Van Hollen Blames Victim of DA Ken Kratz for not Following Up!!!

Democratic AG candidate Scott Hassett has apparently been watching the Ken Kratz story closely enough to notice how current AG J.B. Van Hollen has been dealing with the potentially damaging abuse case he put off for 11 months. In his own press release, Hassett labels the debacle:
Van Hollen Launches Statewide “Blame Victims First” Tour.

Incumbent Attorney General JB Va Hollen launched a statewide media offensive this week in which he repeatedly blamed a domestic abuse victim for his lack of action in the Ken Kratz ‘sexting’ scandal. Van Hollen made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions as to why he took no action when police first notified him of Kratz’s predatory behavior nearly a
year ago.

Hold onto your seats, you won’t believe Van Hollen’s unquestioned statements to the press:

“The other aspect of this, that I think people need to remember, is the repeat victim in this case is somebody who could have come forward any time and said ‘Office of Lawyer Regulation didn’t do anything…so at some juncture, I would like to believe that she would have come forward or someone related to her would have come forward. She was certainly advised of various levels of recourse, things that could be done, what was going on, continually kept in the loop, had points of contact with our office that she could access at any time, and provided written materials on a number of occasions laying out what various options she had.” Appleton Post-Crescent, 9.21.10

“In this case, where Ken Kratz had revictimized this one victim, we were providing her services with advice and counsel all along, in this case, and keeping her posted as to what was going on. We had informed her that this case had been turned over to the Office of Lawyer Regulation. I was equally surprised that we hadn’t been informed by her that they had chosen to do nothing. Obviously if we had learned of that, we would have taken action at the time.” WXOW La Crosse TV-19, 9.21.10

If Van Hollen had provided advice and counseling all along, then why didn’t he know the OLR decision or take action? According to Democratic AG candidate Scott Hassett:

"JB Van Hollen is blaming the victim for his own inaction and it’s inexcusable. At a time when he should have been a champion for the victim, Van Hollen instead chose to point the finger at her in an attempt to cover up his involvement in the Kratz ‘sexting’ scandal.”

Update Sept. 26:

The Wisconsin Department of Justice closed its investigation into Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz's sexually charged text messages to a crime victim without interviewing Kratz, according to records of the investigation made public Friday.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Woman says DA harassed her as she sought pardon (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

You carry a Gun, You Threaten my Family.

It’s time for all of us to take back our communities, safety and sanity, by calling in a public disturbance anytime we see someone carrying a gun in our community.

Ask yourself a few questions; Just what argument are they going to win with their firearm? Just what public shoot ‘em up do they think they’re going to win? Are these grown-ups, who never did grow up? Are they rebelling against authority? Do they threaten “domestic tranquility,” as written in the preamble and Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution? And so the story begins…

Five men questioned by Madison police for having holstered handguns in a restaurant on Saturday night have been cited for disorderly conduct, because the complainant felt violence was possible. Initially, two of the five men were issued obstructing a police officer citation because they refused to produce identification. The other three were not cited.

What were the two gun men tying to hide by not showing an ID? How do we know they weren't illegally in this country planning an armed attack on restraunt goers?

The complaint about the armed men sitting at Culver's was made by a 62-year-old Madison woman who called 911, saying she didn't know what the law was but wanted police to check out the situation because she didn't want to be "that one person who saw guns and didn't call and something terrible happens."

"The complaint clearly reveals she recognized the potential for violence from these armed men and it was this fear that motivated her call to police," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

"It is my expectation that MPD officers encountering individuals who are armed with firearms in public places will take a pro-enforcement approach," Wray said in the memo. "If the investigation shows probable cause for a violation, the suspect should be arrested or cited," Wray said.

What we should watch for is how the courts will determine what constitutes a public disturbance or danger. Will it decide against a perceived threat to an individual or family, and allow armed individuals to roam freely around unarmed defenseless Americans, just so we can avoid lawsuits? Is there a Constitutional issue regarding a citizen’s right to domestic tranquility, knowing there are untrained, emotionally unstable armed individuals mixing into our public places? If law enforcement screens out applicants they find unfit to carry a gun and protect society, why don’t we have similar protections in place to weed out paranoid open carry advocates?

Madison Sgt. Shawn Engel said police can cite individuals for refusing to identify themselves depending on "the totality of what goes on ... in the event that we're investigating." "The concern we would have, if any business calls, is that we don't know the persons' intent, who they are or what their intentions are," he said. "Whether they have a legal right to carry, we are certainly not going to infringe on those rights, but we have to insure the safety of the community as a whole."

Related articles by Zemanta

• Loophole allowed accused killer to carry gun (philly.com)
• Why Carry a Gun? (lewrockwell.com)

Vouchers do poorly, do well, Just like public schools.

How are voucher schools doing against public schools in Ohio? The results again are mixed, and actual apples to apples comparisons still haven't been done. The Columbus Dispatch:

The statewide comparison of voucher to public-school students isn't all that usefull … It pits students who use vouchers to avoid academically troubled public schools against the entire state's public schools, most of which aren't allowed to offer vouchers.

More helpful to families would be a comparison of voucher students and the public schools they'd otherwise attend, he said.

On the whole, Ohio students who used tax-funded vouchers to attend private schools last school year did no better on state tests than public-school students. That was true in the Columbus City Schools, too, where district students outperformed voucher students on seven of 12 standardized tests. The public-school students bested their private-school counterparts most often in math. But middle-school voucher students had better passing rates, particularly on last school year's state reading exams.

The test-passing rates are only a snapshot. There's no way to tell from the rates alone whether middle-school students fared better in private schools in Columbus because the private schools are superior to district schools or because the students already were high-performing. By law, the department was told to report how students performed based on how long they've been using a voucher; compare how poor children did; and disclose the performance of voucher students by private school.

The reports don't include those breakdowns because doing so might make it possible to identify students, which is illegal, a state spokeswoman said.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Overall, public-school students did better on state tests than those using vouchers (dispatch.com)
• Do teachers get paid more for private schools or public schools? (greenanswers.com)

Walker Makes Olbermann's Worst Persons Again for his juvenile stunt of pettyness.

Scott Walker's latest gimmick is to make fun of his Democratic opponent for governor, at the expense of debating the actual issues. Here's jsonline with the lowdown:

Olbermann’s nightly dig, often aimed at conservatives, criticizes Walker for releasing a 68-page economic plan that used headline-sized type to make the plan longer than his Democratic rival’s, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

The Walker campaign said Barrett’s 67-page economic plan, issued last summer, includes 35 pages of more spending and 10 pages of more regulations. “Scott is focused more on common sense solutions to get us back to work, not page length,” Jill Bader, Walker’s campaign spokesman, said in a statement.

Zemanta" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=2749993c-50e1-4d83-8508-dd3539666ad8">

O'Donnell a Criminal. Ed Schultz and C.R.E.W's Melanie Sloan

Keep in mind, this is not about derailing her campaign, since this will affect her situation no matter what happens.

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Here's Brave New Film's piece on it...

O'Donnell believes administration "czars" unconstitutional Royalty.

Christine O'Donnell should be viewed as a peak into how far conservatives will weave, spin and justify doing whatever they want and still say they're upholding the constitution. As I've mentioned before, the Constitution is fast becoming a mere symbol, a founding document that means what they say it means at the time. Their doing it now.

The mosque controversies slippery slope: We first found out that freedom of religion works only if it doesn't offend most people. But then governor candidate Republican Carl Paladino, backed by the Tea Party movement, would use the power of eminent domain to take the site. That violates everything constitutional conservatives believe when it comes to protecting an individuals property rights and freedoms. But in this case, we can make an exception?

O'Donnell would blur the line of government and religion, maybe even justify erasing it completely someday. But the czar issue is a bizarre one. Watch as Keith Olbermann and Paul Waldman try to figure it out...

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Last National Christine O'Donnell Interview Ever, Ever (queerty.com)
• Poll: Christine O'Donnell unqualified (salon.com)
• Jim DeMint's New TV Ad for Christine O'Donnell (politicsdaily.com)

Republicans opt to duck the public right to know by avoiding “gotcha” press. Who’s buying this?

Victim hood is owned hook, line and sinker by conservatives. Sarah Palin proved once again that avoiding the press by portraying media criticism of her as “personal” and “gotcha” politics is a winner. Why offer unpopular ideological proposals to reform Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public education, gay issues and religion when you can avoid the press completely and ride public anger into office?

Rand Paul no longer has to tell the public where his libertarian stand is on the issues. Sharron Angle, Joe Miller, Scott Brown and Christine O’Donnell joined him. Here in Wisconsin, Republican unknown millionaire and Sen. Candidate Ron Johnson put off all debates until the second week in October, taking advantage of his primary bump and avoiding adding to his long list of gaffes.

But oddly missing, again, are tea party activists who apparently agree, the best strategy to gain power is the politics of...silence.

The politics of silence says a lot about their national vision and draconian big government, one party agenda.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Scrutiny and 'nitpicking' aren't the same thing (washingtonmonthly.com)


• Christine O'Donnell Takes Sarah Palin's Advice, Will Go On Hannity To 'Speak Through Fox News' (huffingtonpost.com)


• The Last National Christine O'Donnell Interview Ever, Ever (queerty.com)

Democrats trying to Scare Seniors in Social Security Debate?

It’s time we put this big talking point to rest.

When Republicans tell Americans that social security is bankrupt (which it isn’t), a Ponzi scheme, and won’t be there for Gen Xers, that’s a scare tactic.

When Democrats tell Americans Social Security is sound, not part of the countries deficit, will still pay out 78 percent without any changes till 2041, needs slight tweaking and is keeping seniors out of poverty, that’s NOT A SCARE TACTIC!!!

Two Wisconsin State Journal articles continue to perpetuate the Republican "both sides" misdirection play:

James Roosevelt, Jr., said the television commercial being aired by Wisconsin's Republican Senate candidate Ron Johnson is off base in comparing a system many seniors rely on to an investment fraud such as the one perpetrated by Bernie Madoff. "People like Ron Johnson should stop scaring senior citizens," Roosevelt said from Boston in a phone call to news reporters.

Roosevelt also accused Johnson and two other Republicans, Wisconsin House Candidate Sean Duffy and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, of using the election to eliminate Social Security, privatize it and cut benefits.

Was that really a scare tactic fabricated by Roosevelt? No. But “can’t we all get along” experts continue to blame “both sides.” For example:

But Charles Franklin, UW-Madison political science professor, said both Republicans and Democrats are using the issue to scare older voters. "Calm, rational debate has not been the hallmark of our politics on this issue," he said. "Older people vote, and this is a big deal for them."

Democrats aren’t trying to scare anyone. If breaking the New Deal up into little pieces isn’t really what’s being proposed by conservative politicians, then will someone please tell me what they are trying to do?

The bottom line question is and will always be: If the government saves money by reducing its role in Social Security and Medicare, two programs that continue to see cost increases, who picks up the balance? Seniors.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Halperin: Obama fumbling Social Security reform by running Dem playbook (hotair.com)

Bristol's Dance with the Devil, 666

Wisconsin DA's Sexting Conduct may end up at the door of J.B. Van Hollen.

"GMA" interviewed Gov. Jim Doyle .... “who is looking into the case of the "sexting" state prosecutor – a man who admitted to sending more than 30 text messages in three days to a victim of domestic violence whose case he was working on.”

This is an appalling case that has everyone in the state scratching their heads. What is it about Republican office holders who don’t feel shamed enough to leave office on their own, insist they’re innocent, and act outraged that so many people overreacted to the allegations. Now that 2 other victims have stepped forward, something Kratz could have easily predicted, he’s taken a leave of absence.

The fallout might go further up. For nearly a year Kratz's friend and colleague Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen did nothing. The Capital Times wrote this editorial:

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen should welcome and cooperate fully with an independent investigation of charges that he attempted to protect a political ally who stands accused of gross misconduct. To do otherwise would invite suspicion that Van Hollen engaged in activities that would merit his removal as attorney general … Van Hollen is a longtime political ally of Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz, who sent 30 text messages soliciting a sexual relationship with a domestic abuse victim whose case he was handling in his official capacity.

Van Hollen learned of the concerns regarding Kratz more than 11 months ago. Yet he did not refer the case to Gov. Jim Doyle, who has the authority to remove district attorneys ... Nor did Van Hollen take a lead in addressing the serious issues raised by the Kratz case, issues that go to the integrity of law enforcement in Wisconsin. Van Hollen has been linked to one of the most serious scandals involving a public official in recent Wisconsin history … an independent investigation is needed.

Here's the GMA video:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Third Woman Accuses Wisconsin DA of 'Sexting' Harassment (abcnews.go.com)
• Ken Kratz: Medical Leave (freedomeden.blogspot.com)
• The 'Sexting' Prosecutor, Ken 'I Am the Prize' Kratz:Does He See Dead People (On a Date)? (abovethelaw.com)
• Wis. DA Denies Asking Woman on Date to an Autopsy (abcnews.go.com)

Gen Xers better Wise up; Pensions Gone and GOP Reductions in Social Security. Stop and Think, Grow up!!!

The idea that Social Security won't be there for Gen Xers has been sold successfully by Republicans through constant repetition. But the younger more irresponsible generation better grow up fast and understand that people that look like they could be their parents, aren't, and don't have your best interest at heart.

With the reality of low wages and no benefits, Gen Xers should be fighting to shore up Social Security now, before it's too late. The market place takes care of the bottom line, not you, unlike the free market Ayn Randers who would have you believe otherwise. Rep. Paul Ryan and others assume prices in a competitive market place will only get lower. Have they really? Cell phones aren't cheaper than land lines, LCD monitors aren't cheaper than the old box tube sets, car prices aren't under $7000 anymore and rents aren't about go any lower. Colleges getting cheaper? Competition does not mean lower prices or provide better health care either. These are mythical images conjured up by freedom loving corporate interests.

Don't let Republicans raise the retirement age...

EPI Vice President Ross Eisenbrey … outlined the problems with raising the retirement age in op-eds in USA Today and U.S. News and World Report, where he stated that raising the retirement age cuts benefits for all retirees, no matter when they retire. "The fact of the matter is that benefits are already less than modest," Eisenbrey wrote in the U.S. News piece. He stressed that, even with Social Security, 3.5 million seniors are already living below the poverty threshold.

The Huffington Post also quoted Eisenbrey describing how "the key sources of income retirees are relying on are either under attack, in the case of Social Security, or disappearing, in the case of traditional pensions."

"The early Boomers are better off than the late Boomers, and God help the poor Gen Xers. Seventy percent of them are on a track that leads to a fallen standard of living in retirement," said Eisenbrey.

CEOs making $1 million pay Social Security taxes on about 10% of their salaries; secretaries pay on 100%.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Generation X'ers Looking At Big Financial Problems As They Reach Retirement (realestateradiousa.com)
• Cutting Benefits Isn't the Way to Save Social Security (politics.usnews.com)
• How Work Impacts Social Security Benefits (money.usnews.com)

After government negotiations, Medicare Advantage has Lower rate. Free market or saving money?

Looks like the Republicans are wrong again, this time when it comes to Medicare’s Advantage program. Yet the press will never highlight reality over fear mongering, and Democrats will never mention their accomplishments. The squeaky wheel get the … One more thing; Republicans claim the largess of government gives it an unfair advantage when negotiating rates, yet the private health care industry can always walk away if they don't like the deal. How unfair is that? It isn't.

Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans will pay slightly less next year for their health insurance, Obama administration officials announced … The average monthly premium in the private Medicare Advantage plans will drop to $35.69 in 2011, which is 45 cents less than this year's average monthly cost … the healthcare reform law gave the federal government new authority to negotiate, the government was able to refuse contracts to plans with high bids.

"The Affordable Care Act gave us new authority to negotiate with health plans in a competitive marketplace," Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Donald Berwick, MD, said. "As a result, our beneficiaries will save money and maintain their benefits."

The move comes despite predictions that beneficiaries enrolled in the private plans offered through Medicare would see a sharp increase in out-of-pocket costs after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cut billions from the plans and added new restrictions on what they can charge and what they must cover.

The truth is many of the features in Medicare Advantage will switch over to the standard Medicare program.

Jonathan Blum, deputy administrator and director of CMS' Center for Medicare Management negotiated with about 300 Medicare Advantage plans and convinced them not to raise their premiums for 2011.

Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, in a prepared statement, said, "Nevertheless, as deep cuts go into effect in the coming years, government experts have forecasted that millions of seniors will experience higher costs, reduced benefits, and fewer choices.

Again, many of the Advantage feature will be covered under Medicare, and those who wish to negotiate will continue to provide services. Ignagni’s scare tactic is a cheap attempt to blunt the new negotiated lower rates.

Related articles by Zemanta

• You: Medicare Advantage Premiums to Fall in 2011 (nytimes.com)
• Medicare Advantage premiums to dip in 2011 (reuters.com)
• Medicare Advantage premiums to drop 1% in 2011 (marketwatch.com)

Teacher Incentive Pay Doesn't Work. Unions and Teachers-"We Told You So."

We've watched the clever cartoon evaluating incentive pay on YouTube and found performance improved for manual labor, and not creative or intellectual work.



That left many wondering why the Bush and Obama administrations want to persue a system that included merit pay. Now, a new study drives a stake through the heart of the whole teacher incentive pay idea.

Education Week: The most rigorous study of performance-based teacher compensation ever conducted in the United States shows that a nationally watched bonus-pay system had no overall impact on student achievement—results released today that are certain to set off a firestorm of debate.

Nearly 300 middle school mathematics teachers in Nashville, Tenn., voluntarily took part in the Project on Incentives in Teaching, a three-year randomized experiment conducted by researchers affiliated with the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University.

But it yielded only two small positive findings, limited to 5th graders in the second and third year of the experiment. No effects were seen for students in grades 6-8 in any year of study.

The findings arrive in a highly charged teacher-quality policy environment, in which many states and districts, with support from the Obama administration, are overhauling current practices for preparing, evaluating, and compensating teachers. And they come at a particularly inopportune time for the U.S. Department of Education, which is scheduled to announce a fresh slate of grantees this month under a federal program designed to seed merit-pay programs for teachers and principals.

On average, students taught by the teachers taking part in the program did not make larger academic gains than those taught by teachers in the normal wage group. The sole exception was in grade 5 in the second and third years of study. In those years, the incentive pay was linked to statistically significant increases in student scores—an increase, the report states, equal to between a third and a half year of learning. But the effect did not appear to persist. “By the end of 6th grade,” the study states, “it does not matter whether a student had a treatment teacher in grade 5.”

“It’s a really well-designed study, and it’s really important because a lot of the debate about performance pay has been evidence-free,” said Steven N. Glazerman, a principal researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, a Princeton, N.J.-based evaluation firm.

“A lot of the discussion about performance pay is based on a faulty assumption that the reason we don’t have higher test scores is that teachers are shirking their responsibilities,” said Helen F. Ladd, a professor of public policy and economics at Duke University in Durham, N.C., about the findings.

Mr. Mance of the Tennessee Education Association said the study confirms what many teachers and unions have long believed: that teachers are already hardworking. For this study to show positive results, he said, “you’d have to have teachers who were saving their best strategies for an opportunity to get paid for them, and that is an absurd proposition.”

Related articles by Zemanta

• Study: Teacher bonuses don't affect student tests (sfgate.com)
• Study: Paying Teachers for Student Performance Doesn't Raise Test Scores (politicsdaily.com)

The Koch Brothers? Like Rupert Murdock, these billionaires have influenced Politics way more than villain George Soros.

Corporate American is about to win again, thanks to a well funded campaign and a ballot initiative that would effectively kill California's clean energy law. This law has been the target of Republicans and big energy interests for years, but with the help of the Supreme Court decision that disputed the influence of money, free market capitalism now owns our elections.

NY Times: Four years ago, bipartisan majorities in the California Legislature
approved a landmark clean energy bill that many hoped would serve as a template for a national effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil and mitigate the threat of climate change. Now a well-financed coalition of right-wing ideologues, out-of-state oil and gas companies and climate-change skeptics is seeking to effectively kill that law with an initiative on the November state ballot.

The money men include Charles and David Koch, the Kansas oil and gas billionaires who have played a prominent role in financing the Tea Party movement. The prospect that these rules could reduce gasoline consumption strikes terror into some energy companies. The Koch brothers have contributed about $1 million, partly because they worry about damage to the bottom line at Koch Industries, and also because they believe that climate change is a left-wing hoax.

This horrifically blatant pro-oil industry ad is so arrogantly silly, it's almost laughable.

They have argued that the law will lead to higher energy costs and job losses, arguments that resonate with many voters in a state with a 12.4 percent unemployment rate.

But this overlooks the enormous increase in investments in clean energy technologies — and the jobs associated with them — since the law was passed. AB 32’s many friends — led by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California — have therefore mounted a spirited counterattack in defense of the law. Another respected Republican, George Shultz — a cabinet member in both the Nixon and Reagan administrations — has signed on as a co-chairman of this effort. Mr. Shultz credits AB 32 for an unprecedented “outburst” of technological creativity and investment.

Who wins if this law is repudiated? The Koch brothers, maybe, but the biggest winners will be the Chinese, who are already moving briskly ahead in the clean technology race.

Here's more on the Koch brothers and their Rally for Jobs, or "Help our Bottom Line," from Rachel Maddow:

Texas State Board of Education Warns Book Publishers! Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Keep in mind that none of what you are about to read is true from the Texas State Board of Education. It’s more insane ranting from a group of religious zealots. The facts follow.

The Agenda for this week's meeting of the Texas State Board of Education includes a resolution on "Balanced Treatment of Religious Groups in Textbooks." According to the Dallas Morning News last week, the resolution warns textbook publishers not to include "pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions, in social study texts." The resolution cites world history texts no longer used in Texas schools, that devoted far more space to Muslim beliefs and practices than Christian ones, and other books that focused on Christian Crusaders' killing of Muslims in 1099, but not Muslim killings of Christians in the 13th century.

A spokesperson for the Texas Freedom Network says the resolution's charges are superficial and misleading. Sponsors of the resolution warn that "Middle Easterners" are investing in U.S. textbook companies. The Texas Freedom Network (TFN) has completed an analysis that proves the resolution’s claims are highly misleading and plainly inaccurate. According to TFN, the resolution doesn’t take into consideration entire textbook sections that deal with Christianity, including those on the Reformation, Christian influences during the Renaissance and canon law and church reform.

The resolution also grossly exaggerates when it claims these textbooks have ignored
atrocities committed by Islamic leaders. For example, one textbook explicitly discusses the massacre of 100,000 Hindu prisoners by a Muslim leader after a 14th-century battle. Islamic societies’ treatment of women and slaves throughout history is also mentioned.

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Beaumont Enterprise: State Board of Education to consider Islam (beaumontenterprise.com)
• Michael Zimmerman, Ph.D.: The Texas State Board of Education Embraces Islamophobia (huffingtonpost.com)

Chipping away at History: Texas conservatives Given Pass, Changes no Big Deal.

Professional industry magazine, Education Week, reports a recent study determined the Texas Board of Education conservative activists changes were minor, and overblown in the press.

So…leave the changes in this time? Leave the changes in next time too? They were bad ideological changes, but not that bad, "for the most part." Actual history has a liberal, fact based slant, that needs to be balanced. What a report:

Criticism of Texas Social Studies Standards Overblown, Analyst Says By Erik Robelen: You may recall all the controversy earlier this year over the work by the Texas state school board, led by a bloc of social conservatives, to revamp the state's social studies standards. But if you look at the final product, the controversy was way overblown, according to Gilbert Sewall, the founder and director of the American Textbook Council, an independent research organization in New York City that reviews history textbooks and other educational materials.

In a new commentary posted on The Answer Sheet, a blog from The Washington Post, he offers some analysis that is sure to ruffle feathers among the board's sympathizers and its sharp critics. "Whatever the fine points and actual language, millions of Americans think Christian extremists on the Texas state school board have completed a radical history overhaul destined to corrupt textbooks nationwide," he writes. "If it is a conservative victory, it is a Pyrrhic victory … "No doubt a few changes—out of thousands of items—were pointed. Republicans tried to use state power to spin historical accounts as they saw them, exactly as multiculturalists have done since the 1990s. Claims of a radical assault on history are false."

Multiculturalists spin? As defined by Wordweb, multiculturalism is the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. What a outrage? Is that comparable to a Christian extremist spin? But that’s okay, because “for the most part,” not much has changed.

In the end, Sewall contends that the "final Texas standards are for the most part conventional and inclusive. A few items betray a conservative viewpoint. They do not warrant the attention and defamation they have received nor the hysteria they have generated. Little has changed. The new standards on the whole conform to what's already in textbooks, and the impact on history textbooks nationwide will be very limited."

Who will feel comfort in, “the impact will be limited?” This time, and next time too?

Sewall … suggests that in some cases, conservative board members and their allies generated more negative attention with their rhetoric than with what actually ended up in the new standards. And indeed, as he notes, a lot of initial revisions were softened after debate. "The truth is, in the final version, the board majority made many adjustments or retractions to meet criticisms. The one world history item that originally dropped Jefferson restored him. Dolores Huerta stayed. Latino contributions to Texas history remain largely intact. Diversity was alive and well."

Related articles by Zemanta

• "More Trouble In Texas: State School Board (Sigh) Considers Ridiculous Resolution" and related posts (au.org)
• Michael Zimmerman, Ph.D.: The Texas State Board of Education Embraces Islamophobia (huffingtonpost.com)
• "Texas State Board of Education Will Consider Resolution on Anti-Christian Focus In Textbooks" and related posts (religionclause.blogspot.com)
• Texas Textbook Massacre: State Board Suggests Books 'Tainted' With 'Pro-Islamic, Anti-Christian Distortions' (huffingtonpost.com)

Bush Tax Cuts equal the Money it Takes to Save Social Security...we already know how the Republicans will vote.

When it comes to Social Security, I am endorsing the plan backed by radio host and author Thom Hartmann, where we lower the age of retirement to around 55, almost double the benefits, and lift the cap completely. Lowering the age would open the market for a new generation of job seekers and raising the benefit would boost spending and the economy. Having said that, the current atrophied mind set of politicians is squarely focused on CUTTING benefits and keeping workers...at work.

Ezra Klein recently pointed out the problem we have with those planning to save Social Security:

You could work longer. Raising the Social Security retirement age has become as close to a consensus position as exists in American politics. Social Security provides disability insurance and survivor’s benefits, but when people talk about it, they tend to be referring to its role as a program that provides income support to retirees. The average monthly benefit of $1,170 replaces about 39 percent of the person’s pre-retirement earnings. Over the next two decades, the “replacement rate” is slated to drop to 31 percent. That is less than in most developed countries -- the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranks it 25 out of 30 member nations. The system, in other words, is not that generous, and it’s becoming less so every year.

The issue isn’t that Social Security is spending too much or that we’re living too long. It’s that we’re not having enough children (or letting in enough immigrants). As Stephen C. Goss, the system’s chief actuary, has written, Social Security projects an imbalance “because birth rates dropped from three to two children per woman.” That means there are relatively fewer young people paying for the old people … this shortfall is basically stable after 2035.” In other words, we only have to fix Social Security once.

To put that in perspective, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculates that it’s about as much as George W. Bush’s tax cuts for the rich will cost over the same period. Saying we can afford those cuts -- which is the consensus Republican position -- but not Social Security’s outlay is nonsensical. Coming up with 0.7 percent of GDP isn’t a crisis. It’s a question of priorities.

I could end the story here, but Klein continues with this critique of Paul Ryan’s plan:

Start with the basic rationale for raising the retirement age. As Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., has argued, when Social Security was signed into law, the retirement age was 65 and life expectancy was 63. “The numbers added up pretty well back then,” he said on Fox News. But that’s misleading. That figure was driven by high infant mortality. If you were a white male who’d made it to age 60 in 1935, you could expect 15 more years going forward. If you’re a white male who lives to 60 today, you can expect 20 more years going forward.

It should be restated as: “Social Security beneficiaries tend to live somewhat longer today than they did in 1935, and that’s much more true of rich beneficiaries than poor beneficiaries.”

An August survey from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research tested reactions to a variety of Social Security fixes. One of the options was raising the retirement age to 70. Two-thirds of respondents opposed it. Another option was eliminating the cap on payroll taxes so that well-off workers pay the tax on their full income, just as middle-income workers do now. A solid 61 percent supported it.

That’s almost the reverse of the conversation in Washington, where affluent people who like their jobs propose cutting benefits for the poor (which is, after all, what raising the retirement age would do) rather than lowering benefits or increasing the payroll tax on, well, themselves.

Related articles by Zemanta

• You: We Should Leave Social Security Alone (newsweek.com:80)


• Labor Day realities about Social Security (dailykos.com)


• The End of Social Security as We Know It (wallstreetpit.com)


• Cutting Benefits Isn't the Way to Save Social Security (politics.usnews.com)

Obama gets a much deserved Reality Check!

President Obama's declining ratings have more to do with disappointed Democrats. Blue Dog conservative Democrats are self destructive enough, but what we didn't expect to get was a compromiser and centrist as president. What we wanted to see was an FDR like force. Guess I wasn't the only one with high expectations.



While Republicans have marketed Obama as a left wing socialist, nothing could be further from the truth. It just proves how effective advertising can be.

By the way, I don't recall anyone asking questions like this at any Bush town halls, especially about borrowed spending and low job creation.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Velma Hart Bombshell (thedailybeast.com)
• Obama deserves respect (timesunion.com)

Sen. Bob Corker, Who Voted to Destroy U.S. Auto Makers, is thanked for Saving them!!!

One of the biggest mistakes by the Republican Party, after causing the Great Global Recession, was there attempt to take out the American auto industry. Looking back at it now, the Republicans couldn't have been more wrong in their position. Remember their frightening industry scenario's on how it would impact the rest of the country if we were to "bail" them out?

For a party that protects the American capitalistic, free market system, they were quick to demand the adoption of the Japanese wage model used in U.S. auto plants to drop unions, wages and our middle class standard of living.

Which bring us to Sen. Bob Corker (R), who vehemently opposed the industry and union workers to the point where he eventually voted to get rid of them. Now he's taking credit for having been a part of saving the industry. Rachel Maddow noticed:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Bob Corker's chickens come home to roost (salon.com)
• Senator Bob Corker And Other Republicans Applaud Themselves For Bailout They Opposed (alan.com)
• Taking credit for policies they opposed (washingtonmonthly.com)

Wisconsin Republicans/Tea Party Movement tries to Illegally Block Minority/Student voters in “Caging” scheme. What could possibly be wrong with that?

There are so many things wrong with yet another GOP attempt to purge certain voters from their right to cast a ballot, that’s it can’t be summed up in just a few lines. Here’s a simplified look at the voter cleansing action by Republicans and tea partiers, from One Wisconsin Now:

A coordinated plot by the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin and organizations in the so-called Tea Party movement targeting minority voters and college students in a possibly illegal "voter caging" effort for voter suppression has been uncovered in evidence we have obtained. Based on what we have heard, the RPW, the Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin and leading Tea Party organizations are in collusion in an effort to suppress the ability of minorities and university students in Wisconsin to exercise their right to vote this November.

What is Voter Caging:

Voter caging is the practice of sending mail to addresses on the voter rolls, compiling a list of the mail that is returned undelivered, and using that list to purge or challenge voters registrations on the grounds that the voters on the list do not legally reside at their registered addresses.

Rules are meant to be broken:

Federal law prohibits racially targeted caging operations. Statements made during the June 12 meeting make clear that race is a motivating factor in the planned caging and challenge effort. Example:

Tim Dake, head of the GrandSons of Liberty-“Four years ago I lived in a brand new condo, the first people to live in it. I went to vote and found twelve people registered at my address. My wife and I are the only people to have lived there. Yet, there were twelve people registered to vote. I couldn't believe it. They said, "Wow, you must have a big family." And I'm looking at names and going, "No, there's nobody named'Nguyen' and 'Din' and that sort of thing in my family." So that's the kind of thing we need to clean up…”

2. Federal law makes clear that elector challenges cannot be based solely on returned mail. The organizations' plans to recruit individuals to become poll workers in order to conduct challenges based on the returned mail would result in individuals acting unlawfully under color of state law.

3. Federal law also makes clear that private actors are similarly prohibited from challenging voters based solely on undelivered mail.

4. Disturbingly, the mail program described by the Tea Party members will contain false and misleading information. The Tea Party plans to tell certain voters that their name may be removed if they fail to call the telephone number provided. It would be illegal to remove a voter from the statewide database based on this reason.

5. The deceptive nature of the planned mailing is particularly troubling because the mailing described would almost certainly would appear to be an official governmental mailing. For the same reasons that it is unlawful to use official attire to challenge a voter at the polls on Election Day, it is unlawful to send a mailing that appears to be an official action of the governmental.

Based on our discussions with legal counsel, we believe certain statements made at this Tea Party meeting clearly outline a plan by these organizations to engage in what may potentially be illegal conduct. The full recordings, as well as a transcript and other information, is available at One Wisconsin Now's voter protection website: http://www.savewisconsinsvote2010.org/.