Redeye's Interesting Reads and Rants for Interesting Times

This is not the Effing Hope and Change I worked for, donated to and voted for. How many @#!% jobs did the Bush tax cut for the rich create? ZERO. ZILCH. NADA. So why the heck is Bush, I mean Obama extending them for two more years? Are we not supposed to notice the Bush tax cuts are extended for two years, but unemployment insurance is only extended for 13 months? Former President Bill Clinton tried to tell us the Obama story was a fairy tail..of course the media we have twisted it into him playing the @#$ race card taking the focus off of the substance of his remarks.

During a December taping with PBS's Charlie Rose, a frustrated Clinton called Obama "a roll of the dice," as aides tried to end the interview. Then, in New Hampshire, he argued angrily that the story of Obama's principled position on the Iraq War was a "fairy tale," a charge few reporters bought. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the top-ranking African-American in Congress and officially neutral, found Clinton's tone insulting and said so publicly.

I don't feel sorry for President Obama, I feel sorry for the American people.

Only fools should feel sorry for Obama as he prepares for a Republican-led House and weakened Democratic control of the Senate. This is Obama’s “comfort zone,” where he can continue to woo Republicans to join his grand center-right coalition. The only people Obama has no tolerance for are liberalish Democrats, who will emerge relatively stronger in the new Congress thanks to the decimation of Obama’s Republican-Lite friends in conservative Democratic ranks. By freezing federal wages, Obama signals that he has no philosophical problems with the GOP’s general aims.

To say I am disappointed in President Obama for compromising with the gop gangsters is an understatement. Like his Harvard buddy Artur Davis, he has ripped his drawers with me.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama said over and over that he was running to "put an end to the Bush-McCain philosophy." Campaigning in Colorado just days before the election, Obama clearly stated his opposition to Bush-era economic policies and ridiculed the idea that "we should give more and more to millionaires and billionaires and hope that it trickles down on everybody else. It’s a philosophy that gives tax breaks to wealthy CEOs and to corporations that ship jobs overseas while hundreds of thousands of jobs are disappearing here at home."

After months of breathless speculation 7th district Congress Critter elect Terri Sewell names Nichole Francis Reynolds as her Chief of Staff. I haven't been able to find out much information about Ms. Reynolds but I do know she is a native of Loraine Ohio, she is the former COS for OH-13 Congress Critter Betty Sutton and is a member of the populist caucus.

2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee 10 percent in 2008.

2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the The Alliance for Worker Freedom 0 percent in 2008.

2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 61 percent in 2008.

2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Lifetime 58 percent during their legislative career up until 2008.

2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to American Forest and Paper Association's position, Representative Sutton received a rating of 33 percent.

2007-2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Associated General Contractors of America 71 percent in 2007-2008.

2007-2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the International Warehouse Logistics Association 10 percent in 2007-2008.

2007-2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the National Association of Manufacturers 20 percent in 2007-2008.

2007-2008 In 2007-2008 National Federation of Independent Business gave Representative Sutton a rating of 56 in its 110th (2007-2008) Pre-Election Congressional Report.

2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to National Restaurant Association's position, Representative Sutton received a rating of 40.

2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to National Retail Federation's position, Representative Sutton received a rating of 20 percent.

2007-2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the National Small Business Association 69 percent in 2007-2008.

2007-2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association 70 percent in 2007-2008.

2007-2008 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association 70 percent in 2007-2008.

2007 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee 0 percent in 2007.

2007 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Consumer Alliance for Energy Security 0 percent in 2007.

2007 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the The Alliance for Worker Freedom 0 percent in 2007.

2007 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association 0 percent in 2007.

2007 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 55 percent in 2007.

1999-2000 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Ohio National Federation of Independent Business 25 percent in 1999-2000.

1995-1996 Representative Sutton supported the interests of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce 43 percent in 1995-1996.

This coupled with the fact Reynolds was the District Director for former DINO Congress Critter Harold Ford, Jr. doesn't bode well for the voters in the 7th district. And couldn't Sewell have found a qualified individual from her district/state as her COS? Terri Sewell said she wasn't going to be a rubber stamp for President Obama, well here is her chance. She can vote HELL to the NO on the extension of the Bush tax cuts since he doesn't expect rubber stamp fealty in exchange for his endorsement.

Redeye Reads and Rants over and out.... to be continued when I can type without cussing.

Fox News and Me, All Hate All the Time, UNfair and UNbalanced

If I ever doubted Fox News negative influence on our society I don't after today and the degree of the hate, lies and division in our country I don't after what happened to me today at a local Chevron Gas Station.

I frequent this particular Chevron station because they are one of the few full service gas stations. Meaning they pump your gas, check under your hood and wipe your windshield. Yeah you pay a little more, but when you're dressed to the nines heading to a function the last thing you want to do is pump gas. Today I decided to save a couple of pennies and pump my own gas, which meant I had to go inside to pay the attendant. Two women were inside watching television tuned to Fox News where the Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads were discussing, strike that, defending Juan William and bashing NPR for firing him because of his remarks about Muslims.

NPR has fired senior news analyst Juan Williams, who also appears as a commentator on Fox News, for comments about Muslims that Williams made in an appearance with Bill O’Reilly.

As Fox News reported it:

“I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country,” Williams told host Bill O’Reilly during a discussion on the dilemma between fighting jihadists and fears about average Muslims.

“But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they’re identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous,” Williams said.

The woman who swiped my card said, and I quote, "I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to sit next to a rag head on an airplane either."

I looked up from signing my receipt and we silently stared at each other for some long, uncomfortable seconds. I couldn't decide if I should say something or not. If I did say something what could I say? How I wish I could have made them take every drop of gasoline out of my tank. We continued to stare at each other without blinking. I finally broke the stare, politely said "Thank you" and left vowing never to spend another penny at that Chevron station again. I don't care if it's the last gas station on earth and it's pouring down raining and I'm about to run out of gas. I've notified my off spring and other immediate family members they are not to patronize the station either. The fact the woman felt comfortable making that comment to my face then daring me to say something about it speaks volumes about the state of race relations in this city, county, state and country. I won't get into the Juan Williams controversy, but the usual suspects wasted no time chiming in;

At Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government site, the headline is “Screw Free Speech, NPR Fires Juan Williams for Muslim Remarks.” Williams’ fellow Fox News contributor, Sarah Palin, just tweeted to the effect that “NPR defends 1st Amendment Right, but will fire u if u exercise it. Juan Williams: u got taste of Left’s hypocrisy, they screwed up firing you.”

The Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads scare me. They are predicting people who think like Andrew Breitbart and Sarah Palin are going to control Congress after the midterm elections. Let the polling pollsters tell it, the majority of the American people think the country is headed in the wrong direction. If they are right (no pun) and this is true. I weep for my city, my county, my state and my country.

Meanwhile Juan Williams is laughing all the way to the bank..

Even though he was fired from NPR, Juan Williams won't have to worry about keeping a roof over his head. The Los Angeles Times reported that Fox News has signed Williams to a new, three-year, $2 million contract. He will have an expanded role on the network and will write a column for FoxNews.com.

Bill Reilly and Newt Gingrich are calling on congress to investigate NPR. Ain't that a dip?

NPR is facing a storm of criticism for its decision to fire Juan Williams after his comments about Muslims on Fox News, with several prominent conservatives calling for NPR's government funding to be cut and refusing to appear on the network anymore.

Speaking on Fox News, both Bill Reilly and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called for Congress to investigate NPR and cut its government funding in the wake of Juan Williams' firing from the organization.

Faux News, we distort what you decide.
Lord help us.
Turn off Fox!
VOTE!

Redeye's Week In Review

Artur Davis, I mean Terri Sewell is the democratic congressional nominee from the 7th district. She was quoting Shirley Chisholm on Wednesday and announcing she wasn't going to be a rubber stamp for President Obama on Thursday. Now we see why Emily's list was so *ahem* invested in 7th district congressional race. If the republicans were smart, and I'm not saying they are, they would run a social liberal, fiscal conservative candidate against Sewell in the fall and take a "safe" democratic seat. But why should they bother to run a candidate when they have Artur, I mean Sewell? I wonder if Sewell is going to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker of the house? Naahhh. This is messed up on too many levels to enumerate. The voters in the 7th district don't deserve this. If the Alabama democratic party were courageous, and I'm not saying they are, they would run a real democrat as an independent in the fall. With democratic nominees like Sewell who needs republicans?

Speaking of Artur Davis, he's exhibiting the learned helplessness democrats are famous for in Alabama.

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, praised Robert Bentley for his victory in Tuesday's runoff election and predicted the Republican Party nominee will be tough to beat in the general election.

With democrats like Davis who needs republicans?

Republicans and *ahem* progressive cats won't have Dr. Paul Hubbert to kick around anymore since he is stepping down as the State Party Vice Chair. He is public enemy #1 because he is an effective advocate for public schools, public school students, teachers, administrators and support staff. Dr. Joe L. Reed is public enemy#2 because he is responsible for "gerrymandering" them there black voting districts thanks to that there Voting Rights Act.

Districts with huge majorities of minority voters? Not good. Those are intended to actually dilute the effect of minorities at the voting booth and shouldn't be tolerated by anyone on the progressive side of the map.

With progressives like these who needs democrats.

The political career of Bradley Byrnes is over, thanks in large part to democrats and the AEA. Yep, those so called anti corruption, anti gambling corporate candidates crashed and burned. Schnauzer I join you and Mrs. Schnauzer in your childish delight

So we hope you will excuse our childish delight at the thumping corporate candidates have taken at the election box recently in Alabama. The battle for honest governance is far from over--in Alabama and beyond. But we must admit to feeling a tiny bit of vindication today--and even a sense of "up yours" to those who have soiled our democracy.

The NAACP called on the Tea Party Gang to reject the racist elements and found themselves under attack from the mainstream media. That's right (no pun), the organization that fights racism is under attack for exposing the racist elements of the Tea Party gang at the same time the media is doing everything but ironing the white sheets, lighting torches and getting the rope for Mel Gipson. So, how come the media, which is predominately white, gets to defend the Tea Party Movement, attacking the NAACP and convicting Mel Gipson? Who made them the arbiters of racism? This is the same media who painted anti war protesters as anti American, anti military, namby, pamby, tree huggers and Cindy Sheehan as a traitor because she dared ask why her son died in Iraq.

President Obama is cautiously optimistic the oil well gusher is plugged in the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans voted lock step against extending unemployment benefits and financial reform. The Tea Party candidates crashed and burned. And republicans still think think they are going to regain control of the government in November.

Ain't that a dip?