GOP Shoots Down the Disability Treaty

In the mid 70s, mom and dad packed up me, my sister and cousin for a cross country trip. Being recent immigrants, they wanted to see America the Beautiful. Aside from being hot and itchy in Needles, CA, I don’t remember much. When I look at the pictures, I smile most at the one with me in front of the flags at the UN in New York. International travel and foreign cultures have piqued my interest since I was a child. I’ve always said that in the remote possibility I would end up in NYC, I’d want to live in Midtown close to the UN.

Conservative Republicans showed their disdain for the UN by voting down the Disability Treaty. Former Senator Bob Dole (yes, one of their own), in a wheelchair, tried to persuade the Senate into ratifying this treaty. He championed the Americans with Disabilities Act. It didn’t work. The treaty needed 66 votes and it only got 61.

GOP Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said:

“I do not support the cumbersome regulations and potentially overzealous international organizations with anti-American biases that infringe upon American society.”

OK, “The UN sucks” argument is covered.

Rick Santorum, a name I didn’t want to type again, led the fight against this treaty.

What’s so problematic here is that the provisions of this treaty could open the door for a professional or government official to override the decision that we as parents need to make for our special-needs children.

Having been blessed with Bella, and all of our wonderful children, we’ve learned that when it comes to their care, we know what’s best. CRPD threatens to take parents out of the equation and attempt to determine the right path for children they have never met.

I read the articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He’s referring to Article 7(2):

Article 7 – Children with Disabilities
2. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.

To me, that is overly paranoid and a huge leap. He spread this message further – to the home-schooling community. People were up in arms about how bureaucrats from Geneva would storm into their homes and tell them how to raise their kids. The result? The treaty was shot down.

Over 150 nations have signed this treaty. Sadly, because of irrational fears of black helicopters and a New World Order, we’re not one of them.

Stuart Stevens: The Chief Strategist for the Losing Team

He wrote a seriously condescending Op-Ed in the Washington Post today. And it made my head spinny again.

On Nov. 6, Romney carried the majority of every economic group except those with less than $50,000 a year in household income. That means he carried the majority of middle-class voters…let’s remember that any party that captures the majority of the middle class must be doing something right.

Translation: We did better with the voters who actually matter – the middle class and of course, our super rich friends who backed us.

So who is the party that promotes class warfare again? Hmm. The ones who don’t care about getting the votes of the poor (working or otherwise). The ones who, behind closed doors, talk about how 47% of the population – like those on Social Security or disabled veterans, are entitled moochers.

This is the part that really burned my biscuits:

There was a time not so long ago when the problems of the Democratic Party revolved around being too liberal and too dependent on minorities. Obama turned those problems into advantages and rode that strategy to victory. But he was a charismatic African American president with a billion dollars, no primary and media that often felt morally conflicted about being critical. How easy is that to replicate?

He assumes that the media didn’t want to criticize Obama because he’s black? Are you kidding me? Has the guy ever turned on FOX “News?” Or listened to Conservative pundits like Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, and Ingraham? The criticism was not just daily. It was hourly. Non-Conservative and Liberal news outlets weren’t afraid to criticize either. Hello……first debate? He was skewered by the media – Left, Right, and Middle.

I avoided writing about Romney after the election. He lost, and my hope is that he would fade into obscurity. However, this guy compelled me to write. And let him know the real reasons why they lost.

Effective Use of Campaign Donations
In 2008, Sarah Palin made fun of Obama being a community organizer. In campaigning, that is a huge asset. Community organizers usually have to work with extremely limited budgets – especially if they work for non-profit organizations. They have to make every dollar stretch as far as it can go. Obama’s campaign used the money they raised wisely, like pin pointing what regions needed the air time for ads and when they needed to run.

Better Ground Game
The Obama campaign had offices throughout the United States. They were divided into small groups with that region who held events. Phone banking was huge. I remember one event announcement in my area: “Phone banking for Ohio at Starbucks. Bring your cell phones and chargers.” Others held dinners as fund raisers. In the swing states, their community teams would go door-to-door. They’d offer people rides so they could vote. On election night, when people in Florida were waiting hours to vote, supporters encouraged them to stay. They gave them snacks and water.

However, the number one reason why Mitt Romney lost was by:

Being Mitt Romney
The small bits of information we’d get about him were like puzzle pieces. By election night, we got a good picture of him. The 47% comment. Saying how he’d have a better shot at winning if he were Latino. Using the Benghazi tragedy to slam Obama and hopefully score political points. High school classmates retelling how he physically bullied a gay student. Recalling the “binders full of women” from which he could choose. And the constant changing of positions. A lot of us made fun of his “flip flopping,” but when he did it within a 24-hour period, it became glaringly obvious. He would say anything to get elected, and what he said was tailored especially for the audience at that moment. If the audience changed, so did his position. Eventually, voters saw him for who he really was. Thank God.

Message to Stuart Stevens: Sorry, but he didn’t lose because you see Obama as an entertaining black man deemed “untouchable” by the media. Mitt Romney lost because he is an empty suit who wanted the title, not the job™ (™ Frank of A Frank Angle)

Obama, Christie, and Bipartisanship

Politicians, on both sides of the aisle they supposedly want to reach across, talk a good game about bipartisanship. This week, during and after Superstorm Sandy, President Obama and Governor Christie of New Jersey showed what it is and what can get accomplished when actually practiced.

Sandy was wreaking havoc on the eastern seaboard, especially New Jersey. On the 29th, close to midnight, President Obama called Governor Christie asking him what the federal government could do to help. Together, they worked on the Major Disaster Declaration, providing recovery assistance. Craig Fugate, the FEMA administrator, said that based on the conversations Obama had with officials in New York and New Jersey, a verbal declaration was enough. Christie said:

“He worked on that last night with me…offered any other assets that we needed to help. I want to thank the President personally for his personal attention to this.”

This gets the aid to where its needed faster. By verbally declaring it, it doesn’t go through a full federal assessment.

Obama visited Christie today to look at the damage Sandy had caused. Christie told him that the hardest hit areas needed power and clean drinking water.

“I discussed all of those issues today with the president and I’m pleased to report that he has sprung into action immediately to help get us those things while we were in the car riding together. I cannot thank the President enough for his personal concern and his compassion,”

This is coming from a guy who slammed Obama in his speech at the Republican National Convention. Both of them put partisan crap aside and worked on getting New Jersey on the road to recovery.

It’s going to be a long road. My friend who lives in central New Jersey was spared this year. She is one of the lucky ones in town who has power. Neighbors are going to her house to cook and shower. Thankfully, the trees didn’t fall on the house. Branches were scattered on the ground, but they weren’t huge ones like last year.

My partner’s friend in Jersey City wasn’t as lucky. She texted her that she had waist-high water in her house. It’s really sad because this is her first house. She was so excited when she bought it. Relief can come faster to people like her thanks to bipartisan effort.

So what does Mitt privatizing FEMA would be cool Romney have to say about all of this? Not much. A campaign stop in Dayton Ohio was first stopped out of respect for the victims. Then it was resurrected as a storm relief event – which apparently was staged. Campaign aides hauled ass to Walmart to buy $5K worth of food and supplies for people to hand to Romney while he says, “thank you” and smiles for the cameras. donate.

Reporters asked his senior campaign adviser, Kevin Madden, if Romney agreed with Christie that President Obama was doing a good job in handling the disaster:

“I believe the response is still going on so I’m not in a position to qualify the response by the federal government. I believe it’s still ongoing.”

Keep it classy, guys. Keep it classy. 🙄

The Enigmatic “Undecideds” of the Election

Lobotero at Opus Civis cracked me up with his post on the final debate: The Poka in Boca – Prez Debate #3. His last paragraph made me think – after I stopped laughing:

Once again, it was the optics that made your decision on who won……..and of course they, meaning the media, has assembled “undecideds”…..and once again it was all theater….if there are any “undecideds” at this point then them are just looking for some attention….but if they are truly “undecided” then just make sure that they have a coin in their pocket on election……. and for God sake….Do NOT ask them if they prefer paper or plastic!

I don’t think there are “undecideds” left. I think those who intend to vote already have their choice. Or write-in. 😉 @ the Ron Paul followers or those so disgusted with and/or cynical about politics that they’ll write-in “Snoopy.”

The media mentions these “undecideds,” though. I don’t know any. The ones I know – family, friends, coworkers – have already made up their minds. Mama already voted for Romney, via absentee ballot. I’m sure Papa will vote for Romney as well -probably on Election Day. My sister, a Moderate, will vote for Obama. Those on Facebook…some fiercely support Obama. Some support Romney with equal ferocity. The rest?

The rest I know online and in real life don’t give a flying Fig Newton about politics. Hell, I don’t know if they’ll even vote. If they do, I’m sure they know who they want by now. They just don’t care enough about politics to discuss it.

Thoughts? Do you know any “undecideds?”

Mitt Romney and My Crack-Like Addiction to Politics

I’m trying to unspin my head tonight. I don’t know what it is about politics. I was waiting for my partner at the dentist office. I told myself, “no more politics” as I perused his magazines. Most were Time magazines, and I focused on finding the rag that would keep my mind off of the election. Us Weekly with “Housewives tell Us Teresa’s Dirty Secrets” splashed on the cover. Perfect. The Real Housewives of New Jersey is my guiltless pleasure. I read the article happily, which of course didn’t take long. I looked for other Us issues after I was done flipping through the pages filled with fashion and celebrities. It was welcome fun and fluff.

And then there it was. Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine. Like a true junkie, I just had to pick it up and read it. I wasn’t able to finish it because my partner was done, so what do I do when I get home? Before eating dinner, I find the article online and read the rest of it. Where is the nearest Politics Anonymous meeting?

The author, Matt Taibbi, talks about what Bain Capital was all about – taking over companies were struggling. What “happened” to the companies wasn’t their concern. They could go bankrupt, and Bain Capital would still get paid. All that was a given and not surprising.

What shocked me, though, was how good a guy Mitt’s dad was. The article touched on it briefly, saying how George Romney was one who “nurtured communities.” I did a little research on George Romney on Wikipedia. He was nothing like his son.

• “Romney successfully appealed to the Federal Housing Administration to make housing available to black workers near the Ford Willow Run plant.”
• “By 1950, Romney was a member of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council, and criticized racial segregation in Detroit’s housing program when speaking before the Detroit City Council.”
• “However, whenever he felt his salary and bonus was excessively high for a year, he gave the excess back to the company.” I nearly choked reading this one.
• “After initial wariness, he developed a good relationship with United Automobile Workers leader Walter Reuther, and AMC workers also benefited from a then-novel profit-sharing plan”.
• “Romney was one of only a few Michigan corporate chiefs to support passage and implementation of the state Fair Employment Practices Act”.

After snapping out of my crush on George Romney, my first question was, “What the hell happened to Mitt?” My sister and I talked about this before. Mitt suffers from “spoiled rich kid” disease. Everything was handed to him, unlike his dad who struggled. That makes sense. It’s hard for Mitt to sympathize, and empathy isn’t even possible because doesn’t know what it’s like. That’s why he says things like, “Borrow money if you have to from your parents” when he talks to college students. I don’t think the idea that their parents don’t have the money to lend crossed his mind.

Of course, the article also gives me more insight into Mitt, the man.

“Over the years, colleagues would anonymously whisper stories about Mitt the Boss to the press, describing him as cunning, manipulative and a little bit nuts, with “an ability to identify people’s insecurities and exploit them for his own benefit.” One former Bain employee said that Romney would screw around with bonuses in small amounts, just to mess with people: He would give $3 million to one, $3.1 million to another and $2.9 million to a third, just to keep those below him on edge.”

Another great quality to have in a president. Screwing people…and screwing with people’s heads…just because he can.

This is just great It’s two weeks from the election, but it’s going to feel like the longest two weeks ever. I’ll be on pins and needles, just like in 2008.

Frankly, I’m tired. I’m tired of lying jerks (yeah I said it) like Mitt Romney taking up space in my head. I’m tired of being scared that a high school bully (who never grew out of it) might become the President of the United States. I’m tired of learning new, repugnant things about him that make me loathe him more. I’m just tired.

In two weeks, I can exhale. Until then, I’ll be mentally marking the days off the calendar and unspinning my head here. It’s going to get messy.

Scottsdale, Sedona, & Soup Kitchens

I’m writing this post at a pizza place in PHX. Airport restaurants are fun. I took a short getaway with my sister to AZ, a place I had no real desire to see again. One of the reasons why I didn’t want to visit this state was political. Racial profiling. I made sure I asked mama for copies of our birth certificates just in case we were pulled over for “Driving While Brown.” That way if we were, I could pull out the birth certificate and say, “Even though as a United States citizen I’m not required to carry my birth certificate, here it is. Hayward, CA copper man.” Thankfully, it wasn’t necessary. My sister, who actually looks Filipina, did the driving. I only drove from the hotel to the airport for the return flight. I have road rage “issues.”

I always wanted to see Sedona, though, and Heather, my BFF from high school, lives in Mesa. Mama had comps for a free week at a resort through her timeshare program. My sister took advantage of it. I told her that I’d go, but only stay a few days. I really wanted to stay in AZ only long enough to see Heather and Sedona.

It was great. It has been too long since I saw Heather. She is a witch (not pejorative – she practices witchcraft – although not Wiccan). She owns a metaphysical bookstore in Tempe. I think she did a “stop aging” spell because aside from being thinner, my sister and I agreed that she looks exactly as we remember her the last time we saw her in 1997. My sister and I hung out at her store all day after we arrived in PHX.

The next day, we drove up to Sedona. What an amazing place. We got settled into our room at the Desert Quail Inn, a cute little motel in the village of Oak Creek, outside of Sedona proper. I didn’t see the point of spending $250+ (average hotel room price) in Sedona for one night. I wanted to spend that money on margaritas and at the spa. Great decision. It was super clean, cheap, and had some better TV channels than the resort in Scottsdale! It was already late afternoon by the time we got there, so we just had dinner and hung out. Maria’s Restaurant and Cantina in Oak Creek makes the best margaritas I’ve had. They are, quite possibly, the best margaritas in the universe. I like sweet drinks (life is bitter enough), and this prickly pear cactus margarita? I could drink two pitchers full of the stuff. I didn’t, though.

Yesterday morning, we decided to go to the red rock that “spoke” to us and explore. That was The Bell. We walked to the base of the rock where the vortex was located. What a trip! As you get closer to the vortex, the branches on the trees actually curl! It had such a cool, harmonic vibe. After, we went to a day spa. The sauna, the body mask, vichy shower, and massage? Heaven on earth. I would live in that spa if I could.

We drove back last night to Scottsdale. I was exhausted, even though my sister drove. I passed out when we got back. I was leaving AZ so I made sure I got a good night’s sleep.

I slept so much on this trip – averaging 12 hours per night. I think my body really needed it. I’m glad I took this trip. Work wise, it was a good thing too. I maxed out my vacation accrual – 160 hours. If I hadn’t taken some time off, I would not be accruing any more vacation hours. Ah America. Land of the “work until you drop dead.”

So here I am, the length of my stay irritating the hell out of the restaurant staff I’m sure, waiting for my flight. Actually, I want to do a “move up,” and I’m on standby for the flight that leaves at 4:40 PM, instead of my original departure time of 8:00 PM. It would be nice to get on the earlier flight, but even if I have to go on my regular flight, it’s all good. I’ve had longer layovers without the internet. I have a lot of time to get caught up on blog stuff, a teeny bit of work, and reading the news.

What news story caught my eye the moment I opened my netbook? Paul Ryan Visits Soup Kitchen for Photo Op, Angering its President Seriously? What a great story to come back to after some rest and relaxation.

This is a new low. How much lower can you go if you’re already subterranean?

The campaign did not have permission to do this. Brian Antal, Mahoning County’s St. Vincent de Paul Society said,

“They ramrodded their way in. We are apolitical because the majority of our funding is from private donations. It’s strictly in our bylaws not to do it. They showed up there, and they did not have permission. They got one of the volunteers to open up the doors. The photo op they did wasn’t even accurate. He did nothing. He just came in here to get his picture taken at the dining hall. I can’t afford to lose funding from these private individuals. If this was the Democrats, I’d have the same exact problem.”

Very nice. This wasn’t just fake. This stunt has some real potential ramifications. I hope St. Vincent de Paul doesn’t lose their donations because the Romney campaign decided to pretend to be charitable. As a very wise Yahoo! Comments Section commenter said:

True charity is anonymous.

Jay Smooth on Romney’s 47% Comment

This was so funny. I never heard of this comedian, Jay Smooth, but he’s good. Another great video from Actually…The Truth Matters 😆 Enjoy!

Mitt Romney, the Flip Flopper, Debates Himself

Kudos to Daily Kos! I cracked up watching this. The question remains. Who won? 🙂

This is another example of how Mitt Romney is the undefeated champion of flip-flopping. He will say anything to get elected. How is that different from any other politician you ask? Usually during the primaries, you’ll see a candidate pandering to the base. They espouse every Conservative (or Liberal) talking point, beating their chests like they’re God’s gift to Conservatism (or Liberalism). Then, during the general election, they move to the center. They have to court Independent voters, so they can’t seem too partisan.

Mitt Romney didn’t just do this. He goes from sounding like a Left wing Liberal to a card carrying Conservative. The change is pretty startling. Here are some examples:

ABORTION
“I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it. I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice.” — Debate, Sen. Edward Kennedy, 1994

“What I would like to see happen would be for the Supreme Court to say, look, we’re going to overturn Roe v. Wade and return to the states the authority to decide whether they want to have abortion or not, state by state. That’s the way it was before Roe v. Wade. So I am firmly pro-life.” — Town Hall Meeting, Hopkinton, NH, 2011

GUN CONTROL
“Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts.” — Assault Weapons Ban Bill, Signing Ceremony, 2004

“I don’t support any gun control legislation, the effort for a new assault weapons ban, with a ban on semi-automatic weapons, is something I would oppose.” — Interview, Conservative Bloggers, 2008

HEALTH CARE REFORM
“I’m proud of what we’ve done. If Massachusetts succeeds in implementing [Romneycare], then that will be a model for the nation.” — Speech, Baltimore, 2007

“At the time I crafted the plan in the last campaign I was asked is [Romneycare] something that you would have the whole nation do, and I said no. This is something that was crafted for Massachusetts. It would be wrong to adopt this as a nation.” — GOP Primary Debate, 2011

VIETNAM WAR
“I was not planning on signing up for the military. It was not my desire to go off and serve in Vietnam.” — Quote, Boston Herald, 1994

“I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be representing our country there and in some ways it was frustrating not to feel like I was there as part of the troops that were fighting in Vietnam.” — Quote, Boston Globe, 2007

Wow. I guess he can reach across the aisle…to tap the opposite version of himself when needed.

Mitt Romney Lectures on Obama’s Foreign Policy. Yeah, That’s Rich

Mitt Romney has some serious balls to criticize Obama’s foreign policy after he showcased how inept and inexperienced he is on the matters. A few examples of his ignorance on the world stage:

• London – You limeys are no where near ready for the Olympics.
• Palestine – You have no interest in peace and won’t move ahead economically because of your backwards culture and religion.
• Libya – Obama sympathizes with terrorists, so vote for me.
• China – I smell a trade war, and I think it’s time to implement the “Romney” doctrine.

Yes, that is exactly what I want in the leader of the free world. Someone who can speak of or visit countries and manage to insult them!

This is what I hate most, and I saw it in the 2008 campaign. Arrogant ignorance. He’s made some serious missteps in foreign relations, yet he feels he’s qualified to lecture Obama on his policies?

Jen Psaki, spokeswoman for the Obama campaign summed it up nicely:

“We’re not going to be lectured by someone who has been an unmitigated disaster on foreign policy every time he’s dipped his toe in the foreign policy waters. The only person who has offended Europe more is probably Chevy Chase.”

I love the reference to the National Lampoon’s European Vacation. The scary thing is that Clark Griswold is a fictional character. Mitt Romney is very much real and vying for the presidency.

Voter ID Law Halted: Suck on that, GOP

A political news story that puts a smile on my face? Every once in a while. The Pennsylvania judge suspending the new voter ID law did just that.

When you look at the law requiring identification to vote, it seems like a good idea. They use the argument, “Hey, you need ID to buy booze, why not to vote?” Makes sense, right?

Not when you really think about it.

One of the most accepted forms of identification is a drivers license. And not everyone has one. Poor people who don’t drive usually don’t. The elderly who stopped driving a long time ago don’t either. And last time I checked, poor people and the elderly still have the right to vote.

The PA law allowed for people to get special ID cards so they could vote in this election. The judged ruled that the law shouldn’t be enforced for the November election. It is just five weeks away – which isn’t enough time for people to get their ID cards.

I hope that GOP Pennsylvania State Representative, Mike Turzai, is crying into his beer tonight. He was shameless when talking about the success of voter suppression. Watch for yourself:

The GOP has made it perfectly clear with their voter suppression laws that they don’t want those who usually vote Democrat to be able to vote.

Daryl Metcalfe, the GOP Pennsylvania State Representative who sponsored the bill before it became law said,

Justice Simpson’s final decision is out of bounds with the rule of law, constitutional checks and balances for the individual branches of state government, and most importantly, the will of the people. Rather than making a ruling based on the constitution and the law, this judicial activist decision is skewed in favor of the lazy who refuse to exercise the necessary work ethic to meet the commonsense requirements to obtain an acceptable photo ID…Justice Simpson and the Corbett administration have chosen to openly enable and fully embrace the ever-increasing entitlement mentality of those individuals who have no problem living off the fruits of their neighbors’ labor.

Dang, don’t hold back now! Tell us how you really feel. I could dissect all that and show how he’s mistaken, but I don’t feel like it tonight.

So, on to happy things. I liked the statement from the Obama campaign:

“Today’s decision means one thing for Pennsylvanians: eligible voters can vote on Election Day, just like they have in previous elections in the state. The right to vote and choose our leaders is at the heart of what it means to be an American. The President and his campaign are committed to making sure that every eligible voter, regardless of party, has the ability to make their voices heard and participate in the electoral process.”

If you are eligible to vote and choose to exercise that right, nothing should stop you. You might be a PBR-guzzling, NASCAR-watching, gun show-attending Conservative. Or you might be a Chai tea-sipping, circle drumming, non meat-eating Liberal. Or anything in between those two stereotypical extremes. Bottom line:

You have the right to be heard.