A Relief Bill on the Way - Private Property

I have never heard of a position my Senator, John Cornyn (R-Tx), has held which I agreed with, until now. Sen. Cornyn introduced a bill on Monday called "Protection of Homes, Small Businesses, and Private Property Act of 2005." I will email Sen. Cornyn with a shocking message that I actually support him in this measure. It will be a first.

I learned of this bill on 84 Rules, a conservative blog, where it states:

Commentary on Important Political News

There's been such a large number of important and disturbing news stories this last week, I couldn't decide which to choose from. But, they need discussion and to be noticed on the political radar screen. So, here is a list of what appears to be the major bogey's coming in to view.

Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice win the incredible award for stories this week, as a new poll shows: While Cheney said in an interview in late May that it's "in its last throes," only a quarter of Americans agree. And while Rice said success in Iraq "will be a death knell for terrorism as we know it," again only about a quarter of the public believes that defeating the insurgents in Iraq would do a great deal to defeat terrorism more generally, beyond Iraq's borders. Perhaps Americans aren't as gullible as I and many others here have given them discredit for. It is just too bad the American people lost their faith in the Administration after the November elections. I won't call Americans gullible anymore, just slow!

Republicans Come to Their Senses on PBS Funding

People for the American Way (PFAW), report that Republicans in the House of Representatives came to their senses yesterday and restored the proposed 100 million dollars to the Corp. for Public Broadcasting. PFAW had these observations in their email newsletter:

Big Bird Lives to See Another Day!

...Democrats and Republicans banded together to overwhelmingly restore $100 million in funding to the CPB by a vote of 284 to 140.

While this will undoubtedly help secure the financial future of independent public broadcasting, its political future is still very much in doubt. Ken Tomlinson, head of the CPB, continues his efforts to turn it into a mouthpiece of the Republican Party. And today his right wing agenda advanced one step further when he succeeded in getting Patricia Harrison, formerly a co-chair of the Republican National Committee, named as president and chief executive of the CPB.

Supreme Court Says: You Don't have Property Rights!

There is an excellent discussion which I participated in over at Watchblog.com regarding the Supreme Court's ruling that state and local governments may force the sale of your home or any real estate holdings if either 1) the general public interest would benefit or 2) wealthy individuals or businesses can demonstrate their use of the property would provide a greater benefit than your use of it. Eminent domain has lost its last ounce of constraint and has negated all notions of private property rights. The idea that you own your home and land it sits on is now an illusion you maintain at the pleasure of the government.

Borrowing from Fascists and Dictators

One of the first steps any fascist or dictator leader takes to resist threats to their power of rulership, is to take control of, or to silence, the media. While fascists and dictators do not run America, the political Right is apparently borrowing from their playbook.

Day before yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee voted to severely cut funding of PBS and NPR by $100 million. This is on top of an aggressive political campaign to subvert public broadcasting's independence and make it one more media mouthpiece for right-wing ideology says, Ralph G. Neas of the organization known as People For the American Way (PFAW).

Nader: A great man with a great cause.

Below is an excerpt of an open letter written by Ralph Nader. No he is not dead or faded away. He has been immensely busy touring the country to raise money to pay off his campaign debts. It is truly a shame that American political offices can no longer be attained by regular working men and women. One must be a millionaire or have access to that kind of loose cash lying around, to even contemplate a run for federal office. But let's listen to Ralph in his own words...

Perspective Vindicated

A high profile person in the last week said about the rich getting richer and the rest not, "this is not the type of thing which a democratic society - a capitalist democratic society - can really accept without addressing."

Who said this?: 1) Howard Dean(D), - 2) John Kerry(D), - 3) Alan Greenspan(R).

Affluence Destroying America's Future?

We have become the most prosperous nation in the world. There is however, evidence pervading our society supporting the argument that this very prosperity is sowing the seeds of discontent, which could destroy the integrity of this unified nation of hope. The 20th century saw America exert the immense power of its one people, one nation, integrity toward victory in two world wars. It saw an historically unprecedented rise in prosperity for all Americans, and the rise of an unparalleled middle class whose prosperity began to look like heaven on earth in the 1950's and early 1960's.

The 20th century saw an uplifting of government toward noble ends like women's suffrage, destroying organized crime, putting human beings on another celestial body, and the most radical advances in medical science ever witnessed; eradicating epidemic diseases and prolonging average life expectancy for Americans by decades. The visible remnants of slavery were discarded; new American Indian laws permitted even them some meaure of prosperity with legalized gambling opening the doors to some of their people to realize opportunities, to dream, and work for fulfillment of those dreams previously denied them.

I'm invited to be in a Blogging Movie

John Hart, the producer of an upcoming movie about bloggers has invited me to particpate as one of the bloggers interviewed in the movie, currently entitled, 59 Bloggers. His decision is likely based on my role as managing editor for the WatchBlog debate blog, rather than PoliWatch, but, that's OK.

Here's hoping for a blockbuster hit and an academy award, eh? :-)

Does Bush Need Glasses or a Brain Transplant?

President Bush this last week states Social Security Privatization must come to pass. He also said he sees progress in the war on terrorism. And for all his criticism of activist judges, he pledges to Congress to consult with them on judicial nominees but litmus tests will remain in his selections. So, is he going blind or is it brain atrophy in need of a transplant?

Social Security:
Practically speaking, Pres. Bush has all but guaranteed by his refusal to take privatization of Social Security off the table, that Soc. Sec. reform will not happen on his watch. When all is said and done, that will likely be a good thing. As long as privatization remains on the table, Congress will lack sufficient votes to pass reform prior to next years Congressional elections.