Send Clarence Thomas Packing: Step 3

Impeach Clarence Thomas

3rd Step: Contact US House of Representatives, the people's house. Ask for an investigation of Clarence Thomas. It won't happen soon, but it's our obligation to raise the issue (the right wing always does!).

Some of the issues regarding Clarence Thomas: Throw Clarence Thomas Off the Bench

My Message to Congress:

A complaint has been filed with the Missouri Bar Association to investigate Judge Clarence Thomas for allegations regarding his taxes. Given other widely publicized partisan activities by Mr. Thomas, the association is being asked to measure the weight of broader evidence relative to rules of conduct for a lawyer.

I would like Congress to consider it's own investigation. Please add me to an interest e-mail list for people following your future investigations into this matter.

The Missouri Bar contact information follows:

mobar@mobar.org
ph: 537 635 4281
fax: 573 635 2811

For Your Convenience:

• Contact the House of Repres

Step 3.5, Twitter links to the Three Steps of Action:

http://tinyurl.com/CT-Step1
http://tinyurl.com/CT-Step2
http://tinyurl.com/CT-Step3

See Step 1
See Step2

PS

Go Johnny Saunders

Remove Clarence Thomas from Supreme Court: Step 2

Impeach Clarence Thomas

2nd Step: Contact Media outlets. Ask them to follow the Missouri Bar Association's investigation of Clarence Thomas.

Some of the issues regarding Clarence Thomas: Throw Clarence Thomas Off the Bench

My Message to Media Outlets:

A complaint has been filed with the Missouri Bar Association to investigate Judge Clarence Thomas for allegations regarding his taxes. Given other widely publicized partisan activities by Mr. Thomas, the association is being asked to measure the weight of broader evidence relative to rules of conduct for a lawyer.

I would like your organization to follow this news story. Please add me to an interest e-mail list for people following your future investigations into this matter.

The Missouri Bar contact information follows:

mobar@mobar.org
ph: 537 635 4281
fax: 573 635 2811

For Your Convenience:

• Contact the Broadcast Media

Step 2.5, Twitter this link of the story linked above:
http://yhoo.it/gYDni2

See Step 1

PS

Go Johnny Saunders

Ousting Clarence Thomas: Step 1

Impeach Clarence Thomas

1st Step: Contact Missouri Bar Association.

Support a complaint that has been filed with the MO Bar mentioned in this piece: Throw Clarence Thomas Off the Bench

mobar@mobar.org
ph: 537 635 4281
fax: 573 635 2811

Step 1.5, Twitter this link:
http://yhoo.it/gYDni2

My Message:

I support the complaint filed with your association to investigation of Judge Clarence Thomas for allegations regarding his taxes. Given other widely publicized partisan activities by Mr. Thomas, the association has a solemn responsibility to relax the boundaries of its investigations. The Missouri bar must measure the weight of the broader evidence relative to rules of conduct for a lawyer, rules that should be more closely scrutinized for an exemplary member of society like a supreme court justice.

Thank you for considering this matter. I would like to be added to an interest e-mail list for people interested in following your future decisions and actions on this matter.

Update:

I received the following Reply from the Missouri Bar Assn:

"You need to contact the Commission of Retirement, Removal & Discipline of Judges, here is that telephone number 314-966-1007."

Not sure they can remove this judge!

Call Foreign Embassies in Support of Democracy

If you haven't seen video footage of Mideast autocratic government crack-down, you should see the following: Very Short Video Clip

Bahrain's Army Supported by US Taxpayers (45 Sec.)

Share the link with others: http://t.co/tYGONRw

Phone numbers for Embassies in WashDC:
#Libya 202 944 9601
#Bahrain 202 342 1111
#Yemen 202 965 4760

FCC Complaint for FoxNews' Intimidating Threats

File a Complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop Fox News' pattern of violent threats, which constitute clear intimidation. (The words "threat" and "intimidation" have special meaning to the FCC). We need to raise our voices.

On December 6, 2010, during the program "Follow the Money," the following statements were made in reference to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange:

BOB BECKEL: We’ve got special ops forces. I mean, a dead man can’t leak stuff. This guy’s a traitor, a treasonous, and he has broken every law of the United States. The guy ought to be—and I’m not for the death penalty, so if I’m not for the death penalty, there’s only one way to do it: illegally shoot the son of a [bleep].

The FCC complaint process is easy:

1. Go to the FCC: CLICK HERE (http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm)

2. Select Complaint Type (Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable, Satellite)

3. Select Complaint Category (Unauthorized, unfair, ...) 4th button down. Includes "threatening and intimidating statements"

4. Fill out & submit the on-line complaint form. Key information:

Fox "Follow the Money" with Eric Bolling
December 6, 2010
9:00 pm Eastern Time

Here's the comment I provided:

During the FoxNews "Follow the Money" show participants made intimidating threats against an individual, Julian Assange, who is associated with WikiLeaks. The following is a partial transcript.

BOB BECKEL: We’ve got special ops forces. I mean, a dead man can’t leak stuff. This guy’s a traitor, a treasonous, and he has broken every law of the United States. The guy ought to be—and I’m not for the death penalty, so if I’m not for the death penalty, there’s only one way to do it: illegally shoot the son of a [bleep].

This is one of a pattern of comments made by various personalities on FoxNews Corp. that constitute direct and indirect advocacy of violence, including assassination. These threatening remarks are a clear case of intimidation.

Mail Box Full

My Congressman's voice mail box is full this morning. Hopefully it's full of voice mails that say something to the effect:

I call to urge you to seek a better tax deal than what President Obama and the US Senate have agreed to. Please stand on the side of the majority of the people who understand that disparity of wealth in the US is at a dangerous extreme. The economic system has been rigged for decades leading to a disgraceful situation of common people working harder for less and seeing the future of their children in peril. The US House of Representatives is the chamber of the people. Stand up to the elite minority so often represented by the US Senate and stand with the people. Thank you

I'll send him an e-mail.

Update: On second thought, I'll also leave a voice mail at one of his district offices.

• Contact the US Senate
• Contact the House of Representatives

My New Hero: Todd Lassa

If you have not heard, Rush Limbaugh trashed Motor Trend Magazine's choice of Chevy Volt, an electric car, as "Car of the Year." Limbaugh got his facts wrong, etc. No surprise there.

Motor Trend's Detroit Editor, Todd Lassa, got his facts right in his blog post entitled "Rush to Judgment." Then, Lassa ended his rebuttal with a flourish:

If you can stop shilling for your favorite political party long enough to go for a drive, you might really enjoy the Chevy Volt. I’m sure GM would be happy to lend you one for the weekend. Just remember: driving and Oxycontin don’t mix.

For that, Todd Lassa is my new hero. Contact Motor Trend to thank Todd.

Oh. And as of today, the number of comments on Lassa's blog post is 592. The next most commented Motor Trend blog post was for The Lohdown: Muscle Car Madness Final Round Camaro SS vs Mustang GT (181).

Chevy Volt Electric Car

Pressure Pentagon for Investigation

Time to quickly raise our voices...

AFP reports,

"The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged the Pentagon to investigate the death of journalists in Iraq at the hands of US forces in that country."

The straw that broke the camel's back was the Wikileaks release of US helicopter gun ship videos showing the calculated unleashing of massive fire power on a group of Iraqis, killing around 12 people including Reuters photographer and his driver, and wounding two children in a van that came to the aid of those who were shot.

Help call for an independent investigation of the long series of journalists killed in Iraq.

For Your Convenience:

• Contact the US Defense Department
  
• Contact the Broadcast Media
• Contact the Newspapers
• Contact the US Senate
• Contact the House of Representatives

Sources:

AFP, Pentagon pressured to probe journalists' deaths, April 27, 2010.

Speak Out on Health Care

My message to the White House on the GOP (McCain's) call to "start over":

If you are forced to "start over with a clean slate" on health care, the administration's initial position should be "medicare for all" or some other single payer system. Then, your compromise can be the inclusion of a public option. The GOP needs to be careful of what it wishes for.

We all know, having watched "the process," Mr. McCain, that the GOP did not operate in good faith as the healthcare legislation was developed. Republicans used stalling tactics, including disruption of town hall meetings, to try to derail any progress.

Let your voice be known at the White House on single-payer approach now.

For Your Convenience:

• Contact the White House
  

One Voice for Real Healthcare

Since writing on "How Healthcare Legislation Will Pass" I heard a disturbing interview with the founder of Firedog Lake Blog, Jane Hamsher, on DemocracyNow! She is sounding a bit pessimistic, suggesting 1) final bill out of conference will have a triggered public option, which will never be triggered, and 2) will include Stupack anti-choice amendment.... unless we raise our voices.

Hamsher is trying hard to create counter pressure via a phone banking operation that targets Democratic House members who voted for the Stupack amendment via One Voice for Choice.

Jane Hamsher has been following the healthcare legislation very closely:

JANE HAMSHER on Public Option: .... it looks like it’s going to get worse this week [12/3/09]. Privately, people in the Senate are confirming that Harry Reid is going to try and cut a deal for triggers, which is something that the White House has been pushing for, Rahm Emanuel, since January of this year. They’ve wanted it all along. They’ve said they wanted the public option, but what they’ve worked for is triggers. And we always knew that this was, you know, probably going to be the lay of the land.

... the fact is that the White House [Rahm Emanuel] cut these deals over the summer with ... the insurance companies, the drug companies, and they have intended to follow through on them in order to keep the donations and the lobbying money out of the pockets of the Republicans in 2010. So they are going to try and jam triggers through, and I believe that, at the end of the day, we’ll be in a situation where we will be asking those members of the House that we got to commit to vote against any bill that doesn’t have a public option in it to vote against this bill.

JANE HAMSHER on Anti-Choice Language: Stupak [the anti-choice amendment], I believe, will make it into a conference report. As you know, after the Senate and House pass a bill, they go into conference and have to merge the two bills. And because Nancy Pelosi is saying she can’t pass a bill without Stupak, I believe that whether Ben Nelson is successful in getting it into the Senate bill or not, I believe that it will be in the final bill that comes out of conference. [Unless We Apply Major Pressure... See Phone Banking link above].

Hamsher says a lot of people don't realize that federal funds are already prohibited for abortions by the Hyde amendment passed years ago. Stupak's amendment goes further:

JANE HAMSHER on Anti-Choice Language: ... no insurance company offering insurance on the exchange, whether it’s funded with government money or not, can offer elective abortion coverage. And that threatens to take away abortion coverage from just about any insurance policy, because even the private insurance plans for reinsurance of big companies that have their employees insured can be affected by it...

For Your Convenience:

Contact the US Senate

Contact the House of Representatives

Contact the White House

One Voice for Choice Phone Banking

Sources:

DemocracyNow! “One Voice for Choice"–FireDogLake Founder Launches Campaign to Target Dems Supporting Stupak Amendment, December 3, 2009

Ask NY Times for a Fact Check

Some people have questioned whether or not US has actually invested $53 billion for relief and reconstruction in Iraq since 2003, as recently reported by the NY Times. We've all read articles about government auditors reporting billions of missing funds, overcharges, etc. So, GLH Blog questions whether the NY Times has done its fact-checking when reporting this $53 billion.

Here's a simple thing we can do together:

Send a letter to the editor of the NY Times asking them to do the following:

1) publish a summary cost accounting of the $53 Billion in projects and

2) make available the backup documentation on-line.

For Your Convenience:

Letters@NYTimes.com

Sources:

GLH Blog

Has Anyone Said Call Senator Lieberman?

I confess that I've not been reading all the political blogs lately, but one can only imagine that they are saying

"Call Joe Lieberman and tell him not to filibuster the healthcare legislation."

For Your Convenience:

• Joe Lieberman: (202) 224-4041
  
  

"No" to Escalation in Afghanistan

With Obama teetering on whether or not to escalate the war into a quagmire, now is the time to voice your opinion and urge friends to do the same.

Contact the White House.

For Your Convenience:

• Contact the Broadcast Media
  
• Contact the Newspapers
  
• Contact the US Senate
  
• Contact the House of Representatives

Health Care Battle Heats Up

From the Progressive Democrats of America (edited by Godless Liberal Homo Blog):

...please don't forget to email your representative [May 14] to let them know you favor single-payer healthcare and ask them to co-sponosr HR 676. Get the details here.

...Read the the reports on the final Senate Finance Sub-committee on Healthcare hearing. Five activists were arrested, while others were outside (pictured) with PDA Advisory Board Chair Mimi Kennedy and the California Nurses Association protesting the exclusion of single-payer healthcare from the debate. Learn More.

The battle lines are drawn and we're doing our best to move single-payer healthcare forward--we appreciate your support!

If you have ever been denied coverage for healthcare you needed, you know why we need single payer healthcare to get the insurance companies and HMOs out of the business altogether.

Find and Contact the People in House and Senate Who Are Supposed to Be Representing You!

Take Action:

If you don't see your congress person on the list of cosponsors below, contact them and ask them to sign on.

• Contact the House of Representatives

Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 1/24/2007
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] - 9/17/2007
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 1/24/2007
Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] - 6/13/2007
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] - 6/15/2007
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] - 12/11/2007
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 2/27/2007
Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-3] - 4/17/2007
Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] - 11/9/2007
Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] - 7/10/2008
Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7] - 1/24/2007
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] - 1/24/2007
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 2/16/2007
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 1/24/2007
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 4/22/2008
Rep Clyburn, James E. [SC-6] - 4/24/2008
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 2/7/2007
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 1/24/2007
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] - 1/24/2007
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] - 2/12/2007
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 3/21/2007
Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] - 9/29/2008
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 1/24/2007
Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] - 1/24/2007
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 1/24/2007
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 1/24/2007
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 1/24/2007
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 3/7/2007
Rep Green, Al [TX-9] - 1/24/2007
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 1/24/2007
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] - 1/24/2007
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 4/30/2007
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] - 1/29/2007
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 1/24/2007
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 7/23/2007
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 9/18/2008
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] - 1/24/2007
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 1/24/2007
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 1/24/2007
Rep Jefferson, William J. [LA-2] - 6/26/2007
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] - 1/24/2007
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] - 2/13/2007
Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [OH-11] - 5/23/2007
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 2/12/2007
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] - 9/24/2007
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 4/17/2007
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] - 1/24/2007
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 1/24/2007
Rep Lantos, Tom [CA-12] - 10/1/2007
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 1/24/2007
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 1/24/2007
Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] - 1/24/2007
Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] - 10/9/2007
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 1/29/2007
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 1/24/2007
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 1/24/2007
Rep McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21] - 1/24/2007
Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5] - 1/24/2007
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] - 9/20/2007
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 1/24/2007
Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4] - 1/24/2007
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 1/22/2008
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 1/29/2007
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 2/27/2007
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 3/21/2007
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 2/16/2007
Rep Pastor, Ed [AZ-4] - 1/24/2007
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 1/24/2007
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] - 1/24/2007
Rep Richardson, Laura [CA-37] - 9/20/2007
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-34] - 1/24/2007
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] - 2/6/2007
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 5/8/2007
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 4/23/2007
Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] - 9/20/2007
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 4/17/2007
Rep Scott, David [GA-13] - 9/20/2007
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [VA-3] - 1/24/2007
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] - 2/7/2007
Rep Solis, Hilda L. [CA-32] - 2/12/2007
Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] - 3/27/2007
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2] - 6/12/2007
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] - 9/6/2007
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 1/24/2007
Rep Udall, Tom [NM-3] - 2/27/2007
Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35] - 1/29/2007
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 1/24/2007
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] - 1/24/2007
Rep Welch, Peter [VT] - 5/3/2007
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 1/24/2007
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 1/24/2007
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] - 1/24/2007
Rep Yarmuth, John A. [KY-3] - 2/27/2007

Sources:

Progressive Democrats of America.

Godless Liberal Homo Blog.

Library of Congress, THOMAS (Up-to-date list of HR 676 cosponsors).

Pentagon Pundits: Urge the FCC to Investigate

It's time to put some heat on TV outlets like CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC for their role in the Pentagon propaganda process leading up to and during the Iraq war. The media outlets misrepresented the objectivity of retired military personnel by presenting them in news reports when in reality they often functioned as a propaganda arm of the Pentagon. Many also had business conflicts of interests in the military industry.

MORE: Who are the Pentagon Pundits?

Now, after New York Times reporter David Barstow has received the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning for reporting on the Pentagon propaganda campaign, the same television outlets have been silent on the subject.

AMY GOODMAN: I think what’s so interesting about this story is not only what the Pentagon has done; it’s the lack of reporting on this by the networks.... How many times have you been invited on the networks—you just won the Pulitzer Prize for this investigation—to explain this story of the networks’ use of these pundits?

DAVID BARSTOW: You know, to be honest with you, I haven’t received many invitations—in fact, any invitations—to appear on any of the main network or cable programs.

These media outlets have licenses governed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Their licenses are based on a public trust and can be revoked by violating that public trust. It's time to remind them of that trust.

Psssst... Do Something

Contact the FCC Commissioners. Ask them to investigate these media outlets for 1) the TV media's misrepresentation of retired military personnel's objectivity, and 2) the TV media's failure to cover the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the Pentagon propaganda campaign. Ask them to place your complaint and their findings in the file for future consideration during the future relicensing of these media outlets.

Send a copy of your correspondence to the media outlets. Contact information is provided below.

Michael J. Copps: Michael.Copps@fcc.gov
Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein: Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov
Commissioner Robert McDowell: Robert.McDowell@fcc.gov

• Contact the Broadcast Media
  

Copy: CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC

Sources:

Democracy Now, "Pentagon Pundits: New York Times Reporter David Barstow Wins Pulitzer Prize for Exposing Military’s Pro-War Propaganda Media Campaign," May 8, 2009.

CNN's Cohen Biased on Single-Payer Healthcare

... along with Congress, Obama, and the rest of the establishment. (There's that E-word).

Thanks to Fair and Accuracy in Media (FAIR) and the Godless Liberal Homo blog, we have something to do.

CONTACT:
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN
404-827-1500
elizabeth.cohen@turner.com

Let her know that you'd like her to include the single-payer proposal, Medicare for All, as an option in the healthcare reform debate.

Why does she need to be reminded of this? Here are a couple snippets:

Cohen recently argued:

"Fifteen years ago you sometimes heard--actually you heard quite a bit--people saying: "Let's have a single-payer system like in Canada. The government is going to be the health insurer for everybody."

FAIR reports:

Cohen is right that there were many people in favor of single-payer 15 years ago; as a FAIR Extra! article from that era (7-8/93) pointed out, New York Times polling since 1990 had "consistently found majorities--ranging from 54 percent to 66 percent--in favor of tax-financed national health insurance." The numbers today? A New York Times/CBS poll (1/11-15/09) found 59 percent in favor of government-provided national health insurance.

But CNN's Elizabeth Cohen tried to argue that we have a better chance of health care reform now than in the Clinton era, by claiming

Fifteen years ago you sometimes heard--actually you heard quite a bit--people saying: "Let's have a single-payer system like in Canada. The government is going to be the health insurer for everybody." You don't hear that as much as you used to. So more people are on the same page more than they once were.

Her logic would make sense if her underlying presumption was correct, but as FAIR points out, It's just not true that more people have rejected a single-payer system. In fact, by the end of this debate, I'm willing to bet public opinion will be even more supportive of Medicare for All than they are now, because more will be educated about it... no thanks to the corporate, advertiser controlled media.

Psssst... Do Something

Medicare For All

It's a simple concept. Even conservative seniors like their Medicare. But, we've been told by the Republicrat aristocracy that a single-payer system is "off the table."

Well, if the majority of the public thinks non-profit Medicare For All is affordable and makes sense, and we live in a democracy, then, shouldn't it become the law of the land? And if it doesn't become the law of the land, do we live in a democracy?

Lets put that question to a test. Lets call for a national referendum on Medicare for all as part of Obama's. But, since that will take two years to organize....

You can Act Now to voice your vote. Sign this petition supporting HR 676, non-profit Medicare for All sponsored by Rep. John Conyers.

Psssst... Do Something Else too!
Please take a little more time to Contact President Obama and urge him to support HR 676 non-profit Medicare for All.

• Contact the Broadcast Media
  
• Contact the Newspapers under development
  
• Contact the US Senate
  
• Contact the House of Representatives

Say it to Obmama

It's easy to contact Obmama. Just do it. Here's what I had to say to the poor sap that reads his e-mail:

We support you, BUT

+ Let them prosecute Bush admin officials for crimes. Let us have the justice that legitimizes our nation.

+ Afghanistan is the grave yards of Empires, and the US is an empire. Do the math.

+ "It's wealth distribution stupid" A good bumper sticker, no?

+ did is say prosecute Bush officials? If we don't the fabric of our society will unravel.... people will re-discover vigilante justice because the official system isn't doing it's job.

Psssst... Do Something

Contact Obmama

Congratulations, Lets Get to Work

Welcome to Washington President Obama. Now we can start sending our e-mails to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue when we want to Contact Obama. And today, we can raise our voice in unison on a specific economic issue: Obama's proposed tax cuts.

The Godless Liberal Homo blog lays out some rationals for sending this message to Team Obama:

Bush's tax cuts have been disastrous. The small checks for middle class and poor people did nothing to help our economy. They might have stimulated China's economy marginally, but China doesn't buy much anything from us.

Bush's enormous tax cuts for the rich have played a key role in our desperate economic situation. They contributed significantly to our government and foreign debt while doing nothing to create jobs here in the US. The wealthy used these unearned windfalls in an orgy of speculation, creating bubble after bubble (stocks, subprime mortgages, oil, gold, etc.) leading to crash after crash. Our treasury was looted to a huge extent to create money which mostly disappeared in 2008.

He's not alone. The January/February 2009 issue of Mother Jones Magazine also lays out the most "stimulating" actions that government can take to keep this recession from going further south.

You can read the Mother Jones article Stimulus is for Suckers for an explanation of the chart above. It's hard to see in the graph, but according to this analysis from Moody's Economy.com, an across-the-board tax cut only generates 3-cents of stimulus per dollar in cuts, whereas food stamps generates 73-cents per dollar of stimulus.

A bit wonkish I admit, but when Obama said in his inaugural speech that we need to be more responsible, this level of attention is part of what he was talking about.

Psssst... Do Something

• Contact the Broadcast Media
  
• Contact the Newspapers
  
• Contact the US Senate
  
• Contact the House of Representatives

Dennis Blair: Withdraw Nomination

My latest note to Team Obama via "comments" at Change.gov:

State Department documents show that Dennis Blair, nominee for the top intelligence post, ignored his formal instructions to tell the military leader of Indonesia to stop using militias to kill civilians in East Timore. (This occurred during the Clinton Administration).

His nomination should be withdrawn, otherwise there will be a very embarrassing fight in the Senate confirmation process.

MORE from DemocracyNow!

Psssst... Do Something

• Contact the Broadcast Media
  
• Contact the Newspapers
  
• Contact the US Senate
  
• Contact the House of Representatives

Sources: