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President Obama has a good chance to come out of the gate swinging right off the start. Here are 4 good things he can do right away:
1. End the military ban on gays. Sign the Executive Order the day you are sworn in and let it be known that NO type of discrimination will be tolerated under the new administration.
2. Comprehensive immigration reform. Pass it. Secure the borders and raise the stakes for employers caught hiring illegals in the future but give amnesty to those already here without police records.
3. SCHIP. Pass the increase Bush vetoed and start us down the road to a National Health program by insuring all children first.
4. The Employee Free Choice Act. Pass it. It is badly needed so that the country can start rebuilding the union movement that will build back the middle class.
Sorry, friend, wrong on all accounts.
The first order of business must be good job creation based on real productive investment.
In the event, they will probably concentrate on extending unemployment benefits, another tax rebate sop, and make-work schemes.
One would hope that they focus on energy, including nuclear without too many fears and ideological hang-ups, hopefully also public transportation (read dump the B-3 automakers and take a different track - okay, wishful thinking).
What is really distressing is that no one really seems to understand the gravity of the situation and it's root causes. Emblematic is that you start off with a red herring issue.
We may be in for four long, unproductive years.
We need to focus on stopping the depletion of wealth and how to generate it again, not distributing what they plan to rob out of what has not already been robbed.
If we restore the fundamentals, then maybe we can work on lofty schemes like a better health insurance system.
If we do things in the wrong order, we'll wind up with socialism with broken teeth and lice in our hair.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,754,704 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bryan61
Stand by for a 2 year filibuster
I think they will try it and I think the Democratic leadership will use the "nuclear option" to break it or just change the rules by a simple majority vote that lowers the cloture vote to 55 as opposed to 60. President Obama is young but many of us remember all to well when the fillibuster was used to block civil rights and voting rights for blacks. More than a few of us would not be sorry to see it gone.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,754,704 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Upton
It may not be popular among Democrats but I, like the previous poster, don't agree with the last half of number two either. I'm not sure quite what do with them but why reward someone for breaking the law?
How many white collar criminals do you think Bush will pardon over the next 2 months? It is not a reward- just a general pardon if you will.
I think they will try it and I think the Democratic leadership will use the "nuclear option" to break it or just change the rules by a simple majority vote that lowers the cloture vote to 55 as opposed to 60. President Obama is young but many of us remember all to well when the fillibuster was used to block civil rights and voting rights for blacks. More than a few of us would not be sorry to see it gone.
You would not be sorry to see it gone because you do not believe in checks.
You would fill differently if it was a republican super majority.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,754,704 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PG77
Bush needs to pardon Ramos and Compean.
I do not favour a pardon but I think he should commute it to time served. I have no problem with the fact that they shot an illegal dope smuggler but then the fact that they lied and filed false reports and then lied again under oath demands some degree of punishment. Remember it was an all white Texas jury that convicted them.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,754,704 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ryneone
You would not be sorry to see it gone because you do not believe in checks.
You would fill differently if it was a republican super majority.
Actually I was kind of hoping the Republicans would get rid of it when they were going to a few years ago over judicial appointments. You can check my prior post on the subject. I said that the President has the right to appoint whatever Federal judges he wishes unless they are plain criminals or just outright incompetent. Just because I do not agree with a judge's politics- such as Bork and Roberts- does not give me- or the Senate the right to intentionally block a judicial appointment just because we don't agree with the judge.
1) Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
2) Pass some kind of bill where gays and lesbians cannot be fired from their job based on sexual orientation. This wouldn't apply to religious organizations.
3)Increase funding for public transportation
4) Decrease class sizes in public schools
Of course some of these things can be done at the state level.
I don't know why more people don't focus on things at a state level. At least people in my state seem to be more focused on the president but not who their mayor is, their city council, their state Senator, etc
Actually I was kind of hoping the Republicans would get rid of it when they were going to a few years ago over judicial appointments. You can check my prior post on the subject. I said that the President has the right to appoint whatever Federal judges he wishes unless they are plain criminals or just outright incompetent. Just because I do not agree with a judge's politics- such as Bork and Roberts- does not give me- or the Senate the right to intentionally block a judicial appointment just because we don't agree with the judge.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,754,704 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by zman0
The Employee Free Choice Act has nothing to do with free choice, but allows Unions to coerce and compel employees to join a union.
How the idea of "closed shops" and eliminating secret ballots can good for this country, I will never understand.
It has everything to do with free choice. The act simply states that if 50% plus 1 employee sign up for union representation then that union shall be certified as the represenative of the employees.
If you live in a "right to work" state, you still cannot be compelled to join or support a union. If you live in a closed shop state, in most instances, you are not compelled to join a union but you do have to pay "bargaining and representation" fees because that union provides those services to you.
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