POLITIFICATION

Fox News vs. Obama

mdotocho — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:24:01 +0000

I love this phony controversy that the Obama Administration is picking a fight with or attempting to silence Fox News. The White House isn’t trying to “silence” their critics or just taking unfair shots at a “fair and balanced” news organization. They’re merely saying what everyone has known for a very long time: that Fox News is anything but news. It is absolutely clear to anyone that hasn’t lived under a rock for the past 15 years that Fox is putting forth a specific agenda that just happens to coincide with Republican talking points and policy roughly 95% of the time. After getting attacked day in and day out (almost entirely unfairly), the Obama Administration is trying to show where Fox News stands politically and for people to evaluate their programming accordingly. If they ever attempt to shutdown or silence Fox, as Beck and Hannity are now claiming they are, I’ll be right there with them in disagreement. But that’s not what they’re doing. The White House is just exposing the “news” channel for the GOP media arm that it is. That being said, I am completely ok with this type of programming, but only if they disclosed their purpose and intent, which is clearly not straight up news.

Media Matters has made a video for those living under rocks:

Resurgent Republicans?

mdotocho — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:23:53 +0000

Republicans are trying to be optimistic for the 2010 midterm elections. President Obama’s approval numbers have come down from their honeymoon highs and have leveled off around the low 50s. There has also been a seemingly intense debate around the stimulus and now health care reform. Republicans have fought this administration and Democrats in Congress at every chance hoping to turn the public against the Democratic agenda and back to the side of the GOP. This strategy of opposing anything the President does may help bring down Obama’s numbers, but it is failing to improve those of the Republicans. A new ABC/Washington Post poll reveals some discouraging news for the possible effects of this strategy. The poll shows that now only 20% of Americans identify themselves as Republicans, the lowest it has been in 26 years. The party of no is playing to the base while alienating moderates and independents in the process.

Some Republicans are catching on to why this might be the case. Leading conservative voices like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, while very popular with the party’s base, are preaching a very limited, bitter, and non-constructive message on a daily basis. Their popularity is limiting the actions of party members now and for the foreseeable future. Demonizing government and the Democrats for anything they could possibly do is preventing them from engaging in any kind of meaningful way. There are still some intellectual Republicans who see this for the terrible choice it is and are going against the Palin/Limbaugh direction and calling for more reasonable and less divisive positions.

It’s About Time

mdotocho — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:29:29 +0000

Barack Obama is starting to put a little fight in his words about health care reform. This past weekend in his weekly address, Obama decided to take on health insurance companies directly. He highlighted the fact that we have been trying to achieve meaningful health care reform for at least the better part of a century now. And every time we get to this position it is the same story: insurance companies and other special interests look to derail reform by any means necessary to maintain the profitable status quo. The President also makes note that it is the job of our elected officials to deliver on proper policy and not to give in to these special interests.

“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the president added. “It’s bogus. And it’s all too familiar. Every time we get close to passing reform, the insurance companies produce these phony studies as a prescription and say, ‘Take one of these, and call us in a decade.’ Well, not this time.”

However, it is still unclear as to whether these strong words will translate into actual policy action. Judging on how conservative this administration has been in pushing for progressive legislation, I would guess that this is just posturing. Obama, Axelrod, nor any other White House official has been able to commit to either a public option or ending the insurance companies’ anti-trust exemption. Either way this is a good sign that Obama is at least taking the right position. Let’s just hope they back this up and see it through.

New Republican Party

mdotocho — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:09:16 +0000

The GOP is taking a strange turn if their constituents are now looking to oust one of their most conservative representatives. Lindsey Graham was talking at a local town hall when several conservatives began heckling him for his recent activity that many feel was betraying their values. What was his crime in their eyes? What could he possibly be collaborating on with the Democrats that have people calling him a “traitor” or a “RINO” (Republican in name only)? Graham voted to confirm Sonia Sotomayor, a very moderate, well experienced judge to the Supreme Court and is trying to work with Democrats on business friendly climate change legislation. That’s it. He didn’t vote for the stimulus and he most surely won’t vote for health care or the EFCA. He’s literally one of the most conservative Senators on the hill, but you wouldn’t know it by the actions of the so-called tea party goers.

I feel bad for Graham because he is taking such heat for occasionally not being ridiculous and believing in those crazy things such as “global warming.” I don’t feel one ounce of sadness for the Republican Party however. They fully encouraged this type of mentality. The mentality in which Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the scary Democrats are attempting to harm this country. They’re pumping fear that Democrats will create death panels, tax you to death, or come for your guns that being just the tip of the iceberg. The Republicans have been stoking their base and many are turning against them as a result. They’ve created this atmosphere that if you work with the other side, it makes you just as evil as Republicans and conservative voices have made them out to be. Lindsey Graham is starting to fight back, calling out people like Glenn Beck and sticking up for his positions. If they keep going this way, appealing only to the base and fringe elements of their party, it’s only a matter of time before they become completely irrelevant.

Bipartisanship, Yay!

mdotocho — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:58:05 +0000

The Senate Finance Committee voted on and passed their version of health care reform today 14-9. This committee’s bill is of course the most conservative version of the 5 proposed bills. It contains fewer subsidies and no public health insurance option. There was one Republican who joined with the Democrats in passing this bill, Olympia Snowe (Maine). Mrs. Snowe is also figured to be the only potential Republican vote when all the versions are merged into one for the final health reform vote. She was careful to include that her vote today does not guarantee a vote for any future versions of the bill.

“My vote today is my vote today. It doesn’t forecast what my vote will be tomorrow.”

That this is the biggest story of the day is ridiculous to me. The fact that only one Republican could bring herself to vote for the most conservative version of the bill shows you how interested in health care reform the GOP actually is. Snowe received heavy pressure from her party to vote no, with threats of losing a committee chairmanship. Republicans are only interested in opposition for opposition sake. The Olympics and the Nobel Prize are perfect examples of that. If the only way to achieve “bipartisanship” is to greatly weaken the bill and get one lousy vote, I don’t want it. Let’s do what many Democrats have been suggesting for months now: dump the phony calls for bipartisanship from the Republicans who aren’t interested and actually pass a strong reform bill.

Capitalism: A Love Story

mdotocho — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:25:47 +0000

Michael Moore’s latest film, Capitalism: A Love Story, came out this past weekend. Now I haven’t seen it yet because, in keeping with what I believe to be the theme of the movie, I am trying to bootleg it online. I will admit I am a fan of his movies. While he may come off as harsh or too liberal (is there such a thing in this country?), I believe that the general arguments he makes are right on. I also know that he drives conservatives absolutely crazy. However, I would encourage anyone, no matter what their political leaning, to see it. Moore is of course very controversial, but I think he serves a valuable purpose to our political dialogue. He inspires fierce debate about major issues facing our country including gun control, the war in Iraq, health care and now banking regulation. Whether you agree or disagree with him, his films are a catalyst to increased political action and evaluation, which I would always argue is a good thing.