Tag Archives: RSS tea party

Blog: Budget Opportunities in the New Reality

November 3, 2010 – 8:06 pm

Now that the Republicans have gained control of the House by promising budget cuts (among other things), Democrats can use this new reality to push for targeted budget cuts that may not be on the Republican radar (and usually are actively opposed by the special interests that drive the Republicans) but would help move the country forward. If indeed the Tea Party movement is a large force who is not beholden to the big Republican moneyed interests, then Democrats should take this case to the American people.

For example, the Sustainable Defense Task Force recommends saving $200 billion by reducing the presence of U.S. troops in Western Europe and the Far East, and reducing total troop strength to 1.3 million. The Democrats could put pressure to cut the defense budget but not put any vital interests at risk.

How about cutting subsidies to ExxonMobil and other Big Oil companies? If Joe Six-Pack is concerned to the core about the budget deficit, let’s make the case that these subsidies would only grow the deficit that the grandkids will have to pay.

Can Democrats finally end tax breaks for multinational companies that ship American jobs overseas? Or ending the wink and nod of allowing huge American-headquartered companies to incorporate overseas to avoid paying their fair share of taxes?

How about it? What are the programs that we need to cut back or cut out? For example, what about canceling the missile defense or other expensive new systems?

Let’s come up with a priority list and go for it. If you have any ideas, let me know.

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Blog, Featured: New York Times: Dold Is A Tea Party Candidate

October 20, 2010 – 10:26 am

Today’s New York Times identifies Robert Dold as a Tea Party candidate. Time and time again in recent weeks, Dold’s far right-wing positions have become evident. Earlier this week, he snubbed BJBE, Temple Beth El, Solomon Schechter, and Chicagoland Jewish High School to appear on Sean Hannity’s right-wing program, and just yesterday, we learned that Dold is supported by Fred Malek’s American Action Network.

Robert Dold does his best to pretend he’s a moderate because he knows that while this district might elect a Republican, there’s no way it would elect a Tea Party candidate. So Dold bobs and weaves, hoping to wink and nod his way to office.

Today’s New York Times listed the Tea Party candidates running in each district. Sure enough, Bob Dold made the list.

As the Times explains, “For purposes of the list, Tea Party candidates were those who had entered politics through the movement or who are receiving significant support from local Tea Party groups and who share the ideology of the movement.” Read More »

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Blog: Unthinkable Anyone Would Re-Elect The Republicans That Got Us in This Mess

October 7, 2010 – 9:59 pm

Yes We Can (Change our Destiny)

It is unthinkable that anyone, especially anyone who voted for President Obama in the last election would reelect any Republican and worse yet, put the Republican Congress back into power, the very people that got us into this mess.

I can’t fathom the short memory of our society, the gullibility of our populace to actually believe that the very people that lied to us about Iraq simply so that they could attack another country for their own purposes and who came so close to creating the next great depression are the “change that we now need” are the “anti-establishment” that will make our country strong, again. The irony of the word “again” is that what would happen is that they’d destroy us, again.

How incredulous I am when I see that the GDP way down during the end of the Bush era, and yet when President Obama came in, the GDP began to climb and it has climbed every quarter due to President Obama’s financial decisions. And so has jobs. And so has nearly every metric that measures our society getting stronger financially. And let us not forget that prior to the Republicans taking office, when the Democrats were in power during the Clinton era we didn’t have a deficit. We had a surplus that was squandered by the Republicans. Our current situation regarding the deficit exists because we are climbing out of a hole created by the Republicans. Read More »

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Blog: Bob Dold, man of the people (not the people in our district)

July 7, 2010 – 11:12 pm

Last time I checked, large and small were antonyms, and independent Republican was not quite equivalent to radical right-wing supporter. However, thanks to Bob Dold, I am learning new things every day.

A few days ago, Bob Dold was named one of the new Young Guns by the NRCC – just a little more party spotlight. In order to get this title , Dold had to meet certain fundraising and media relations criteria.
Fundraising especially was no problem for Dold. As the self-proclaimed Tenth District candidate for small business, Dold has definitely been making friends with business interests. However, his new friends are mostly corporate backers. Local moguls, such as John Canning, Patrick Ryan, Andrew McKenna Sr., and William Osborn, all donated to Dold in the primary. So did Alan Lacy, the CEO of Sears. So, a handful of leaders of corporate America trying to buy off election: not the best display of democracy. However, things could be worse. We could have a candidate who claims to support small businesses, while actually running his campaign in a way which commits him to corporate interests for twenty-four months of his hypothetical two –year term. Wait, that sounds familiar. However, these moguls do live in-district, so the voices of more than five district 10 residents would be heard in Congress, were Dold elected.

Aiming to keep Kirk’s open seat Republican, Dold has also been fumbling with the adjective independent, which he likes to put in front of his party affiliation as often as possible. I always though ‘independent’ meant thinking outside of party lines, in order to adjust to the desires of constituents and stay away from overly-radical party demagogues. However, to Dold, it looks like Independent has taken a whole new meaning: supporting irrational radicalism. According to Dold, the “Tea Party has] a great voice out there”, because it is “talking about liberty and the Constitution. ” Further he claims that he appreciates the Tea Party’s work, because, like them he also ‘likes liberty and the Constitution’.

If anything stands against independent thinking, it’s the repetitive, senseless chants of angry mobs filled with a lot of emotion but no constructive solutions. .Even Dold admits that “the Tea Party is just angry.” I thought the 10th district was too educated and rational to be associated with racism, intolerance, and blind hatred. I though voters in the northern suburbs would like politicians to go a little deeper then ‘liberty is good, I like liberty.’ I thought our district was smart enough to differentiate between small business and corporate interests. However, Dold does not seem to agree. In November, we will prove him wrong.

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