Where is K Street?

According to the latest CNN/ORC International survey, 72% of Americans favor enactment of the so-called 'Buffet Rule'. Despite its popularity among a majority of voters, the Republicans in Congress continue to block all legislation dealing with tax fairness and corporate welfare.
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"Power is crack. Money buys crack." ~ Self


Congress approves wide-ranging
ethics rule?
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etc. etc. etc.

Tax Breaks for Job Creators?

Can you say "Kool-Aid"? Really? Who came up with this talking point? Some K Street lobbyist?

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, on July 2, 2008, Rush Limbaugh signed an eight-year contract with Clear Channel Communications for $400 million. The conservative talk show host "broadcasts his show from a $26 million ocean front home in West Palm Beach, which has 7 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and an elevator".

Between January and May 2009, Clear Channel Communications eliminated 2,440 positions (roughly a 12% drop from its December 2008 workforce).
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Still confused?
Here's what Seattle billionaire Nick Hanauer wrote in Bloomberg's op-eds section in November, "When businesspeople take credit for creating jobs, it is like squirrels taking credit for creating evolution. In fact, it’s the other way around." Read More...

At what point will the GOP wake up and finally retire its silly "job creator" talking point?

Every person who spends money is a job creator. Every person with money deposited in a savings account is an investor.

At the end of October 2011, one month after the start of #Occupy Wall Street Protests, the Congressional Budget Office published a detailed report on the distribution of household income between 1979 and 2007. The raw numbers are alarming. 

Can you name the first time in American history that the government cut revenue as it marched off to war? Once again, President Obama needs to stop calling his proposal to raise revenue to address the budget deficit the Buffet Rule. It needs to be called the After 9-11 Tax.

4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem

for the Office of War Information

Corpus Christi, Texas (August 1942)

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tea Party, when will this country do its collective Patriotic Duty and pay for these ongoing wars? Speaking of which, how many millionaires and billionaires served in Iraq or Afghanistan? 1%?
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"I Pledge of Allegiance to Grover Norquist"?

In case you missed it, according to the latest Gallup, only 12% of Americans approve of the job U.S. Congress is doing. The 86% disapproval rating for the 112th Congress is the highest since Gallup started asking the question in 1974. Read More...

Public service is NOT about being a Republican or a Democrat. It's not about being a liberal or conservative. It's about doing the right things for the right reasons. It's about being a citizen. And believe it or not, the word Compromise is NOT one of George Carlin's original seven dirty words.

Understanding the latest political games being played out in Washington D.C. is not complicated. Power is crack. Money buys crack. Perhaps it's time for this country to take a serious look at enacting a 28th Amendment to the Constitution which overturns the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case (perhaps the worst decision in America's judicial history since Dred Scott).

"94% of elections in America are won by the candidate with the most money. Is this how we want to pick our leaders?" ~ Buddy Roemer

...contrasting imagery...

Dirty Blue Jeans in Broken Window, Changsha, PRC (December 2008)
Photo by Peter Rimar

Working Title: Two and a Half Brains?

Chuck Lorre & CBS in negotiations with Bachmann, Huntsman and Roemer for a new political sitcom? Rick Santorum slated to play the stalking neighbor and Herman Cain as the pizza delivery guy?



First Episode [Rough Draft]: Roemer helps Bachmann study for a test on the Founding Fathers. While delivering a pizza, Cain catches Santorum spying in Huntsman's bathroom window.

Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, New and Expanded Edition [Hardcover]

Newt Gringrich for President?

Seriously? Really? Could General Ripper's conspiracy theory linking "fluoridated water" with a Communist plot to weaken American society be true? Every time this blogger reads about the candidate's recent surge in the polls, a single rhetorical cliché best describes my thoughts regarding Newt's book selling run for the White House:

Can you say "Lipstick on a Pig"?

Despite Newt's well-documented, extremely checkered political record, a growing number of Republicans actually believe he's the best candidate to beat President Obama in 2012.

Good luck with that one!

Perhaps Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who's NOT known for her intellectual prowess or problem solving skills, put it best. On CBS' Face the Nation, Bachmann stated, "He's the 'King of K Street. For a person who's been influence peddling for over 30 years in Washington, D.C. - to think that Newt Gingrich is somehow an outsider, when he is the consummate establishment insider?"

Hopefully, between now and the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, GOP voters will WAKE UP and take another look at Jon Huntsman and Buddy Roemer. Otherwise, Republican voters should be prepared for the GOP to suffer its biggest Presidential defeat in its long, proud history. In terms of Jon Huntsman, he has an extremely strong foreign policy background (which during the Cold War actually meant something with Republican voters). As far as supporting a candidate like Buddy Roemer, well, GOP voters could walk away from a 2012 defeat with dignity and some glimmer of hope for the Party's political future.

Political Quote of the Week:
"If a corporation is a person, I can't wait until they get drafted in the next war."
~ Buddy Roemer on MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show
December 8, 2011



Photo Credit: Peter Rimar's wife in a gallery located in Beijing's 798 Art District (May 2008).
Reference Links:
Lipstick on a Pig
Dr. Strangelove

GOP Flavor of the Month: Newt Gingrich?

Back in June, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann first captured the hearts and minds of the Christian Right. Then, Texas Governor Rick Perry rode onto the national stage only to quickly fall off his unsaddled horse. After drinking a six pack of Lone Star Beer while watching Faux News, hungry GOP voters ordered up a $9.99 pizza from Mr. Herman Cain.

Three political love affairs later (pun intended), the ANYBODY BUT MITT parade continues with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich taking center stage. Seriously? Newt Gingrich? This blogger has two simple questions: who is answering the telephone when one of more than a dozen pollsters call? Do folks actually believe this man could get elected President?

Even the conservative sage George Will is shaking his political head,"Gingrich’s is an amazingly efficient candidacy, in that it embodies almost everything disagreeable about modern Washington. He’s the classic rental politician."
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At what point will Republican voters sober up, change the channel and take a serious look at Jon Huntsman or Buddy Roemer?

Gingrich Update:
November 27, 2011
Evidently, this blogger is completely out-of-touch with the winds of political change. The New Hampshire Union Leader, the only "Live Free or Die" state-wide newspaper, endorsed NEWT for the top of GOP ticket. NEWT?
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...Americana...

Cowboy Intersection, Gene Autry, Oklahoma (May 2010).

Pulp Fiction [Blu-ray]

Another Milestone ~ 10 Years at War

"We're here so that Afghanistan does not once again become a sanctuary for transnational extremists the way it was when al-Qaeda planned the 9/11 attacks in the Kandahar area, conducted the initial training for the attackers in training camps in Afghanistan before they moved on to Germany and then to U.S. flight schools." ~ David Petraeus

Pew Research Center 
War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era
The Military-Civilian Gap (Released: October 5, 2011)
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United in Remembrance, Divided over Policies
Ten Years after 9/11 (Released: September 1, 2011)
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Afghan Boy in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan (June 2003). Photo by Peter Rimar.
Afghanistan 101 (Hardcover) (See all Early Civilization History Books)

Election Update: Buddy Roemer, the only GOP candidate who has made corruption in Washington the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, has been locked out of yet another televised debate:
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Should politicians wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers to identify their corporate sponsors?

The following is a man-on-the-street interview about the 
Occupy Wall Street Movement 
that DID NOT make it on Faux News:


Onion News: 
Rumors that Rick Perry invited Dick Cheney to go hunting are untrue.

Bachmann Update: 
Candidate runs out-of-gas in Iowa?
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Class Warfare Update: 
Buddy Roemer is the first & only GOP Presidential candidate to issue a statement offering his support for the Occupy Wall Street Movement.
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Happy World Teachers' Day!

Photo of Chinese Classroom in Changsha, PRC by Peter Rimar (July 2009).

$1,000,000 Peccadilloes Bounty?

Larry Flynt (aka Mr. Hustler) has offered a seven figure payday for anyone with sexually unsavory information involving the current GOP front runner for El Presidente. The following is a digital copy of a full-page paid advertisement which appeared in the Austin Chronicle (August 19th, 2011):

If the Koch Brothers can quietly spend over $100,000,000 marketing a repackaged brand of Libertarian soap, this blogger has no problem with Mr. Flynt offering $1,000,000 of his own money to uncover hidden dirt on the Texas Governor.

Why?

Honestly, I'm less concern with Perry's private life and more alarmed by the cozy business connections he's fostered as Governor of Texas. For this blogger, while most journalists focused on Perry's poor performance during the recent debates, considering Gary Johnson was allowed to join the GOP's Florida Beach Party, I questioned why Buddy Roemer was once again kept off stage:



Until the voters in this country demand real campaign finance reform, laws which actually limit the power of corporate money and influence, the politically-motivated pornographic paralysis being played out in Washington D.C. will continue.

After cutting taxes in 2001 and then spending $1.3 trillion for two ongoing wars, the GOP threatened to shut down the government over $3.65 billion designated for disaster relief? Playing politics with people struggling to rebuild their lives is just plain WRONG!

Observation: It appears that Karl Rove's GOP campaign strategy for the 2012 Election is to STOP the government from functioning while slowly driving the economy off yet ANOTHER financial cliff.
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Dear Governor Rick Perry

This POST is NOT about your rather poor grades as a student at Texas A&M. Yes, that D in the Principals of Economics is a bit alarming, but then again, it was the summer of 1970. Love was in the air. The United States had just pulled the troops out of Cambodia, President Richard Nixon lowered the voting age to 18 and Casey Kasem made his debut as the host of American Top 40.

Report cards are overrated. Just ask Glenn Beck about his DAY at Yale. Heck, Albert Einstein was a bad student. But then again, he did win the Noble Prize in Physics and helped change the whole 20th Century (but that story is for another day).

Additionally, I'm not going to waste your time writing about the 21,000 Texas wildfires (which burned 3.7 million acres of land and destroyed 1,915 homes valued at $100 million dollars). Nobody can control Mother Nature. Not even the Prophet Ron Paul. Indeed, the best time to CUT state funding for the Texas Forest Service and assistance grants for volunteer fire departments is during a drought. It makes perfect sense. Why prevent a crisis when you can look like a leader during a crisis? Why waste oil revenue on land management or funding local fire departments when the Federal Government can ride into Austin and write the state a big fat FEMA check. Just look at how much money Louisiana made by not improving the levee system around New Orleans. Why spend 30 million dollars for levees (or fire prevention) when you can milk billions of dollars from FEMA?

To be honest, when I sat down to write this commentary, I was extremely tempted to bring up your cozy business relationship with the Koch Brothers. It's expensive to run for public office. Power is crack and money buys crack. It's tough breaking the political addiction to special interest cash. IF you ever decide to seek help, Buddy Roemer has just organized a support group for Presidential Candidates (see previous Buddy post).

Anyhow, this POST is only about Social Security. Enough educated folks have written about your incorrect usage of the words Ponzi Scheme, so I won't bore you with another silly classroom lecture.


This POST has only one simple message: Wall Street will NEVER get its hands on Social Security. It is NOT a 401K investment plan. Period. So, no matter how much 527 money the Koch Brothers pump into their private Libertarian crusade, Social Security will survive. And do you know why? It's simple. This country will NEVER allow millions of senior citizens to become homeless. Even Minister Michele Bachmann took the time to read Ronald Reagan's Presidential Memo regarding Social Security.

After the Wall Street Meltdown in 2008, do you really think a majority of Americans trust the financial markets to provide a retirement safety net? Social Security is NOT broken. Who fixes low air in a tire by driving the car off a cliff? Unless of course the real political prize is to completely privatize Social Security. Am I Fed Up? No.

Joke of the Week:
"Dick Cheney's memoir, 'Eat, Pray, Waterboard,' has a lot of revelations. For instance, Dick Cheney was actually born in a hut in Kenya. His first heart attack occurred when he accidentally saw himself naked. He also admits to fathering Beyonce's baby." ~ David Letterman

The Battle for Social Security:
From FDR's Vision To Bush's Gamble (Hardcover)

The Psycho Talk Express Runs Out Of $2 Gas

Ann Coulter called Ed Rollins. 
She wants her crazy-right-wingnut title back.

Actually, this particular POST is not about Minister Michele Bachmann's recent crash landing in various national polls. Yes, less than a month ago, she captured the Iowa Straw Poll. However, once Texas Governor Rick Perry stampeded his 527 herd into the race, even the early financial affection of the Koch Brothers couldn't save her campaign.

Also, this POST is not about praying for $2 gasoline or the record number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States (highest level since 1987). The oil companies are pumping MORE American crude than before Bush senior's administration (but let's not allow silly facts to get in the way of the GOP's talking points).

Last night on MSNBC (September 6, 2011), Rachael Maddox interviewed Buddy Roemer. Who is Buddy Roemer? Twenty-five years ago, there was this term widely used in the media to describe a specific group of below the Mason-Dixon Line politicians. They were called Southern Democrats. Basically, this wing of the Democratic Party identified themselves as foreign policy hawks and fiscal conservatives. After President Ronald Reagan, many of these Southern Democrats switched over to the Republican Party.

Despite being out of politics for almost 20 years, Buddy Roemer, one of these former Southern Democrats turned Republican, is running for President on the GOP ticket.

Why?

This man knows he has a better chance of landing on the moon than winning the nomination. So, why should folks listen to his thoughts about the current State of this Polarized Union? Well, instead of putting words into his mouth or trying to loosely paraphrase his remarks, here's an extended excerpt from that interview:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In fairness to Comedy Central's Steven Colbert, the comedian has been working to educate Americans on the corrupting power of special interest money. In the case of Buddy Roemer, if given the opportunity, his campaign has the potential to expose the political onion to a wider audience. I wonder if the American people are ready to listen?

“If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.”
~ Mark Twain

Photo by Peter Rimar. Changsha, P.R.C. (October 2008).
Hostile Takeover:
How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government
And How We Take It Back (Paperback)