Meet the Holdouts

Now that the Health Care Reform bill (HR 3200) has passed the House, getting the Senate to pass a similar bill is the next big hurdle. While the Democrats have a clear majority (58 seats plus two independents), three conservative Democratic Senators have threatened to vote against even starting debate. The New York Times would like you to meet the Holdouts:

In order to move Health Care Reform forward, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) must convince these three Senators to vote to allow debate to begin. There may be significant arm-twisting involved, with the Progressive Caucus hinting that it may revoke Committee seats if these Senators vote against their own party. Let’s hope those seats mean more to Senators Lincoln, Landrieu, and Nelson than the huge campaign contributions they receive from the special-interest groups that oppose Health Care Reform.

Carol Hannah Was Robbed

Tonight was the season finale of Project Runway, in which a collection of vibrant, diverse, and innovative clothing was passed over in favor of a parade of unimaginative black sweaters and felt helmets. I am of course speaking of the shocking defeat of Carol Hannah Whitfield, with the PR judges instead selecting Irina Shabayeva instead as the winner for Season 6.

The third finalist, Althea Harper, produced what was in my opinion an all-over-the-place collection of boring separates and knitwear. The clothes themselves were nice, but they didn’t go together on the models and really looked like something you could buy at Target. What is most infuriating about Carol Hannah’s loss was the way in which the winner was announced. Instead of Althea being told she was going not the winner first, and having Carol Hannah and Irina as the last two standing, Carol Hannah was sent home first. This made it seem as though Althea’s collection was better than Carol Hannah’s, which it patently was not. The judges’ comments even backed this up. The main – and really only – critique of  Carol Hannah’s collection was the lack of “common thread”, a quality that was far, far more present in Althea’s line. Carol Hannah was complimented on her designs and fabulous use of color. Irina’s line, on the other hand, was almost entirely black, with repeated motifs of armor and metal. It was dark-on-dark and much the detail was hidden from easy view. It honestly seemed like Irina had become fixated on the idea of a black sweater with metal accents, for that is what she gave us model after model. Even her gown had the same accents, with what seemed like the same strips of metallic fabric done in almost exactly the same way. Overall, a major upset that will surely have mouths flapping for weeks to come.

Here’s a taste of Carol Hannah’s line:

And here’s some of Irina’s line:

To see all 36 designs by the three finalists, visit the Elle website. They’re all jumbled up in an attempt to keep the winner a secret pre-finale, but essentially if it has a headband or is a non-black sweater with long sleeves, it’s Althea’s. If it has a felt helmet, a high ponytail, or is black and ominous, it’s Irina’s. If it’s perky, colorful, and wearable while still being high-fashion, it’s Carol Hannah’s.

Darwin-Dissing Alert!!!

Today is the day that Ray Comfort, the creationist of hand-banana fame, will be distributing copies of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species at “the top 100 universities nationwide”. The catch? A 54-page introduction equating the theory of evolution with Nazism, and overall bashing the venerable Charles Darwin with lies and misinformation. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) has launched a campaign to warn the public of Comfort’s tactics, including a mass bookmark-distributing effort. I love the NCSE and everything for which they stand, and luckily (disappointingly?) Comfort’s website does not list my university as a target for the book distribution.

On the up side, no impressionable undergraduates at my school will be swayed by Comfort’s tactics, which is, of course, to have laypeople read his introduction and then get bored and close the book. This is a good tactic, because let’s face it, if you’re a non-scientist and someone hands you On the Origin of Species you’re going to read the juicy first couple dozen pages of drivel and then get bored when you hit the 18th-century science-speak. On the down-side, I don’t get to picket the distribution site with a poster explaining what these awful people are doing. Darn. :/

Learn more at the NCSE’s homepage and their Don’t Diss Darwin site, and spread the word!!!

Lady Gaga: Nut Job or Genius?

Just when you thought Lady Gaga couldn’t get any stranger….. This is the music video for “Bad Romance” – the first single from the forthcoming The Fame Monster album. I still can’t decide if this is thoughtless craziness or highbrow over-my-head art. I’m going to lean toward the latter, since I pretty much like everything Lady Gaga has made. But as far as I’m concerned, she’s still within an eyelash of full-on nut job.

As for the new album, it’s fantastic. It just is. The Fame Monster was intended to be a re-release of The Fame with a few new songs, but apparently Gaga decided that such re-releases were unfair, and went with an album of eight brand-new songs. Right-on!

SCOTUS Voting Records 2007-2008

Nifty Chart Time!

In the spirit of my recent discovery of FantasySCOTUS, these neat-o charts published in the June 29th edition of the New York Times documents the voting record of the 2007-2008 session of the Supreme Court, including the ‘major decisions’ and those that were decided 5-4, are detailed. Frankly, I love the way that they subtly line the Justices up from ‘most liberal’ to ‘most conservative’ and show the gradual progression of decisions, with the moderate Anthony Kennedy voting in the majority in every major case. In fact, since he played the largest decisive role in this session, the NYT article actually calls this term the year of the ‘Kennedy Court’.

More interesting are some of the close cases, where you often have surprising combinations of Justices voting the same way, like Ginsberg and Thomas both being in the majority on two closely-decided cases. I love visual aids! <3

The “Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Exist” Act

I LOVE this idea. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) has proposed a bill requiring the government to identify the corporations and entities it considers “too big to fail”, or requiring of a taxpayer bailout to keep the economy stable. The bill then gives the government a time-line to break up these entities into smaller firms that do not threaten the financial system. The bill is TWO PAGES LONG!!!! Is this not an amazing idea?

I encourage you to read the full text of the bill in pdf format or the main text below. It’s my kind of legislation.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act’’.

SEC. 2. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE TOO BIG TO FAIL.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to Congress a list of all commercial banks, investment banks, hedge funds, and insurance companies that the Secretary believes aretoo big to fail (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Too  Fail List’’).

SEC. 3. BREAKING-UP TOO BIG TO FAIL INSTITUTIONS.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall break up entities included on the Too Big To Fail List, so that their failure would no longer cause a catastrophic effect on the United States or global economy without a taxpayer bailout.

SEC. 4. DEFINITION.

For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Too Big to Fail’’ means any entity that has grown so large that its failure would have a catastrophic effect on the stability of either the financial system or the United States economy without
substantial Government assistance.

That’s it. That’s the whole bill minus the header. Why can’t all legislation be so straightforward?

Fantasy SCOTUS!!!

For those of us who balk at the idea of actually watching a football game, the idea of investing our precious time into constructing an imaginary team of players and tracking their seasons sounds not only ludicrous, but the opposite of fun. Lucky for us, there’s a nerdy alternative to Fantasy Football. No, I’m not talking about some role-playing video game, I’m talking about the hot new craze about to sweep through law schools across the nation – It’s Fantasy SCOTUS!

This website, brainchild of recent George Mason Law graduate Josh Blackman, is the law-and-politics buff’s answer to imaginary sports teams. The site currently summarizes every Supreme Court case of the season, and allows users to call the decision (Affirm/Reverse), the spread (5-4? Unanimous?), and pick the Justices in the Majority and Dissent. Best of all? It’s free for students and unemployed lawyers (thanks to the creator’s personal sense of social justice).

I personally have already predicted the first twelve cases argued this season, including the Citizens United case and the VFW Cross debacle!

Why I’m a Democrat

In light of the loss for marriage equality in Maine, and the touting by many on the right of the few off-season races won by Republicans, I’d like to take a moment to remind myself, and everyone else, why I am a Democrat and why being a Democrat is a great thing.

REASONS I AM A DEMOCRAT: (not in any particular order)

1) A Commitment to Affordable Quality Universal Health Care. I truly believe Health Care is part of the Locke-esque social contract we make when we establish a government. I’m personally for a single-payer system, because if a government can’t function to protect the lives of its people, what good is a government at all? Also, a healthier people are a more productive people. Democrats and progressives on the whole, agree with me.

2) Fiscal Responsibility. This is often touted as a virtue of the Republicans, but you’d have to call every Republican from Reagan forward a RINO to make the claim valid. It is the classic argument/smear against the ‘tax and spend’ liberals. Clinton was the only modern president to reduce the national debt and balance the budget – actually producing an annual surplus at the end of his two terms. Carter’s terms were roughly debt-neutral. Republicans – Ford, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II, each caused sharp spikes in the debt and never once had a balanced budget. It is in fact Democrats who truly understand how to achieve fiscal responsibility in the long term, and that is by investing in America.

3) Regulation! I’m for the free market when it comes to consumer goods like shoes and cars and such. However, every industry must be subject to the sort of regulations that ensure their products are SAFE to the individual consumer and SAFE to the economy as a whole. The whole reason we got into the current mess was deregulation. Democrats on the whole are for strengthening regulation to the benefit of consumers and America as a whole. Big corporations should not be able to do things that hurt workers, consumers, or the economy without repercussions.

4) Taking Care of the Little People. Democrats have a long history of social responsibility. That means making sure that seniors, our veterans, the disabled, and the poor are provided for. Keeping these people from descending into abject poverty not only is our moral obligation, but it keeps our economy strong. These people, if given a chance to move up in society, can become productive members of society who contribute to the economy as workers and consumers. This includes the wealthy paying their fair share of the tax burden. If you have become rich in America through honest means, you almost certainly profited from the collective American workforce or consumer base, and you have a duty to give back to your community.

5) Commitments to Science and the Environment. The administration in which I came of age was vehemently anti-science, ignoring data and even silencing government scientists if the data did not fit with their political view or interest. Democrats increase funding for and promote the basic scientific research that keeps America at the forefront of the global community. Democrats also promote measures to protect the environment and our natural resources, for they are our long-term strength.

6) Education. Democrats support education at all levels. They do not attempt to twist curriculum to religious or ideological ends, and make the spending commitments necessary to educate and train the next generation of Americans – those who will lead America into the future as skilled workers, adept technicians, brilliant scientists, and most importantly enlightened citizens – the cornerstone of any democracy.

7) Anti-War. The Democratic party is cautious about exerting economic might around the world, and is fearful of the military-industrial complex. We pursue military options as a last resort, after intense diplomacy has failed. When we do exert our military strength, we do so in a multilateral way, in conjunction with U.N. and NATO forces in accordance with international law. We do not torture or commit war crimes.

Equal Rights. We accept all comers, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, wealth, etc. We believe in equal rights and protections for all people, so long as those rights do not infringe on the rights and protections of others. Our party is not dominated by any one group of people. We are representative of America as a whole. Discrimination will not be tolerated.

9) Reproductive Rights. Democrats support the right of a woman to choose, as well as access to family planning and contraception. Abstinence-only education does not work.

10) Separation of Church and State. Keep God out of the public sector, please.

11) Adhering to the Constitution. This means no Patriot Act, no warrant-less wiretapping, no violations of our civil liberties, no violations of equal protections and no cherrypicking of phrases – that goes for ALL free speech, even if it promotes something not-so-nice.

12) Gun control. While every American has the right to own a firearm, this can and should be limited. Schools, National Parks, and the like should be able to prohibit firearms when they pose a clear danger to the well-being of others. Gun ownership should be limited for ex-criminals, and the mentally unsound. Waiting lists and background checks and permits are a positive thing.

I’m sure there are dozens more, but these are the ones that most readily came to mind. Hooray for Progressivism!

Billionaires for Wealthcare Strike Again!!!!

You may remember the group “Billionaires for Wealthcare” that satirized the opponents of Health Care Reform during the tea party protests. Well guess what? They’re BACK! And this time, they’ve infiltrated the conference of AHIP – America’s Health Insurance Plans. AHIP is the lobby that put out the bogus study saying that reform would cost waaay more money than it actually will, and that Insurers would jack up their rates if reform was passed. Watch (and listen) to the AMAZING way in which Billionaires for Wealthcare protested the conference – from inside with a SLEEPER CELL OF SINGERS! In my opinion, simply marvelous.

Medicare for Everyone

Major revelations and victories this week in Health Care Reform! Simply changing the name of the ‘public option’ to ‘Medicare Part E’ – (the ‘E’ being for ‘everybody’) – has brought yet another Blue Dog Democrat (Mike Ross – AR) behind the push for a public option. Also, the House Judiciary Committee has voted 20-9 to end the Anti-Trust exemption for the Health Insurance Industry! The vote in favor included three Republicans siding with the Democrats to strip the ability of Health Insurers to maintain geographic monopolies. Harry Reid has stated that that provision will almost certainly be in the final Senate bill.

It makes a ton of sense, really, since a huge chunk of those who were vocally opposed to reform during the town halls were scared that their Medicare was going to be taken away. The best way to label reform then would be a Medicare expansion, no?