How "Free Speech" is Really in Jeopardy

                              

Senator Mitch Mc Conell gave a speech today on preserving first amendment rights.  He points out that Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the Citizens United decision, but only to stake out a more extreme position.  I’m relieved Clarence Thomas even knows how to string two sentences together.  You’d never know it from his “refusal to deliberate” at hearings.  But the idea is that it’s a violation of Free Speech to have to disclose your sources or money or who gave it because back in the Civil Rights era often people who filed complaints were found out and terrorized- - not that Mc Conell is necessarily a champion of any civil rights.  But the idea that money is “speech” is absurd any more than flag burning or women going around topless is “free speech”.  I argued in college papers back in the seventies that it’s verbal speech of a political or advocational nature that is protected-  and not this other stuff.  Mitch Mc Conell even said that the Socialist party was specificly exempted from such disclosure laws.  If so I disagree with that.  I disagree even with not showing the Juror’s faces in the OJ trial because the constitution says “Public Trial” and they didn’t have TV back then.  This meant you were to attend in person and you actually saw the jury- - they didn’t have masks over their heads- - unless they were members of the KKK or something.  I’m also aware that many apartment managers will tell a tenant that “I’ve gotten a complaint about you- - “ but when will refuse to disclose who.  Some “Somebody” out there.  It takes no courage at all to be a flame thrower and make an accusation and then hide.  I think there is the inherent right that the speaker by Known by whom he is addressing.  Well now we jump to the Bill Mar show last Friday where this former Romney aid, Rob Gray, admitted that they all met last week to agree to block the Transportation bill in particular and give this President absolutely nothing of what he wants.  Rush Limbaugh affirmed his position stated a few days BEFORE the President was sworn into office that he hopes this President fails. The facts are that this same Transportation bill passed in the Senate with a 74% vote, which sounds like a mandate to me.  But though Barbra Boxer and also someone from the right, Inhoff, personally presented this bill to John Boehner (when they had searched enough bars) that John Boehner said “They can just suffer” referring to all the construction people who will be let go when the current authorization ends.  One million construction workers will lose their jobs on July first if this bill isn’t passed, and the House is going on vacation for two weeks.  This bill would add Three Million construction and transportation jobs in all and would lower unemployment significantly.  The Construction industry is the weakest sector as far as job recovery is concerned.  Rush Limbaugh has said that public sector employment such as police and fire or whatever “are not real jobs”.  They look pretty real to the people who have them because they have the money to patronize other business with and they make money, too.  Some have wondered why a very rich person would voluntarily forgo a return on his money that could be put into circulation- “since money is the only language they speak” they argue.  But the liberals would argue it’s kind of a case of a deferred gratification.  A young person might well argue that landing a job right now without a college education would be smart because he wouldn’t have to go into debt and all, but he has the sense of “a big pay-off later”.

President Obama in what even I admit is a brilliant political move, with an executive order, insured that the Latino vote would go to him, nutralizing talk of having Marco Rubio for Vice President.  Because today the President lifted the threat of deportation from children of parents who came to this country illegally.  They had to be under sixteen at the time.  To take advantage of ending the "deportation threat" they have to have resided here for at least five years.  They have to not be security risks and they have to get employment, or join the military, or go to College, and they have six years to do this.  Hopefully they'll have a degree by then.  It makes no sense for someone with a Law degree or a doctorate in science, to then go back to India or wherever he came from, a country where he might not even speak the language (thanks to more brainwashing from the right) and have that nation like Brazil or whoever benefit from his U S education.  These are people, keep in mind, who have always regarded themselves as Americans.  Even at the end of six years they are NOT citizens, but then have the opportunity to apply for "permanent residence" status.  So for Judy and company to call it 'mass amnesty" is a real lie.  Even Texans like Kay Bailey Hudgenson and Rick Perry have been for what has been called "The Dream Act" in the past.  So many of the ideas Obama is pushing now used to be Republican bi-partisan ideas, but the tea party has been pulling all the political strings and issuing the dictates and if they say "Drop it as something we're for", then it's dropped, and overtly fought against.  In terms of cosmic support, I was surprised Stewart Sutcliffe was all for this bill.  I thought Romulans were uppity or something with their national pride bit.  Stewart says "I don't know where you got that idea because even in ancient times we were four reasonable tests for foreigners acquiring citizenship.  And being here on Sirius A we are all aliens- - and we'd be fools to be against immigration".  I admit I kind of stepped in it with that remark.


Here is a theory why this Generation X from approximately age 35 to age 50 is so to the right of their parents.  The reason is abortion was first legal in California or the whole US during this period so children of potential political liberal parents were just aborted before they could be born and Vote.  So we did it to ourselves.  Some may wonder why they these rich old crones are so driven to permanently change America into a "thirt world nation" as far as wealth distribution is concerned.  The reason is that their children are Generation X'ers.  They could also be called the Children of the Jesus Generation and were raised with "Jesus' up the wazoo- - as portrayed by the ultra right wingers.  And so it is surprising but true why so many of these yahoos are running loose now in the country- - actually less so here but more in what's euphanistically called the "Heartland of America".

This is not your grand dad's church or your grand dad's sermon, or even your grand dad's interpretation of the Bible as you and I grew up with and the lessons We were taught from it.  There is a real wrenching out of context of Genisis 47 where Joseph is demonstrated to be the bad guy.  This is the Federation view that also takes a negative tack on Joseph as “arranging their enslavement”.  Tell the tea party and that Virginia Pastor to take it up with God.  That’s the way God wrote it.  A lot of things in the Bible don’t make sense and sometimes have an opposite meaning if you actually think about them- but nobody does.  I went through a lot of E mails where Rush Limbaugh now calls it “Job revision Thursday because unemployment was up.  And of course the Christian lobby calls any studies that say children of same-sex parents to NOT suffer as “junk science’ whereas the left has it exactly the other way around.  So who is right?  I have no way of knowing.  Rush Limbaugh quoted Mitt Romney quoting the President of saying “I can’t fix this economy that George Bush broke”.  And Romney says “Then he should let someone else fix it”.  Logical question here.  Did and would the President make such a statement.  It’s highly unlikely.  So Romney and Rush are both lying.  But assuming that it is true or we conclude that it is true, then why could not that “someone else” also be another Democrat?  I bet Rush never thought about that one.  Here’s a pencil neck geek reply to Dr Oz yesterday talking about how “some foods leave your stomach more quickly than others”.  Is Dr. Oz advocating hard to digest foods or ones that keep “repeating” on you?  Here’s a damn suggestion Dr Oz.  To keep more food in your stomach - - EAT MORE!  Rush accused Obama of granting “amnesty” to the children of illegal aliens, which he expressly SAID he wasn’t doing.  I heard Rush on the radio myself say that Obama now has a “Catch, Release, Vote” platform.  Again this is Completely wrong.  Those affected will not be and may never be able to vote.  I have yet to get a long awaited response from Tim. So Al and Dr Levy have ZERO response to that “God” thing. 

This is Wednesday morning at ten after nine June 14, 2012 flag day.  Usually in late May and in June we have a raft of supreme court decisions.  This year we have gotten none.  It’s already the middle of June with just two weeks to go and none of the many decisions that have to be pending have come out yet including the all together important Health Care decision that may spell an end to all of the tea party’s whining about state socialism.  Now the tea party in addition to the Al Qaeda successes of the Obama administration has yet another thing to worry about and that is falling gasoline prices.  They said the national average has fallen to $3.50 and there are places in the country now that sell gasoline for $2.90 a gallon.  In my personal life I freak out with worries.  I only have four dollars left and I just bought a pack of John Black grapes spending two.  I brewed my last batch of coffee this morning and had those two cups before breakfast.  Stephanie Miller was on before and after breakfast though after breakfast I kind of dozed off.  I was just talking to Glen and he sounds half asleep.  It’s the usual June overcast.