And action!!!!

It's time for Congress to be the star of the short film called "Lame Duck" and watch the Congressional Democrats particularly from the Senate scramble to pass as much legislation as possible before January.  AND ACTION!

The first scene is the recommendation of a formal censure of Congressman Charlie Rangel of Harlem (aka Manhattan North these days) by the House Ethics Committee.  His acts of idiocy has come back to haunt him and now he will face the music which means he might not get his long-held chair roles on key Congressional committees back.  Anyways...

The Senate will attempt to muster up enough votes to remove DADT by attaching to the DREAM Act, which is more controversial than the DADT since it's about the immigrants.   Boy, does Harry Reid really know how to put those important bills together.

Nancy Pelosi was reanointed by the majority of House Democrats (68 members) as House Minority Leader.  I don't know how I feel about this considering she could have allowed former House Whip James Clyburn to be #2 rather than Steve Hoyer of Maryland.  It seems like there still need to appease the fickle within the ranks, but I'm not buying it. 

Now, I'm trying to figure out whether to began the series on the hypocrisies of the Congressional Republicans or not.  However, I will note before they have even taken helm of House, the Congressional Republicans are yet to prove to the people and their critics if they are going to refuse the Congressional Benefit Health Insurance after campaign against government-funded health care.  There still seems to be one of the incoming freshmen Republicans already whining and bitching about not being able to use his government-funded health insurance until February.  that r Also let's not forget the fuckery of how the House Republicans have already vowed to ban earmarks yet those amongst their ranks in the Senate like Alabama's own Richard Shelby has yet to show if they will do the same.  Talk is cheap, people, so put up or shut the fuck up...

The South continues to be home of the most fat asses

Not surprise to me, but the report issued by Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation depicted that the South is home to 9 of the 10 fattest states in the nation for adult obesity.

Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and West Virginia are all in the top 8 depicted by the bright red color.  The other 2 spots in the top 10 is South Carolina at 9th with North Carolina and Michigan tied for the 10th place.  Georgia and Florida are the only Deep Southern states that lucked out this time around, but that may have much to do with the existence of Metro Atlanta for Georgia and the big 3 in Florida (South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Orlando).  This is embarrassing considering this region is also home to the nation's highest number of black Americans, but on the flip side home to the highest level of abject poverty as well.  It's like if you live in the South then you are already predisposed to be fat because of the lack of infrastructure conducive with mobility, economically or physically.  The region has the lowest amount of public transit infrastructure availability and usage amongst the nation's major metropolitan areas.  Let's not forget the lack of adequate health care services.  Pathetic and scary.

Apparently Georgia's (outgoing) governor Sonny Perdue couldn't resist...

Georgia's governor Sonny Perdue just couldn't resist filing a frivolous lawsuit against the federal government involving the passage of the health care reform bill back in March.  Initially, the Georgia Attorney General, Thurbert Baker, a black Democrat, resisted and was also threatened by the Republican-majority General Assembly with an impeachment.  Baker made it through the general session of the Georgia General Assembly unscathed. 

Perdue wanted Georgia so badly to waste money and appease the idiotic and reactionary with a waste of taxpayers' funds.  This is during a time when their state universities and colleges are going to be raising tuition by 16% at the big 3 AKA, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia for the fall semester.  SMDH!   DUMB, DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!

Another lesson, states' rights

So there is another lesson and mini-rant about the whole states' rights issues involving the health care debate.  In Tennessee State Legislature there is another issue where states' right is being discussed about how the federal statute mandating health insurance for all citizens by 2014 involving the current bill titled "Tennessee Health Freedom Act".  Tennessee like 14 other states believe the law is "unconstitutional" and should weasel their way out of providing some form of social welfare services to those who are unable to afford health insurance at current market-rate levels for themselves and/or their families.  (Very typical of most Southern states where social welfare of the low-income and impoverish citizenry is seen as contributing to their destitution with a broad brush as if all are "lazy" rather than aiding them until get out of their present conditions).

The whole topic of states' rights within itself is very subjective.  The origin of states' rights lies with the abolition of slavery during the antebellum era where most Southern states argued that it was their choice to allow it.  However, it carried over into the creation and enforcement of Jim Crow law prior to the American Civil Rights Movement.  Of course their are suburban, exurban, and rural predominately white legislatures attempt to forge some type of argument that the federal statute is about the federal government overstepping their legal authority while over giving states back so little.  Case and point from The Tennessean:

State Senate Mae Beavers, a Mt. Juliet Republican, proposed the Tennessee Health Freedom Act, which essentially says Tennesseans don't have to abide by certain components of the federal health-care law and would require the state attorney general to block parts of the reform effort.Beavers said the issue is the federal government's interference in state business.
She said the notion of states' rights should not be misconstrued to mean anything else.

"I'm sure people have different connotations of all of that, but to me what I've been pushing is, I'm tired of the federal government interfering with our lives, taking part of our money and only sending part of it back," Beavers said. "I'm tired of the federal government mandating that we pass laws and in general trying to run our state government."

O'rly Mae Beavers?  Last time I remember (and anybody can google this), most Southern states receive nearly twice as much back in federal funding than its citizens pays in taxes.  BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...

Now on to the foolishness of those like Vanderbilt School of Law professor and author Carol Swain giving life to the foolishness of states' rights.

Swain said she understood why "older blacks" would have a specific point of view about the 10th Amendment. But Swain refuted the notion that renewed arguments in favor of states' rights had a racial subtext. 

"I think it is sad that so many older blacks are so rooted in the past that they seem incapable of moving ahead...What they need is a new way of looking at issues.

Everything is not about race and racism. They need to educate themselves about the constitution, federalism and the burden that federally imposed unfunded mandates impose on state and local government."

Apparently, she doesn't realize that you can't equate such silliness with an age bracket.  There are younger blacks that feel the same way about due their knowledge of history of how the concept is enforced.  Swain apparently wants to believe it is an egalitarian issue when it more about equity and access.  Her over simplistic view on this in addition to showing up to a tea party really last month in Nashville during the "TEA Party Express" stop, then fine.  However, your own ignorance and selective memory of how subjective the law and concept has been applied will be her own undoing when subjected to arguing and debating its usage.  But I digress, as I've been saying it boils to down to equity and access along with class and race.

The battle in GA amongst the Governor, State Assmbly Republicans, and the Attorney General

Another health care reform passage spin-off, instead of the Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker joining the ranks of the other Southern state attorney generals like the gay obsessed Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli, closeted Alabama AG Troy King, South Carolina AG Henry McMaster, Florida AG Bill McCollum, and Louisiana James D. "Buddy" Cadwell (who is a Democratic, probably a socially conservative one that allowed Mr. Jindal aka "Mr. I wish I was a white" to encourage him), and Texas AG Greg Abbott suing the federal government over the health care bill.  He is refusing to sue over the healthcare reform law and its enforcement, so the Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue along with Republican-majority State Assembly are pushing for the state to sue on its own and impeach Baker over his refusal.  Perdue was attempt to use an ultimatum to force Baker to react and file a suit against the portion of the law requiring all individuals to obtain health insurance as unconstitutional.  However, Baker also a Democratic gubernatorial candidate refused to oblige to the threats.  

GOOD FOR YOU, BAKER.  I wouldn't listen to the idiocy and political grandstanding bullshit either because it's a waste of state funds when there are more imperative things that all these states need to be concerned with like a balanced budget...

Now the TRUE COLORS are coming out!

While the healthcare debate comes to a head, I mean vote, there have been hoards of TEAbaggers in DC around the governmental buildings cutting up like roaches in an empty nasty house.  Those jackasses were calling out names at John Lewis of Georgia's 5th Congressional District (which is pretty much all of the city of Atlanta and some of the surrounding areas) and openly gay Massachusetts' 4th district Congressman Barney Frank.  The terms "nigger" and "faggot".others such Missouri's 5th district Congressman Emmauel Cleaver was spat on.  Meanwhile, the supporters of the "movement" is purportedly denying the existence of racial bias (however, I doubt that one for sure).  Now they aren't going to be as nice about the whole homophobia at all because that is openly accepted.  However, it's disgusting yet not surprising that some white people are showing their TRUE COLORS within the "Angry White People Coalition".  What's even more tale-telling is how obvious some people are to this for all this time when in reality there the indicators have been there from jump, the TEA Party movement is the closed-minded, white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant crowd that doesn't give a flying fuck about anybody but themselves and obviously abhors the thought of having a non-white president because it shows they are losing control of the nation's leadership positions.

Republican National Committee is requesting purity resolution on 3 issues...

According to the New York Times, the RNC issued a mandate stating the 'purity' on issues involving health care reform, same-sex unions, and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  The resolution has been endorsed by 10 members of the committee and will be discussed in the winter conference...

Here's the list of mandates:

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill;


(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;
(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;
(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and
(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.

Now that is just precious how they want 'purity' on such contentious issues, but I hope they know us Independents are watching and saying OH HELL NO! 

They are burning their bridge on what would be their swing they need via moderate and progressive Republicans and destroying what is left of the end of the RNC.  I just love their illogical stances on health care reform with the wording "protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding abortion".  On the other hand, isn't that exact opposite of what they claim to be protecting when theyare denying any form of health care reform legislation from passing?  Hmmm... 

Then there is ol' Mikey Steele from Maryland that is now the "token negro-in-chief" of the RNC who admitted that some white Republicans are scared of him.  So many problems, but so few realistic solutions.  What is there for a socially progressive, fiscally conservative Independent to do? 

For starters, this doesn't mean I'm going to become a Democrat again, but my reservations for Republicans will likely become even more common when it comes to voting.  However, I digress... 

THE RAW FACTS: About the HR Vote & Artur Davis & other stuff...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know everybody that is the blogosphere from Rod 2.0 to Left in Alabama , and the rest are jumping on the bandwagon to call out Artur Davis.  However, I'm a kin to the Rude Pundit except I see it from the real and from the South with political perspective.  It time for one of my rare real and "raw facts" posts where all hold bar are dropped.

OK, one Artur Davis is running for the governor of Alabama, and for you non-Alabamians or thus who chose to be belligerently ignorant of the political reality of this state, everything here is Topsy-turby when it comes to politics. You gotta look like the "enemy" to be a "friend" and to look like "friend" you are seen as an "enemy".  In layman's terms, the Democrats and Republicans in this state aren't trusted by the majority of the electorate.  So you have the dilemma that Davis is in where is "damned if voted for it", "damned if he didn't vote for it", and "damned if he chose to abstain" from the vote on the House bill Saturday. 

This where the liberals and progressives separate on issues because liberals are 9 out of 10 times more hard line whereas as a progressive there lies pragmatism. 

RAW FACTS: As much as liberals want to get their drawers tied in a tie over Davis being the only Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) member to vote against the House Bill.  He has made it known for awhile that he wasn't going to vote for the health care reform bill.  So I don't understand why anyone who has been paying attention is surprised.  The writing is on the wall and has been for months. 

Now how this applies to the gubernatorial race, well it just doesn't.  If one realizes what is going on then you would realize that Ron Sparks isn't any better if not worse than Davis when it comes to key issues that affects the average black or working-class white voters.  However, Sparks' stunt Friday calling for constituents in AL-7 congressional district to ask for Davis to support the bill and then claim he would support the bill if he was is in the House is pure bullshit and political grandstanding at its most pathetic worse.  If Sparks can't even support a full constitutional rewrite for fear of the "Great White Wrath" of some voters of that demographic group then he can shut the fuck up on that bullshit he was pulling Friday on Davis.

Let's face it, Alabama is a state where the majority of likely voters will vote against any candidate that is for health care reform in the current House for allowing possibility of funding for abortions.  I'm pro-choice and pro-LGBT rights, but it's the political expediency is what really counts come next June and November in the overall picture.  If you are an one-issue voter then CONGRATULATIONS!  But in the overall scheme of things you will be never satisfied with any candidate because no one candidate is perfect.   You will realize that there is a choice between the less of the two evils.  In this case with the Democratic ticket so far, Davis is the appear less trifling one. 

MY TAKE: I'm not a spokesperson for either one because I will throw Davis under the bus as well if he does a series of stupid things between now and November, but he at least has a good, stable platform.  Sparks is looking more like a pandering opportunist that will camouflage himself depending who is his target audience of his speeches, circa 2008 and Hillary Clinton.  That type of campaign never gets the candidate anywhere because you will get cornered and exposed by your opponents. 

Davis is the best choice for the gubernatorial race on the Democratic side, so he will have to do things that aren't "right" or sacrificial sense "do the right thing at risk of losing an election" when he wants to be governor.  If you're not enthuse about his candidacy, welcome to the crowd, but I'm not going to sit out an election to prove a point that will hurt yourself more than him.  Davis will still be well-paid trial lawyer and viable politician for the future (prohibiting he doesn't have some skeletons in his closet), but those you are standing up for in this health care reform battle will still suffer if not more under an idiot because you thought you were going to show him.  In other words, you are cutting off your own nose to spite your face. 

I live in reality, not political reality, where everything is suppose to be idealistic and pure.  I'm quite pragmatic and not apologetic as some try to claim because I don't apologize for anyone but myself.  In reality, things aren't perfect, so when you harp and whine about things not being perfect shows that you aren't living in reality because as I've said before "no candidate is perfect" or totally aligned with your interests. 

So if you get upset about that crap or my opinion, that's your problem and not mine.  I'm not a Democrat or Republican and never claim to be one.  As my blog title is "Thoughts and rants from an Independent" which means I see it from an objective, non-partisan point-of-view, but I know what's really good with politics.  It is what it is...