Posted by Mary Mancini on February 16, 2007 under Uncategorized | 
Being a member of a political party should mean arguing policy with ideas based on your core beliefs and not merely regurgitating talking points intended to manipulate the emotions of the electorate. Our elected representatives owe us this as well as real debate on important issues like, for instance, the Iraq war.
With that in mind compare and contrast Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn’s floor speech debating the Iraq war resolution with Tennessee Republican John Duncan’s.
Blackburn: “You know, the Democrats have every right to disagree with the president’s plan, but a non-binding resolution is not the way to go. It sends a message of no confidence and no support to our troops in the field, weakening their morale, while encouraging and emboldening the enemy.”
Duncan: With a national debt of almost $9 trillion, we cannot afford it. To me our misadventure in Iraq is both unconstitutional and unaffordable. Some have said it was a mistake to start this war but that now that we are there we have to finish the job, and we cannot cut and run. Well, if you find out you are going the wrong way down the interstate, you do not keep going, you get off at the next exit.
Representative Hackburn, indeed.
UPDATE: The House passes the resolution.
Posted by Liberadio(!) on under Uncategorized |
16 Feb 2007
“The Health Care Racket”, By Paul Krugman (The New York Times)
After the State of the Union speech, Stephen Colbert said this about President Bush’s Healthcare plan, “It’s so simple. Most people who can’t afford health insurance also are too poor to owe taxes. But if you give them a deduction from the taxes they don’t owe, they can use the money they’re not getting back from what they haven’t given to buy the health care they can’t afford.” Until one of the Democratic 2008 hopefuls mentions “single-payer,” we’re not buying their healthcare plans.
Arkin on Fire, and Getting Flamed (Early Warning, Washington Post)
“The Troops Also Need to Support the American People”
“The Arrogant and Intolerant Speak Out”
“A Note to My Readers on Supporting the Troops”
“Demonization and Responsibility”
“The Families Speak”
“The Soldiers Speak”
“The Threat, The Problem, in Their Own Words”
William Arkin, whose Early Warning blog for Washington Post, is always full of analysis of the sort only a seasoned expert can provide, gets himself into a war of words based on some controversial comments on remarks that several troops are frustrated with the lack of support for the war by the American people. The series of posts has drawn an impressive number of comments, and the whole series is worth a read.
15 Feb 2007
“Escalating Truth”, By George Lakoff (TruthOut.org)
The use of the word “surge” was a lie and the diminished use of it, along with the increased use of the correct word - “escalation” - happened because of a “disciplined and focused effort by progressives.” But, “Conservative ideas and frames must be confronted and contested. Progressives cannot succeed if they treat frames as nothing more than word games - if they fail to understand that using a term like surge reinforces the conservative worldview. We are not playing games with words. We are fighting over ideas and the moral world views that underlie those ideas.
14 Feb 2007
Carl Bernstein on Nixon vs. Bush (Editor & Publisher)
Here’s a hint: Bush wins.
13 Feb 2007
The Undertaker’s Tally (Part 1) & The Undertaker’s Tally (Part 2), By Roger Morris (TomDispatch.com)
Tom Engelhardt of TomDispatch.com intro’s this better than we ever could: “Every now and then, we need a little history to make sense of our world. But perhaps, in this case, “little” isn’t the most appropriate word. Roger Morris, a member of the National Security Council under Presidents Johnson and Nixon (he resigned in protest over the invasion of Cambodia) and bestselling author of biographies of Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and the Clintons, explores both the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns of Donald Rumsfeld’s emblematic history and legacy, of his long march to power, and what he did with that power once it was in his hands.”
12 Feb 2007
“No King Please, We’re Americans”, By Frederick A.O. Schwarz Jr. and Aziz Huq (Legal Times)
“Throughout history, the task of keeping this republic has fallen not just to the three branches of government, but also to “We the People of the United States.” We better get a move on.
“Whatever it Takes: The politics of the man behind 24“, by Jane Mayer (New Yorker)
Before the attacks of 9/11, fewer than four acts of torture appeared on prime-time television each year. Now there are more than a hundred.
“Discovering What Democracy Means”, By Bill Moyers (TomPaine.com)
Why should we subsidize intellectual curiosity? Because without it we would never have heard Vartan Gregorian on the TV saying “in a big library, suddenly you feel humble. The whole of humanity is in front of you. It gives you a sense of cosmic relation, but at the same time a sense of isolation. You feel both pride and insignificance. Here it is, the human endeavor, human aspiration, human agony, human ecstasy, human bravura, human failures—all before you. And you look around and say, ‘Oh, my God! I am not going to be able to know it all.’”
The Keystone Cops Do Iran
“Pace Demurs on Accusation of Iran”, By Karen DeYoung (The Washington Post)
Bush at Press Conference Today Contradicts Sunday’s Briefing on Iranian Weapons (Editor & Publisher)
Ex-Aide Says Rice Misled US Congress on Iran (Reuters)
Posted by Liberadio(!) on February 15, 2007 under Uncategorized |
Summary: In this episode, Mary gushes over Senator Barack Obama’s presidential announcement, Freddie gushes over participatory democracy, and a caller gushes over us. Gush. Gusher. Gushiest.
Listen to: The Gusher (19:41 18MB)
Posted by Mary Mancini on under Uncategorized |
Dessert no longer has a “well-known liberal agenda.”
Ben & Jerry’s is adding Stephen Colbert’s “Americone Dream” (vanilla ice cream packed with fudge-covered pieces of waffle cone and a caramel) to its selection of ice cream flavors.
On-air tasting? You betcha.
Posted by Liberadio(!) on February 14, 2007 under Uncategorized |
Summary: Award-winning journalist, Don Barlett joins us to discuss his latest piece of investigative journalism. In the latest issue of Vanity Fair, Barlett, along with his partner, Jim Steele, investigate Science Applications International Corporation’s unsettling record as one of the government’s largest contractors. The piece, called “Washington’s $8 Billion Shadow,” includes such gems as “…more than 90 percent of all taxpayers might as well remit everything they owe directly to SAIC or some other contractor rather than to the IRS,” and, SAIC “epitomizes something beyond Eisenhower’s worst nightmare—the “military-industrial-counterterrorism complex.”‘ And Mary only called him Don Bartlet once! Good times.
Listen to: Let Bartlet be Barlett (25:42 23.5MB)
Posted by Freddie on February 13, 2007 under Uncategorized |
S-Town Mike picked up on a nice new initiative under way from Chris Dodd, who, in case you didn’t know, is running for president. This got me to wondering: Just how well did the Senatorial candidates for president perform on this particular test? You know, the one involving habeas corpus, the little thing that, prior to the passage of this bill, allowed all Americans to protest unlawful imprisonment? I was especially curious about the vote of Barack Obama, and I would’ve bet money that Hillary Clinton had voted for the Military Commissions Act. Turns out I was pleasantly surprised on both counts. Project Vote Smart has the complete list. For your primary pleasure, here are the votes of the members of the Senate currently pursuing presidential bids:
Democrats
- Joe Biden: N
- Chris Dodd: N
- Hillary Clinton: N
- Barack Obama: N
Republicans
- John McCain: Y
- Sam Brownback: Y
I can understand McCain’s hawkishness, which has been a fairly consistent position of his, but this particular bill is possibly the biggest assault on basic civil liberties of the entire Bush administration. And Sam Brownback has since turned his back on this war. For shame! Perhaps it’s this vote, actually, that served as the watershed moment for Democrats finding their spine in opposing the Bush administration and the Republican Congress in general. It’s actually sad how clearly this vote appears partisan based on our presidential candidates from this august body.
Kudos to Project Vote Smart, which truly does help us all, regardless of partisan affiliation, vote smarter.
Posted by Mary Mancini on under Uncategorized |
Summary: Oh, Mon Dieu, Marie! Je pense que je vois un terroriste hors de la fenetre du studio! Appelez neuf-un-un ou quelque chose!…Non, Frederic, ce n’est pas un terroriste! C’est juste le Councilman Eric Crafton en brandissant son Ordonnance de l’Anglais-Seulement aimez une arme.
Listen to: Anglais-Prochain (30:11 27.6MB)
Posted by Mary Mancini on under Uncategorized |
So, great. The Mayor vetoed Ordinance 1185, Eric Crafton’s misguided English-Only bill. Now, if the Council can’t get enough votes to override the veto Crafton is threatening to “take it to the people” as a referendum vote. Fine. Bring it. We’re not afraid of you and your xenophobia, Mr. Eric Crafton-man.
But in the meantime, we need to make sure that our Council members and Council-at-large members understand our position on this horrorshow.
1) Call or email the Mayor and thank him for his veto.
2) Call or email your Councilperson and either thank them for their “no” vote or call or email your Councilperson and tell them why you think they voted incorrectly when they voted “yes.” Make sure to ask them to vote “no” this time around.
3) Call or email Carolyn Baldwin Tucker (the only Council-at-large member to vote for it) and repeat step 2. And remember, she’s running for Vice Mayor.
UPDATE: 4) Email all Council Members at once by using this handy form and choosing “Entire Metro Council” fromt the drop down menu. The Council works as one deliberative body and contacting all members is as important as contacting your individual Councilperson.
5) Ask your friends and family to follow these steps as well.
If you don’t know who your Councilperson, Nashville.gov has a slick way to find out.
Here is a list of who voted “yes”:
Carolyn Baldwin Tucker (at-Large; Vice Mayoral candidate)
Walter Hunt (Dist. 3)
Michael Craddock (Dist. 4)
Pam Murray (Dist. 5)
Jason Hart (Dist. 8)
Rip Ryman (Dist. 10)
Feller Brown (Dist. 11)
Jim Gotto (Dist. 12)
Harold White (Dist. 14)
J.B. Loring (Dist. 15)
Ludye Wallace (Dist. 19)
Billy Joe Walls (Dist. 20)
Edward Whitmore (Dist. 21)
Eric Crafton (Dist. 22)
Emily Evans (Dist. 23)
John Summers (Dist. 24)
Greg Adkins (Dist. 26)
Randy Foster (Dist. 27)
Jason Alexander (Dist. 28)
Vivian Wilhoite (Dist. 29)
Sam Coleman (Dist. 32)
Robert Duvall (Dist. 33)
Charlie Tygard (Dist. 35)
(Hat tip: S-town Mike)
Here is a list of “no: votes:
Buck Dozier (at-Large; Mayoral candidate)
Adam Dread (at-Large)
Brenda Gilmore (Dist. 1)
Jamie Isabel (Dist. 2)
Mike Jameson (Dist. 6)
Eric Cole (Dist. 7)
Jim Forkum (Dist. 9)
Carl Burch (Dist. 13)
Anna Page (Dist. 16)
Ginger Hausser (Dist. 18)
Jim Shulman (Dist. 25)
Jim Hodge (Dist. 30)
Parker Toler (Dist. 31)
Lynn Williams (Dist. 34)
Absent during the vote:
David Briley (at-large; Mayoral candidate)
Diane Neighbors (at-large)
Ronnie Greer (Dist. 17)
Don’t skip the step thanking people who voted to keep Nashville a progressive city. Positive feedback in particpatory democracy is important!
Posted by Freddie on February 12, 2007 under Uncategorized |
I was impressed to read in NashvillePost.com this afternoon that Mayor Purcell vetoed the English-only ordinance that passed Metro Council.
Here’s what disturbs me about the concept of English First: It is basically the opposite of what came to be known as southern hospitality, wherein southerners feel comfortable waving to strangers and welcoming all kinds of folk at the dinner table. Obviously there have been glaring exceptions to this notion in the South, but English First says to newcomers, “We don’t want you unless you’re already pretty damn much like us.” There’s no provision for welcoming first and allowing whatever level of assimilation follows to come later.
That’s why on today’s show I raised the notion of English Next. In essence, Metro should actively involve citizens, both English-speaking and non-, in a common mission to strengthen our community. Here’s how this might look: We work non-invasively to identify non-English speakers, find volunteers who can assist with translation, conduct events that could bring multiple native language speakers together, and have highly visible English classes, some of which could be taught by the same volunteers. We engage our existing community to welcome new members, not all of whom will come to the table with the same advantages, skills, or interests. But if we demonstrate that we’re willing to meet these folks halfway (or even more than halfway), I suspect that the participation will be mutual in the majority of cases.
English Next should include an expectation and encouragement of non-English speakers to gain a minimum fluency in English. While I recognize that we don’t have an official national language, I also recognize that English is a common and important function of living and working in the United States. But I’ve also personally witnessed the cultural arrogance of my fellow Americans traveling in other countries, where the citizens often bend over backwards to accommodate English speakers. Nashville would stand to experience economic benefit both from tourism as well as in our local job market if we were able to demonstrate a tolerant and supportive environment to people specifically wanting to live here.
There is no reason that we should derive fear or resentment from people who might not look exactly like or talk exactly like us. Instead of lamenting the flow of state resources to people we think are undeserving, we should focus on investing our revenues in ways that are likely to make us less resentful. These are exactly the folks we should welcome to the empty seats at our picnic table so that we might learn from one another and engage in cultural exchange. Unless we’ve lost our claim to southern hospitality.
Posted by Liberadio(!) on under Uncategorized |
Guests: Stacy Rector, Executive Director, Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing and Pulitzer Prize winning author Don Barlett, who wrote “Washington’s $8 Billion Shadow,” in this month’s Vanity Fair. Excerpt: …contractors absorb the taxes paid by everyone in America with incomes under $100,000. In other words, more than 90 percent of all taxpayers might as well remit everything they owe directly to SAIC or some other contractor rather than to the IRS.”
Links: Who voted “Yes” and who voted “No” on Metro Ordinance 1185 (English Only) (.pdf); Visit Nashvilleforall.com, a coalition of organizations dedicated to building and maintaining a city that works for everyone; Watch Governor Bredesen’s State of the State and his promise to work a comprehensive strategy for building a better system of education in Tennessee; Watch Senator Barack Obama’s presidential announcement.
Take Action: Email or call Mayor Bill Purcell about vetoing Ordinance 1185 (English only); Email or call Governor Phil Bredesen to ask him to extend the 90-day moratorium on the death penalty.
Listen: Monday, 12 Feb 2007 Episode, Part I (30:00, 21:05 MB)
In which we discuss Eric Crafton (or “Bill Crafton,” as the International Herald Tribune call him), and his English Only ordinance.
