I think the expected way to start this piece would be to strike a pose of insult and umbrage over the term. Then argue how I am a true conservative. But I think that’s a waste of time and am ok with you nut jobs calling me a Rino. So enough of the name calling and let’s consider the Rino point of view by examining issues.
Global Warming. I think it’s a likely an anthropogenic phenomena. I have a degree in Geology, plus a heck of a lot of education in Chemistry. So when I say I think it’s real, it’s because of reason and how I view the facts. Al Gore was not inspirational for me. I never saw the movie and think his Nobel Prize is as silly as obama’s.
Could I be wrong about it being real? Of course, climate variation through time is fascinating but massively complex. I would additionally argue that it doesn’t matter if it’s real or not because it is in our best interest to behave as if it is real. Combating global warming does two things for us; 1) advantages low carbon intensivity economies, 2) takes money away from our enemies.
Gay Marriage. I have a strong libertarian bent. I think many of us Rinos do. Because of that, I really believe that government has no business involved in any sort of marriage, gay or straight. Let me explain.
There are really two aspects of a lifelong committed relationship; 1) spiritual, 2) public. Marriage is really a religious concept and all about the spiritual aspect. Because of that, churches should be able to create any rule that suits them. Man-Woman, Man-Man, Man-Woman-Woman, Woman-Myna Bird. I don’t care. In the public space, the interest of society is really that children are raised in a sane manner and that people have the right to be legally joined with someone else that they love. That interest is not at all religious, and I believe we need to have our public-legal union simply based on any two people because civil unions meet the two basic goals of society. I do believe that the nut job wing has a slightly dangerous theocratic bent on this, which is frankly frightening.
Abortion. I am pro-choice. There’s not a good way to summarize this for this piece. It’s a highly emotional issue and should be. I recognize that the pro-life proponents are sincere and deeply caring. I also think that an abortion is a horrible tragedy. I know that women undergoing it cry and think about the unborn for the rest of their lives. But I think it’s sound public policy. You have to accept that I got their rationally and even with caring.
Gee…so this guy is a Republican In Name Only.
I disagree.
I think these three issues are highly emotional and have been more important in identity symbolism that in substance. Here is what I believe the adult issues are;
Our Balance Sheet. Like it or not, the last balanced budget was under Clinton. Bush was no conservative in this regards, although he was better than obama. We are bankrupting our future, our kids, grandkids, and probably even generations further out.
War on Terror. There should have been a war on terror. The bizarre familial psychodrama under Bush was simply a massive distraction from a war on terror. Bin Laden needs to be dead and dead ASAP, regardless of whose sovereignty we need to violate or whom we upset. It doesn’t matter if he is no longer effective. The clear message should have been sent long ago that you pull something like this, your head will end up on a pike. Energy policy needs to decrease the flow of money to the Middle East to the greatest extent possible.
Lost Europe. Europe is commonly seen as socialist. In fact, it’s invented a new form of government, Bureaucratic Totalitarianism. Europe is in grave danger and is utterly myopic to the fact. They believe they are the most sophisticated, civilized, and advanced people on the planet. In fact they have ceded control of society to a class of highly educated but clueless nitwit. Like a poorly managed company, they are ultimately doomed. We need to figure this out. Can they be saved in whole or part? If not, who will our new partners in the world be?
Rising China. Can a totalitarian free market society exist? What will our relationship with them be?
So am I a RINO? Ultimately, the Republican Party has the right to decide that, not me. I only have the right to express my opinion and hope that what is important to me is what ends up defined as the Republican agenda.
The emotional identity issues, not the core issues, seem to be defining the party. If that happens, if we ignore what nut jobs and Rinos have in common, the party will end up feckless and irrelevant. I’m in the tent, and I can respect the extreme right wing view and even possibly accommodate them. If some level of respect, recognition, and reciprocity cannot be extended, then the party will transform into nothing but a feel good club.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Arrogant or Stupid?
The obama administration propensity for doing whatever it wants to do without any consideration for the impact will be the defining characteristic of their single term in office. Their fall will come from ignoring Bismarck’s observation that politics is the art of the possible.
Freeing the two journalist captured in North Korean is the most recent example of this arrogant and/or stupid behavior. Let’s look at some of the issue around this case that would have caused Bismarck to hesitate:
1) Within the United States, obama has a serious image problem as the worst practitioner of appeasement since Chamberlin.
2) These two journalist are working for Al Gore, a stalwart of the democratic elite.
3) While they are cute, this is not a case of innocent American citizens being swept up in events beyond their control. They went to North Korean, the world premier ruthless and bizarre thugocracy, with the intent of entering the country illegally to write a story that would not reflect well on North Korea. While their goal is noble and the product that could have resulted certainly is worthwhile, a serious risk assessment would have been prudent prior to crossing the border. If the risk/reward equation still told them to cross, they should then be content when the very evident downside of this adventure came to be. Giving the North Koreans anything for their release should never have been considered due to the utterly voluntary and very foreseeably dangerous nature of their adventure. The only answer in a negotiation concerning them is, “Keep them as long as you want, let’s move on”.
But the obama administration just did what it wanted to do. Is it incapable of recognizing the downside to choices? Or does it still believe the election hype?
Everything the administration does has this clueless or arrogant flavor to it.
Yesterday’s Indiana battle cry for getting health care done puts Democratic legislators under enormous pressure just as they start a brutal August. So when obama’s popularity fails, these Democratic legislators will not only toss him off the boat, but tied concrete blocks to his feet. This seems pretty foreseeable.
The management of the budget and the economy has also been rough. No consideration or thought has been given to opposition, which also sets the stage of a very bloody downfall in the future. Once again foreseeable.
While I don’t have an answer to this very odd behavior, I have a guess. obama’s political experience is next to none. His education is probably poor despite how good he sounds. So I think he’s clueless. But he is also young and high flying and has had most everything in life handed to him. So he has a very shallow life experience coupled with being US president. That’s a good set up for arrogance.
My guess? Both.
Freeing the two journalist captured in North Korean is the most recent example of this arrogant and/or stupid behavior. Let’s look at some of the issue around this case that would have caused Bismarck to hesitate:
1) Within the United States, obama has a serious image problem as the worst practitioner of appeasement since Chamberlin.
2) These two journalist are working for Al Gore, a stalwart of the democratic elite.
3) While they are cute, this is not a case of innocent American citizens being swept up in events beyond their control. They went to North Korean, the world premier ruthless and bizarre thugocracy, with the intent of entering the country illegally to write a story that would not reflect well on North Korea. While their goal is noble and the product that could have resulted certainly is worthwhile, a serious risk assessment would have been prudent prior to crossing the border. If the risk/reward equation still told them to cross, they should then be content when the very evident downside of this adventure came to be. Giving the North Koreans anything for their release should never have been considered due to the utterly voluntary and very foreseeably dangerous nature of their adventure. The only answer in a negotiation concerning them is, “Keep them as long as you want, let’s move on”.
But the obama administration just did what it wanted to do. Is it incapable of recognizing the downside to choices? Or does it still believe the election hype?
Everything the administration does has this clueless or arrogant flavor to it.
Yesterday’s Indiana battle cry for getting health care done puts Democratic legislators under enormous pressure just as they start a brutal August. So when obama’s popularity fails, these Democratic legislators will not only toss him off the boat, but tied concrete blocks to his feet. This seems pretty foreseeable.
The management of the budget and the economy has also been rough. No consideration or thought has been given to opposition, which also sets the stage of a very bloody downfall in the future. Once again foreseeable.
While I don’t have an answer to this very odd behavior, I have a guess. obama’s political experience is next to none. His education is probably poor despite how good he sounds. So I think he’s clueless. But he is also young and high flying and has had most everything in life handed to him. So he has a very shallow life experience coupled with being US president. That’s a good set up for arrogance.
My guess? Both.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Avoiding the Light in August
Politicians are not necessarily stupid people. Actually they can be very creative problem solvers. As an example, think about my congressman, Rick Larsen, D-WA.
The second district is politically mixed, as is much of Washington. There are a significant number of old fashioned green hippies and many traditional conservative families. In this setting, any congressman would be hesitant to hold a townhall meeting at this time, risking a discussion on obamacare.
But not meeting the people in the August break, especially this August break, really isn’t an option. I wouldn’t want to be in this guy’s shoes. Never fear, Congressman Larson did find a creative solution.
The honorable gentleman from Washington is holding a series of five meetings called, “Conversations with Veterans”. It is described on his web page:
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will host five Conversations with Veterans during the month of August to update local veterans about his work in Congress on their behalf and to hear from local veterans about the issues important to them.
Brilliant!
1) Limit the size of the crowd.
2) Narrow the agenda
3) Get credit for meeting the people.
4) Wrap yourself in serving Veterans.
Knowing that health care is a current concern, Larsen has even managed to throw a bone that way:
This year, Larsen has worked to strengthen veterans’ health care and services, helping deliver a new community-based outpatient clinic to Northwest Washington.
So he’s not avoiding healthcare, but he is focusing it on a positive that he has delivered locally and to veteran. We all love veterans. I mean that sincerely, although, the touch of sarcasm comes from this guy using them to avoid the light. Shame. Shame. Shame.
I called Larsen’s office to ask if he was holding townhall meetings. The woman’s voice became very shaky as she avoided the question and explained about this Veteran’s meeting. I said that I understood but pressed that I was curious about a general townhall. She explained that this was opened to all and was pretty much the same thing. So then, there will not be any regular townhall meetings? Shaking voice, “At this time, the veterans meeting is all we have scheduled”.
OK. Thanks you so much.
The fun in this was that this woman had a good hunch of what I wanted and was very uncomfortable. At some level, they know what they are doing.
As a final bit of cleverness, they scheduled the most difficult crowd within the district for the first Monday in August, before anyone could figure it out.
The democratic representatives know they are in trouble and don’t want to face their constituents. Watch for how they will manipulate this. I would appreciate comments from anyone else who has had their representative lurking in the shadow, including a description of how they did it; inconvenient times, using room size, whatever tricks they are up to. I wouldn’t be surprised is congress passes legislation to make August the month with 28 days.
The second district is politically mixed, as is much of Washington. There are a significant number of old fashioned green hippies and many traditional conservative families. In this setting, any congressman would be hesitant to hold a townhall meeting at this time, risking a discussion on obamacare.
But not meeting the people in the August break, especially this August break, really isn’t an option. I wouldn’t want to be in this guy’s shoes. Never fear, Congressman Larson did find a creative solution.
The honorable gentleman from Washington is holding a series of five meetings called, “Conversations with Veterans”. It is described on his web page:
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will host five Conversations with Veterans during the month of August to update local veterans about his work in Congress on their behalf and to hear from local veterans about the issues important to them.
Brilliant!
1) Limit the size of the crowd.
2) Narrow the agenda
3) Get credit for meeting the people.
4) Wrap yourself in serving Veterans.
Knowing that health care is a current concern, Larsen has even managed to throw a bone that way:
This year, Larsen has worked to strengthen veterans’ health care and services, helping deliver a new community-based outpatient clinic to Northwest Washington.
So he’s not avoiding healthcare, but he is focusing it on a positive that he has delivered locally and to veteran. We all love veterans. I mean that sincerely, although, the touch of sarcasm comes from this guy using them to avoid the light. Shame. Shame. Shame.
I called Larsen’s office to ask if he was holding townhall meetings. The woman’s voice became very shaky as she avoided the question and explained about this Veteran’s meeting. I said that I understood but pressed that I was curious about a general townhall. She explained that this was opened to all and was pretty much the same thing. So then, there will not be any regular townhall meetings? Shaking voice, “At this time, the veterans meeting is all we have scheduled”.
OK. Thanks you so much.
The fun in this was that this woman had a good hunch of what I wanted and was very uncomfortable. At some level, they know what they are doing.
As a final bit of cleverness, they scheduled the most difficult crowd within the district for the first Monday in August, before anyone could figure it out.
The democratic representatives know they are in trouble and don’t want to face their constituents. Watch for how they will manipulate this. I would appreciate comments from anyone else who has had their representative lurking in the shadow, including a description of how they did it; inconvenient times, using room size, whatever tricks they are up to. I wouldn’t be surprised is congress passes legislation to make August the month with 28 days.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Hunt Them Down
The first step in getting obamacare passed was for the Energy and Commerce committee to pass the legislation out of committee. Actually, serval committees may pass it so they can claim to be the ultimate leaders. Energy and Commerce just went first.
Below is a list of the Representative voting for it from the Energy and Commerce committee, along with their contact information. You can also google their name and go to their house web site and see what they have to say. If your representative is here, it is important that you get to them in the August break. If your representative is not here, it’s still important because at some point everyone of them will have to choose between you and obama/pelosi.
Shock and Awe. Sad it’s need with our representatives, but that’s where we are.
Hunt them down. Make them pay.
Henry A. Waxman, CA
WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone (202) 225-3976
Fax (202) 225-4099
LOS ANGELES OFFICE
8436 West Third Street, Ste 600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 652-3095
(818) 878-7400
(323) 651-1040
Fax (323) 655-0502
John D. Dingell, MI
Washington, D.C. Office
2328 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515(202) 225-4071
Dearborn
19855 West Outer DriveSuite 103-E
Dearborn, MI 48124
(313) 278-2936
Monroe
23 East Front StreetSuite 103
Monroe, MI 48161
(734) 243-1849
Ypsilanti
301 W. Michigan AveSuite 305
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 481-1100
Edward J. Markey, MA
Washington, D.C.
2108 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2836
Medford
5 High Street, Suite 101Medford, MA 02155
781-396-2900
Framingham
188 Concord Street
Suite 102
Framingham, MA 01702
508-875-2900
Frank Pallone Jr., NJ
Washington
237 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3006
Phone: 202 225-4671
Fax: 202-225-9665
Central NJ
67/69 Church St.
Kilmer Square
New Brunswick, N.J. 08901
Phone: (732) 249-8892
Monmouth
504 Broadway
Long Branch, N.J. 07740
Phone: (732) 571-1140
(888) 423-1140
Bart Gordon, TN
Washington Office
2306 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4231
Fax: (202) 225-6887
Murfreesboro Office
305 West Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 896-1986
Cookeville Office
15 South Jefferson
Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone: (931) 528-5907
Gallatin Office
100 Public Square, B-100
Gallatin, TN 37066
Phone: (615) 451-5174
Bobby L. Rush, IL
Washington Office
2416 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4372
fax: 202-226-0333
Chicago District Office
700-706 E. 79th. St.
Chicago, IL 60619
phone: 773-224-6500
fax: 773-224-9624
Suburban District Office
3235 W. 147th St.
Midlothian, IL. 60445
phone: 708-385-9550
fax: 708-385-3860
Anna G. Eshoo, CA
Washington, D.C. Office
205 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-8104
Fax: (202) 225-8890
District Office
698 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, California 94301
Telephone: (650) 323-2984
or (408) 245-2339
or (831) 335-2020
Fax: (650) 323-3498
Bart Stupak, MI
Washington, D.C. Office
2268 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225 4735
(202) 225 4744 - Fax
Alpena
111 E. Chisholm
Alpena, MI 49707
(989) 356 0690
(989) 356 0923 - Fax
Crystal Falls
Iron County Courthouse
2 South 6th St.,
Suite #3
Crystal Falls, MI 49920-1413
(906) 875 3751
(906) 875 3889 FaxPart time - Monday and Tuesday
Escanaba
902 Ludington St
Escanaba, MI 49829
(906) 786 4504
(906) 786 4534 - Fax
Houghton
616 Sheldon Ave. Room 213
Houghton, MI 49931
(906) 482 1371
(906) 482 4855 - FaxPart time: Mon - Thurs, 9AM - 1PM
Marquette
1229 W. Washington St.Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 228 3700
(906) 228 2305 - Fax
Petoskey
Emmet County Building
200 Division St., Suite #178
Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 348 0657
(231) 348 0653 Fax
West Branch
575 Court Street
West Branch, MI 48661
(989) 345 2258
(989) 345 2285 Fax
Eliot L. Engel, NY
Washington, DC
2161 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone : (202) 225-2464
Fax: (202) 225-5513
Bronx
3655 Johnson Avenue
Bronx, NY 10463
Phone : (718) 796-9700
Rockland
261 West Nyack Road
West Nyack, NY 10994
Phone : (845) 735-1000
Westchester
6 Gramatan Avenue; Suite 205
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Phone : (914) 699-4100
Gene Green, TX
Washington Office:
2372 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-1688 tel
(202) 225-9903 fax
District Offices:
Houston
256 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. E., Suite 29
Houston, TX 77060
(281) 999-5879 tel
(281) 999-5716 fax
Houston
11811 I-10 East, Suite 430
Houston, TX 77029
(713) 330-0761 tel
(713) 330-0807 fax
Baytown
909 Decker Drive, Suite 124
Baytown, TX 77520
(281) 420-0502 tel
(281) 420-0585 fax
Diana DeGette, CO
Washington, D.C. Office
2335 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4431
Fax: (202) 225-5657
Denver Office
600 Grant StreetSuite 202
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 844-4988
Fax: (303) 844-4996
Lois Capps, CA
Washington, D.C.
1110 Longworth House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3601
Fax: (202) 225-5632
Santa Barbara
301 E. Carrillo Street, Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 730-1710
Fax: (805) 730-9153
San Luis Obispo
1411 Marsh Street, Suite 205
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone: (805) 546-8348
Fax: (805) 546-8368
Port Hueneme
2675 N. Ventura RoadSuite # 105
Port Hueneme, CA 93041
Phone: 805-985-6807
Fax: 805-985-6875
Michael F. Doyle, PA
Washington, D.C.
401 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2135
Fax: 202-225-3084
District Offices:
11 Duff RoadPenn Hills, PA 15235
Phone: 412-241-6055
Fax: 412-241-6820
627 Lysle Boulevard
McKeesport, PA 15132
Phone: 412-664-4049
Fax: 412-664-4053
225 Ross Street, 5th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 261-5091
Fax: (412) 261-1983
1350 Fifth Avenue
Coraopolis, PA 15108
Phone: (412) 264-3460
Jane Harman, CA
Washington, DC
2400 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225 8220
Fax: (202) 226 7290
El Segundo
2321 E. Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 3270
El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: (310) 643 3636
Fax: (310) 643 6445
Wilmington
544 N. Avalon Boulevard, Suite 307
Wilmington, CA 90744
Phone: (310) 549 8282
Fax: (310) 549 8250
Janice D. Schakowsky, IL
Washington, D.C
.2367 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2111
Fax: (202) 226-6890
Chicago
5533 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: (773) 506-7100
Fax: (773) 506-9202
Evanston
820 Davis Street, Suite 105
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: (847) 328-3409
Fax: (847) 328-3425
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
Washington Office
303 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4320
Phone: (202)225-3236
Fax: (202)225-1915
San Antonio Office
B-124 Federal Building
727 East Durango
San Antonio, TX 78206-1286
Phone: (210)472-6195
Fax: (210)472-4009
Jay Inslee, WA
Washington, D.C. Office *
403 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515-4701
Phone: (202) 225-6311
Fax: (202) 226-1606
Shoreline
Shoreline Center
18560 1st Ave., NE
Suite E-800
Shoreline, WA 98155-2150
Phone: (206) 361-0233
Fax: (206) 361-3959
Poulsbo
17791 Fjord Dr., NE
Door 112
Poulsbo, WA 98370-8481
Phone: (360) 598-2342
Fax: (360) 598-3650
Tammy Baldwin, WI
WASHINGTON OFFICE
2446 Rayburn Building
Washington DC 20515
(202) 225-6942
Fax(202) 225-2906
MADISON OFFICE
10 East Doty Street,
Suite 405Madison,
Wisconsin 53703
(608) 258-9800
(608) 258-9808 Fax
BELOIT OFFICE
400 E. Grand Ave, Suite 402
Beloit, WI 53511
(608) 362-2800
(608) 362-2838 Fax
Mike Ross, AR
Washington
2436 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20515
1-800-223-2220
(202) 225-1314 Fax
El DoradoUnion County Courthouse
Suite 406101
North Washington Street
El Dorado, AR 71730
(870) 881-0681
(870) 881-0683 Fax
Hot Springs
300 Exchange Street
Suite A
Hot Springs National Park, AR 71901
(501) 520-5892
(501) 520-5873 Fax
Pine Bluff
George Howard, Jr. Federal Bldg.
100 East 8th Avenue, Room 2521
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
(870) 536-3376
(870) 536-4058 Fax
Prescott
221 West Main Street
Prescott, AR 71857
(870) 887-6787
(870) 887-6799 Fax
Anthony D. Weiner, NY
Washington, D.C. Office
2104 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202.225.6616
Kew Gardens Office
80-02 Kew Gardens Rd. Suite 5000
Kew Gardens, NY 11415718.520.9001
Brooklyn Office
1800 Sheepshead Bay Rd.
Brooklyn, NY, 11235
718.743.0441
Rockaway Office90-16
Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Rockaway, NY 11693
718.318.9255
G. K. Butterfield, NC
Washington, DC Office
413 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3101
Fax: (202) 225-3354
Wilson
216 West Nash Street
Suite B
Wilson, NC 27893
Phone: 252-237-9816
Fax: 252-291-0356
Weldon
Weldon District Office:
309 West 3rd Street
Weldon, NC 27890
For Mailing:
PO Box 836
Weldon, NC 27890
Phone: 252-538-4123
Fax: 252-823-0236
Baron P. Hill, IN
Washington Office
223 Cannon House Office Bld
Washington DC 20515
(202)225-5315
Fax (202)226-6866
Jeffersonville Office
279 Quartermaster Court
Jeffersonville, IN 47130
(812)288-3999
Fax (812)288-3873
Bloomington Office
320 West 8th Street
Suite 114
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812)336-3000
(812)336-3355
Doris O. Matsui, CA
Washington DC Office
222 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
p: 202.225.7163
f: 202.225.0566
Sacramento, CA Office
Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse
501 I Street, Suite 12-600
Sacramento, CA 95814
p: 916.498.5600
Donna M. Christensen, VI
Washington Office
1510 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-1790
Fax: 202-225-5517
St. Croix District Office
P.O. Box 5980
St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00823
Space #204 & 205 Sunshine Mall,
#1 Estate Cane F'sted,
St. Croix 00840
Phone: 340-778-5900
Fax: 340-778-5111
St.Thomas District Office
Suite #207,
Second Floor Nisky Business Center
St.Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802
Phone: 340-774-4408
Fax: 340-774-8033
Kathy Castor, FL
Washington Office
317 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)225-3376
Fax: (202)225-5652
Tampa Office
4144 N Armenia Ave
Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813)871-2817
Fax: (813)871-2864
John P. Sarbanes, MD
Washington, D.C. Office:
426 Cannon HOB
Washington DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4016
Fax: (202) 225-9219
Annapolis Office:
Arundel Center
44 Calvert Street
Suite 349
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 295-1679
Fax: (410) 295-1682
Towson Office:
600 Baltimore Avenue Suite 303
Towson MD 21204
Phone: (410) 832-8890
Fax: (410) 832-8898
Christopher S. Murphy, CT
Washington D.C. Office
412 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4476
New Britain Office
114 West Main St.
Suite 206
New Britain, CT 06051
Phone: (860) 223-8412Fax:
(860) 827-9009
Meriden Office
22-26 West Main St.
Meriden, CT 06450
Phone: (203) 630-0815
Danbury Office
198 Main St.
Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: (203) 798-2072
Waterbury Office
49 Leavenworth St.
Waterbury, CT 06702
Phone: (203) 759-7541
Zachary T. Space, OH
Washington DC
315 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515ph:
(202) 225-6265
fax: (202) 225-3394
Dover District Office
137 East Iron Ave
Dover, Ohio 44622
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (330) 364-4300
Fax: (330) 364-4330
Zanesville District Office
17 North Fourth Street, Suite A
Zanesville, Ohio 43701Contact
TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (740) 452-6338Fax: (740) 452-6354
Chillicothe District Office
14 South Paint Street Suite Six
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (740) 779-1636Fax: (740) 779-2352
Jerry McNerney, CA
Washington Office
312 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-1947
Fax: (202) 225-4060
Pleasanton Office
5776 Stoneridge Mall Rd. #175
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 737-0727
(408) 744-0727
Fax: (925) 737-0734
Stockton Office
2222 Grand Canal Blvd. #7
Stockton, CA 95207
(209) 476-8552
Fax: (209) 476-8587
Betty Sutton, OH
Washington Office
1721 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515Phone:
(202) 225-3401
Summit County
39 E Market StreetLL #1
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 865-8450
Lorain County Office
205 West 20th Street
Room M230
Lorain, OH 44052
Phone: (440) 245-5350
Bruce L. Braley, IA
Washington , DC Office
1019 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
ph: (202) 225-2911
Waterloo Office
501 Sycamore St, Suite 610
Waterloo, IA 50703
ph: (319) 287-3233
Davenport Office
209 W. 4th St, Suite 104
Davenport, IA 52801
ph: (563) 323-5988
Dubuque Office
350 W. 6th St, Suite 222
Dubuque, IA 52001
ph: (563) 557-7789
Peter Welch, VT
Washington, DC Office
1404 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-4115
Vermont Office
30 Main StreetThird Floor, Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (888) 605-7270
(toll free in Vermont)(802) 652-2450
Below is a list of the Representative voting for it from the Energy and Commerce committee, along with their contact information. You can also google their name and go to their house web site and see what they have to say. If your representative is here, it is important that you get to them in the August break. If your representative is not here, it’s still important because at some point everyone of them will have to choose between you and obama/pelosi.
Shock and Awe. Sad it’s need with our representatives, but that’s where we are.
Hunt them down. Make them pay.
Henry A. Waxman, CA
WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone (202) 225-3976
Fax (202) 225-4099
LOS ANGELES OFFICE
8436 West Third Street, Ste 600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 652-3095
(818) 878-7400
(323) 651-1040
Fax (323) 655-0502
John D. Dingell, MI
Washington, D.C. Office
2328 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515(202) 225-4071
Dearborn
19855 West Outer DriveSuite 103-E
Dearborn, MI 48124
(313) 278-2936
Monroe
23 East Front StreetSuite 103
Monroe, MI 48161
(734) 243-1849
Ypsilanti
301 W. Michigan AveSuite 305
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 481-1100
Edward J. Markey, MA
Washington, D.C.
2108 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2836
Medford
5 High Street, Suite 101Medford, MA 02155
781-396-2900
Framingham
188 Concord Street
Suite 102
Framingham, MA 01702
508-875-2900
Frank Pallone Jr., NJ
Washington
237 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3006
Phone: 202 225-4671
Fax: 202-225-9665
Central NJ
67/69 Church St.
Kilmer Square
New Brunswick, N.J. 08901
Phone: (732) 249-8892
Monmouth
504 Broadway
Long Branch, N.J. 07740
Phone: (732) 571-1140
(888) 423-1140
Bart Gordon, TN
Washington Office
2306 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4231
Fax: (202) 225-6887
Murfreesboro Office
305 West Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 896-1986
Cookeville Office
15 South Jefferson
Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone: (931) 528-5907
Gallatin Office
100 Public Square, B-100
Gallatin, TN 37066
Phone: (615) 451-5174
Bobby L. Rush, IL
Washington Office
2416 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
phone: 202-225-4372
fax: 202-226-0333
Chicago District Office
700-706 E. 79th. St.
Chicago, IL 60619
phone: 773-224-6500
fax: 773-224-9624
Suburban District Office
3235 W. 147th St.
Midlothian, IL. 60445
phone: 708-385-9550
fax: 708-385-3860
Anna G. Eshoo, CA
Washington, D.C. Office
205 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone: (202) 225-8104
Fax: (202) 225-8890
District Office
698 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, California 94301
Telephone: (650) 323-2984
or (408) 245-2339
or (831) 335-2020
Fax: (650) 323-3498
Bart Stupak, MI
Washington, D.C. Office
2268 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225 4735
(202) 225 4744 - Fax
Alpena
111 E. Chisholm
Alpena, MI 49707
(989) 356 0690
(989) 356 0923 - Fax
Crystal Falls
Iron County Courthouse
2 South 6th St.,
Suite #3
Crystal Falls, MI 49920-1413
(906) 875 3751
(906) 875 3889 FaxPart time - Monday and Tuesday
Escanaba
902 Ludington St
Escanaba, MI 49829
(906) 786 4504
(906) 786 4534 - Fax
Houghton
616 Sheldon Ave. Room 213
Houghton, MI 49931
(906) 482 1371
(906) 482 4855 - FaxPart time: Mon - Thurs, 9AM - 1PM
Marquette
1229 W. Washington St.Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 228 3700
(906) 228 2305 - Fax
Petoskey
Emmet County Building
200 Division St., Suite #178
Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 348 0657
(231) 348 0653 Fax
West Branch
575 Court Street
West Branch, MI 48661
(989) 345 2258
(989) 345 2285 Fax
Eliot L. Engel, NY
Washington, DC
2161 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone : (202) 225-2464
Fax: (202) 225-5513
Bronx
3655 Johnson Avenue
Bronx, NY 10463
Phone : (718) 796-9700
Rockland
261 West Nyack Road
West Nyack, NY 10994
Phone : (845) 735-1000
Westchester
6 Gramatan Avenue; Suite 205
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Phone : (914) 699-4100
Gene Green, TX
Washington Office:
2372 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-1688 tel
(202) 225-9903 fax
District Offices:
Houston
256 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. E., Suite 29
Houston, TX 77060
(281) 999-5879 tel
(281) 999-5716 fax
Houston
11811 I-10 East, Suite 430
Houston, TX 77029
(713) 330-0761 tel
(713) 330-0807 fax
Baytown
909 Decker Drive, Suite 124
Baytown, TX 77520
(281) 420-0502 tel
(281) 420-0585 fax
Diana DeGette, CO
Washington, D.C. Office
2335 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4431
Fax: (202) 225-5657
Denver Office
600 Grant StreetSuite 202
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 844-4988
Fax: (303) 844-4996
Lois Capps, CA
Washington, D.C.
1110 Longworth House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3601
Fax: (202) 225-5632
Santa Barbara
301 E. Carrillo Street, Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 730-1710
Fax: (805) 730-9153
San Luis Obispo
1411 Marsh Street, Suite 205
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone: (805) 546-8348
Fax: (805) 546-8368
Port Hueneme
2675 N. Ventura RoadSuite # 105
Port Hueneme, CA 93041
Phone: 805-985-6807
Fax: 805-985-6875
Michael F. Doyle, PA
Washington, D.C.
401 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2135
Fax: 202-225-3084
District Offices:
11 Duff RoadPenn Hills, PA 15235
Phone: 412-241-6055
Fax: 412-241-6820
627 Lysle Boulevard
McKeesport, PA 15132
Phone: 412-664-4049
Fax: 412-664-4053
225 Ross Street, 5th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 261-5091
Fax: (412) 261-1983
1350 Fifth Avenue
Coraopolis, PA 15108
Phone: (412) 264-3460
Jane Harman, CA
Washington, DC
2400 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225 8220
Fax: (202) 226 7290
El Segundo
2321 E. Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 3270
El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: (310) 643 3636
Fax: (310) 643 6445
Wilmington
544 N. Avalon Boulevard, Suite 307
Wilmington, CA 90744
Phone: (310) 549 8282
Fax: (310) 549 8250
Janice D. Schakowsky, IL
Washington, D.C
.2367 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2111
Fax: (202) 226-6890
Chicago
5533 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: (773) 506-7100
Fax: (773) 506-9202
Evanston
820 Davis Street, Suite 105
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: (847) 328-3409
Fax: (847) 328-3425
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
Washington Office
303 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4320
Phone: (202)225-3236
Fax: (202)225-1915
San Antonio Office
B-124 Federal Building
727 East Durango
San Antonio, TX 78206-1286
Phone: (210)472-6195
Fax: (210)472-4009
Jay Inslee, WA
Washington, D.C. Office *
403 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515-4701
Phone: (202) 225-6311
Fax: (202) 226-1606
Shoreline
Shoreline Center
18560 1st Ave., NE
Suite E-800
Shoreline, WA 98155-2150
Phone: (206) 361-0233
Fax: (206) 361-3959
Poulsbo
17791 Fjord Dr., NE
Door 112
Poulsbo, WA 98370-8481
Phone: (360) 598-2342
Fax: (360) 598-3650
Tammy Baldwin, WI
WASHINGTON OFFICE
2446 Rayburn Building
Washington DC 20515
(202) 225-6942
Fax(202) 225-2906
MADISON OFFICE
10 East Doty Street,
Suite 405Madison,
Wisconsin 53703
(608) 258-9800
(608) 258-9808 Fax
BELOIT OFFICE
400 E. Grand Ave, Suite 402
Beloit, WI 53511
(608) 362-2800
(608) 362-2838 Fax
Mike Ross, AR
Washington
2436 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20515
1-800-223-2220
(202) 225-1314 Fax
El DoradoUnion County Courthouse
Suite 406101
North Washington Street
El Dorado, AR 71730
(870) 881-0681
(870) 881-0683 Fax
Hot Springs
300 Exchange Street
Suite A
Hot Springs National Park, AR 71901
(501) 520-5892
(501) 520-5873 Fax
Pine Bluff
George Howard, Jr. Federal Bldg.
100 East 8th Avenue, Room 2521
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
(870) 536-3376
(870) 536-4058 Fax
Prescott
221 West Main Street
Prescott, AR 71857
(870) 887-6787
(870) 887-6799 Fax
Anthony D. Weiner, NY
Washington, D.C. Office
2104 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202.225.6616
Kew Gardens Office
80-02 Kew Gardens Rd. Suite 5000
Kew Gardens, NY 11415718.520.9001
Brooklyn Office
1800 Sheepshead Bay Rd.
Brooklyn, NY, 11235
718.743.0441
Rockaway Office90-16
Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Rockaway, NY 11693
718.318.9255
G. K. Butterfield, NC
Washington, DC Office
413 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3101
Fax: (202) 225-3354
Wilson
216 West Nash Street
Suite B
Wilson, NC 27893
Phone: 252-237-9816
Fax: 252-291-0356
Weldon
Weldon District Office:
309 West 3rd Street
Weldon, NC 27890
For Mailing:
PO Box 836
Weldon, NC 27890
Phone: 252-538-4123
Fax: 252-823-0236
Baron P. Hill, IN
Washington Office
223 Cannon House Office Bld
Washington DC 20515
(202)225-5315
Fax (202)226-6866
Jeffersonville Office
279 Quartermaster Court
Jeffersonville, IN 47130
(812)288-3999
Fax (812)288-3873
Bloomington Office
320 West 8th Street
Suite 114
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812)336-3000
(812)336-3355
Doris O. Matsui, CA
Washington DC Office
222 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
p: 202.225.7163
f: 202.225.0566
Sacramento, CA Office
Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse
501 I Street, Suite 12-600
Sacramento, CA 95814
p: 916.498.5600
Donna M. Christensen, VI
Washington Office
1510 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-1790
Fax: 202-225-5517
St. Croix District Office
P.O. Box 5980
St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00823
Space #204 & 205 Sunshine Mall,
#1 Estate Cane F'sted,
St. Croix 00840
Phone: 340-778-5900
Fax: 340-778-5111
St.Thomas District Office
Suite #207,
Second Floor Nisky Business Center
St.Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802
Phone: 340-774-4408
Fax: 340-774-8033
Kathy Castor, FL
Washington Office
317 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)225-3376
Fax: (202)225-5652
Tampa Office
4144 N Armenia Ave
Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813)871-2817
Fax: (813)871-2864
John P. Sarbanes, MD
Washington, D.C. Office:
426 Cannon HOB
Washington DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4016
Fax: (202) 225-9219
Annapolis Office:
Arundel Center
44 Calvert Street
Suite 349
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 295-1679
Fax: (410) 295-1682
Towson Office:
600 Baltimore Avenue Suite 303
Towson MD 21204
Phone: (410) 832-8890
Fax: (410) 832-8898
Christopher S. Murphy, CT
Washington D.C. Office
412 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4476
New Britain Office
114 West Main St.
Suite 206
New Britain, CT 06051
Phone: (860) 223-8412Fax:
(860) 827-9009
Meriden Office
22-26 West Main St.
Meriden, CT 06450
Phone: (203) 630-0815
Danbury Office
198 Main St.
Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: (203) 798-2072
Waterbury Office
49 Leavenworth St.
Waterbury, CT 06702
Phone: (203) 759-7541
Zachary T. Space, OH
Washington DC
315 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515ph:
(202) 225-6265
fax: (202) 225-3394
Dover District Office
137 East Iron Ave
Dover, Ohio 44622
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (330) 364-4300
Fax: (330) 364-4330
Zanesville District Office
17 North Fourth Street, Suite A
Zanesville, Ohio 43701Contact
TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (740) 452-6338Fax: (740) 452-6354
Chillicothe District Office
14 South Paint Street Suite Six
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (740) 779-1636Fax: (740) 779-2352
Jerry McNerney, CA
Washington Office
312 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-1947
Fax: (202) 225-4060
Pleasanton Office
5776 Stoneridge Mall Rd. #175
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 737-0727
(408) 744-0727
Fax: (925) 737-0734
Stockton Office
2222 Grand Canal Blvd. #7
Stockton, CA 95207
(209) 476-8552
Fax: (209) 476-8587
Betty Sutton, OH
Washington Office
1721 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515Phone:
(202) 225-3401
Summit County
39 E Market StreetLL #1
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 865-8450
Lorain County Office
205 West 20th Street
Room M230
Lorain, OH 44052
Phone: (440) 245-5350
Bruce L. Braley, IA
Washington , DC Office
1019 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
ph: (202) 225-2911
Waterloo Office
501 Sycamore St, Suite 610
Waterloo, IA 50703
ph: (319) 287-3233
Davenport Office
209 W. 4th St, Suite 104
Davenport, IA 52801
ph: (563) 323-5988
Dubuque Office
350 W. 6th St, Suite 222
Dubuque, IA 52001
ph: (563) 557-7789
Peter Welch, VT
Washington, DC Office
1404 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-4115
Vermont Office
30 Main StreetThird Floor, Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (888) 605-7270
(toll free in Vermont)(802) 652-2450
Thursday, July 30, 2009
An End to Racism
“The best way to stop discrimination of the basis of race is to stop discrimination on the basis of race”
-Judge Roberts
I think this is one of the most important and least insightful quotes I’ve ever seen, and in fact, it has to be both. It’s what, in engineering circles, is called a Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO). Most who experience a BFO are simultaneously embarrassed for not seeing it previously and grateful for finally seeing it.
For several decades ending discrimination by encouraging discrimination has been recognized as a silly concept, but it has endured because of simple self-interest. Minorities have had an apparent economic interest in supporting discrimination which favored them and would therefore never call affirmative action into question. Whites have had an interest in appearing “non-racist”. So all have gone along with a favoritism system that has ultimately failed in the stated goals of helping minorities get to par.
Judge Robert’s BFO was important in that he said it when he did, once it has become safe, because of the passage of sufficient time, to call affirmative action out as a stupid concept. The passage of time has allowed wide spread personal experience with the idiocy of race favoritism. Mostly personal experience has been through poor workplace personnel decisions, made exclusively on the basis of race to comply with affirmative action rules. Companies have been very effective at avoiding the liability of obvert “reverse discrimination”, but that has not changed the reality that it’s a wide spread practice, which everyone recognizes.
The Obama administration is quickly bringing the race issue to a head.
1) Obama’s qualification. Barrack Hussein Obama is the first Affirmative Action president. This is a presumption, which Obama can quickly and easily refute. If he does, I will completely withdraw this argument.
Obama has an elite education. I presume he didn’t deserve any of it and that he received it based on dermal melanin content. I presume that at each step of his education he was a poor student and if he had been white, he would not have made it to the next step or possibly not even through the step he was in.
His education, his aura of “Mr. Brains” is based on this shaky foundation of elite degrees which were handed out as racial gifts. Without it, he would have remained some low level Chicago operative that who would have never been known outside of Cook County.
I will repeat that this is all presumption, not based on obama’s race, but on his refusal to release his college transcripts, a pretty standard and reasonable request. Refusal to do so must be assumed as hiding something significant. My guess is that it would reveal a series of bizarre academic misadventures which would routinely be intolerable to any school administration but which were tolerated. Without the connections of famous or wealthy parents, the best explanation is race.
Or maybe he’s just shy about his academic awesomeness. Either way, it’s a very easy thing end, if a willingness to end it exists.
2) Sotomayor. Another affirmative action case with a staggering racist bent; New Haven, Wise Latina, an overturn rate which indicates she is either not very bright or utterly self-absorbed but who is still consider because she fits the needed demographic.
The cowardice of congress in not seriously probing this is interesting. While I think our society is moving to seriously question affirmative action via Judge Robert’s BFO, congress is not. These functionaries can play with any rules and therefore are not bothered by Affirmative Action. They are significantly lagging society.
3) Gates. In this one we see our unvarnished racist president without the protection of a teleprompter. The racist issues around this include; 1)presumption by obama that the cop mishandled the situation, 2)presumption that it was his duty to teach us about the burdens of his race and that we don’t get it. The childish beer summit is only exacerbating the annoyance of the Chosen One enlightening us.
The reality is that there is a limit to how much you can mouth off to a cop. After that, you go to jail for disorderly conduct or some similar charge. Sometimes that results in prosecution. Sometimes it does not. But you are going to jail, regardless of race. In the end, Gates feels he’s privileged. I imagine that his resentment stems as much from the fact that some blue collar cop would bother him, a distinguished Harvard professor, as it does from race. Using race as part of your stagecraft, at the very time the BFO is being acknowledged, doesn’t work well.
The ultimate irony is that improvement in race relations in the United States are at a very hopeful point because of the racist behavior of our first black president. His open racism comes on the heals of a BFO that was needed for a long time. Robert’s BFO has given credence and legitimacy to thoughts that many have had but not uttered; 1) The US is not one of the most racist countries in the world, in fact it’s one of the least, 2) Affirmative Action is a loopy idea which ultimately forwards racism and ironically harms the groups it was intended to assist, 3) Minority don’t hold the key to being race blind, not even wise Latinas.
All of these thoughts that are coming into the open and becoming discussable are needed to finally move forward. While minorities may have seen this as a time to press their advantage, there may be the unintended consequence of rejecting the victim mentality and its fellow affirmative action, which in the end is what is needed.
-Judge Roberts
I think this is one of the most important and least insightful quotes I’ve ever seen, and in fact, it has to be both. It’s what, in engineering circles, is called a Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO). Most who experience a BFO are simultaneously embarrassed for not seeing it previously and grateful for finally seeing it.
For several decades ending discrimination by encouraging discrimination has been recognized as a silly concept, but it has endured because of simple self-interest. Minorities have had an apparent economic interest in supporting discrimination which favored them and would therefore never call affirmative action into question. Whites have had an interest in appearing “non-racist”. So all have gone along with a favoritism system that has ultimately failed in the stated goals of helping minorities get to par.
Judge Robert’s BFO was important in that he said it when he did, once it has become safe, because of the passage of sufficient time, to call affirmative action out as a stupid concept. The passage of time has allowed wide spread personal experience with the idiocy of race favoritism. Mostly personal experience has been through poor workplace personnel decisions, made exclusively on the basis of race to comply with affirmative action rules. Companies have been very effective at avoiding the liability of obvert “reverse discrimination”, but that has not changed the reality that it’s a wide spread practice, which everyone recognizes.
The Obama administration is quickly bringing the race issue to a head.
1) Obama’s qualification. Barrack Hussein Obama is the first Affirmative Action president. This is a presumption, which Obama can quickly and easily refute. If he does, I will completely withdraw this argument.
Obama has an elite education. I presume he didn’t deserve any of it and that he received it based on dermal melanin content. I presume that at each step of his education he was a poor student and if he had been white, he would not have made it to the next step or possibly not even through the step he was in.
His education, his aura of “Mr. Brains” is based on this shaky foundation of elite degrees which were handed out as racial gifts. Without it, he would have remained some low level Chicago operative that who would have never been known outside of Cook County.
I will repeat that this is all presumption, not based on obama’s race, but on his refusal to release his college transcripts, a pretty standard and reasonable request. Refusal to do so must be assumed as hiding something significant. My guess is that it would reveal a series of bizarre academic misadventures which would routinely be intolerable to any school administration but which were tolerated. Without the connections of famous or wealthy parents, the best explanation is race.
Or maybe he’s just shy about his academic awesomeness. Either way, it’s a very easy thing end, if a willingness to end it exists.
2) Sotomayor. Another affirmative action case with a staggering racist bent; New Haven, Wise Latina, an overturn rate which indicates she is either not very bright or utterly self-absorbed but who is still consider because she fits the needed demographic.
The cowardice of congress in not seriously probing this is interesting. While I think our society is moving to seriously question affirmative action via Judge Robert’s BFO, congress is not. These functionaries can play with any rules and therefore are not bothered by Affirmative Action. They are significantly lagging society.
3) Gates. In this one we see our unvarnished racist president without the protection of a teleprompter. The racist issues around this include; 1)presumption by obama that the cop mishandled the situation, 2)presumption that it was his duty to teach us about the burdens of his race and that we don’t get it. The childish beer summit is only exacerbating the annoyance of the Chosen One enlightening us.
The reality is that there is a limit to how much you can mouth off to a cop. After that, you go to jail for disorderly conduct or some similar charge. Sometimes that results in prosecution. Sometimes it does not. But you are going to jail, regardless of race. In the end, Gates feels he’s privileged. I imagine that his resentment stems as much from the fact that some blue collar cop would bother him, a distinguished Harvard professor, as it does from race. Using race as part of your stagecraft, at the very time the BFO is being acknowledged, doesn’t work well.
The ultimate irony is that improvement in race relations in the United States are at a very hopeful point because of the racist behavior of our first black president. His open racism comes on the heals of a BFO that was needed for a long time. Robert’s BFO has given credence and legitimacy to thoughts that many have had but not uttered; 1) The US is not one of the most racist countries in the world, in fact it’s one of the least, 2) Affirmative Action is a loopy idea which ultimately forwards racism and ironically harms the groups it was intended to assist, 3) Minority don’t hold the key to being race blind, not even wise Latinas.
All of these thoughts that are coming into the open and becoming discussable are needed to finally move forward. While minorities may have seen this as a time to press their advantage, there may be the unintended consequence of rejecting the victim mentality and its fellow affirmative action, which in the end is what is needed.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Generation Atlas verses Generation Hobo
Looking at my children’s generation, I have noticed a split developing. Some of these kids are very well educated, have a sense of purpose, and a good work ethic. They have taken AP classes and came back with good scores. They have strived for good colleges and are not flunking out their freshman year. They’re doing great. And it’s not just “parent pleasing”. It’s heart-felt. It’s with a sense that doing cool stuff is fun. These kids are Generation Atlas.
Another cohort, considerable larger, has a more minimalist approach to life. At least they are minimalist when it comes to effort or risk. When considering reward, they are not necessarily minimalist. This is different from an old fashion hippie. Hippies actively rejected working for the man, the rat race, ulcers, and all of those stereotypes with the notion that they would be rewarded by having a more insightful and meaningful life. Weather you buy or reject the hippie ethos, it was at least rational. Hippies understood that by becoming a dulcimerist and weaver of badly designed hats, they would limit their material potential, and they were ok with that.
Generation Hobo is aligned with the hippie work ethic , but they expect a 4000 square foot house, a $70,000 dollar car, frequent foreign travel (no hostels, please), and a $2,000 pure breed dog. In other words, all the stuff they grew up with. They just don’t want to work like Mom and Dad did and don’t see why they should have to. In short, they live in a bizarre fantasy world, often enabled by parents. Funemployment?
Except for the few enabling parent who happened to make enough cash to support their permachildren indefinitely, this situation is not sustainable. I don’t know how this ends, but there are a limited number of possibilities.
1) Democratic Anarchy. Obama is the first president elected by Generation Hobo. He shares their values, as can be seen in his penchant for spending printed money. Health care is by far the most outrageous example to date and typifies the “why shouldn’t I have that” mentality. The answer, “because you didn’t earn it”, has been casts as some old idea, a throwback to the days of carriage by steam engine. If Generation Hobo continues to vote, they will expect more and more. Government will become the answer, and the “happy” model of northern Europe will become sensible.
This model horrifies me. If it succeeds, I do hope that the Chinese take over the world quickly. Mankind needs some creative force in the world. But I am hopeful that Generation Hobo will soon become simply too lazy to vote, to easily manipulated by their smarter brothers and sisters, and otherwise useless inert being whom the world must tolerate until they expire.
2) Atlas Shrugged. While I don’t expect the plot of Atlas Shrugged to literally transpired, I do believe that Generation Atlas will simply become incensed at Generation Hobo. While continuing to pay for the Hobo’s will cause significant annoyance, the Atlases will find greater complaint in the Hobos lack of contribution, with their very inertness. Their response will be intolerant defense of themselves and their property.
This is a very discomforting outcome because as a matter of survival, the Atlases may have to reject democratic ideals. They are, after all, outvoted by a mob that believes the Atlases should simply share their stuff, that the Atlases were either lucky or unscrupulous in obtaining their wealth. Permachildren will continue to whine, “Not fair!”
3) I’m wrong. Predicting the behavior of future generations is pretty speculative. Even if I have it right, it is still possible that Generation Hobo are only spoil brats, that the wakeup call of Mom and Dad running out of money or the travails of real life problems may wake them up.
I am not the first to predict the end of the world due to the shortcoming of the young, and I hope that (as is normal for this tradition) I am wrong.
Another cohort, considerable larger, has a more minimalist approach to life. At least they are minimalist when it comes to effort or risk. When considering reward, they are not necessarily minimalist. This is different from an old fashion hippie. Hippies actively rejected working for the man, the rat race, ulcers, and all of those stereotypes with the notion that they would be rewarded by having a more insightful and meaningful life. Weather you buy or reject the hippie ethos, it was at least rational. Hippies understood that by becoming a dulcimerist and weaver of badly designed hats, they would limit their material potential, and they were ok with that.
Generation Hobo is aligned with the hippie work ethic , but they expect a 4000 square foot house, a $70,000 dollar car, frequent foreign travel (no hostels, please), and a $2,000 pure breed dog. In other words, all the stuff they grew up with. They just don’t want to work like Mom and Dad did and don’t see why they should have to. In short, they live in a bizarre fantasy world, often enabled by parents. Funemployment?
Except for the few enabling parent who happened to make enough cash to support their permachildren indefinitely, this situation is not sustainable. I don’t know how this ends, but there are a limited number of possibilities.
1) Democratic Anarchy. Obama is the first president elected by Generation Hobo. He shares their values, as can be seen in his penchant for spending printed money. Health care is by far the most outrageous example to date and typifies the “why shouldn’t I have that” mentality. The answer, “because you didn’t earn it”, has been casts as some old idea, a throwback to the days of carriage by steam engine. If Generation Hobo continues to vote, they will expect more and more. Government will become the answer, and the “happy” model of northern Europe will become sensible.
This model horrifies me. If it succeeds, I do hope that the Chinese take over the world quickly. Mankind needs some creative force in the world. But I am hopeful that Generation Hobo will soon become simply too lazy to vote, to easily manipulated by their smarter brothers and sisters, and otherwise useless inert being whom the world must tolerate until they expire.
2) Atlas Shrugged. While I don’t expect the plot of Atlas Shrugged to literally transpired, I do believe that Generation Atlas will simply become incensed at Generation Hobo. While continuing to pay for the Hobo’s will cause significant annoyance, the Atlases will find greater complaint in the Hobos lack of contribution, with their very inertness. Their response will be intolerant defense of themselves and their property.
This is a very discomforting outcome because as a matter of survival, the Atlases may have to reject democratic ideals. They are, after all, outvoted by a mob that believes the Atlases should simply share their stuff, that the Atlases were either lucky or unscrupulous in obtaining their wealth. Permachildren will continue to whine, “Not fair!”
3) I’m wrong. Predicting the behavior of future generations is pretty speculative. Even if I have it right, it is still possible that Generation Hobo are only spoil brats, that the wakeup call of Mom and Dad running out of money or the travails of real life problems may wake them up.
I am not the first to predict the end of the world due to the shortcoming of the young, and I hope that (as is normal for this tradition) I am wrong.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Lost
There are many way people can be successful. Some people are driven by a strong value system. Some people are socially astute and successfully work through others. Some are very bright and keenly solve problems. Each characteristic can work in different ways at different times and could be a virtue in one setting and a hindrance in a different setting.
Obama seems to be none of the above. Ultimately, this is a tragically lost and empty individual.
He landed in office due to style, which he certain has. But now, with no specific ability or being, he’s rapidly becoming a floundering poser. The best evidence of this is the ever shifting postures he sequentially adopts.
With health care, he was insistent that it has to be done NOW. Then it’s ok to wait. Did he fail to see the resistance in the country and how that would translate to behavior in congress? Did he fail to see he would look like a complete idiot because he would be forced into adopting patience, which ultimately reduces his chance at succeeding? He clearly botched it, but was it arrogance or cluelessness? I think it’s best described as vacuous. There is no thought, philosophy, value or anything else driving his actions. Perhaps just some unfounded arrogance.
With regards to the arrested Harvard professor and his initial comments, did he fail to see that the best answer was a non-comitial non-answer? It’s a pretty basic skill and pretty obviously applied to that situation. He apparently failed to understand the underlying disgusted with this professor. Race is part of it, but elite arrogance of a jerk is another part. Yes, people really don’t care if a Harvard prof rots in jail for copping an attitude. Barrack didn’t notice? So today, he’s talking to the cop and a story he doesn’t need in the media is carried forward.
As time goes on, I think the Citizen Kane hypothesis is becoming more valid. We have elected a vain empty soul who wants nothing but love on his own terms.
His behavior from this point forward will be thankfully ineffective but compellingly fascinating. It’s like watching a car wreck on the side of the rode, except this time, I am hoping the driver is dead.
Obama seems to be none of the above. Ultimately, this is a tragically lost and empty individual.
He landed in office due to style, which he certain has. But now, with no specific ability or being, he’s rapidly becoming a floundering poser. The best evidence of this is the ever shifting postures he sequentially adopts.
With health care, he was insistent that it has to be done NOW. Then it’s ok to wait. Did he fail to see the resistance in the country and how that would translate to behavior in congress? Did he fail to see he would look like a complete idiot because he would be forced into adopting patience, which ultimately reduces his chance at succeeding? He clearly botched it, but was it arrogance or cluelessness? I think it’s best described as vacuous. There is no thought, philosophy, value or anything else driving his actions. Perhaps just some unfounded arrogance.
With regards to the arrested Harvard professor and his initial comments, did he fail to see that the best answer was a non-comitial non-answer? It’s a pretty basic skill and pretty obviously applied to that situation. He apparently failed to understand the underlying disgusted with this professor. Race is part of it, but elite arrogance of a jerk is another part. Yes, people really don’t care if a Harvard prof rots in jail for copping an attitude. Barrack didn’t notice? So today, he’s talking to the cop and a story he doesn’t need in the media is carried forward.
As time goes on, I think the Citizen Kane hypothesis is becoming more valid. We have elected a vain empty soul who wants nothing but love on his own terms.
His behavior from this point forward will be thankfully ineffective but compellingly fascinating. It’s like watching a car wreck on the side of the rode, except this time, I am hoping the driver is dead.
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