Rand Paul Takes War On Women To A New Level!

John “The Hatter” S: Guest writer

Women and those men who love their women, remember this man’s name. Get out and vote. And make sure you vote him and those who support his ideas out of government.

Rand Paul says he is anti government regulation. But not when it comes to women’s bodies. Just when it comes to business who rape and pillage their workers and customers as well as the towns and cities in which they are located due to their unbridled greed. Look at West Texas. That is the type of regulation that Paul agrees we should not have. 

This is akin to a Democrat introducing a bill outlawing guns. The law is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. What would the Right say if such a bill was introduced?

Rand Paul Introduces Bill That Would Outlaw Abortion in the U.S. www.policymic.com

Paul may just have alienated a large chunk of the millennial base with his Life at Conception Act, which would fully outlaw abortion in the United States.

"Work Wtih Us" II

Congressman Cantor says the President of the United States should “work with us”.


Let me get something straight.  The Democrats in Congress and the President of the United States have come to a level of compromise totaling 37 billion dollars in budget cuts.  From their previous position of zero cuts (A bargaining position and frankly unrealistic), the democrats have compromised to the aforementioned cut levels.  It is being widely reported that Boehner (the simple figure head that he is) previously asked for 33 billion in cuts.  There is something about those previous sentences that smells. looks, and feels like: compromise.  Compromise that is good for the nation.


During periods of modern U.S. politics additional factors must be overcome to facilitate productive federal and state governance.  Our world has changed and now includes the ugliness of social issues and authoritarian ideology. 


If it is true that a federal government ‘shutdown’ would result in cessation of government services and operation, the shutdowns is as irresponsible as denying the unemployed weekly compensation until a tax cut for the nations wealthy was re-established.  

Should any governing body be allowed to through 800,000 (a virtual million) employees into a state of ‘job lockout’? Should such an irresponsible act lead to delayed pay to our military troops and their families.  How about this one as an example of how very ridiculous a thought of a government shutdown.  The Zoo exhibits at the Washington D.C.C Zoo includes live animals and plants, correct?  OK, I heard on National Public  Radio (NPR) that in 1994 Zoo employees were prohibited from servicing (including feeding and watering) the zoo exhibits via the lockouts.  Can anyone think of a level of insensitivity that reaches to the lowest level of impact as to starve and deny care to animals who are unnatural exhibited. They live in cages and cannot provide for themselves.  The chose of illustrating with the Zoo animals was an intentional effort to illustrative the horrors of such a shutdown.  For you who place animals at a decidedly lower plane than that of the humans, what about the poor families in Appalachia and the inner cities who rely of Food Stamps to provide life sustaining sustenance to families?


Brief digression. I wonder if my listening to NPR on the drive home from work now qualifies as an enemy of the Tea Party?  Think I was an enemy already.


Back on task….If the Democrats have compromised to the level of 39 billion in budget cuts and there appeared to have been a level of acceptance that could have led to moving the issue to the back-burner, what happened?  ABORTION FUNDING????  I believe that I have seen this picture before!!!!  Did it not become a last minute issue for the RIGHT and certain Blue Dog Dems just before a final deal on Health Care Reform?  Does it not raise its ugly head all too frequently despite the fact that the President may have reluctantly signed an Executive Order that federal funding cannot and will not be used to pay for abortions?  While I am not here to judge the morals of abortion, I am here to say that there are times when that procedure is required to save adult lives and to alleviate the horrors of incest and rape.   The very people who incessantly attach the debate to the passing of legislation are practicing pure and unadulterated authoritarianism.  Let’s be honest, like it or not, immoral or not, Abortion is not prohibited by U.S. Law and it should be an individual decision as long as one is staying within the confines of legality.  A learned individual on another web blog once said to me, :”just because it is law..does not make it right (OOOOHHH I HATE THAT WORD)”  I will not argue that point; I will state the ‘right’ is in the domain of the individual vs that domain of any group who wants to forced their views across the entire populace (thus authoritarianism).


The critical issue is why does the abortion issue comes-up with every major piece of legislative work in Washington D.C.?  The Right is truly less interested in real deliberation, compromise and moving the budget issue forward. They want to attach social agendas to matters of governance.  Those social issues are also accompanied by matters related to votes and elections.  A glaring example of such is Walker’s Wisconsin budget facade to  hide his desire to bust public service collective bargaining in his state.  Walker’s revealing phone conversation with a faux “KOCH” brother was as matter-of-fact revealing as is 2 plus 2 equaling four (2+2=4).


De-funding NPR is another example of federal governance used to influence party politics and political agendas.


“Work with Us” Cantor?

Situation-at -a-Glance

Beyond Compromise…Riders


EPA and green-house gases
De-funding Heath-care reform
Planned Parenthood

Cantor, there is something wrong with the Situation-at-a-Glance as I consider “Work with Us.”


“SHUT-IT-DOWN, SHUT-IT-DOWN, SHUT-IT-DOWN.”   

 I am not hearing that from the LEFT.

The House of OZ (the 112th Congress- House of Representatives)

OpenCongress.org  Hot Bills ( 1 – 12)

As I watched a few news segments this week, my mind wonder off to the following questions, “What does any of this have to do with Jobs and improving the economy”?  Since, many of the issues broadcast via cable television networks focus on issues that garner the most favorable ratings, it stands to reason that the networks would focus on current stories related to war, tsunami, federal governance, and attacking the two competing networks. 

Since my mind was not left to wonder about the war and the Japan Tsunami, my mind settled on jobs and the economy, thus federal governance.  The three wars and the tsunami are real with no opportunity for mental contemplation that can involve reflection, with the hope of avoiding future, Federal governance provides a very large target (Note: President Obama is also not working hard enough on job creation)  Of course, the most important issues related to federal governance for me are jobs, tax issues and issues related to health care reform. The previous sentence includes all factors that facilitated the GOP victorious charge into the House of Representatives (herewith referred to as the House of OZ) via the 2010 mid-term elections.

Yes, the GOP campaigned very effectively.  Effective campaigns, enormous amounts of funding for campaigns, favorable campaign legislation, and a n easily influenced voting public, provide a ‘yellow brick road’ to the House of OZ.  I would also be remiss by not stating a few other factors that help to carry the GOP to the House of OZ:  non (mid-term)-voting  young voters, non (mid-term)-voting minorities. non-voting populace who are reticent to mid-term voting.  Let’s not underestimate  the influence of legislation and administration from a nontraditional President (the first in the US of A).  OK, so the ‘yellow brick road’ was mapped-out and led right to OZ. 

The GOP and the Tea Party promised significantly reduced spending and opportunity for jobs, jobs, jobs. While, I hate to use a common refrain from MSNBC News personalities, I must.  ” Mr. Boehner, where are the jobs”?  Not only are the jobs not coming forth as promised, I am not hearing about job creating legislation from the House of Oz.

In an effort to find information about my perception that I am not hearing House of OZ legislative initiatives, I sought a source of information that I feel is accurate: OpenCongress.org.

While it appears the GOP House has been busy, I decided to narrow my search. I found a link that navigates to the “HOT BILLS” from the 112th Congress.  After a brief summary of information related to OpenCongress, I cut and pasted the top twelve ‘Hot Bills’ as delineated by authors of the site.

I ask that you consider a quick run-through the following OpenCongress Information.  I believe that you will l see  the very same mental image is did I as I read through the ‘HOT BILLS’; the HOUSE OF OZ is not putting forth legislation or initiatives focused on Job Creation.  While, I am very biased I see two of the twelve hot Bills that seem to focus on humanity in federal governance. One bill related to unemployment compensation and the other related to issues of firearm control.  Alas, I also noticed a bill introduced by a Democrat that effectively cut congressional pay by 5 per cent.  That legislation was from the office of Gabrielle Gifford would is now recovering from a lunatics assassination attempt. The pay cut was not even proposed by a Tea party member, a standard bearing cost-cutting, or a cut taxes republican!

Please let me know if I have over looked one of the twelve ‘hot bills’ that relates to job creation?

Open Congress

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/all?types=house

OpenCongress brings together official government data with news and blog coverage to give you the real story behind each bill.

About OpenCongress

OpenCongress brings together official government data with news coverage, blog posts, public comments, and more to give you the real story behind what’s happening in Congress. Small groups of political insiders and lobbyists already know what’s really going on in Congress. Now, everyone can be an insider.

OpenCongress is a free, open-source, not-for-profit, and non-partisan public resource website. OpenCongress is a project of the Participatory Politics Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to encourage civic engagement. The Sunlight Foundation is our Founding and Primary Supporter. To read more about our mission, our open data sources, and how Congress works, see about OpenCongress. To read more about how individuals and organizations can use this site to find and share the best available info about their political interests, see how to use OpenCongress.

House Resolution	Legislative Category	Sponsor	Introduced	Status
3	Reproductive Issues	Representative Christopher Smith   R-NJ	01/20/11	Open Referred top House Committee
2	Health Issues (Human Services)	Representative Eric Cantor R-VA	01/05/11	Passed the House 01/19/11
25	Budget, Spending and Taxes	Representative Rob Woodall R-GA	01/05/11	Open Referred to House Committee
589	Employment and Affirmative Action	Representative Barbara Lee D-CA	02/09;/11	Open Referred to House Committee
140	Technology and Communication	Representative Steve King R-IA	01/24/11	Open Referred to Subcommittee
308	Gun Issues	Carolyn McCarthy D-NY	01/18/11	Open Referred to Subcommittee
514	National Security Issues	Representative F. Sensenbrenner  R-WI	01/26/11	President Obama signed on 02/25/11
97	Technology and Communication	Representative M. Blackburn        R-TN	01.05/11	Open Referred to Subcommittee
96	Technology and Communication	Representative M. Blackburn R-TN	01/05/11	Open Referred to Subcommittee
204	Congressional And Legislative Affairs	Representative Gabrielle Giffords        D-AZ	01/06/11	Open Referred to House Oversight Committee
359	Campaign Finance and Election Issues	Representative Tom Cole          R-OK	01/20/11	Passed 01/26/11
43	Technology and Communication	Representative Darrell Issa R-CA	01/05/11	Open Referred to Subcommittee

H.R. 3 No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act This bill would make permanent and expand the Hyde amendment restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortions. It seeks to prohibit even indirect funding streams that may potentially come in contact with abortion services. For example, it would deny tax credits to companies that offer health plans that cover abortions and it would block anybody with insurance that covers abortions from receiving federal subsidies, even if the abortion portion is paid separately with personal funds. It would also redefine rape for the purpose of exempting resulting abortions from the federal funding restrictions as “forcible rape” and limit the incest exemption to cases where the women is a minor.

H.R. 2  Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, which together comprise the major health care reform that was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010. The repeal bill has been estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to increase the federal deficit by $230 billion over the next ten years. Student loan reform legislation that was attached to the reconciliation bill would also be repealed.

H.R. 25  Fair Tax Act

This bill would eliminate all federal income taxes, payroll taxes and the estate tax, and replace them with a federal sales tax of 23% on the use or consumption of all goods, properties and services. The Internal Revenue Service would be abolished and replaced by an Excise Tax Bureau and a Sales Tax Bureau in the Department of the Treasury. 

H.R. 140  Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011

This bill would eliminate birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Current U.S. law automatically recognizes any person born on American soil as a natural born citizen. Under the bill, only children with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident, or an undocumented immigrant serving in the military would be considered citizens. 

  

H.R.308  Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act

Bans the sale or possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, defined in the bill as “a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition.” Military personnel and police would be exempt from the ban.

H.R. 514   FISA Sunsets Extension Act of 2011

Extends three provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that are set to expire on February, 28, 2011. They include the authority for “roving” wiretaps that allows the government to monitor computers that may occasionally be used by suspected terrorists, the “tangible records provision” that requires banks, telecoms and libraries to hand over any customer information the government requests without informing the customer, and the “lone wolf” provision allowing the government to track international terrorist groups. These would be extended straight up — i.e. no reforms — and would expire again under the bill on December 8, 2011.

  

H.R.97 – Free Industry Act

Amends the Clear Air to state that greenhouse gases are not “air pollutants,” and, therefore, can not be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

H.R.96 – Internet Freedom Act

This bill would take regulatory authority over the internet away from the Federal Communications Commission and give it to Congress. The text reads: “The Federal Communications Commission shall not propose, promulgate, or issue any regulations regarding the Internet or IP-enabled services.” It would allow the FCC to continue issuing regulations that are designed to assist law enforcement, ensure public safety, and protect national security.

 

H.R.204 – Congressional Pay Cut Act

Cuts salaries for Members of Congress by 5 percent.

H.R.359 – To reduce Federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions.

Aye Votes: Republican Vote 229, Democrats 10; Nay Votes: Democrats159  Republicans 1; Abstained Votes: 24 Dems., 10 Repub.

H.R.43 – To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program and to re-allocate those visas to certain employment-based immigrants who obtain an advanced degree in the United States.

Eliminates the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, a.k.a. the Green Card Lottery, which gives out 50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. These visas would instead be given to foreign-born individuals who have obtained a graduate degree in science or engineering from a U.S. university and whose employment is sought by a U.S. employer. 

________

I suspect that you did not find any legislation aimed at creating jobs.

As I reflect back on past election campaign successes by the GOP, I am reminded that they have ‘pulled another fast one’ on the majority of America voters.  I think of ‘Swift Boats. I think of compassionate conservatives (there is not such living being). I think back to the “moral majority”.  I think of “read my lips…. ” I think of a Supreme Court decision  following the 2000 Election.

As I end this treatise, I think also about clear initiatives from the RIGHT. I think of the front-line of the GOP war on America as that of the governors who are dismantling public labor unions and cutting public education funding.  I saw (above) the House Bill that is focused on cutting federal government funding of national public radio.

The House of OZ, is by all accounts missing a brain, a heart, and the courage to do the ‘right-things’ for Americans who working hard to exist the the middle to lower economy strata.

A final illustration of the horrors of the RIGHT.? I have a conservative who shares an office wall with my office wall. (neighboring offices). He came to me last week railing about why people who receive federal and state assistance (food stamps and other aid) are not properly taxed; not taxed enough. During the same ridiculous rant he mentioned social security and how it is a dying benefit.  I told him that I thought not capping social security payroll taxes would help to ensure program solvency.  The man did not even know that social security has a payroll cap in the range of $106,800.  Meaning some in America stop paying social security taxes as early as March, April or May in any given year, and some stop paying even earlier in the calender year.

This I posit is the psyche with which we battle.  

 (Also posted on http://www.leftake.com)