Filling in the Corners

Healthcare Lost

2009-08-16T15:35:00.001-05:00

My message to the White House regarding this:

I read in today's news that you are going to drop the public option for health care. For shame. Every one of you in the Obama Administration, especially the President himself, should feel a deep sense of shame, failure and defeat on this one. You had the support - the overwhelming support - of the American public and you squandered it for some loud-mouthed, right-wing operatives and dupes. Shame on you. It looks like we're going to have to wait another 15+ years for a sane healthcare policy in this nation. Shame, shame, shame.

Fox News Wastes No Time in Shitting on Captured US Soldier

2009-07-20T13:06:00.005-05:00

Where's FN's support for the troops now? See what frequent contributor Fox news military analyst, Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, has to say about Private First Class Bowe R. Bergdahl.

Brian Bakst is a Tool

2009-07-01T06:16:00.004-05:00

I don't know anything about Brian Bakst. I've never taken note of his name before today. But as soon as I read the first paragraph of today's article by Bakst about Al Franken's senate seat I knew I was in the presence of the work of a right-wing tool. Here's how Bakst starts his article:

Al Franken refused his rival's calls for an election night concession last November, choosing instead to begin vote counting and courtroom haggling that stretched almost eight months and ultimately landed him a seat in the U.S. Senate.

This is completely false, something the tool du jour proves in his own article. But he waits a leisurely ten paragraphs to make the correction and admit that the recount was triggered by Minnesota state law and every subsequent lawsuit was filed by Colemen. He was sure to get the lie in at the top where it would show up in the headline summaries.

Why does it matter? Because it perpetuates the perception that Fox, O'Reilly and hacks like Bakst love to put out there that Democrats are sneaky, litigious liars who can only win elections by fraud and deceit. They cannot fairly and accurately report the facts that, after months of fighting Coleman's relentless legal actions, Franken will finally be placed in the Senate seat that he won fair and square. That's how the opening of this article should have read.

But Bakst had to put his spin on it. Way to go, tool.

Mom! The Senator Keeps Looking at Me! Make Him Stop!

2009-03-11T10:21:00.003-05:00

Ah, I'm just bursting with pride over my state Senator, Jason Crowell, this morning. He is certainly keeping his fellow Senators in line which, most certainly, should be a top priority.

According to STLToday.com, he has been insisting that another Senator not look at him during debates. The way that this works out is that Senator David Pearce, who sits in front of our hero, tends to turn toward Crowell when addressing his attacks.

Senate rules require that Senators address their comments to the chair and not fellow Senators.

Apparently Crowell is confused by the English language and insists that one should always face the party being addressed. This way he won't have to be bothered with figuring out to whom the speaker in talking. It seems that it's not enough for Crowell that Senators address the chair, they must also face it while doing so. I wonder if when he calls people on the phone Crowell figures out where they are and physically turns in their direction while insisting that they do the same.

Anyway, it's a proud day for Cape Girardeau residents. Crowell is doin' us proud!

Small and Petty to the Last

2009-01-20T11:40:00.002-06:00

Just finished watching Barack Hussein Obama's inaugaration and I couldn't help but notice one small detail. After his address everyone seated around and behind him stood and applauded. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents graciously acknowledged the new president and respected his words.

Except for one.

While the crowd around him smiled and applauded George W. Bush remained motionless and grim-faced only responding when the president approached him personally. In his first act as ex-president Bush clearly demonstrated what a small and petty man he is.

Your time is over Mr. Former President. Go back to your ranch or your whites-only neighborhood and shut up. If there is any justice in the world we, the American people, will be along later to collect you with a warrant.

Wild Bill

2009-01-15T15:09:00.002-06:00

Just watched Wild Bill starring Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, David Arkequette and others.

This was a pretty good movie. I tend to like films that turn genre's on their head and there's hardly a more entrenched American film genre than the western. So from that perspective this movie is enjoyable. The hero dies (no spoiler here as the film opens on his funeral) and the least macho character kills him.

But on the other hand the movie worked too hard to be independent. The story of the last few days of WBH were told with an insufferable number of flashbacks. And they were filmed in this really annoying black and white. Not normal black and white which is actually a lot of greys with some really interesting lighting; no this was black and white. The memory shots were stark and washed out and usually at extreme angles so you lost the story as you cocked your head trying to see the characters.

Nevertheless, Jeff Bridges carried out a perfectly lovely performance that manages to seep through the overly arty direction. The supporting cast did their job but no one was notable. Arquette might have been at the time, playing a simp so perfectly, but since we've learned by now that that's just his character then it isn't all than interesting.

So, see this movie if you like JB or if you soak everything remotely associate with the western genre. Otherwise, don't bother.

My Email to Senator Claire McCaskill

2008-10-14T13:40:00.001-05:00

This blog appears to be just a recounting of the emails I send to Washington. Here's my latest:

Hello,

First I want to say thanks for your early support of Barack Obama. Second I want to say that it's good to have at least one Democratic representative in Washington. Things can feel a little cold for the few lone lefties here in Cape Girardeau and with Emerson and Bond as my other elected leaders I often feel like my interests are not being represented.

But that's not why I'm contacting you.

I don't know the rules that dictate this sort of thing but I would very much like to see Harry Reid removed as the Senate Majority leader. I understand that the Democrats are dealing with the thinnest of majorities but he has squandered even that by bowing to the Republicans at every threat of a filibuster. The idea that we need a "filibuster proof majority" in order to get anything done is just ridiculous.

When the Republicans were in power the merest hint of a Democratic filibuster led to their threat of the "nuclear option" of changing the rules to disallow any filibusters. Reid could learn something from their tactics.

I'm certainly not suggesting that we adopt their barbaric behavior. But imagine the political theater if Reid had actually made them filibuster every time they threatened to do so. Instead of seeing the Democratic congress as useless and ineffective as many Americans seem to the Republicans' obstructionism would be clear to all by now.

For this reason and others I and many other interested liberals are supremely disappointed with Reid's leadership. I request that you and the other Democrats in the Senate replace him as leader as soon as possible.

I have the feeling that anyone of Senate Democrats would do a much better job but Hillary Clinton seems like a particularly good choose. She is smart, knows the system and has the spine that Harry Reid seems to lack.

Thanks,
Bryce Eddings

John McCain Should be Ashamed

2008-10-05T14:36:00.004-05:00

From the AP: Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain

Even though I know that it's tossing a teaspoon of water in the ocean I submitted this note at McCain's campaign website.

Dear Mr. McCain,

Sir, you should be ashamed of the campaign that is being run in your name. Through the years I have admired you and appreciated your outspoken positions on many issues even when I disagreed with them. But the campaign that is now being run in your name is disgraceful and you should feel personally ashamed.

This weekend your running mate claimed that Obama is "palling around with terrorists." The attack is baseless and not worthy of your heretofore honorable career as a public servant.

Regain a shred of honor and renounce this statement NOW! It's time to start regaining Americans' respect that you have lost thanks to your scurrilous campaign.

Best,
Bryce Eddings

Hillary's Reply

2008-06-01T02:59:00.003-05:00

Now, I didn't expect the big H herself to respond to my little rant but I hoped that perhaps at least some staffer would look at it and add it to the "drop out now" pile. But, no. Not even that happened. Instead I got a form autoresponse with "some suggestions for how you get involved in the national campaign today."

That's not likely!

My note to Hillary

2008-05-31T19:14:00.001-05:00

Not that she's going to listen but here's the note that I sent to Hillary today. Why?

It is absolutely disgraceful what you are doing to the Democratic party and our chance to defeat McCain this autumn. Stop fighting over Michigan and Florida and let us have a nominee! I have never been an adamant supporter of either you or Obama but the more that you fight this embarrassing and harmful battle the less I will be able to support you should you get the nomination

But worse, you are polarizing the party and hardening your supporters to the point that they are increasingly saying they will not support Obama if he gets the nomination.

PLEASE, accept the party's ruling today and let us have a nominee already! We must start fighting McCain NOW and the longer that you drag this in-party fighting out the harder it will be for ANY Democrat to win this autumn.

Please, Hilllary, Please! It's up to you!!! Stop the fighting!

With God on Our Side

2008-04-08T14:50:00.001-05:00

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

- Bob Dylan
Lifted from BobDylan.com

Sins of the Brother

2008-04-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

At a recent football game Tim Cahill scored a goal. As part of his post goal celebration he crossed his outstretched fists in an international pantomime for handcuffs. Later he apologized for it.

What?

Here’s the back story. His brother Sean is in a bit of trouble. He managed to land himself in jail with a six year sentence. Tim wanted to dedicate the goal to Sean and this is how he chose to do it. That should have been the end of that.

But no. The cop who investigated Sean’s crime isn’t content to have caught him and put him away. He doesn’t want any public acknowledgement of the fact that Tim has a jailed brother. It is “grossly irresponsible” and “seemingly endorses” Sean’s actions.

You already won, officer! Sean’s behind bars. How about you move on to your next case and stop calling the press as you try to coattail on the coincidentally public personality of your latest conquest?

This Is Not Spam

2008-03-14T09:01:00.001-05:00

I just had to request a human review of this blog because Google has determined that it has the characteristics of splog.

OK, so I haven't really maintained much of a coherent thread through my little blog's bumpy existence and I only post infrequently but spam? Really?

Let's review - all unique content, one measely little line of Adsense links apologeticly garnishing the top, a few pitiful links and that's about it. What's spammy about that? If this reads like I'm offended; I'm not. I'm just puzzled.

I'd Rather Beat Dairy Queen

2008-03-14T08:51:00.002-05:00

This is what I read on a passing car. The bumper sticker actually read, using the company's logo, "I'd rather be at Dairy Queen." But "be" and "at" were oddly squished together and even when I realized how it was meant to be read it still looked like "I'd rather beat Dairy Queen" and I have to admit that I really prefer that version. I mean, what the hell's up with soft-serve anyway?

Miller Staring Down the Catholics

2007-10-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted on this blog in a long time. I devote most of my blogging energy to http://beer.about.com and http://www.boozingear.com/blog since I'm paid to write there. As a result I keep an eye on beer related headlines and when I saw Miller, the Jesus-Mocking Beer I had to read it.

Now, you take a moment to read it because I don't much feel like summarizing it.

OK, got it?

Yes, actually, anything for a buck is exactly the point. Apparently some people with alternative lifestyles like to drink beer - even if it is flavorless piss-water - so why shouldn't Miller be allowed to market to them? The author implies that the idea of anything for a buck somehow makes Miller morally reprehensible. But when corporations ship jobs overseas, rape the middle class, sell poisoned food, use virtual slave labor in third world countries, and basically behave like sociopath leaches on society this same excuse that they much first be concerned with the bottom line is embraced by the right wing.

I'm lumping Mr. Bozell III in with them not because I have any evidence that he espouses their views but because, as he states within this piece, he sits on that Advisory Board of the Catholic League and that's enough for me to lump all of those narrow-minded hate merchants together.

And one more thing, Mr. the third, should stop adding the Roman numerals to his name. It's just stupid.

Miller has every right to advertise to whomever the hell it wants. You go ahead with your little boycott but remember this. It was the folks on your side of the fence that have spent the last 150 creating an environment the allows and encourages corporations to run roughshod over the land and its people. You shouldn't act so surprised when these creations of yours don't embrace your narrow interpretation of values.

Uncle, or Embracing the Obvious

2007-01-14T16:44:00.000-06:00

Only a couple of months ago I embarked on an experiment wherein I planned to keep a close eye on my legislators. It wasn't without a little smugness that I decided that this was the best plan. Finally, people would read my pithy and undeniably sensible opinions and, one by one, all would be won over to my way of thinking. Finally a state, a nation, a world worth inhabiting! Of course my train of thought wasn't this narcissistic but there was a bit of this there.

So, I set up my goggle alerts and started watching. It hasn't been easy. It hasn't been hard, either. Anyone that knows me knows that I never volunteer for anything too hard. But it wasn't the simplest thing in the world. First, the officials elected in the 2006 Congressional turnover went a long way to disappoint me. I have a tendency to focus on the faults of people that I don't like so I was well versed on those areas that Republicans - mutual disagreement turned to hate when they impeached my president at the end of the last century - could stand to improve. But I was unprepared to learn about the warts on my saviours, the Democrats that gave them a thumpin'. Specifically Claire McCaskill.

Second, I learned in this brief time of paying extra attention to the actions of legislators that they grapple with some very complicated, involved, and mind numbingly boring issues. I read every news report that came up and studied each issue with which I wasn't familiar. Often after working my way through the day's information I would be too wilted or still too confused to write about it. So, on that level they, the legislators, have gained my respect.

Third, it was simply taking up too much brain space. As I deal with issues of my new ecommerce store, http://www.purpleporter.com, which is set to open any day now and my ongoing About.com site, I just have to dump something.

I'm dropping this experiment. This blog will return to the floundering bit of Internet noise that it's always been. I will try to keep up with something here but in the meantime check out http://beer.about.com.

Oh C'mon, Claire!

2007-01-04T05:43:00.000-06:00

I had two almost concurrent thoughts when I read this article about Claire McCaskill's financial juggling. The first was, "well, she's a snake in politics, what's new? Hopefully she'll still be able to use her position to advance some positive legislation." Sort of a stream of consciousness ends-justifies-means thing. The second thought I had as soon as I'd had the first was, "I bet that that's what Delay's supporters thought" when they started hearing of his questionable tactics that would eventually lead to his arrest and ethics charges.

So Claire has some debts from her 2004 race for Governor of Missouri. Fine, repay them. But the debt that's causing problems here is one that owed to Claire by her election fund. Basically she loaned herself this money and now she wants to bend the rules so she can pay herself back. The article doesn't say where the money would come from but now that she's in Washington where slimy money is slithering all over the place it's not hard to imagine what sort of sources she has in mind.

C'mon Claire! When you promised to root out financial corruption in Washington you surely didn't mean that you'd first wallow around in it!

Clair McCaskill - Dangerously Close to Breaking Her Own Rules

2007-01-03T04:19:00.000-06:00

My inclination is to defend Claire. I desperately wanted her to replace Talent and was very pleased when it happened. I've been generally optimistic about her future in the Senate and gratified to hear her talk about rooting out the monetary improprieties in Washington.

Then she hired her new chief of staff, Sean Kennedy. That would be all fine and dandy but for the latest entry on his resume: lobbyist for SBC Communications. Even that would be fine with me. As power shifts back and forth in Washington what are these people supposed to do when their party is out of power? Lobbying jobs make sense. Personally I couldn't do it. I know that no job in Washington is particularly pretty but could there be a more "wallowing with the swine" sort of job than being a lobbyist?

So why is this noteworthy? Because of Claire's promise to make Washington work for us! In this 15 point plan that she presented during her campaign she laid out some pretty tough restrictions to, if not severe, weaken the close ties between congress and the lobbyist. And hiring a recent lobbyist as her chief of staff doesn't directly violate her rules but it does seem to injure their spirit, particularly the "Break the Link Between Congressional Service and Lobbying Influence" section where she says we should:

Prohibit Lobbyists From Taking Campaign Positions With Members. Lobbyists like Jack Abramoff raise campaign funds to position themselves as power brokers with elected officials. Lobbyists commonly become fundraisers and use their connections to drag money into their candidate's coffers. The Center for Public Integrity cited that 79 Members of congress named lobbyists to serve as treasurers of their campaign committees.

It seems hard to believe that her campaign manager is going to remain totally aloof of Claire's reelection campaign.

Obviously this was an easy position for Claire to take during the 2005 campaign. With Delay and his cronies recently revealed to be the money and power grubbing pigs that they are this was a quick and easy way to score some political points. Frankly, it didn't have any sway over my support of her; every politician promises to clean up Washington and it's basically just white noise during the campaign. What, they expect their opponent to come out for corruption?

No, what bothers me is that Claire has so quickly and cavalierly violated the spirit if not the literal read of her campaign promises. I suppose I should be no more surprised by a politician breaking a promise than anything else but she's supposed to be one of the good guys. I'm still hoping that this is just a blip and not an indication of things to come.

Jason Crowell and Future Crimes

2006-12-29T06:48:00.000-06:00

Crowell has decided to go after sex offenders with eleven plus years clean. Seems that the 1995 Missouri law that requires offenders to stay registered only applies to offenders that were convicted after that time. Whatever; this blog entry isn't about sex offenders. It's how he proposes to do this.

Crowell decided that the best way to close this perceived loophole is to change the Missouri constitution to make it legal to go after ALL acts that later become crimes. So, if I want to, say, own a copy of the Koran and it later becomes illegal to purchase the book I could be convicted for breaking a law that didn't exist at the time. (Think this is a silly scenario? Try checking out a copy of this religious text at your local library and tell me that you don't once think that the FBI is filing that little bit of information away somewhere.) Actually, this is a pretty smart move on Crowell's part. As a politician he's got to worry about political opponents in the future. If he's having a particularly tough race he could simply create a law against something that his opponent has done and Voila! no opponent.

Let's hope that Missourians have enough sense to block this stupid amendment. If Crowell wants to go after aging sex offenders, he needs to find a better way to do it.

Is Kit Bond Quitting?

2006-12-29T06:34:00.000-06:00

The rumor mill has Kit Bond quitting and Matt Blunt replacing him in the Senate. This could be interesting. I really don't know where Bond stands on stem cell research but I'd guess that he's against it. If this happens that'd be one more Republican stem cell vote.

Claire McCaskill Interview

2006-12-27T08:25:00.000-06:00

Check out McCaskill's views on a few topics in this breif but interesting interview.

Even a Bridge to Nowhere Goes Somewhere

2006-12-22T08:26:00.000-06:00

I agree with the central idea of this report from the Center for Public Integrity that any instance of political consultants playing a dual role of lobbyists should be carefully examined. As more and more power winds up in the hands of fewer and fewer people, certain hats shouldn't hang on the same players' hat-stand.

But in this particular article I think that writer Sandy Bergo missed the mark when she tried to pin this practice on Christopher Bond, at least in the example she chose. I wouldn't be surprised if Bond was found to be a part of such practice; I tend to be suspicious of anyone that's been in politics as long as Kit. I'm just saying that the case Bergo uses to illustrate her point seems to fail. You can read the article for yourself but briefly, here's what happened: Tony Feather, who had acted as one of Bond's reelection consultants had switched hats and was now lobbying for a bridge from St. Louis, MO to Illinois. He had one meeting with Bond where they discussed this and Bond later became a key senator in getting the thing pushed through. Fine, Feather probably should have stayed away from the meeting but Bond would have pushed for this bridge anyway. He's a Missouri Senator and that's what Senators and congressmen do - get money for their districts. Whether Feather had been involved or not, Bond would have latched onto this project and held on with both hands. Besides pork for his state, it was also pork for one of the two liberal strongholds in his state. He'd be a fool to turn down any good will that he could garner from voters that typically reject his positions.

Claire and the Big Fence

2006-12-19T06:40:00.000-06:00

Claire McCaskill is promoting the border fence, according to the San Antonio Express-News. I'm amazed that this insane solution is still carries weight.

Of course, immigration creates problems - mostly only in the minds of the citizens. It always has and the country has always wound up accepting the immigrants and, in the end, benefitting from their contributions.

But building a fence or a wall will never work. Throughout history nations have tried and failed to build fences on their artificial borders. Fences work for cattle and other animals. They do not work for people. The immigrants are intelligent, ambitious people that want to come to the US to make better lives for themselves and their families. A fence won't stop them.

If you want to address illegal aliens, penalize their employers. It's just that simple. Enforce the existing laws and the jobs that beckon the immigrants and illegal immigration will dry up. Without this incentive of immediate cash, the immigrants will soon learn that the only way to come to this country will be via legal channels. Save the money on the building of this insane fence and use it on a more efficient immigration process. And, I'm betting that the jobs currently filled with illegal labor will be taken by the same population once they've passed through immigration putting an end to that jingo-redneck argument, "Them illegals is stealing my job!"

Fences only build anger and resentment. Whether you're trying to split a population as Isreal is currently doing or you're trying to enforce political boundaries as the communist countries of eastern Europe did, you're bound to fail. The anger builds pressure behind the wall until it pops like a champagne cork. It's impossible to predict how this will happen but it will. A border fence will only prove to be an expensive failure - expensive in the building, yes, but even more costly in the ramifications later.

Obsessing on Stem Cells

2006-12-14T07:40:00.000-06:00

The stated purpose of this blog these days is to keep an eye on my legislators. But given how the last election put Missouri in the spot light regarding the stem cell issue and its generally assumed importance in the election of McCaskill, I hope that you'll forgive a bit of a digression in that direction.

The Right hasn't gone nuts just yet over reports of possible baby-harvesting in the Ukraine. Nothing's really certain yet but there's a chance that live babies are being used as sources of stem cells. I'm not sure what they're waiting for but I'm sure this story will soon enough be seized upon by the right as evidence of where this whole issue can go.

I certainly hope that it turns out that this truly horrible possibility isn't proven. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised. While we debate about the ethics - a debate forced on us by the anti-abortion crowd - of stem cell research, nefarious elements are going to exploit our self paralysis. We must move forward with this. Let the scientist research embryonic stem-cells from fertility clinics that would be destroyed anyway when the owners conceive or give up.

The idea that this is going to get out of control and lead to whole human cloning is just silly. This argument could be applied to anything. If we allow the legal ownership of handguns won't this lead to a population at war with itself? We have our share of gun related homicides in the US but there's nothing that could suggest it's out of control. Government regulated stem-cell research would be the same.

And as far as baby harvesting, this also would never happen. If scientist were allowed access to the embryonic stems cells that are currently available, the black market for stem-cells harvested from live babies wouldn't exist.

Squeezing MOHELA

2006-12-10T08:05:00.000-06:00

I'm really not sure what to think of this issue. I've been watching it since it was a glint in Gov. Blunt's eye. There seems to be some sense to it. Cash in some of the assets in MOHELA and use the money on state colleges. "Assets," as I understand them, are the loans held by MOHELA. They would be, and have been at this point, sold to other loan companies for less than their yield over time for a quick payoff now. Though the assurances haven't been made in this particular article, I've read in the past that the politicians have promised that the purchasing companies wouldn't raise the rates once they own the loans. And if a politician promises it...

So, Blunt took his idea, established a board and they put it into motion. Now it has generated $17 million and colleges around Missouri are eagerly awaiting their piece. But Clint Zweifel, D-Florissant, says this isn't right. MOHELA's money should be used for MOHELA stuff, specifically lowering rates or forgiving loans. Blunt and our own Nathan Cooper, whose constituency is very interested in seeing the promised improvements on Southeast Missouri State University, say nonsense.

Here's what I keep wondering. What was that money supposed to do in the original plan? So MOHELA sold some "assets" and has more money than usual right now but what about later when these assets were supposed to be paying off? Will MOHELA have the cash to cover students' loan needs in 10 or 20 years?