luvwith

luvwith 9 months ago

Hey Sobi.

How did you feel about sedition when we were out protesting the Iraq War and the Patriot Act?

luvwith 9 months ago

"Rush has more intelligence in his little finger than your supreme leader has in his lanky suit. Why don't you just try to hear what Rush is saying."

It's always interesting to see a blow-hard, right-winger talking about someone else's intelligence or education. Almost invariably there is some 3rd grade grammatical or spelling error in their drivel, like putting a period at the end of a question instead of a question mark.

OK, fine. It's petty. I'm no spelling bee champ or English major. It's cool. But if your going to criticize someone's lack of intelligence or make comparisons don't you kinda need to check for third grade punctuation errors to keep from making yourself look like a douche bag?

I'm just sayin'...

luvwith 9 months ago

Rush Limbaugh's new low

The puffy blowhards of right-wing radio had a love fest Wednesday night, just before President Obama's historic speech to the Muslim world from Cairo University. Rush Limbaugh and his fanboy Sean Hannity fumed that Obama is turning the U.S. socialist, and fascist, and that's not all:

"If al Qaeda wants to demolish the America we know and love, they better hurry, because Obama's beating them to it," Limbaugh told fanboy Hannity. And when Hannity tried to suggest naughty liberals had twisted Limbaugh's comments about hoping Obama fails, "which wasn't what you said," Limbaugh disagreed. “I don't hide from it. I do want and I still want Obama to fail... I define America succeeding by virtue of Obama failing. I love America!”

Got that? The most influential man in the Republican Party – Dick Cheney prefers him to retired Gen. Colin Powell – says the president is more destructive than the folks who killed almost 3,000 Americans on 9/11, and more before and after that date. And almost 24 hours later, not one Republican has called Limbaugh out for his remark.

Instead, they're lining up to find fault with Obama's faultless and inspiring Cairo speech. All over the right-wing Web the president is being criticized for this simple and accurate statement:

“Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared.”

Hot Air says that means Obama wants to turn Ronald Reagan's City on a Hill into a "Common Community on a Plain." Orange John Boehner is angry that Obama suggested Israel might have to compromise with Hamas. AEI's Danielle Pletka accused Obama of "the moral equivalency that denies right and wrong;" the omnipresent Liz Cheney likewise accused the president of "moral relativism." But those charges are somewhat less stupid than yesterday's flap over whether Obama called the U.S. a "Muslim nation," which of course he didn't (he merely told French media that the number of Muslims in America was equivalent to that of small Muslim nations.)

Still, even in that forest of ignorance, Limbaugh stands tall. It is impossible to imagine a liberal of Limbaugh's importance comparing George W. Bush to al-Qaeda and keeping his job. It's also hard not to compare Limbaugh's jihad against Obama to Bill O'Reilly's crusade against the late Dr. Tiller. The demonization of our president as more dangerous than al-Qaeda can't be good for the state of discourse and democracy, can it? Will any Republican leader stand up to him?

-- Joan Walsh

luvwith 9 months ago

Why Rush Limbaugh Should Be Charged With Treason

“I hope he fails.”
- Rush Limbaugh, when asked about his hopes for the Obama presidency, January 16th, 2009.

trea⋅son (from Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1998):

“The offense of attempting to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power; disloyalty; treachery.”

Oran’s Dictionary of the Law (1983) defines treason as: “…[a]…citizen’s actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation].”

The United States Constitution, Article III Section 3 delineates treason as follows:

“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”

As part of the media - with a dedicated following that surpasses the majority of “mainstream media” outlet viewerships in size and intensity - Rush Limbaugh is promoting disloyalty, treachery and injury to the nation by saying he wants Obama’s presidency to “fail.” As he often references on-air, Limbaugh is aware that enemies of the United States listen to his show on a regular basis. His statement that he hopes Obama fails as president essentially means he hopes the state of the country gets worse, which would give our enemies aid and comfort by increasing their morale and resolve to hasten our downfall.

By relentlessly encouraging division, fear and hatred for Obama’s presidency through demonstrably-effective brainwashing techniques(1), Limbaugh is now actively waging psychological war against his own country. His flat-out admission that he wants to see Obama fail confirms what the true patriots of America have suspected for several years: Limbaugh doesn’t care about the integrity of his country at all — he exists solely to profit off the hatred, fear and misguided loyalty of his fellow countrymen.

By clamoring for the downfall of the United States under Obama’s presidency, Limbaugh is attempting to create a self-fulfilling prophecy — encouraging his listeners to take action against their government and fellow countrymen to help ensure that the Obama administration is ineffective and unable to lead or repair the damage done during the Bush administration (ironically which, through incessant repetition of well-orchestrated lies and misstatements, he is responsible for enabling). This is obviously to the detriment of the health of the nation, and serves no benefit except to Limbaugh’s ego and bank account.

I urge anybody reading this to write to their Senators and demand that Rush Limbaugh be tried for Treason on the highest level. Of course people are entitled to their freedom of speech, but his statements from today are well-beyond that. Given Limbaugh’s powerful control over his listenership (with “Operation Chaos” he actually managed to convince thousands of conservative Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton in the run up to the Democratic primary – need more be said?), they are the mark of a systematic attempt to propel the dissolution of the United States, for the most petty and evil of reasons (ego and money, respectively).

The U.S. penalty for treason is death.. Or imprisonment for 5 years and/or a $10,000 fine… However, I believe the latter would be a completely ineffective remedy for Mr. Limbaugh’s behavioral problem. As long as Rush is allowed to continue coordinating mass subversion and ill-will against the President, our enemies will find solace in his words, and he will remain their aide and abetter, regardless of the massively ironic implications of all this.

(1)”Brainwashing (also known as thought reform or re-education) consists of any effort aimed at instilling certain attitudes and beliefs in a person (editor’s e.g., that conservatism is inherently better than liberalism) — beliefs sometimes unwelcome or in conflict with the person’s prior beliefs and knowledge, in order to affect that individual’s value system and subsequent thought-patterns and behaviors.” (Dorland’s Medical Dictionary for Healthcare Consumers, 2007)

Below is a list of commonly employed brainwashing and mind control techniques collected from various sources around the internet, several of which are used by Mr. Limbaugh on a daily basis:

HYPNOSIS - Inducing a high state of suggestibility, often thinly disguised as relaxation or meditation.

a. Repetitive Music (most likely with a beat close to the human heart 45 to 72 beats per minute). (The Rush Limbaugh Program’s opening theme, “Back to Ohio” by the Pretenders, is ~60 bpms… examples like this can be found in Rush’s program for ALL of the techniques described below…)

b. Voice Roll — A “voice roll” is a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when inducing a trance. It is also used by many lawyers, several of whom are highly trained hypnotists, when they desire to entrench a point firmly in the minds of the jurors. A voice roll can sound as if the speaker were talking to the beat of a metronome or it may sound as though he were emphasizing every word in a monotonous, patterned style. The words will usually be delivered at the rate of 45 to 60 beats per minute, maximizing the hypnotic effect.

PEER GROUP PRESSURE - Suppressing doubt and resistance to new ideas by exploiting the need to belong.

“LOVE BOMBING” - Creating a sense of family through physical touch, thought & feeling sharing and emotional bonding.

CONFUSING DOCTRINE - Encouraging blind acceptance and rejection of logic through complex lectures on an incomprehensible doctrine.

METACOMMUNICATION - Implanting subliminal messages by stressing certain key words or phrases in long, confusing lectures.

DISINHIBITION - Encouraging child-like obedience by orchestrating child-like behavior.

VERBAL ABUSE - Desensitizing through bombardment with foul and abusive language.

CHANTING OR SINGING - Eliminating non-cult ideas through group repetition of mind-narrowing chants or phrases.

FINGER POINTING - Creating a false sense of righteousness by pointing to the shortcomings of the outside world.

CONTROLLED APPROVAL - Maintaining vulnerability and confusion by alternately rewarding and punishing similar actions.

NO QUESTIONS - Accomplishing automatic acceptance of beliefs by discouraging questions.

FEAR - Maintaining loyalty and obedience to the group by threatening soul, life or limb for the slightest ‘negative’ thought, word or deed.

luvwith 9 months ago

I don't think a single episode goes by where he doesn't promote discontent or rebellion.

Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power.

Does that not fit?

luvwith 9 months ago

Without instant runoff voting it's a moot point.

luvwith 9 months ago

What do you think the chances of this passing are...with corporations being the biggest donors in washington? We need public financing of campaigns. None of this other stuff happens without it.

VOTE HERE:
http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

What do you think the chances of this passing are...with Pharmaceutical being some of the biggest donors in washington? We need public financing of campaigns. None of this other stuff happens without it.

VOTE HERE:
http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

What do you think the chances of this passing are...with banks being some of the biggest donors in washington? We need public financing of campaigns. None of this other stuff happens without it.

VOTE HERE:
http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

What do you think the chances of this passing are...with Pharmaceutical being some of the biggest donors in washington? We need public financing of campaigns. None of this other stuff happens without it.

VOTE HERE:
http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

What do you think the chances of this passing are...with Pharmaceutical being some of the biggest donors in washington? We need public financing of campaigns. None of this other stuff happens without it.

VOTE HERE:
http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

What do you think the chances of this passing are...with Pharmaceutical being some of the biggest donors in washington? We need public financing of campaigns. None of this other stuff happens without it.

VOTE HERE:
http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

We must have public financing of campaigns. I know you think you don't want to pay for it...but you already ARE!

You pay hundreds and thousands of times what you would if the politicians actually answered to you and not greedy corporate criminals. You pay thousands of times more in a CORRUPTION SURCHARGE!

YOU PAY FOR PRIVATELY FUNDED ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW!

Every no bid contract, every unpaid royalty on an oil lease, every blocked piece of legislation, every blocked investigation, every effort to get healthcare for all, every blocked attempt for a living wage, every needless nuclear warhead that will never be used, every mountaintop removal mining permit OK’d, every case of cancer caused by lax environmental rules or enforcement, every prison built instead of a school...YOU PAY AND PAY AND PAY!

And to add insult to injury, where do corporations get the money they give politicians in order to insure they can roll right over you whenever they want? FROM YOU! The cost of these payoffs is passed on to YOU the consumer!

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY!

Whatever you think is the most important issue facing the country…forget about it. It’s going to be decided in favor of those in power. It will be watered down in favor of those who finance campaigns and control corporate media sources.

You think the health care debate is going to come out in your favor or Pfizer’s? You think we are really going to cut military spending when more than half of the military budget for the entire world is being lavished on some of the biggest campaign contributors there are? How about Bank reform? Wall Street? Big Pharma? Iraq? The environment? Just exactly how do you see any of that working out in your favor in our current system?

Our system is broken. Our government does not work for the people. It works for – or in fear of – people who can spend a lot of money, access a lot of media, or have a lot of power in society.

IT’S THE MODERATES!

What people don’t understand is that it is not necessary to buy off the whole government in order for corporate, big money interests to get its way…every time. You merely need to control either the moderates and/or the committee heads in order to assure that whatever compromise is reached it will ALWAYS benefit BIG MONEY!

In Congress, you have partisans on either side, in safe districts, with entrenched interests who won’t compromise and are at no risk of being voted out.

Then you have the folks in the purple districts. They could get the ax anytime. Their elections could come down to which candidate has a few thousand more to spend. If Big Money goes their way they stay, if it goes to their opponent they are out.

These are the people you count on to forge the compromise between the two extremes and these are the very people who are most vulnerable to big money coming in hard and heavy against them.

COMPROMISE IS ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF BIG MONEY!

The current system assures that any compromise between the partisan extremes will be concluded in favor of big money. Even the most conscientious moderate politician in a contested state MUST cater to big money or they will not stay in congress.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CONGRESS?

Do you wonder what has happened to democrats in congress over the last 8 years…the spinelessness and cowardice evidenced by these people?

This is the result of what happens to an organization over time when anyone who fights big money gets weeded out…even if it’s only one or two per election. Eventually you are left with …well, what we have now…a bunch of corporate lap dogs.

luvwith 9 months ago

This is not gonna happen without public financing of campaigns. They are not going to get rid of their ability to pad bills with giveaways for their contributors until we finance campaigns through taxpayer budgets instead of corporate budgets.

Please vote for PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCE

http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3989-4049

luvwith 9 months ago

A GEM FROM JOSEPH LYLES

You love your country so much . . .

You doubled the debt your country owes to wealthy bond holders and foreigners.

You mortgaged the future of all our children and grandchildren to potential enemies like Communist China.

You allowed good American manufacturing jobs to be outsourced to third world cheap labor cesspools.

You think American workers ought to have the same "generous" wages, benefits, and working conditions as those furnished third world workers by you corporate cronies.

Allowed unregulated speculators -- starting with Ken Lay and Enron -- to ruthlessly gouge American energy consumers, crippling our economy in the process.

Allowed unregulated speculators in the mortgage market to bankrupt our financial system, causing millions of foreclosures.

Bailed out the lenders who lost money in the mortgage crisis, then you refused any such assistance to the ordinary American consumers wiped out by this disaster.

Allowed American corporations to escape Federal taxes by hiding their money in places like the Cayman Islands. We're still waiting for that wealth to "trickle back" to America.

Created the most expensive health system in the world -- paid for by the skyrocketing insurance premiums of middle class Americans.

Allowed 47 million people -- in a country with the most expensive healthcare system in the world -- to do without adequate healthcare.

Allowed life expectancy in the US to drop to 42nd in the world -- having the world's most expensive healthcare system.

Hired a "horse lawyer" to manage the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the very agency that would respond to a "terrorist attack."

Ate birthday cake while Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans -- after the National Hurricane Center forecast the disaster at least 48 hours in advance.

When presented with a report, on August 6, 2001 entitled "Al Qaeda Determined To Attack Inside The United States," you ignored the warning and allowed bin Ladin to attack inside the United States.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you allowed the mastermind of the attack to escape justice -- to this day.

Having allowed the mastermind of that attack to escape justice, you set up a concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay, and sought to deny the inmates there of even the most basic due process of law.

You have supported the use of torture by both American and foreign governments against such heinous criminals as Osama bin Ladin's driver. Bin Ladin himself, remains at large.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you immediately started using that attack to justify war on a country that had nothing to do with the attack.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you used the specter of an attack using chemical, biological, and even nuclear weapons, to win public support for a needless war that has killed over 4000 American soldiers. [We won't bother discussing the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed in that war. You don't care about them.]

Having successfully lied to Americans about a non-existent threat of weapons of mass destruction, and furthermore, having false suggested a connection between Iraq and the terrorist attack -- the one you were warned about 35 days before it happened . . . you ignored American generals who said you would need a minimum of 500,000 troops to carry out a successful post-invasion occupation of that country.

Instead, you sent in Paul Bremer to fire a half million employees of the Iraqi government -- driving them into the ranks of the insurgency.

You are utterly unwilling to pay the taxes necessary to finance that misbegotten and mismanaged war.

You are utterly unwilling to make ANY sacrifice in support of either the war in Iraq or the so-called "war on terror."

You opposed giving veterans of the present "war" GI Bill benefits those we gave veterans of World War II.

While appearing to be utterly unconcerned about a trillion dollar war based on propaganda and deception, utterly unconcerned about 400 billion dollars in interest payments on the national debt, utterly unconcerned about record profits earned by American oil companies, utterly unconcerned about skyrocketing health insurance premiums, you are outraged -- outraged -- whenever you hear that some brown baby in an American inner city got a milk bottle on your dime.

You would force millions of American women to have unwanted children . . .

. . . then howl to heavens when your tax money is used provide those same unwanted children with basic nutrition and healthcare.

Did I mention that you are utterly unconcerned about the trillion dollars we've wasted in Iraq or the 400 billion dollars we spend in interest payments on the national debt?

You'll put up with just about any waste of money, as long as we're not feeding or housing anyone with it.

Awarded tax cuts to the richest Americans, allowed corporations to outsource jobs to the third world, sent America's sons to die in Iraq, indebted America's children and grandchildren, and then -- get this -- positioned yourselves as "champions of ordinary people."

Having bankrupted the country, destroyed it's manufacturing base, shamed the country with the use of torture and our very own version of an American Gulag, cut taxes on the richest Americans, and supervised the most grossly unequal distribution of wealth in American history, you are asking Americans to support four more years of your misrule, using lies, smears, and vacuous symbolism and imagery.

Indeed, you are fighting like caged animals to win, win, win at any cost -- regardless of how sorry your record has been for the past 8 years.

Having bankrupted the country, destroyed it's manufacturing base, shamed the country with the use of torture and our very own version of an American Gulag, cut taxes on the richest Americans, and supervised the most grossly unequal distribution of wealth in American history -- and now fighting like caged animals to win another term in the White House to CONTINUE this abuse of the American people -- you now have the nerve to challenge the patriotism of your opponents in this election.

All I can say is that "patriotism is as patriotism does." If you do indeed love America -- which keep telling us -- well, I have to wonder how much more of your "love" America can stand.

luvwith 9 months ago

A GEM FROM JOSEPH LYLES

You love your country so much . . .

You doubled the debt your country owes to wealthy bond holders and foreigners.

You mortgaged the future of all our children and grandchildren to potential enemies like Communist China.

You allowed good American manufacturing jobs to be outsourced to third world cheap labor cesspools.

You think American workers ought to have the same "generous" wages, benefits, and working conditions as those furnished third world workers by you corporate cronies.

Allowed unregulated speculators -- starting with Ken Lay and Enron -- to ruthlessly gouge American energy consumers, crippling our economy in the process.

Allowed unregulated speculators in the mortgage market to bankrupt our financial system, causing millions of foreclosures.

Bailed out the lenders who lost money in the mortgage crisis, then you refused any such assistance to the ordinary American consumers wiped out by this disaster.

Allowed American corporations to escape Federal taxes by hiding their money in places like the Cayman Islands. We're still waiting for that wealth to "trickle back" to America.

Created the most expensive health system in the world -- paid for by the skyrocketing insurance premiums of middle class Americans.

Allowed 47 million people -- in a country with the most expensive healthcare system in the world -- to do without adequate healthcare.

Allowed life expectancy in the US to drop to 42nd in the world -- having the world's most expensive healthcare system.

Hired a "horse lawyer" to manage the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the very agency that would respond to a "terrorist attack."

Ate birthday cake while Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans -- after the National Hurricane Center forecast the disaster at least 48 hours in advance.

When presented with a report, on August 6, 2001 entitled "Al Qaeda Determined To Attack Inside The United States," you ignored the warning and allowed bin Ladin to attack inside the United States.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you allowed the mastermind of the attack to escape justice -- to this day.

Having allowed the mastermind of that attack to escape justice, you set up a concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay, and sought to deny the inmates there of even the most basic due process of law.

You have supported the use of torture by both American and foreign governments against such heinous criminals as Osama bin Ladin's driver. Bin Ladin himself, remains at large.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you immediately started using that attack to justify war on a country that had nothing to do with the attack.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you used the specter of an attack using chemical, biological, and even nuclear weapons, to win public support for a needless war that has killed over 4000 American soldiers. [We won't bother discussing the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed in that war. You don't care about them.]

Having successfully lied to Americans about a non-existent threat of weapons of mass destruction, and furthermore, having false suggested a connection between Iraq and the terrorist attack -- the one you were warned about 35 days before it happened . . . you ignored American generals who said you would need a minimum of 500,000 troops to carry out a successful post-invasion occupation of that country.

Instead, you sent in Paul Bremer to fire a half million employees of the Iraqi government -- driving them into the ranks of the insurgency.

You are utterly unwilling to pay the taxes necessary to finance that misbegotten and mismanaged war.

You are utterly unwilling to make ANY sacrifice in support of either the war in Iraq or the so-called "war on terror."

You opposed giving veterans of the present "war" GI Bill benefits those we gave veterans of World War II.

While appearing to be utterly unconcerned about a trillion dollar war based on propaganda and deception, utterly unconcerned about 400 billion dollars in interest payments on the national debt, utterly unconcerned about record profits earned by American oil companies, utterly unconcerned about skyrocketing health insurance premiums, you are outraged -- outraged -- whenever you hear that some brown baby in an American inner city got a milk bottle on your dime.

You would force millions of American women to have unwanted children . . .

. . . then howl to heavens when your tax money is used provide those same unwanted children with basic nutrition and healthcare.

Did I mention that you are utterly unconcerned about the trillion dollars we've wasted in Iraq or the 400 billion dollars we spend in interest payments on the national debt?

You'll put up with just about any waste of money, as long as we're not feeding or housing anyone with it.

Awarded tax cuts to the richest Americans, allowed corporations to outsource jobs to the third world, sent America's sons to die in Iraq, indebted America's children and grandchildren, and then -- get this -- positioned yourselves as "champions of ordinary people."

Having bankrupted the country, destroyed it's manufacturing base, shamed the country with the use of torture and our very own version of an American Gulag, cut taxes on the richest Americans, and supervised the most grossly unequal distribution of wealth in American history, you are asking Americans to support four more years of your misrule, using lies, smears, and vacuous symbolism and imagery.

Indeed, you are fighting like caged animals to win, win, win at any cost -- regardless of how sorry your record has been for the past 8 years.

Having bankrupted the country, destroyed it's manufacturing base, shamed the country with the use of torture and our very own version of an American Gulag, cut taxes on the richest Americans, and supervised the most grossly unequal distribution of wealth in American history -- and now fighting like caged animals to win another term in the White House to CONTINUE this abuse of the American people -- you now have the nerve to challenge the patriotism of your opponents in this election.

All I can say is that "patriotism is as patriotism does." If you do indeed love America -- which keep telling us -- well, I have to wonder how much more of your "love" America can stand.

luvwith 9 months ago

A GEM FROM JOSEPH LYLES

You love your country so much . . .

You doubled the debt your country owes to wealthy bond holders and foreigners.

You mortgaged the future of all our children and grandchildren to potential enemies like Communist China.

You allowed good American manufacturing jobs to be outsourced to third world cheap labor cesspools.

You think American workers ought to have the same "generous" wages, benefits, and working conditions as those furnished third world workers by you corporate cronies.

Allowed unregulated speculators -- starting with Ken Lay and Enron -- to ruthlessly gouge American energy consumers, crippling our economy in the process.

Allowed unregulated speculators in the mortgage market to bankrupt our financial system, causing millions of foreclosures.

Bailed out the lenders who lost money in the mortgage crisis, then you refused any such assistance to the ordinary American consumers wiped out by this disaster.

Allowed American corporations to escape Federal taxes by hiding their money in places like the Cayman Islands. We're still waiting for that wealth to "trickle back" to America.

Created the most expensive health system in the world -- paid for by the skyrocketing insurance premiums of middle class Americans.

Allowed 47 million people -- in a country with the most expensive healthcare system in the world -- to do without adequate healthcare.

Allowed life expectancy in the US to drop to 42nd in the world -- having the world's most expensive healthcare system.

Hired a "horse lawyer" to manage the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the very agency that would respond to a "terrorist attack."

Ate birthday cake while Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans -- after the National Hurricane Center forecast the disaster at least 48 hours in advance.

When presented with a report, on August 6, 2001 entitled "Al Qaeda Determined To Attack Inside The United States," you ignored the warning and allowed bin Ladin to attack inside the United States.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you allowed the mastermind of the attack to escape justice -- to this day.

Having allowed the mastermind of that attack to escape justice, you set up a concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay, and sought to deny the inmates there of even the most basic due process of law.

You have supported the use of torture by both American and foreign governments against such heinous criminals as Osama bin Ladin's driver. Bin Ladin himself, remains at large.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you immediately started using that attack to justify war on a country that had nothing to do with the attack.

Having done nothing to prevent an attack about which you were warned 35 days earlier, you used the specter of an attack using chemical, biological, and even nuclear weapons, to win public support for a needless war that has killed over 4000 American soldiers. [We won't bother discussing the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed in that war. You don't care about them.]

Having successfully lied to Americans about a non-existent threat of weapons of mass destruction, and furthermore, having false suggested a connection between Iraq and the terrorist attack -- the one you were warned about 35 days before it happened . . . you ignored American generals who said you would need a minimum of 500,000 troops to carry out a successful post-invasion occupation of that country.

Instead, you sent in Paul Bremer to fire a half million employees of the Iraqi government -- driving them into the ranks of the insurgency.

You are utterly unwilling to pay the taxes necessary to finance that misbegotten and mismanaged war.

You are utterly unwilling to make ANY sacrifice in support of either the war in Iraq or the so-called "war on terror."

You opposed giving veterans of the present "war" GI Bill benefits those we gave veterans of World War II.

While appearing to be utterly unconcerned about a trillion dollar war based on propaganda and deception, utterly unconcerned about 400 billion dollars in interest payments on the national debt, utterly unconcerned about record profits earned by American oil companies, utterly unconcerned about skyrocketing health insurance premiums, you are outraged -- outraged -- whenever you hear that some brown baby in an American inner city got a milk bottle on your dime.

You would force millions of American women to have unwanted children . . .

. . . then howl to heavens when your tax money is used provide those same unwanted children with basic nutrition and healthcare.

Did I mention that you are utterly unconcerned about the trillion dollars we've wasted in Iraq or the 400 billion dollars we spend in interest payments on the national debt?

You'll put up with just about any waste of money, as long as we're not feeding or housing anyone with it.

Awarded tax cuts to the richest Americans, allowed corporations to outsource jobs to the third world, sent America's sons to die in Iraq, indebted America's children and grandchildren, and then -- get this -- positioned yourselves as "champions of ordinary people."

Having bankrupted the country, destroyed it's manufacturing base, shamed the country with the use of torture and our very own version of an American Gulag, cut taxes on the richest Americans, and supervised the most grossly unequal distribution of wealth in American history, you are asking Americans to support four more years of your misrule, using lies, smears, and vacuous symbolism and imagery.

Indeed, you are fighting like caged animals to win, win, win at any cost -- regardless of how sorry your record has been for the past 8 years.

Having bankrupted the country, destroyed it's manufacturing base, shamed the country with the use of torture and our very own version of an American Gulag, cut taxes on the richest Americans, and supervised the most grossly unequal distribution of wealth in American history -- and now fighting like caged animals to win another term in the White House to CONTINUE this abuse of the American people -- you now have the nerve to challenge the patriotism of your opponents in this election.

All I can say is that "patriotism is as patriotism does." If you do indeed love America -- which keep telling us -- well, I have to wonder how much more of your "love" America can stand.

luvwith 9 months ago