A Liberal In The Midst

I enjoy television. The shows that become popular say much about the society. Shows that become cult favorites say even more. Watching the second episode of Revolution, I wondered who are these writers. What are the motives? This episode brought up a few interesting modern day American survivalist tenants. We are too dependent on electricity We cannot trust the government for the security of our families Living in the city is bad. Living in rural less crowded areas ensures survival. Government will take away your shotguns used to obtain food. A time when displaying the American flag will label you a rebel We should have at least one hard copy of our children photos My thoughts: We are too dependent on electricity. Government fails to serve when the people forget they are the government. Living in the city increase your chances of survival in the event when self-sufficiency is not possible. Living in rural area allows a certain level of freedom not found in the city but does n...

My dear Americans please do not lose your ever loving minds. Having Obama as president of the United States of America is not Armageddon.  Seriously we have survived worse Pearl Harbor,  Civil War, and George W. Bush.  In my own life I am surviving day in day out setbacks.  My faith in the guidance of Christ in me keeps me going. I have a FUBAR situation now but I am still going.  I do not allow the noise outside myself to quite the inner and ever loving voice of Christ within me.  Today's media enjoys keep our nation hyped up on fear. I am here to tell you it is possible to let go of the fear.  I tell you what I lived. I went from $250K to foodstamps. However I am still living.  We can do it, together.  Stay positive.  Think without fear.  Be ready to be a rock for another person. We can do it together.   Certain politicians and faux news outlets need to stop the manipulation of fear. Shame on the churches, synagogues,...

I have not left my home since Friday. The normal swelling I endure may not be normal.  I will not know until Friday. Friday is my pay date. I write tonight because I am part of the 47%   I earn enough to not qualify for any governmental program.  However the cost of health insurance for myself is too high.  My state has yet to institute the insurance exchange. I often write President Obama does not walk on water but he does get what 47% of Americans need. Mitt will continue to support corporations that screw over the American worker.  Example of screwing the worker: company employs a person on contract.  Company offers no benefits to employee.  Company gets tax credits.  Employee unable to claim any deductions for employee is listed as a W2.  Example of screwing the worker : to save $9/HR in labor costs city outsources certain functions. It seems the main reason to outsource are employee benefits. The theme benefits are the sellin...

I just read an article about my beloved mass transit system in Atlanta, GA. Given I currently do not have access to mass transit but drive 60 miles one way for a job, I miss MARTA. Mass transportation is smarta - take MARTA. As I read the article, I had several thoughts. If we had universal healthcare would operating costs be so very high? Although it states $27/hour is the cost for cleaning MARTA, I have to wonder how many people are working each hour? Why is the state of Georgia reluctant to spend money on MARTA when people all over benefit from MARTA? Why has MARTA not been expanded? Read this link for yourself. Decided if the system should be made private. I see this article as nothing more than a push for private gain at public expense. More private gain and public pain

I was floored by the response of some Mississippians to the 47% video. I listened to people continue to point to social issues as reasons not to vote for President Obama or any Democrat. How is it possible for anyone unable to pay $50K a plate for a dinner to support Mitt Romney or the GOP? Romney’s statement about the 47% is not the only reason Mississippians should consider their votes this November 6. The RNC chair, after the emergence of the 47% video, stated Romney was not off target with the GOP platform. A review of the GOP’s platform, rhetoric, and actions show Romney was indeed on target. The GOP’s platform is a blue print for the continued redistribution of wealth. The social issues (abortion, gay marriage, and access to birth control) are nothing more than distractions from the true agenda to redistribute the wealth of the working class to those living off capital investments (e.g. Mitt Romney). I, a working class person, found Mitt’s disdain for those of us who sw...

I placed the date in the title for I am sure I shall have many more such blogs if things continue like this week. There are people, actual everyday, non-celeb people, who are defending Mitt Romney's take on the 47%. These people are defending Mitt in light of the fact they are the 47% of whom he is speaking. Yes I need a drink. I need several drinks to live with these people. Heck, I need a flight on the first thing off this planet. I spent the week stupified. I am not and have never been confused about Mitt or the national GOP. I am confused about the poor people, Americans, who are defending the return to astristocacy/serfdom. These people believe a return to financial oppression will only affect non-whites. Have these people never heard of Ireland? The reason for so many Irish immigrating to the United States is about more than potatoes. Below are a few of my thoughts posted to my Facebook page: Forget Mitt's tax returns. I am concerned he and the GOP see th...

Yes, Mitt is as wrong on Israel as he was on the Olympics in London. Mitt’s blinders are preventing his being able to see anything beyond the profits of a war with Iran. I myself can see no profits in any war that necessitate the death and maiming of our children. I am thankful President Obama has not given into the taunts from the draft dodging war hawks and their children. I do not perceive President Obama as being weak when it comes to the Middle East. His policies have actually improved relationships in the Middle East. I do not agree with the drones, our involvement in Libya, and none involvement in Syria. However, I respect the moves made by our president in the Middle East. He has been firm without attempting a return to the colonialism that haunts the people of the area to this day. He has a firm understanding of the history of the area and what motivates the people. President Obama has also not hidden the fact that the U.S. is and will remain an ally of Israel. ...

Recently I watched The Help. Tonight I watched Undercover Boss ( Checker's Burgers episode). Against that backdrop of working poor being used for gain by the upperclass , I saw the video of Romney speech to his donors. I am shocked at the people who are shocked by what Romney had to say. Romney has stated time and time again his policies that will benefit those making $250K and above. Romney has even chosen a running mate who seeks to take more public funds for private gains. Ryan's plan will turn social security and medicare into a private enterprise banquet for the wealthy (private equity fund managers). If domestics and those working at the fast food chains were paid $250K then Romney would not consider them to be worthless. However because domestics and fast food workers can not live off $8/hour he attempts to shame these people in to silence. My question, when will those who have fallen for the "lazy people" "dependent people" code phrases re...

As I was pondering what would be my first rant of the day, I saw a headline on Yahoo about Black Christians wavering on voting for President Obama. I thought, "Oh no, not this far into the race." It is imperative that Americans are able to vote based on more than one issue. If the difference between Democrats and Republicans is only one issue then I can see voting on one issue. However we have issues in America. I had the pleasure of being the first elected open LGBT delegate from the state of Mississippi to the 2012 DNC. I remember speaking with another LGBT delegate from the South to the DNC about the importance of the election. This delegate, to his credit, understood why I was not a one issue delegate to the DNC. Although being able to have the same rights as heterosexual couples afforded to me by my government is important, there were other issues I face as a rural single black lesbian mother living in Mississippi with aging parents. If someone ran as a Democ...

Gabby Giffords Kay Hagan Walter Dalton G.K. Butterfield David Price Mel Watt James Rogers Alejandra Salinas Call to Order Gabriel Salguero Carol Berman Donna Edwards Barney Frank Harvey Gantt John Lewis Jason Crow Debbie Wasserman Schultz Antonio Villaraigosa Tammy Baldwin Michael Nutter Zach Wahls Jim Messina American Voices Beau Biden James Clyburn Kerry Washington Scarlett Johansson Caroline Kennedy Xavier Becerra Jennifer Granholm Eva Longoria Brian Schweitzer Charlie Crist John Kerry Veterans Video John Nathman Angie Flores Jill Biden Joe Biden Dick Durbin Barack Obama

Michelle, I love you. The other night, I think the entire country saw just how lucky I am. Malia and Sasha, you make me so proud…but don’t get any ideas, you’re still going to class tomorrow. And Joe Biden, thank you for being the best Vice President I could ever hope for. Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination for President of the United States. The first time I addressed this convention in 2004, I was a younger man; a Senate candidate from Illinois who spoke about hope – not blind optimism or wishful thinking, but hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; that dogged faith in the future which has pushed this nation forward, even when the odds are great; even when the road is long. Eight years later, that hope has been tested – by the cost of war; by one of the worst economic crises in history; and by political gridlock that’s left us wondering whether it’s still possible to tackle the challenges of our time. I know that campaigns can see...

Hello, Charlotte! I am honored to be here as co-chair of President Obama's re-election campaign, and so proud of my friend and fellow Texan, Julian Castro. Didn't he do a great job? I feel fortunate to be standing on this stage tonight. I never could've imagined it growing up. I was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, the youngest of four girls, including my oldest sister, Lisa, who has special needs. My mom was a special education teacher, and my dad worked on the Army base. We weren't wealthy, but we were determined to succeed. In my family, there was one cardinal priority—education. College was not an option; it was mandatory. So even though we didn't have a lot of money, we made it work. I signed up for financial aid, Pell Grants, work study, anything I could. Just like our president and first lady, I took out loans to pay for school. Then I changed oil in a mechanic shop, flipped burgers at Wendy's, taught aerobics and worked on campus to pay them back. Like a l...

We're here to nominate a President, and I've got one in mind. I want to nominate a man whose own life has known its fair share of adversity and uncertainty. A man who ran for President to change the course of an already weak economy and then just six weeks before the election, saw it suffer the biggest collapse since the Great Depression. A man who stopped the slide into depression and put us on the long road to recovery, knowing all the while that no matter how many jobs were created and saved, there were still millions more waiting, trying to feed their children and keep their hopes alive. I want to nominate a man cool on the outside but burning for America on the inside. A man who believes we can build a new American Dream economy driven by innovation and creativity, education and cooperation. A man who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama. I want Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States and I proudly nominate him as the standard bearer of the Demo...

Thank you! I'm Elizabeth Warren, and this is my first Democratic Convention. Never thought I'd run for senate. And I sure never dreamed that I'd get to be the warm-up act for President Bill Clinton—an amazing man, who had the good sense to marry one of the coolest women on the planet. I want to give a special shout out to the Massachusetts delegation. I'm counting on you to help me win and to help President Obama win. I'm here tonight to talk about hard-working people: people who get up early, stay up late, cook dinner and help out with homework; people who can be counted on to help their kids, their parents, their neighbors, and the lady down the street whose car broke down; people who work their hearts out but are up against a hard truth—the game is rigged against them. It wasn't always this way. Like a lot of you, I grew up in a family on the ragged edge of the middle class. My daddy sold carpeting and ended up as a maintenance man. After he had a heart atta...

Good evening. On behalf of the millions of mothers, daughters, wives, sisters and friends - Republicans and Democrats - we've counted on Planned Parenthood for health care, and in honor of the thousands of doctors and staff at Planned Parenthood health centers all across America, I am proud tonight to support the re-election of President Barack Obama! Two years ago, when John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Todd Akin and the Tea Party took control of the House of Representatives, they promised to create jobs and jump-start the economy. But, instead, on day one, they came after women's health. And they haven't let up since. They voted to end cancer screenings and well-woman visits for five million women, end funding for birth control at Planned Parenthood, and for good measure, they even tried to redefine rape. And now, Mitt Romney is campaigning to get rid of Planned Parenthood and overturn Roe v. Wade. This year women learned that if we aren't at the table, we're on the menu. ...

My name is Harry Reid, the majority leader of the United States Senate and the senator from Searchlight, Nevada. It has been my honor to support and work with President Barack Obama, a man who has brought courage and character to the presidency. President Obama's strength of character leads him to do the right thing, even when it isn't the easy thing. Some said he shouldn't save Detroit. But President Obama made the tough and right call to save more than a million American jobs in an important, iconic industry. Some said he shouldn't move heaven and earth to get bin Laden. But President Obama made the tough and right call to bring the world's worst terrorist to justice. Some said he couldn't take on the big banks that brought our economy to its knees. But President Obama made the tough and right call so taxpayers will never again be on the hook for Wall Street's risky bets. Some said he couldn't take on the insurance companies that were ripping us off. B...

ello, my name is Doug Stern. I am an Ohio firefighter and an unlikely choice to be addressing you tonight, because for the vast majority of my voting life I have been a Republican. So why am I here? Well, something happened recently. The Republican Party left people like me. As a member of the middle class, they left me; and they certainly left me as a public employee. Somewhere along the way, being a public employee—someone who works for my community—made me a scapegoat for the GOP. Thank goodness we have leaders like President Obama and Vice President Biden who still believe that public service is an honorable calling. When I go to work, when there is an emergency, I want someone on my crew who has my back, someone who helps me get the job done, someone who is willing to go through hell with me. I expect the same out of my elected leaders. And that's what we get with Joe Biden and Barack Obama. From maintaining grant programs so fire departments nationwide have safe staffing and...

As secretary of this convention, it is my job tonight to establish that all 56 delegations are in the hall. Please sign in and vote present as I continue to speak. We are a convention that looks like America—every race and every ethnic background. We are veterans and small-business owners, nurses, farmers and teachers, artists and inventors, and firefighters and factory workers. We fight for the middle class and the American dream. And that is why we support President Barack Obama: because time and again, he has made the tough decisions to move our country forward. When President Obama took office our economy was in free-fall, losing 800,000 jobs a month. Since then we have added 4.5 million private-sector jobs. We've had 29 straight months of job growth. And President Obama has passed 18 tax cuts for small businesses, helping them grow and hire unemployed workers, especially our veterans. When others said it couldn't be done, President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act, whi...

Thank you, Congressman Gonzalez. Tonight, I'm proud to speak to you as a patriotic Hispanic American, as a proud Latina, and as a Puerto Rican. From being the first in my family to attend college to becoming the first Latina to chair a full congressional committee in Congress, my story has been the American dream. And as Democrats, we want to strengthen the American dream for all. In Spanish there is a saying that many mothers tell their children: "Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres." "Tell me with whom you walk and I will tell you who you are." Tonight, I want to talk about who I've seen President Obama walk with. President Obama has walked with our small businesses—our job creators. He knows small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and that is why he has signed 18 tax cuts into law to help our entrepreneurs succeed. President Obama has walked with seniors. President Obama's health care law won the support of the AARP because it strengt...

Good evening. I'm Nancy Pelosi, but my grandchildren call me Mimi. For me, politics is an extension of my role as a mother and a grandmother. For the Democratic women of the House, our work is not about the next election, but rather the next generation. Working with President Barack Obama, we are committed to reigniting the American dream: the ideal that if you're willing to work hard, play by the rules and take responsibility, you have the opportunity to climb the ladder of success. The Democratic women of the House are ready to join President Barack Obama to move America forward. I'm Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, and we have work to do. America's women still make just seventy-seven cents for every dollar men earn. It's even tougher for women of color. Those pennies add up to a real difference to middle-class families: trying to pay their bills, trying to get ahead, trying to achieve the American dream. And we are making progress. The Lilly Ledbetter ...

It's great to be here, especially with my friends from Virginia! A few years ago, few imagined that Virginia would be a battleground state. Virginia had last voted for a Democrat for president in 1964, but we proudly cast our electoral votes in 2008 for President Obama. In 2006 and 2008, we elected two outstanding senators—Jim Webb and Mark Warner. And together, we're going to win again in 2012! How did Virginia go from red to purple? We did it with grassroots excitement and hard work. And we showed Virginians that Democrats get results. When I was governor, during the worst recession since the Great Depression, Virginia maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates in America. We kept our AAA bond rating. We were named most business-friendly state, best managed state and best state to raise a child. We cut billions from the state budget, while making critical investments in schools, roads and bridges. We worked with Democrats, Republicans and independents to get results. Ove...

Welcome to Charlotte, the Queen City, in the great state of North Carolina. It is always an honor to welcome a distinguished group of national leaders to North Carolina, but it's particularly important today, because of why we're here: to make sure that Barack Obama is re-elected president of the United States. We must re-elect the president because he's standing up for middle-class families and growing an economy that's built to last. And he's doing it right here in North Carolina. It starts with education. The president has made schools a top priority. He knows that all parents want their children to have even better opportunities than they had. The president's education initiatives are helping North Carolina's schools soar. These investments are spurring education reform and innovation, and strengthening our nationally recognized early-childhood education programs. This president gets it on education. He knows that a good education is the difference-maker...