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Segami

Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
January 8, 2013

The CRIMINAL Mindset Behind the Republican THREATS to SHUTDOWN Government




Republicans = Enemies Of The State

"..You will know them by their fruits..."



It would be safe to say that any foreign entity actively subverting the United States government would be considered an enemy of the state by most Americans, and if it was a domestic entity, labeling them as traitors, or domestic terrorists, would certainly be apropos. During the 2012 campaign, Republicans actively campaigned on an anti-government agenda, and despite voter rejection of domestic miscreant’s intent on eradicating government, Republicans are now pursuing various strategies to subvert the will of the people and eliminate the government’s ability to function. As usual, in lieu of a constitutional provision to bring functioning government to a premeditated and premature end, Republicans are resorting to their typical tactic to convince the American people the government must cease to operate by lying to achieve their goal.



Less than two months ago the American electorate sent a clear message to Republicans that their anti-government, John Birch agenda was unacceptable and it was a defining moment for this nation. After four years of obstruction, a first ever credit default, and perpetual attempts to sabotage the nation’s economy for the second time in 8 years, the people demanded government that worked for the entire population and preserved programs like Social Security and Medicare. What Americans are witnessing right now is the Republican’s 75 year campaign to destroy the New Deal, and since Republicans did not achieve victory at the ballot box, they will take down the government to achieve their goal.



The calls for a government shutdown and credit default by an increasing number of Republicans unless Social Security and Medicare are incrementally abolished is the latest ploy of John Birch ideologues disguised as fiscally conservative Republicans who cannot accept the results of the recent election. The proposition of closing the government is not exclusive to the extremist wing of the Republican Party as evidenced by mainstream conservatives such as Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) who penned an op/ed claiming “The biggest fiscal problem in Washington is spending and the national debt, and if we don’t reduce excessive spending on Medicare and Social Security - then, we will strangle economic growth, destroy jobs and reduce our standard of living. It may be necessary to shut down the government to secure the long-term fiscal well-being of our country.” The lack of veracity in Cornyn’s assertion typifies GOP rhetoric as well as their inability to accept they lost the election, but disregarding election results is gaining favor among Republicans desperate to impose their vision and end two very popular employee-funded programs.



Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) shared Cornyn’s belief that elections to decide the direction the nation takes going forward is the purview of Republicans and not the voters. Graham said, ‘We’re going to have one hell of a contest about the direction and the vision of this country,” and one can rest assured it will be driven by the anti-government and anti-compromise John Birch faction in Republican ranks who would rather see government neutered than follow the voters’ wishes. In fact, Republican Senator Ted Cruz remarked that “I don’t think what Washington needs is more compromise, I think what Washington needs is more principle,” and besides being contrary to the will of the voters, it portends more gridlock and obstruction that has prevented a robust economic recovery. President Obama has offered to compromise with Republicans in a balanced approach to deficit reduction, but he stated categorically he “will not compromise” with Congress to lift the federal debt ceiling that led to a credit downgrade the last time lawmakers threatened inaction. Still, Republicans appear unwilling to compromise and ready to shut down the government over principle despite the damage to the economy and the people.






cont'

http://www.politicususa.com/gop-criminal-mindset-shutdown.html
January 7, 2013

Treasury Secretary Paul Krugman? Do Liberal Dreams Come True?





With reports now surfacing that Tim Geithner is retiring at the end of January, now eyes are fishing about to determine who will replace him. When Obama first took office, he filled his cabinet using a principle of it being a “Team of Rivals.” Now, Obama’s appointments of John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, it is clear Obama is changing gears dramatically for his second term. Knowing the kind of shakeup he is doing, the list for who is potentially to replace Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary shrinks dramatically.



The Guardian newspaper is now suggesting that the candidate to fill Tim Geithner’s shoes might be none other than Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman. This would be in line with Chuck Hagel’s appointment, a well-known opponent of the military-industrial complex who does not want war with Iran, and wants us out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Krugman as Treasury Secretary would be bringing onboard the man who identified the causes of the great recession before it ever happened. He is no friend to Wall Street, and would be the right kind of oversight needed at the Treasury Department. His common sense solutions to financial problems are sorely needed in Washington.



Unlike many in the nation’s capital, Krugman understands the benefits of Social Security, Medicare, and other services. He understands that these are not hand outs, but instead necessary economic tools, the very tools which helped ensure our strength and growth over the years. He understands that attacking these does not bring about fiscal responsibility, and is in fact irresponsible and counter-productive. Furthermore, he accurately predicted the results of the now three sessions of quantitative easing, dismissing critics who claimed they would cause runaway inflation and stagnant growth. He understands the system better than most other men. However, he understands not only the hows, but the whys. Some have called him a Keynesian, and it is a badge he wears with honor.



And in this day and age, it is clear a Keynesian is what we need. For too long we have been enslaved to the neo-laissez-faire from the likes of Milton Friedman and Herbert Stein. They claimed when Reagan took office in 1981 that we would see the largest growth of jobs in the history of the United States. Instead, job growth and wages have effectively stagnated, leaving us with the mess we are in today. We need bold action Mr. President. If you were to nominate Paul Krugman to the cabinet, that would be a clear sign of bold, decisive action which the American people have been craving. There may be others who are more politically safe, or would have an easier time passing through the Senate, but nobody has the economical star power of Paul Krugman. He is the right man for the job at the right time, Mr. President.





cont'

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/07/treasury-secretary-paul-krugman-do-liberal-dreams-come-true/
January 7, 2013

Lindsey Graham LOBS Disingenuous ATTACKS On Chuck Hagel



Hypocritter weasel, Helium sucker Whimsy Graham......an honorable member of the U.S. Senate.




Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday attacked former Republican senator Chuck Hagel, reportedly President Obama’s choice as the next Defense Secretary, calling him a “controversial pick” and suggesting that Hagel is out of the mainstream. Graham’s evidence? He didn’t offer much in the way of specifics, of course. Rather, the South Carolina Republican claimed Hagel is “very antagonistic toward the state of Israel” (again, not saying how) and complained that Hagel said “you should directly negotiate with Iran” (we’re not sure why this is a bad thing. President Obama believes this as well) and that sanctions on Iran “won’t work.” Graham also cited the fact that Hagel has promoted talks with Hamas, the terrorist group that runs Gaza.


But is Hagel “antagonistic” toward Israel? Hardly. The Nebraska Republican has a history of strong support for Israel, as this blog recently noted. “At it’s core,” Hagel wrote in his book, America, Our Next Chapter, “there will always be a special and historic bond with Israel exemplified by our continued commitment to Israel’s defense.”


But Graham is right. Hagel has supported negotiations with Iran. But so does President Obama and so do a majority of Americans. Hagel has indeed suggested that some sanctions on Iran are counterproductive but he has also supported sanctions on the Islamic Republic during his tenure in the Senate and in March, 2012, he said the U.S. should “keep ratcheting up the sanctions” and try to maintain the international coalition Obama has built against Iran. “Hagel’s positions [on Iran] may put him on the fringes of the Senate,” the Daily Beast’s Ali Gharib wrote last month, “but he’s firmly in the mainstream of expert opinion, from Israel to the Pentagon.”


And why does Graham attack Hagel for promoting talks with Hamas when Israel has negotiated with the terror group and high-level Israeli officials have said Israel should hold future talks? “People ask, why not talk with Hamas? There is nothing wrong, if you get a reply,” Israeli President Shimon Peres said last month. “We are willing to talk to Hamas, but they aren’t.” Moreover, former Israeli intelligence chief Efraim Halevy has for years advocated negotiating with Hamas.




http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/01/06/1403301/lindsey-graham-lobs-disingenuous-attacks-on-chuck-hagel/
January 7, 2013

NBC CHIEF: We Might WHACK Trump If He Goes Too Far



Hey Bob, WTF is your definition of The Donald going 'TOO FAR'?





Donald Trump has called for revolution and advocated ridiculous birther nonsense. But none of that seems too outrageous to NBC chief Bob Greenblatt.


At the Television Critics Association conference on Sunday, Greenblatt was asked if NBC asked the host of “The Apprentice” to dial back his clownish politics. The answer appeared to be no.


“We live in this country where you can say anything you want as long as you are not harming other people,” Greenblatt said. “He has his political belief system but I really don’t think what he’s doing in his personal life is going to corrupt what he’s doing on the show.”

http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/nbcs-bob-greenblatt-says-network-may-act-on-apprentice-star-donald-trump-if-he-says-or-does-things-that-cross-the-line/



That said, Greenblatt added that “if he becomes somehow hurtful and says or does things that cross a line, we would figure out what to do with that.” Greenblatt then suggested America actually owes him thanks: “We talked him out of running for president,” he said. “Wasn’t that good enough?”


No response from Trump yet on his Twitter feed.




http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/nbc_chief_we_might_whack_trump_if_he_goes_too_far/

January 6, 2013

REPUBLICAN GRIFTERS Rob Oregonians Blind With Charter School SCAM


Tim King in 2002



I wrote back in November how Republicans Turn Charter School Officials Into the New Robber Barons. We’ve just seen a new example of this out of Oregon, where the Oregonian is reporting Oregon charter school founders accused in $20 million racketeering lawsuit. As I wrote on that earlier occasion, Privatization is the new Gold Rush. There is money to be made in them there hills. And charter schools are the Republican hammer to be used to prise it out of our hands. And what money!


According to the Oregonian, “Tim King and Norm Donohoe, who ran a chain of taxpayer-funded charter schools across small-town Oregon from their headquarters in Clackamas, scammed the state out of $17 million and must repay that plus $2.7 million more, the state said in a court filing this week.” It turns out that while unrepentant greed and avarice are Republican virtues in 2012, they are still illegal:



The legal claim, brought Thursday by the Oregon Department of Justice in Marion County Circuit Court, accuses the pair of racketeering, money laundering and other fraud from 2007 to 2010.

http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/01/oregon_charter_school_founders.html



King and Donohoe “were the director and president, respectively,” the Oregonian relates, of EdChoices, an inappropriately named nonprofit, because apparently the choices were not so much about education as graft. Like crooked paymasters throughout time, or Indian agents in the Old West, they even lied about how many kids they had in their schools (the state paid them $6,000 for each student each year). The state’s money – and therefore the taxpayers’ – was apparently, in their own minds at least, theirs to do with what they pleased. And it pleased them very much to make themselves rich as Croesus. The lack of oversight – you know, that evil regulation – allowed the charter schools to say “trust me” when it came to such things as enrollment.



No, Virginia, markets – and Republican officials – do not regulate themselves, unless by regulation you mean stuff their pockets with gold that does not belong to them. Anyone thinking the Republicans are in this for anyone but themselves needs to consider the facts in this case and in others. The Oregonian tells us that “state regulators in the education and justice departments to begin asking questions in spring 2010. He quickly stepped down. Donohoe said Friday that he doesn’t know how to reach him.” Please don’t tell me you’re surprised, Oregon. The result is wealth for Republicans and, as Big Bang Theory describes it, the students and parents were:

“attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis,” in other words, screwed:






Some of the schools abruptly closed during the school year, leaving students and teachers in a lurch. Others have since stopped operating. Still others operate under new auspices.








cont'

http://www.politicususa.com/republican-grifters-rob-oregonians-blind-charter-school-scam.html
January 4, 2013

Former NRA President: Banning Assault Weapons Is Like Banning People of Color






The National Rifle Association has repeatedly thumbed its nose at calls for stronger gun safety measures after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Current NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre shocked many by attacking these efforts and calling instead for armed guards in every school. Still, on Wednesday, past NRA President Marion Hammer took the lobbying organization’s pro-gun radicalism to new heights.


On NRA’s news show, Hammer warned that gun owners are “in for a massive fight like we’ve probably never seen before,” in which the government will take guns away “in order to control the masses.”


When asked about proposals to ban certain kinds of assault weapons, Hammer also charged that guns are suffering discrimination similar to racism against people of color:



HOST: And they even admit it’s about banning the ugliest guns. They admit it.


HAMMER: Banning people and things because of the way they look because of the way they look, but here they are again. The color of a gun, the way it looks. It’s just bad politics.











http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/01/04/1400621/former-nra-president-banning-assault-weapons-is-like-banning-people-of-color/
January 4, 2013

Paul Ryan JOINS 66 House Republicans In Trying to RIPOFF Hurricane Sandy VICTIMS


Paul Ryan and 66 other House Republicans tried to rip off victims of Hurricane Sandy who filed flood insurance claims by voting to deny them their money.





Conservatives were trying to make the vote to increase the National Flood Insurance Program’s borrowing authority by $9.7 billion about the debt, but in reality they actually were voting to pay the approved claims of Sandy victims who had purchased flood insurance. According to the AP, “The bill gives more borrowing authority to the National Flood Insurance Program to pay about 115,000 pending Sandy-related claims as well as about 5,000 claims unrelated to Sandy.”



The victims who filed these claims paid their premiums as participants in the National Flood Insurance Program. These individuals and businesses weren’t looking for free government money. They only expected to made whole by their insurer who had approved their damage claims. This vote had nothing to do with disaster relief. The vote was about carrying out a legal obligation to those who paid their premiums and had their claims approved. In short, Paul Ryan and 66 other House Republicans tried to ripoff Hurricane Sandy victims by voting to not pay their approved flood insurance claims.



Extremist House Republicans like Ryan argue that the government should not borrow the money, but instead offset the $9.7 billion with spending cuts. Republicans like Ryan never offer to take the disaster relief money out of the defense budget. Instead, they target everything from Head Start to Medicare to veterans’ benefits. In fact, the Ryan budget calls for every cent in disaster relief to be offset by cuts in discretionary spending. Beneath the push for spending offsets is an ideological belief that disaster relief should be privatized. This is a belief that is held by Ryan’s running mate Mitt Romney and many other far right Republicans.



These Republicans should not be allowed to hide, so here are all of the House Republicans who told Sandy victims NO:



Amash
Barr
Benishek
Bentivolio
Blackburn
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Broun (GA)
Chabot
Collins (GA)
Conaway
Cotton
Daines
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Fincher
Fleming
Flores
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Harris
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Hultgren
Jenkins
Jordan
Lamborn
Marchant
Massie
McClintock
Meadows
Mullin
Mulvaney
Neugebauer
Palazzo
Pearce
Perry
Petri
Pompeo
Price (GA)
Roe (TN)
Rokita
Rothfus
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Schweikert
Sensenbrenner
Stutzman
Thornberry
Weber (TX)
Wenstrup
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho






http://www.politicususa.com/paul-ryan-joins-66-house-republicans-ripoff-hurricane-sandy-victims.html
January 3, 2013

GOP Activist Spokesperson: John Boehner Will Resign Speakership Tonight



5PM has come and gone and Boner is still Speaker......buts the knives are definitely out for Boehner.




GOP Activist Group Spokesperson Cites 'Senior Sources' That John Boehner Will Resign Speakership Tonight


Ron Meyer Jr., spokesperson for the activist group American Majority Action, Appeared on MSNBC with Martin Bashir where he said that he is hearing rumors form reliable sources that House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) will resign the speakership tonight.


"We need a new Speaker," Meyer said. "There are serious rumors that at the conference tonight, at 5 o'clock, John Boehner will announce to the conference that he is resigning as Speaker of the House."


Bashir said he found that hard to believe, to which Meyer replied that he also found it unlikely. Bashir pressed and asked if there was any evidence to back this up or a candidate who is seeking to replace Boehner as speaker. Meyer replied that he thought Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) was spearheading this "coup," but had no evidence to back that up.
January 3, 2013

Conservatives Want to FIRE John Boehner and Replace Him With SARAH PALIN




A number of conservatives are so outraged with John Boehner over the fiscal cliff deal are seriously pushing to fire the Speaker and replace him with Sarah Palin.

Here are some of the tweets as rounded up by Politifreak:



Sarah Palin for House Speaker! (Technically, one need not be a member of Congress to serve as speaker.)—
Don Fredrick (@Colony14) January 02, 2013



Indeed. According to Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, the House Speaker does not necessarily need to be a member of the House.



Hey, let’s elect a new Speaker from outside the House | If not Allen West, ask Sarah Palin or Newt hotair.com/archives/2012/… via @hotairblog—
Bill Balderama (@WJGBalderama) December 27, 2012


@ProSarah @C4Palin Palin for Speaker. Wouldn't that piss of the Dems? LOL—
Thomas Nickelsen (@tnickelsen) December 27, 2012


Here is a suggestion for Speaker…. Sarah Palin….. would love to see the look on O's face….he hates her!—
★Jeannie (@jeanniemcbride) December 29, 2012


Is there a grassroots #PalinForSpeaker effort brewing? #gop #tcot #teaparty #conservative—
Resist Tyranny (@ResistTyranny) January 02, 2013


@newtgingrich or @SarahPalinUSA or Allen West need to be nominated for Speaker of the House.—
Jared Mucha (@Muchajared) January 02, 2013


@SarahPalinUSA for speaker“@lheal: If we are going to give the Socialists what they want anyway,who is Speaker doesn't matter. #FireBoehner”—
Howard Schargel (@schargel) January 02, 2013


Yes, because Boehner fights like a girl, and not in a good way @SmallgGay MT @sohali2012: Speaker of the House Sarah Palin? Hey, Why Not!—
(@JLThorpe) January 02, 2013


Cantor is a RINO. Palin as Speaker would cut thru the doublespeak, message well & garner enough attention. Plus, a great negotiator.—
Sharon Schwarz (@WooHooYoo) January 02, 2013


http://www.politifreak.com/unhappy-conservatives-want-palin-as-house-gop-speaker/






I can help them out with that one. Here is what Obama’s face would probably look like if Palin became speaker:





Conservatives think that the problem with the House is John Boehner, who also happens to be the last shred of common sense remaining in the House GOP leadership. Conservatives answer to the problem of a House majority that has been rendered irrelevant through their extremism is to get rid of the sane guy, and replace him with Sarah Palin.


The idea of Palin as Speaker of the House is hysterical considering that she seems to have no idea how the House even works, and she appears to no longer even bother with watching the news. (Come to think of it, Palin might be the perfect Speaker for these House Republicans.)


Sarah Palin as House Speaker would delight Democrats, because it would virtually guarantee a Democratic retaking of the House in 2014. There is no way that Republicans could hang on to their majority in with one of the least popular D-list celebrities in America as the face of the House. Conservatives don’t seem to get the fact that they might have gotten a deal that included some spending cuts if they hadn’t kneecapped John Boehner’s Plan B vote. House Republicans took away the tiny bit of negotiating position that they had, and then blamed Boehner for passing a deal that gave Obama virtually everything that he wanted.




cont'

http://www.politicususa.com/conservatives-fire-john-boehner-replace-sarah-palin.html


January 2, 2013

"There's Only One Group To Blame... The House Majority and their Speaker John Boehner."

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie hauls House Republicans and House Speaker John Boehner onto the carpet for their heartless refusal to provide emergency relief aid to Hurricane Sandy victims:





Some highlights:


- "There's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: The House Majority and their Speaker, John Boehner."

- "We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Or at least we did, until last night. Last night, politics was placed above oaths to our citizens. To me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch."

- "Last night, the House of Representatives failed that most basic test of public service and they did so with callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state."

- "This should be a no-brainer for House Republicans."

- "This was good enough for 62 Senators ... this was good enough for a majority of the House of Representatives ... it just could not overcome the toxic internal politics of the House Majority

- "New York deserves better than the selfishness we saw on display last night. New Jersey deserves better than the duplicity we saw on display last night. America deserves better than just another example of a government that has forgotten who they are there to serve and why. 66 days and counting. Shame on you — shame on Congress."




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