Why the Political Blogosphere Reminds Me of High School

I know that many people look back at their high school years as their glory days but there's not enough money in anyone's bank to pay me to repeat mine.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the target of abuse by the "mean girls". Thank goodness.

In my case there were just too many cliques to count and my best friends and I didn't fit into any of them. The camps were clearly established and if you were a member of one group you didn't dare interact with someone from another.

I thought that those days were behind me forever.

These days the political blogosphere reminds me of high school. There's the progressive camp and the neocon camp and "never the twain shall meet"1.

There are the cool kids and the wannabes in both camps. But if you're a moderate who believes that there is common ground between the left and the right and that the two sides should talk to each other, then face it, you're an outsider.

In a recent post for The Atlantic, Marc Ambinder issued a challenge, Get Out Of Your D$*#( Shells

Ambinder wrote:

"Righties interviewing righties has gotten so boring and repetitive; lefties fawning over lefties is lazy. Who's going to be brave enough to reach out to an ideological or intellectual opponent, promote their new book, or interview them?"

I couldn't agree more. All you have to do is read the blogosphere's analyses of President Obama's attempts at bipartisanship and you quickly realize that most people at just too happy with being partisan.

I'm proud to say that I'm affiliated with two blogs, The Political Voices of Women and Hypocrisy.com, which honestly try to bring all voices to the table. But our culture has grown accustom to talking at rather than talking to the other side that there still isn't a lot of cross-communication.

So I hope that this weekend, we'll all reflect on Marc Ambinder's challenge and consider reaching out to someone from the other side.

I'm trying, will you join me. After all, the problems facing this country and the globe probably won't be solved by someone in high school.

Of course, I could be wrong about that last part :-)


1. from The Ballad of East and West by Rudyard Kipling.

PVOW Had Their Say, Here's the Replay

In case you missed the Political Voices of Women Live Blogging Event here's your chance to read the comments, check out the links, the poll results and watch the videos.

Thanks to tech geniuses at CoverItLive, members and friends of the Political Voices of Women Community and all our friends from Twitter and Facebook for making this event lots of fun and a great success.

How Bank Nationaliization Works

Some politicians would have us believe that nationalizing a few of the banks would lead the US to socialism.

Well, as this video explains banks have been nationalized before and it seems that capitalism survived.

Political Voices of Women Have Their Say About President's Address to Congress

At 9pm EST, Tuesday, February 24th, US President Barack Obama will be delivering what political observers are referring to as his first State of the Union Address.

As Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times wrote:

"President Obama will use his first address to Congress on Tuesday to present a road map for “how we get to a better day,” a senior adviser says, in a speech intended to explain his economic policies and argue that legislative revisions on health care, education and energy are crucial to lifting the economy."

Viewers on Main Street, Wall Street and the Global Highway are certain to be watching and listening to President Obama's every word but no one will be listening more closely than the bloggers of The Political Voices of Women.

Starting at 8pm on Tuesday. Political Voices of Women will be hosting a live-blogging simulcast on Twitter and CoverItLive

You're invited to join panelists: Jill Zimon of Writes Like She Talks; Janet Shan of Black Political Thought; Marcia G. Yerman of The Huffington Post; Tami Winfrey Harris of What Tami Said; yours truly, Pamela Lyn of Pam's Coffee Conversation and a few of our closest friends and fellow bloggers as we discuss the President's Address and the response of the political pundits.

I promise that these ladies will tell you exactly what they think and you know that I will too. But we what to hear from you, our readers and Twitter followers.

We want to know:

• What do you want to hear from the President?
• Do you think that his plans will improve your life, or your neighbors?
• Do you think that Congress will work with him?
• Can the President rescue the economy and cut the budget?
  
• Do you think that Washington will overcome its old partisan habits?
• Can the American people really change its ways? Can Wall Street?
• and more.
  

Here's how you can participate in this event:

If you're a member of Facebook you can go to:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52733053359&ref=mf and RSVP for the event. Don't forget to invite your friends.

If you haven't already, join the Political Voices of Women Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the group wall.

On Tuesday night

Join in the conversation on Twitter. The hashtag for the event is #pvow. You can also go to TweetChat log on with your Twitter ID and when prompted to enter a room type "#pvow"

If you don't already have a Twitter ID go to: http://www.twitter.com today and sign up. It's fun.

OR

Click Here to participate in the Live Blog on CoverItLive

To learn more about the Political Voices of Women Community and this event click here.

For more help with using Twitter check out the website Everything Twitter.

I hope that you'll join us in this event.

Gimme Shelter: Tax Evasion And The Obama Administration

Precisely. This is no secret to anyone.



This is why it is so hypocritical when many in the Republican party whine about taxes that they aren't paying anyway.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Economic Ties That Bind

While the US Congress was talking about "stimulus for mice", "not accepting stimlus" and what was or wasn't going to help their constituents many were completing forgetting the big picture.

We live in a global economy.

excerpt from:

Steven Pearlstein - Asia, Europe Find Their Supply Chains Yanked.
Beware the Backlash. - washingtonpost.com:

"For the past two years, Asians and Europeans have tended to view their own financial and economic problems as largely imported from the United States. The impacts on their own economies, they reasoned smugly, would be modest and short-lived.

Turns out they were wrong.

Over the past two weeks, the bottom has fallen out of Asia's export economy while Europe has come face to face with a financial crisis that is as bad as ours and will probably become even worse without the kind of unified response that individual countries have so far resisted.

And what does that mean for us? Nothing good. It means that our downturn will be longer and deeper than many had hoped and that we can't rely as much on export growth to pull us out of the ditch."

Blogs are making a difference in Zimbabwe

David Shuster of MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will air an interview with Roy Bennett's wife at 6pm this evening.
About Zimbabwe
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

New York Post Chimp Cartoon Compares Stimulus Author To Dead Primate

If you are offended by the NY Post's Dead Chimp/ Economic Stimulus Cartoon Call 1-800-552-7678

or go to http://www.nypost.com/contact/contactus.htm
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

What You Can Learn About People and Politics By Staying Sober

or... What You Can Learn About People By Just Watching and Listening.

Many years ago, I worked for a company executive who frequently took various department heads and employees out for after work drinks or dinners. On most of these occasions, the exec would pick up the tab. Needless to say that since the boss was paying, during many of these "social" events, almost everyone had one too many and said a little more than they should have. Everyone except the company executive, who would just sit back, nurse the same drink all night, take it all in and make mental notes. I am sure that I don't have to tell you that this was a very successful executive.

Well for the past few weeks, I've taken a page out of that executive's book.

No, I haven't been wining and dining people for six weeks. As the primary caregiver for an elderly parent that just does not fit in to my schedule these days. I've just been sitting back, watching and listening to the media, the blogosphere, social networks, my international friends, the Congress and the President discuss politics and the economy.

I wish that I could say that I've been surprised by what I've heard but I'm not. Many of you aren't either.

Here's a brief recap of what I've heard and learned, or should I say re-confirmed, during the past few weeks.

It's easier to find chutzpah when your party is in control.

A January article for Politico quotes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as saying:

"I like Barack Obama very much. He won a classic election, never have we had a better one.. But I don’t work for him, I work with him.”

And a few weeks late Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave her Republican opponents what is known in sports as “bulletin board material” by saying:

"Yes, we wrote the bill. Yes, we won the election”

Referee, throw the flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Gee, where have they been hiding those cojones for the last eight years. Maybe if someone hadn't taken impeachment off the table.... oh well.

But the Democrats aren’t the only ones who seemed to have grown a pair over the past few weeks.

While watching hours of Congressional debate over the economic stimulus and recovery bill, I've also learned that:

It's easier to take a stand on “ideological” and philosophical beliefs when the other side is going to out-vote you anyway.

If you watched the passionate pleas for a return to fiscal conservatism and time to read and evaluate the bill as well as suggestions that stimulus money be given directly to the taxpayer, coming from members of the GOP you couldn’t help but ask yourself, “ Who are these people and where have they been for the past 8 years?”

As Senator Barbara Boxer stated on Feb 7th:

"Where were my Republican friends when George Bush was taking the budget deficit from 5 to 10 trillion?"

Yes, Sen. Boxer where were these people when the GOP was in control of Congress and the White House and the country was sold lot, stock and barrel to the highest bidders and their friends in Big Oil, Banking, Big Pharma and War Contracting.

On February 2nd I watched the first public hearing of the Commission of Wartime Contracting in Iraq & Afghanistan and learned about these wonderful examples of fiscal responsibility under 6 years of Republican control of Congress.

The US paid war contractors to build a $40M dollar prison in Iraq that will never be used and $98M for a sewage system that doesn't connect to residents' homes.

As Linda Gustitus, a member of the Commission on Iraq/Afghan Wartime Contracting stated:

"We built expensive projects that the Iraqis don't want and can't use"

We have contractors managing contractors in Iraq... Of course, NO ONE saw a potential problem with this.

As Sen. Claire McCaskill stated in her opening statement to the Commission:

"People need to remember that a general went to jail after Harry Truman completed his investigation (into war profiteering)."

Everyone practices revisionist history.

While making his case against the economic stimulus and recovery bill on Friday the 13th, Sen. Orrin Hatch attributed the balanced budgets during the Clinton years to...

"a Rep Congress and a President who listened."

Ah, so the Republicans were speaking to the President when they were trying to impeach him.

Stop laughing readers:-)

Republicans simply can't resist their urge to scare people to death.

As Amy Sullivan reported in her article What Is Mike Huckabee Talking About :

"Mike Huckabee says the stimulus bill is 'anti-religion.' The Christian Coalition calls it 'an attack on people of faith.' The Traditional Values declares that the economic package 'stimulates anti-Christian bigotry.' My goodness. Maybe the devil really is in the details."

On February 13th, Sen. Tom Coburn R-OK also did his best Freddie Kruger on the Senate floor by claiming that the stimulus bill was pushing the UK model of socialized medicine

Coburn stated:

"In other words, if your 75 years old and you fall and break your hip, we're going to say 'too bad' ".

This one had me laughing so hard that I could barely tell someone that he said this. Conservative respond to fearmongering I guess

I've also learned that:

• Members of Congress view Museums in the same manner as casinos and golf courses. No, I’m not making that up, look up the amendments to the bill.
  
• More scientists are in agreement over global warming than in agreement over economic theory, policy and the solution of the current global economic crisis.
• Almost everyone has an opinion on what has caused the current economic crisis and a comment on how someone else’s plan won’t work. Yet suddenly after more than half a century, there is still disagreement over the success of FDR’s New Deal.
• We you can't make a valid argument just make up something like "stimulus funding to save rats" .
• The media simply can't resist making sports analogies like, "Who struck out" and "Who hit a homerun". And as a sports fan, I can't either.
  
• Most people agree that Americans will need to make sacrifices. We just think that someone else's sacrifice should be greater than our own.
  

And finally,

All politics is not only local but is also personal and apparently, situational.

Of course, I've heard and learned a great deal more but I had to end this blog post somewhere.

Walter Jones, GOP Congressman, Signs On To Investigating Bush

It's a strange day indeed when it seems that there may be a greater chance of bipartisan support for an investigation into the actions of the Bush Administration than there is for an economic stimulus and recovery bill. Strange days indeed.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

No One Is immune to the Economic Crisis, Not Even Toyota

excerpt from:
McClatchy Washington Bureau | 02/13/2009 |
Toyota reduces pay, offers buyouts for all North America employees

Toyota announced plans Thursday that would cut the compensation of every one of its manufacturing employees in North America, from top executives to assembly line workers.

The plan will see executives give up anywhere from 25 percent to 30 percent of their total pay, while salaried workers will see a decrease of around 20 percent and production workers will receive smaller bonuses. Production workers at the Georgetown plant, the largest private employer in Central Kentucky, will lose at least a few thousand dollars annually.

The plan avoids layoffs, which have become frequent at rival automakers, but does include a buyout program, reduced work weeks at some plants and no wage increases for the foreseeable future.

Be A Part of the Women Who Tech TeleSummit

Mark your calendars for the Women Who Tech TeleSummit being held on May 12th, 2009.

This event will feature thought provoking panels on topics ranging from running your own start up to dealing with sexism, ageism, and the lack of diversity in the tech sector.

If you have an idea for a virtual workshop that would benefit every woman working in online communications or technology you still have a couple of days left to submit your panel ideas at http://www.womenwhotech.com/suggest_panel.html

Once again, Women Who Tech plans to host fun after parties in DC, NYC, SF, and other great cities. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are still available for organizations who are looking to connect with women in tech.

Go to http://womenwhotech.com/sponsorships.html for more information.

Women Who Tech's Founder, Allyson Kapin blogs for Fast Company and writes a weekly blog column called Radical Tech that follows the latest trends in tech and Web 2.0. Allyson uses this column to highlight women in the tech field and the inspiring projects and businesses they are working on.

In addition, Allyson recently became the new Blogger-In-Chief for Care2's Frogloop covering nonprofit technology and online marketing, social media, and online fundraising. http://www.frogloop.com.

You can follow Allyson Kapin on Twitter

You can also check out Women Who Tech's Del.icio.us Bookmarks that features insightful articles from the organization and its members.

How We Got Into This Mess In the First Place

I received quite a few emails in response to my post "Conspicuously, Conspicuous Consumption, Fraud and Partisan Politics" but my favorite, by far, was from my good friend Lee.

Lee tends to see this crazy world the same way I do and directed me to the following videos from one of the world's wisest men. In a few minutes you'll understand why the world is in such an economic mess, how we can get out of it, and why we must be ever vigilant.

Now that was simple wasn't it

Last night, a Facebook friend implied that I was spending too much time following politics after he read that my Facebook status was "watching the rebroadcast of the bank CEOs testifying before Congress on CSPAN". He may be right.

But someone has to keep an eye on those "fix-it-up" men in hats.

Thanks Lee :-) Hopefully, the sneetches are getting smart.

Scarborough: Perhaps We Don't Know What We're Talking About

Could it be that the main stream media is figuring out that the American public can think for itself.

Let's hope so.

24 Hours of Stimulus - Caffeine Not Required.

Since I couldn't host a stimulus party this past weekend, I decided to do the next best thing. I'm joining with the bloggers of Political Voices of Women in hosting a party online and you're invited.

Join us on Twitter for "24 Hours of Stimulus: an online bipartisan citizen discussion on the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Bill".

The discussion will start at 12 noon EST Monday, February, 9th as the President begins his Townhall Meeting in Elkhart, Indiana and will continue for the next 24 hours, the time that the Senate is expected to vote on the bill known as S.1 - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

To participate in the discussion add the hashtags. #24stimulus and/or #pvow to each of your tweets. This will make sure that your message is visible to everyone participating in the discussion.

If you are new to Twitter here are a few tips for participating in the discussion.

Go to TweetChat

• Logon on with your Twitter ID and password.
• You will be prompted to enter the name of the room that you want to enter.
• At this point type either #pvow or #24stimulus
• You will now see all of the tweets that have been entered using the hashtags.

For more help with using Twitter check out Everything Twiiter

I hope that you'll join the conversation and share your thoughts, questions, blog posts and any other information that you think that the public needs to know about the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Bill. It should be a fascinating discussion.

Hope to see you there.


P.S. Keep an eye out for a few surprise guests :-)

24 Hours of Stimulus - Caffeine Not Required.

Since I couldn't host a stimulus party this past weekend, I decided to do the next best thing. I'm joining with the bloggers of Political Voices of Women in hosting a party online and you're invited.

Join us on Twitter for "24 Hours of Stimulus: an online bipartisan citizen discussion on the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Bill".

The discussion will start at 12 noon EST Monday, February, 9th as the President begins his Townhall Meeting in Elkhart, Indiana and will continue for the next 24 hours, the time that the Senate is expected to vote on the bill known as S.1 - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

To participate in the discussion add the hashtags. #24stimulus and/or #pvow to each of your tweets. This will make sure that your message is visible to everyone participating in the discussion.

If you are new to Twitter here are a few tips for participating in the discussion.

Go to TweetChat

• Logon on with your Twitter ID and password.
• You will be prompted to enter the name of the room that you want to enter.
• At this point type either #pvow or #24stimulus
• You will now see all of the tweets that have been entered using the hashtags.

For more help with using Twitter check out Everything Twiiter

I hope that you'll join the conversation and share your thoughts, questions, blog posts and any other information that you think that the public needs to know about the Economic Stimulus and Recovery Bill. It should be a fascinating discussion.

Hope to see you there.


P.S. Keep an eye out for a few surprise guests :-)

Should CitiField Be Renamed Bailout Ballpark?

Some people, included this sports fan, think it's worth considering.

As CBS News reported,

"Citigroup received billions of dollars in federal bailout money this winter.

But, in 2006, the bank entered into an agreement to pay the New York Mets $400 million dollars over 20 years for naming rights to the team's new stadium.

'They just act as though the taxpayers' money is free money, and they can spend it any way they want. Well, no they can't,' says Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D, Ohio), who adds that taxpayers have the right to be upset.

'Their money is going for these banks that are just doing anything they want with it,' Kucinich says. 'Well, that's not right, and they have to be called on it.'"

Rep. Kucinich I agree. Let's call them on it.

Let's pressure the Mets organization and the City of New York to rename CitiField to something a little more appropriate for "the house that the bailout is building".

In the following video, Rep Kucinich explains why Citigroup needs to take their name off of the Met's stadium immediately

Of course, Bailout Ballpark isn't the best name.

So tell me, what would you name the new stadium?

President Obama Announces Executive Compensation Limits

During a press conference held earlier today President Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner announced that " they are going to be demanding so restraint in exchange for federal aid"

President Obama stated: "This is America. We don't disparage wealth and we don't begrudge anybody for achieving success. We certainly believe that success should be rewarded. But what gets people upset, and rightfully so, are executives being reward for failure. Especially when those rewards are subsidized by US taxpayers many of whom are having a tough time themselves."

And the choir said, AMEN!!!

A Stimulus Plan for the Oil Industry

In his op-ed column for today's Washington Post, Eugene Robinson writes:

" Earth to Wall Street: It's over, people. You had a terrific run, better than you deserved, but now you'd be wise to pay attention to those citizens outside, the ones with the pitchforks and the torches."

Wall Street executives may get the message some day but I hope that no one is holding their breath. Sadly, Wall Street isn't the only place in America where corporate dissociative disorder prevails.

There is clear evidence of insanity in another business sector. It seems that the Gulf Coast has spawned its own group of corporate sociopaths - oil industry executives.

In a February 2nd post for the Congressional Blog "The Hill" entitled "Stimulus for Oil Industry Creates Jobs", American Petroleum Industry President and CEO Jack Gerard seems to be asking Congress for ....

you guessed it ... a stimulus package for THE OIL INDUSTRY.

No, I'm not making this up.

This appeal from the oil industry comes just days after Exxon Mobil announced that in the fourth quarter of 2008 it suffered a terrible 33% decline in profits and barely eeked out earnings of $7.8 billion.

It was only by the skin of their teeth that Exxon Mobil was able to break their own record for "highest annual profits ever by a U.S. company, pulling in $45.2 billion in 2008, an 11 percent jump over 2007’s $40.6 billion."

On the heels of that disappointing news for the oil industry, Jack Gerard wrote:

"Whether the stimulus package before Congress will be enough to get all Americans working again, we won’t know for some time. For our country’s sake, I hope so.

But there is a lot more that can be done, including encouraging our industry, which has a proven record of providing the type of good jobs we desperately need. At the very least, Congress and the administration should refrain from setting up impediments to its growth.

America’s oil and natural gas industry already supports more than 6 million jobs. It also provides billions of dollars to federal and state treasuries. A recent study, by ICF International, shows we could do much more in both areas if allowed to develop the oil and natural gas resources that have been kept off-limits by Congress for decades. Such development would generate more than $1.7 trillion in government revenue over the life of the resources and create some 160,000 jobs in 2030."

All together now ... let's hear it ... "Drill Baby Drill"

Yes readers, in spite of the fact that an overwhelming majority of the American public now realizes: that their pockets were picked year last by oil speculators and greedy oil executives; that we need to break our national oil addiction; and that the Iraq war was largely fought over oil, Jack Gerard believes that Congress needs to "encourage" and provide stimulus for the oil industry.

As Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) so eloquently stated, "What planet are these people on?"

Things were much easier for the oil industry when all they had to do was pop over to the VP's office, close the door and work out a deal. Ah, those were the days.

Mr. Gerard does have a point, of course. Now that so many Wall Street traders have lost their jobs, Congress should do something to encourage the oil industry. So here are a few suggestions for stimulating the oil industry:

1. A bipartisan panel should be formed to review the National Energy Policy produced by the Cheney Energy Task Force created by Executive Order in January 2001. The panel should interview All of the available original policy drafters in order to determine which elements of the plan were the most effective, and for whom.

2. The bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan should hold a hearing to evaluate how the oil industry has benefited from the sale of gasoline and other petroleum based products during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? Is there a correlation between successive years of record breaking oil profits and the fuel demands of a wartime military?

and,

3. Congress should pass H.R. 104 - the bill to create a Commission on Presidential War Powers and Civil Liberties. This commission can investigate former Federal Reserve Chair, Alan Greenspan's theory that the Iraq war was primarily about oil. It can also determine if and/or how subsequent executive branch decisions were influenced by the National Energy Policy.

For example, how did the appointment of Ray L. Hunt, Chief Executive of Hunt Oil to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board affect US foreign policy in Iraq?

Hopefully, these actions will provide just the stimulus that the oil industry needs to encourage it to invest years of their windfall profits into the research and development of alternative energy which will in turn continue to create jobs and benefit the American economy.

Ground Control to the Oil Industry - Can You Hear Us?

Related posts:

Exxpose Exxon - Jan., 2006

Passing the Buck on Energy - April, 2006

Who Profits from High Oil Costs & The War
November 2007

Related articles:

Conspiracy Theories Abound As Oil Prices Fluctuate
by Steven Mufson for the Washington Post

Big Business, Bad Business
for TomPaine.com

A Surge, and then A Stab
by Paul Krugman for the NYTimes

Best Super Bowl Commercial 2009

My pick for the best Super Bowl 2009 Commercial is without a doubt. CareerBuilder.com

Just substitute daydreaming about punching small animals with forwarding emails with gifs of penguins slapping each other silly.