Idiot Watch: Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty

As I have stated on numerous occasions in the past, the Republican Party really doesn’t give a damn about the people they allegedly represent. They only care about their political power and the benefits that said power can generate exclusively for themselves.

 

Case in point: The state of Minnesota.

 

The supreme court of the state has upheld the senate election results and its recount paving the way for Democrat Al Franken to occupy the seat formerly held by incumbent Norm Coleman, a Republican. Now if this were any other run-of-the-mill election, the winner of the recount – in this case, Mr. Franken would have been seated without much question. But because Mr. Franken will represent the cherished 59^th non-Republican vote in the senate, opposition to his seating is vicious. Former Senator Coleman has vowed to continue his challenges. His continued fight for a reversal goes beyond being a sore loser. His continued actions border on unabashed political self-indulgence that has acquired a Robert Mugabe-esque quality.   

 

Governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican has gone on record saying that he will not certify Mr. Franken until all legal challenges have been “exhausted”. This could mean a ridiculously lengthy battle that could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Pawlenty, who has national political aspirations, should be disgraced for this act of treacherous partisanship. It is obvious that the governor is under immense pressure from the Rovian wing of the RNC. The Republicans have all intentions of manipulating the legal system to prolong this mess. It is not surprising that these same Republican idiots have been vociferous in the past against this type of abuse of the legal system. In the meantime, the state of Minnesota will remain solely represented by Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party member Amy Klobuchar.

 

For placing your own political interests and those of your reprehensible party ahead of those of the constituents you were elected to represent…

 

Governor Tim Pawlenty, Republican governor of Minnesota, You are an IDIOT!

Prosecutors Seek To Slam South Korean Blogger “Minerva”

South Korean prosecutors are seeking an 18 month jail term for the blogger who accurately prognosticated the fall of Lehman Brothers and other financial calamities in an online forum last year.

 

According to the Korea Times, Park Dae-sung remains behind bars without bail. Better know as “Minerva”, he was arrested in January 2009 and charged with spreading alleged false financial information with the aim of hurting the public interest. His posts, though accurate, have been a major embarrassment to the South Korean government which finds itself mired in numerous ongoing financial scandals at the moment.

 

It is obvious that the case against Minerva is nothing more than a sham. The Last Person Left again calls for Minerva’s immediate and unconditional release.

The Week In Review: 4/12/09

Lost in Space

North Korea has failed again in its attempt to launch an object into orbit. I wonder if they should just give it up. Leader Kim il Jong should follow the lead of his compatriots to the south. Start with automobiles and work his way up. Can you spell Hyundai?

 

Pardon Me

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in human rights abuses in the 1990’s. He probably will serve just a fraction of his sentence should his daughter, Keiko, win in her bid for the presidency in 2011. She is the current front runner.  So much for justice.

 

Welcome Aboard

Staying in the Americas, the Fifth Summit of the Americas opens this week in Trinidad and Tobago. The island nation expects 6,000 dignitaries, journalists and other visitors. The problem is that they only have about 1,700 hotel rooms on the islands. The solution: Chartered cruise ships. The question is which ambassador gets stuck in the bottom bunk?

 

Do As I Say… Not as I…

Fifteen years ago, the first Summit of the Americas was held in Miami. The meeting produced a declaration against corruption that all nations signed. The result? Of the 34 signatories, nearly one-third have faced jail time, are under indictment or on the run. Way to go Americas!

 

Shake It Like a Polarizing Figure

A recent Pew Poll has found that President Obama is a polarizing figure. Republican talkers have made a big deal of this citing how few Republicans support the President. Why am I not surprised? Only George W. Bush managed to unite both the Republicans and Democrats… against his own policies.

  

Inherited Wars

President Obama has a crisis on his hands. No, not Iraq or Afghanistan but of all things… Pirates. Reportedly, pirates off the coast of Somalia are holding an American captain hostage. Yet, another conflict inherited by the President from a past administration – Not the Bush Administration but the Jefferson Adminsitration.

 

                                                          ***

 

The world may be a funny place… but it’s the only one we have.

 

Have a great week!

My Friends Blake & Khalid Kelly and the Pre-9/11 World I Miss

The year was 1997 and I was living in a pillbox sized apartment on a building rooftop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On one warm and balmy evening, I and two expatriate friends of mine, Blake, an American and Terry, an Irishman, sat on plastic chairs on the roof as we did as usual to talk and pass the time away. We had met a year earlier upon arriving at King Khalid International Airport. We had decided to leave the confines of our cozy homelands seeking good tax-free salaries and adventure. We were all recruited by the leading hospital and research center in Saudi Arabia. It seemed like a good idea at the time and we embraced the challenge.

 As we idled the night away gabbing, we could see the flying saucer shaped building that housed the Saudi Ministry of Interior a few blocks away. The building was off the main highway in Riyadh, the architecture odd - but it was a marvel to look at especially at night. Our roof top vantage point made it a sight to behold.   

Ministry of Interior in Riyadh (Photo credit www.saudi.net)

 

Our conversations were usually deep, philosophical, and apocalyptic in nature. We would discuss politics, history, war, and matters of religion. The conservative nature of our host country’s culture left us very few options for amusement and diversion. There were no pubs or movie theatres. Co-mingling of the sexes was prohibited unless on the grounds of a foreign embassy. Alcohol possession and consumption was also illegal. This too was remedied with a prized invitation to an embassy.

 

We spoke at length about Islam. After all, we were living in a conservative Islamic country. As we conversed into the night, I recall Blake asking me, if the U.S. will declare Islam our next mortal enemy, much like we did with communism in years past. I responded, “Absolutely… we cannot live in a world without an enemy.” Terry, with his Irish accent, retorted with a high pitched, “You’re joking!” And the conversation continued until the early morning hours. Little did we know how prophetic our conversation would be.

 

 

In the twelve years since, we have witnessed the following:

• Side-Hamed Algeria Massacre (1997)
• Nairobi and Dar es Salaam embassy bombings (1998)
• Apartment bombings in Russia by Chechen separatists (1999)
• USS Cole (2000)
• 9/11/2001
• Bali bombings (2001)
• 3/11/2004 Train bombings in Madrid
• 7/7/05 bombings in London
• Mumbai bombings (2008)
• Wars, invasions, bombings, and insurgent movements in Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, Chechnya, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Philippines, and Indonesia among others, that has left hundreds of thousands (perhaps many more) dead and injured.

 ***

Yesterday, while in Turkey, President Barack Obama declared that the United States is neither at war nor an enemy of Islam. I am sure that the global jihadists will dismiss this statement. Many in this country will characterize his overture as appeasement and wishful thinking.

 

I, for one, take the President at his word. It is time for a fresh global initiative. Muslims make up nearly ¼ of the world’s population or about 1.6 billion followers. Acknowledging their concerns on a global level is absolutely the correct and intelligent thing to do if peace is the ultimate objective. And although there will be many who would want to continue the “wild west” approach to dealing with what they consider “outlaws”, it is obvious that responding violently to violence just creates more violence. Only firm diplomacy can end this conflict. We must negotiate from a position of strength but we also must understand the deep rooted skepticism of the Muslim world. President Bush’s characterization of the war on terror as a “crusade” offended millions – for many, the damage irreparable. But we must continue to explore all avenues and work towards a lasting reconciliation.

 

President Obama’s declaration is a great starting point. The arrogance of past administrations must be discarded along with the penchant for group think and saber-rattling. Continuation of this hubris will prove disastrous in dealing with the Iranian nuclear situation, one that the Eastern world is watching intently.

 

***

Yes, much has transpired since that fateful conversation overlooking the Ministry of Interior in Riyadh in 1997. As fate would have it, the world and our lives took many dramatic turns.

 

I returned to the U.S. in 1999. I ran into legal problems (I’ll explain later in a future post) and left the region – disgraced and dispirited but happy to have experienced life in the kingdom.  

 

Blake passed away while on vacation in the U.S. in 2000. A few weeks before his death he sent me an email telling me of his vacation plans. I have read this final email hundreds of times in the years since his death. I cry every time.  

 

Terry also ran into legal problems. He converted to Islam, returned to the U.K. as Khalid Kelly and became an outspoken radical. Last year, he went into hiding and his whereabouts today are unknown. It has been more than  a decade since we last spoke. I never met Khalid. The fun loving, open-minded Terry I had come to know in Riyadh is also gone.

 

Here’s to my old friends… Blake, Terry, and the pre-9/11 world I knew and loved.

 

I miss you all. With any luck I might just get to experience a pre-9/11 world once again.

 

 

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No More Republican Wedgies: The End Of The Politics Of Division

Year in and year out, the Republican Party has counted on the support of a certain group of individuals of our society to win elections. The historic election of President Obama changed the Republican playbook. No longer can the Republicans employ the politics of stupidity. Their conservative “base” is simply not enough to deliver electoral victories. Much like the Democratic Party of the early 1980’s, the Republican Party of today finds itself lost in the wilderness and in search of the crumbs that would lead them back to power.

 

Wedge issues continue to dominate the Republican platform. Prayer in school, Gay and Lesbian rights, stem cell research, abortion, immigration policy, gun control, and the display of religious symbols can no longer divide the electorate sufficiently to affect an electoral result one way or another. Any politician, regardless of party affiliation, who makes any of these issues the cornerstone of their campaign, is relying on the “moron factor” of his/her constituents. The reality is that this political tactic simply does not work any more. No politician can overturn Roe v. Wade single-handedly, nor do they have the power to personally rescind constitutional amendments. Voters have finally realized this. The debate over LGBT rights and immigration are the only wedge issues that remain legislative susceptible to politicking. This too may soon change.

 

The American electorate has evolved exponentially during the past two decades. We have become a plurality of voters who refuse to fall for the wedge issue debate. It is amazing that these issues have lasted so long and have pushed the electorate to vote against their own economic interests in the process. The country is in the grips of a new progressive reorientation which no doubt has left the Republican Party gasping for air. This is evident in their present day politically nomadic state.

 

Will wedge issues eventually cause a split within the Republican Party? Probably. Libertarianism is not the answer for the disaffected base.  As these issues become less relevant to the American electorate the Republican Party will continue to lose ground. And that is some thing we liberals can all be thankful for.

Want to discuss this post? Leave a comment and let’s talk about it! I personally respond to any and all comments.

 

Special Thanks To My Fellow Bloggers

As I begin my road to recovery from surgery, I want to publicly thank all those who took the time to wish me well during this trying time for me. Being sick is not an easy thing. Yet, with the kind words of encouragement from my fellow bloggers, the pain seems to be lessened.

 

Special thanks to J.D. at The Modern Left and N.G. Lynd at the Democratic Populist Blog for your thoughts and well wishes. Thanks for being there for me!

 

I want to wish you all the best!

 

Read-Learn-Think-Act!

 

LPL

 

 

 

Three Police Officers Shot and Killed: Republican Talking Point Partly To Blame

It was bound to happen sooner or later…

 

On Saturday morning, April 4^th, 2009, an obviously deranged man, Richard Poplawski, shot and killed three police officers who responded to a domestic dispute between the alleged shooter and his mother at their Pittsburgh home. Sadly, this has become an all too common occurrence in the country. What makes this story more disturbing were the comments made by the mother, Margaret Poplawski, as to why her son had a cache of weapons in his possession.

 

According to the AP, Mrs. Poplawski told police that her son had been stockpiling guns and ammunition, “because he believed that as a result of economic collapse, the police were no longer able to protect society.”  It was also reported that the alleged perpetrator feared having his guns confiscated by the Barack Obama administration.

 

If I recall correctly, this unfounded fear was a major Republican talking point before and after Mr. Obama’s election. Republicans need to understand that there are some members of our society who literally believe the crap that they spew. It would not be surprising to see more incidents like this one play out in the future.  

 

I am a staunch first amendment advocate (see my Blogger Freedom site list), but that does not give people the right to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Freedom of speech is the fundamental cornerstone of our democracy but it is time for the right wing to end the seditious commentary that characterizes their anti-Obama agenda. There are more constructive ways of expressing dissent without inflaming the passions of the lunatic fringe. Appealing to the base is one thing… A call to arms is a different story.

 

 

I hope that the next time people like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachmann, and others call for an “uprising” and or “revolution” they remember the three dead police officers and their families. These irresponsible commentators should be held criminally accountable for this and any future incidents.

 

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Grading President Obama’s European Trip

As President Obama continues his presidential debut tour in Europe, there a few things worth noticing that highlight the nature of his management style thus giving us some insight into what to expect through out the rest of his presidential tenure.

 

Like it or not, the President has the charisma and political charm to disarm the fiercest of his opponents. His seeming non-confrontational style is a refreshing and savvy change to that of the outlaw “bring them on” style of his predecessor. To have mediated a dispute between diplomatic France and power house China reaffirmed the President’s campaign assertions that he was indeed ready to lead despite his thin foreign policy resume. Who do you want getting that 3:00 a.m. call now?

 

Mr. Obama has characterized America’s attitude towards Europe and the world as “arrogant”. On the other hand, he mildly scolded the Europeans for their anti-American sentiments. Again, the President has challenged these sociopolitical realities head on. Could you imagine Presidents Bush or Reagan taking this approach?  By making others feel like equals, Mr. Obama has strategically captured the political high ground. In a world on the brink of economic and political collapse, Mr. Obama has stealthily assumed the mantle of global statesman. Mark my words, the President is laying the groundwork for a diplomatic solution to the complex Iranian situation. Do not be surprised if there is a major break through before the Iranian presidential elections this June.  

 

 

During his town hall gathering in Strasbourg France, Mr. Obama delighted the crowd with his self-deprecating humor and wit. He has, in effect, humanized the presidency and in turn, humanized our nation in the eyes of the world. (Some thing the world needed to see badly) He pauses contemplatively while answering unscreened questions. There is nothing pretentious about his performances. He does not appear evasive in his responses. The Republicans mock the President for his lack of polish when not using a teleprompter. Yet, when the President improvises, he is confident, informed, and above all, articulate, reducing the Republican talking point to nothing short of hollow whining.

 

While in Europe, the President has yet to give any world leader a back rub and has managed not to run over police officers while riding bicycle. There have been no reports of the President throwing up on any one’s lap. He has not mispronounced any one’s name and has managed to correctly conjugate verbs.

 

As ludicrous as this may sound the derisive accusations by Republicans that Mr. Obama had messianic qualities may not have been too crazy after all.

 

In short, his performance to date has been brilliant.

  

His partial grade for this trip: A+

 

 

 

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