did far more than you did on September 11th.

The tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that you champion will cost our country roughly $700 billion over the next decade but you find seven billion dollars worth of aid to real heros to be the straw that will break the camel’s back?

Your actions today represent nothing short of the worst our country has to offer. The hypocrisy alone is astounding, but the fact that you find it acceptable to spend hundreds of billions on an unnecessary war in Iraq while refusing to assist the Americans who helped the victims is the height of immorality. The healthcare you receive as a Senator, and which you voted to deny roughly 30 million Americans, means that you will never know what it is like to suffer as these people have. I hope next time you look in the mirror and straighten your American flag lapel you remember that your actions and your vote led to the suffering of the people you are supposed to be representing.

An irate citizen and true patriot

Paying respect to 9/11

That's actually not what this post is about, in fact, this post is about just the opposite. This post is about disrespecting American heros, those people who risked their lives to help others on September 11, 2001.

You see, in a bold move to avoid adding to the budget, Senate Republicans blocked a $7.4 billion dollar bill that would have paid for healthcare for first responders and others who are suffering from breathing in the toxic fumes and dust after the Word Trade Center collapsed.

That's right America, the party that led us into a nonsense war in Iraq, a crucial part of "the war on terror," the party that plays to Islamophobia and is dead set against a community center a few blocks from ground zero on the grounds that it is offensive to the memory of 9/11 is refusing to pay for healthcare for first responders. Quite the tribute.

Just as a further reminder, the war in Iraq has cost about $750 billion. The tax cuts for the wealthy that Republicans championed will cost $700 billion but we can't find $7.4 billion to pay for healthcare for the heros who risked their lives on 9/11. But these people walk around with American flag lapels and denounce mosques and call themselves patriots. Truly disgraceful. Shame on you Republicans, shame on each and every one of you who stood in the way of spending a meager amount of money on sick heros while flinging your fear-mongering about Muslims and a deficit that you created around as an excuse.

I've tried to be as nonpartisan as possible in the wake of November's massively disappointing elections and the possible looming derailing of much of the progress America has made in the last two years, but Republicans make it so difficult. No, we can't respect the first amendment and the right to freedom of religion, we can't embrace our own Constitution, apparently the first amendment is just as un-American as a Muslim community center. But here's what we can do, we can control the purse strings, and we can deny healthcare to the people who did more than any elected official to make a difference on 9/11.

This is nothing short of morally reprehensible and for Republicans to cloak their disdain for American heros in the guise of fiscal responsibility after they just pushed through tax cuts that will cost the nation $700 billion is the height of hypocrisy.

I will continue to support ideas and actions that strengthen America, and I acknowledge that Republicans have some of those ideas, but there's no excuse for blocking healthcare for first responders, and every REAL American patriot should be furious about what happened today.

What can we learn from Shanghai?

Apparently quite a bit. According to the most recent international testing results, Chinese students from Shanghai blew away the rest of the field, placing first in math and reading. Good news for Shanghai even if these results don't represent the nation as a whole (which they certainly don't), bad for America. For purposes of comparison, our kids placed 11th in reading and 26th in math.

It's not enough that the Chinese are already outproducing us in the field of green and alternative energy (and I promise you this will haunt us if we don't get our act together quickly), they're out-educating us too. Ok, that may not be entirely true, but they're educating and they're doing it well. Combined with the rapid pace of their economic growth, this signals a real threat to America's position as the world's premier economic power. It's time to step up and in a big way.

The part of this that struck me most is the following quote "Also, in recent years, teaching has rapidly climbed up the ladder of preferred occupations in China, and salaries have risen. In Shanghai, the authorities have undertaken important curricular reforms, and educators have been given more freedom to experiment."

In other articles on other sites, I've written about the need for America to invest in educators, compensating them and providing them with work environments that affirm the fact that teachers are the cornerstones of our society. Weird how they're doing that in China and the students there just placed first in both math and literacy. I wonder if there is a correlation...

Some experts, upon seeing these results, proclaimed that this would America's new Sputnikesque wake-up call. This is the moment we realize we can't just sit around and expect to remain on top because others are actively trying to unseat us. I can only hope these people are right because clearly America needs a wake-up call. While Kentucky exports biblical stories and Oklahomans live in fear of sharia law that is an ever-present danger in the heartland, China is investing in science, math and reading. Does this really mean Americans think we'll stay the best by building biblical theme parks and legal walls to protect against Islam while the Chinese think they'll become the best by educating people? I certainly hope not, because if that's the case America is in a truly bad spot.

So here's to Apollo, the American rockets that took us to the moon after Sputnik scared us out of our socks. Hopefully someone somewhere in our great nation has a modern-day Apollo up their sleeve so we're not left studying history in Kentucky's theme parks.

America Abroad

I've spent 80+ blog posts talking about the host of domestic issues with which America is grappling, but despite my interest, I've been relatively quiet on the problems America faces abroad.

But wikileaks and New START have made it impossible for me to stay quiet any longer. There's just too much to talk about, and so I'll try to hit on some important topics.

American foreign policy for the last decade has been dominated by the politics and crises in the Middle East. There's a war in Iraq; there's a war in Afghanistan (geographically not the Middle East, but the ties to the region are obvious); there's a constant crisis in Israel and what may become Palestine; there's instability in Lebanon; terrorists in Yemen; and nuclear reactors in Iran. Oh yes, there's a lot of oil...almost everywhere.

Increasingly, the Middle East looks like the Muddled Enigma. Did we win in Iraq? Are we winning in Afghanistan? Can we ever get crazy Israelis and crazy Palestinians to cooperate like sane Israelis and sane Palestinians want to? Is Saudi Arabia helping us curb terrorism or funding it elsewhere? Does Iran have a nuke yet, if not, when's that going to happen and more importantly, how can we prevent it? WHAT'S GOING ON?

These questions and problems are - obviously - paramount to our national security, and also directly linked to our current domestic problems. The continuing cost of our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't exactly helping close the budget deficit.

But America can take some big steps towards fixing it's foreign problem right here at home. For starters, Congress can ratify the New START treaty which would go a long way towards building Russia support for tougher action on Iran. I don't need to tell you that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is one of America's (and the world's) primary security concerns. A nuclear Iran would provide a direct threat to the stability and peace of an already unstable region, and the potential for nuclear dissemination into the hands of terrorists is a truly scary possibility. In the most blunt terms, nuclear Iran = very, very bad. Securing Russia's support is vital. Ratify New START.

Even more importantly, the most recent wikileaks reveal how imperative it is that America ends our addiction to foreign oil. We funnel money to Saudi Arabia for that sticky, black goop, but while we use the oil to make the planet dirty, the money we send overseas is used to buy weapons that kill Americans. We are quite literally buying guns for the enemy. This truly unbelievable paradox is one that we can fix quite easily in Washington, DC by implementing a gas tax. Many people are upset that their tax dollars are used to fund things with which they disagree, but I'm furious that every time I buy gas, I'm helping a nutjob Jihadist purchase a shiny new RPG. Tax gas, do it now, no questions.

For America to project its power in the world we have to be taken seriously. But why is Russia going to take us seriously about stopping Iran's nuclear program when we won't even agree to an arms deal with them? How are our Middle Eastern allies going to take the steps to fight terrorism in their countries when they know that Americans are helping to fund those terrorists through our oil addiction?

These are problems we can fix. No one wants Iran to have nuclear weapons, but if we're going to lead the charge, we need to show the world we're serious by taking the steps to reduce and modernize our own nuclear stockpile. Terrorism is a major concern for many of the world's industrialized country, but we can go on killing terrorists in perpetuity until we find a way to address the real issues, one of which is our oil-driven involvement in the politics of the Middle East.

It's time to start taking steps at home to strengthen America abroad. So after we figure out taxes, I want New START and I want a gas tax because I want a stronger America at home and abroad.

Another glimmer

It would actually be quite easy to lament this as typical partisan politics. Republicans have refused to even consider other issues until something is done about taxes. It's good politics, Americans seem to care quite a bit about taxes. It's not terrible policy either, but it's also irresponsible and obnoxious when there are so many other important issues to discuss.

Nevertheless, I'm not here to bash Republicans any more than I did in the above paragraph. I'm here to look for progress, and I think I may see some. The tax issue is - for some mysterious reason - a controversial one. I get that people don't want to pay excessively high taxes. I'm one of those people. What I don't understand is how Democrats don't understand that higher taxes in a recession is a bad idea and how Republicans don't understand that tax rates will have to rise if we're actually going to close the deficit.

But maybe I'm not giving either party enough credit, because what I'm hearing through the grapevine is that Democrats and Republicans may be close to reaching the logical conclusion about the expiring Bush tax cuts. Extend them for a few years to help the economy get back on track without guaranteeing to extend them permanently.

America's primary concern should be economic recovery, not the deficit. Smart people know this even though some of them use the deficit to create a sense of fear. The deficit is a real problem, but it's not the primary problem.

Both our politicians and our populace need to keep this in mind moving forward. If we can fix the economy, the need to fix the deficit won't be as pressing, it will start to take care of itself. Unsustainable spending will still need to be cut in certain areas, but not as drastically as the fear-mongerers would have you believe.

Furthermore, extending tax cuts permanently would perhaps spur investment, but by the actual, measurable numbers, would do nothing to cut the deficit. In fact it would cost 4 trillion bucks. It's possible that investment would offset some of that cost, but there's no way to know. Similarly, it's difficult to predict how much of a dent economic recovery would put in the deficit. So both sides can claim to be right but only in a certain scenario, neither of which is certain.

The best thing to do then, is the safest. Extend tax cuts temporarily. The lost revenue from temporary cuts isn't going to destroy America and the extra purchasing power may help spur recovery. Don't make cuts permanent either, if the deficit becomes the huge problem that people want us to think it is now, we may very well need those 4 trillion dollars in a few years.

Despite all the demagoguery and bickering, it seems as though sensible people know that fixing the economy is paramount. Democrats and Republicans agree that tax cuts should be extended for everyone making under 250K. People need to have money to spend and it can't hurt to give wealthier people more money as well, maybe they'll go buy yachts, or even better, reinvest.

At the same time, this deficit that Republicans love to scare us with does need to disappear. They hypocrisy of using the budget deficit as a tool for fear while simultaneously taking steps to increase it by 4 trillion is not only wrong, it's unbelievably short-sighted. (I know I promised I wouldn't bash Republicans, but sometimes I can't help myself...it's just so easy). What if economy doesn't recover as expected but the deficit continues to grow? It's going to take more than just spending cuts to bring it under control. The permanent loss of 4 trillion dollars worth of revenue is a scary prospect when times are bleak.

And times are bleak, but I'm seeing another glimmer of hope. In the last few days, Congress has made spinach safe, now maybe they'll take an important step towards fostering economic growth without handcuffing us to future revenue loss.

The importance of yesterday's post

Yesterday I took a few minutes to laud safe spinach and, more importantly, the ability of Congress to find common ground on an issue that affects the well-being of Americans.

Today I want to reiterate how important that cooperation is, but I'm going to let Thomas Friedman be my mouthpiece, like Hall Mark, he always says it best.

For quite a while I've been harping on certain issues, especially green and alternative energy. It doesn't take a genius...check that...it doesn't take a mildly aware person to figure out that America faces a mountain of problems and that other countries - particularly China - are not just sitting around waiting for us to get things fixed.

While Americans get mad about invasive airport screenings - I went through one over the Thanksgiving Holiday and felt about as UNviolated as I could imagine - China continues to invest in its future.

Now, not all of China's success is tied to American problems. China manipulates its currency and still has more people living in poverty than America has people. But there is a serious and scary difference between our two countries. Americans like to talk about our greatness, the Chinese apparently want to invest in becoming great.

America is the world's greatest country, and I like to say that as much as anyone. But knowing you're great doesn't excuse you from fixing your problems and it certainly doesn't mean that failing to address an issue is going to make that issue disappear. If you love your grandmother and she's sick, you take her to the hospital, you don't pretend that she's healthy, and you certainly don't use her well-being decades ago to justify her current status.

America faces competition, serious competition. Other countries know what made America great and they're taking the steps to make their countries great. They're educating their workforces to create both innovators and skilled workers; they're investing in the technology of today and tomorrow and not the oil and coal of yesterday; they're creating countries that people want to travel to and want to stay in, not scaring people away with archaic, xenophobic laws.

So for the sake of tomorrow's America, I'm reiterating the importance of yesterday's post. Our elected officials, and for that matter, our electorate have got to find some common ground in being Americans. I'm no Republican, and while I'd prefer that Democrats still controlled the House of Representatives, I'd rather live in a world in which America is the greatest country than a world in which America is controlled by the political party I support.

If Americans can't begin to work together and compromise to make difficult but imperative political decisions then we'll be stuck listening to Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin talk about how great we are on the airwaves while watching China zoom by us in real life.

I can only hope that if our politicians can make our spinach safe, they can keep us great.

It can be done!

For the first time in what seems like a long time, Democrats and Republicans were able to come together and pass legislation that will help Americans. Of course, it took the deaths of Americans to overhaul food safety, but at least when American lives are on the line our legislators can do something. Thank goodness we can all agree that Americans shouldn't die because of salmonella in eggs and peanuts.

I'm not sure if it's my naivete, my optimism, or if those are really just the same thing, but perhaps this can be a building block for fixing a government that is less and less capable of providing for its citizens.

America needs a lot of things right now: we need to create jobs; we need to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in green energy; we need to reform education; and we need to cut spending/raise revenue (gas tax anyone?). Still all of this will be difficult if not impossible to achieve if we don't trust our government. So perhaps primarily, we need a government that can show people it has the ability to do it's job, legislate and govern.

Passing a bill to regulate food safety seems like an obvious and simple decision, but then again, so do a lot of things that we HAVEN'T done. Maybe this will be a first step in the direction of compromise. As much as I'm happy to live in a country in which people don't die from eating bad eggs, I'd also like to live in a country that is globally competitive, wealthy, strong and tolerant. Right now, I live in that country, but if I want to stay there, it's going to fall on our government to make tough decisions and legislate responsibly. Because even though I'm not going anywhere, America may be, that somewhere just may be the wrong direction.

Congratulations Congress, on ensuring that our spinach is safe. Now could you kindly sit down together again and start to fix our nation's troubles?

White America

Is old and on the way out, soon to be replaced by a younger and somewhat less white version of itself. This isn't new or surprising information, but it is very relevant to our great nation's off-white future.

America - in this amateur historian's opinion - has never been a "white country." But even ifAmerica was, at its founding, a white nation, it certainly isn't now, it hasn't been in quite a while and it's only getting less and less white as the days go by.

So what? Why is this important? Who besides the Tea Party and the Islamophobes cares about how light or dark America is? We all should because if America is to remain the world's economic and moral leader, we can't let our policies and laws be dictated by fear.

Consider for example that America has always been a beacon of opportunity and freedom. The world's oppressed have looked to us when desperate; the world's intellects have looked to us when curious; the world's entrepreneurial have looked to us when feeling entrepreneurial. This is America, land of the free, home of the brave, country of the world's best and brightest. Our country has never (permanently) closed its doors, its heart or its mind to others.

And we won't now, but today's challenges are new. The recession, 9/11 and the never-ending spew of information brought to us by the internet have made many people retreat further into a xenophobic shell. Policy is affected, and America's greatest strength - our ability to attract and absorb the world's best and brightest - is turned into a weapon against us.

Arizona's law, while it will probably have a minimal impact, sends the message that America's doors are closed and we blame others, non-white others, for our problems. As the nation grows more and more diverse, we must live and work together to exploit everyone's strengths. The rhetoric of hatred meanwhile, will isolate and polarize an already dysfunctional government, leading to blocs of regional or other special interest groups competing with one another rather than focusing on the good of the country.

If you don't think this has already started to happen, you need only look again at Arizona's outdated fear-fueled immigration law, or the opposition to the not-mosque at almost-Ground Zero. We push each other away. White America is old, slightly darker America is young. Slightly darker America has the world and the future ahead of it. If only we could learn to embrace the similarities rather than fear the differences.

It's time to stop wishing for this and start doing it. White America, if there ever was such a thing, is gone. Burning Qu'rans, spreading lies about mosques and shipping people out in cuffs is not going to make America better. It's going to make America more polarized. And we can't afford that, but even more importantly, we can't send the message that America doesn't want you because of your skin color, or your god, or your beliefs. America does want you, because no matter where you come from, you've helped build the greatest country in the world. And if we want to keep building, we're going to need your help. So come on white people, brown people, purple people and green. Come on Christians, Muslims, Atheists and Hindus. Keep coming. This is America, there's room for you. You want the same things I do, a good job, a good life, and a safe and prosperous country. Let's build it.

Balancing a Bowles-Simpson Budget

So these two guys lead a "deficit commission" that has just recently published ideas for cutting the deficit. Most people agree cutting the deficit is a good idea. Many people disagree about the best way to do it. Some want to let tax cuts expire, others want to extend them forever and ever.

Many think we should stop spending, but no one really seems to know what we should stop spending on...there's a lot of talk about this BIG idea, but there are few, if any concrete steps for what should be done. Enter Bowles and Simpson, two guys I admittedly knew nothing about before this process. I admittedly know almost nothing about them now. But they've got this idea for cutting the deficit. It involves raising some taxes, cutting others, slashing spending by reforming Social Security, spending less on the military, etc, etc, etc.

The report is immediately rejected by both sides. Democrats are against cuts to the welfare state, Republicans abhor raising taxes. The American government continues to work against the American people who have now been denied an economic recovery because of Republican obstructionism and are currently being denied a balanced budget. What to do, what to do, what to do.

The truth is, this is a sticky ideological argument. Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security and other aspects of the welfare state. These cuts have to happen. The retirement age needs to be raised, at least for part of the population, benefits for public service unions must absolutely be curbed. Republicans think the best way to cut a deficit is to deny the government 4 trillion dollars worth of income. I don't even need to explain the flaw in that thinking. In fact just today, one James Pinkerton of Faux News wrote an opinion piece on why tax cuts will spur economic growth. Pinkerton may have a point, but he wants us to do math without numbers. It's hard to come up with a plan for reducing a large number that doesn't factor in other numbers. Furthermore, Pinkerton's plan that calls for dynamic growth - like many Republican plans - ignores the fact that there are 300 million people in America, dynamic growth isn't going to happen unless we get all of them involved. Problematically, Democratic plans to do just that have been expensive and relatively ineffective.

So what do we do about this deficit. Without having read the Bowles-Simpson plan in its entirety, I'd say there are some solid first steps. A combination of tax cuts and tax hikes are necessary. Again, I mention a gas tax. The government would make a boatload of money and simultaneously encourage innovation and development in a field that is begging for both. On the flip side, taxes for corporations and businesses should fall. People do need to be encouraged to spend and invest. Is this really such a stretch for liberals and conservatives to agree on...really?

And while Democrats are being unrealistic about reforming Social Security, Republicans are just as unrealistic about defense spending. How about this, we raise the retirement age a year or two for all people making more than $X, and at the same time, we cut back on the number of nuclear missiles we maintain. Hell, we're not shooting them at anyone. Why hoard food if you're not going to eat it? Could we compromise here? Could we scale back spending on traditional military gear and encourage innovation by investing in new technologies? Technologies that - like the space race - might have positive spinoffs for all Americans? There you go James Pinkerton. That's dynamic.

And what about taxes? Is it really good to make permanent temporary tax cuts that will cost us 4 trillion dollars? Is that really a good idea? Could we not compromise and agree to extend them for a few years in order to help the economy recover with the goal of letting them lapse then to raise revenue? Is that totally unacceptable? Why do things that seem so easy and simple turn out to be politically impossible? Are we THAT shortsighted?

So as we keep the Simpson-Bowles report in mind, we need to remember a few important things. The Pinkerton hypocrisy - that we can encourage dynamic growth while investing in only a portion of the population - is unrealistic. Similarly, the Democratic idea that we can't cut into a safety net that has plenty of holes anyhow is unsustainable. So we're left with an unrealistic extreme vs. an unsustainable extreme. And yet we can find no middle ground. One side refuses to acknowledge that you can't cut a deficit without slowing spending, and the other side refuses to acknowledge that you can't cut a deficit without increasing revenue.

And so here we are, with a deficit commission report that asks both sides to take a step towards the center, and what do they do? Run from each other. America needs our leaders to put their best foot (and their brains) forward. Now would be the time to do that. If they do, we'll make progress. If not we'll be paying public service unions with tax revenue we're not collecting.

Killers in the Capitol

The title of this post may lead you to believe that death panel bureaucrats are setting up shop in DC. But no, this is something far worse than death panels. I'm talking about actual terrorists. That's right, not imaginary killers, real ones!

According to a groundbreaking report on Fox News, there are terrorists IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING!! I can't believe this is happening right under our noses. I'm disgusted. This is worse than the not-mosque that is not-quite-at Ground Zero. The ignominy of it all! For shame America.

The real problem here is that Fox, like much of the American conservative movement is shackled to the past. News flash for the news station, the Red Scare is over, there is no reason to bring it back. Yes, there are some bad people out there. Yes some of them are Muslim. No we don't need to fear all of them. No they're not infiltrating our schools, our communities and our government. In fact, what the Muslim terrorists are most guilty of, is hijacking our imaginations. I know, I know, South Park beat me to the punch, but seriously, can we get over this? There are a billion Muslims! A billion! If they were really trying to infiltrate our country and "take us over" or whatever these idiots on Fox believe, don't you think they would have done a better job? Or do we believe that even though there are 3 Muslims for every 1 American (some of whom are Muslim) that they're just too incompetent to get the job done? What's going on here people? Can we really not distinguish the bad guys from the 999 million other Muslims?

The best part of this whole non-story? One guy's comment about how people would understand the danger if they were independent thinkers instead of being part of the commie collective. Yeah, that's the problem, I can't think for myself. I'm too busy being terrified of Muslims because Fox says some of them pray in the Capitol Building.

Fear is a powerful weapon and it's being wielded deftly by the political right to further an agenda of...of I don't even know what. Maybe these people are just scared. I can't imagine Murdoch, slimy though he may be, is dumb enough to sit around all day scared of his shadow because of the Muslims. Maybe for Murdoch it's a simple money game. People pay to be scared. I pay to see horror movies, some people pay to fear Muslims. Whatever the reason Fox spews this kind of poison, and whatever the reason some conservative politicians embrace it, it's deadly for America. The world is a little place. Believe it or not, you can actually build a bomb out of a toner cartridge and have it airmailed from Yemen to America. You think doing our best to isolate Muslims is going to discourage the crazies from doing that kind of thing? Or maybe our violent rhetoric just reaffirms their views and pushes more people into their camp.

All I know is that there are Muslims praying in the Capitol and I find that absolutely unacceptable. No one should be praying in the Capitol. Church and State should be separate. But that's an issue for another day. In the meantime, I have Muslims to be scared of...yikes!

Green Prosperity

Between 2010 and 2035, the world is going to use 33% more energy than we do now. That number is going to increase even more as the population and standard of living worldwide also increase.

According to the this estimate, most of the world's energy demand will still be met by fossil fuels. I respectfully disagree. The filth of fossil fuels coupled with the untapped potential of clean energy makes it a near impossibility that the world won't make the transition from coal and oil to the sun and the wind.

When this happens, and it's only a matter of when, not an if, will America be the country leading the world forward or the country sitting on the sidelines. I'm still banking on the former, but the time to act is now. It's a relatively short period of time, 25 years, but if America is willing to take the appropriate steps, it's more than enough time for a fledgling alternative energy industry to blossom.

I want a gas tax - it keeps money out of the hands of terrorists anyhow. I want subsidies and tax breaks for companies investing and producing alternative energy products. I want a tax on carbon emissions. I want all these things because I want America to be the world's best in 2050 just like we were in 1950. I want these things because I want to live in a prosperous country and a clean world. There's a way forward that's visible even in the future haze of pollution. We know what needs to happen, it's all a matter of taking the necessary steps. If we do, we'll usher in an era of green prosperity that will benefit all Americans.

Now the question is, do we have the fortitude to do it?

Moving forward, looking back

Midterm elections are usually bad for the party in power. That's what people like me are telling themselves after "an historic day" for Republicans. Sure, it's true, midterms are bad for the power-wielding party, and Democrats were easy targets since there were very few Republicans in either branch of Congress on whom voters could focus their ire.

So the House of Representatives will be filled with a number of freshman Republicans just as it was filled with a number of freshman Democrats two years ago. As an American, I'm doing my best to be optimistic. Maybe the two sides will find a way to cooperate and enact the kind of policies that will promote economic and social growth. Maybe.

What I fear most isn't a return to the 1950's; there's no way Republicans will be able to repeal healthcare and there's no way the Tea Party will have enough influence to handcuff us to their vision of the yeoman farmer. What I fear most is a failure to move forward, because too many of the people we elected yesterday are looking back. No, they won't be able to actually move us backwards, but they may very well be able to prevent us from moving forward, a scary prospect when you consider that China is leapfrogging every obstacle in their way to supplanting us as the world's leading power.

The American government can't afford not to function, and given that it's hardly functioned for the last year, yesterday's results are worrisome.

Aside from hoping for a reversal of fortunes in 2012, here's what I'm looking for from the government between now and then:

1) A commitment to rebuilding the economy. Well duh. That's what all the anger in this election was about anyhow. It's the economy stupid, never forget that. But Democrats and Republicans are at odds about how to do that. Some ideas. Extend the Bush tax cuts for two years. Yeah, it costs the government some money at a time when most people think they're spending too much, but getting out of the recession is much more important than getting out of debt. One logically follows as a result of the other. Both sides could get on board with this.

Tax gas even more. Yes, I said it, raise gas taxes. It works like this: we're making the Earth dirty and we're not investing in the technology of the future. Let's make revenue with a gas tax while simultaneously spurring green innovation in a realm which Mr. Obama saved (at a profit to the government) from complete extinction. The auto industry is revived and well and is one industry which could expand hiring, innovation and profits. Why not do this? Maybe because Republicans loathe taxes, but this makes a lot of sense. Perhaps if it were offset by tax breaks for companies that invest in alternative energy...

2) A commitment to improving healthcare. All this talk of repeal is bunk and Republicans know it. Even with a majority in the House, they can't make it happen. BUT, the new healthcare isn't perfect, and it can be reformed. Republicans already have some good ideas about how to do this, most notably with tort reform which will drive down the cost of malpractice insurance, thus eliminating the practice of performing unnecessary tests so as to not get sued.

3) A commitment to stability and accountability. Americans were and are pissed about the bailouts even though they were necessary and ultimately, cost next to nothing (perhaps even making money). Nevertheless, we don't want to be on the hook for bailing out banks and finance companies when they are irresponsible. Voter anger on these issue may have been unfocused and misguided, but it's real and it's legitimate. I don't want to have to bail out the banks ever again. I want a system that is stable, politically and economically, and I want the people running it to be held accountable for their actions. I think Democrats, Republicans, and most importantly, the American people, can all agree on that.

So in my opinion, we've taken a step in the wrong direction, but this is America and Republicans aren't stupid. The American public wants results and the onus is on both parties to deliver. Maybe these elections will serve as a wake-up call to everyone involved, and we can start enacting policy to put America back on the path it's been on for the last century, the path of the world's economic and social leader.

Go Vote

America needs you today. It's not any secret who I want you to vote for, but it's important that you get off the couch, step away from work and VOTE! Today, Americans will decide if they want to stay on the difficult path to the future or do a 180 and scamper back to the safety of the 1950s. I fear that too many will choose the latter, but if enough people turn out, we could stem the tide of lies and fear-mongering and keep America focused on our bright future.

Every election, Americans must make choices. And rarely are they as black and white as they are portrayed. Republican candidates and the Republican party have some good ideas for fixing our country. They also have a lot of bad ones, and worse, they're willing to scare you into believing that the best thing for our country is to run away from the future and hide in a fog of nostalgia.

Though it's easy to find safety in the way things were, we can't live in the past. Americans must look forwards, not backwards. It's a sign of fearfulness to be constantly looking over one's shoulder. America is not a country of fear, it's a country of hope. The future is bright, but we must make sure that the people we select to lead us into that future actually want to go there. Because if we pick the people who would rather pine for the 1950s, or worse, the 1790s than look forward to the 2020s then we'll find ourselves living in the shadows of our former greatness.

A vote for healthcare is a vote for you

You've heard about the government TAKEOVER of healthcare...er, I mean the new healthcare law? If there's one thing that irks me, it's the government sticking its nose where it doesn't belong and taking over private industries. If there are other things that irk me, it's lies about healthcare laws and insurance companies who take my money when I'm healthy and then refuse to give it back to me when I'm sick.

With elections nearing, I need to decide what irks me more. This is actually an easy decision since one of the things that bothers me didn't actually happen. Claiming the government took over healthcare is the like claiming that guns don't kill people...

But seriously, let's re-examine healthcare, a law that is by no means perfect. In fact just, last weekend a friend explained to me that his company would be scaling back his healthcare plan to avoid taxes. Flaw. The admirable thing about this? My friend still supported the law because it would help others. That's a real American right there, and only with that attitude -not the cult-of-me, credit card culture that too many of us are addicted to - will we move forward.

But what about all the GOOD things that the healthcare law does? If my friend is going to have his coverage scaled back, but he still supports the law, then it has to benefit someone somehow, right?

What does this government takeover offer us? How about the fact that insurance companies are no longer allowed to steal from people? And yes, stealing is what insurance companies have been allowed to do. Raise your hand if you want to pay an insurance company every month and then have them drop your coverage when you get sick. In what world is that right, fair, or moral? It's actually disgraceful that we made it all the way to 2010 with that being allowed. How about pre-existing conditions, especially for children? Have a baby born with an illness? Tough luck. Does that sound right? Not to me, but for years, insurance companies have been allowed to tell parents that. Not anymore.

Now, it's all well and good to argue morality, but there is something more to this argument...MONEY. Because I'm all for people with pre-existing conditions having insurance, but someone has to pay for it. In America, healthcare is a right. If you don't believe me, you can go to your local emergency room and read the sign on the wall that says no one can be denied care based on their ability to pay.

The problem of course, is that healthcare is expensive. If it's a right, we need a way to pay for it. Problematically, when individuals without health insurance receive healthcare. Even more problematically, most people without insurance delay or avoid going to the doctor until they absolutely have to, meaning that they don't get cheaper, preventative care, they get expensive emergency care. When this happens, Uncle Sam foots the bill. When Uncle Sam pays, we pay. So if healthcare is a right, then health insurance needs to be a right, or according to the new law, a mandate. We're giving away services. It's unaffordable. The new law addresses that problem, and in doing so, saves us all a lot of money.

If you don't think healthcare is a right, then you should be upset about the new law, but if you agree with the government and think that all people deserve healthcare, then this law is for you...and me...and all Americans, because it ensures that we will all have insurance and that we won't bankrupt the government by paying for it

So I know the pressure is on politicians when it comes to healthcare, but my question is for the people who voted against the new law, and that question is simple: why are you opposing a cost saving measure that helps America and Americans?

Climate Change?

Not according to Norman Dennison, a nobody who founded a local Tea Party branch in Indiana. "It's a flat-out lie," Dennison claimed, "I read my bible, He made this earth for us to utilize."

Fantastic, global warming isn't real because it's not in the bible. If you were on the fence about climate change, there's all the evidence you need. Of course, it doesn't matter why you don't believe in climate change, the fact that you don't means you're ignorant. That word is often synonymous with danger, as is certainly the case when discussing climate change.

It won't surprise you to find out that denying climate change is a pillar of faith for the Tea Party. The Tea Party has the ability to find itself on the wrong side of almost every argument, an impressive feat. However the anti-climate change demagoguery isn't limited to Tea Partiers, and the danger that line of thinking presents should scare all Americans.

As I've mentioned dozens of times, and as all intelligent people recognize, and as scientific evidence shows, the Earth is getting warmer. There are going to be severe consequences if we don't fix that problem. I don't expect the world to end tomorrow, but as populations and standards of living worldwide increase simultaneously, we're going to put more of a strain on our resources, and more of a strain on Mama Planet.

As a species, we'll find a way to fix the problem before we kill ourselves off - although we may significantly thin the planet's biodiversity before that happens - but America is going to find itself in a new and uncomfortable spot on the world stage if we don't accept climate change and embrace alternate and green energy technologies.

If not then we'll continue to fall further and further behind China and even the stagnant and fading EU, which isn't really either of those things. The world's mightiest power and greatest country is allowing a handful of idiots backed by hundreds of millions of special interest dollars to handcuff us to to oil and coal.

And as long as we stay the course we'll sit idly by and watch the world get dirtier, and then proceed to get cleaner as people begin to buy their solar panels, wind turbines and bullet trains from China, Japan and Germany. We'll sit stubbornly in our SUVs and deny that there was ever a problem, and we'll wonder why the dynamic American economy can't keep pace with it's competitors. We're making all the wrong decisions today, and it's going to bite us on the butt tomorrow.

But fear not, Lisa Deaton, another Tea Party nut has some words of encouragement, "They're trying to use global warming against the people, it takes away our liberty." (Note to the reader, interpret that statement at your own risk).

Deaton continues, "Being a strong Christian, I cannot help but believe the Lord placed a lot of minerals in our country and it's not there to destroy us." (Note to the reader, THESE are the people against climate change!)

Don't worry, America, if God is for us, who can be against us...how about Mother Nature and the economies of China and the EU? Oh, and the Tea Party.

Out of control spending

The federal government is spending at an out of control level and I'm sick of it. I don't want to bankrupt future generations with spending today. I don't want to pay higher taxes to support egregious spending. And in a few weeks I'm going to the polls to make my voice heard.

And that's why I'll be voting for a Democrat.

Fact: There has been a huge uptick in federal spending in the last decade.

Fact: The vast majority of the budget deficit now staring Americans in the face was created by Republicans.

Fact: Republican plans to reduce the budget are A) virtually non-existant and B) woefully ineffective

A few key things you should know. Between 2000 and 2006 Republicans added far more to the federal deficit than Democrats have since then. The cost of healthcare and the stimulus doesn't come close to touching the damage done by tax cuts and two wars.

The 1.1 trillion dollar Medicare prescription drug plan passed by Republicans in 2003 (yes, more than the stimulus and more than healthcare) will add more to the deficit than healthcare, the stimulus and bailouts combined.

Republicans calls to permanently extend all Bush era tax cuts would cost the country nearly four trillion dollars over the next decade. Additionally, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office ranked that proposal as the 11th most effective way to encourage economic growth. There were 11 choices. It's costly and it's pointless (as anyone who understand "trickle down" economics could have told you).

Furthermore, the Republican plan will add 4 trillion dollars to the US deficit. Contrast that to the 3 trillion dollars that President Obama's plan will add. Both numbers are high, one is higher. Whose got the best plan for our future? Who has the ONLY plan for our future?

The fact of the matter is simple. In order to reduce the deficit we'd have to significantly cut a handful of programs that comprise nearly all federal spending. Those programs include Medicare, Social Security and military spending. All three are virtually off-limits unless we as Americans are willing to make some tough choices. In all probability, we won't. If we choose not to cut spending in those realms then we will need to reduce the deficit by spurring economic growth.

So when you go to the polls in two weeks, remember which party turned Bill Clinton's surplus into George Bush's deficit. Remember who started two wars while simultaneously eliminating the government's ability to fund either. Remember which party gave us a healthcare law that will SAVE the country 100 billion dollars.

And most importantly remember which party has a plan for our future. One party still advocates for the tried and untrue policy of trickle down economics. One party wants to invest in green energy. Do you know which is which? The Republican party is fresh on outdated rhetoric but fresh out of new ideas. Keep that in mind when you make your choice for America's future.

Sunshine on a cloudy day

Actually, I got wind power on a cloudy day, and it is cloudy...rainy actually, and windy. Just the kind of day that makes me want to celebrate a "350-mile underwater spine" (how cool does that sound!?) that would allow electricity generated by offshore wind farms to be transmitted up and down the eastern seaboard!

I'm giddy. Seriously. The project, which will be funded mostly by Google and Good Energies, would be a serious leap forward for America in a realm in which we have a lot of work to do. Imagine the possibility of the entire east coast being powered by offshore wind farms. T. Boone Pickens must be beside himself with delight. I hope this opens the door even further for him. Imagine an America in which the east coast and the midwest are powered by wind! This is exciting. This is a step in the right direction. This is America doing what has made us the greatest country in the world, opening our arms, our hearts and our minds to new ideas. Being innovators who push the world forward. This project represents the America I believe in, an America that is going to be at the forefront of making the world the best place it can be.

Perhaps just as importantly for a country facing political gridlock, this project is finding advocates among the Democratic and Republican governors along the Atlantic coast. If only our national politicians could find a way to agree on projects to better our country like our state officials can.

While this project faces some bureaucratic and financial hurdles, the idea is too good, too awesome to pass up. Despite some hiccups recently, and a dim view of next month's elections, Americans are doing what we've always done, great things. The wind's at our backs and we're moving in the right direction. America got better today. Smile about it.

The No Party System

It's no secret that I think the Republican party is holding America back. Actually, think is a soft word. It's no secret that the Republican party IS holding America back.

But America has a bigger problem...the No Party System. Frankly, politics in Americas just isn't fun. There are a lot of parties on election night, but there aren't any afterwards. The two party system seems dead, it's officially been replaced by the no party system. No party system = no fun in America.

What happened to the days when politicians could cooperate? Did those days even actually exist? Was there a day when politicians placed people over poll results? If there was, it's long gone. The good of the American people is being sacrificed at the altar of politics; it's disturbing, it's bad for America, and it's just no fun.

Who deserves the blame? Even I refuse to put this squarely on the shoulders of Republicans; Democrats are just as much in the wrong. It seems that politicians from both parties wake up in the morning and read the daily polls rather than the daily papers. If they were reading the papers, they'd know that America need their help, not their posturing.

But if politicians are to blame for listening to the polls and not paying attention to the problems, don't the people who make the polls deserve much of the blame as well? For all the amazing things communications technology has given us, it has put an opinion in our living room 24/7. Regardless of whether one agrees with that opinion, it's always there...talking...talking...screaming...ranting...suggesting...provoking. Maybe it would be best if we turned the pundits off for a bit and thought about issues for ourselves. Perhaps the invasion of ideas coming through our television isn't making us smarter, it's making us less capable of thinking for ourselves. Maybe I'm partially responsible. I spend a lot of time bashing Republicans and not as much time offering solutions.

I'm going to offer one now. Turn of CNN, turn off Fox, turn off MSNBC, and turn on your brain. The more we think about our problems the more we'll see that they're going to take a lot of hard work to fix. We need to give our politicians time out of the spotlight to debate the merits of each point of view and come to a consensus. That's the whole point. Instead of giving these people time do their jobs, we're giving them a poll that tells them how much we disapprove of the job their not really doing. Why are they doing that job? Because they're too worried about the polls. It's a vicious cycle.

America is the world's greatest nation, but that doesn't exempt us from trying times. The current times are trying, and to find our way, we're going to need to give our elected officials time. We need to let them know that we expect them to legislate and lead, not posture and politic. No poll is going to make America better, but smart policies will.

What about the future?

Apparently, there is "a wave of anti-incumbency" sweeping across our nation. Every day Americans are upset with our elected officials. They've failed to deliver. The nation is in debt, we're nine years deep in a war that we may or may not be winning, unemployment is high, and Americans are frustrated.

The response has been to take that frustration out on the people currently in office. Some of those people have been in office for a very long time, others are relatively new. Doesn't seem to matter, they gotta go either way.

There is some logic to this. When people do one thing for too long they can easily become complacent. Perhaps they've forgotten what they're supposed to be doing and take it for granted that political longevity is the product of outstanding public service. Lately, many people have suggested term limits, which I happen to think is an excellent idea. It's good to get some new blood into the government occasionally. Even the Tea Party is right about this, the one thing they have in common with our founding fathers is a fear of the king.

But there's another side to this story. As Americans, we're accustomed to success. We're a nation founded on success, and our history, with perhaps a few blips here and there has been one success after another. But do we take this success for granted and do we expect it too quickly? Take for example, America's current predicament. We're mired in a mess eight years in the making. Though President Bush wasn't quite as awful as he may have seemed when he was actually running the show, he left us in a bad spot. During his eight years, Bush led us into two wars, both of which lasted longer than his term. He took the unprecedented step of cutting taxes during a war, let alone two wars. And he did next to nothing to put America on a path towards a sustainable economy. All those mishaps took Bush eight years. But we want results from Obama in the Democrats in two? We've given the man three months of fix-it time for every year of disaster we gave the last guy. Buy Obama now, he's selling for 25 cents on the dollar.

Perhaps, when we're thinking about term limits, we should also think about term length. Our impatience is going to catch up to us. Because we're so accustomed to success, we expect it quickly, more quickly than is realistic. The end result is that we may end up undoing all the good that Obama HAS done in his two years. If we decide that Democrats have failed to deliver (an unrealistic assumption given the massive problems they inherited and the short amount of time they've had), we'll re-elect Republicans and in doing so, we'll mortgage our future. There isn't a magic bullet to solve our problems. Real problems take time to fix. Our nations faces real problems. We gave Republicans eight years to create those problems. Let's give Democrats at least four to fix them.

And in general, let's be more patient. John F. Kennedy once said, "we do this not because it is easy, but because it is hard." It's time we took a long, hard look in the mirror and realized that those words reflect America's greatness. JFK set us on the path for a long, hard trip to the moon. A trip well worth it. It's now time for America's long, hard trip out of recession, out of debt, and out of war.

Let's make America better today by being patient and having the foresight to think about America's greatness in the next decade, not just the current one. Let's give solutions time to work, and let's remember that fresh faces in our government are a good thing, but not so often that the old ones haven't had time to become that old.

Revisiting TARP

TARP, a simple four letter acronym with not important implications politically and economically. Most Americans hate the word, it reminds us of how a bunch of rich guys got even richer by taking advantage of us, and then when they took it too far, they took even more of our money to keep themselves from going under.

Did the people who got us into this mess - most notably the bankers - deserve our charity? Absolutely not, although it remains to be seen if the new financial regulatory law will make any real changes (count me as a skeptic). But the sad truth is that even though the bankers didn't deserve our help, we had to help them, because if we hadn't things would be so much worse for the rest of us.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Both Presidents Bush and Obama deserve credit for their respective bailouts of the financial and auto industries. The $700 billion they spent saving those industries is an unpopular figure that is responsible for a lot of the red ink people are so frustrated about...except that notion needs revisiting. According to the most recent reports, TARP is going to cost taxpayers about $50 billion, and may even MAKE money.

Hold up. TARP could MAKE money? I need to hear it again, TARP could make money.

I'm struggling to believe it, but it might happen. But even if it doesn't perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on what $50 billion bought us. For $50 billion, we stopped the country from falling into a 2nd Great Depression. Actually, we probably prevented the world from slipping into a 2nd Great Depression.

Q: When the economy is shrinking, what do we need to do to reverse course?

A: Create jobs

Q: Where does much of the money for job creation come from?

A: Banks

Q: What do you do when big banks fail?

A: ...

TARP was an unfortunate necessity. $50 billion isn't chump change, but it's a small price to pay to avoid a worldwide financial meltdown. It's possible, if not probable that had Bush and Obama not spent that money, we'd be lambasting them for not doing enough.

The larger point here is this. It's been vogue lately to trash the government. It's too big; the elected officials compromise an elite that is out of touch with the rest of us; etc. I spend my fair share of time trashing the government too, albeit, usually for different reasons.

But the recent news on TARP should make us pause. Big government may not be the answer to all the nation's problems, but $700 billion, excuse me $50 billion worth of big government went a long way towards saving our country from an awful depression. It took two years, but two years isn't that long of a time. In fact, two years isn't a long time at all.

I wonder, what our government could do if they had a little bit of time and we were a little bit more patient. If America's leaders can prevent a worldwide economic depression for $50 billion, I bet there's a lot more they can do if we let them try.

Dumbing down America

Want a fistful of irony? I got it for you, served up by Fauxnews and the NY Times. Check out these competing articles on Islam from Fox, and on Americans' knowledge of religion from the Times.

In a recent survey, many Americans, especially American Christians, were ignorant of some of the finer points of their religion. This surprises me somewhat. The poll's other finding, that many American Christians are even more ignorant of world religions, does not.

So what is America doing to rectify this problem? After all, wouldn't it be best if we knew more about the views espoused by the people we are fighting in Afghanistan, the people from whom we buy our billions of dollars worth of oil, the people who are building a Community Center almost at Ground Zero? Shouldn't we know about Islam, and for that matter, if our founding fathers meant for this to be a Christian nation with Christina values, shouldn't we know a little bit more about Christianity as well?

Enter Texas. I've had some choice words for Texas in the last few months based on their attempts to construe American history as a triumph of Conservative Christina values. The plans they rolled out for the American History textbooks championed the views of Phyllis Schlafly, "“It is long overdue for parents to realize they have the right and duty to protect our children against the intolerant evolutionists.”

Those textbook makers now want to exclude Islam from Texans' education. Rather than understand the views of the radical Muslims we're fighting in the "war on terror," the beliefes of those constructing a "Mosque" (what goes on in those things?) in the vicinity of Ground Zero, and perhaps just understanding the views of 1/6 of the world's population, Texas wants to...dumb us down. Why bother understanding? We're right, they're wrong. It's that easy. Enough with the over-Islamization of our history, this is America, a good Christian country. Problem is, we don't know what it means to be Christian either.

Our ultra-conservative founding fathers

If you follow politics you’ve probably heard about one of my favorite groups, the Tea Party. The ultra-conservative group validates itself by forging strong bonds with our ultra-conservative founding fathers, and the two groups do have something in common, both come from the late 18^th century. The ultra-conservative group validates itself by attempting to align itself with our founding fathers, and the two groups do have something in common--- both come from the late 18^th century. Despite its historical-based name and the fondness for colonial period apparel, the Tea Party bills itself as the group faithful to the constitutional ideals of our founders.

False.

The Tea Party wants us to return to our nation's roots, but those roots aren’t as ultra-conservative as they’d like you to believe. For starters, our founding fathers were crazy radicals trying some new political experiment. It was a good experiment, but far from preserving the status quo they were doing their best to run from it, king and all. This group of people established a truly new form of government. They wrote a document that was the first of its kind, and they laid the framework for a country the likes of which the world had never seen.

Unlike the Tea Party, the founding fathers were looking forward. The document they wrote and the country they built was one facing the future, not the past. That the Tea Party's views align with our founding fathers only shows how far we have come as a country and how much harm the Tea Party could do to our great nation. It's not 1787 anymore, and the document that our founding fathers created needs to be, as it has been before, malleable enough to address the issues of the present and future.

For example, are terrorism suspects allowed to board airplanes? I don’t know. It's 1787 and the Constitution is silent on both the issue of airplanes and suicide bombers. What about heat-seeking missiles? Are those included in the arms that I’m allowed to keep and bear?

The Constitution as originally penned leaves something to be desired. Imagine a world in which African-Americans count as 3/5ths of a person, women aren’t allowed to vote, and guns are outlawed, the 2^nd amendment, of course, wasn’t part of the original document. Is it that world for which the Tea Party is waxing nostalgic?

The Constitution laid the groundwork for the greatest country that has ever existed, and must respect it. But we should remember that the men who wrote it were well ahead of their time, not far behind it. The Constitution is a living document, and those who would have it be rigid will find themselves living in 1787, a simpler time before the problems of the 21st century, and without the means to address those problems.

Apologies to the Tea Party

So I apologize to Tea Partiers nationwide. I was wrong about you. Based on the ideas you espouse I was sure you hated America and were actively seeking to send us back in time, perhaps to circa 1790.

I was mistaken. During Tuesday's primaries, and really throughout the whole primary season, you have shown your devotion to America by nominating true idiots. With any luck, you will have achieved my goal of improving our country by making it possible for Democrats to maintain a majority in the Senate (and hopefully the House as well). Thank you Tea Party. Thank you for Rand Paul, thank you for "mama grizzly" (only in the vapid world of Sarah Palin could that ever be construed as an endorsement) Christine O'Donnell. Thank you. Maybe some of your candidates win in November, and if so, America will suffer for six years because of it, but it's clear that by electing people who previously worked for the peanut gallery, you have done what's in America's best interest, given Democrats a chance in November.

And for that, I am grateful. Great work "mama grizzly," we'll see you in November.