ARRA and the media: The gap is widening

...between what I am seeing in the cable/national news media and what I have read in the bill.

To save myself a bit of insanity, I want to share words from our leader from yesterday, February 5, 2009:

Part One:



Part Two:


He's rational, funny, and firm. But this is serious people. Make no mistake. We cannot afford to let our country fail.

These are the things the GOP calls pork.

Hungry American children.

Fewer teachers in an already strained education system.

The possibility of creating a ripple effect with public works projects that will help manufacturing.

A new Federal fleet of eco-friendly and energy efficient cars that will come from American auto makers.

This bill is chock full of public works projects.

I read yesterday that the national corps of engineers (you know, the people who worked on that bridge collapse in Minnesota a couple years back?) said there's at least 2 trillion dollars worth of infrastructure that has been neglected in the last eight years and is in desperate need of attention. Literally, our roads, and sewers, and bridges, and water pipes are corroding beneath us.

Our schools will have at least 25% fewer teachers next fall if we don't get this thing passed.

Children of low-income families will not get fed at school, either, unless their parents can pay for the meals (that have been covered by federal assistance programs for years now). And WIC programs will lose funding, too.

This bill is designed to kill two birds with one stone. The American people need jobs and job security. The government has lots of things to work on and needs our help to do it.

It's this simple: create lots and lots of jobs, and hire people to do those jobs.

Win, win every time.

What the GOP is doing in DC is despicable.

The poorest of the poor might never be able to recover. And the longer we wait the chances of any of us keeping our heads above water decrease.

Please, if you care about your life as you know it, and care about the lives of every American: contact your representatives.

We need to know that those who represent us CARE about us.

For your Senators

For your House Representative

It takes, literally, five minutes, the time it takes to write three short emails with these short lines:

Dear So-and_so
Please show your support for the American people by voting for ARRA 2009.

Your country is counting on you to do what we asked you to do in November 2008.

We need to know that you are on our side and can let go of petty politics for something greater than all of us.

Sincerely,
Me

Feel free to copy and paste this even.

We can make this happen. Yes We Can.

Read more...

Warm up those keyboards: Part four?

The following is an excerpt from the most emailed article today on English Al Jazeera: [I added italicized bold to some terms in the text below]

"The US House of Representatives has voted to endorse a resolution backing Israel in its offensive in Gaza, in which at least 780 Palestinians have been killed.

The body passed Friday's resolution 'recognising Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza' by 390 votes to five.

Twenty-two members of the House voted 'present' which means that they voted neither in favour or against the resolution.

The measure also noted that the humanitarian situation in Gaza 'is becoming more acute' (page 3 of pdf linked below) but did not rebuke Israel.

Dennis Kucinich, a Democratic congressman for Ohio who voted against the bill said before the vote: 'I'm hopeful that we do not support the inhumanity that has been repeatedly expressed by the Israeli army.'

'We must take a new direction in the Middle East, and that new direction must be mindful of the inhumane conditions in Gaza.'

Washington has been Israel's closest ally since 1948, when Harry Truman, the former president, made the US the first country to recognise Israel.

US-Israel ties

The US has been repeatedly criticised by Arabs for its unstinting support of Israeli actions. The US frequently blocks United Nations resolutions critical of Israel and on Thursday abstained from a Security Council vote calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The House has passed similar measures in recent years by massive majorities.

In 2006, the House voted to condemn Hamas and Hezbollah for "unprovoked and reprehensible armed attacks against Israel" and supported Israel's incursion into Lebanon.

In 2004, the body voted to support a statement by George Bush, the US president, that it was 'unrealistic' to expect Israel to return completely to its pre-1967 borders.

The US senate had voted on Thursday to back its own resolution offering 'unwavering commitment' to Israel.

That recognised 'its right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against acts of terrorism' and urged a ceasefire that would keep Palestinians from firing rockets at Israel.

Harry Reid, who leads the Democratic majority in the senate, said on Thursday following that vote: 'Our resolution reflects the will of the state of Israel and the will of the American people.' "

Will of the American people? Just who is this guy talking to?

Here's a pdf of the resolution (only six pages long) if you want to read it for yourself for letters to your reps in congress.

My "favorite" quote from this piece of trash:

"to lay blame both for the breaking of the 'calm' and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas;"

Nevermind the Israeli blockade in place for over a year now on the Gaza border. Or the fact the civilians are the ones who are dying from bombs, food shortages, lack of clean water, and access to civilized medical care. It seems Olmert has taken a page from the Bush doctrine on pre-emptive war.

Sick. Just sick.

Is Reid correct in his assumption that this resolution reflects the will of the American people?

Read more...