Stem Cell Research

The second of Romney’s “Values” that can be found on his site is Stem Cell Research. As most if not all of his “opinions,” it’s a carbon copy of one of the many mantras used by the GOP and Mitt is firm on those values until something shakes his internal etch a sketch and suddenly he changes his “opinion.” However, I doubt this time he will change his position on any of the issues on his website, he is not running on his own personal views and values – he is running on what the Koch brothers and Citizen’s United order him to “believe in.”

Mitt Romney, like many other people on the right and some on the left, is uncomfortable with the use of “embryos” for scientific research and specifically for the developing and advancing of stem cell research. On his page, Mitt repeats what we have heard over and over again about the “dignity” an embryo deserves. Mitt continues to say that it is “…our moral duty to protect human life in its most vulnerable form.” That is ridiculous! To begin with, what is typically used to conduct stem cell research is not an embryo; probably these words are used because these are the terms most commonly recognized by all of us. What it is used are blastocysts. A blastocyst is nothing more than a cell with a structure that contains the necessary environment for the embryo to develop but IT IS NOT an embryo. A blastocyst is.0079 inches (the size of a pinhead) or smaller and at that stage the cells have yet to create what later we will recognize, if only through a vivid imagination, as an embryo. 

Blastocyst

An infertile woman prior to the In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedure, must submit to a series of hormone treatments and injections to secure a high production of eggs at a controlled pace. this is an expensive procedure which not always is covered by insurance. When the woman is ready, a specialist will surgically remove all the eggs produced, inseminate them in a lab and place the fertilized eggs in an incubator. From 3 to 5 days after the insemination, a number of those eggs are implanted back into the woman’s womb where the blastocyst cells will attach to the walls of the uterus. Sometimes, there are no more fertilized eggs left and this is the end of the procedure and if unsuccessful, the process starts all over again. But there are times where the procedure was a success and there are fertilized eggs left. What happens to the remaining fertilized eggs (blastocysts)? They end up at either one of two places: A cryopreservation tank or in the Biohazards trash bin.

It is obvious that the couples that opt for cryopreservation are in most part wealthy, since this is a costly procedure. Those couples that are not wealthy, especially if the procedure was a success, don’t even think of the many other eggs that were fertilized and not used. It isn't common for the donors to request the zygotes or blastocysts to be returned to them to provide “them” with a proper burial. Simply they end up in the Biohazards bin. That is what I find so ironic about the “moral duty to protect human life”… as far as I know, if the parents don't claim the fertilized eggs, no one complains about they ending up in the trash; the complaining and morality comes from finding a useful way to dispose of these cells. The immorality comes from using these cells, which otherwise would end up in the garbage, for any scientific research; it is then and only then that the holier than thou will yell about protecting the unborn. Placing the cells in a garbage bag? It’s perfectly fine, even “dignified.” Ending up in a science lab where that cell could help thousands of real people have a better future? Immoral!!! This is the only instance where it is preferred to be thrown away than finding a meaning for the creation and termination of any form of life, even one as primitive as this one. Only a very close-minded person would prefer disposal to usefulness.

Mitt and many others are against creating life in a lab from an existing blastocyst for the sole purpose of replicating the cells for stem cell research in other words, cloning. I am torn about this one. Not because I think it is morally or theologically wrong, but because we were raised watching horror flicks where we watched a mad scientist create "monsters" that later ended up trying to eliminate us. The simple thought of it sends chills through my spine! But we are grownups and we should overcome our apprehensions. If scientists cannot use the “embryos” that are going to be destroyed then, scientists should be allowed to clone. What should not be allowed is allowing the clone to develop further than a necessary.

Romney supports adult stem cell research and alternative methods and I think that too should be pursued. I believe that neither he nor I are scientists and we should leave science to those that know best for the sake of humanity. I am sure Mitt would not dare to tell a cardiologist how he should perform open heart surgery. Not long ago many viewed having a heart transplant with horror and apprehension and today its common practice. Then why do politicians persist in telling scientists what to do in a lab?

Life is precious and no one is debating that, but a person that has been born and is living should always be more important than a cluster of cells. How can you defend the “dignity” of a cell and disregard the right for a dignified life to people with Parkinson, congenital diseases, or those who are paraplegic or even quadriplegic or the millions of people that suffer from other ailments? For the people and the families that might benefit from these research is a matter of life or death, the success of this research gives them the hope that they will have their life back and most importantly, their dignity.

There is no doubt in my mind that if we want to move forward economically, technically, financially, judicially and scientifically we must vote as many Republicans out of Congress.  We must vote Democratic from the State Representatives, Senate and most importantly for our President Barack H. Obama.

Useful links about conception:

Fetal Development


Stages of Development of the Fetus

Casualties of War

I am not in a good mood. Truth be told, I haven’t been in a good mood since the Wisconsin recall fiasco, it is so bad that I promised to take a few days off from politics, but it is easier said than done.

I encountered a person in Facebook that confronted me saying that I have to be less aggressive, more persuasive and basically to go with the flow, this person obviously doesn’t know me; otherwise that would have never been suggested. I can never hide or masquerade my ideals in order for others to like me. I can carry a debate, we can have a difference of opinion but I will not change my values and if I am wrong, I will be the first one to admit it. I will try my best to offer the other person all the facts I may know or have at hand, but I will never lie in order to make others happy or others to like me. No one pays my bills but me, I have to be honest with myself first before I can be honest to others, those that don’t agree can either accept me for what I am or leave, as most things it’s a matter of choice.

I keep hearing that President Obama might lose the elections because the unemployment rate went up by half a point. I can’t believe that people are so stupid! How can they be so blind and not realize that the private companies are purposely not hiring in order to get rid of our President? To me it is so obvious, so clear that makes it incomprehensible that people are so quick to flip… and Latinos, Latinos are beginning to flip because they think Mitt Romney will be more pro immigration than Obama! They will hit Mexico before they can say “Orale” and if they vote for Romney, it will serve them well… I hope they enjoy the ride.

For those Latinos that haven’t done their homework, I will provide them with this entry from Wikipedia about where Mitt Romney stands on Immigration, gay marriage and minimum wage from the time when he was the governor of Massachusetts, I truly don’t think his views have changed any and if they have, I can assure you they are now worse, not better.

Illegal immigration

Romney vetoed a bill in 2004 that would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain in-state tuition rates at state colleges if they graduated from a Massachusetts high school after attending it for at least three years and signed an affidavit affirming that they intended to seek citizenship. Romney argued that the bill would cost the state government $15 million and that Massachusetts should not reward illegal immigration. A study by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicted that the legislation would generate over $5 million in state revenues; the Massachusetts Coalition for Immigration Reform disputed this conclusion. In 2005, the bill was reintroduced to the House and brought to a vote on 11 January 2006. The legislation was defeated 96-57.

On December 2, 2006, it was reported that a landscaping company Romney contracted to perform yard work at his home had been suspected of employing illegal immigrants. Romney said that he was unaware of the immigration status of the company's employees. A year later it was reported that the same company was still using illegal immigrants to work on Romney's estate. After this second report, Romney fired the landscape company.

Later in December 2006, Romney signed an agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that would have allowed Massachusetts State Police troopers to arrest and seek deportation of suspected illegal immigrants they encounter over the course of their normal duties Under the terms of the agreement, a group of 30 troopers would have received specialized training allowing them to question and detain suspected illegal immigrants, charge them with a violation of immigration law and place them in removal proceedings.

The executive order pertaining to state police was consistent with Section 287(g) of federal immigration law. Section 287(g) is a program of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 that deputizes state and local law enforcement personnel to enforce immigration matters.

The agreement was never implemented because governor-elect Deval Patrick, who had expressed strong opposition to the agreement before it was signed, revoked it a month later when he was sworn in.

Minimum wage

As a candidate for governor in 2002, Romney proposed indexing the minimum wage to inflation and raising the hourly pay for the state's lowest-paid workers from $6.75 an hour to $6.96 an hour starting January 2004, saying, "I do not believe that indexing the minimum wage will cost us jobs. I believe it will help us retain jobs.”

In July 2006, the legislature passed a bill increasing the minimum wage to $8.00 an hour, and he vetoed it. "I have spent hours reading a wide array of reviews on the minimum wage and its impact on the economy, and there's no question raising the minimum wage excessively causes a loss of jobs, and the loss of jobs is at the entry level," said Romney when he vetoed the bill. He proposed an increase to $7.00/hour (which represented a 25 cents an hour increase over the existing rate.) The legislature voted on July 31, 2006 to override his veto (unanimously in the Senate) thus setting the minimum wage at the higher amount.

Same-sex marriage

Romney strongly opposed same-sex marriage during his governorship. He emphasized his desire to "protect the institution of marriage" while denouncing discrimination against gays and lesbians. "Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians," Romney said in 2004.

Romney attempted to block implementation of the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that legalized same-sex marriage in 2003. Romney criticized the decision as harming the rights of children:

“They viewed marriage as an institution principally designed for adults. Adults are who they saw. Adults stood before them in the courtroom. And so they thought of adult rights, equal rights for adults…Marriage is also for children. In fact, marriage is principally for the nurturing and development of children. The children of America have the right to have a father and a mother.

Romney subsequently released a statement in support of a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts state constitution defining marriage as existing only between "one man and one woman" in order to overrule the court's decision. His statement said, "the people of Massachusetts should not be excluded from a decision as fundamental to our society as the definition of marriage."

While consistently rejected same-sex marriage, there was a rhetorical shift in other emphasis around this subject during his time as governor, culminating with Romney rarely talking about protecting gays from bias and instead characterizing himself as a conservative stalwart in the battle against same-sex marriage and in support of heterosexual families.

The above, according to Wikipedia, is Mitt Romney’s proven record. Don’t be a fool and believe that he has changed his mind about any of these so important subjects, keep in mind the “etch a sketch” analogy used by his campaign manager… nothing he says in his campaign is true, except that analogy.

Mitt Romney will be the worst thing that could happen not only to Latinos, minorities and the middle class but also to America as a whole. There is no question why the Koch brothers are backing Romney and most Republicans… they are trying to secure cheap labor and increase their already obscene wealth at whatever cost necessary. For them, you and I are just casualties of war.

We must vote in great numbers even greater numbers than in 2008. Those of us that are unemployed should volunteer to be an election’s worker – not only will you have something to do but you can use the time there to make sure nothing strange or corrupt takes place or go to the nursing homes and offer to help the elderly fill in their absentee ballots, be prepared, be informed and clarify any doubts they may have. Offer a ride to the voting sites to those that don’t have transportation. If they have a disability and can’t stand in line offer to stand in line for them, do whatever it’s necessary but move and vote, vote for the Democratic or Green Party… our way of life depends on it.

The Truth about Mitt Romney

The elections are less than six months away. Everything seems to indicate that Mitt Romney will be the Republican Presidential Nominee, and after several failed attempts the presidency finally is within his reach. It must be really exciting for Romney, after all, he doesn't care how he gets what he wants as long as he gets it, whatever means necessary.

Mitt Romney has changed his views and opinions about everything, and not throughout the years as many of us do, but from one event to another. It's the "etch a sketch" strategy we have heard so much about.  It is obvious that this man is not campaigning on his values or principles, rather he is telling the American people whatever is necessary and suitable at the time in order to get their vote.

Many will claim this is politics as usual, and up to a point I agree. However, every candidate has an opinion that he or she will defend and not change, but not Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney is spending his time accusing President Obama of not knowing how to deal with current issues such as unemployment, energy, education, budget, government and any other issue you can think of. Every candidate employs these tactics and it shouldn't surprise anyone that Mitt Romney does the same. What it is surprising is that when he is asked what are his plans to solve any of these issues, what strategy he will use to fix the problems he claims President Obama is not handling correctly, Romney will not answer.  It is at moments like this that a candidate will take the opportunity to show the American people that they have a viable plan or idea and in the process show their platform hoping it will appeal to as many people as possible.  Instead,  Romney shifts the discussion to economics and how brilliant he is at it, never replying to the question he was asked. Invariably, he mentions how many jobs he saved and created over the years, how many companies he helped create or advance.  On the 2007 elections the GOP mantra was "Drill, baby, Drill" it seems that today's mantra is "Economics, baby, Economics."  We all agree that there is a global economic crises, however, there are other equally important issues that are in desperate need of attention and that are equally important to the quickly disappearing middle class.  Mitt Romney doesn't care about those, all that he is willing to talk about is economics because that is the only thing he thinks he knows and gives him the setting to glorify himself.  The only thing he hasn't said, so far, is that he has the Midas touch... but give him time, the elections are still a few months away!

I decided to write this post after watching the video I attached below. It is a forceful video that shows you exactly how Mitt Romney "saved" jobs. The caring that Mitt Romney has for the average American worker is the same a hungry shark would have for a lion seal. We are insignificant for him, spendable and the only thing that matters for Romney is the mighty dollar.  Now that he has amassed enough of it, he wants to buy a place in history by becoming the President of the United States.  What inspired him was not saving this country and certainly not saving our way of life and the middle class, to obtain what thus far has been unattainable:  to be the ruler of the most powerful nation in the world, the United States of America.

Obama-Biden 2012!

Working for the Jobless?

I am so glad that Congress came to its senses and approved extending the payroll tax measure. After three years of Democrats having to virtually fight for any measure to be approved by the GOP aka the Party of No, this time around there was no big fight to approve this measure. Being on an election year and with the Congress approval rate at its lowest (10% approval rate according to Gallup as of February 8th, 2012) is no wonder Congress and specially the Republican Party have decided to be benevolent and finally work, literally work, instead of simply occupy a chair and vote against everything suggested by the opposing party.

Now here’s the punch line… After openly and carelessly opposing anything that would benefit the middle class and the unemployed, at times even mocking the unemployed, John Boehner [R] has the audacity of blaming the Democrats for playing political games, in a statement published by the Associated Press, Boehner said “We are not going to allow the Democrats to continue to play political games and raise taxes on working Americans. We made the decision to bring them to the table so that the games would stop and we would get this work done.” First of all, I think that in negotiations everyone has to come to the table, not “bring them” or did Boehner personally grabbed the hand of each Democrat Congressperson and pull them to the table? No. Coming to the table, Republicans, Democrats and Independents, is what Congress should do to negotiate new bills and measures, the problem is… Republicans haven’t really negotiated anything in a long time, unless holding things hostage can be called negotiating, so I guess they’ve forgotten how Congress is supposed to work. Second, after 3 years of constantly blocking every measure, of constantly discarding benefits for the poor and middle class and giving priority to the measures that would only benefit the very wealthy and multinational corporations, does the GOP really think people will change their minds about the awful job Congress has been doing since President Obama took office? Does the GOP really think that Americans are so stupid?

Now, they want to take the ‘glory’ for simply doing their job, after three years of playing golf paid for with our taxes; after countless days of vacations and holidays, and after three years of perceiving a hefty salary for not working while the average unemployed American has to survive on $300 a week! Now they are puffing and huffing that they’ve worked for the American people, give me a break!

We must bear in mind that they managed to inflict some damage to the unemployed – they would not be Republicans if they didn’t do that – but they are not eager to let us know what they got away with “for the good of the American citizen.” Thanks to the Republicans in Congress, those unemployed will see the a reduction in the numbers of weeks for which they can claim unemployment benefits, from 99 weeks down to 73, and we can truly thank the Democrats who fought to defend the unemployed during this economic crises, Republicans wanted to bring it down to only 59 weeks!

Republicans brought a lot of nonsense to the negotiation table that thankfully was rejected by the Democrats. Among the things the Republicans wanted was that for a person to obtain their unemployment benefits, they had to obtain a high school equivalency degree or GED. Where do they come up with these absurd ideas? Do they talk among themselves and, as if a joke, choose the wildest and craziest idea among them to bring to the table perhaps in an effort to shock the Democrats? Now, please, can anyone tell me why, if I worked and paid into my unemployment insurance and as well as my employer and I get laid off, would I have to get any degree to receive what is rightfully mine? But of course, the GOP is constantly trying to ‘work for the American people,’ they just don’t say that the American people they work for must, in order for the Republicans in Congress to help them, have a bank account exceeding a million dollars – otherwise, you don’t qualify for them to keep your interests in mind.

To be or not to be

Today, when I heard the news that President Obama had compromised with the Catholic Church I was appalled! Without listening to the President, I assumed – and I know one never must do that – that Catholic women were going to be denied that very important coverage and I couldn’t believe it! As it turned out to be, the Catholic Church managed to save a few dollars, as well as their employees, since the new mandate requires for insurance companies to ‘pick-up’ the tab. I am glad for the women employed by the Catholic Church but… there’s always a but, that means that the Catholic Church not only pays no taxes, but that the insurance premium that they will pay will be cheaper too. Once again, the wealthiest of institutions get away with not spending a dime and someone else paying for it, or do you honestly think that the insurance companies will pay for this? Of course not! They will distribute that expense onto the paying individuals and companies enrolled with them.

I am so fed up with religion institutions, particularly the Catholic Church, getting away with murder! From influencing in politics, not only in the United States but worldwide to hiding pedophiles, from not paying taxes and contributing like any other corporation – which is what they truly are – to picking and choosing who deserves their help in the form of charity. Thus far, the Catholic Church has enough money to help all the children from being killed in Somalia, but they don’t. We only need to look at the luxury in the Vatican; one of the gems in any of the jewels in the Vatican could save those children… One of the paintings stored in the Vatican could save those children but no, it is guarded and cherished while children are being murdered. And now, through their manipulation and false indignation they have, once more, got their way.

I call for action. Action to demand for all religious institutions that take part in making a political comment, whether these comments are made from the pulpit or publicly, or openly criticizing any political party, rule, law or leader – to nullify their 501c3 application. Churches receive that special treatment of no paying any taxes thanks to that application in exchange, they (the church) can’t openly speak out, organize in opposition to, anything that the government declares “legal,” even if it is immoral (e.g. abortion, homosexuality, contraception, etc.), a church that openly express their opinion and instigate their congregation against a political figure or against a law or mandate jeopardizes their tax exempt status. So, when on earth are we going to remove their free ride? Let’s pull the rug from under their feet – talk all they want but PAY for it!

America… start your engines!

It is hard to imagine that the Republican Party was against bailing out the American automotive industry; after all, we can take pride that the automobile is the result of American ingenuity and the creation of what is an indispensable way of transportation all over the world. Ronald Reagan, who by now is almost a demigod for the Republican Party, among the many slogans that were created under his administration, promoted to “Buy American” in an effort to save the American industries… But we all know that the GOP picks and chooses what they wish to remember, and this particular slogan they chose to forget.  Back in 2008 before Bush left the oval office the Democratic leaders in congress requested for $25 billion to be given to the automotive industry in an effort to save it from succumbing to the economic disaster that was imminent. Many Republican Senators were vehemently against it, some, like Republican Senator Shelby dared calling it a “dinosaur” not worth saving, particularly, not worth using the money to bailout Wall Street to bailout the American car industry. They didn’t object helping those responsible for creating the worst economic crisis in decades, but saving the American car industry? In their eyes it was not worth saving. Others, like Republican Senator Kyl, went further saying, “This bailout would only extend the inevitable demise of the industry.” Mitt Romney who is always claiming to be a corporate expert said, "If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.  It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed."  All this was back in November 2008.

Then, Barack Obama became our 44th President and he had another vision, he wanted to save that which up to not long ago was our pride and joy all over the world. He wanted to restore the glory of the automotive industry, which as of lately, and due to foreign competition, had fallen behind in quality as well as revenue. The American automotive industry was doomed to disappear, but not without a fight and not before Obama would try to save it against all odds. Republicans at that time raised the same outcry that has been their ‘signature’ for anything and everything that Obama has tried to accomplish a rotund and solid NO. We must not forget that many of the most adamant Senators had other reasons for criticizing and opposing the automotive bailout: foreign car industries were blooming in their States, and these companies would benefit tremendously if their American competition was to disappear. These Senators didn’t care at all about preserving our industry, our name, or our legacy. All they cared about was the money these foreign companies were bringing to their own States and perhaps their own pockets. They couldn’t care less that it was our American car industry who, without fanfare, aided the States hit worse by Katrina, making donations up to half a million dollars even when their finances where hurting… that didn’t matter for these Senators, all Republicans and all from the States hit by Katrina, who benefited from these donations.

Actor Clint Eastwood – Republican – was too against this bailout, which makes the Chrysler commercial aired during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime the more valuable. Hearing from Mr. Eastwood’s own lips the importance of coming together at a time of crisis – something that has been said since day one by Obama and his supporters – makes this ad a treasure. 

I must say for those that don’t know it, that all the American automotive industries that received bailout money have paid back their debt to the American citizens. Our automotive industry still has a long way to go, I am sure, but we are bearing witness to its rebirth against all odds and against the Republican opposition. 

This is undoubtedly a great victory for Obama but most importantly, it is a great victory for America!

GOP Response to the SOTU address... What a joke!

Last night as I watched the State of the Union, I felt proud to be a Democrat. I felt proud to have a President that is such a great speaker and that in an election year, is not afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

Obama touched almost every subject that is on everyone’s minds. From a great opening where he touched our hearts as we witnessed the warmth in his embrace to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, to the recognition he expressed towards our men and women serving this country in the military.

Nothing that Obama said in the SOTU was outrageous. But today we are hearing the expected comments from the Right. Today, I read an article from Los Angeles Times “'Republicans blast Obama for ‘efforts to divide us’” that summarizes what the GOP thought of Obama’s speech. What caught my attention is the ridiculous assertion that Obama is constantly trying to divide us. Really? These people must have a different concept of what dividing means, because for the last 3 years that’s all they’ve done, not Obama. If anything, Obama’s base has been upset because he has tried so hard, and in their opinion, he has conceded too much to the Right in order to get things done, and they say Obama is a divider? 

Mitch Daniels, the Governor of Indiana, resents what according to him Obama insinuated, if we are to believe Gov. Daniels, Obama said that this nation is a nation of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’, I did not hear anything at all that resembled that statement, but Gov. Daniels said the opposite and answered to his imaginary assumption with “this nation must always be a nation of ‘haves’ and ‘soon to haves’”… that must be a damn joke! For the last 10 years, this nation has become a nation of haves and have nothing, the dream of ‘soon to have’ it’s slowly vanishing and will soon disappear if a Republican wins the elections. For the last 10 years all it has matter for every Republican in Congress is the financial health of the corporations and multimillionaires that keep them where they are, not the working class. The working class is nothing more than the instrument that lines with money the pockets of these Corporations (people now) and multimillionaires; it is true that the tax cuts they have managed to give these corporations create jobs, theirs and trickle down economics – to their bank accounts, not to the working class. So far, in 10 years of these tax cuts, jobs have been decreasing not increasing. If that was true, we would have a 0% unemployment rate, what’s more, we should have to bring people from other countries to fill the vacancies, lies! Nothing could be further from the truth! For Gov. Daniels to even make mention that Obama is ‘pro-poverty’ it’s an insult coming from a party that has blocked every effort this administration has proposed to promote or create new jobs. For Gov. Daniels to be either so delusional or such a great lair as to claim that the GOP is the only hope to “restore America in an upward mobility and equality” it’s in and by itself laughable. When has this country seen any equality or upward mobility during a Republican administration in at least the last 30 years?

Obama knew the Republicans were going to call him a ‘class warrior’. Anyone daring to touch the super wealthy of this country is accused of dividing this country by class or of being a socialist or worse yet, a communist. It is so ludicrous to claim that by Obama not wanting for the margin between the very wealthy and the middle class to be as abysmal as it is now he is dividing the nation, that it would be as ridiculous for someone to claim that is terrible to want to close the gap between an “A” grade student and a “D” grade student. But that’s the GOP for you… Illogical, arrogant and indifferent to the needs of the working class!

Then, we had to hear from the candidates. Mitt Romney used the same rhetoric that the far right uses time and time again and that their stupid followers believe: that Obama wants more taxes, more spending and more regulations, but of course, he doesn’t stop and clarify that the ‘more taxes’ are for the wealthy, not the working class; that the ‘more spending’ is to create jobs and that the ‘more regulations’ is to keep an eye on previous corporate offenders, like the ones that have contaminated our environment; the ones that made thousands of people lose their homes and the ones that brought this nation to the brink of a second depression. No, Mitt Romney conveniently left the explanation out, allowing his followers to think that the taxes he was referring to were the taxes of the working class, the more spending was to fill the pockets of the rich and the ‘regulations’ was to increase the size of government.

Next we have the worse offender, sorry, candidate of them all: Newt Gingrich. I have no idea how he dares to criticize anyone, with a record such as his. For this pig (I can’t call him anything else and I must apologize to the pigs) to claim that Obama is a radical and out of touch with America is offensive. A guy that has no moral values, who was asked to resign from congress and from his position as Speaker of the House for basically stealing and fraudulently issuing checks with no funds; a guy that is the only member of Congress and the only Speaker of the House, in the history of this nation, that had to pay a fine of $300,000 a guy who goes to Tiffany as we go to Walmart, to claim that he is in touch with America but not Obama, is laughable. Certainly the America I live in is not the America Gingrich lives in.

The only one that said the truth, up to a point, was Rick Santorum. He said “Over the last three years, he has made it clear that his values are not our values” – and that is so very true! Obama values his wife, his children, and his family. Obama values the American Dream. Obama values the right to love whoever you chose to love. Obama values the health of this country. Obama values the environment. Obama values the working class. So yes, Rick Santorum was right, Obama’s values are NOT, in any type, shape or form those of the Right, and for that I thank Obama.

That leaves us with Ron Paul. His response was nothing but a long list of complains, not one serious response to any of the points made by Obama in the State of the Union address. We all know that Ron Paul wants to return to the pre-Civil Rights Act era, we all know that he wants the country to run by itself, with little or no government – probably only two people in government if he wins: he, the ‘king’ and his prince, Rand Paul. We would all be so stoned that will not care what is happening around us, probably why he supports making drugs legal. We would return to the Wild, Wild West. All joke aside, his response was just a litany of his usual complains, nothing at all related to what Obama said and of course, he closed his so-called response with the a new complain, the “TSA treatment of his son, Rand Paul”… You know what? I must thank the TSA, if I have to endure getting screened, touched and x-rayed; whom does Rand Paul think he is to be treated differently? I’m telling you, Ron and Rand Paul think they are above the law.

All in all, the response from the GOP was what we all expected. A complete and utterly denial of accepting any responsibility for the state in which this country finds itself, a self-evident negative attitude, a perennial effort to obstruct any help this country needs to move forward, to help the working class to get the jobs that will help them fulfill the American dream; for Republicans the only people that matter, the only people that can have an ‘American dream’ are wealthy people and we, the working ants, should be grateful for the crumbs they let us get.

Wake up America! Remember what got us to where we are today. Obama is good, but he can’t undo what took 8 years to accomplish; Obama can’t perform miracles it is up to all of us, we the people, must work together, roll up our sleeves and help him shape our own future.

Changing Course

I love this country and it hurts to see the downward path in which it’s going thanks to the Christian Fundamentalists.

During the last thirty years or so, slowly at first and rapidly during the last ten years, the country has seen the Christian Fundamentalists; exercise their influence in Congress, ignoring our Constitution for their personal religious gain, while claiming that they want to honor the Constitution. These Fundamentalists, now better known as the Tea Party, will rally behind any white politician that is willing to dance to the tune they play, which it’s usually anything that is against science, technological advances and respecting every individual’s right to choose, whether this choice is to have a family or to choose a spouse of the same sex. If the Fundamentalists aka The Tea Party doesn’t like what you like, too bad for you. They feel they have the right to interfere in your personal life, in who you choose to love, whether you choose to have a family or terminate a pregnancy for whichever reason you may have; no one chooses an abortion lightly the woman that chooses to terminate a pregnancy does so after serious thoughts about that action, it is always a hard and difficult decision but it should always be a personal decision, not a government decision or a community decision. But to the Fundamentalists, it doesn’t matter that you might be an atheist and therefore you have no fear of the afterlife or if you will burn for eternity in the fire pits of hell – the Fundamentalists believe that their God is a vengeful god and apparently they have a direct line to the almighty where He tells them what to do and who can do it and you, a mere mortal, have no saying in the matter – out the window goes the ‘free will.’ They believe in Judgment Day but, they have decided that their God might not be a very good judge to ‘prosecute’ you so instead; they have decided to be judge, juror and executioners. This same group of Fundamentalists while Liberals make fun of them, have shown they’re smart enough or at least their leaders are, to invade our political system, manipulated it in their favor and now they even have members of Congress that proudly claim to be part of The Tea Party. Fundamentalists long for the good old days, where white mobs were free to lynch black people without being brought to justice, they long for the Victorian age, they long for the time where Civil Rights were nonexistent or were only applied to white people. They want to live in the past, no matter how obscure this past was, for them it was the ‘Golden Age.’

It is time to fight fire with fire. It is imperative that we elect Obama in 2012 and that we get more liberals and progressives to fill the House and the Senate; we must kick out from Congress as many Fundamentalists, Republicans, Blue Dogs and “Teapers” as we possibly can; We, as a nation, must continue fighting to maintain the position as leaders of the Free World, the country of all. The only country whose Preamble to the Declaration of Independence clearly states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We can’t allow these words to lose their meaning. We can’t allow Fundamentalists to choose who is an equal or who is entitled to Life, Liberty and above all, pursuit of Happiness. They yearn for a past long gone and we should never look back; it is our duty to look optimistically and work towards a better future for ALL. We should never go back in time, it can’t be done, and it’s futile. We can't continue to look backwards, not to the preceding administration nor to the previous century; the time is well overdue to set our eyes in the future, no nation has ever advanced while immovable, no nation can be in the past and pretend to be leaping forward, the future always lays ahead, never behind... The choice should be clear that in order for this nation to continue leading the world into the future, it must learn from its history but never remain a slave of the past. 

Trickle down... Politics?

And as usual, the Republican contenders for the Presidential nomination, after discrediting, insulting, pointing fingers and all the usual exhibition of egos that takes places at political debates, are falling, one by one.

The first one to go, when he couldn’t control the sexual harassments from invading the news and he could no long cover the sun with his thumb, was Herman Cain. He didn’t last long and we all knew he was going to be the first to go, after all, the only reason the RNC ‘allowed’ him to run was to prove that the GOP is not a racist party, the same reason why they elected Michael Steele to be Chairman, regardless of his poor credentials. To be honest, Herman Cain and his ‘999’ plan were not missed but he did bring some sort of entertainment to such a boring group, but his 15 minutes of fame were over pretty fast. So far, he has not endorsed any of the candidates; he says he prefers to endorse “the people” unless by “the people” he was referring to corporations, one might never know. Some people belong more to the entertainment industry than the political arena, but then again, these debates resembles more a circus than a serious political debate.

But we still had Michele Bachmann and of course, we can’t forget about Marcus. The two provided us with so much fun during the campaigns! The comedy shows were having a blast at their expense, after all, Michele seemed eager to provide fresh material every time she was in front of the cameras, I think comedy writers never had it so easy, they didn’t have to make things up, Michele made sure of that. But, as it happens when something is too good, she too had to quit – we must not forget that as entertaining as she was, she was running for President of this country and I think people were amused, entertained for a while but finally they realized it was time to get serious. It was no surprise when after she announced her resignation she endorsed Ron Paul; after all, birds of a feather flock together.

At that time, everyone thought that Rick Perry was going to call it quits, but the cowboy decided to stick to his guns and continue in the race… some people are too dumb or too stubborn or both to know when to leave.

Jon Huntsman was kind of an enigma to me. While we must admit that he is an intelligent, well educated - he even speaks Mandarin, experienced (certainly more than the rest of the pack), he was dignified even when the others were attacking him and then, for reasons I don’t know, he changed tactics and decided to attack Mitt Romney by saying that Romney likes to fire people and he didn't. He was doing pretty decent until then, holding to third place but he had the charisma of a stone. And after South Carolina he decided to quit and endorse the very candidate he chose to criticize: Mitt Romney.

And today we are blessed with another drop out, Rick Perry. It was not a surprise to anyone; actually we were surprised he lasted longer than Huntsman if only by a few days. Perry didn’t bring any substance to any of the debates, except to show his homophobic tendencies, his flip flopping (remember, he started his political career as a Democrat), and his constant display of either bad memory or what most of us suspect, a complete lack of knowledge on most subjects. Besides the entertainment contributions made by Perry, he will not be missed. He was prompt to offer his endorsement to none other than Newt Gingrich. We must forgive him, with that endorsement he confirmed what we knew all along, Rick Perry is an idiot.

Now is down to four. We all know that Rick Santorum is next; he is an improved version of Rick Perry. I am sure he will endorse Ron Paul; he can’t endorse an adulterer or a Mormon.

Ron Paul will be gone too. Regardless of his followers, the RNC will not let him get to the end of the race because of what he is proposing – small government, legalizing drugs, etc. - goes against what Republicans really want. So he will be history, again, and Paul will endorse Mitt Romney.

The last two candidates that will remain till the very end will be Romney and, yikes! Gingrich. Romney is charismatic, good looking, energetic and has enough money to take the race all the way to the end. Also, Romney serves as a proof that the GOP is open to all creeds, just as they allowed Cain to run to prove that they’re not racists. Sure! Gingrich will be fighting all the way, there is much money to be make afterwards with his Super PAC, books and his so-called documentaries – so the longer he stays, the more money he’ll make, but he knows he will not be the republican presidential nominee, he is not in the race to win the position but to win money and lets not confuse the two. Mitt Romney will be the republican candidate for the presidency, and I am glad about this, he is no contender to debate Obama. Romney is too arrogant, as a speaker he is awful and he will be debating a great one. At the end, indirectly, Mitt Romney will be endorsing Obama!

Our President Rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline!

Today, January 18^th, amidst the blackout of many information pages, our president announced the rejection by his Administration of the Keystone XL pipeline project. Those of us that protested, signed petitions and mobilized to stop this environment assault to our country are justifiably rejoicing, at least momentarily, from this good news.

The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, announced in not uncertain ways, the rejection of this project and clearly stated the reason for his decision:

“I have determined, based upon your recommendation,” [the Secretary of State] “including the State Department’s view that 60 days is an insufficient period to obtain and assess the necessary information, that the Keystone XL pipeline project, as presented and analyzed at this time, would not serve the national interest.”

I am so proud of our President for listening to us in this so very important cause! This project, regardless of what Republicans and the oil industry have to say, represents a clear and imminent danger to our wildlife, water supply, our land and our environment.

In the official Statement from The White House also released today, the President said, “I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil” – so far so good. Bravo Mr. President!

My enthusiasm took a turn downwards when in that same statement, Obama makes clear that he is for other similar and equally dangerous ventures, when he said: “ – including the potential development of an oil pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico”; even though the aforementioned pipeline will cause less damage than the Keystone XL pipeline, it will still represent a danger to our environment.

As it was expected, the Republicans are raising hell over this rejection by the President. The rhetoric that this pipeline will create much needed jobs, which up to a point and not in the numbers they claim it could be true, the claim that it will reduce in any way our dependence in foreign oil is ludicrous. To begin with, this dirty oil is not ours it belongs to Canada and once it’s refined in Texas, it will leave our shores to be sold somewhere else, the taxes of this sale will be abroad so this nation will not receive a penny from it, as usual, and the citizens of this country will not save a penny at the pump – the financial benefits will only be seen by TransCanada and their allies, the oil magnates that have never looked out for our benefits or that of our nature. One needs only to see what their greed had done in the past to our shores to recognize that all that moves these companies is the profit they can obtain with complete disregard to the environment.

According to Steve Hargreaves from CNN Money, the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Thomas Donohue, said in reference to the President’s decision of rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project that “The president’s decision sends a strong message to the business community and to investors: keep your money on the sidelines, America is not open for business.” I find this statement offensive. Our nation has been ripped, raped, abused, neglected and usurped by corporations for decades. Foreign companies have been allowed to merciless annihilate our manufacturing industries by allowing them to import their cheap junk to our land, by exporting jobs (that’s the only thing they export), by avoiding fiscal responsibility which has rendered this nation almost bankrupt and as of lately, the greatest insult for the citizens of this country, the Supreme Court even have granted these companies the status of ‘personhood’, something never done anywhere else in this world… but rejecting ONE project is sending a message that “America is not open for business”? Really? Maybe that could be the best thing that will happen to this country, that these ‘people’ leave and we can return to being an industrialized nation instead of a consuming nation which only purpose is to line with our blood and sweat the pockets of these greedy corporations, sorry, “people.”

To read the complete CNN article, click here

To read the complete Memorandum for the Secretary of State, click here

To read the complete Statement by the President on the Keystone XL Pipeline, click here

The Left Must Unite or We Will Lose our Country

I keep hearing that Obama must start working for "WE the people" and how he hasn't done all he has promised, believe me, I have been one of those too... until I stopped and analyzed the situation he finds himself in. First, and this is important, he is the President of the United States of America, he is not the President of the United Democrats of America or the President of the Liberals of America, or whatever party you may choose to insert in substitution for a political ideology. Yes, it was us who put him there but, he said it clearly during his campaign and we must admit it, we loved it when he said it: "Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America - there's the United States of America." - I remember wanting to cry when I heard him say this. Now, 3 years later, we criticize him for listening to all sides.

Then, there has to be a super majority of votes to pass anything through Congress and the Republican's, whose #1 objective, openly admitted, is for Obama to be a one term president and in order to achieve their goals, they vote NAY on everything that might be beneficial to this country and therefore, for Obama. And we blame Obama. We blame Obama because we want him to break the rules to do what we want - and need too, don't get me wrong - but according to the rules of Congress, he can't. And now, how are we reacting? By splitting the liberals and democrats, as if we will gain something by it. If we keep doing this, we will have no one to blame but ourselves when a Newt, Romney, Paul or any other nut in the GOP walks into the Oval office and take charge of this country, taking it back to before the '60s. I know a lot of you will blame Obama, it is always easier to blame someone else for our own demise. I hear people saying that they will either not vote or vote for a 'green' candidate or anyone else, even if that candidate has no chance in winning; the results? We're split, but not the far right. Way to go!! We might as well place the White House on a silver platter and hand it to the next son of a bitch from the GOP that will make our lives a living hell. You think we have it bad now? Allow this to happen and you will really learn what hell is all about!

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