(Image -- Doug Mills/The New York Times)
MANAGING THE PUBLIC DEBT CRISIS: OBAMA TAKES RADICAL CENTER WHILE GOP DIGS IN ITS CONSERVATIVE HEELS.
(The New York Times)
This is the New York Times characterization of the current debate over reducing the federal debt and/or raising the debt limit. With Republican lawmakers apparently prepared to shut down the government without severe cuts in Medicare and other federal programs, the President adopts his “pragmatic” position and offers to compromise with an un-compromising opposition even if it means “taking heat” from ideological progressives in his own party. So who’s in charge here? (Guess; it’s not those so-called progressives but those conservatives whose “heat” he is not willing to take.)
`
REGIME CHANGE IN SYRIA FOLLOWING PRO-REGIME PROTESTS AT U.S. EMBASSY IN DAMASCUS? U.S. GOVERNMENT IS THINKING ABOUT IT.
(CNN)
Hours after pro-regime protesters appeared at U.S. and French embassies, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he must worry about the “legitimacy” of his government and that he is “not indispensable” as ruler of the country. Given the (U.S.-denied) regime change operation in Libya, Assad might best heed this warning from a U.S. “regime” that has shown it has bite as well as bark.
`
CURRENT U.S. RECESSION: MISERY FOR WORKING CLASS, BOOM TIMES FOR THE CORPORATE CLASS.
(Counterpunch)
Gregory Elich pulls no punches on the current situation as a “class war” in which the wealthier classes are winning in a big way at the expense of the poorer ones. The concentration of wealth to 1% of the population proceeds apace, as austerity-creating responses to the debt crisis spare the wealthy of any increased tax burden, and deprive the less-wealthy of needed supports in such areas as health and education. All together, says Elich, the corporate class is succeeding in spectacular fashion in re-making the U.S. on the model of a “third world” country with a much-privileged elite and a much-deprived mass.
`
OKLAHOMA: WE DON’T NEED NO (ADULT) EDUCATION.
(The Oklahoman)
Adult educators across the state—from those furnishing courses for GED high school diplomas to those tutoring English language for immigrants—are “caught off guard” by the sudden decision of state government to cut its whole $2.3 million adult education support program. So what’s a high-school dropout needing job qualification—or an immigrant on a “path to citizenship”— going to do? Move to another state to get these services? Lots of luck there, the budget-cutters are everywhere in the land.
`
IN FLORIDA, IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON A CAMPING HONEYMOON, DON’T PLAN ON CAMPING AT HONEYMOON ISLAND.
(Florida Capital News)
Governor Rick Scott, who earlier was giving a green light to opening state parks to revenue-producing camping facilities, is confronted with vigorous opposition from citizens keen on preserving the pristine quality of the state’s public parks. He now rescinds the plan for camping facilities at Honeymoon Island State Park (near Dunedin) and orders new citizens-input hearings on such plans for other parks.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Quote of the day…
What we get instead of a responsible and progressive tax policy or trimming of the defense budget is the steady drumbeat of debt panic, with loud demands to cut social services, shrink pensions and pay, and, oddly enough, provide additional tax reductions for the well-to-do. This debt panic has become the driving argument for a ferocious assault on workers. Class war is being waged, and sensing victory, the owning class is taking no prisoners.
Gregory Ilich, on the “class war” being waged in recessionary America.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Do you receive the daily headlines in the form of an early-morning e-mail? If you don’t and you would like to receive them, just send a note to sunstateactivist2@yahoo.com and you’ll be enrolled in the “Progressive breakfast club.”
Obama needs to raise the stakes and demand bigger deficit cuts with much bigger revenue increases.
If he doesn’t, the Repugs can quickly turn this against the Dems by simply accepting the $4 in cut for $1 in revenue, then run against the Dems for voting to cut Medicare and Social Security. It’s far easier to get the Dem base and D leaning Indies to stay home than it is to get Indies to vote for Repugs.
All they have to do is accept the deal on the table, at the last minute, and Dems are toast in 2012 and 2014.
Don’t give up on Obama. He may yet succeed in cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits.
As he’s told us, he’s persistent. Fortunately, thus far he’s been unsuccessful. thank goodness for Eric Cantor.
You want change: stop corporations and lobby groups from donating to any election! Congress and the WH will once again be for the people as it was meant to be. I, for one, have not given up on my President.