Dump Duhbya

Raise the Minimum Wage

[mjh: Note that Republicans killed this legislation before I could post anything on it. However, read the points anyway to be ready for the next time. Fewer votes defeated this than are needed for the Democrats to take back power.]

Progress Report Archives 2006 – American Progress Action Fund
Raise the Minimum Wage

The buying power of the federal minimum wage is currently at its lowest level in 51 years. Eighty-three percent of Americans favor an increase in the minimum wage (nearly half “strongly support” it). Yet, the House conservative leadership hasn’t allowed a full floor vote on the minimum wage since the last increase went into effect, in 1997. …

In the nine years since the federal minimum wage was raised, Congress has voted itself nine pay hikes totaling nearly $35,000 a year, while a full-time minimum wage worker’s annual pay has not budged from $10,712. Just a few days ago, House lawmakers cleared the way for a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500.

Follow the link for very thorough rebuttal to many conservative claims about the minimum wage. Progress Report Archives 2006 – American Progress Action Fund

loco

Stop the Senseless Slaughter

What a low-life profession: a sharpshooter who kills endangered wolves. Reminds me of the Fire Department in Fahrenheit 451 — they start fires instead of putting them out. One can only wish this sharpshooter reads Aldo Leopold’s account of killing a wolf.

“We saw what we thought was a doe fording the torrent, her breast awash in white water. When she climbed the bank toward us and shook out her tail, we realized our error: it was a wolf. A half-dozen others, evidently grown pups, sprang from the willows and all joined in a welcoming melee of wagging tails and playful maulings. What was literally a pile of wolves writhed and tumbled in the center of an open flat at the foot of our rimrock.

“In those days we had never heard of passing up a chance to kill a wolf. In a second we were pumping lead into the pack, but with more excitement than accuracy; how to aim a steep downhill shot is always confusing. When our rifles were empty, the old wolf was down, and a pup was dragging a leg into impassable side-rocks.

“We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”

—an excerpt from “Thinking Like a Mountain” (A Sand County Almanac) [from Attitudes toward wolves – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

This program is fraught with madness. Ranchers need to just suck-it-up and learn to live with predation — they’re rewarded for their loss, anyway.

Given a chance, not only will some balance be restored and an old wrong righted but ecotourism will come to New Mexico. Wake up! mjh

ABQjournal: U.S. Kills Wolf, Hunts His Mate By Tania Soussan, Journal Staff Writer

The male was killed Sunday in New Mexico by a sharpshooter on the program team. Efforts to trap or kill the female were continuing Monday, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Elizabeth Slown.

Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity said, “We’re very troubled that they’re wiping out yet another pack.”

[mjh: Note this pack was located in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness last month. Tragic irony.]
– – – – –

Writing.Com: Canis lupis, The Gray Wolf

In 1933 the Park Service began to see that perhaps predation was a necessary evil and they decided upon new policy, “no native predator shall be destroyed on account of its normal utilization of any other park animal [in Yellowstone]” ….

Dump Duhbya

Old Moneybags, the Good Doer

Bush Raises $27 Million for GOP By Zachary A. Goldfarb, Special to The Washington Post

President Bush suggested last night that Republicans must remain in control of Congress for the country to effectively combat terrorism and keep the economy healthy, speaking at a $27 million fundraiser meant to provide a needed boost to the campaign war chest of congressional Republicans.

“The most important responsibility we have in Washington is to defend the people of the United States,” he said. “When this country sees a threat, we must deal with it before it fully materializes.”

Bush addressed about 5,000 of the GOP’s strongest supporters at the “President’s Dinner,” the largest fundraiser of the year for the Republicans’ two congressional campaign committees. [mjh: that averages to $5400 / attendee]

Bush said that the “Democrats are good talkers, we’re good doers,” but generally avoided the harsh language he used to describe the Democrats at last year’s dinner, when he urged support for his Social Security plan. [mjh: Social Security? Yeah, there’s some good “doing.”]

[Bush] added: “It’s important to have members of the United States Congress who will not wave the white flag of surrender in the war on terror.” …

It cost $2,500 for a ticket to the dinner. Campaign finance regulations allow someone to contribute up to $25,000 per party committee. Last night, for that sum, attendees could be photographed with the president. [mjh: it really is cheaper to live in Albuquerque; it only cost $5,000 to be photographed here with the Great Doer.]

Dump Duhbya

It’s No News that Money Equals Power

Ah, the associative nature of the mind. When I heard the words “Goldman Sachs” this morning, they rang a bell.

Rice’s Deputy to Join Goldman Sachs – New York Times By CHRISTINE HAUSER

Robert B. Zoellick said today that he will leave his post as the deputy secretary of state and return to the private sector to work with the New York investment bank, Goldman Sachs. …

Mr. Zoellick served during the presidency of George H.W. Bush as the under secretary of state for economic and agricultural affairs, as well as counselor. From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Zoellick served at the Department of the Treasury in various positions. …

Mr. Zoellick had previously worked for Goldman Sachs as an international adviser, a part-time consultant, when Bill Clinton was president. A Goldman Sachs statement said Mr. Zoellick would return to the company as a managing director, a full-time position, with the title of Vice Chairman, International. In that capacity he will head the firm’s group of international advisers.

Perhaps there is little to note in the revolving door that has a fellow work for Republican presidents and Goldman Sachs alternately. But Zoellick isn’t the only GS alum in the Bush administration, nor the biggest.

Now, in all that follows, I don’t see some evil conspiracy. I see the intimate ties of wealth and power, which certainly involves Democrats as well, though perhaps not so blatantly or successfully. Rich Democrats may not manipulate the rabble (aka The Base) as shamelessly as Rich Republicans. Or, maybe, poor Democrats like me, aren’t fooled into believing we set the agenda or that the Rich have our best interests in mind.

In the end, I must say I find new Treasury Secretary nominee Paulson interesting. He’s a big business environmentalist with at least a pragmatic view of gays in the workplace. He surely will hate every minute he spends with Duhbya the Doer. mjh

Continue reading It’s No News that Money Equals Power →

Dump Duhbya, other voices

Murtha on Rove: ‘He’s Sitting in His Air-Conditioned Office on His Big, Fat Backside, Saying Stay the Course’

Think Progress » Murtha on Rove: ‘He’s Sitting in His Air-Conditioned Office on His Big, Fat Backside, Saying Stay the Course’

ROVE: Like too many Democrats, it strikes me they are ready to give the green light to go to war, but when it gets tough and when it gets difficult, they fall back on that party’s old pattern of cutting and running. They may be with you at the first shots, but they are not going to be there for the last, tough battles. They are wrong and profoundly wrong in their approach. …

Karl Rove attacked Rep. John Murtha during a speech last week in New Hampshire. Rove described Murtha’s Iraq plan as “cutting and running,” and suggested that the 37-year Marine combat veteran would “be with you at the first shots” but not “for the last, tough battles.”

Murtha defended himself this morning on Meet the Press:

MURTHA: He’s in New Hampshire. He’s making a political speech. He’s sitting in his air-conditioned office on his big, fat backside, saying stay the course. That’s not a plan. … We’ve got to change direction. You can’t sit there in the air-conditioned office and tell troops carrying 70 pounds on their backs, inside these armored vessels hit with IEDs every day, seeing their friends blown up, their buddies blown up — and he says stay the course? Easy to say that from Washington, DC.

NADA - New American Dark Ages

Louisiana gov. signs law that would ban abortions

Louisiana gov. signs law that would ban abortions

(Reuters) – Louisiana Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed into law a ban on most abortions, which would be triggered if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its 1973 ruling legalizing the procedure, a spokesman said on Saturday.

The ban would apply to all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest, except when the mother’s life is threatened. It is similar to a South Dakota law that has become the latest focus of the abortion battle. …

Seven states have such abortion trigger laws, and Louisiana already had a trigger law, although abortion legislation has been blocked by courts. The new law would mean the ban would happen quicker in the case of a new Supreme Court decision.

Dump Duhbya, other voices

The Horse’s Mouth

The Horse’s Mouth — Greg Sargent

KARL ZINSMEISTER SAYS HE WOULD SUPPORT JAILING DOCTORS FOR PERFORMING ABORTIONS. This appears to have passed virtually unnoticed. In an interview on Thursday, June 15, with Ben Wattenberg on the PBS show Think Tank, new top White House domestic policy adviser Karl Zinsmeister said that he would support putting doctors who perform abortions in jail.

Here’s the key excerpt:

WATTENBERG: Do you want to have laws that prevent people from having abortions?

ZINSMEISTER: You know, personally I would vote in favor of that.

WATTENBERG: So you would feel comfortable putting a doctor in jail for performing a procedure that a woman wants? And not just on-demand, but it could be rape, incest, life of the mother.

ZINSMEISTER: Sure. No, again, I have a definition that had some exceptions for rape and incest where there could be real psychological damage to the mother. …

He appears to be serious. And keep in mind that this man is probably the presidential adviser with the most influence over domestic policymaking in the United States.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." — Sam Adams