Friday, January 16, 2004
The Democratic primaries so dominate both the news and the ‘conversation’ that ‘issues’ are getting short shrift. I’ll play along and get it over with.
Democrats: It Ain’t Over till It’s …
Dean, Dean, Dean… Well, he’s now basically tied in Iowa and peaked in N.H.. Clark is gaining and pulling in the dough; Edwards is getting stronger, even Kerry, despite his organizational problems, has picked up in Iowa. So, perhaps Dean has peaked, and thus Clark and, in descending order, Edwards and Kerry are still competitive.
Which brings us back to Gore: His latest MoveOn-sponsored speech was another blunt, impassioned attack on the Bushies. So, if no candidate triumphs in the primary season…
While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors he is a moral coward – so weak that he seldom if ever says “No” to them on anything – no matter what the public interest might mandate. http://www.moveon.org/gore3/webcast.html
Media Coverage: Yes, Dean’s been shafted--
A study finds that perceptions check-out, that Dean has been more criticized than his opponents. From the AP story in the San Francisco Chronicle:
Howard Dean received significantly more criticism on network newscasts than the other Democratic presidential contenders, who were the subjects of more favorable coverage, according to a study released Thursday.
More than three-quarters of the coverage of Dean's foes by the nightly news programs was favorable, while a majority of attention to Dean was negative, the Center for Media and Public Affairs found. sfgate.com/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/15/politics2012EST0795.DTL
The Bush Legacy:
So many awful policies have resulted in numerous lists of the policies or the lies told to further them. The latest comes from tompaine.com which has anticipated the State of the Union speech with its own scorecard which you can get at http://i.tompaine.com/scorecard/scorecard.cfm
I’ve provided an almost-digestible condensed version:
Health Care: An estimated 44 million Americans, 15 percent of population, including 8.5 million children, don't have health insurance, costs escalating, increasing numbers of workers and retirees being cut off by employers.
Jobs and Economic Recovery: No attempt to aid economy other than to temporarily infuse some money pre-election. Over two million fewer jobs than when Bush took office. Recovery with “promised” 300,000 new jobs a month have instead been averaging well under 100,000 per month- e.g. in December 2003, only 1,000 new jobs created. New jobs pay less than those lost, with fewer benefits. Wide variety of jobs heading overseas.
Funding Education: So-called education reform ‘No Child Left Behind’ mandates testing, is underfunded by $7 billion.
Environment: Industry triumphs: Landmark environmental laws weakened. Allowable levels of mercury from power plants tripled. Superfund clean-up costs shifted from polluters to public. Clean Air Act rules for dirtiest power plants relaxed …
State & Federal Spending: States face largest budget crises in decades. Federal deficit has hit a new high. $87 billion spent on Irag as U.S. non-defense domestic spending plummets. Attempting to be optimistic and visionary (and to change the subject), White House pushes for new space program, costing estimated hundreds of billions ...
War on Terror: Went to Iraq, instead; Didn’t find WMD (Surprise!). No link between Iraq and Al Qaeda found. (Shocking!) Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden still at large, Taliban re-invigorated, homeland security a joke.
Iraq: Deception followed by Incompetence, resulting in hundreds of unnecessary deaths to Americans, thousands wounded, tens of thousands of Iraqis killed. Now, rebuilding Iraq marred by terrorism, corporate profiteering and failure to restore basic services.
Theft / Corporate Corruption/ Tax Policy- The theft by the super-rich escalates, part by tax cuts that will especially cripple the country when they’re fully fazed in and the Boomers start retiring. A full piece on the ongoing theft at http://www.fairnessintaxes.org/pages/howthemegarich.html
There’s more, of course, but I’ll be humane…
Bush and ML King:
Lots of upset with his visit to Atlanta to place a wreath on King’s grave on what would have been King’s 75th birthday. Minimal television coverage, for some reason, but ample coverage elsewhere of the hundreds of protesters, e.g. the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Jeffry Scott, Bill Montgomery, Ernie Suggs, Charles Yoo) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0104/15kingvisit.html#
Health Care:
The National Academy of Sciences has recommended that the U.S. guarantee health insurance for every citizen by 2010. Good to have their voice, as there’s more concern for future retirees who expected coverage. The LA Times (Debora Vrana, Vicki Kemper) reports that 10% of large companies surveyed had eliminated subsidized health benefits for future retirees and another 20% said they would do so in the next 3 years. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-retire15jan15,1,1434862.story?coll=la-home-headlines
What’s Happening, Iraq: Workers Unhappy
Now there’s an understatement. Apparently, massive unemployment, so it’s hardly surprising that there are demonstrations. From the LA Times: (David Enders)
If employers follow that path, more Americans who retire could join the growing ranks of the underinsured Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs estimates that 3 million of those out of work are living below the poverty line. There are plans to create a six-month unemployment benefit, but no start date has been set, said Eman
Still, people hold out hope. "Many people have hope the situation will improve," said Qasim Hadi, secretary general of the Union of the Unemployed, which claims to represent 300,000 people. "But I think this will dissipate. The temporarily unemployed will turn into the permanently unemployed. Then it is impossible to predict what people in the streets will do." http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FA16Ak05.html
Kurdish Deal?
Rumors persists that not only did the Kurds find Saddam, but that in exchange for allowing U.S. soldiers to stage a dramatic capture of Saddam on video, the Kurds would be given considerations in the formation of a new Iraq. Details at http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=20040114192327166
-R
Democrats: It Ain’t Over till It’s …
Dean, Dean, Dean… Well, he’s now basically tied in Iowa and peaked in N.H.. Clark is gaining and pulling in the dough; Edwards is getting stronger, even Kerry, despite his organizational problems, has picked up in Iowa. So, perhaps Dean has peaked, and thus Clark and, in descending order, Edwards and Kerry are still competitive.
Which brings us back to Gore: His latest MoveOn-sponsored speech was another blunt, impassioned attack on the Bushies. So, if no candidate triumphs in the primary season…
While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors he is a moral coward – so weak that he seldom if ever says “No” to them on anything – no matter what the public interest might mandate. http://www.moveon.org/gore3/webcast.html
Media Coverage: Yes, Dean’s been shafted--
A study finds that perceptions check-out, that Dean has been more criticized than his opponents. From the AP story in the San Francisco Chronicle:
Howard Dean received significantly more criticism on network newscasts than the other Democratic presidential contenders, who were the subjects of more favorable coverage, according to a study released Thursday.
More than three-quarters of the coverage of Dean's foes by the nightly news programs was favorable, while a majority of attention to Dean was negative, the Center for Media and Public Affairs found. sfgate.com/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/15/politics2012EST0795.DTL
The Bush Legacy:
So many awful policies have resulted in numerous lists of the policies or the lies told to further them. The latest comes from tompaine.com which has anticipated the State of the Union speech with its own scorecard which you can get at http://i.tompaine.com/scorecard/scorecard.cfm
I’ve provided an almost-digestible condensed version:
Health Care: An estimated 44 million Americans, 15 percent of population, including 8.5 million children, don't have health insurance, costs escalating, increasing numbers of workers and retirees being cut off by employers.
Jobs and Economic Recovery: No attempt to aid economy other than to temporarily infuse some money pre-election. Over two million fewer jobs than when Bush took office. Recovery with “promised” 300,000 new jobs a month have instead been averaging well under 100,000 per month- e.g. in December 2003, only 1,000 new jobs created. New jobs pay less than those lost, with fewer benefits. Wide variety of jobs heading overseas.
Funding Education: So-called education reform ‘No Child Left Behind’ mandates testing, is underfunded by $7 billion.
Environment: Industry triumphs: Landmark environmental laws weakened. Allowable levels of mercury from power plants tripled. Superfund clean-up costs shifted from polluters to public. Clean Air Act rules for dirtiest power plants relaxed …
State & Federal Spending: States face largest budget crises in decades. Federal deficit has hit a new high. $87 billion spent on Irag as U.S. non-defense domestic spending plummets. Attempting to be optimistic and visionary (and to change the subject), White House pushes for new space program, costing estimated hundreds of billions ...
War on Terror: Went to Iraq, instead; Didn’t find WMD (Surprise!). No link between Iraq and Al Qaeda found. (Shocking!) Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden still at large, Taliban re-invigorated, homeland security a joke.
Iraq: Deception followed by Incompetence, resulting in hundreds of unnecessary deaths to Americans, thousands wounded, tens of thousands of Iraqis killed. Now, rebuilding Iraq marred by terrorism, corporate profiteering and failure to restore basic services.
Theft / Corporate Corruption/ Tax Policy- The theft by the super-rich escalates, part by tax cuts that will especially cripple the country when they’re fully fazed in and the Boomers start retiring. A full piece on the ongoing theft at http://www.fairnessintaxes.org/pages/howthemegarich.html
There’s more, of course, but I’ll be humane…
Bush and ML King:
Lots of upset with his visit to Atlanta to place a wreath on King’s grave on what would have been King’s 75th birthday. Minimal television coverage, for some reason, but ample coverage elsewhere of the hundreds of protesters, e.g. the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Jeffry Scott, Bill Montgomery, Ernie Suggs, Charles Yoo) http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0104/15kingvisit.html#
Health Care:
The National Academy of Sciences has recommended that the U.S. guarantee health insurance for every citizen by 2010. Good to have their voice, as there’s more concern for future retirees who expected coverage. The LA Times (Debora Vrana, Vicki Kemper) reports that 10% of large companies surveyed had eliminated subsidized health benefits for future retirees and another 20% said they would do so in the next 3 years. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-retire15jan15,1,1434862.story?coll=la-home-headlines
What’s Happening, Iraq: Workers Unhappy
Now there’s an understatement. Apparently, massive unemployment, so it’s hardly surprising that there are demonstrations. From the LA Times: (David Enders)
If employers follow that path, more Americans who retire could join the growing ranks of the underinsured Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs estimates that 3 million of those out of work are living below the poverty line. There are plans to create a six-month unemployment benefit, but no start date has been set, said Eman
Still, people hold out hope. "Many people have hope the situation will improve," said Qasim Hadi, secretary general of the Union of the Unemployed, which claims to represent 300,000 people. "But I think this will dissipate. The temporarily unemployed will turn into the permanently unemployed. Then it is impossible to predict what people in the streets will do." http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FA16Ak05.html
Kurdish Deal?
Rumors persists that not only did the Kurds find Saddam, but that in exchange for allowing U.S. soldiers to stage a dramatic capture of Saddam on video, the Kurds would be given considerations in the formation of a new Iraq. Details at http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=20040114192327166
-R
