How Can we End GOP Manufactured Crisis

Today is the eighth day of the government shutdown caused by the tea party republicans and now even the quote moderate republicans now are siding with the tea party and they want to defund the Affordable Care Act in order to fund the government and to raise the debt ceiling. So why are the republicans doing this? The reason why is because the first time the republicans threatened to not raise the debt ceiling in 2011 President Obama gave in a negotiated with them. That was a big mistake by the president, if he did not negotiate with the republicans back in 2011 then they would not be doing this now in 2013. All of the republicans are expecting President Obama and the Democrats are going to give in and give them something in exchange for opening the government and raising the debt ceiling. If the Democrats give in now, then every time the debt ceiling needs to be raised, the republicans will want something for doing their jobs and the Democrats and the President can't allow that for the sake of the country.

Now the question must be what can President Obama do to end the republican manufactured crisis? The debt ceiling is easy, all the President has to do is invoke the 14th amendment and order to treasury department to continue to pay our debts the way that they've always have. Section four of the 14th amendment states as follows,"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void." With the republican party's threat of not raising the debt ceiling they are questioning the debt of the United States and the President should be able order the treasury to continue to pay the debts of the United States no matter what the republican party says. The President can't allow the republican party to insert fear into not only the American people but to the rest of the world he has to have a backbone and say no to the republican party America will always pay her bills no matter what.

Now to the issue of opening the government back up, that's much tougher because according to the Constitution, Congress has the power of the purse strings which means that only congress has the power to fund the government, which is why that President Obama can't be responsible for the government shutdown because the executive branch of the government can't fund the government that's up to Congress and they've failed to do that so it's the republicans fault not President Obama. The question is what can President Obama do about the budget? Unfortunately not much the Republican party has the power of the purse, because ignorant Americans voted for the tea party republicans who had no interest in governing their interest is shutting down the government and to destroy the American government. The issue is that the founders never imagined that one day in the far future that there would be a political party that would be willing to hold the American people hostage in order to get what they want from the political party in power. To me what the republican party is doing is the most Anti-American thing that any political party has ever done in America's history.

Desperate times calls for desperate measures, and maybe it's time to arrest certain republican members of the house and charge them with treason. I know that this will lead to a shit storm but this is the only way that I can see that we can't get the government functioning again and as a nation we can't wait until 2014 in order to vote out the republican party. However this suggestion would be a last resort to me because if anybody does this then it would set a dangerous precedent and if a president does not agree with any congress they can arrest them for treason so in my opinion this would be the nuclear option, but it maybe time for the president to use it because the republicans in the house will not budge from there current position. The Republicans need to be scared straight and the only way that I can see that happening is that the President arrests some of the republican leaders of the house and maybe just maybe that scares them straight.  

Why Heath Care Must be a Right not a Privilege!

I've tired to sign up and I keep getting this screen damn it!

Today is day one of the government shutdown and who knows how long does this shutdown even last. There are over 800,000 people are going to be furloughed and the Republican party and the conservative "movement" does not give a damn. Why? Because they care more about making President Obama look bad than governing and working for the American people which is supposed to be their job. We all know the reason why the Republicans in the House of Representatives wanted to shut down the government it's over the Affordable Care Act, the Republicans are basically saying that they don't want the American people to have health insurance instead I'm going to paraphrase Representative Alan Grayson the republican party plan is for you to die quickly. That's what the Republican Party wants the Federal Government's plan for health care, and they can deny it all they want but that's the facts. So let's talk more about America's health care system. The main part of the Affordable Care Act went into effect today, The Health Care Exchanges where Americans can go on the website healthcare.gov and sign up and buy cheap health care, for example I live in the State of New Jersey and I'm going to quote healthcare.gov  "New Jersey will expand its Medicaid program in 2014 to cover households with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. That works out to about $15,800 a year for 1 person or $32,500 for a family of 4." Since I'm a college student and I'm not making anywhere near $15,800 dollars a year then under these rules I qualify for Medicaid in my state. I do not think that the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" is a perfect law not by a long shot, however I am thankful that this law is in the books or else I would not be able to get insurance of any kind and if I would've gotten sick then I would be in a lot of trouble obviously.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Now I was looking through the Huffington Post and I came across a blog post by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and it's called "Health Care for All" and Sen. Sanders is basically arguing for single payer health care in his blog post and I could not agree with Sen.  Sanders more. The reason why is because I believe that having health care insurance is a fundamental right of every human being whether that person is an American or not. Sen. Sanders wrote that "The only long-term solution to America's health care crisis is a single-payer national health care program. The good news is that, in fact, a large scale single-payer system already exists in the United States and its enrollees love it. It is called Medicare. Open to all Americans over 65 years of age, the program has been a resounding success since its introduction 48 years ago. Medicare should be expanded to cover all Americans." Sen. Sanders also wrote that "Congressman Jim McDermott and I have introduced the American Health Security Act. Our bill will provide every American with health care coverage and services through a state-administered, single-payer program, including dental and mental health coverage and low-cost prescription drugs. It would require the government to develop national policies and guidelines, as well as minimum national criteria, while giving each state the flexibility to adapt the program as needed. It would also completely overhaul the health coverage system, creating a single federal payer of state-administered health plans."

Corporate Media Fails Again!

I may not be a socialist however I love the idea behind that "American Health Security Act" Every American deserves health care, regardless of the Republican talking point that says that government can't do anything right, this talking point pisses me off because it's not true, Medicare, Social Security are government programs and the people love these programs and they work very well. To me government does a better job than private companies and we need government to step in here and do the right thing for Americans. I think that the easier way to introduce single payer health care or socialized medicine as conservatives would call it is to offer an amendment to the Affordable Care Act and I would call that amendment "The Single Payer Health Care Amendment" and I could be wrong about this because I don't have cable but I did not hear any coverage at all about Sen. Sanders bill "American Health Security Act" I honestly thought that every American should have Medicare for a couple of years now and I thought I was the only one that thought this, and that I was smart for coming up with this idea but Sen. Sanders had the same idea as well so I'm not that smart. The mainstream media in this country have just ignored this bill, this would help even more Americans to get health care but the media does not even cover it. I partly understand why, the republicans shut down the government and that's the top story but I still think that this bill deserves some coverage in my opinion.

On the comment section of Sen. Sanders blog post there was a comment from a conservative which I thought was interesting he wrote that "Where does our Constitution tell us we are entitled to health care insurance? It does not; so that automatically makes it a privilege, not a right. I have a right to own guns, because of the second amendment. I do not have a right to health care because it is not in the Constitution. Read the Constitution so you will know the difference between rights and privileges." This comment makes me mad, because Republicans have managed to make conservatives believe that health care is not a right but a privilege and that the second amendment gives Americans gun right. On the gun issue if you've read my past blog posts I've discussed why the second amendment does not give Americans gun rights. This conservative makes the point that health care is a privileges, I will make this point again the US Constitution was a document which was written back in the 18th century and the founders would not have any idea that the country would need health insurance for Americans. Once again I will end this post with this point, why are we looking to an 18th century document to make policy in the 21st century. Medicare for all!

PS: I know that this post for today was very long and I'm sorry for that but I'm passionate about this issue and I truly believe in everything I said here. Now back to the government Shutdown, I came across the cover page from the New York Daily News which I loved and I'm going to post the picture here because I love the NY Daily News putting the blame for the Shutdown on John Boehner and the cover page and brilliant in my opinion check it out down below.

113th Congress is the Worst in American History!

Today is Monday September 30th 2013 and we are just a few hours away from a government shutdown that the Republican party has caused because they won't stand up to their far right wing of their party better known as the Tea Party. The quote "mainstream" republicans are too afraid of these crazy tea party members. There have been many Congress' throughout history that have been called the "Do-Nothing Congress" however the 113th Congress is the embodiment of that saying. No important bills have been passed and on top of that now the government is most likely shutting down because the republicans insist on putting Obamacare provisions in their continuing resolution in order to continue to fund the government for just two more months. The Republican party has turned the congress into a waste of money for the tax payers that they claim to protect from wasteful spending. Let's look at some of the wasteful spending that the Republicans have done in this Congress. According to a CBS piece called "Obamacare Repeal Votes Costs Tens Of Millions" The cost of each vote to repeal Obamacare was 1.45 million dollars to the tax payer, so if we do the math on that the cost of 42 votes to repeal Obamacare was $60.9 million dollars to the taxpayer. (1.45 million times 42 votes to repeal Obamcare = 60.9 million dollars) $60.9 million dollars wasted because the Republicans want to fight a law that was already passed by the last Congress. Let's look at the salaries that each Congressperson makes $174,000 dollars a year and there are currently 232 Republicans in the House and since we are paying each of them and we are wasting our money let's look at how much money we are wasting in total. The total is $40,380,000 in salary that we are paying republican congresspeople ($174,000 times 232 House Republicans) That total does not include the house speaker John Boehner. That's a lot of money wasted by the tax payer in this country.

Now we've talked about all of the money that the tax payer has wasted on the Republican congresspeople Now let's talk about who's at fault for this do nothing congress. The conservatives will blame President Obama and that is the most asinine statement I've ever heard. President Obama has been willing to negotiate with the Republicans and at times I've been frustrated with President Obama because he negotiates too much with the Republicans. Now the President won't negotiate with the Republicans are they will have to nerve to blame him for the government shutdown. The Republicans are totally at fault for coming government shutdown, I keep getting tweets from conservatives that they can shutdown the government in order to defund Obamcare and even if they shutdown the government, Obamacare will be funded so that's a foolish idea but conservatives are foolish people. Another point that conservatives make that I hate is that most Americans are against Obamacare. The reason why that's true is because most Americans do not know what's in Obamacare and the media has failed to report the truth about Obamacare and Americans believe whatever the conservatives say about Obamacare which is why they don't like Obamacare. Which is why we must let Americans know what's actually in Obamacare once that happens more and more people will like Obamacare. The Republicans have nobody to blame but themselves when the American people turn their back on their party and vote them out of the house in 2014. Let's make that happen!

Update: The government shutdown is coming the republicans in the house just passed another bill to fund the government and once again it had the provision that delays the individual mandate for one more year. On top of that Boehner had the nerve to mock President Obama, how disrespectful whether he likes him or not he's the President. So the republicans have set themselves up for their political death in 2014 and I do not feel bad for them at all, that's what they get for aligning themselves with the tea party.

Huffington Post Piece: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/john-boehner-mocks-obama_n_4019867.html

Progressives need to stop cheerleading for President Obama and the Democrats

President Barack Obama

I know that this blog post will be controversial to some of my progressive friends some may agree and some may not agree at all, however I have to get this off my chest. The way how I evaluate a decision that President Obama makes is if I agree with the President I will defend what the President wants to do as a example of the is the Affordable Care Act or better known as "Obamacare" however if I disagree with the President, I will not cheer lead his decision, instead I will talk about why I think his decision is wrong for the nation. I think as a American that I am that is the fundamental that we not agree with everything that the President does or says. The President of the United States is not the Emperor of the King of the country. In my opinion it seems like most progressives will just agree with President Obama just because he's a Democrat or because he calls himself a progressive, and to me that is not the right thing to do, because it's time to admit to ourselves that Obama is not a progressive instead in my opinion he's a moderate republican.

The reason why I think that is because through out his entire presidency it seems that Obama is always trying to agree with the republicans on almost every issue. Even though I liked the Affordable Care Act some of the provisions are great for normal everyday Americans. However the mandate was originally an idea from the right wing think tank the heritage foundation and it was almost the exact proposal Mitt Romney passed in Massachusetts when he was the governor. Yesterday I commented on a story on the Huffington post website and I called President Obama a war monger. Maybe that statement went too far, however the point that I was trying to make is that part of the reason that Obama was elected is to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, however as soon as those wars are over he's now talking about bombing Syria, regardless what the administration says bombing another country is an act of war and can cause massive trouble for the country's image abroad (thanks to President George W. Bush our image has been destroyed with the rest of the world and Obama has not helped that image at all) Simply put President Obama has not helped the progressive cause at all instead he's taken the Republican ideas and turned them into progressive ideas which drives the Republican party farther and farther to the right and into oblivion (And that's a good thing in my opinion), and what bothers me is that most progressives not all though will cheer lead the president instead of standing out to him and saying no that's not what we voted for. Again this is just my opinion and the progressive movement needs to regain it's backbone once again and not cheer lead that does not help the country or help our cause.