Displaying 19,411 To 19,440 Of 19,504 Comments I only meant the “I” beside Lieberman’s name, I do like Sanders quite a bit. When he’s up for re-election, if the Dems put up a good liberal and the Repubs put up a hard right candidate then ol’ independent Lieberman will be left with mud in his “I’. » Posted By AdLib On August 24, 2009 @ 12:03 pm Funny, I thought it stood for “Idiot”. » Posted By AdLib On August 24, 2009 @ 11:54 am Absolutely! Why do the losers of the election get to set the rules? The Repubs say the Dems shouldn’t use reconciliation to pass bills the way they did when they were the majority because it’s just not right. It’s only right when the GOP does it. What kind of wimps and losers would the Dems turn out to be if they felt obliged to follow the arbitrary and voluntary limitations shouted at them by the small minority of Repubs WHO LOST THE LAST TWO ELECTIONS. I am going to assume they won’t and the public option is going to be passed through reconciliation. And the Dems will then enjoy 30+ years as the dominant party for giving Americans something so necessary and valuable to their lives, the lives of all Americans from that point forward and the economy. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 8:30 pm Sounds like the only missing piece of the puzzle is a pay toilet beside the liquor store that accepts cans and bottles as payment. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 8:10 pm In a zen like way, your stopping to notice instead of overlooking him made it that moment. I really appreciate your sharing this, it’s reminded me to reflect on things I’m too often distracted from thinking about. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 5:32 pm I agree with KQ, really affecting piece. We invest our passions and sense of purpose in things of our own choosing or the ones our childhoods or lives have steered us towards. This man’s commitment to the importance of keeping the stars on the sidewalk clean, his satisfaction in accomplishing his self-imposed responsibility, is very insightful because of the banality of the act itself. We decide for ourselves what matters and we can achieve gratification and even happiness for ourselves by being faithful to what we believe in. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 4:08 pm Revisionist History: Two Can Play at that Game Welcome Peacekitten, great to see you here!!! That makes it twice as hard to have to stone you for saying jehovah. Whoops! » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 1:58 pm I hear they are going to rename prostate massages “Replies to Arianna Posts”. Reading the responses to her annoyingly self-serving columns is enough to send diabetics into shock. They have no shame nor awareness that moderating out all critical comments and having a delirious and lionizing series of comments only proves what she and the site are up to. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2009 @ 12:29 pm Thanks KQ for the refresher on FDR and the process with SS. As for Arianna, one should never be surprised that she plays the game to increase her celebrity, power, wealth and influence like a Republican. She was a hard core right wing Republican who married Mike Huffington, who she knew was gay, simply to advance herself. She flipped a 180 when he lost his Senate race which killed his political future (and his value to Arianna) and she saw the winds changing and the opening for someone like her to elevate herself as a liberal. Arianna has no political convictions that I can see, she simply practices the same manipulation she has since she stepped onto the public stage, spouting her rabid but unrooted “beliefs” strategically to advance her interests. Look at how HuffPo has become a reflection of all that. No real respect for Freedom of Expression which is a cornerstone of being liberal. HuffPo’s eternal AIG/Geithner attacks which include dissing Obama are far from liberal. And the sensationalistic, misleading headlines on the site are right out of a corporate Republican’s playbook. She is a fraud and HuffPo is a sputtering vehicle for progressives and liberals, still so many there that its self-serving agenda is not completely overwhelming but it has become a pushme-pullyou. Now ask me how I really feel about Arianna and HuffPo. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2009 @ 8:08 pm Did Krugman nail it? Or was he hammering US? HelenWheels, great to have you here! I’m on the same page, I was seriously upset when Rahm was made Chief of staff and the DLC became married to the Obama Admin. Howard Dean made Obama’s win possible with the 50 state strategy he built up over years…despite Rahm’s and the DLC’s fighting him every inch of the way. I was disgusted by the DLC taking credit for the wins in 2006 but even more disgusted with how they threw Dean under the train after Obama won. The DLC represents everything that’s wrong with the Dems, they are the Blue Dog Dems and the conservatives who play the game of inches in elections, staying as close to the GOP on policy as possible with just a few degrees of difference that will hopefully give them the win. This is the same kind of asinine politics playing out now, Obama putting “bipartisanship” and looking like he’s a friend to Repubs has been more important than standing up for principles and urgent issues he campaigned on. So what’s the idea here, let the Repubs sink the public option so they look definitively like the Party of No in 2010 and the Dems win more seats? At the expense of actually doing something critical for the people? My mom called me today and asked me to explain why Obama is looking so weak and letting the GOP call the shots. I couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer. As Howard Dean says, there is no health care reform without a public option. End of story. If Pres. Obama and the DLC think they can generate contributions and enthusiasm in future elections after throwing away our one real shot at reform, they are sadly mistaken. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 3:59 pm Welcome to The Planet, FeedUp! I like the proposal, I’m down with it. BTW, remember the “Staycation” concept created last year? The concept of marketing lower expectations and a lesser lifestyle is all that passes for positive in the corporately dominated America. All the sacrifices are on the backs of the people so the corporations can profit and “trickle down” a fraction of their obscene wealth through underpaid jobs. I do make a habit of going Mom and Pop instead of corporate business whenever feasible. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been in a Walmart and those times it was because I was out of town and there were no Mom and Pop shops left in the vicinity. If we don’t come out of this economic disaster with a reduction of the vast gap of power and money between the wealthy and the rest of us, there may indeed be a need to affirm the 2nd Amendment. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 3:49 pm I don’t think this is part of any plan. The issue I’ve always had with DLC types like Rahm is their total disregard for what the public wants in pursuit of political gain. The way the Health Care Reform bill has been handled is reflective of such an approach and has clearly been a failure. Putting image over substance, trying to appear bipartisan at the expense of principles because of the political gain envisioned, is dishonest and wrongheaded. Let’s not forget how Pres. Obama has previously turned his back on his base’s interests by approving of the eavesdropping bill and simultaneously approving of indemnity for the phone companies that spied on us. There is indeed a cynical calculation here, “Where else to liberals/progressives have to go except the Dem Party?” This is one instance where taking for granted the support of the majority of Americans and the progressive community is a huge mistake, we will not accept that Pres. Obama stand firm on issues that are best for the American People if he does not ensure that a strong public option happens. I remain open and optimistic on this though, I have a hard time believing that he would truly throw the public plan overboard just to appear bipartisan or avoid a risky fight. In the meantime, you are right on target, blogs and the progressive community need to speak up loud and drown out the astroturf, racist shouts of hatred from the right if we want this public option to succeed. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2009 @ 11:05 am Trailer for New Michael Moore Doc – “Capitalism – A Love Story” Very nice! Then the follow up could be, “DraQla”, a gothic story about people who suck, naturally set in DC. » Posted By AdLib On August 24, 2009 @ 12:07 pm Or how about Qasablanca? Q: I’m shocked, shocked to find that corporate bribery is going on in here! Aide: Here, your corporate campaign contributions, ma’am. Q: Oh, thank you very much. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 8:18 pm The real question is, “Should Health Insurance be as profitable and unregulated a business as selling TVs?” If there is a profit incentive to someone not receiving health care, is that not a fascist society in the true sense of the word? A corporately run nation. Profit before lives? How is that moral? If it is not, then unbridled capitalism is immoral and dangerous and should be restrained as any other sociopath would be in this society. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 4:15 pm A player, really? Well, then I’ve got this project to pitch you, “Ms. Questinia Goes To Washington”. It writes itself! » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2009 @ 11:33 pm All the news that’s fit to detach in little squares. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2009 @ 11:27 pm You’re in! Being a new start up, The Planet has a limited budget so if you can rid DC of corruption and block the influence of corporations and special interests on politicians by Tuesday, that would be great. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2009 @ 11:14 pm Whew! I was waiting for the request for a G4. As to your requests: 1. I will send your ID card to you as soon as I finish whiting out Chucky Cheese from it. 2. I will need to know what the Greyhound bus fare is from NY to DC. 3. To blend in, best for you to look like an ordinary American, out of work and foreclosed on so wearing the same set of clothes each day would be great. We will of course provide the quarters for weekly visits to the laundromat. 4. I have worked out a sweet deal on obtaining a trailer for you, it’s on its way but it may take a while to get to DC as it is just outside of New Orleans right now. We’ve installed several Glade Plug In Air Fresheners so you’ll hardly notice any scent of formaldehyde. I do think it has come down to the citizens needing to step up and guard their own democracy. So I plan on attending any town hall meetings held by Republicans with a Death Star satellite just to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights. » Posted By AdLib On August 22, 2009 @ 12:18 pm Indeed, the co-opting of the press became worse and worse since then. The embedding of journalists in Iraq ended critical reporting of the war for years. The press is not supposed to be so cozy with the government. They think it’s a way to get better scoops or not be shut out, by becoming a friend of politicians but as Judith Miller might remind us, they simply become dangerous pawns. Talking about movies, you’ve seen the Paddy Chayefsky penned classic, “Network”? A wise and insightful writer who knew TV very well, he foresaw the total corporate takeover of news and the seduction of turning it into a profit center instead of something that may not make money but was a social responsibility. The real news people in the past saw their work as part of a social compact enshrined by the Founders of the nation…that the press would represent the virtual fourth branch of government, being the safety net if the other three branches were not respecting the will of the people. Now, the virtual fourth branch of government has been vacated as corporations put ratings and their corporate owners’ interests first. That has created a vacuum that independent parties on the internet have fortunately filled to a degree. Still, as we’ve seen with the propagation of the meme that Granny Skeet Shooting is becoming legal, the influence of the MSM is not exactly neutralized by blogs and online reporting. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2009 @ 7:50 pm Hi Ernestine! Yes, I was one of the probable few who saw it back then. After “Roger and Me”, I was a fan. Did you see his tv series, TV Nation? Some of the same issues in The Big One were attacked on his series. It is frustrating and a bit depressing to look back at all the things we opposed or would have opposed had the MSM filled us in and see how they have all come together to undermine our democracy and the welfare of the nation’s citizens. We’re wiser now and we do have the tubes of The Internets now to expose and oppose further descent into the madness that corporate greed has wrought. Still, I play what-ifs in my mind sometimes. If JFK and RFK weren’t assassinated, there probably wouldn’t have been a Nixon or a Reagan or a Bush and America would necessarily have been a very different place in 2009. » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2009 @ 7:33 pm Another Prick in the Town Hall – Music Video Parody Not to mention listen to any music where “pickup truck” isn’t in the lyrics. » Posted By AdLib On August 24, 2009 @ 9:25 pm I like to think of myself more as a Glorious Basterd. Thanks for the kind props!!! » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 5:14 pm Thanks empi! » Posted By AdLib On August 21, 2009 @ 7:36 am If anyone would appreciate the Pink Floyd homage I knew it would be you. Thanks! » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2009 @ 10:03 pm Congress is corrupt beyond repair? What would Oscar Goldman do? I don’t refer to myself as a Democrat though I am registered that way, I usually will say I’m progressive or liberal. At times like these, when Dems are being just as bribed as Repubs by the health care industry to fight against reform, it’s clear that no party is innocent of corruption. It’s not the party or even the person sometimes, it is the principle. If, for instance, the Dems and Pres. Obama were scared away from a public option, I would take a big step back from supporting or contributing. It’s about principles, the GOP has one-by-one decimated every principle they boasted about, economic conservatism, family values, keeping government out of our private lives…the Dems have a challenge between what’s easy and what’s right or they too will publicly disqualify themselves as principled. I am encouraged by the prospect of splitting up the HC bill so the public option could be passed by a simple majority. I will be very enthusiastic about Dems and Pres. Obama if this succeeds. On to September… » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2009 @ 10:20 pm Have you seen the documentary “The Corporation”? It is fantastic, very entertaining as it shows how corporations moved from being single purpose entities for the public good into the vicious, greedy “people” dominating our planet. Not PlanetPOV of course. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2009 @ 10:12 pm I totally agree. I was suggesting something additional though. Money is what talks in politics once most pols are elected. If you can’t beat ’em (and prevent the corporations and wealthy elite from buying off politicians) then join them. There needs to be public financing too but the way it’s dealt with through the government is weak. Obama was publicly funded and won the presidency, he just did it on his own through the internet. My thought is that creating an independent public financing entity created and financed by regular citizens would give them much more influence with politicians to respect their interests before, during and after an election. » Posted By AdLib On August 20, 2009 @ 10:09 pm The additional challenge here is the status quo in the Dem Party who can be just as adversarial towards the will of the people as the GOP. They will continue to pour money into Dem candidates who stand in the way of progress just to have a majority and retain power. What I would really like to see as part of the approach you propose is a grass roots, online funding setup, much like funded Obama, that was organized specifically for the purposes you detail, for people to finance alternatives to the status quo, corporate puppet politicians. If such candidates won and wanted to receive funding again for re-election, they’d have to show allegiance to what’s best for the people and fend off corporate influence or another candidate would be funded against them. Anyone got a few million to get the ball rolling on this? » Posted By AdLib On August 19, 2009 @ 8:05 pm The Many Ways to Fight for Real Universal Healthcare Reform Helpful Hint: You can click on “Edit” in the upper right corner of your comments to revise them. » Posted By AdLib On August 23, 2009 @ 9:18 pmComments Posted By AdLib
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