Geithner, Rybak, Honeywell

I don’t trust these guys. The bankster Treasury Secretary and the thumper Mayor at a weapons company yesterday. And in my home city. They probably met in private, and it probably wasn’t good.

“Geithner tours Honeywell plant in Golden Valley”

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation_world/20100128_ap_geithnertourshoneywellplantingoldenvalley.html

The mayor had a chance to use stimulus money for a solar panel company, but instead put more into refurbishing a mothballed theater.

All talk and no action

Obama needs to meet with his 59 senators right on C-SPAN, and say, “I’m going to kick 8 of you out of the room. What’s the most we can get on health care?” Then he needs to spend a lot of time in the states of the problem senators of his own party, and start campaigning against them if necessary – states like Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Montana.

Obama budget meat axe

It looks like Obama is already running scared as a result of last week’s Supreme Court ruling giving the rich unlimited propaganda powers. This is a total 180 from the campaign, when Obama said McCain’s plan was a “hatchet” when we needed a “scalpel.”

Obama supporters’ only hope now is the Senate “nuclear option” and a sweeping overhaul that would somehow show results by November. But that ain’t going to happen. Prepare to be brainwashed by political advertising, even more than you are now.

The rich conservatives now control the corporations, most media, and they have the power to rig elections if they want to. One way to fight back is to demonstrate viability by signing David Shove’s petition, or to join one of these Facebook groups:

I Pledge to Vote Against Obama in 2012
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=257809707546

I'll vote for Cynthia McKinney if everybody else does!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=261383916692

This is sad

Jeanine Estimé finally makes the news. Too bad it couldn’t have been under more positive circumstances. “A Minn. Family With Ties To Haiti Talks”

http://wcco.com/video/?id=73694@wcco.dayport.com

Tom Cleland
Golden Valley

Losing on purpose?

On the radio today a caller wondered aloud if Martha Coakley took a dive, since there’s so much health care money on the table. In 2004, I wondered if “Kerry threw the election” as part of a “bipartisan script.” Election fraud is also a very real possibility, as it was in 2004.

In 2010 I wonder, has Obama sold his soul for money, or, heaven forbid, is the mafia holding a gun to his head? If by some remote chance the president is threatened, then he needs our help. Maybe we could identify those individuals who are doing the threatening, and then citizens could take to the streets outside their homes in peaceful protest. Whether they’re using a carrot or a stick, let’s shine a bright light on these puppeteers, and cut the strings!

Senate, House healthcare bills

FACTBOX-Major differences in Senate, House healthcare bills

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2317087220091224

(Excerpts)

PUBLIC OPTION: “The Senate bill has no public option. However it requires the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the health policies for 8 million federal workers and their families, to contract with private insurance companies to offer policies on the exchanges.”

So people still have to go through private insurance companies.

FINANCING: “The Senate bill includes a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans.”

Like for coal miners and other high-risk occupations.

ABORTION: “The House bill contains tougher language that would require anyone seeking coverage for elective abortions to purchase separate insurance riders.”

Women who are currently covered will suddenly be affected.

COVERAGE MANDATES: “Both the Senate and the House require most individuals to obtain health insurance. Both bills impose a penalty on those who fail to get coverage. The House would impose a 2.5-percent penalty tax on income up to the average cost of an insurance policy. The Senate would phase in a $750-per-person annual penalty up to $2,250 per family or a penalty of 2 percent of taxable income, whichever is greater. The full penalty would take effect in 2016.”

What if somebody doesn’t have the $750?

Democrats infiltrate Green Party

Progressive activists beware of working with the following people:

Holle Brian
Tom Dunwall
Stephen Eisenmenger
Andy Exley
Robin Garwood
Darrell Gerber
Eric Gilbertson
Cam Gordon
Kristina Gronquist
Ashley James
Tori Johnston
Tim Jordan
Bill Kingsbury
Sue Leskala
Eric Oines
Becki Smith
David Strand
Virginia Sutton
Annie Young
Jessica Zeglin

These people have not signed a pledge to vote against Obama in 2012.

Some have actively opposed the petition. Others showed up today to vote me off the 5CD Steering Committee, after I strongly supported the petition. A few of them (Dunwall, Eisenmenger, Gronquist, and Sutton) had not been to a meeting in over three years. To be fair, a couple of them may have voted for me, but none have signed the pledge.

Technically, what unites Greens is agreement on the Ten Key Values. It’s hard to imagine supporting the 10KV and not going on record against Obama, so as far as I’m concerned, they’re Democrats. Many of them are supporters of incumbents Annie Young and Cam Gordon. Young herself has stated that 80% of her voters are Democrats, and Gordon has endorsed the DFL mayor.

If I sound embittered, I am! It’s hard enough to try to get a third party movement off the ground, without interference from people who don’t share your goals.

I was not the only SC member to lose my seat. Along with mine, John Matheson’s seat, and the seat vacated by Dan Dittmann, were also lost, to James, Johnston, and Leskala. The composition of the SC is now 4 Greens and 3 Democrats, but because of the Green Party consensus process, which requires a 2/3 supermajority to override a blocking concern, there could be gridlock.

I want to thank Farheen Hakeem, Dave Bicking, Kevin Chavis, Ayan Deria, John Matheson, and Mary Metchnek, who supported me at the meeting, though the latter four (the four Greens on the SC) have not signed the petition.

As I have already stated, I now plan to put my time to more productive use. I plan to remain a member of the Green Party, though, as I have stated, I am only interested in working with people who have signed the petition. It helps to know who shares the same values, both inside and outside the Green Party. Also, it’s no secret that, after being in the GPMN for 10 years, and serving on the 5CDGP SC for 3 years, I am somewhat burned out. I am looking forward to having more time to do other things! Peace, Tom

Haiti Earthquake

So far, the response to the Haiti Earthquake looks a lot better than the response to Hurricane Katrina. But that’s still no reason to vote for Democrats. Under Bill Clinton and NAFTA, the rice tariffs were removed, forcing the farmers into Port-au-Prince, working in sweatshops, and vulnerable to the earthquake.

http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/01/how-washingtons-plot-against-haiti-worsened-the-disaster/

…And after hearing Pat Robertson’s remarks, the HAARP theory doesn’t sound nearly so crazy. May the forces of evil meet with justice, in this world or in the next.

Pledge 2012: No vote for Obama

Some of Barack Obama's bad actions:

30,000 more troops to Afghanistan
record high military budget
bombing by unmanned drones in Pakistan
continued Iraq war
rejection of landmine treaty
continued torture and coverup of past torture
support for Honduras coup
support for Israeli occupation of Palestine
suppression of Goldstone Gaza war report
bank bailout
no prosecution or even investigation of Bush & Co
reaffirmation of Patriot Act
for insurance companies & vs single payer
support for expanded nuclear power

For these, and many other bad actions,

We the undersigned publicly pledge not to vote for Barack Obama for US president in 2012.

Robert Halfhill
Amber Garlan
Tom Cleland
David Weisberg
Dave Bicking
Andy Hamerlinck
Doug Mann
Ted Dooley
Melissa Hill
Dori Ullman
Ryan Carey
Jan McGee
Bill Oldfather
Carol Mellom
Michelle Gross
Mike Whelan
Robert Palmer
Tom Dooley
Tim Nolan
Johnny Hazard
Suzanne Linton
Michael Cavlan
Steven Boyer
John Simcox
Louise Bouta
Vanessa Vogl
Lisa Grant
M J Schoen
Clinton Dietrich
Lydia Howell
David Shove
[room for YOUR name]

[As of 12/30/2009 -- tom]

==end of pledge

[To sign this pledge, email David Shove or myself from your standard personal email address, with your name, and the words: No Obama 2012 vote. Or post a comment below, or contact me on facebook. -- tom]

The above will be published regularly on the Progressive Calendar, Green Party lists, etc. Continuing chances for additional people to sign.

If you need to research any topic raised here, go to eg:
CounterPunch http://counterpunch.org
Dissident Voice http://dissidentvoice.org
Common Dreams http://commondreams.org
Once you're there, do a search on your topic, eg obama drones

Don’t do it Ed

I think the open ND Senate seat is a Democratic ploy to get Ed Schultz off TV. If he stays on TV, he can sway multiple seats and boost progressive primary challengers to conservative dems.