Category Archives: POLITICS

September 20, 2012 · 5:07 am

"WHAT YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF THESE" OUR VETERANS,By Louise Annarino,September 19,2012

“WHAT YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF THESE” OUR VETERANS; By Louise Annarino,September19,2012

Today was a day of further frustration as Republicans blocked passage of a veterans jobs bill. Democrats needed 60 votes but got only 58,including votes of 5 Republicans who joined them in attempting to override a point of order raised by Sen. Sessions (R-Ala).  Senator/Chairperson of the Veterans Affairs committee Patty Murray (D-Wash,) hoped an amendment she introduced which included a provision by Sen.Burr (R-NC) as a compromise to satisfy Republican objections could have gotten to a vote. “At every turn, we have sought compromise. But instead of meeting us halfway, we have been met with resistance,” Murray said. “Instead of saying yes to the nearly one million unemployed veterans, it seems some on the other side have spent the last week and a half seeking out any way to say no.” She warned that such Republican obstruction threatens every effort to aid veterans.

The $1 billion Veterans Jobs Corp Act would have paid for itself over 10 years. It would have created job-training and assistance to obtain work in targeted fields including police work,firefighting,national park conservation, historic preservation projects etc. The same persons who had no problem sending our young men and women to war, with no money budgeted to pay for those wars, objected on a budget point of order to aide the veterans of those wars. The deficit they decry was partially created by borrowing money to pay for those wars in order to avoid raising taxes and upsetting Grover Norquist. The same persons who raised no objection when passing Medicare Part D without funding the expansion to cover prescriptions, and who refused to include language to require bulk rates by pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of this unpaid mandate, refused to even consider a bill to put our unemployed veterans to  work.

Sen Tom Coburn (R-Ok) opposed it because it duplicated other efforts; Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky), because it did not include a provision to force Pakistan to free Dr. Shakil Afridi, the doctor who led the US to Osama bin Laden. While I appreciate Dr. Afridi’s help, I also appreciate the soldiers who were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to find Bin Laden and destroy Al Qaeda. Our soldiers should not be held hostage by Sen. Paul.The hypocrisy is overwhelming.

One appreciates even more Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s unwavering support for America’s veterans. Brown was an original cosponsor of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, a key provision of which is VRAP, which offers job retraining assistance to veterans; up to 99,000 veterans will receive retraining assistance through March 31,2014.

The veteran jobs bill was expected to create at least 20,000 jobs at a time when one in four veterans are unemployed. But, then, they are part of Mr. Romney’s 47%, so perhaps Republicans think they are merely unwilling to take care of themselves, and feel entitled to depend on their government, and the people, all of us, who sent them to war. Here’s a novel idea: THEY ARE ENTITLED.

The Center for American Progress has put together this list showing the unfortunate facts behind veterans’ homelessness:

50 percent: Rate at which veterans are more likely than other Americans to become homeless. The Obama administration has set a goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

About 75,000: Number of veterans who are homeless on any given night, according to estimates from the Veterans Administration.

About 20,000: Number of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who were homeless in the past five years according to the Veterans Administration.

5.5 percent: Percentage of homeless vets who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan in the overall homeless population, according to the Veterans Administration.

A Veteran Commits Suicide Every 80 Minutes, according to a Center for a New American Security Suicide report. And, according to armytimes.com. 1,868 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, in 2009 alone, made suicide attempts. Marine Corps veteran Jason Christiansen, 35, of St. Paul, Minn. watched his life unravel upon completing his service. He lost his job as an auto dealer in 2008, avoided debt collectors and fell into a serious depression, and considered suicide. Minnesota.publicradio.org reports. Should he be able to expect more from the nation he served at the risk of his life, over there and back here ?

Recent job initiatives by President Obama have helped veteran unemployment fall by six points over the past year. Between January 2010 and January 2011, veteran homelessness declined by 12 percentage points. Still, with wars winding down in Iraq and Afghanistan, those numbers could increase rapidly without government safeguards, according to the Center for American Progress.

Perhaps this explains why Republicans blocked this bill. They could not hand President Obama ANY success, even that of helping our veterans. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America reacted with strength,dignity, and disappointment. “Once again, this Congress let partisan bickering stand in the way of putting thousands of America’s heroes back to work,“ said Paul Rieckhoff, the organization’s founder. “Lowering veteran unemployment is something both parties should be able to agree on – even in an election year.” It’s the least our veterans should be able to expect from us.

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September 18, 2012 · 4:13 pm

ROMNEY SPEAKS HIS MASTERFUL TRUTH,By Louise Annarino,September,18,2012

ROMNEY SPEAKS HIS MASTERFUL TRUTH, By Louise Annarino, September 18,2012

 

One’s first thought when hearing of candidate Romney’s disparaging remarks about 47% of Americans, recently caught on tape, is “another politician caught in private conversation.” I’ll leave to others the discussion of the political fall-out, the ineptness of a candidate and his campaign staff, and how this impacts the Romney campaign overall. Something more profound than a single election struck me as I watched the tape and listened to Romney’s words.

 

This was a relaxed Romney, not the robot-Romney of the campaign trail mouthing meaningless, convoluted sentences meant to reveal nothing of his true intentions; nor the hesitant Romney reluctant to provide income tax returns, specify policy points, or detail cuts he would make to balance a budget and reduce the deficit. This was a self-assured man, comfortable in his own skin because he was saying exactly what he believes. This is what bothers me.

 

Racism is so ingrained in our thought processes that it flies right past us. A notion that the  47% to whom Romney referred to as his lost votes would not vote for him because he would cut taxes is silly. He is speaking to wealthy donors, the country-club set who do all they can to avoid paying taxes, people just like Romney. His comments had nothing to do with his tax policy. He felt comfortable and safe within this setting because it is his domain,too. These masters of American wealth live in the big house, surrounded by invisible people who take care of their every need. Romney was assuring them he understands the wealthy are superior to those who serve them.

 

Like the master of the big house during slavery, they talk in front of the “help” as if the help are not listening; or if they are listening, cannot understand what is being said; or  if they do understand, have no power to do anything about it. What did the person who cleaned the room and arranged the seating think of Romney’s comments? What about the chauffeurs who drove the guests to the event? What about the cook who prepared the food, or the bartender who served the drinks? What about the staff who cleaned up afterwards? What did these persons think when they heard Romney show such disdain for them, their parents, their sons and daughters, and their grandparents? After all, these are workers in the service industry, many of whom do not even earn minimum wage which would likely put them among the 47% Romney disparaged.

 

As abolitionists campaigned to abolish slavery, they made every effort to paint the real horrors of slavery in newspapers, by writing books, and by creating an extensive lecture circuit. The most effective speakers were those who had escaped slavery. The slaveholders countered the abolitionists by describing slavery much differently. They used the same altered reality within which they could justify their ownership of another human being, by which they could profit from the sale of their slaves, by which they could justify protecting their assets, by which they could justify destroying slave families to pass on all their wealth after death by splitting up slave families among the children of the deceased. The master of slaves protected his investment in his business, and sold off human beings without remorse to elevate his bottom line. How is this different form what men like Romney, the big donors in that room, are trying to do?

 

I am not comparing a political campaign to slavery. I am demonstrating the historical trend of the wealthy class in America to do whatever it takes to maintain its hold on wealth and power, even if that means creating an altered reality. I am not describing everyone who has made money; only those who sense their wealth is unmerited.

 

How did slave masters justify their actions? By describing slaves as not interested in nor able to care for themselves, lazy and shiftless, as happy to be cared for by their benevolent master, as willing to do whatever the master asked of them, as too stupid to be taught to read and write-educating them would be a waste, as naturally docile and subservient, as overly emotional; and they wanted  the master to take care of them.

 

We know none of this is true; but, we see Romney describing Obama supporters with a similar altering of reality. He has done so throughout the campaign. This latest video simply affirms what we have understood all along. He is not just out-of-touch; he lives in an altered reality. The altered reality used to hang on to his wealth is nothing new; it is Romney’s and many of his big-donor supporters’ reality.

 

 

Actually, as an Obama supporter I can attest that disdain for Obama supporters started when Obama first rose to prominence. Obama supporters are described as obsessed, think Obama can do-no-wrong, support him no matter what, are naive or too stupid to understand how America works, and too stupid to realize he is not even an American. They are overly emotional, don’t listen to reason (of their betters), cannot be taught, are lazy and shiftless,want the government to take care of them.

 

The interesting thing is that President Obama is cast as both master and slave; subject to the deceptive descriptions of his followers, and described as the master of the big house/government. This racist theme is clear and overt in Teapublican circles. To see the Republican candidate meeting with masters with the money and using the racist rhetoric of the past in the current political contest makes me cringe for the GOP.

 

We cannot blame the wealthy for this behavior. Those with unmerited wealth must alter their reality. How else can they justify American veterans living on the streets, American children living in homeless shelters, those Americans chronically ill unable to get health insurance, the elderly and retired barely able to make ends meet, the very existence of a class of Americans called the “working poor”. How else can they justify their secretaries paying a higher share of their income than they do? How else can they justify hiding wealth in off-shore tax-shelters to avoid paying taxes?

 

Human beings cannot mistreat those whom they love and respect, nor a country they love and respect. They justify their mistreatment by disdaining them.They create an altered reality to cover a resentment of sharing their wealth. They use their labor to make wealth for themselves and call unionists thugs, African-Americans gangsters, women-sluts, and the middle-class and working poor unwilling to care for themselves.

 

Candidate Romney is not inept; nor is he stupid. He knows those he disdains will not vote for him. But his altered reality tells him he is the master of the big house and he can say what he wants and do what he likes.He believes he rules the media and the polls. He really does expect that the rest of us will go along with him; not because we want to but because we must do so to survive. Let’s prove him wrong. The master may still feel he is in charge. He may try to suppress our vote. He may dissemble in public discourse while he shares truths in private. But we are not fooled. And, we are fired up and ready to go care for our country, our fellow Americans, and ourselves.

 

 

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September 16, 2012 · 5:40 pm

TEDDY,BOOKER T. AND BARACK: JOHN 8:32,By Louise Annarino,September 16, 2012

TEDDY, BOOKER T. AND BARACK: JOHN 8:32,By Louise Annarino, September 16,2012

 

Republican Teddy Roosevelt has always been one of my favorite presidents. His Rough Riders embodied his personality when he charged up San Juan Hill on his way to the presidency. He was a man of action, admired by most, resented by party bosses in New York who tried to derail his political influence. They failed. Recently, I have been reading about his dinner with Booker T. Washington in the private quarters of the White House. Mr. Washington had been advising President Roosevelt on government appointments in the South,both men trying to find a common ground for the benefit of African-Americans facing horrific back-lash after initial political successes. Washington hoped to ease into place judges and other government administrators who would chart a fair and just path through institutional racism which was openly being laid through every governmental body. Roosevelt hoped to turn around the animosity of the Southern electorate toward Republicans, whose first president,Abraham Lincoln, had ended slavery and in the southern mind destroyed the south. These two men were fighting the nascent southern strategy. It is the same strategy put in play against efforts to elect,and re-elect, President Obama.

 

One evening, Roosevelt invited Washington to family dinner where he intended to discuss such issues. The two men had engaged in this endeavor secretly, to avoid the anticipated antipathy to such cooperation. The outcry to this dinner throughout the country was not because of what the two discussed; but, that Washington was allowed to share the table of white man and his family, with his wife present, in the White House no less. The sin committed was the sin of social equality. White America could not accept the right of a Black man to enter the white house except as a servant to the white man.

 

Today, I listened to the Sunday morning talk shows, to talking heads discussing the insult to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because The Black Man did not invite the white man to the White House, the insult to Israel because the Black man did not follow the white man’s advice regarding handling Iran’s uranium enrichment activities. To be fair to Mr. Netanyahu, he is being used by the NeoCons to attack the Black man,and further their own agenda; but they are no friend to Israel,nor to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Using Israel and Iran as a political football is diplomatically dangerous. However, the need to dispossess the uppity Black man with the audacity (of hope) to dine (not set the table for others) in the White House, and invite whom he chooses to dine with him is just too easy a target for the right-wing ideologues, among which Netanyahu claims alliances.

 

This was not all which was discussed today. Megan McCain has joined Mr. Romney, Mr. Ryan et al in continuing the lie that President Obama apologized for and sympathized with those who attacked our embassies and killed our ambassador. Said a Romney Advisor: No Attacks If He Was Prez. Richard Williamson is a top foreign policy aide to Mr. Romney. Implying there would be no protests if Romney were in charge, he further stated  “There’s a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you’d be in a different situation…In Egypt and Libya and Yemen, again demonstrations — the respect for America has gone down, there’s not a sense of American resolve and we can’t even protect sovereign American property.”

 

This is hypocritical grandstanding considering that Mr. Williamson was an official in the Bush administration when embassies were engulfed by protesters offended by a Danish cartoon. President Bush rightly condemned the cartoon as “unacceptable” while repeating America’s dedication to free speech. Williamson was  a diplomat serving in the U.N. in 2003 when U.N. Headquarters in Iraq was savagely attacked which killed 22 people including its top envoy,causing with-drawl from Iraq for several years. Mr. Williamson applies a different test for President Obama than for himself or his party. This is the latest effort to paint Obama as un-American. It is the latest set of lies and distortions.

 

One hopes there is room for disagreements on foreign policy. One expects political attacks. One also expects some circumspection while our security apparatus hunts for American victims, and our embassies continue to go up in flames. Insight and wisdom must also be expected. Fairness and support toward our leaders in the field making the tough decisions moment-by-moment through a crisis is the least we should expect. Politics should never trump national security.

 

Attacks will soon enough be acceptable within the public discourse. However the political attacks must be truthful.Teddy Roosevelt would have agreed. The Kansas City Star reported his remarks on this subject on May 7,1918:

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand  by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should bespoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”

Teddy Roosevelt learned much by listening to Booker T. Washington. In a letter to a friend he explained “I have always been fond of the West African proverb: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” THEODORE ROOSEVELT,A LIFE,Nathan Miller, page 337. President Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship In a Republic”,delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23,1910 could describe both men:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.“

President Teddy Roosevelt could have been describing  Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens. He could also be describing the embassy staff in Egypt who tried to prevent an escalation of anger by issuing a statement,American diplomatic staff throughout  the world, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. President Roosevelt could also have been describing President Barack Obama, who speaks softly but carries the big stick of Commander-in-Chief who brought to justice Al Quaeda’s leaders including Osama bin Laden.

Will America face difficulties in this rapidly changing,inter-connected world? Of course. At its helm I prefer a person who leads with dignity,wisdom,and a big stick while speaking softly. For a soft voice calms a room to quiet for those wanting to listen and willing to learn the TRUTH about America. Those who lie lose the attention of truth seekers, the peace-makers of the world. Those who love freedom love truth: “For you shall know the truth, and the Truth shall set you free” John 8:32.

President Obama has avoided the trap of putting politics above national interest. He follows a long line of presidents, Republican- like Teddy Roosevelt, and Democratic-like Teddy’s cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who did likewise. Romney would be wise to follow their lead,but Teapublicans will never allow it.

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Aside

SHERROD BROWN n…

SHERROD BROWN needs our help. President Obama needs his voice and his support  during his second term. Please consider rushing a donation to Senator Brown TODAY.

54 days until the election.
Brown: 43.6%, Mandel: 41.4% — recent polling that has this race virtually tied.
$17 million in special interest attacks against me on Ohio TV.
$3 million left for us to raise before the end.
$50,000 a day to make that a reality.

There’s incredible energy coming out of our convention in Charlotte last week, and we should capitalize on this moment while we can. I know you’ve stood by us before, and I’m thankful for your past support.

But right now the special interests are coming at me harder than ever, and it’s essential we respond.

Will you consider giving another donation of $10 or more right now, and help us raise the $3 million we need before November?

More than one recent poll has shown our race tightening significantly. But I focus on different numbers, numbers that mean so much more than polling and negative attack spending.

Like the 850,000 jobs that we saved in Ohio through the auto industry.
Or the 1.9 million Ohioans who rely on Medicare.
Or the 382,000 Ohio students who saw their student loan rates remain low thanks to our action.
Or the 116,000 of you who have already contributed time and hard-earned money to this campaign.

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September 14, 2012 · 12:56 am
September 14, 2012 · 12:28 am

WORDS OF POWER AND CIVILITY: FREE SPEECH ON LIBYA,EGYPT, AND ISRAEL, By Louise Annarino,September 13,2012

Words of Power and Civility: Free Speech on Libya, Egypt and Israel, By Louise Annarino, September 13, 2012

As Associate Director of Legal Affairs at Ohio University in Athens,Ohio, I was asked each autumn to speak to the newly-arrived International students regarding American laws, and what they needed to know to avoid legal problems while studying in the United States. I started ,as is my usual practice,with the U.S. Constitution. I then described our judicial structure, the difference between civil and criminal law, and the role of local police, state highway patrol and the FBI.  There were 2 areas students were most interested in:  traffic laws and 1st Amendment free speech issues.

Freedom of speech was a phenomenally novel concept to many of our students,whose first reaction was to question whether I had misspoken, or they had misunderstood. When I explained we could even burn our flag as show of political protest, several students inevitably leapt to their feet. This seemed beyond the pale to them, as it is for many of us. We discussed how free speech did face limits through reasonable regulations meant to keep the peace;for example,one cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theatre. I also explained that it was often a component of active civil disobedience for which dissidents must expect consequences, often a stint in jail. I told them about The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and Ghandi’s peaceful resistance campaign against British occupation of India. I cautioned them to understand that Americans guard free speech, even when the speech is uncomfortable, inane, even hateful. We even have a children’s rhyme “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never harm me” as a model for controlling our response to speech with which we disagree, or which is used to “attack” us. Police may intervene only to keep the peace;not to stop speech.

I have been thinking about these afternoons exploring what free speech meant to these students, what impact their new insights into American law and cultural mores would mean once they returned home. This programmed afternoon event led to many on-going friendships with students who would stop by my office to discuss American law and the Bill of Rights in the privacy of my office. We talked about African-Americans knocked off their feet by water hoses, attacked by dogs, clubbed by police as they marched for civil rights and an end to Jim Crow laws. We talked about American anti-war activists. We talked about American terrorists: KKK, Aryan Nation, CCC and other such fanatic fringe groups around the world, and their threat to civilized societies. We developed a common understanding about the dangers such groups posed not simply to life and limb but to free speech,freedom of assembly,freedom of religion, of the press etc.;and, to the very survival of government by the people. For violence breeds contempt for the speech of those who use it to instigate such violence.

I think about these young men today. I wonder what they expect of us;and,what we can expect of them. The theatre we discussed is no longer a crowded building; but, an internet of social media and viral videos. When a hate-monger on one side of the world shouts out hate-speech to arouse and instigate a response, violence on the other side of the world too often erupts. We must be sensitive to the fact that America has been blessed with immigrant influxes,especially along our coasts, which opens American society to cultural differences and reduces tribalism. Countries emerging from tribal structures to begin building democratic republics need our calming influence on such forces;not an aggressive disdain for their struggles. “Chest beating” does nothing to build the good will needed to strengthen the hand of those  fighting off the fanatic fringe. A policy of diplomacy and dignity, tolerance and respect for diversity, guidance and support for democratic reform shows President Obama’s power as a statesman. This is not a sign of weakness; but, of strength. Because he is a strong man who knows how to use the power of his office, and his personal power, he does not need to beat his chest.

“Violence as a response to speech has no place,” in society says Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

After condemning the attacks and the death of our Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others, “Justice will be done,” says President Obama.

“It’s disgraceful that the Obama administrations’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks,” said the Romney campaign.

Rence Priebus, Chairman of the Republican Party tweeted, “Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic.”

Today, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney and FOX news continued to lie about President Obama’s response in an effort to undermine his national security accomplishments, and undermine his leadership at home and abroad. Is this the action of patriots? When Americans are being attacked and killed, when we have American troops and diplomats in the field, when we should be decrying ignorant and malicious rhetoric we have a candidates for president and vice-president throwing fuel on the fires burning abroad. They blame not only President Obama but those in diplomatic service whose lives are being licked by the flames.

While diplomatic efforts by Obama and Clinton to assure the world the United States is not waging war on Islam, but on terrorism, Romney goes even further to undermine our diplomacy in the middle east, asserting that Obama is no friend of Israel. He even lied that Obama refused to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In fact, the two spoke on the phone since they will be addressing the U.N. on different dates: Netanyahu is scheduled to be in NY on the 27th,Obama on the 25th.There are disagreements between them as to strategy; but, not as to the goal of Israel’s security. Netanyahu and Romney  are double-teaming our president and his foreign policy. This is no time to play such political games. There is room for disagreement . Within Israel there is disagreement. A Netanyahu deputy disagrees on setting Iran “red line”, much as Clinton and Obama have.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister for intelligence and atomic affairs Dan Meridor, and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, agree with President Obama’s approach. When Mr. Romney is president he can set America’s foreign policy, but not before that event occurs. Since when does a private citizen,even one running for president, join with the leader of another nation to undermine American foreign policy?  Definitely not in the midst of rising unrest near our embassies. President Karzai canceled a trip abroad today fearing the unrest will spread within Afghanistan and against our troops. Should not Romney,Ryan,and Priebus be equally concerned about our troops?

Fact-checkers were busy today assessing Libya/Obama statements of Romney/Ryan/Priebus as untrue. Meanwhile the Neo-cons advising Romney seem eager to push them to continue to lie and create such unrest abroad it could justify their desire to increase military defense spending. Ryan and Romney insist military spending must be increased 20% to keep America safe. They are talking about increasing contracts to corporate arms producers and defense contractors with financial interest in companies such as Mr. Cheney’s Halliburton Corp. They are not talking about veteran’s benefits, which the Ryan/Romney budget cuts. They are not talking about the safety of our troops.

The sad truth is that free speech allows liars to tell untruths about political figures and celebrities because of an exception to defamation charges for public figures. One cannot sue a congressperson by a defamation claim for comments made on the floor of the House or Senate, either. Public and political figures have to defend themselves against lies all the time. We have a notion that “the truth will out”. This might have been true when newspapers,television stations and radio openly and transparently competed with one another;now, one person (or his corporation,think Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes) can own multiple media outlets, even all,within any geographical area. CITIZENS UNITED did away with any transparency requirements which would at least alert us to the names of purveyors of lies. Truth will out is a fantasy. Our town is now the entire world. And media moguls with financial,nee political,agendas rule the town.

Those who have no sacred history of free speech wonder why the U.S. does not simply arrest those hate-mongers and liars who keep throwing fuel on the fires of fanatics. They expect and ask us to arrest, and punish, such persons. While I would love to see them punished, it is not easily done when they can defend their speech as free speech. But, they must face consequences.They must be held accountable…and they will be…if we can discover who they are. Any company supporting such messages of hate, bigotry, and deception should be boycotted, its employees unionized, and its directors removed by shareholder actions. Politicians who join in the game must be denied out votes. We can use speech, our free speech, to see justice done and consequences suffered. We cannot give up our sacred freedoms but we can use them, teach them and spread them throughout this country and the world community.

Words have power, and we must use them wisely, compassionately and forcefully as have our President and Secretary of State. Thank you Mr. President and Secretary Clinton. Thank you citizens of the world, who seek freedom, including free speech for your people. As you build your new democracies,guard it well.

UPDATE/ JUST REPORTED ON RACHEL MADDOWS/9:13 PM:

Attack on Libyan embassy was not a protest but organized attack.4 cars pulled up flying black flags,witnesses say it was response to killing of Libyan AlQuaeda leader by drone attack. As we learn mire we will understand more, and perhaps strengthen our ties with a free Libya and its people.,many of whom were also injured in this attack. It is still imperative that we allow our president and secretary of state to address foreign policy and security issues abroad,and strengthen our ties to emerging democracies and persons of good will. We must hold accountable all those who would weaken and undermine our efforts to seek peace with the nations of the world,despite the difficulties we face.

 

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September 10, 2012 · 1:55 pm

TIPS FOR TEAMS,By Louise Annarino,September 11,2012

TIPS FOR TEAMS,By Louise Annarino,September 10, 2012

 

I remember the guiding principles behind Obama neighborhood teams in 2008: Respect, Empower, Include. They still hold true. If you are one of the thousands of grass-roots organizers building a neighborhood team, ask yourself if the step you are about to take, or if what is being asked of you, meets that criteria.

 

Respect your volunteers.Respecting those you are recruiting means listening to them,accepting them for who they are and what they feel able to do for the team. It is not they who must bend to you,but you who must bend to them. They don’t feel comfortable making phone calls? Let them organize a food brigade to keep volunteers hydrated and fed, make coffee,clean out the refrigerator. They fear going door-to-door? Let them put together yard signs, restock shelves, sit at a voter registration table in front of the library, shred scrap paper, enter data.

 

Nothing someone is willing to do is too little; everyone has something to offer. New volunteers can accompany well-seasoned canvassers, holding the clipboard and marking responses, leaving the other person free to carry the conversation. Before long, the new person may offer a comment. after a few more houses they may find themselves eager to engage in discussion. Before long, they may say,”I think I can take the other side of the street”, or not. Most of the time the reason someone is reluctant to do canvassing or calling is because they have never experienced it. It is scary. The point is, let volunteers proceed at their own pace, no matter who insists otherwise.

 

Yes, I know this is a presidential race. Organizers and volunteers are always racing from one event or project to the next. Paid staff must report their numbers for the day, and want volunteers to stay on task. But, volunteers will remain in the community,long after staff have left. These are the persons you will call on for the next campaign and the one after that. Show them the respect they deserve if you want them to stay on your team, for this election and next year’s.

 

Empower your volunteers. Delegate.Delegate.Delegate. Believe me there will be plenty for you to do. The most important things for the team leader to do include: participate in every task you ask of the team, listen and act upon ideas of team members, share new information widely, anticipate new directions and directives from staff, prepare your team for new expectations, defend your teams needs, find ways to reward your team for their efforts, assure team of efficacy of their efforts, and recruit more volunteers. You will never have enough.

 

If your team feels empowered, each member will be able to take on one another’s role, including yours. Each team member becomes a leader. Each team member will recruit new members; they will train, inform and lead them in the specific projects you assigned them. This makes their efforts easier to accomplish and more likely to succeed. Such success encourages your team to expand its efforts in ways staff cannot imagine, and may not condone. Never mind. Just keep empowering your team and you’ll have great numbers to report every night.

 

Include your volunteers in every activity of team. Cross-train everyone, share efforts, keep all informed of each other’s efforts. Create a newsletter to report outcomes of canvasses,phone banks, “tableing” events etc. Make sure each team member has access to the perks of a campaign such as volunteer opportunities at candidate appearances,special training events, access to celebrities and surrogates etc. They should hear all new information from you first,never feel you kept info from them.

 

I would add one more item: protect your team. Never ask them to do an unsafe activity. Canvass in pairs, report in on a regular basis, call for assistance and respond immediately to any concern they may have. Never ask them to do something they consider a waste of time or plain silly, no matter who asks it of you. Do not let them be bombarded by paid staff asking them to do something useless. Employees must do the useless from time-to-time, especially when bosses are so far removed from the current situation they face. That is what paid staff must expect. Volunteers have no such obligation. Asked to use their precious volunteer time for what they consider a waste of time might make them feel so disrespected, un-empowered, and un-included in the campaign that they quit it altogether. Better to protect each team member than to lose the team.

 

Neighborhood teams are like family.Expect some discontent at times.Be prepared to settle squabbles. Lead.Lead.Lead with love and affection. Trust one another. Defend one another. Hope with one another. Be strong surrogates for each other and for your candidate. President Obama says we give him hope. He trusts us. Let’s not let our team mates down. Let’s not let him down.

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September 9, 2012 · 4:48 pm

WHO DO YOU TRUST?, By Louise Annarino,September 9,2012


WHO DO YOU TRUST?,BY Louise Annarino,September 9,2012

Johnny Carson,whom some of you will recall with a wide smile as the best-ever late-night talk-show host, started his television career as host of late-afternoon show called WHO DO YOU TRUST? It came to my attention when my 5th grade teacher chided him for using “WHO” rather than the correct “WHOM” in the title.  Obviously, the nuns were watching this show when they returned to the convent after classes. That was enough for me. I had to check this guy out. So, I switched over from American Bandstand one day and I was hooked! He and his side-kick Ed McMahon,kept me in stitches as they ran the game show. Later, Johnny took over for the 11:30 p.m. time-slot on NBC. Johnny kept me laughing for many years;just the memory of his skits and famous poses still make me laugh. “always keep ‘em laughin’ ” is the mantra of all forms of entertainment.

The political conventions,where politics becomes entertainment, are now over. Article after article has parsed these events ad nauseatum. Talking heads have even parsed the comments of their fellow commentators. There is only one question left for me: “Who do you trust?”. That is the person for whom you will vote. How do you know whom to trust? The one who makes you laugh or smile.

Laughter is disarming. We only laugh when we are able to relax and let down our defenses. We only let down our defenses when we trust s person. We literally get “weak with laughter”; and, some like me actually can laugh so hard they “fall down laughing”. Doctors in the Netherlands can explain why. I am more interested in WHEN we allow ourselves to laugh, only when we feel safe enough to get weak or fall down. There was a lot of this behavior at the Democratic convention; not so much at the Republican convention. Democrats are not funnier than Republicans. Nor do they have a better sense of humor. Both events had their fair share of people in funny hats and outrageous costumes. Only one had a guy talking to an empty chair and that was at the Republican convention. I have scoured the internet for photos which show the Republican delegates enjoying their convention and the mood I see is somber,concerned,annoyed,and solemnly patient; with a few smiles interspersed,a balloon launch,and cowboy hat toss. In searching photos of the Democratic delegates I see laughter to the point of tears and weakness, relaxation,pleasure, joy and hope. I also see such trust in the candidate that the delegates were relaxed enough to let down their defenses and enjoy their convention.

This reminds me of a trip a brother and I took to Hawaii sitting in the non-smoking section of the plane. Our section of the plane was quiet except for the recurrent flip of a magazine page. From the smoking section shrieks of laughter poured forth. They sounded like they were having a lot more fun than we were having.I could not laugh while my white knuckles gripped the armrest, knowing sharks were circling below readying for lunch when our plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Smoking and drinking allowed for a relaxation I could not imitate while flying. Fear had its grip on me. Nothing was funny. I trusted the laws of aerodynamics, but not possible human error.

There will alway be human error. We are not gods. We do not expect our leaders to be gods, nor are they God’s representative on earth, despite what some politicians imply. There is no moment when God chooses our next candidate no matter what Teapublicans  insist. We choose our candidates. Republicans chose Romney-Ryan. Democrats chose Obama-Biden.  Who makes you smile? Who makes you weak in the knees with laughter? Who trusts you? Who do you trust?

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September 7, 2012 · 6:31 pm

REFLECTIONS ON AMERICA, By Louise Annarino,September 7,2012

REFLECTIONS ON AMERICA,By Louise Annarino,September 7,2012

 

Local newspapers used to have a society page, really a gossip page, wherein we learned who was engaged, had married, or celebrated a significant anniversary. Each story contained interesting details such as where the affianced couple met and when they planned to marry, the design of each bridal gown and the type of flowers in her bouquet as well as where the new couple would honeymoon, and the biography of the anniversary couple and their off-spring. Most stories were accompanied by a photo of the happy couple. Today, we see remnants of this practice in neighborhood news rags.

 

The items that interested me most were the 25 or 50 year anniversary photos which usually depicted the couple in two photos: their wedding announcement photo and their newly-shot anniversary photo. I was struck by how much the couple had come to look like each other over the course of living together 25 or 50 years. How did that happen? Another phenomenon occurs among women who live together. Their monthly menstrual cycles soon coalesce onto a common cycle. What happens when diverse individuals live together in common community?

 

General systems theorists would acknowledge these phenomena as examples of “reflection”. We experience reflection each time we look in a mirror. Spending years in close proximity we stop merely looking at one another and start looking like one another. Is this how America has absorbed so many varied cultures? By joining closely with one another, spending time together, really looking at one another, eating each other’s foods, singing each other’s songs, listening to each others stories, carrying each other’s burden,and celebrating each other’s success;is this how we have become one people?

 

The idea of a coloring of America, the changing demographics wherein white Anglo-Saxons are no longer the dominant cultural or political force frightens some of us so much that we miss the beauty of what we are becoming. When I looked at the photos of those married 50 years I did not see a man or a woman who had been lost to themselves, but a loving couple who had found themselves within the bonds of their relationship with one another. I did not see a loss to either of them, but a gain to all of our community. That is what made their anniversary meaningful enough to justify including their photos and stories in the newspaper. The entire community benefited from their union and we celebrated with them as a community.

 

Elizabeth Warren responded to Mitt Romney in her speech at the Democratic National Convention: “No, Governor Romney, corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance. They live, they love, and they die. And that matters. That matters because we don’t run this country for corporations, we run it for people. And that’s why we need Barack Obama.” She reminded me that being human matters. People are not merely numbers. They have faces. We need to look at those faces.

 

Whenever we reduce persons to numbers we are doomed to failure. When our policies are solely designed to reduce the bottom line we are on the wrong track. Focusing solely on numerical/monetary deficits in federal,state,county,municipal or school budgets leads to disaster of the kind we experienced during the Bush Administration. We began to envision the American Dream as a numbers game, with Wall Street setting our goals. We conveniently forgot the persons behind the numbers. This led to a Republican policy failure which President Obama is turning around with a different policy.

 

Article 1,Sec.2 of The United States Constitution contained language which reduced persons to numbers to satisfy southern delegates who refused to sign the new document if it in any way impugned slavery. John Rutledge,the delegate from South Carolina spoke for the south when he insisted slavery was a question of property rights  and should be protected by the Constitution. He added, “religion and humanity have nothing to do with the question.” He asked the delegates to forget the faces of the slaves, and serve the bottom line of southern planters. Slaves were counted as 3/5 a person.

 

The 3/5th compromise was written as follows:

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.) Art.1,Sec.2

 

Bain Capital is an American success story if we only look at numbers. It is a failure when we consider the persons behind those numbers. Decisions which make the numbers work do not always work for human faces the numbers hide. “Counting the cost” means counting more than numbers. We cannot afford to ever treat human beings as mere numbers. It is a matter of religion and morality. It is why we are suffering through a severe recession; only saved from depression by FDR’s safety net and President Obama’s stimulus,his refusal to only consider numbers.This is what he means by a balanced approach.

 

Business is not governance. Business is only one aspect of governance. We bailed out banks and the auto industry because more was at stake than financial solvency of those institutions. We required the bail-out money be repaid as good business practice. Mr. Romney  states we should have let both fail because as an investment capitalist he only uses a bottom-line business model when making decisions. This will not work as president of a self-governing people. Faces matter as much as numbers.

 

Governance of human beings requires that our political leaders look at the faces of those they govern, and we look at the faces of those governing us. Sunshine Laws, Open Records Laws etc. recognize the right of the governed to look at the face of government. We have a right and a need to look at Mr. Romney’s tax returns, and a list of businesses in which he has/had an interest. After all, he has used his business experience as the basis for his readiness to lead the free world.

 

In his acceptance speech, President Obama talked about citizenship; and, this is what citizenship means.It means looking at one another, feeling each other’s pain, knowing the country’s economic numbers hide fellow-citizens faces behind each statistic,working together to do the hard work to keep enough jobs for every American at home, pay our fair share of taxes, and support one another no matter what the numbers say. Like those in the anniversary photos who faced years of struggle and moments of joy together while becoming more of each other, we will become a stronger, more encompassing, and more prosperous America by looking at, and looking out for one another.

 

This is how America moves FORWARD. President Obama reminded us last night, “We don’t turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up.” This is what we do if we want a marriage to last. This is what we do if we want America to last.

 

 

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September 6, 2012 · 3:30 pm

POLITICAL GLOBALIZATION,By Louise Annarino,September 6,2012

POLITICAL GLOBALIZATION, By Louise Annarino,September 6,2012

It has been a curious fact to me that my blog is being viewed in over 35 countries, in addition to the United States. American political blogs, I must conclude, are of some interest to individuals across the globe. Emerging democratic republics watch us for insights into party politics. Democrats are an example of people united to move this country FORWARD, despite a well-financed opposition. This is the nature of political fights. However, the level of personalized hate-filled distortions by Super-PACS is exceptionally virulent this campaign cycle.

Could it be the reason our party politics seems to be in flames with incendiary rhetoric against our president and the Democratic Party is because of globalization? I watched much of the Republican convention and am now watching the Democratic convention. The differences are writ large. The diversity within the Democratic Party delegates mirrors that of the globe, while the delegates at the Republican Party convention were the face of an older,nearly all-white America. America has always been diverse but its power-brokers and political leaders have not. Not only did earlier political leaders not recognize nor respond readily to the needs of women, minorities, LGBT community,immigrants and others within America, they carried such chauvinism abroad.

The Democratic Party is the face of a new America. When Barack Obama was elected he changed the face of American politics and power,at home and abroad. There are 12 Democratic women serving in the United States Senate, more than any time in history; 55 in the House of Representatives. One-fourth of Democratic delegates to the convention are African-American. There are more than 800 Latino delegates,150 Native-American delegates. Americans know how to build consensus among diverse cultures and create an American political family called The Democratic Party. Following the practice among union members, Democrats address one another as brothers and sisters. The internet has joined the young people of the world as cousins, if not yet as brothers and sisters. The Democratic Party and the leader of the party, President Barack Obama welcome the nations of the world to join in building a thriving global community of mutual respect and prosperity. American voters should celebrate this;a few do not.

An appreciation and acceptance of diversity within America and across the globe is too often called “un-American”; when, in fact, it is totally American. Racial, cultural, and gender diversity is what built America and what keeps it strong. Diversity of ideas and viewpoints is what stimulates imagination and creates new technology and new enterprises. American prosperity was built upon the backs of a diverse labor group. American immigrants own 18% of small businesses, accounting for 30% of all private sector employment (see morehttp://fiscalpolicy.org/immigrant-small-business-owners-FPI-20120614.pdf). One can only hope that all nations will embrace such diversity within their borders,as we have within ours. What is disturbing is not such diversity but the virulent  disdain and destructive rhetoric the Republican Party rails against the party embracing it. This is what confuses those of us who know and love the American ideal of E Pluribus Unum, “One out of many” from those of us who are Americans, and those of us from other nations.

As businesses and multinational corporations moved jobs and companies abroad, they thought they could avoid organized-labor fair wages, safety precautions, environmental standards and U.S. taxation. Republicans say  they are the party which understands and appreciates globalization,and knows how to rebuild an economy. But, I think it is the Democratic Party which truly understands the value of globalization,and which is ready to embrace citizens of other nations as brothers and sisters for our greater prosperity through job creation. I can only imagine how millionaire investors fear the impact of the spread of American ideals on such a global scale,and how it will affect their bottom line. And of course, destroying or at least weakening the middle class here and abroad will create a labor force willing to accept low wages, few benefits and no ability to wield political power.

This is what is going on in American politics today. This is what readers abroad need to understand. Rest assured, the grassroots supporters of Barack Obama and Democratic Party candidates are working very hard to move America FORWARD 4 more years. Democrats understand politics can get down and dirty; but, neither President Obama nor his party will buckle under to hate, lies or vote suppression. The stakes for America and for the world are too high.

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September 5, 2012 · 10:23 pm

ARE YOU BETTER OFF? By, Louise Annarino,September 5, 2012

ARE YOU BETTER OFF?, By Louise Annarino, September 5,2012

“Are you better off now than you you were four years ago?” is a question for those looking backwards, a talking point of the Republican party. For those looking FORWARD the question is, “Which candidate will make America better off over the next four years?”. The answer to that question can be answered by looking at each candidate’s past records:

-record of professional goals and accomplishments

-records of political and legislative accomplishments,

-record of executive (public or private) successes and failures

-record of displays of personal character and personal judgment

-tax records and transparency of all other records

But, the review of past behaviors merely discloses what we need to know about the candidate; not what we need to know about the future of America. Only time will reveal that. It does,however, give us some idea of how each individual will face the unknown future. I know Barack Obama’s record. He has been the most transparent and willing to disclose president despite his natural reticence and reserve. His focus has been on the entire country, on the needs of each and every individual, and on the the impact of American leadership on the world. Mr. Romney is the least transparent candidate, unwilling to disclose neither his personal records, nor his legislative strategy and executive policy. He denies and misstates the public record of which we are aware. Despite his natural gregariousness, he hides from us. His focus is on investors, making money and exploring tax havens for himself and others. Putting his dog on the roof of his car doesn’t exactly inspire trust in his judgment.

I can answer the important question “Who will make America better over the next four years?” – the same person who has made it better every day since he took office in 2008, Barack Obama.

 

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