treehugger: January 2005

Hillary Clinton's laying the groundwork for 2008

Hillary Clinton gave an excellent speech on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade that effectively reframes the abortion debate. It basically paints her, and other democrats like her, as the moral realists and Bush and co. as moral ideologues out of touch with reality. It's quite ingenious actually, and is clearly the groundwork she's laying for her upcoming fight for reelection in 2006 and possibly 2008. It's well worth reading the full analysis of the speech over on Slate, Safe, Legal, and Never - Hillary Clinton's anti-abortion strategy. By William Saletan

Hillary Obama 2008!

Another Media Member paid off

And the truth keeps leaking out. Another columnist paid off by the administration to support Bush's Marriage plan. Mike McManus, a columnist syndicated in 30 to 40 newspapers, was paid to train marriage mentors and sub-contracted by the Lewin Group to support the marriage programs. Perhaps even more disturbing, McManus has a non-profit group "marriage savers" that was paid $49,000 from a group that received a grant from HHS (health and Human Services) to promote marriage to unwed couples having children.

Since the consulting deals began in January 2003, McManus has touted Bush's marriage initiative in several of his columns. At least three of them quoted Horn, a former member of the Marriage Savers board of directors. Horn's office manages the grant and contract under which McManus' group is paid.

McManus, who has been quoted as a marriage expert in publications that include USA TODAY, defended his dual role as a journalist and a government consultant. "I don't see that it's relevant," he said. "I was hired because we have an expertise in working with churches."

Never Again

An expression inscribed on many monuments as a reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust, "Never Again" are the words being uttered repeatedly from the mouths of World leaders gathered at Auschwitz today to commemorate it's liberation 60 years ago. Auschwitz sits as a grim reminder of the cruelty humankind is capable of, but have we already forgotten?

The term genocide may have been brought to our collective consciousness after the Holocaust, but the act has been around for centuries and is alive and well in the world today. How can we stand up and say never again as millions are attacked, forced to flee their homes and slaughtered in the Darfur region of Sudan? Just yesterday, an entire village was destroyed leaving 7,000 people homeless and countless dead. As the World sits by. The UN still hasn't decided if it's officially "genocide," but not to worry, they're releasing a report next week--just what the people need, a report. The US has officially classified it as genocide, and is lobbying for sanctions. Sanctions are a long way from "never again."

"What experience and history teach is this - that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it."-- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

"If we do not learn from history, we shall be compelled to relive it. True. But if we do not change the future, we shall be compelled to endure it. And that could be worse."-- Alvin Toffler

Liberal Media Filter? Where do I get one

The RNC is now raising money to help get Bush's agenda through the "liberal media filter" to the public. "Liberal Media Filter" must be a euphemism for Journalistic integrity or actual investigative reporting, what (occasionally) happens when you don't have the press under federal contract.

And here I thought they were already using money to get Bush's agenda through, our tax money. Another syndicated columnist, Maggie Gallagher, was recently revealed to have a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to promote Bush's $300 million initiative to encourage marriage. When confronted about the Federal contract, Gallagher initially responded, "Did I violate journalistic ethics by not disclosing it? I don't know. You tell me."

Hurry, you too can get this swell liberal media filter for only 3 payments of 19.95!

I am the Liberal Media

Environmental Scorecard

The new National Environmental Scorecard has been released by the League of Conservation Voters. See how your Senators and Representatives are voting on the environment, click here.

Bye Bye Conservation of Federal Lands

Just another example of Bush's so-called environmental policy. Federally protected lands set aside for conservation are being opened up for the profits of oil companies, the latest casualty is Otero Mesa in New Mexico. These are lands that our tax dollars are used to set aside. Not to mention the pollution and the impact making roads in a protected ecosystem of an endangered species will have.
"I am very disappointed by the Bush administration's failure to respect New Mexico's position on oil and gas leasing in this precious, sensitive and world-renowned area," Richardson said.
Otero Mesa is one of the largest remaining wild desert grasslands and lies within close proximity to Carlsbad caverns. For more information on Otero Mesa and how you can help stop the drilling, visit http://www.nmwild.org/campaigns/otero

Republicans Stepping Up Against Social Security Nonsense

Two important Republicans are now publicly disputing the President's claim that social security is in crisis. Rep. Bill Thomas, Chairman of the House panel covering Social Security, and Sen. Olympia Snowe, on the Senate Finance Committee, are saying that Social Security is not in crisis, but they are advocating a more comprehensive overhaul of the Social Security system.

Thomas is suggesting varied retirement age based on race, gender and occupation. This is an idea born out of examining statistics showing that women live longer, people in blue collar jobs will have a harder time performing their jobs till 65 than office workers, and minorities have a shorter life expectancy. Of course, if you break down this idea, it's both racists and elitist. If disparities exist in the amount of healthcare that is received by minorities and by people in a lower income level, which they do, the answer isn't giving them retirement early, it's fixing the underlying problems. But we are a band-aid society after all, why fix a problem when you can cover it up?

After all, there's really no need to address Social Security now at all. We have nearly 40 years to figure something out. The people who will face less than 100% benefits paid are not the baby boomers, but the Gen Xers in their mid twenties. "The system is expected to have enough money to cover 100% of benefits until 2042. That timeframe has prompted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other Democrats to accuse Bush of manufacturing a crisis."

Social Security Smokescreen - ignoring the emerging Medicaid Crisis...

The 2006 Budget proposal by Pres. Bush is yet to be announced, but rumors are already circulating on the hill about what will end up on the chopping block. Already, stories speculating a reduction in funds for everything from education to veteran's benefits are being written, but Medicaid benefits are now getting equal play. A very interesting tidbit from an Associated Press story on the Medicaid benefit cuts:

According to Congressional Budget Office estimates last fall, Medicaid spending grew by 9.4 percent while Social Security costs expanded by 4.5 percent.

If Medicaid costs are continuing to rise, why isn't the administration trying to "restructure" it? Is it because Bush just had a bill passed that increased Medicaid benefits to include prescription drug coverage (and extra padding to the wallets of drug companies) in an election year move and now finds himself cutting funding to the very same program? Or perhaps he wants to divert the attention of the public while he takes from the poor to give to the rich. After all, wouldn't it make more sense to roll back some of the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans than begin denying people entrance into the Medicaid program, limit states funding, or decrease Medicaid payments to doctors--which basically will force more doctors to stop accepting Medicaid, thus forcing more people off of the program since no doctor will take them. This is an especially alarming proposition as it will leave more Americans uninsured, which actually costs tax payers twice as much as just insuring these people in the first place! Social Security, the great political smokescreen.

World fears new Bush era

Three million more Americans may have thought Bush was a good leader than Kerry, less than 2% - the slimmest margin of victory for a President since the early 1900s, but the rest of the world certainly doesn't share their view. A new poll from BBC World Service showed that .58% expected Pres. Bush to have a negative impact on security and peace. Only three countries surveyed thought Bush would have a positive influence, India, the Philippines and Poland - lest we "forget Poland." Other interesting tidbits from the poll, Germany now hates him more than France - I'm sure our lovely Senate will be renaming German chocolate Cake soon to counter this, in a very appropriate use of Tax money I might add. Liberty Chocolate Cake, yum yum. Also, now they don't just see Bush as bad, but they are incorporating their dislike of Bush to all Americans. "Asked how Mr Bush's re-election had affected their feelings towards Americans, 72% of those polled in Turkey said it made them feel worse about Americans, 65% in France, 59% in Brazil and 56% in Germany."

1.20.2005

Jan 20th

Another Day - Same Old President

The Inaguration in Pictures, these are from Reuters....If anyone has some good pics to share, please email them to me.

Social Security: There Is No Crisis

Ok, taken some time off from the blogging, but treehugger is back.

Here's a great new website following the non-crisis that social security is in, despite the claims of the administration. Social Security: There Is No Crisis - By the Social Security Administration's own estimates, Social Security will be solvent for 40 more years!