December 1, 2014

Look people: What do we *really* know about Elizabeth Warren?

Sure, she wrote a best-selling book a decade ago about how working families are getting @#$%ed, fought like hell against Biden's stop-Americans-from-declaring-bankruptcy-so-the-bankers-can-get-more-money bill (and enlisted Ted Kennedy's fervent help in doing so), fought like hell to start the Consumer Financial Protection Board, tore Timmy Geithner a few new bodily openings for hosing down bankers with money while mooning the 99%, told federal regulators that bankers oughta go to trial and to jail and their banks be broken up, stopped Larry Summers from having another crack at finishing us off as Fed Chairman, and a few other things of little consequence.

With that sparse of a record, how can we believe, at all, that Warren will do the right thing as President? After all, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton did at least as much for the 99% before they became president (just trust me, no need to look that up), and they ended up being disappointments.

Certainly, Hillary and other potential presidential candidates have records that are longer and stronger than Warren's with regard to fighting for the 99%: and I look forward to good DUers posting those records below, so DUers can see why Warren is just another unknown who will likely disappoint.

Regards,

This-will-be-a-long-and-amusing-election-cycle Manny

P.S. This post is sarcasm, although I do invite people to post the stronger track records of other potential presidential candidates - if such track records exists.

November 30, 2014

How to help a homeless person in NYC?

I'm visiting my dad in Greenwich Village, there's a homeless woman on University between 8th and 9th who I recall being there for several months. Obviously fairly mentally ill, looks likes she's in rough shape now.

It ain't right. She needs help.

In my Boston I'd have an idea of how to navigate this, but what to do in NYC? Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.

November 30, 2014

Mass residents: How do you feel about our cops?

I expect my local cops (Newton) to do the right thing whenever I deal with them, and only remember being mildly disappointed once. I've also had good (but fewer) experiences with Waltham, Watertown, and Tewksbury. Staties have been mild jerks, but nothing too egregious other than one bogus ticket.

I'm curious as to the experiences of others?

November 28, 2014

Does America need an AARP-like organization for the middle class?

A buddy of mine is thinking about starting the equivalent of the AARP, but representing all of the middle class, not just older Americans. Something that pulls people together to defend their economic interests (and, like the AARP, gets them discounts and whatnot). Unlike the AARP, it wouldn't make lots of money through offering insurance and drugs).

I haven't thought it through too much, but think it's an interesting idea.

My question to the good people of DU: Does this sound interesting? What could it do to get you to say "Yeah! I'd definitely sign up for that!!!"

Thanks in advance!

November 27, 2014

Here's what will happen because of Ferguson:

Some protesters will be put in jail.

Some #%^*heads who yammer about black people needing to obey the law will be re-elected by other #%^*heads. Many black people will not be able to vote because of GOP voter supression; but, don't worry, there will be an investigation and stuff and a Friday afternoon press release enumerating a few ways to improve things in a bipartisan fashion.

Officer Wilson will become a little bit wealthy. His fellow officers will smirk a bit more than before when they #%^* with the black locals.

The swells in MO government will smirk over cocktails, and shake their heads in disbelief over the inability of "those people" to know their rightful place.

The swells in DC will consider what Fox News would say, then do nothing. Followed by being showered by inconceivable wealth from their new jobs on Wall Street.

And Michael Brown will molder in his grave, a candle snuffed so early by criminal stupidity or worse.

I am so angry tonight... 'nuff said. (And no doubt I'll be called a racist for posting this, for some bizarre reason or another. Better Believe It!, eh Swarm?)

We gotta get our #%^* together and do something. This all is very, very, very wrong, and cannot end well unless we get tough, and fast.

November 25, 2014

There is zero that the DOJ can do to right the injustice in Ferguson

Look, people, these things happen. We have federal civil rights laws on the books, but they can't really be used.

The protesters need to understand this, as do those on the Left. And they must understand that taking advantage of the situation to steal stuff will be met with justifiable force by brave police officers who risk their lives every day. Can you imagine, just hassling someone for walking in the street could lead to taunting! That just ain't right.

Regards,

TWM

Note: this post is sarcasm. More accurately, it's parody - it's what I expect the Third Way's actual response will be to the situation, i.e., to do nothing, then bemaon their inability to do anything. They've already waned the protesters and praised the police.

November 25, 2014

John F. Kennedy's finest moment

November 25, 2014

It is time for Eric Holder to do his job.

I am told that while Eric Holder may have not been interested in prosecuting bankers, his legacy will be in his fierce fight for civil rights.

Ok.

A young black man in Ferguson was deprived of his civil rights by the taking of his life, if not directly because he was black, then pretty clearly stemming from his being black. Americans need to know that this is not tolerated in America, that we are a nation of laws.

We need to know that injustice brings justice.

Do your job, Mr. Holder. The world is watching.

November 24, 2014

Why did Hagel get the boot?

November 24, 2014

Impossible. They just *can't* do it.

A couple of years back, then-senatorial-candidate Elizabeth Warren gave a great (and seemingly-impromptu) soliloquy on how nobody in America gets rich on their own - they get rich with the help of the American people, and they owe it to the American people to put some of their wealth back into helping the next generation of Americans.

"'Well, this is class warfare, this is whatever.' No. There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own — nobody. You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police-forces and fire-forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory — and hire someone to protect against this — because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea. God bless — keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is, you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along."

Now that demanding that the 99% eat our peas and other such crap is no longer considered fashionable among national Democrats, some of the Third Way crowd has been trying to duplicate Warren's schtick -- they stumble through some words that are sort of similar, but the effect is like an actor reciting lines they've not yet memorized, in a foreign language they don't understand. It's like a vampire convincing us they love sunlight.

The latest Third-Way attempt to imitate an FDR Democrat was undertaken by one Hillary Clinton, the video is below. For reference, I've included Elizabeth Warren's original below Clinton's re-enactment. (Extra-credit question: which one would you put your money on in a debate?)

(Copyright note: I gave myself permission to copy this, in its entirety, from my new blog which has almost nothing on it yet and will probably get abandoned in a few weeks, but I'll give it a go.)