Friday News Roundup - Domestic
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-06-08/friday-news-roundup-domestic
Republican Gov. Scott Walker won his recall election in Wisconsin, but exit polls indicated 18 percent of his supporters would vote for President Obama over Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the fall. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank was "prepared to take action" on the flagging U.S. economy. Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill calling for equal pay in the workplace. John Dickerson of Slate, Shawna Thomas of NBC News and Jerry Seib of The Wall Street Journal join Diane for a discussion of the week's top national news stories.
Guests
John Dickerson
chief political correspondent for Slate.com and CBS political analyst and contributor. Author of "On Her Trail: My Mother, Nancy Dickerson, TV News' First Woman Star."
Shawna Thomas
White House producer, NBC News.
Jerry Seib
Washington bureau chief, The Wall Street Journal.
Related Video
The panel discussed what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's reelection means for the 2012 presidential election. Shawna Thomas, White House producer for NBC News, said the amount of money spent on the race--$60 million--rivaled that of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. Jerry Seib, Washington bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, said the election turned Wisconsin into a battleground state. He said many voters are calling for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to adopt a more conservative platform similar to Walker's.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
This week we learned that rich people can purchase a state if they so desire. And they desire it because it damages any kind of workers movement, any manner of justice, any kind of opposition to their will….. that is what they so abhor. At this point, wealth is complete control of our national political system and it doesn’t matter which party you are partial to, democrat or republican….the corporations and the oligarchs own and control it all.
If you’ve been making your bet that the Republicans are going to straighten everything out….you’re insane. You are nothing more than the dupes of the wealthy.
If you’re thinking that supporting the Democrats is going to shove the Republicans back where they belong…..you’re equally delusional. You’re being duped by politicians who have compromised their very souls to the same corporate and wealthy interests in order to maintain power.
Neither party is working for the good of the country, neither party is about trying to do the “will of the people”. Our country has been co-opted by the wealthy. Our economics are a farce and are being run like a casino.
Wisconsin should be a wake-up call for the entire nation. There is no leadership, there is no plan, there is no solution. There is only a system of greed and corruption. Until Americans figure out that the only solution is to dismantle the system of money and greed that his come to dominate American politics, there will be no hope.
And any talk on this message board to the contrary is so much wasted energy.
Apparently Obama and the DNC thought the recall was going down to defeat. THEY pulled the funding and support, if you have a problem with the money gap your beef is with them. 18.5 million to 45 million not 7 to 1!
Teece Bowman wrote: "And any talk on this message board to the contrary is so much wasted energy."
I've got energy to burn. When I was standing in line to vote in Wisconsin this past Tuesday I did not see "the rich" paying voters to support Scott Walker, in fact it looked almost like a hobo contest for who had the highest mileage clothing, I think I won! People out of state fail to recognize the burdens placed by public sector unions on middle class property tax payers plus the twelve previous years of substantial increases yearly on property taxes, also the anxiety we were feeling looking at democrat party budget deficits and what that meant for future tax increases. We did not want to go back to that to be sure.
At the national level it's pretty much the same, we have got to get that madman out from behind the wheel asap. Anything else is secondary.
Judging by Lilly's stone faced mug above, I'm sure she was a joy to work with?
"President Barack Obama opposes the appointment of a special counsel to investigate whether vital national security secrets were improperly disclosed in a wave of news reports detailing sensitive operations, the White House said Thursday." Newswires. Shhhhh, not here please.
Teece enlightens us...."This week we learned that rich people can purchase a state if they so desire." There you have it, citizens of Wisconsin, Teece has determined you're incapable of free thought and that your vote was a direct result of spending by others. Following this logic, since Rob Reiner and George Clooney are contributing and raising tons for Obama, you'll surely be voting for him in November. After all, you're incapable of thinking things through on your own and you do only what those who contribute the most tell you to do. Teece has said so.
We need legislation protecting women from having to wait longer than men to use the restroom at symphony halls! Why won't Congress act!?! Why oh why does Congress hate women so?!?
"Republican Gov. Scott Walker won his recall election in Wisconsin, but exit polls indicated 18 percent of his supporters would vote for President Obama over Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the fall" But a couple of hours prior to Walker being named victor, the same exit polls indicated a 50-50 tie. Shhhh. Let's not discuss the accuracy or validity of the exit polls here please.
Entrenched plutocracy is a real threat to American Democracy.
http://theoriginalamed.blogspot.com/2012/06/democracy-or-plutocracy.html
If America becomes an intrenched plutocracy it will be lead by a dictator
http://theoriginalamed.blogspot.com/2012/06/which-way-is-america-heading...
NPR is a treasure and a testament to the quality of American society. The journalism is responsible and in depth. Because there is less corporate influence (though there is some) of its news, there is less bias and more truth unfettered by moneyed interests.
Regarding the right wing and left wing, a friend of mine, who voted for Richard Nixon, told me recently he felt that Nixon was more liberal than Obama. Nixon created the EPA and sustained LBJ's Great Society principles, furthering social security and medicare, and moving for detente with the Communist country China. And he added that Eisenhower before him would not sign on for Republican calls for tax cuts.
Meanwhile Obama has already extended tax cuts, has picked up where Bush left off engaging in foreign wars, and he has bailed out banks and the car industry, and has entertained very non-keynesian right wing austerity measures. Not exactly textbook liberal. The fact is that we have moved far right of the Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Richard Nixon's days. And Presidents Clinton and Obama would have made solid Republicans in earlier times.
Finally, I appreciate this chat forum, but would like it more if there was some limit to the number of postings per listener (say, 3?). It seems that a few people get on this sight and cannot write less than 10 posts, acting like attack dogs running down everyone's opinion not in agreement with their own.
ps.
I find that the Scott Walker recall vote highlights a great problem we are facing. Governor Walker won the recall vote by 7 percent, outspent his opponent by 700 percent, with 70 percent of the money coming from outside the state of Wisconsin.
Am I alone in thinking that Democracy is on life-support? What's next, should we allow Chinese corporations to fund our presidential elections?
Why should the Wisconsin voters allow outsiders to influence their state's outcome? What out-of-state interests are being served? Why should Americans allow a few moneyed interests (those that may or may not be American) to have the power to run their lives? Is this actually any better than the failed Soviet states? And it seems a great perversion that Obama and Romney are racing to raise a billion dollars to lead ... a Democracy? Who is really represented in all this?
Why not just have the govnerment provide a million dollars to each candidate to spend as he pleases for advertising, haircuts, wardrobe, etc. and provide a lot of free exposure to both (or more if we ever get to more parties) and only allow campaigning for say four months (the shortened campaign season allowing for more time to ... govern).
Is this what the framers of our constitution had in mind?
As was that and this ;-)
Missed the few who comment. No longer really relevant and semi coherent STILL LOL banned but back !!!
To catch up- When FANNIE MAE and sheriff breeched home(never DID get any call back from Rep Ellmers(R)OR help line(s) LOL- total cost to call TWO veterans $1 plus labor...
Instead while THEY were changing locks(assume realtor, locksmith, and sheriff- never could get legal advice, support, OR ANY info CALLs returned !!!!) rapidly exited home DESTROYING family heirlooms furniture etc(think they slipped and busted butt(s)). My fault- at VA receiv- er- TRYing to receive treatment for PTSD, pain(almost lost leg to barbed wire fence), and process claim(FROM! 1990- no money for THAT or is just misspelling my last name dooming US? !!!)
SRY when using CAPS or raising voice am potential terrorist/ subject to arrest for vagrancy etc. and 'banned' from,comments LOL.
Sera.
This month 68 years ago approximately today the 113th Bravo co(New Jersey/ NY) infantry suffered 92% casualties and subsequently deactivated until reactivated AUG 1990(!)... 25 years ago- I cannot LEGALLY comment --BUT just missed the cutoff for NOT having
to provide TWO witnesses to an event told NEVER to discuss LOL/. catch-22
So after the neighborhood evacuated and contained FT Bragg bomb squad deployed to safely do our- er- their thing(Last wars gag gift is apparently todays domestic terrorism. We apologize and understand the confusion. SRY nLOL
Oh and this month our ex-neighbor(homeless vet(s) now of course too)... who also had to leave... lost spouse to IED in... no one cares(actual quote from state employment rep/vet... correct of course).
As a second generation uncompensated 'culture shock' homeless vet(primary care giver to parents... another horror) gotta say after laughing at the TOTAL cost(black widow bite- no pain relief for that either LOL another story) PLUS multiple ER visits(no longer eligible for gas and camping there at VA illegal LOL) apologize for venting...
One time use of this PC and connection- TY ;-)
No radio to listen anymore either (
$200,000 wasted(not counting Wells Fargo now renting our home for TWICE our mortgage payment... AFTERR aklmost paid off(was VA loan- refinance for medical bills which ruined our clearance... owe $ IRS- our fault- had called for atx informatipond did pw wrung. divorced. single child hates me for spending 5 years embeded OCONUS... if had working phone would call that one number THAT was answered... AND ITstill hurts. but at least now NOT paying taxes OR worried about much expect FOOD.
system broken folks
the terrorists won
used to call them criminals
holding office since '00
this OPUS election will make the fourth one since your DBOW vote actually mattered
2ky/ 2yk- no one saw IT coming
vote the terrorist party(don't worry- IT no longer matters which)
echo tango
The late George Wallace said it best: "There's not a dimes worth of difference between Democrat and Republicans". And Dr. J. Rufus Fears said, "America shares the fate of all the great empires of the past".
Money has corrupted the nation, and particularly its politics. The nation is clearly in a state of decline, which is accelerating with the passage of time. And when the nation falls, the rich, who think they are safe, will fall with it.
It has happened to all the great empires of the past, and now it is our turn.
Such are the lessons of history. Which you cannot refute, regardless of your politics.
SRY
and Walmart refused to fill prescription as VA card not acceptable form of identification LOLOLOL- forgot about the drug war did you NOT?
Cannot say it was easier serving country 20 plus years and gravity HAS apparently increased but theory dictates that might happen before the reboot-
gl hf u all goona need IT- unemployable apparently as tech veterans who have two degrees and speak two languages unemployable- and cannot leave country for that socialized healthcare which I envy now-NS u know- LOL.
Feel safer already. worth losing the constitution over. corporations vote better- heard about 100 to one(officially 10 : 1)
LOL sad Looks like she IS going to come down here- AND ppl God is pissed !
does make my appreciate SERE and other such 'Q' college classes LOL
had to sell the guns. ITs okay. plenty of rich job creators own them. thats where we intend to be supplied. see you at the campfire... the Soylent Green tastes a bit like chicken dont U think ?
support the scoopers in your neighborhood- see you at the food/ vet job riots...
OCCUPY- do not watch the news- go ask a REAL occupier- it is your old heroes and neighbors people- falling apart- oh- they call them bums and drug abusers... LOL with the unwashed hair and not shaving look like I did when- nvr mind BUT self pain medicate by whiskey and almost dying from exposure I now feel like such a cliche.
But nvr u mind-I am one of the blessed. Psalm 9x told me so
John Doe wrote
"Meanwhile Obama has already extended tax cuts, has picked up where Bush left off engaging in foreign wars, and he has bailed out banks and the car industry, and has entertained very non-keynesian right wing austerity measures. Not exactly textbook liberal. The fact is that we have moved far right of the Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Richard Nixon's days. And Presidents Clinton and Obama would have made solid Republicans in earlier times"
What tax cuts? Your not talking about that "bone" in our paycheck that went up by $18 or the additional payroll holiday that robs future SS contributions are you?
The banks paid back the money they owed the Feds and the car companies still owe 48 Billion to us taxpayers.
Obama present legislation is very Keynesian, spend more taxpayer money to get us out of recession. He was preaching that with European leaders.
Obama wants you to think that he is a fiscal conservative, but he is nothing but a bleeding liberal.
SME Mickey Dee
You sound like that guy who use the name "Pink Floyd" last summer that would just ramble and ramble. Stayed in the Library all day to stay cool and was told to go out and get a job.
John Doe wrote:"Why should the Wisconsin voters allow outsiders to influence their state's outcome?"
I don't think they did and to assume so is wishful thinking.
Lets not forget the previous democrat inspired recalls for WI. senators plus the Governor recalls, obviously total democrat money spent on trying to steal an election is great and we can assume their war chests are not bottomless. These recalls should have never happened, two years from now Scott Walker is up for reelection anyway. There was no malfeasance in office by any republican, this is simply a case of a sore and miserably bad loser trying to steal an election. Of course republicans were highly motivated to protect their 2010 win, I donated to the cause myself, first time ever!
Best info I can find because of an obvious media bias and a failure to break the numbers down, is the democrats and unions spent 18.5 million the republicans and their supporters spent 45 million, big difference to be sure but not the insane figures of 7 to 1 we often hear (Link below).
One more thing, apparently Obama and the DNC thought the recall was going down to defeat. THEY pulled the funding and support, if you have a problem with the money gap your beef is with them.
The Wisconsin vote captured national attention, and a flood of out-of-state money. Of the $63.5 million dollars spent, $45 million came from Walker’s campaign and supporters, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/06/05/9111/walker-survives-recall
Will the paycheck fairness act make employers treat all employees and potential employees fairly/ethically?
I am very happy that women might finally get the same pay as men in the workplace. This is long overdue. However I think that there are bigger issues with respect to employer/employee relationships. There are two people in my life who have been unemployed for more than 18 months. They are both over 50, have advanced degrees and loads of experience in their fields ( IT and Accounting). Sneaking suspicion but no proof that their age is a major factor in their inability to land a job. Is you name Tykeesha?, Are you over 40 or under 25? Did you pay your cell phone bill late (cuz you have no job)? Have you been unemployed for more than 3 months? Employers seem to be saying "Do not bother to apply!"
These and other factors that likely have no bearing on whether you are qualified or can perform jobs duties are being used to screen qualified employees out. Is this fair/ethical? For those who have jobs, they have seen workloads doubled or tripled and wages and benefits shrink in a job market that is supposed to be improving. I think organizations are simply maximizing profits and squeezing the little guy. Will employees ever be able to really trust employers again? And don't employers realize that not hiring well qualified and educated people may make them rich in the short run but will bring us all down in the long run!
Employees and the unemployed need a break and a jobs bill that will help us in terms of fair wages and treatment in the job market.
Teece Bowman wrote:
"This week we learned that rich people can purchase a state if they so desire."
One shred of evidence, please Teece?
Of course the democrats don't like the supreme court, if the Constitution is properly applied it contradicts just about everything they stand for.
I think it would be prudent for the Republicans not to read the Scott Walker win as a mandate from the people. Some of the voters on Tuesday were voting against the recall itself and it's mis-use in this case. Were I in Wisconsin I would have voted for Walker as a vote against the recall. During the next election, I would have voted against him. He did nothing illegal that required removal from office at this time. Simply disliking his policies does not constitute removal from office.
The republicans have a four point plan to achieve a permanent majority.
1.Remove all campaign fund raising limitations especially on corporations since they primarily support republicans. Done Citizens United.
2.Suppress democratic leaning voters with voter id laws, limitations on voter registration, limiting access by manipulating polling places, times and access, limitations that suppress student voters, minorities, and elderly. This is happening in all republican dominated states.
3.Limit the earning capacity of democratic supporting institutions such as unions.
4.Gerrymander.
Democracy is dying in the United States.
The republicans have a four point plan to achieve a permanent majority.
1.Remove all campaign fund raising limitations especially on corporations since they primarily support republicans. Done Citizens United.
2.Suppress democratic leaning voters with voter id laws, limitations on voter registration, limiting access by manipulating polling places, times and access, limitations that suppress student voters, minorities, and elderly. This is happening in all republican dominated states.
3.Limit the earning capacity of democratic supporting institutions such as unions.
4.Gerrymander.
Democracy is dying in the United States.
The republicans have a four point plan to achieve a permanent majority.
1.Remove all campaign fund raising limitations especially on corporations since they primarily support republicans. Done Citizens United.
2.Suppress democratic leaning voters with voter id laws, limitations on voter registration, limiting access by manipulating polling places, times and access, limitations that suppress student voters, minorities, and elderly. This is happening in all republican dominated states.
3.Limit the earning capacity of democratic supporting institutions such as unions.
4.Gerrymander.
Democracy is dying in the United States.
AP reported Tues that Mitt Romney was for the Vietnam War as a univ student - then he took 4 deferments over the next 5 years. As a candidate in 1994 he said he never had any intention of going to Vietnam. Now, he says he regrets he didn't have the chance to serve in the war. This was an issue when Bill Clinton was a candidate in 1992. Why not now? Or, is this only an issue when the candidate is a Democrat? Any comments from your panel?
So, Jim, your point is that polls taken later after the voting is complete are more accurate than those taken early while voting is still going on?
I think we can all agree with that. A larger set of stats should be better qualitatively than a smaller set.
By the way, go tell your Mom that she deserves less credit in raising you than your Dad......... it will be an early Father's Day present. And I'm sure Mom will give you a cookie anyway.
The National Democratic Party, the Wisconsin Democratic Party machine, and so-called union leaders lost the election, not the union rank and file.
Union and liberal blogs tell the true story about the recall. See Alan Maki's posts at FDL.
Diane just made one of her typically suggestive, information-free comments idly comparing "gun registration" ID with student ID for voter ID purposes.
Here is what you need to know, those other than Diane who may actually be curious about the differences.
There is no generic "gun registration" in Texas.
To obtain a CHL (concealed carry license), you pay the Dept. of Public Safety $150+ dollars, submit your fingerprints, 2 passport photos, an application, and consent to a background check.
You pay an instructor another +/-$150 for a mandatory 10 hours of classroom instruction plus another hour or so or range time, culminating in bor written and range qualification tests. All those results are submitted to the Texas DPS as well. Even serious misdemeanors can disqualify you.
Six weeks later, if everything checks out and your identity is both thoroughly confirmed and thoroughly embedded in the system, you are issued a laminated license tighter than a DL good for 4 years only, at which time you have to qualify all over again.
That's "all" you have to do to get a CHL in Texas, Diane, since during the process of opening and closing your mouth on the subject you had absolutely no clue what you were talking about.
You're welcome. Don't mention it.
If others are jealous of union and state employees having better pay and benefits/pensions, why don't we work together to bring up the standards of everyone instead of dragging them down to a lower scale?