The PERFECT Tickets

Here are the perfect presidential tickets for the next four plus election cycles.

2016 - Pres. Hillary Clinton, VP Elizabeth Warren
2020 - Pres. Hillary Clinton, VP Elizabeth Warren
2024 - Pres. Elizabeth Warren, VP Michelle Obama
2028 - Pres. Elizabeth Warren, VP Michelle Obama
2032 - Pres. Michelle Obama, VP to be announced (to please Luke Russert this leaves an opening for a "younger" person!)
2036 - Pres. Michelle Obama, VP, ditto

Not only would these ladies whip our government back in shape, bring us back into international good graces, and serve every citizen, they would bring gentility and good humor back to our country.

Go, Ladies!

The Liberalator

Compassionate Conservatives?

Well, the repubs are all heart! 38 of them voted NO in support of people with disabilities all over the world. Took 2/3 of the senate to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and 38 repubs voted it down.

The law was basically symbolic as it just codifies in international law most of the rights in our country's Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990.

It requires absolutely no changes in the American law - man, that republican party is all heart!

The Liberalator

What a Guy!

Got to thinking about Grover Norquist (the hero of the republicans, teapartiers, right wing and everyone conservative) and thought I would look just a little deeper.

Come to find out this guy, the founder of Americans for Tax Reform  (ATR) and who said "When I became 21 I decided that nobody learned anything about politics after the age of 21" so you know at what age his intellect and maturity stopped.

Among his credentials are: worked with Oliver North and his efforts with the Nicaraguan contras, worked with Newt Gingrich on the contract with America, was an associate of Jack Abramoff and associated with his Indian lobbying scandal, and has been on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and American conservative Union. Also he has close connections to THE Tom Delay!

He's the guy that said " I'm not in favor of abolishing government. I just want to shrink it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."

He's been asked to reveal his financial contributors, but refuses to do so, but it has been reported that the biggest proportion of his budget comes from just two multimillionaires. 

This is the guy that the right wing has followed and signed pledges to for the past thirty or so years.

Makes you want to jump right in line, don't it?

The Liberalator

Liberal! Liberal! Liberal! Liberal

I'm celebrating today! I'm ashamed that it has been so long coming and what a chicken I've been, but no longer -

 I'm a Liberal!

Let me say that again

I'm a Liberal!

For a couple of years now I've beaten around the bush and talked about being a progressive, or a lefty or just left it alone except around my Democratic friends, but I'm out of the closet and unashamedly and unabashedly shout

I'm a Liberal!

I am proud of what my Democratic party stands for, our re-elected president, what he has accomplished and the goals we're headed for. Just one more time (this blog)

I'm a Liberal

The Liberalator 

VOTE Abel Bosquez!

Attention everyone that lives in Texas Congressional District 87 in the Texas Panhandle. That includes all voters in - Amarillo (Potter County), Dumas, Cactus, Stratford, Sunray, Borger, Stinnett, Fritch, Panhandle, Whitedeer, Skellytown, Phillips, Groom, Sanford-Fritch, Masterson and Texoma.

We have an outstanding DEMOCRATIC candidate - ABEL BOSQUEZ running against a fella named Walter 'Four' Price the fourth, the republican . Abel is one of us, a man who knows about us average working folks (he's one himself!), has the good heart of a Democrat and believes in working and supporting his fellow man.

Abel's web-site is (Click Here) and it tells his life story and how he will work for you in the Texas legislature.

GET REGISTERED AND VOTE NOVEMBER 6TH FOR ABEL BOSQUEZ.

THE LIBERALATOR

HOMEGROWN DEMOCRAT

"We democrats are deeply flawed people, we can be earnestly boring and awfully righteous about moral issues in faraway places. We can be weenies, capable of doing dumb things in the name of the common good. But we do stick to our guns. We believe in decency and public spiritedness and have refused to hitch our wagon to yahooism and have supported government as a necessary force for good. And we are passionate. This is a year for passion."

And,

"Republicans have perfectly nice manners, normal hair, pleasant smiles, good deodorants, but when it comes down to cases, you do not want them to be monitoring your oxygen flow: they will set it to the minimum required to sustain basic brain function, and then they will recite a little prayer for you. They are a party that is all about perceptions, the Christian party that conceals enormous glittering malice and is led by brilliant bandits who are dividing and conquering the sweet land I grew up in. I don't accept this.
     We Democrats are deciduous. We fade, lose heart, become torpid, languish, then the sap rises again, and we are passionate. This is a year for passion."

The first is the back jacket  and the second a quote from his book Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor (of Prairie Home Companion fame). I read this the first time the year it was published (2004) and just ran across and am re-reading it. I would suggest it as a sort of a "bible" for Democrats - its certainly speaks to me, my love of country and the knowledge that the Democratic Party is the party of the people, by the people and for the people as President Lincoln so eloquently stated - a party of "we're all in this together" rather "than you're on your own." It's worth a read. You can get it for just a few bucks at (click here).

The Liberalator

Conservative Management Theory

Walter Williams' concept of conservative management has been revealed in his Wednesday column "In greed I will place my trust." "click here" By exploiting workers unprotected by any kind of minimum wage law or union protection "people trying to get as much as they can for themselves" could earn greater profits by hiring someone to do the job of a protected "worker for only a fraction of the wage." In the column Mr. W referenced statements by southern congressmen back in 1931 such as "That contractor has cheap colored labor that he transports, and puts them in cabins, and it is labor of that sort that is in competition with white labor throughout the country."

In Walt's work world he would repeal the minimum wage law, pass legislation to disband unions, offer no benefits and have a total at-will labor market so that people trying to get as much as they can for themselves would not have to pay a living wage or offer any benefits to their workers.

His conclusion is "There are many examples from around the world of how people have used legal and extralegal means to thwart people trying to get more for themselves, or what I like to call greed."

The conservative business management theory.

The Liberalator

Greed

This morning Walter Williams finally deciphered the conservative mind for me. I've wondered my whole adult life what type of person can ignore the people hurting in our society, as well put by Hubert Humphrey, "those in the dawn of life, the children; those in the twilight of life, the eldery; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped."

Well, ole Walt said greed is good, (his headline is "Greed actually is good for US") that what conservatives aspire to is "people trying to get as much as they can for themselves." [my bold] "click here" He admits that free market capitalism "is ruthless in its profit and loss discipline," and we can only assume he means that as long as it is legal capitalists can do anything they choose to do, keeping wages low for workers, laying off staff, cutting back hours, closing plants, sending jobs overseas, not offering benefits to working folks - the list is endless.

The dictionary definition of greed (Dictionary.com) "an excessive, extreme desire for something, often more than one's proper share", "excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions", "avid desire for gain or wealth", "excessive desire as for wealth or power."

The word "excessive" is repeated over and over in these definitions - so excessive is okay with Walter as long as it is for one-self, and a greedy person is a good person. The mind-set of the conservative is finally revealed to me. Thanks for that enlightenment, Walt!

The Liberalator

Empeach 'em!

Read a really frightening article in the Amarillo Globe Republican. If it were President Gingrich in office he would like congress to have the ability to summon judges before congress to explain and defend their rulings, and if congress disapproved they could be impeached!

With the current ability of congress to impeach presidents we would be down to one branch of government - congress - in control of both the judiciary and executive.

I certainly believe there are better ways to select judges rather than on party tickets, but congressional control is not one!

The Liberalator

Hallelujah

The greatest thing on the news today was the fact that Michele Bachmann fought for one of the most important things needed in our country - she introduced The Lightbulb Freedom of Choice ACT!

Liberalator

QUESTIONS

Some things I ponder.

Where are the jobs the rethugs said would be here as long as we don't ask the very wealthy to contribute more to the country's income by minimally raising their taxes? The rethug party leaders say the "job creators" will spend their income creating jobs with their money - and this has gone on since the Bush tax cuts went into effect years ago, and reaffirmed last December and in the recent debt ceiling drama. WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

Why does Standard and Poors have any credibility at all? After rating Enron AAA up to the day it crashed, missing the subprime mortgage fiasco that ruined our economy, keeping Lehman Brothers highly rated until it folded, having a 2 trillion dollar error when figuring the fed rating -I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

Why has it been impossible for decades for a single wage earner , male or female to support his or her family, at least modestly, as it was when I was a kid? Why can't one breadwinner earn a comfortable income that would allow a nice middle income life for the family? WHAT HAPPENED AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE

Paid Vacation

Wouldn't it be nice if all the millions of unemployed in our country could take a month long, salary paid vacation like the U.S. Congress ins taking in August?

Liberalator

Ain't Life Great?

I'm sure everyone that doesn't have a job, is underemployed and working at a minimum wage job, is worried about their kids' future schooling, keeping affordable health care, and on and on is happy (as reported in the Glub News Saturday, March 19th) that the government declared the major banks passed their "Stress Test" and can now pay big dividends and buy back shares, and the executives can receive massive bonuses for having saved our economy.

Liberalator

Blah, Blah

Isn't it interesting that the Blub News published two Letters to the Editor on two consecutive days (Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19) over two different signatures that quote the SAME repub talking points?

Maybe they aren't receiving many LTEs - or they won't print any from Libs/Progressives/Democrats!

The Liberalater

Makes Ya Proud!

Don't it make ya proud? - According to the House and Senate budgets our gov, all elected officials state-wide and the appointed heads of all Texas agencies are going to let our teachers, direct care workers, and other peasants working for the state help with trying to balance the budget by cutting their wages. All the elected officials, etc. - ALL REPUBLICANS - will find all their salaries intact! None of their salaries will be cut!
Thank you workers, for your sacrifice!

The Liberalator

Hey! Let's Cut Teachers' Salaries

Florence Shapiro from Plano (someone from Plano has got to be an R!) wants our lege to allow school districts to be able to cut teacher salaries or furlough them. Why not figure out a way to keep educating our kids so we will have a "well-educated work force" so our state can compete not only nationally but internationally in the future? We can only do that with the help of good, dedicated well educated and qualified teachers.

Right now the salaries of all our teachers, from the best to the poorest rank 32nd in the country. How much lower does our governor and legislators want us to go? Of course the Gov doesn't want to use our Economic Stabilization Fund (better known as "The Rainy Day Fund"), $9.4 billion for use in the next budget for our kids' education - don't ask me why not! And the Gov is sitting on a pot full of cash in his Texas Enterprise Fund that he uses to reward his contributors. There is $295 million to help our schools!

Like ole Warren Chisum from Pampa says our obligation is to the tax payers - let the kids fend for themselves!

The Liberalator

Obligation?

In the Glub News this morning (Feb 1), our wonderful congressmen Warren Chisum, in an article concerning anticipated cuts in education spending (of course we are already last in per capita spending in the country!) was quoted saying "we passed a bill to reduce the burden on the taxpayers. Taxpayers have told us they've had enough taxes. We have an obligation to the taxpayers." So, in a nut shell the repubs running our the Texas gummint feel NO obligation to the children of Texas to give them any kind of education - he is only obligated to the tax payers. This only confirms what I've known all along!

The Liberalator

Achmed The Dead Terrorist sings Christmas Carol

 The race for the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives continues its nastiness, but at least I have to give Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, credit for distancing himself from the injection of hyper-Christianity and right wing silliness into the fight.
"I think it's wrong that they do it. We need to stick to the issues of the state, and that is not one of them," an article in Thursday's Houston Chronicle quotes Chisum as saying.
By recapitulation, a group of right-wing, hyper-Christian whackos have attacked current speaker Joe Strauss, R-San Antonio, because he is Jewish.
My acknowledgment of Chisum's behavior doesn't mean I believe he is redeemed as a legislator. Like most politicians, he is undertaking a politically expedient step that might get him in trouble with others who would support him.
In fact, I consider Chisum dangerous.
Like so many conservatives of his ilk — as opposed to thoughtful conservatives who understand what public policy should be about — Chisum is one of those who continues to be hypocritical about keeping government off our backs while trying to shove it into our bedrooms. I have come across a video that I have edited to show Chisum at work in the legislature in 1993. It is funny, but to some the language, even though it is spoken of the floor of the House, might be offensive. And, the late Molly Ivins quotes some folks (it's not clear who) using language that might also offend. Nevertheless, if you enjoy a laugh and are not offended by a few off-color words, take a look at the video.


But there is a more important issue at stake here. It seems there is an awful lot of silence in the Panhandle about this injection of anti-Semitism into the speaker's race. No other legislator has issued a statement; or, if they have, they have not issued one to The Amarillo Independent. Nor, has the corporately owned right-wing daily alleged newspaper jumped on this with an editorial distancing itself from this fray.
I can understand how some legislators might see this issue has too hot to handle.
I could say I don't understand why the other media hasn't reacted so negatively to this turn of events in the speaker's race. But, I do.
And for now, I will leave it at that.

Proposed downtown master developer troubled

What's it all about, Wallace?

By Gina Haschke, Greg Rohloff and George Schwarz
The Amarillo Independent

The principals in the development firm that the Amarillo City Commission is considering as the master developer for downtown revitalization are no strangers to litigation, with one of the firm’s showcase Houston area projects the subject of a foreclosure and lawsuit. And, those same principals, David G. Wallace, and Costa Bajjali, are on the periphery of an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission fraud investigation.

Last Tuesday, Wallace, co-founder and chief executive officer of Wallace Bajjali Development Partners, L.P., impressed city commissioners and staff with a presentation touting his experience with developments in his hometown of Sugar Land, where he served as mayor until 2008. He also touted his firm's developments in other cities, including Waco and the Houston area.

(See the video of Wallace’s presentation here.)

But at least one development has soured — the Creekmont Plaza mixed use commercial development in Fort Bend County.

According to a petition filed June 10, 2010, Frost National Bank foreclosed on the Creekmont Plaza Development in Missouri City.

The two men took out a loan of more than $1.9 million with Frost in August 2008 as the general and limited partners in Creekmont Plaza Partners, L.P. and personally guaranteed the loan.

“Despite demand for payment of the balance due, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Bajjali have failed to pay the balance due,” the petition alleges.

The petition states that the property was sold in a foreclosure sale in April at the Fort Bend County Courthouse. But the sale, which brought $1.1 million, was almost $820,000 short of the loan amount. At that time, taxes on the property were also overdue.

“The delinquent taxes for the years 2007 through 2009 were in the amount of $157,494 if paid in March of 2010, plus the 2010 taxes and the Defendants are jointly and severally liable to Plaintiff for the taxes plus interest thereon as allowed by law,” the petition alleges.

The petition asks for payment of the shortfall of the sale, interest, court costs and lawyer’s fees.

All the defendants have entered a general denial and, as of Monday, the case is set for trial in March 2011, according to Harris County District Court records.

A search of additional Harris County District Court records shows Wallace involved in several other lawsuits, including litigation in 1995 with Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Wallace’s former business partner in several United States-based businesses.

How much Downtown Amarillo, Inc. is aware of all the court actions isn’t clear.

Melissa Dailey, executive director of Downtown Amarillo, Inc., said she had done “quite a bit” of background research on the firm. She said she had not looked into the Thatcher alliance in detail, but added, “I’m more interested in his development activities here in the United States.”

When asked about a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, she said she was “aware of the situation.”

It has little negative reflection on Wallace Bajjali, Dailey said, adding, “In fact, it’s a positive.”

Daily wouldn’t discuss the matter further, saying instead Wallace would talk about it when he was in Amarillo in the next week or two “because he knows the details much more intimately than I do.”

Several calls and repeated messages left for Wallace for comment were not returned.

The SEC investigation focuses on Kaleta Capital Management, or KCM, and a Houston business known as BizRadio, and may yet reach Wallace and Bajjali or some of their business entities.

The year-old litigation — the SEC filed suit Nov. 13, 2009,— names Albert Kaleta and KCM as defendants in a claim that they defrauded investors of $10 million.

According to a July 2010 update on the receivership website , “Based upon the recent inclusion of BizRadio in the Receivership Estate, negotiations have now been commenced with respect to potential liability of the Wallace Bajjali entities and their principals with respect to investments by members of the public in BizRadio directly, and in other related investment vehicles. To date no agreements have been reached with respect to these matters.”

On Monday, Thomas L. Taylor III, the Houston attorney who is overseeing the SEC-ordered receivership of KCM, said neither Wallace nor Bajjali or their entities are yet named in any of the court papers but he would also neither confirm nor deny that they could be pulled into the federal investigation at a later time.

In negotiations with Taylor, Wallace has paid back $92,348 and Bajjali has paid back $45,550 to date, according to the publicly available information.

Taylor said negotiations are ongoing about further repayments by Wallace and Bajjali.

Nevertheless, DAI’s Dailey said Monday, “We have not come across anything negative. When we looked into it in detail, it all was positive.”