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America's Autumn Revolt

Susan's Views — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:47:10 GMT

Austerity has been imposed all over the world by the arrogant 1% ruling class and rich on the 99% to pay for the economic meltdown caused by the 1% (corporations, over-fed military war machines, oil/energy profiteers and the global economic elite epitomised by Wall Street).

People are without jobs, food, health care, homes, savings, pension funds (squandered by investment professionals) and HOPE.

Not only the young and old have a grim future, but the poor, sick, workers, unemployed and the middle class have a terrifying present.

Many have nothing more to lose.

Representatives of the world's 99% have taken to the streets in country after country and the Spring revolt continues in Greece, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yeman, Bahrain, etc., and now America.

It is principally the young in country after country who are in peaceful revolt despite arrests and violence inflicted on them. Many have been injured, tortured, imprisoned and killed.

It is young Americans who started the Occupy Wall Street movement which is being supported now in over 200 cities in the USA with massive rallies planned for October 15.

They were laughed at by the mainstream media and the champagne-drinking Wall Street employees as nothing more than a few young hippies.

With a multi-million dollar gift from Goldman-Sachs to the Police Benevolent Fund, the New York City Police were there to keep order by kettle arrests and brutality.

A little bloodshed got minimum attention from the mainstream media who were preoccupied chasing the more fascinating stories of Sarah Palin's Presidential bailout and the return of Seattle's acquitted murderess - admittedly both 'hot' babes.

Only Fox 'Faux' News caught on early to the genuine, organic movement of the masses which was emerging as a massive threat to their corporate owners and conservative clients.

This is a movement of anger, frustration and will to identify those responsible for the global catastrophe caused by unrestrained 'supply-side' economics perpetrated by the world's ruling class.

It is a movement which demands retribution and compensation.

It is a movement which demands change - change which puts the well-being of 99% of humanity before the 1%'s endless accumulation of wealth.

It is a movement without a political party affiliation and condemns all those whom we have elected and who have failed us.

It is the revival of the American Dream.

It is now supported by the American Dream Movement of Van Jones, MoveOn, Democracy for America, all progressive groups, the House Progressive Caucus, labor unions, the environmental and anti-war activists, etc.

And the Marines are coming to protect the protestors and to uphold their Constitutional duty to protect this country and its people. Video

They will be joined by other military and even members of the Tea Party Patriots.

Americans of all political pursuasions are waking up to the fact that we are one and one with the other peoples of the world.

Grubby Fox is claiming commies, anarchy, anti-semitism, blah, blah. They have offered no apology nor explanation for condoning and encouraging Tea Party violence against liberals in their virtual world of unreality.

Ratings-crazed mainstream media and Washington insiders are perplexed.

The sharp-witted President, facing a tough re-election campaign against the malignant Republican Party, has picked up its theme and gotten tough with the opposition.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid engineered overturning a ridiculous privilege of Republican Senators to filibuster bills by adding endless unrelated amendments wasting time and preventing governance.

Republicans, deprived of one of their pet obstructionist privileges, vow to get even. Get even with the American people of course.

Democrats, who are not progressives, are waking up the the Occupy Wall Street movement and are actually doing something. To name one: an investigation into the illegal economic activities of Supreme Court Justice Thomas and his wife is demanded in a step to overturn the Citizens United decision from which he should have recused himself.

It appears that at least the Democrats want to identify with the protestors if not co-opt them for the party as the GOP co-opted the Tea Party.

Meanwhile the protestors and supporters have declared their independence.

You are either with we the people or against us.

Many believe that it will all come to nothing citing that the world's problems are too complex and the 1%'s power is too entrenched.

According to world economists such as Mervyn King, head of the Bank of England, we are headed into a worldwide depression far worse than the 1930's.

Whatever happens before November 2012 will affect the USA elections.

The question is: can the majority of American voters (who are not disenfranchised by Republican State anti-voting laws) understand what is at stake?

Or will they continue to blindly follow blind leaders?

UPDATE: The New York Times' editorial endorsed the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

We Remember

Susan's Views — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:55:16 GMT

The classic.

President's Jobs Bill

Susan's Views — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:49:11 GMT

Again, there should be no surprise that the President's Jobs Bill was greeted with disdain by many members of Congress.

Senate Majority leader McConnell described it as a "re-election speech".

Many Tea Party House members boycotted the speech and refuse to consider the bill or any sort of economic stimulus.

Liberals are disturbed that the President offered up cuts in Medicare and Social Security as a sop to the GOP deficit hawks.

One Republican quite rightly pointed out that we cannot defund Social Security with the payment cuts the President proposes to stimulate consumer spending and corporate investment.

Americans want a President and Congress to fight for them and their best interests. A weak jobs plan and cuts in entitlements are not in their best interests.

There were several very workable proposals which could stimulate job growth and deserve to be passed.

One hopes that part of the bill will be seriously considered.

Congress cannot continue to ignore the growing number of Americans out of work with no future hope of jobs.

Nor can it continue to ignore irate taxpayers.

GOP members appear to believe that thwarting the President will put a Republican in the White House in 2012.

The American people have indicated in every recent poll that at least 82% of them think all members of Congress should be booted out.

Though the President's approval rating is down, he is still liked.

His disloyal oppostion may find they are the ones to be shown the door.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Super Congress

Susan's Views — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:42:31 GMT

It is no surprise that the 12 members of the House and Senate disagreed in their first meeting on the framework of the budget mission entrusted to them to avoid across-the-board cuts.

One threatened to leave the committee if any military cuts were to be considered.

The chairman has not included entitlements, such as, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Others demand cuts in those programs in order to balance the budget even though they are solvent and self funding by taxpayer mandate.

Lobbyists are swarming in record numbers.

The only constituency which seems to be of NO INTEREST to legislators are citizen taxpayers.

Failure should not be in the cards, but is anticipated.

Whatever happens, the taxpayer will pay as will the most vulnerable.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

I'm Voting Republican (joke reader)

Susan's Views — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:15:22 GMT

By Synthetic Human

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Budget Blues

Susan's Views — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:12:01 GMT

The USA is nearly the August 2-3 deadline for raising the national debt ceiling or closing down government for lack of authorised funds to pay its bills including government pay, veterans' benefits, Social Security, etc.

No doubt Congress will be paid despite refusing to raise the ceiling or agree a budget.

It is so much more fun grandstanding, threatening and throwing tantrums. Besides, the media laps up the madness.

Moody's is already talking of lowering our Aaa rating and other countries are gleeful that our debt is valued a 'junk' (an exaggeration) and the dollar is weakening enough that it could be replaced as the international currency peg.

Democrats are bewildered at who in the Republican Party is making decisions or is capable of making decisions for the good of the country.

Unlikely heroes are House majority Speaker Boehner and Senate majority leader McConnell who float plan after plan within their mad party to save the economy.

Those plans are shot down by the far right as soon as they are announced. The far right wing and Tea Party are led by Eric Cantor (who owns hedge funds which will pay high dividends if the government defaults - just a little conflict of interest).

The President is keeping his temper, but his hair is greyer by the day.

This Petit Guignol has gone on so long that even the majority of the American people are catching on that most of the Republican Congressional members are childish, ruthless and useless.

They want their way and they want President Obama impeached or not reelected.

McConnell brags that removing the President is his primary objective along with re-writing the Constitution (I kid you not).

Republican governors are illegally rewriting the U.S. Constitution and their State Constitutions ad hoc bringing deep hardship to many across many red States.

They are also passing anti-voting laws in one red State after another to prevent young people, students, older people, handicapped, minorities, etc., from voting. We have returned to the Dred Scott era.

Two Presidential candidates, Sarah Palin and Rick Scott, want to secede from the Union.

Just what are they doing for or to America?

What about America and Americans?

Do we count for nothing?

What about our country's solvancy?

Their conduct is not only stupid, sociopathic, self-destructive and unpatriotic, it is treasonous.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Unions: What They Have They Ever Done For Us?

Susan's Views — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:35:21 GMT

MoveOn produced this video. It is one of the best informational commercials I have ever seen.

http://www.susansviews.com

Keith 'KO' Olbermann's Back

Susan's Views — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:59:00 GMT

Welcome back KO! As he was saying....

We need your voice and that of Harriet Beecher Stowe's.

No single person is less important than all the corporations in the world.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

GOP Long-term Plan To Destroy Democratic Party

Susan's Views — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:32:00 GMT

http://www.msnbc.com/id/26315998/#42464363

Canny Rachel Maddow of MSNBC has brilliantly outlined the Republican Party's long-term plan to destroy the Democratic Party by removing collective bargaining for union members and by corporations out-spending both unions who are supporting their workers' rights and ordinary citizens.

Unions are the largest donors to campaigns which involve their members and support the Democratic Party and its candidates as the DP supports workers' rights.

Republican strategy is simple. Republican corporate PACs rushed over $2 million into Wisconsin to underwrite an aggressive defensive campaign to retain former Republican Speaker of the House David Prosser in the Wisconsin Supreme Court so that Governor Walker's union-bashing budget-repair bill would pass the Court challenge.

Supreme Court terms are for 10 years and Court's eight Justices are supposed to be neutral and impartial in their rulings.*

In the non-partisan primaries (not running as a designated Party candidate), Prosser trounced JoAnne Kloppenburg by a margin of approximately 25%.

Kloppenburg, Assistant Attorney General, is considered a liberal who did not have a chance to be elected a month ago.

Koppenburg defeated Prosser in the April 5 election by 204 votes and declared herself the winner on Wednesday.

Prosser may demand a recount and his advisors may insist on time-consuming court appeals if he loses a recount.

If there is a recount and appeal, neither candidate will sit on the Supreme Court when the law suit, which blocked Governor Walker's controversial budget-repair bill which strips public employees of their collective bargaining rights, comes before the Court in two months.

Republican strategy would happily deprive workers of a liberal's vote on the Court; however, international coverage and national support for teachers and other workers who will be forced to take massive pay cuts, may sensitize the Court to the potential U.S. Constitutional challenges it faces if it supports a bill that was passed without due process of WI Constitutional law.

Allowing a bill to stand as law that was passed without proper Congressional notice and without a quorum present is illegal.

The governor's repeated flauting of a Court order to stay the bill's publication and enforcement is also illegal. He has been forced by a lower court to abide by its temporary order before it can hear arguments on the legality of Congressional procedures taken by Wisconsin's House and Senate majorities in ramming the bill through.

People came from all over the U.S. to support workers in massive demonstrations.

Unions with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy saw the vote for Kloppenburg as a referendum on Walker's policies.

They telephoned over 96,000 voters to get out the vote for working people and Kloppenberg.

Prosser helped the campaign against himself by by expressing his partisan support of Governor Walker and for calling the Chief Justice of the WI Supreme Court, a woman, a "bitch" and threatened her with "I'm going to get you" on video.

That same woman will appoint the judge who will hear any Prosser appeal.

The City of Milwaukee trashed Walker's Republican successor at its Board of Commissioners leaving no doubt of voters' displeasure with the governor.

Walker limply blamed Wisconsin's second largest city and distinguished education center, Madison, for the losses.

The governor, whose candidates lost 19 counties that Republicans won in 2010, still does not see the vote as a referendum on his policies.

Voting patterns show that Democrats are revved up, Independents are disillusioned and many Republicans do not support Walker's confrontational policies either.

Democrats are gathering recall votes for six or more Republican Representatives and Senators. They have enough for one and almost enough for the second in just a few weeks.

The April 5 vote indicates that other Republicans who are vulnerable to recall in a fast-changing political landscape.

Walker continues to vow to continue his policies to destroy unions and he is joined by Republican governors in Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, etc. All their approval ratings have dropped dramatically and some are softening or backpeddling in response to concern from their own Republican constituencies.

Walker himself faces recall in January 2012, which is the earliest date by law, unless he is impeached.

The reputation of the State is badly damaged and it has taken major financial losses from wasted, illegal actions which have increased taxpayer costs.

With ordinary taxpaying people as the only ones who are expected to sacrifice to balance budgets and impending local and national government shutdowns, the spotlight is now on the Republican governors, vicious Koch-stooge Tea Party and incompetent, self-serving politicians who cannot punch their way out of a paper bag.

All the corporate money in the world will not hide the 'long game' forever from the 99% of Americans who have to pay the financial 'blood' price for the rich and corporations who pay no taxes.

What will happen to the 1% when the sleeping giant of 99% finally wakes up?

In country after country, the people are rebelling and overthrowing rulers.

Can America's rulers not see that they may be next?

©Posted April 7, 2011.

*The danger of endless court challenges with charges of fraud from a sitting WI Supreme Court Justice is that he will further undermine trust in the SC, the courts and the whole voting process over a few votes.

It could also prompt questions about partisan activist judges on courts where they are required by law to be impartial and fair.

It would prompt questions about the U.S. Supreme Court which has five activist Republican Justices who are re-writing the Constitution (by their decisions) for their corporate and conservative friends.

They have ruled that corporations have the right to invest unlimited funds, including foreign funds, to influence U.S. elections.

Even in aggregate, individual citizens and unions cannot compete in campaign spending.

©Posted April 7, 2011.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Ladies Prevail

Susan's Views — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:10:00 GMT

The White House has expressed its preference for Rep Debbie Wasserman Schutz (D-FL) to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee at its next annual meeting.

Donna Brazile has been appointed interim chair until the DNC election.

Former Gov Ted Strickland of Ohio from 2007-11 was one of the finalists for the role.

Strickland was preferred by more conservative Democrats.

Some were concerned about having a national DNC spokesperson who is a feminist and supports women's rights.

In fact, some were concerned that she is a woman, Jewish and from Florida as well.

Many of us are delighted.

Rep Wasserman Schultz is one of the Party's most effective media advocates and she is an exceptional fundraiser.

She will continue in the House of Representatives and an administrator will be appointed to handle day-to-day activites of the Party while she concentrates on her role as spokesperson and fundraiser.

She will succeed Tim Kaine who will run for Senator of Virginia.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Government To Shut Down?

Susan's Views — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:08:00 GMT

UPDATE: Looks as if the government will shut down on Friday at the Tea Party's demand.

House Democrats have a budget to propose, House Republicans have a budget to propose and the Tea Party is having neither of them.

The GOP/Tea Party want at least $4 trillion in cuts gutting Medicare and Medicaid.

©Posted April 5, 2011

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Obama's 2012 Campaign Announcement

Susan's Views — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:14:00 GMT

President Obama announced plans for his 2012 re-election campaign on Monday.

He will have to decide who will replace Tim Kaine as Democratic Party Committee chair.

Kaine is exploring a run to replace Senator Jim Webb in Virginia.

The popular Democrat scores best against any Republican opponent.

Republican Angst

Polls indicate that no Republican could beat the President in 2012.

Huckabee and Romney lead GOP polls, but they have face a grim task in dealing with the intense popularity and fundraising skills of Rep Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin among the Tea Party and Evangelical Republican base.

Prospective voters among moderate Republicans and Independents are turned off by both women. Neither is electable nationally.

It may take brute force from Republican leaders to stop them and the Party could be very damaged as result.

The Tea Party demands in the House and Senate are causing Republican leaders sleepless nights.

Democrats are more than amused.

Then again Democrats have their own Blue Dogs who have recently taken offence at the Republicans who have rebuffed their offers of collaboration.

©Posted April 4, 2011

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Obama's Conundrum

Susan's Views — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:09:00 GMT

Breaking News:

The CIA is helping train rebels in Libya and support NATO no-fly zones and anti-Gadhafi targeted bombing.

Are the CIA agents unarmed?

President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron of the UK are not sure they want to go as far as President Sarkozy of France who wants to arm the Libyan rebels.

How can the rebels succeed with limited training and antiquated weapons against Gadhafi who is armed to the teeth with up-to-date weapons sold to him by the big powers?

China, Russia and Iran sit hypocritically on the sidelines ready to benefit whatever way the action goes.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is the first backlash victim of the rebellion for sitting on the sidelines and refusing to endorse NATO action against Gadhafi. The Greens and Socialists trounced her party in recent by-elections forcing her to realign her alliances to retain power if she can.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said the U.S. is not ready to declare against President Assad of Syria or the Bahraini government despite their crackdowns and murder of demonstrators.

President Salal of Yeman, ever co-operative with the U.S., is being forced to leave office leaving a massive power void.

Israel wants to invade anywhere claiming they see Al-Qaida everywhere and continues its ruthless killing of Palestinians and annexing their homes (dead or alive).

They have inspired the U.S.' most brutish citizens into frenzied Islamaphobia.

The neocons, right-wing Republicans, Christian Evangelicals and military-industrial-security-oil (MISO) corporations are tightly connected to Israel's ruling Likud party.

They are all waging a massive lobbying effort to force the U.S. to attack Syria enroute to their ultimate target - Iran.

How can the over-extended U. S. economy support all the wars, occupations and military bases (over 800 across the world)?

We are already sacrificing support for our more strategically important space program and domestic programs which help suffering Americans.

Instead the money is channelled to war and oil/gas energy (instead of developing alternative energy).

A responsible President must put statesmanship and the best interests of the U.S. ahead of his re-election.

He needs to reign in the out-of-control financial hucksters and the neocon/neoliberal hawks in order for America to live according to its Constitution and the moral and ethical values of its people.

Oddly enough, doing just that - the hardest things - would probably ensure re-election by landslide.

But does the President get it?

©Posted March 31, 2011

Susan's Views http://www.racingint.com

Lost Opportunities?

Susan's Views — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 11:45:00 GMT

Long-oppressed Chicagoans chose not to choose.

Rahm Emanuel will leap into the Mayorship in April without a runoff or a whimper.

Wait till the clashes come over budget slashes, selloffs to hedge funds/corporations and just wait till taxes rise.

Wait till the screaming temper tantrums start and watch the charming election face fade to rage.

Wait through the endless two-year election cycle to determine if President Obama is re-elected with the help of his frenzied friend and the glorious City of Chicago.

Wait for the bottom of America to fall out if the President isn't re-elected.

Silly Rabbit of Daily Kos nailed Obama's opposition in "Field of Dreams" (below).

Happily, the Tea Party will never allow a moderate extremist Conservative like Mitt 'Mormon' Romney to win the Republican Presidential nomination and newly hard-right John 'prisoner of war' McCain (furiously lonely or fuming on Meet the Press) is on nobody's list of candidates.

So maybe we can count on the Republican Party to save America from them - with their own candidate choices.

So, unless the voting majority of Americans have lost their minds, we agree that Obama's a pretty good bet for 2012.

©Posted March 27, 2011.

Daily Kos, Sun Mar 27, 2011 at 12:00 AM EDT
Sunday Talk: Field of Dreams
by Silly Rabbit

With President Obama's approval rating hovering below the 50% mark, his reelection in 2010 is far from certain.

However, a quick look at the Republicans exploring the possibility of running against him should give us all reason to be optimistic.

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Michele Bachmann: Fact-challenged kook.

Haley Barbour: Fat cat civil rights revisionist.

John Bolton: Mustachioed menace.

Herman Cain: African-American. Enough said.

Mitch Daniels: Cheese-eating surrender monkey.

Newt Gingrich: Unlikeable, amoral flip-flopper.

Mike Huckabee: Culture-warring colonialist.

John Huntsman: Obama's favourite Mormon.

Fred Karger: Openly gay. Enough said.

Sarah Palin™: Jew for Jesus.

Dr Ron Paul or Dr Rand Paul*: The gold standard of crazy.

Tim Pawlenty: Action movie zero.

Mitt Romney: Unnuanced pander bear.

Rick Santorum: Google him.

Donald Trump: Megalomaniacal birther.

All in all, I'd say that Oama's reelection is a pretty good bet.

©End

Addendum: (offered to Silly Rabbit's unforgetable GOP prospect list)

New Jersey's governor: 'sexy-hot' tub of rancid lard.

Wisconsin's governor: ball-busted dipstick.

Posted March 27, 2011.

©Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

We The People, Yes We Can

Susan's Views — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 20:24:00 GMT

The long-oppressed millions of Egyptians took to their streets all over Egypt for 18 frightening days in their fight for dignity, freedom, democracy and to remove the corrupt Hosni Mubarak regime.

Over 300 people died after the regime sent the dreaded secret police thugs to batter them into dispersing and submission. Many are missing, many are under arrest and many have been tortured.

Yet the Egyptians remained warm, gracious, peaceful and determined to prevail.

They understood that that had no other options. If they gave up, they would lose perhaps their only chance to achieve a Republic. They also knew they would be arrested and severely punished if they failed.

They had nothing more to lose.

It was the young in the military who tipped the balance for the people. They would not fire on them.

The older military, who had supported Mubarak, backed off and let the politics happen.

Mubarak finally stepped down and his dreaded Vice President Omar Suleiman turned over power to the military Council which shall run the country until a new Constitution is written and free elections can be organised.

Despite initial confusion, the Obama Admistration has vowed to support the people and push the caretaker government for the reforms the Egyptians have demanded.

The U.S. will send Admiral William Mullins to Israel and Jordan to assure them of their safety and continuing U.S. support.

Jordan's king dissolved his ruling cabinet, appointed new members to it and has promised reforms to help the country build itself out of poverty.

Only Israel seems unprepared for the consequences of the great Egypt, with its 80-plus million citizens (80% of whom are Muslim), throwing off its Israel-friendly dictator.

Bahrain is offering money to its citizens to soothe discontent, Azerbaijan is organising street protests as is Yeman. There were organised demonstrations in Algeria and many arrests.

Nowhere in North Africa or the Middle/Near East can any oppressive regime feel safe.

To a country I love and to a wonderful people: enjoy all the happiness you deserve to feel.

Today, we are all Egyptians!

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Tribute to the Brave Egyptian People

Susan's Views — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:08:00 GMT

Mona Eltahawi and Bill Maher on Egypt's Revolt

The rollover, slamdunk election of Rahm Emanuel as Chicago's Mayor is a prime example of how free America is.

We Americans do love our dictators and hard men.

It is easier to let the hard men get on with it while we watch Super Bowls, drugged-out celebrities and dimwit politicians who claim to solve America's problems by restricting women's wombs, cleansing the country of immigrants and anyone who disagrees with them, returning to pre-Constitution days and becoming a fundamentalist Christian country.

They sputter meaningless static so that we never notice that they have bankrupted America, sold our debt to China and have surrendered us to the war gods (50% of America's budget is military and we try to balance our trade deficits by leading the world in arms sales).

Will Americans ever stand up for themselves, democracy, freedom and America?

That is what democracy requires. Freedom requires "eternal vigilance" and eternal readiness to fight.

Will Americans ever have the courage of the Tunisians, Sudanese, Jordanis, Yemenis, Iranians and Egyptians?

The Tunisians have ousted their dictator and frightened Egyptians still protest in the hundreds of thousands knowing that it is their last chance for freedom.

They have faced rocks, bullets and death in Tahrif Square and know they will be arrested, tortured, imprisoned and killed if their revolt against President Mubarek fails.

Meanwhile Mubarek refuses to leave with his $30-70 billion booty. He has installed a Vice President for the first time in 30 years, the hated spy chief Suleiman, to 'talk' with the dissidents as Mubarek presides over the meetings.

President Obama and Secretary of State seem flumoxxed. They are sending confusing public messages indicating they would prefer that Egypt stabilizes with Mubarek either staying or going.

They are clearly happy with Suleiman whom they know well as the enforcer of America's 'rendition' program in Egypt (torture, interrogation and imprisonment of those the U.S. government thinks might be Islamic enemies of the United States).

Clinton sent an official envoy to the Egyptian government who lobbies FOR the Egyptian government in Washington, D.C., and is embarrassed by the criticism of the conflict of interest.

Obama and Clinton refuse to help the Egyptian people by pulling the $1+ billion yearly subsidy to Egypt until Mubarek goes and there are free and fair democratic elections.

Now the CIA is admitting that we have a serious Weapons of Mass Destruction problem in Egypt - weapons we gave Mubarek.

We will not solve that one with Mubarek, if the hints that he is blackmailing us with the WMD, are true.

Perhaps reform leader ElBaradei can provide a solution having been the former head of the U. N. Atomic Commission, but no one owns him.

Since he resolutely stood up to former President Bush over Iraq and Iran, he is not Washington's favourite.

Then again, Israel wants Mubarek to stay and Israel gets what Israel wants no matter how disastrous the outcome.

Pity the Egyptian people on the streets who know their fate if they fail to rid Egypt of its theives, torturers and warmongers.

Pity the Egyptian people who are at the mercy of impotent and conflicted foreigners.

Pity the Egyptian people as we betray them - and betray our democratic selves.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Hello President Emanuel

Susan's Views — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:45:00 GMT

The first congratulatory call came to Rahm Emanuel from the President of the United States of America.

The Illinois Supreme Court decided in a 7-0 decision on January 28 that Rahm Emanuel was a resident of Chicago and that he could run for Mayor of Chicago.

Five members of the Court (three Republicans and two Democrats) decided that Emanuel, who did not meet the one-year residency requirement of the municipal code to run for the office, had the 'intent' to remain a resident even though he declared himself a resident and paid residency taxes to Washington, D.C., during his role as Chief of Staff to President Obama.

Five Justices upheld the intemperate comments of the dissenting Appellate Court judge and condemned the two judges who ruled against Emanuel.

Two Democrat Justices voted with the majority, but wrote an 'Opinion' noting the inflamatory nature of the five's decision, their attack on the two Appellate Court judges, that they had not clearly defined 'domicile' and 'residence' by sorting through the contradictory laws once and for all and noted the conseqences of the decision as written:

1. The issue of 'domicile' and 'residency' is not settled and the 1871 law remains confusing.

2. Historically, the Court had many chances to do just that and has failed again - leaving ambiguity for the future.

3. The consequences of the Court's decision in the Emanuel case has established the legal basis for for any and all City employees to live outside Chicago. (Currently, Chicago law requires any City employee to live in Chicago and pay taxes in Chicago.)

4. The future financial impact on the City, with the loss of many taxpayers and their revenue, is incalculable.

In short, the Court's failure to write a well-reasoned landmark decision has created long-term problems for the City.

None of the consequences seem to matter to the fawning Chicago media that got what it lobbied for.

It no longer has any interest in attacking the Courts or judges as corrupt and is exultant that public sympathy for Emanuel has increased due to his judicial ordeal.

The President's advisor, David Axelrod, finished his White House job today and is rushing to Chicago to work for Emanuel's election.

The media and President's men are having a triumphant love fest with the man they already fondly call Mr Mayor (Emanuel).

Within a day, Chicago's political atmosphere changed. The candidate debates and election are treated as mere formalities.

In fact, according to the media, there is almost no reason to bother with the election or any runoff.

Emanuel is the 'slamdunk' Mayor.

What's at stake for the President? He expects Emanuel to bully the Illinois Democrats and other Illinoisans, who have problems with the Administration, into a united front to work for his re-election in 2012 and deliver the State for him.

The President lost Illinois House seats and his Senate seat to the Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections. The only major Democrat to survive was Governor Patrick Quinn and he is an Independent.

In April, the U.S. State's Attorney will refile charges against Emanuel's friend, former Governor Rod Blogojevich, and Emanuel will be embroiled in the influence-peddling trial over President Obama's former Senate seat.

If Emanuel does not win a 50% majority vote on February 22, he may face a runoff with the runner up timed at the beginning of the Blago re-trial in April.

It is imperative for him to win February 22 without a runoff.

If President Obama is in jeopardy in 2012, Emanuel would consider a challenge to Senator Richard Durbin for his Senate seat as a stepping stone to the Presidency in 2016.

The Presidency is Emanuel's ultimate goal and President Obama has agreed to support Emanuel in 2016 if Emanuel makes every effort to deliver Illinois for the President in 2012.

Insiders joke that Emanuel and Obama will swap jobs in 2016 to retain Chicago and Illinois for Emanuel and the Democratic camp.

Questions of Emanuel's qualifications to be Mayor of a major city are not being asked. No one but his competitors are looking at his record, qualifications and motives. And who is listening to them?

Emanuel is untouchable.

Hello Mr Mayor. Hello Mr President.

It is shock and more than ironic to see a city like Chicago, with so many intelligent citizens, tamely capitulating to this undemocratic set up when noble and brave Tunisians, Eqyptians, Yemenis and Jordanians are revolting on their streets and being shot down with American bullets in a fight to the death for their rights and that their countries might become democracies.

Easy come, easy go, America.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Desperados

Susan's Views — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:35:00 GMT

Chicago awaits results of the Illinois Supreme Court review of the Appellate Court decision which removed Rahm Emanuel from the ballot as a candidate for Mayor of Chicago, because he failed to meet the basic requirement in the municipal code requiring a one-year residency in the City before the election.

Both major Chicago newspapers, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, have endorsed Emanuel's right to be on the ballot despite the law excluding him.

They echo the popular Emanuel memes of 'let the voters decide' or 'dirty politics is denying voters their voting choice'.

The Chicago Tribune's John Kass in a WGN Radio interview said that he would like to see Emanuel run, but everyone seems to be forgetting the law. He also feels it is a shame that the Burkes and the Courts are being 'demonized'.

Emanuel makes regular announcements that he is calmly confident that he will prevail against the Appellate Court decision. He will participate in the Chicago Tribune Editorial panel discussion today with other candidates.

Many respected Chicago, Illinois and national media members claim that Emanuel's team is 'working the media'
around the clock leaking 'exclusives' attacking the Burkes and the Courts whom they blame for Emanuel's plight.

Alderman Edward Burke of the 14th Ward is alleged to be the real 'boss' of Chicago and Emanuel's sponsor, Mayor Richard J Daley, is considered to be a secondary front. Burke's wife, Anne, is an elected member of the Illinois Supreme Court - the same Court that will decide Emanuel's fate.

Burke has endorsed Gery Chico who may be the best-qualified candidate.

Many members of the media have also received personal calls from David Axelrod from the White House. Axelrod, as principal strategist for President Barack Obama, claims that the President wants Emanuel to be Mayor of Chicago and some Chicago Democrats are playing 'dirty politics' in an attempt to keep Emanuel off the ballot.

Why is the White House so desperate to have Rahm Emanuel installed as Mayor of Chicago?

Why is the White House putting pressure on Chicago and Illinois politicians to elect Emanuel despite the law and the current Court review?

Obama taught Constitutional law and cannot claim that he does not understand he is violating ethics by attempting to interfer with due process of law and compromising the White House as well.

The reality is that there is a growing schism between Chicagoan Obama and many top Democrats in the State.

Even Illinois voters gave the President a pasting in the midterm elections with many of his close friends going down in defeat.

Daley could be counted on for unconditional support especially now that his brother William is Emanuel's successor as Obama's Chief of Staff.

Now that Daley is retiring, President Obama needs someone to 'herd the Illinois cats' back under his control. Emanuel is known as an exceptional bruiser and the White House thinks he can deliver Chicago.

One unanswered question for Chicago voters and the media is why Emanuel and only Emanuel is their choice for Mayor (according to polls) when other candidates are far more qualified to manage a large city like Chicago?

Is the media and are the voters so dazzled by the White House connections that they will allow the President to impose a Mayor on them to help him be re-elected in 2012?

The legal media covers Emanuel as if he is a media star a la Sarah Palin.

Will the review delay give the media and voters enough time to start asking the right questions about who is the best choice to lead Chicago?

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Bon Voyage

Susan's Views — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:33:00 GMT

A gracious solution to a tricky problem: the Baltimore Sun announced that, if Rahm Emanuel is not successful in staying on the Chicago Mayoral ballot, he would be welcomed "with open arms" to become their Mayor.

Susan's Views http://www.susansviews.com

Rahmbo the Victim

Susan's Views — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:20:00 GMT

Just when we thought we had only one victim in today's national politics - the venerable Sarah 'Joan of Arc' Palin, another of this country's most ruthless politicians, Rahm Emanuel, is alleging a cunning 'conspiracy' to keep him from becoming Mayor of Chicago.

How can this be? Emanuel ditched his role as Chief of Staff to the President of the United States just before the disastrous (for Democrats) midterm elections after he learned that Richard J Daley, Mayor of Chicago for 21 years, would not run for another term.

Emanuel lived in Chicago and was elected as a Representative to the House of Representatives from Alderman Richard Mell's* district until he took the White House job. He rented his Chicago house out to tenants on a long lease and continued to pay taxes on it out of the revenue.

He was a resident of D.C. until October 2010 when he flew to Chicago in October with over $10 million in corporate, foreign, Wall Street and Hollywood money to stake his claim to the Mayor's office.

From the moment he arrived, Emanuel zealously worked the 50-Ward Chicago constituencies one-by-one despite his repeated condemnation and interference in Howard Dean's successful 50-State campaigns in 2006 and 2008 when Dean was Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Since Dean's grassroots-way worked, Emanuel quickly led the polls of a large divided field of candidates and was widely touted as a shoo-in to represent a City whose population is about 40% White, 40% Black, 17% Hispanic and 3% Asian.

Interestingly the rich banker brother of the current Mayor, William Daley, was appointed by the President to succeed Emanuel as his Chief of Staff providing a nice quid quo pro.

Everything looked like a done deal with the 'Pretender' Emanuel showing his usual contempt for his fellow candidates by skipping debate meetings with the narrowed field of serious contenders Carol Mosley Braun, Gery Chico and Miguel Del Vallee.

Emanuel is on the ballot for now, but was knocked off and then temporarily reinstated.

The City has been ordered to stop printing ballots for the February 27 election and early voting which starts January 31.

So what went wrong?

Lawyers challenged Emanuel's right to run for Mayor based on the municipal code which requires candidates to "reside in" the City for a year before running for office.

Emanuel resided in Washington, D.C., for 18 months until October 2010 and paid residency taxes in D.C. until he decided to run for Mayor of Chicago.

He clearly does not meet the municipal statute requirement.

Politics being what they are in Chicago, the Board of Election Commissioners gave Emanuel a green light to run. The decision was appealed to the Circuit Court which let the BEC decision stand.

Then the plaintiffs appealed to the Appellate Court and Emanuel was pollaxed by its decision.

Two of the three judges issued a majority opinion that "resided in" actually means "live in" the City and that Emanuel met no 'exceptional' criteria to be granted a waiver of that requirement.

The Court also ordered his name be struck from the ballots.

The one dissenting judge issued a shokingly intemperate attack on her fellow judges in a minority opinion backing Emanuel's position that he always intended to return to Chicago and he voted from Chicago; therefore, he is a resident.

Emanuel immediately appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court for a 'stay' on removing his name from the ballots and for a review of the Appellate Court judgment - on an 'expedited' basis.

The 'stay' has been granted and the Court will review materials submitted to and from the Appellate Court allowing no further pleading.

No one knows how the seven members of the Court will vote. About 75% of those polled think Emanuel will win.

Of course, many of that 75% voted with bitterness believing that Chicago and Illinois are corrupt and laws don't apply to the likes of the well-connected Emanuel.

The President put serious pressure on the Illinois Supreme Court when he sent his most trusted adviser, Valerie Jarrett, on national television to emphasize that the President wanted Emanuel as Mayor and that he expects the Supreme Court to decide in favor of Emanual.

It all does look like a conspiracy, but is it the 'conspiracy' that Emanuel claims or is it the more obvious Obama/Daley/Emanuel fix?

Emanuel insists that he will go to the United States Supreme Court claiming a 'conspiracy' and interference with his First Amendment rights if the Illinois Supreme Court does not rule in his favor.

Emanuel should have a lot of luck there with five Conservative justices.

He and his team have singled out Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke for endless media attacks demanding she recuse herself from the review.

He is also waging a relentless attack on her husband, Alderman Edward Burke of the 40th Ward and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, claiming Burke is supporting Gery Chico for Mayor and not Emanuel.

Wild smears from Emanuel staff include claims that Burke paid the Republican lawyer, who filed that residency challenges, to destroy Emanuel's chances and that the judges who ruled against him were recommended to the Court by Burke (actually all three judges were recommended given his role as head of the CC Democratic Party Chairman) and that they were carrying out Burke's orders in the negative judgment.

The law and the legislature's intent when the law was written, not what it might have intended over 100 years later, is what matters.

The law decides if Emanuel meets the residency requirements to run for Mayor or not. The law as written will have to be twisted to accommodate him as the Appellate Judge Hoffman wrote a clear and brilliantly-reasoned opinion based on the law and precedent.

Pressure from the President and various politicos, blackmail, vicious smears of judges and anyone who opposes Emanuel, threats from the media threats of other types of reprisals have NO PLACE in this election.

Emanuel's team have made it clear that the Burkes 'ain't seen nothin yet'.

Let me own up. I am a fourth-or-fifth generation Chicagoan and I love the City. It is NOT corrupt. The people are NOT corrupt. Some individuals are corrupt and every city has corrupt people.

I fought through the Harold Washington campaign and it was rough, but nothing has ever been as ugly as this in my lifetime.

It feels like Al Capone is back.

This campaign is a disgrace to a great city and people.

This man cannot lead Chicago as Mayor. He has brought it into worldwide disgrace before he is elected.

Just wait for the Blago hearings in April when he, Valerie Jarrett and the President are part of the influence-peddling 'conspiracy' to fill Obama's vacated Senate seat.

Does Chicago need this?

Meanwhile, Emanuel demonizes the Burkes - the couple who love Chicago and would never do anything to hurt the city they have lived in for their whole lives.

Let's not forget it is Rahmbo who is the victim. He might not get what he wants which is Chicago.

If the Burkes are Chicago's salvation, may they prevail. They are not alone in wanting to protect Chicago.

*Emanuel's sponsor/mentor Mell is notoriously well connected to the mob and Mossad.

Susan's Views http://www.racingint.com