The good, the bad, and the ugly

A week after the Paris attacks:

The Good--President Obama.  While he's had a few missteps over the last nearly seven years, he hasn't had any this week.  First, for not knuckling under pressure to send ground troops into Syria, and reminding America that republicans are the only ones who think sending our soldiers into that quagmire is a good idea, and second, for bitch slapping republicans over their decidedly un-American calls to allow only Syrian Christians into America.  What wouldn't Jesus do, right?

The Bad--Virtually all republican Governors (unconstitutionally) rejecting the Syrian refugees.  Led by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who this week told two relief agencies to send back two families that had already been approved to relocate in Indianapolis (and then got shown the real meaning of Christian charity by Democratic Gov. Malloy of Connecticut who welcomed one of the families to his state), republicans embarrassed themselves with their bigotry, intolerance, and ignorance.  Some surprise there...

The Ugly--The complete and utter lack of courage demonstrated by the republican party in the face of the terrorist attack in Paris.  Republicans are absolutely wetting their pants over allowing a few thousand refugees into America, and yet France, who lost 150 of its people in a terrorist attack just a week ago, is agreeing to take in more than 30,000 Syrian refugees.  What we Democrats have known for quite some time is coming to fore:  the party that's "tough on defense" really isn't so tough after all.  Fucking wimps, the lot of them.

Peace,
emaycee

What did you do this weekend?

Joe Biden, filling in for the traveling President Obama, used the President's weekly address to America to tout why we should raise the minimum wage.  Dannell Malloy, the Democratic Governor of Connecticut, on Thursday night signed a bill passed by the Democratic controlled legislature to become the first state to increase the minimum wage to $10.10.  Congressional Democrats are working on bringing votes on legislation aimed at increasing the minimum wage, reducing the pay gap between men and women, lowering the interest on college loans, and closing tax loopholes for corporations that do business overseas.  No, they won't pass, but at least we're trying.

Republicans, meanwhile, are spending this weekend kissing the ass of billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is trying to figure out which one of them, by running for President in 2016, can help him add to his estimated $40 billion dollar net worth, and just for shits and grins, fuck over America's working class to boot.

I know the Democratic Party is a long way from perfect, but anybody who claims there's no difference between our country's two parties is either a scared shitless republican or not paying any attention whatsoever.

Peace,
emaycee

Changing the rules

"When the rules of the game prove unsuitable for victory, the gentlemen of England change the rules." --Harold J. Laski

The recently passed Farm Bill allows states to continue offering higher food stamp benefits if they increase the amount of heating assistance they give to low income families.  Connecticut and New York (at a cost of $1.4 million and $6 million respectively) are doing just that.  Therefore while we still struggle through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, needy folks in Connecticut and New York will not have to get by on $90 less for food each month.

This is exactly the kind of thinking the Democratic Party needs to embrace wholeheartedly--where there's a will there's a way to look after those most in need and not let them suffer because of republican callousness and obstructionism.  Then maybe instead of getting our votes only because they're better than the alternative, they will actually have earned them.

Peace,
emaycee