Always Positive, Sometimes Right

President Obama’s position on health care delivery systems and the need for comprehensive reform is totally consistent with the ideals and traditions of the nation. The Republican continuing assertion that an apparent populist aversion to the reforms should prevent their adoption reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the underpinnings of America.

I will assume, without much confidence in the assumption, that many of those opposed to the health-care legislation are sincere folks, albeit the victims of cynical manipulation of GOP operatives, honestly are concerned about sky-rocketing deficits (more. . .)

Almost every weekday evening I can be found in my red VW Beetle driving the 30 to 40 minutes from my Jackson Hewitt Tax Service kiosk at a nearby Walmart where I am, for 105 days, office manager of the location. The ride is not that exciting and I invariably put the radio on and listen to either Country and Western tunes or one of three stations in Tampa that dispense political talk. In central Florida that means Michael Savage, Hugh Hewitt, or some other (more. . .)

Let me tell you about a Republican whose positions are diametrically opposed to those in which I believe. For example, my subject

has been a military prosecutor and has little sympathy for persons accused of a crime and, indeed, often considers accusation and conviction as a unit;

is a proponent of the death penalty and limits on appeals by convicted criminals;

has voted for and advocated wiretaps without prior judicial authorization and warrant;
is an advocate and supporter of prayer in schools;

opposes same sex marriage and supports (more. . .)

Thank Goodness
Those blasted activist judges.

How dare they consider “most elementary notions of justice and morality?”

Steve Pearlstein, writing in the Washington Post, expressed the dismay over U.S. Distinct Judge Jed Rakoff’s cavalier approach to the law:

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it up to here with activist judges who think they can overturn decades of legal precedent and ignore well-established norms of legal behavior in the pursuit of vague ideals like “justice” and “morality”.

Whom do they think they are?

Before discussing the ruling by Judge (more. . .)

In return for the hoped for Republican bi-partisan joining health care reform efforts, Senate Democrats accepted Republican negotiators’ instance that the “public option” and other provisions be dropped. And then the negotiators admitted that none of them would vote for that which had been agreed. Democrats in the Senate, so far, have surrendered in hopes for compromise, all to no avail.

Last November, the American people elected a new president who had run on a platform promising innovation, far-reaching health care reform and, above all, creative (more. . .)