Blair Blue Blog

Well People, here’s an article I ran into from Dec. 26, 1985.  Titled The Reagan Revolution:

In a provocative article called “Ideas Move Nations” in the January issue of The Atlantic Monthly, writer Gregg Easterbrook notes the rapid growth in the past decade of what might be called the “Anti-Liberal Intellectual Establishment.”  This new establishment consists of a network of conservative and libertarian publications and think tanks–magazines like Reason and The American Spectator, think tanks like the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation.  The ideas produced by these periodicals and institutions, Easterbrook writes, have “spread throughout our political and intellectual life” and now “stand poised to become the dominant strain in American public policy”.

But according to Easterbrook, the purveyors of these new, anti-liberal ideas have a problem.  “Intellectually,” he writes, “it is always easier to be the party out of power, and conservative think tanks often exhibit a certain nostalgia for the good old days, when Carter was president and taking the blame.”  As it is, conservatives and libertarians are forced “to suggest that even after five years of a strong conservative president, a Republican Senate, and popular conservative mandate, liberalism is still secretly controlling Washington.”

Well, isn’t it?  It sure looks that way from here.

Conservatives, like libertarians, are supposed to favor reducing–or even eliminating-taxes.  Well, “after five years of a strong conservative president, a Republican Senate, and a popular conservative mandate,” federal taxes are taking a larger share of total national income than they did in 1980.  Conservatives, like libertarians, are supposed to favor reducing the size of government.  “Get government off our backs,” President Reagan used to say.  Wake up and recognize, he used to exhort us, that “government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem.”  Well, “after five years of a strong conservative president, a Republican Senate, and a popular conservative mandate,” more bureaucrats are employed by the federal government than in 1980.  And many of those new bureaucrats are assigned the task of monitoring what we read, what pictures we look at, and what we choose to eat, drink, smoke, or inhale in the privacy of our own homes.  This is getting government off our backs?

Conservatives, like libertarians, are supposed to favor reduced government spending.  Well, “after five years of a strong conservative president, a Republican Senate, and a popular conservative mandate,” the federal government is spending more than ever before in history.  In constant dollars, the Reagan administration has increased spending more than 5 percent above Jimmy Carter’s projected budget for fiscal year 1985.  As a percentage of gross national product, the administration has increased spending from a little less than 23 percent in fiscal year 1981 to more than 25 percent today. Contrary to popular mythology, Mr. Reagan hasn’t even succeeded in slowing the rate of growth in federal spending.  The rate in fiscal year 1984 was almost two-thirds higher than the average annual increase under Carter.  For the first five months of 1985, the real growth in spending reached an annual rate of 8.4 percent, three times the Carter Average.

Nor did all the increase go to military spending.  Payments to individuals for social programs have risen 4 percent a year under Reagan, twice the planned Carter growth rate.  Reagan has presided over growth in spending “for the Poor” at the same rate proposed by Carter during his last hear in the White House.

The moral of this depressing story is simple: if the record of our president, his administration, and his Senate over the past five years is truly conservative, then conservatives have no real interest in cutting government back, and they have nothing important in common with libertarians.  For those genuinely dedicated to promoting individual freedom and reducing government, the cause has not been advanced one whit by the political developments of the past five years.  And there is nothing to be gained by attempting to pretend other wise.

This editorial appeared in The Orange County Register, the county daily paper in one of the most conservative areas in California and referred to as Reagan country. 

This brings to mind the contradictions between what is vilified as being liberal and the reality of what liberals do; as a comparison of Reagan and Clinton would illustrate.  It seems that applying liberal policy to problems is only a problem to conservatives when it is done by a Democratic administration.  Also, consider how much more “W” is like Reagan, but worse, and Reagan is lauded as the contemporary model for conservatism.  I think, now, that I understand how conservatives were so duped by the neo-cons; conservatives don’t really know who they are–only that they hate any package labeled Democrat.  Maybe another 8 years of a Clinton administration wouldn’t be so bad!?!

Naw, just kidding–Go Kucinich!

“It’s always been that way around here.”  Those seven words are the barrier to progress.  Those seven words are the reason not to put forth effort and the excuse for our failures.  Examine it, if you will; the phrase contains no logic or argument, holds no fact or philosophy, yet for many of us that phrase holds all of the absolute power that any despotic tyrant of history or even fiction, ever dreamed of possessing.
 

Why, I ask you, do we allow those seven words to dangle over us like a hangman’s noose.  We rant and rave for the need and desire for political change.  As a collective, we cry out about our circumstance but at the first hint that action might be required, someone inevitably speaks the phrase and ala-kazam; like some horrid magic spell our efforts are diminished, our progress denied, our hopes dashed and our spirits lowered.
 

If Democrats in this area are to make any progress, we must make an effort to change the way we react to this phrase.  We must countermand its mystical properties with sheer force of will.  We cannot forget these seven words, as I dare say our opponents will chant them like some malevolent mantra.  I do think we should counter them with something to the effect of “No more!”
 

If it is true that so-called average people only think about political issues for five minutes a month, isn’t that what we should work to change.  If membership in our opposition party is tribal and traditional, then doesn’t behoove us to create an environment where those long held traditions are held to scrutiny?
 

Before we can do that, before we create that conversation, we must have faith that Democratic Party ideals and Democratic Party principles are right and good and true.  We must also be willing to defend them and more importantly we must be willing to carry them into battle.  We must be aggressive, no, we must be relentless.  We must make them defend their ideas; we must make them defend their traditions.  We must be willing to pick a fight and be ready to mix it up when the fight comes.  We must provoke them.
 

I know the very idea of being controversial in any way shape or form is abhorrent to some.  Yes, it will be a step into the unknown for many of us.   What alternatives do we have?  This is not some academic debating society, this is politics.  It’s about the acquisition, expansion and sustenance of political power, it’s mean business and it’s time for us all to understand that.  The old “you catch more flies with honey…” argument is indeed a tender notion but honestly how effective has it been these past twenty years?
 

Since the traditional media is, for all intensive purposes, a propaganda tool of our opponents, and their strategy seems to be ignore us and we’ll go away, we must subvert traditional media and use other means.  We must spread our truth like a virus, in any way we can, leaving door hangers, flyering parking lots, managing LTE’s, holding neighborhood town hall meetings  and anything else we can think of to get our message to the voting public.  Yes, we must be innovative but we must also be provocative.
 

We must be provocative to get attention to our message.  We must be provocative to create that environment where issues are discussed.  We must be provocative because nothing else has worked.
 

What are we afraid of ?  We might lose an election, we can hardly do worse than we are doing now.

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Last weekend, the friends of Tony Barr took it to the streets in Blair County, canvassing neighborhoods and talking to voters, face to face. In the middle of the Hollidaysburg Pumpkin festival, the friends of Tony Barr HQ, saw wall to wall traffic. Volunteers and visitors alike, helped themselves to generous portions of special recipe chili (see the blog) and home baked treats before grabbing, canvass lists and stickers and buttons and heading out to spread the word that Pennsylvania has a choice. This election the grassroots message and the chili, will stick to the ribs of voters in the PA-09th.

Feeding the troops,

Canvassing is hard work. Volunteers can gather quite an appetite so in order to feed them without breaking the budget you need some thing hot, tasty and filling. Here’s quick recipe:

Canvass Chili:

1 ½ pounds of ground beef
salt
black pepper
Chili powder
Garlic (fresh is best, 1 clove; pre-chopped garlic is okay; 1tblspn; or 2 tblsp garlic powder)
1 medium sized onion
2 12 oz bottle of (Medium or mild heat) Taco Sauce
2 cans of dark red kidney beans.

Dice onion into small pieces.

Brown beef and season to taste with salt, pepper and chili powder, add onions and garlic to taste.
Drain Beans from can and add

Add Taco sauce (when cooking for myself, I use the hot but not everybody can handle that so I recommend the medium or the mild) and simmer for at least 30 minutes

Will feed about 4 people but you can adjust the recipe to feed more.

Serve with Cornbread or chips and cheese.

The following is a link to an MSNBC story about the book “Tempting Faith” by David Kuo.  This book describes in delicious detail how the Bush administration played Right-wing evangelical types for political gain.  It made ME angry and I’m not exactly a holy roller!

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15228489/

The more people out in The Cove, or up in Tyrone who know about this the better.

So all along the Corporate Media has protected the their favorite party, now we know the extent to which the GOP will go to protect their slim majority!!

Papers Knew of Foley E-Mail but Did Not Publish Stories - New York Times

Monty Python, Teddy Roosevelt and our current political landscape.

Theodore Roosevelt once said “Patriotism means to stand by the Country.  It does not mean to stand by the President.”  I am forced to wonder what Teddy Roosevelt would think of the present holder of his former office.  I am forced to wonder what Teddy Roosevelt would think of his Republican party now.

There is no polite way to say this; it is the lack of leadership, the lack of vision, the lack of compassion, of shame, of humility, of decency exhibited by this President and the Republican Party leadership that finds us embroiled in sex scandals involving inappropriate communications with young boys and the possibility of negligence and cover ups, with a rapidly failing war of choice in Iraq, foreign enemies multiplying like rabbits on Viagra, a deficit climbing into some untold stratosphere, American jobs leaving this country by the truckload and some 46 million citizens without adequate access to healthcare.

For six years, this president has had a congress that bowed to his every whim.  This Republican Congress that rubber stamped every goofy idea, no matter how unsupported by fact, no matter how detrimental to the vast majority of American citizens, no matter how offensive to the ideals of the Constitution, that is now self-destructing by it’s willingness to over look perversion in attempt to hold on to power.

Do these Republicans take responsibility, do they offer even the slightest hint of contrition, no, they blame the Democrats.  The very notion of blaming the Democrats for the mess that our government has become is so surreal that it reminds me of the kind of pathetic, twisted logic present in a Monty Python sketch; an ill-conceived war and a poorly executed occupation, going badly? Blame the Democrats; a long time Republican member of Congress caught in a sex scandal and a cover up?  Blame the Democrats; apparently, if the Democrats weigh the same as a duck, they must be made of wood.

The Republican propaganda machine, Limbaugh, O’Reily, et,al, continue to blast the illogic and inane nonsense that sadly passes for commentary, even Keith Olberman misses the mark, slightly.  In Olbermann’s special comment last night, he pleads with Bush to stop the lies and fabrications.  In my humble opinion, this President, this Republican leadership, this Congress is well beyond such redemption.

One more quote from Teddy Roosevelt.

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
 

It would be all to easy to be full of bile and rage over our current state but in truth, I am not, in truth, I am heartbroken that my beloved nation has fallen to such a circumstance.  Even in this Pandora’s box of political and moral disaster, hope remains.  I remain hopeful that the American voting public in general and the people of the 9^th Congressional District in particular have finally had enough.  I remain hopeful that the stench of corruption and lies and fear mongering and naked avarice has finally reached so far and wide as to move the electorate to action.  I remain hopeful that the changes that must come, will come and that the noble experiment that is American Democracy will survive even these dreadful conditions

Bill Shuster(R PA-09) has a simple campaign stratetgy. It dates back to the heady days of Sputnik and the A-bomb scare.  It’s called “Duck and Cover”.  It seems that Bill Shuster thinks that if he keeps his head low that the voters won’t notice that he has an opponent and he’ll slither back into office on name recognition.  Shame, shame, shame, Shuster.

You won’t get away with it.

The following Press release was issued today from Friends of Tony Barr HQ in Hollidaysburg PA:

BARR SHOWS, SHUSTER DOESN’T, BIAS EVIDENT

            Last night, Monday, September 25, Penn State Altoona sponsored a candidates’
forum where all candidates on this years general election ballot were invited to attend.  
All candidates either attended themselves or sent a representative to speak in their
place.  All, that is, except Bill Shuster, Representative in Congress PA-09, who declined
to even send a representative to speak for him.  Tony Barr, his opponent, attended the
event.

            Tony Barr, Democratic Candidate for PA-09, commented on Shuster’s refusal to
send a speaker in his place, “I can understand if Mr. Shuster has other duties to attend
to, but he should have sent a speaker in his place.  I find Mr. Shuster’s failure to send
a speaker a slap in the face to Penn State Altoona, the city of Altoona, and to Central
Pennsylvania as a whole.  This event was about communicating to the voters where you
stand on the issues.”

            Later that evening on the 11 o’clock news and then the next morning, both Ch.
6 (NBC) and Ch. 10 (CBS) failed to mention that Mr. Barr attended the candidate’s forum
and that Mr. Shuster did not attend himself or send a speaker in his place.  Mr. Barr
commented on this lack of coverage, “Both Ch. 6 and Ch. 10 dropped the ball on this one.  
Shuster continues to duck the voters to avoid accountability.   Both stations nightly bemoan the fact that crime, drugs, and violence are
infiltrating our communities, but when someone stands up to do something positive and
effective about the problems in our communities, these news stations are silent.  This is
ridiculous.”

The arrogance of the Local Republican party is almost embarrasing.

On this day of remembrance 9^th Congressional District candidate Tony Barr visited Shanksville, Pennsylvania site of the Flight 93 crash and issued the following statement:

“Hi My Name is Tony Barr. I’m a candidate for Congress, right here in the Pennsylvania 9^th Congressional district.  That’s about all the campaign you’re gonna get outta me, today.  I’m not here for that.  I came to this place, probably for the same reason you did, to pay tribute and remember.

As to paying tribute, there were a host of dignitaries here today, all with professionally written speeches, designed to inspire you.  I like what to paraphrase what Mr. Lincoln had to say about situations like this one, standing not too far from here, a long time ago; Abe Lincoln said, “we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave people, who died here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”
 

Make no mistake, this is a battlefield, these are our honored dead. “that from these honored dead we must take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion”.  It is ultimately that cause to which we pay tribute here today.
 

It’s funny but when I remember September the 11^th 2001 it’s not the horrors I recall, It’s not the scenes of that awful day’s destruction on television, I remember.  It’s what came after.  The days after September 11^th, in those days, we were all Americans again, not Republicans and Democrats, not rich and poor, not black or white but Americans. 
 

Red white and blue was everywhere, stores couldn’t keep American flags on the shelf, and we were all in this together.  Why is it, that we need a body count to bring out American spirit like that?  I don’t have the answer.
 

I do know that we can take this day, and put our partisanship aside, just for today, if only for today.  We can take this day and remember fondly, those that have passed that day, and since that day.  We can devote ourselves to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion” to making them proud of the Americans we are today, One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, Americans. Please remember to vote, Thank you.”