tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55984622009-07-02T23:16:15.816-04:00Sherman's Blog - Political & Social CommentaryRichard Sherman, a Greater Boston veteran activist and educator, provides insights, commentary and analysis on news issues of the day.
Richard can be contacted at rcsherman@rcn.comRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comBlogger913125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-66288913616214911802009-07-02T23:11:00.000-04:002009-07-02T23:15:56.978-04:00 California: Issuing IOU’s Still, No way out An ever-widening budget gap joined with intractable political paralysis to deliver California its biggest fiscal blow in decades on Thursday, when the state’s controller began printing i.o.u.’s in lieu of cash to pay taxpayers, vendors and local governments. It was only the second time the state had adopted the emergency payment method Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-35930757652992131192009-06-30T23:44:00.002-04:002009-06-30T23:48:11.180-04:00 Al Franken, Senator The State Supreme Court spoke, Coleman conceded. The Democrats have their 60th. As long noted, it’s not a ‘magic’ number, but, as E.J. Dionne observes, could be helpful on some immediate issues. With Franken seated, there is a chance for a better health care bill -- and also a much better chance to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, aimed at making it easier for Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-40333572087976032432009-06-28T23:19:00.000-04:002009-06-28T23:21:54.197-04:00 “Climate Change” Bill: House Passage, Uncertain Senate Fate. Opposed by the Right and some on the Left. It does less than its proponents claim, but it’s a start—the first time any bill had curbs the heat-trapping gases that are so deadly. Forty-four Democrats didn’t sign on, despite it’s being softened to appeal to those 44. Familiar story. Kudos to Mary Bono and 7 other Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-51631022266575209672009-06-25T23:15:00.000-04:002009-06-25T23:16:01.032-04:00"At about 1730 in front of Sa'di metro station, plain clothes officers were shooting, and I myself saw four people die. I was lucky to get away unharmed. How can they claim they are not killing anyone?" he wrote. He said he thought many people were being killed, wounded and arrested but they were all "taken away by plain clothes officers... there is no trace left of them, and obviously no Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-37645617098271248992009-06-23T23:31:00.000-04:002009-06-23T23:32:28.249-04:00 QUESTION: Wouldn’t that drive private insurance out of business? OBAMA: Why would it drive private insurance out of business? If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care; if they tell us that they’re offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can’t run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That’s Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-41502954191087460962009-06-21T23:08:00.000-04:002009-06-21T23:09:28.997-04:00 "The Obama administration's adoption of the stonewalling tactics and opaque policies of the Bush administration flies in the face of the President's stated desire to restore the rule of law, to revive our moral standing in the world and to lead a transparent government.... It is true that these photos would be disturbing; the day we are no longer disturbed by such repugnant acts Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-74056010803736657912009-06-18T23:11:00.001-04:002009-06-18T23:11:57.910-04:00 Iran: What’s Next? No one knows. Will the leaders back off, confront, or find a yet to be defined middle ground? As another day of defiance, concessions and ominous threats transfixed Iran’s capital, it was increasingly apparent on Thursday that there was no clear path out of a deepening confrontation that has posed the most serious challenge to the Islamic republic in its 30-Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-60903470042992592912009-06-16T23:20:00.001-04:002009-06-16T23:20:56.001-04:00 ECONOMICS Short-term: Krugman on Obama: While still concerned about our economy, he’s more bullish on the President’s performance, including the financial. I'm increasingly happy with him. I was unhappy; I think they could have gotten a bigger stimulus coming out the gate. But they've become more forceful. I would have been more aggressive on the banks; we'll see if we need to Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-89763302889790487402009-06-14T23:06:00.000-04:002009-06-14T23:07:02.219-04:00 Hospitals around Tehran surrounded by secret police who refuse to let people with injuries get through, humanity at its worst #iranelection http://twitter.com/IranElection09 Iran Election Postscript: Violence, Clerics in Control… thus far. Violence and acrimony over Iran’s disputed election intensified on Sunday, with word that the authorities had detained more Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-82445411252158486302009-06-11T23:25:00.000-04:002009-06-11T23:31:51.551-04:00 "President Obama's in the news, of course. He's put healthcare back in the news. Yup. President Obama says he wants to create a national healthcare plan that's both affordable and easy to use. Yup. Yeah, good. Yeah, and the insurance industry says they'll fight the plan with congressmen who are both affordable and easy to use." – Conan O’Brien Right-wing terrorism: Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-40365383087081678602009-06-09T23:14:00.001-04:002009-06-09T23:14:56.779-04:00 Terror Works: A victory for all the unborn children. – Scott Roeder, murderer of George Tiller, commenting on the permanent closing of Tiller’s clinic. That leaves only two other clinics in the country who perform late term abortions. And, there have been multiple reports that anti-abortion protestors have taken on a renewed ‘aggressiveness’, shouting at workers, ‘You’re the Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-39733603613164474762009-06-07T23:11:00.001-04:002009-06-07T23:11:54.062-04:00 Obama Cairo Speech- Postscript: A report as to its effectiveness, that Hamas praised the “shift in tone,” and “we can build on this speech.” From Lebanese guerrillas to Saudi preachers, Islamic extremists have warned followers not to be taken in by President Barack Obama's conciliatory words _ a sign that some may be nervous about losing support if animosity toward the U.S. fadesRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-48416659682931305842009-06-03T23:04:00.000-04:002009-06-03T23:07:14.600-04:00 Health Care: Dems Considering Public Option “Trigger” This would be bad news: allowing the plan to go forward without the public option, claiming that ‘certain’ conditions would trigger it becoming a choice. The better news is that Obama has sent a new letter to Senate Democrats openly championing the public option, something he wouldn’t do as recently as a fw weeks ago. The ObamaRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-50561427490469579962009-06-02T23:04:00.000-04:002009-06-02T23:08:21.204-04:00 Trust Women- Dr. George Tiller’s motto and button that he often wore Progressive Groups Push Public Option Big Bucks committed. Billing it as their largest health reform campaign ever, progressive leaders are planning to spend at least $82 million to push reforms that include a public health insurance plan option.The campaign, expected to be announced Monday,Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-64356538231092723682009-05-31T22:53:00.000-04:002009-05-31T22:59:37.398-04:00Sotomayor the Bigot Not really, of course. She’s not even unusually “empathic” in racial discrimination cases. But, the media persist in making this sound like an issue to address: Other than Ricci, Judge Sotomayor has decided 96 race-related cases while on the court of appeals. Of the 96 cases, Judge Sotomayor and the panel rejected the claim of discrimination roughly 78 times and Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-13111235130378123202009-05-28T22:53:00.001-04:002009-05-28T22:53:46.475-04:00 So, Who is Sotomayor? Questions about her position on abortion; why she is a moderate, not a liberal; why the conservatives have been sophomoric in their opposition: E.J. Dionne: ‘She’s the anti-Roberts and she isn’t a liberal’: In his September 2005 speech explaining his vote against Roberts, Obama argued that 95 percent of court cases are easily settled on the basisRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-87129597390964915912009-05-26T23:25:00.001-04:002009-05-26T23:25:41.818-04:00 Sotomayor: Top of her class at Princeton and editor of Yale Law Journal, but that won’t stop the Right pushing that she’s “not intellectually strong”… and that she’s an extremist, activist judge, blah, blah. Concerns: No one sees her as a liberal and I wonder about her diabetes. She was backed by seven GOP’ers in her previous confirmation hearing- Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe, Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-54607684572290987962009-05-25T23:05:00.002-04:002009-05-25T23:06:00.646-04:00 On Memorial Day: Bill Moyers: ....this week, my friend Louis Bickford spends his days, and often his nights, on the healing and prevention of atrocities and crimes against humanity. Cruelty, horror, and misery are part of his portfolio at the International Center for Transitional Justice, along with the power of memory. On The Huffington Post, Louis has an essay in which he says Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-20704341727876556782009-05-21T23:04:00.000-04:002009-05-21T23:09:39.093-04:00Obama, Democrats, Gitmo With the Senate Democrats failing to back Obama’s push to close Guantanamo, Obama addressed the needless fear that continues to paralyze Harry Reid and too many Democrats. Much to commend as to his artful rhetoric, his good intentions and his multiple statements about adhering to the rule of law. And he blistered the “haphazard” Bush administration that “set aside Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-22591564436570464692009-05-19T23:14:00.000-04:002009-05-19T23:18:31.138-04:00Auto Emissions/Fuel Standards: Historic, in that a national standard has been set- one which matches California’s trail-blazing action- and for the fact that everybody’s on board with this, not surprising since the Government owns the car companies. Some term it a potential ‘game-changer’ with global warming, reduce oil consumption by 5%. A step that got us to this point was the 2007 Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-43291778478058001232009-05-17T23:07:00.000-04:002009-05-17T23:20:08.859-04:00 Obama the Successful Politician Many progressives continue to understandably grouse about some of Obama’s policies. People have expressed disappointment, dismay, if not disgust- from his address on race to his stimulus program to his penchant for inconsistent transparency. Indeed, as predicted, he does not take uniformly progressive positions and despite the ludicrous conservative Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-44221145639271390872009-05-14T23:23:00.001-04:002009-05-17T09:20:37.246-04:00 "There's no legal basis for withholding the photographs, so this must be a political decision.” -Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU's National Security Project Torture Memos: Cover for illegal actions Growing voices now able to support the notion that the memos were drafted after the fact, to justify the illegal activities long since carried out. David Luban, a lawRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-42009276549520088372009-05-12T23:12:00.000-04:002009-05-12T23:18:27.551-04:00 Entitlement Hysteria: “Hysterics” in the D.C. Establishment- including much of the press- start a new round. The facts: The ability to fully fund Medicare and Social Security would cease 2 to 4 years sooner and thus run out of funds if no corrective actions were taken. A calm NY Times account: The financial outlook for Medicare and Social Security has significantly worsened, Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-65792089834624375322009-05-10T22:59:00.000-04:002009-05-10T23:00:34.549-04:00 I believe America is a right of center nation. I believe the Republican Party is a right of center party. – John McCain The Republicans aren't a party, they're a cult. – Bill Schneider, moderately conservative CNN commentator http://www.samefacts.com/archives/politics_and_leadership_/2009/05/bill_schneider_on_the_republican_party_and_pragmatism.php Clean(?Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598462.post-40633988626246161972009-05-07T23:03:00.001-04:002009-05-07T23:03:50.640-04:00 Same-Sex Marriage momentum Maine’s vote only the latest in New England. Apart from demonstrations that followed the defeat in California and Obama’s election, no dramatic events have pushed this. Yet, it proceeds. John Nichols comments: It was not necessarily supposed to be this way. After California joined the agonizingly long list of states that barred same-sex marriage Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028567726130729621noreply@blogger.com