FORA-TV: Howard Dean- 'Public Option is Key to Healthcare Reform'

Source:FORA-TV- Former Governor of Vermont, 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee: Howard Dean.

"Former Chairman of the DNC Howard Dean shares his support for a public option regarding health insurance. Dean contests that health care reform is intrinsically linked to economic recovery. "This is not just about covering the uninsured...this is about rescuing the American economy. 

Howard Dean talks about Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform. Dean, a physician and the former governor of Vermont, tells us what needs to be done to successfully reform healthcare. One key, he writes, is to offer Americans the option to participate in a public healthcare program, much like Medicare. Dean was chair of the Democratic National Committee during the recent Presidential election. - Book Passage

Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from the U.S. state of Vermont. He served six terms as Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination. He was the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009.

Before entering politics, Dean received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1978. Dean was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1982 and was elected lieutenant governor in 1986. Both were part-time positions that enabled him to continue practicing medicine." 

From FORA-TV 

I agree with everything that Governor Dean said about the public option. Give Americans choice in how they receive their health care and health insurance. 

The whole reason I was in favor of the public option in the health care reform debate of 2009-10, with President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress, was because I believe in freedom of choice, especially in health care, but for everything else in the economy and Americans lives. 

The whole reason why I'm against single-payer health insurance where government would now become the sole provider of not just health insurance, but health care in general, because now the U.S. Government will how the power to decide who gets what health care and when, because they're completely responsible for what health care every single American gets, because of what Medicare would then cover, is the reason why I'm in favor of a public option in health insurance. 

The public option gives Americans choice. Single-payer Medicare For All just creates another large monopoly in one of the largest sectors of our economy, our health care system. Monopolies don't work, because they're designed to fail, because they know that the people have no other choice in where to receive that service. But choice forces companies and people, as well as government to compete in the marketplace to deliver their services, which forces them to deliver the best and most affordable service possible in order to remain viable. 

Apollo Victoria: 'A Day Behind Bars'

Source:Apollo Victoria- welcome to San Quentin State Prison. No one will ever be offended if you never want to come back.

"At-risk youth take a day trip to visit prisoners of San Quentin as one of many activities coordinated by Rudy Corpuz of United Playaz, a non-profit youth organization based in San Francisco. The organizers, youth and prisoners give their viewpoints on the program and on prison issues." 

From Apollo Victoria

If we as a country would just address so-called you at risk while they are acting out in high school and so- forth, perhaps considering dropping out of high school, skipping class, hanging out with the wrong crowds, etc, as well as addressing the so-called wrong crowds, then we can prevent them from going to prison in the first place. 

We could get to the youth at risk, before they make even bigger mistakes in the future: jacking cars, selling drugs, armed robberies, raping girls, whatever the case may be. Get to them, turn them around before, make sure they stay in school, finish school and get a good education, so they are on course to have an opportunity to have a productive life legally and stay out of the criminal justice System the rest of their lives. 

If we could get to the youth at risk before gang recruiters got to them, they would understand that they don't need to steal, beat people up, get in fights, etc, and realize that if they just got educated, work hard and be productive in life, that they can avoid becoming criminals as adults. 

VOA News: Jerome Socolovsky- 'US Faith-Based Organizations Increasingly Care for Poor, Elderly'

Source:VOA News- Jennifer Weiss being interviewed for this piece.

"Voice of America (VOA) is an American international broadcaster funded by the United States Congress. It is the largest[2][3][4] and oldest U.S. funded international broadcaster.[5][6] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 47 languages which it distributes to affiliate stations around the globe. It is primarily viewed by foreign audiences, so VOA programming has an influence on public opinion abroad regarding the United States and its people.

VOA was established in 1942,[7] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103-415)[8] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford." 

From Wikipedia 

"Government cutbacks and a worsening economy have led the U.S. government to rely increasingly on faith-based organizations to take care of the poor and the elderly. VOA's Jerome Socolovsky reports from a suburb of Philadelphia." 

From VOA News

I support both Freedom of Religion and Separation of Church and State. I've always had and I always will. Religion to me is about freedom of choice, whether to practice and believe in religion or not. Which is one reason why I"m insulted when fundamentalists attack Atheists for not being believers and when Atheists attack people of faith for having faith in religion. 

In a liberal democracy like America, people have the freedom of choice to make these decisions for themselves. I even support religious organizations and other private non-profits getting involved in community service helping people in need. Even getting grants for that as long as that money is not used to try to convert people or get them to believe in their religious message. But just to help them get shelter, food to eat, help finding a job, healthcare, things people need to survive. Especially when they are in need, out-of work, lost their home, can't afford enough food to eat, etc. 

VOA News: Deborah Block- 'More Americans Getting Donated Food'

Source:VOA News- a woman who was interviewed for this piece.

"Voice of America (VOA) is an American international broadcaster funded by the United States Congress. It is the largest[2][3][4] and oldest U.S. funded international broadcaster.[5][6] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 47 languages which it distributes to affiliate stations around the globe. It is primarily viewed by foreign audiences, so VOA programming has an influence on public opinion abroad regarding the United States and its people.

VOA was established in 1942,[7] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103-415)[8] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford." 

From Wikipedia 

"The number of Americans going to food assistance centers, known as food pantries, is increasing dramatically.  And it's not just the poor who are using the services. As Deborah Block reports, more middle class Americans who are out of work and can't find jobs are also lining up for donated food." 

"The number of Americans going to food assistance centers, known as food pantries, is increasing dramatically.  And it's not just the poor who are using the services. As Deborah Block reports, more middle class Americans who are out of work and can't find jobs are also lining up for donated food." 

From VOA News

With America being in the middle of the holiday season with Christmas coming, hunger in America, which is just a part of poverty in America, should get even more attention than it normally does. I would argue a lot more attention that it normally does, because the problems become even more relevant for people, especially as the weather gets cold, for people to find enough food to eat and feed their families. 

And with all the budget cuts on Food Assistance and other poverty assistance in America, even with the economy improving, there isn't a better time than now that we try to address hunger in America and the broader issues of poverty in America. What we can do as a country to help people that need Food Assistance in order to avoid starving in America. Especially with rising food prices, but also what we can do to help these people help themselves so they would no longer need Food Assistance in the future. 

Think Progress: GOP On Ron Wyden

Source:Think Progress- former Speaker of the U.S. House and 2012 Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich.

"GOPOnRyanWyden.mov" 

From TP Clips

Today I'm a little disappointed in Senator Ron Wyden (member of the Finance Committee) who generally I agree with, for going along with Representative Paul Ryan. (Chairman of the Budget Committee as well as a Member of the Ways and Means Committee) I'm not disappointed in Senator Wyden in working with Representative Ryan on Chairman Ryan's Medicare voucher plan. 

I'm all for bipartisanship if it can produce a better final product, that can't be produced in any other way. I'm disappointed in what they've come up with in reforming Medicare, which is basically turning Medicare into a voucher system. Which is what the Ryan Plan that was produced back in April does.  

People who call themselves Conservatives (which is what I'm assuming Paul Ryan believes he is) talk about the need for freedom of choice (at least in the economy) all the time. And yet they're in favor of eliminating freedom of choice, or partially limiting seniors free choice and ability to choose Medicare, if they still want Medicare for their health insurance. They have a huge contradiction there. 

VOA News: Julie Taboh- 'Supreme Court Justice Continues Equality Fight'

Source:VOA News- a representative from the ACLU.

"Voice of America (VOA) is an American international broadcaster funded by the United States Congress. It is the largest[2][3][4] and oldest U.S. funded international broadcaster.[5][6] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 47 languages which it distributes to affiliate stations around the globe. It is primarily viewed by foreign audiences, so VOA programming has an influence on public opinion abroad regarding the United States and its people.

VOA was established in 1942,[7] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103-415)[8] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford." 

From Wikipedia 

"Only the second woman in U.S. history to serve on the nation's highest court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been an articulate voice for the liberal wing of the bench. VOA's Julie Taboh reports." 

From VOA News 

"Only the second woman in U.S. history to serve on the nation?s highest court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg knew she wanted to be a lawyer by her third year in college... 

Source:VOA News- the U.S. Supreme Court.

From VOA News

When President Clinton came to office in 1993, he had the opportunity to appoint two Supreme Court Justices within eighteen months, similar to President Obama in 2009-10. Both President's having significant majorities in the Senate, which gave President Clinton a lot of leeway in who he could appoint as long as he appointed someone who was clearly qualified to not get into trouble with Senate Democrats or attempt Senate Republicans to block a Supreme Court nominee. 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg is historic for several reasons the fact that she's the first Jewish-American woman on the Supreme Court is just one of those reasons. She's a child of the American civil rights generation who has made equal rights and equality for all Americans her life and career and has taken that fight to the Supreme Court of the United States. And has a lot of respect from both the Left and Right for her commitment and honesty and deserves a lot of respect for it. 

C-SPAN: 'President Clinton 1993 Inaugural Address'

Source:CSPAN- President William J. Clinton (Democrat, Arkansas) delivering his first inaugural address.

"President Clinton delivered his first inaugural address on January 20, 1993."

From C-SPAN

Ronald Reagan had this test to decide if President's were successful, or that the Republican Party used up until 1992. And that test is laid out in a simple question: "Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Is your cost of living better, are you more secure in your job, do you have more economic security today than you had four years ago?" Etc, and he used that question in his closing moments of the third presidential debate with President Jimmy Carter in 1980. 

Americans by in-large clearly didn't feel better off  in 1980 than in 1976. Which is why they voted for Ron Reagan overwhelmingly with around 56% of the Popular Vote and giving him 44 states in that landslide election. And President Reagan used that question again in 1984 and in 1988, because the country was clearly better off as a whole in 1984 and in 1988 than it was in 1980. But in 1992 America started declining economically, especially.

The American economy was just starting to come out of the recession of 1990-91. High unemployment, interest and inflation rates, rising costs in health care, rising national debt and deficit. Similar economic conditions in 1992 than in 1980, which opened the door for a young Liberal Democrat from Arkansas the Governor of that state to give the Democratic Party the presidency and to transform the Democratic Party and get us away from the stereotypes that have kept us out of national office since 1981. 

I mention the Reagan Test because that's one way President's are judged in whether they were successful or not. Was the country as a whole better off when you left office than when you came into office. And it's a test that President Clinton gave in 1996 and in 2000. American President's are judged by how the country did compared with how it was doing before they became President. But also how President's dealt with situations as they come up. 

And one more thing I would add, were they able to transform the country, lay down a vision for it that remained in place after they left office. In other words were they able to start a political revolution and under those three tests President Clinton passes overwhelmingly, which is why he is considered not only successful, but I would add a great President. At least on those three scores. 

President Clinton had to deal with a lot. A weak economy, huge national debt and deficit, America looking like it may be declining as a world power, Somalia, Haiti, the Balkans, two American embassy's being blown up in East Africa. And when he left President with a 4.5% unemployment rate, booming economy, record low poverty rate, democracies emerging in the Balkans. The Democratic Party when President Clinton came into office was seen nationally as a Far-Left Social Democratic Party.

With a lot of negative stereotypes that were holding national Democrats back like tax and spenders, fiscally irresponsible, soft on crime, defense and Welfare, anti-private enterprise, anti-wealth and anti-success, etc. And he moved the party back to the democratic liberalism of where it was with President Kennedy in the early 1960s. A place that President Obama wants the Democratic Party to be at. Despite pressures from the Far-Left to move the party farther left.

Anytime Social Democrats try to move the party even farther left, they should look at the lesson of President Clinton. How the party was seen before he was President and it was seen after he left as President. And then look at how the party did in 1972, 1980, 1984 and 1988. Where they lost four landslide presidential elections out of five presidential elections. Including in 1980 losing so badly that it cost them control of the Senate for the first time since 1952. 

The Democratic Party needs to be a liberal party that believes in liberal democracy, that's why I'm a Democrat. But we can't be a pro-big government party that wants the Federal Government to do a lot more at the expense of individual liberty. But we have to be a pro-limited, good government party that believes in good government, in order to be successful now and into the future.

Associated Press: Newt Gingrich: 'His Ideas on Work 'Distorted'

Source:Associated Press- former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (Republican, Georgia) and 2012 presidential candidate.

"Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich continued a campaign swing through New York Monday.  In an appearance at The Union League he said comments he made about getting young people to work have been distorted. (Dec. 5)" 

From the Associated Press

Here's a case where Newt Gingrich is right when he says that the mainstream media has a tendency to distort what he says. 

Newt doesn't believe low-income people are poor because they are lazy. But that they tend to come from households where they don't see their parents working. And in a lot of cases from from single-parent households where their parent isn't working. Where their parent or parents didn't even finish high school, their kids don't know their fathers. The father walked out on the family, perhaps isn't even aware he has kids and they see their parent or parents at home a lot living in Public Housing collecting public assistance, especially Welfare Insurance not working. And they grow up in a household where work isn't encourage. 

Associated Press: 'Unemployment Drops to 8.6%'

Source:Associated Press- President Barack H. Obama (Democrat, Illinois)

"The U.S. unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than 21/2 years. More people out of work either found jobs or gave up looking and were no longer counted as unemployed. (Dec. 2)" 

From the Associated Press

We are finally starting to see some real good economic news as we close out 2011 and hopefully get off to a good start in 2012. And hopefully the 4th quarter (not in the football game, but in the economic growth rate) will look good as well. Maybe with the holiday season and everything else we'll hit 4% economic growth. And maybe we'll start to see jobs reports north of 150K maybe even 200K per month. 

But as the cheesy news reporter always says: Only time will tell. Back to you Bob." But when that starts to happen, our unemployment rate will stop dropping like rocks from a bridge. And we can finally put the Great Recession now three years old to bed. Actually four years depending on how you look at it, because economic growth started dropping in late 2007.

David Rosman: U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and Reverend Jerry Falwell- Liberty Baptist College (1983)

Source:David Rosman- U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) being introduced at Liberty University.

"On October 4, 1983, Rev. Jerry Falwell introduced Sen. Edward Kennedy, who gave one of his most famous and praised speeches on Faith, Truth and Tolerance in america."

From Davis Rosman 

"Sen. Ted Kennedy speaks at Liberty Baptist College on Oct. 4, 1983 as Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Sr. watches on the right. (Photos by Les Schofer)  

Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said the Liberty University community will be remembering the Kennedy family in prayer.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, a friend of Liberty University’s founder, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, and his family, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., after a long battle with brain cancer.

Kennedy, 77, had spoken at Liberty and conversed with Falwell, Sr. on many occasions.

Jerry Falwell, Jr. wrote about Kennedy’s relationship with his father in the July/August “Liberty Journal.” An excerpt is below." 

Source:Liberty University- U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) and Reverend Jerry Falwell, in 1983.

From Liberty University

Senator Ted Kennedy, would be one of the few Northeastern Progressive Democrats that could give a speech at a Southern Evangelical university like Liberty University. Because Senator Kennedy was someone who could work outside of his element. Especially when he didn’t have enough power to get everything he wanted on an issue. 

Ted Kennedy was a legislature before he was a politician. Which is why you see Senator Kennedy on the same stage not debating with Reverend Jerry Falwell (one of the fathers of the Religious-Right in America) and they make about as odd of a couple as Reverend Jesse Jackson giving a speech at a KKK rally. Something just seems odd about it.

But you have to remember that two of Senator Kennedy’s best friends in Congress were Senator Orrin Hatch and John Boehner. (Now Speaker of the House) Two of the most Conservative Republicans in Congress. But Senator Kennedy was one of the best speakers when it came to truth and tolerance and civil rights in America. 

You don’t have the legislative record in Congress as a Senator, without the ability to not only work with your colleagues in the Senate and people in your party, but you also have to not only be able to work with Senator’s from the other party, but people in the House of Representatives as well. At least in your own party if your party is in the majority there. Ted Kennedy, understood all of that.

Perhaps not as articulate as Lyndon Johnson, Martin King or Bill Clinton, but you knew when Ted Kennedy spoke about those issues, that he was speaking from his heart that these were issues that really believed in. Which is why Senator Kennedy always had one of the best civil rights records in Congress. 

And Senator Kennedy’s contribution to the immigration reform debate in 2006-07, is a perfect example of that. Truth and tolerance and civil rights, are just as important as they were in 1983 84 when this speech was given, as it is today. To speak what’s on your mind and tell the truth and what you really believe.

Tolerance and cooperation, is something we didn’t have enough in politics and the rest of the country back then. But at least in the 1980s both parties believed in government and governing. And we're smart enough to know they had to work with the other party in order to govern. 

Now it’s about how do you make the other side look bad so you can score politically. And that has just gotten worst today. Tolerance, treat people as you would want to be treated. Until they’ve proven they’re not worthy of your respect. And judge people by the content of the character, not by the color of their skin. Or the shape of their face or style of their hair or any other thing that has to do with their race or ethnicity.

Don’t judge people by their name, or what religion they practice (if any) what gender they are attracted to physically and so on. That we treat people as people not groups. We don’t treat people special because they are a member of a group, good or bad. That we judge all people as people not members of groups. 

Which is something that Senator Kennedy understood very well for the most part. And is something that as we become even more diverse as a country is a message that needs to be understood and communicated even more today. Seeing Ted Kennedy with Jerry Falwell on the same stage not debating each other and actually being nice to each other.

Ted Kennedy and Jerry Falwell, were the definition of Odd Couple. Perhaps they could’ve had their own sitcom. Like the Irish Baptist, or Out of Place or something like that, Strange Bedfellows. Except they would both be straight. Jerry Falwell getting on Ted Kennedy for falling off bar stools and Ted Kennedy getting on the Reverend for preaching to the choir in their living room, literally as he’s trying to sleep. An Odd Couple that could get along.

But even people who are clearly opponents when it comes to politics and have to defeat other side to accomplish their goals, can get along with each other. If they understand that they are opponents and not enemies that are always in combat seeking to destroy the other side. 

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ESPN: SportsCentury- Greatest Head Coaches: Vince Lombardi

Source:ESPN- Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka (1982-92)

Source:The Daily Press 

"Some of the best ever on what it takes to be a great coach. All rights belong to ESPN and Sportscentury."  

From ESPN

On this Thanksgiving and by the way Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there, I thought it would be a great time to blog about Vince Lombardi, the greatest head coach of all-time, not just in football, but perhaps in team sports period. 

I think you'll have a hard time finding a better head coach because football is not just a huge part of our Thanksgiving holiday and Vince Lombardi is a big part of football. And the Green Bay Packers are a big part of our Thanksgiving football tradition. The Packers have played a lot on Thanksgiving and Coach Lombardi coached a lot of those games.

When I think of Vince Lombardi, I think of what a head coach should be when they are at their best and when they are the best at they are. Someone who constantly strives at making his team the best that they can, at getting the best effort and performance out of his team all of his players at the same time in the same game.

I mean if you look at it thats what the job of a head coach is. Of course they want to win and the head coaches that do win are the successful head coaches, that is win more than they lose and a lot more than they lose. But really the job is to get the best performance out of your players that they can deliver. There have been teams that were 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 and of course missed the playoffs, but their head coach had a good year or a great year. They even had a great record that year because of the team that they had and the players that had to play.

The level of talent that they had to work with and there been teams that were 10-6, 11-5 but they didn't have very good seasons and didn't win championships even though they had the talent to, because their players didn't play very well as a team. They didn't work very well together, their head coach didn't get them to play as well as they could've. And they ended up basically having a mediocre or even a bad season because their head coach didn't get them to play as well as they could've. 

The job of the head coach is to get his team and all of his players to play as well as they can at the same time as one team and if he has a good team or a great team, like Chuck Knoll had with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s (to use as an example) then that will lead to a lot of wins and championships. 

The Green Bay Packers of the 1960s didn't have a dynasty in that decade and were the team of the 60s because they were loaded with talent and great players. They had some of those and some Hall of Famers, they won five NFL Championships in seven years from 1961-67, because they had the best teams and the best head coach. Best team and best talent are two different things. Best talent has to do with athletic ability and skills. Best team has to do with the team that plays the best together and plays the best as a team.

I'll give you an example: Super Bowl 36 between the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. The Rams I believe were a 10-12 point favorite they still had that great Vertical Spread offense (as I call it) with Kurt Warner, Marshal Faulk and all of those WRs. The Patriots were 5-11 the year before, snuck into the playoffs in 2001, winning their division. Beat the Raiders in a blizzard in the famous tuck game and then upset a very good Steelers team in the AFC Final. They had to beat two better teams just to make to the Super Bowl.

The Rams clearly had batter talent in that Super Bowl, but the Patriots had a better team and played better together and of course they had head coach Bill Belichick, perhaps still the best head coach in the NFL. Thats what Vince Lombardi had in Green Bay in the 1960s, he had the best teams, not exactly the best talent when he won those championships. 

So to use my definition of the job of a head coach, then no one is better than Vince Lombardi at getting his teams and players to play the best that they can at the same time. And he is the best head coach of all-time, because he was the best motivator and perhaps the best motivator ever as well.

And he would put it simple: "You want to play for the Packers, you're going to give me everything you have, or find another job or team to play for". He knew when to ride someone and when to pride someone and do both of those things in a way that showed the player that he's just trying to get the best out of him, kinda like a great father would be. Thats what made Vince Lombardi the best ever at what he did. 

Joel Austin: 'The Rise of Liberalism- The History of The Christian Church'

Source:Joel Austin- one of the first great German philosophers.

"This is a documentary style video combining Tom Nelson's  audio lesson with images found on the World Wide Web. Video #12 covers the Rise of Liberalism (late 1800s to present day)."

From Joel Austin 

Liberalism and the Christian Church, which is what I guess what this piece is about. 

To start off as a Liberal I believe not just in the U.S. Constitution, but the First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, and Fifth Amendments, are my favorite amendments, because they guarantee Americans right to think for themselves, speak for themselves, and act for themselves. 

I'm an Agnostic, so obviously I'm not a believer in religion or God, because as a Liberal I'm a big believer in reason and facts and only put faith in things that I trust and know. Not what some spiritual power that may or may not exist anywhere in the world or universe. Liberals (at least in the classical, if not real sense) are the least romantic people you'll ever meet, at least in a political sense, because we're such believers in reason. And we're also the least idealistic people that you'll ever meet, because we believe in reason and progress, not idealism. 

But having said all of that, just because I'm not religious, doesn't mean I want Big Government to tell people that they have to think and act like me. One of the great advantages of living in a liberal democracy is that everyone can act and think for themselves. This is not some communist state where individualism is almost completely eliminated and outlawed, including religion. Or some theocracy where it's not just religion that's forced on everyone, or a certain type of religion that's forced on everyone, but a certain fundamentalist religion that's forced on everyone. 

If there are liberal religious values, I guess they have to do with the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. Respect others property and privacy, as much as you respect your own. And treat everyone as an individual, not as a member of any particular group, whether it's racial, ethnic, religious, cultural, whatever it might be. But myself as a Liberal I'm not a believer in religion. 

Frozen Feet Films: Fritz- The Walter Mondale Story

Source:Amazon- About the life and career of former U.S. Senator and Vice President of the United States, Walter Mondale. 

"Fritz tells the story of the life and legacy of former Vice President Walter "Fritz" Mondale and his efforts to inspire a new generation to consider a life of public service. Featuring rare archival footage, family home videos, and interviews with President Carter, Vice President Al Gore, Geraldine Ferraro, Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, friends and family reveal a man who never wavered in his commitment to civil and human rights. Throughout his accomplished career - attorney general, senator, vice president, presidential candidate, ambassador, and teacher - Mr. Mondale has remained true to his small town roots, dedicated to helping others." 

From Amazon

Walter Mondale to me is someone who was ahead of his time, the way all Vice Presidents since are judged. Because he was the first Vice President with real authority or at least the first since Richard Nixon. But Vice President Mondale designed how the Vice Presidents Office looks today, serving as the President's Chief Counsel on policy and perhaps even politics as well. As well as basically the Chief Operating Officer of the Administration. Something he, Vice President Bush, Vice President Gore, Vice President Cheney and Vice President Biden all have done well. 

Pre-Walter Mondale except maybe for Vice President Nixon, the Office of the Vice President was basically ceremonial. Counting the days to when their term was over or when it’s time to campaign again or they would preside over the U.S. Senate. When Congress was in session, it wasn’t a very important office.

Today the Vice Presidency is important. When instead of the Vice President presiding over the Senate, they are basically the President’s Chief Representative to Congress. As well as their other duties at the White House. And Vice President Mondale made that office definite. 

Then Senator Walter Mondale worked out an agreement with Jimmy Carter when they ran together in 1976, that if he was to be Carter’s Vice President, that he would have to have real responsibility in that office. The Vice President under the U.S. Constitution, is the first officer in the Federal Government. Only the President out ranks him. And that’s how it was in the Cater Administration, except it was no longer just on paper, but in practice as well and I believe that job and office of the modern Vice Presidency, is a major part of Walter Mondale's legacy. 

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Associated Press: 'Raw Video: House Rejects Balanced Budget Measure'

Source:Associated Press- U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte (Republican, Virginia) Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

"The House has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have forced Congress to balance its budget every year as a way to reverse years of deficit spending. (Nov. 18)" 

From the Associated Press

With the vote in the House of Representatives of 261 votes for the House Republican Balances Budget Amendment, at least the House Republican Leadership knows how many seats they have to pick up in the 2012 general elections. They need twenty-nine more votes to pass a BBA, probably won't get them for the next Congress. They probably have a better chance of losing twenty nine seats in 2012 then gaining them. 

Nancy Pelosi: 'Leader Pelosi on GOP's BBA Constitutional Amendment'

Source:House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) talking about the House Republican Balanced Budget Amendment.

"This week, the House is considering a GOP "Balanced Budget" Constitutional Amendment (H.J.Res. 2) which would destroy jobs, drastically cut Medicare and Social Security, and give federal judges power to raise taxes and make spending decisions.  H.J.Res. 2 not only provides that there be a balanced budget every year, unless three-fifths of the Congress votes for a specific excess of outlays over receipts; it also requires a three-fifths vote of the Congress to raise the debt ceiling.  It is likely that H.J.Res 2 would require balancing the budget by about FY 2018 (it states it shall take effect beginning with the fifth fiscal year beginning after its ratification; if ratification occurs in 2013, balance would have to be achieved by FY 2018.)" 

From House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Anyone who believes that taxes are necessary in any country to fund government, understands that government's can't borrow indefinitely. And at some point bills have to paid, not borrow money to pay other bills, but actually pay up your bills. Otherwise taxes wouldn't be necessary and we could just borrow indefinitely to pay for anything. And I don't know anyone who believes that. The question is how do we pay our bills and to what point does our credit run out. 

If the United States were to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution tomorrow, not just Congress, but at least thirty-four States, two days from now we would still have a Federal debt of 15T$ and a Federal deficit approaching 2T$. A year from now we would still have a debt and deficit approaching those numbers, because Congress wouldn't agree to cut 2T$ from the Federal budget for one year. They may agree to cut 200B maybe 500B, pass tax reform that raises new revenue to cut the deficit in one year. 

If we passed a deficit reduction plan not over five years or so, but a year from now we would still have a deficit of over 1T$. And maybe even five years from now we would still have a deficit. So passing a BBA alone does not balanced the Federal budget, it just requires the Federal Government to do that. But doesn't lay out how to do that, just tells them they have to do it. But leaves it up to the Administration and Congress who lately can't agree on the time of day or the weather outside (It's chilly. No, it's cold!) on how to balanced the Federal budget. So any BBA would at best be a first step in balancing the Federal budget. 

VOA News: 'Struggling Detroit Seeks Economic Boost'

Source:VOA News- talking to John Mogk.

"Voice of America (VOA) is an American international broadcaster funded by the United States Congress. It is the largest[2][3][4] and oldest U.S. funded international broadcaster.[5][6] VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content in 47 languages which it distributes to affiliate stations around the globe. It is primarily viewed by foreign audiences, so VOA programming has an influence on public opinion abroad regarding the United States and its people.

VOA was established in 1942,[7] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103-415)[8] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

VOA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent agency of the U.S. government.[9] Funds are appropriated annually under the budget for embassies and consulates. In 2016, VOA broadcast an estimated 1,800 hours of radio and TV programming each week to approximately 236.6 million people worldwide with about 1,050 employees and a taxpayer-funded annual budget of US$218.5 million." 

From Wikipedia 

"Detroit, the heart of America's car industry, was once one of the richest cities in the United States.  But car manufacturers have downsized their work force, and, in recent decades, more than half of Detroit's population has left. Today, the city is one of the nation's poorest." 

From VOA News

With the decline of the City of Detroit the last twenty years or so, with three recessions including the Great Recession, with the decline of the American auto industry which is just starting to rebound and of course with Detroit being the American capital of our auto industry, Detroit has had their own personal recession (if not depression) the last 20 years or so.

And with the decline of public education in Detroit and the rising crime rates. Detroit as a city has been taking a whipping for about twenty years, to the point where they've lost half of its population. 

In 1990 Detroit was a city of about 1.5M people and a metro center of about 5M people, about the size of Philadelphia. The fifth or sixth largest city in America and one of the top ten metro centers in America and of the the wealthiest cities in America. To today they are still a big city but about half the size and one of the poorest cities in America. 

Detroit was so tied to the auto industry, sort of how Los Angles is tied to the entertainment industry, that when the auto industry is doing well, Detroit is doing well and when the Auto Industry is not doing well, neither is Detroit. And when the auto industry plummets like the last ten years, Detroit has plummeted. Their tax receipts have plummeted and as a result so have their public education, crime has gone way up and people have moved out as a result.  

When a city, even a big city like Detroit depresses, they tend to lose their population. As least the people who can afford to move out, like well-educated, middle class people, and the wealthy. And they take their money with them, which has cost Detroit a lot of people, but economic activity and development as well.

Democratic Media: '1960 DNC: John F. Kennedy Teams Up With Rival Lyndon B. Johnson'

Source:Democratic Media- U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) accepting the 1960 Democratic Party nomination for President, in Los Angeles, California.

"JFK's choice of LBJ helps to deliver Texas and shows running mates can help win elections." 

From Democratic Media

This is obviously a photo of then Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson (Democrat, Texas) running for President and Vice President together in 1960, after Senator Kennedy nominated Leader Johnson to be his running mate at the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, California.

Source:Heritage Auctions- JFK and LBJ teaming up in 1960.

1960 was the last presidential election where a Vice Presidential nomination was the difference in who was elected President. Because Jack Kennedy already had the votes of the Liberal and Progressive Democrats. Especially in the North who could care less about Senator Kennedy being an Irish-Catholic, Northeastern Liberal from Massachusetts. 

But because of those factors Southern Democrats (who are Conservative Republicans today) weren't convinced that Jack Kennedy was acceptable enough to be President of the United States. Which is why Lyndon Johnson who was also the Leader of the Senate at the time, was so critical to this ticket, because he was a Southern Democrat at least regionally.

With the Kennedy-Johnson ticket, this meant Democrats could win both the Northeast and South, as well as California. Because Kennedy could work the liberal states and Johnson could work the Southern states. Because the Northeast was probably going to vote for Kennedy anyway, but with Johnson on the ticket, Johnson could convince Southern Democrats that an Irish-Catholic, Northeastern Liberal was acceptable enough to be President of the United States. And Senator Kennedy's speech to Southern Baptists in 1960 in Houston where he came out for being in favor of Separation of Church and State and that he wouldn't take orders from the Pope in policy and decision-making.

In some ways Democrats in 1960 had a dream ticket, with the future of the Democratic Party. A real superstar in the best sense of the word, not a flash in the pan running with the most powerful Democrat in the country. Someone who was more than qualified to be President of the United States 1960. 

This is not the last or first presidential election where the Vice Presidential nominee was important. It was also important in 1952 with Richard Nixon, 1976 with Walter Mondale, 1980 with George Bush, 1992 with Al Gore, 2000 with Dick Cheney, 2008 with Joe Biden. But 1960 was the last one where the VP nominee was able to deliver votes and states for the ticket. 

You can also see this post on WordPress. 

You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on Blogger. 

You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on WordPress.

James Miller Center: FDR Fireside Chat 7: 'On the Social Security Act- The History of Social Security'

Source:James Miller Center- President Franklin D. Roosevelt and company. 

"Edited version of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's seventh fireside chat, delivered April 28, 1935."

Source:James Miller Center

When Franklin Roosevelt became President of the United States in 1933, he had a mountain of challenges in front of him that he had to face. Dwarfing anything that President Obama inherited in 2009. The Great Depression was just starting and the country had at the time nothing to deal with it. No plan to get out of it and no safety net other than private charity to help sustain people as they go through it. These challenges were so big that it wasn't until World War II almost ten years later that America recovered from the Great Depression. Which is why President Roosevelt and others developed the New Deal and other legislation to deal with the Great Depression. And to establish a safety net in America.

Like Social Security, Unemployment Insurance and Welfare Insurance. Insurance programs that people can turn to when they can't support themselves. President Roosevelt brought economic progressivism into law in America. Something that we had very little of in America before that. We certainly didn't have a welfare state or even a safety net prior to the New Deal. We were basically an economic libertarian society before that, where everyone was on their own. And of course a lot if not most Libertarians would like to see us move back to that libertarian society. Where all Americans are responsible for taking care of themselves whether they are able to or not. Whether they have access to a pension or not, lose their job, makes mistakes early in life. Like having kids before they are ready to take care of them, etc.

Now I disagree with how a lot of these programs were designed originally. I believe most Americans would reform these programs in some way. Progressives would expand them, Liberals such as myself would decentralize them and turn them over to the states. Presidential candidate Gary Johnson has a plan to do that. Conservatives would privatize them all together and Libertarians would end them calling them unconstitutional. But what the New Deal and later Great Society in the 1960s, did was at least provide a basic floor for people to turn to. When for whatever reason they weren't able to fend for themselves and has been successful in doing that.

All of these programs need to be reformed in the financing like a lot the programs in the Federal Government. They didn't get us out of the Great Depression, at least on their own. World War II did most of the work on that, but the New Deal did for the first time in America, provide us with a basic safety net for the country. But a lot of these programs seventy-five plus years after they were created, need to be reformed. Because of how they were designed and need to be reformed to save them so they are there in the future. Part of President Roosevelt's legacy is that he transformed America into a country where we were basically on our own, into a country where at least to a certain extent we look after each other. Whether we want to or not, as Libertarians might phrase that. But the New Deal is not responsible for getting us out of the Great Depression. World War II and our involvement had a lot to do with that. 

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Napalm Captain: Michael Dukakis For President 1988- 'A New Era'

Source:Napalm Captain- Governor Michael Dukakis (Democrat, Massachusetts)

“Michael Dukakis: We’re going to build the kind of America where hard work is rewarded, where American goods and American workmanship are the best in the world. That’s what this election is all about.

Narrator: He turned around the ten-year economic slide and created a boom that has made Massachusetts one of the hottest economies in the country. He brought people together, created over four hundred t jobs and pushed personal income to the highest levels in the nation. He erased a massive deficit, balanced ten budgets in a row and cut taxes five times. It wasn’t a miracle. It was leadership.

Michael Dukakis: By working together to create opportunity and a good life for all, all of us are enriched, not just in economic terms but as citizens and as human beings.

Narrator: For a new era of economic greatness in America, Michael Dukakis for president.”

From Napalm Captain 

On paper going into the 1988 presidential election, Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts was a perfect presidential candidate to go against Vice President George Bush. He was a popular successful governor of a major state, a heavily Democratic state. Unlike Walter Mondale he had no ties to the Carter Administration. He was an outsider a governor. Someone with considerable executive experience running a major state.

Governor Dukakis, was an outsider running against the ultimate insider who since 1967 when George Bush took his seat in the House, was working in Washington and the Federal Government in some capacity. Except from 1977-81 when he was running for president and later vice president.

The Democratic Party had just won back the Senate in 1986 and added to their majority in the House. Iran Contra was still fresh in people’s minds politically speaking. Governor Dukakis was similar to Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas. Mike Dukakis was of course a Northeastern or Massachusetts Liberal as he was labeled by Vice President Bush and others. But not some Far-Left Socialist which is how Reverend Jackson was labeled, but a Classical Liberal Democrat. Someone who believed in individual liberty and limited government.

Governor Dukakis, supported things as Governor of Massachusetts that became law by the Federal Government 5-10 years later. Like Welfare to Work, Three Strikes Law that was in the 1994 Crime bill, gun control same bill, deficit reduction. Mike Dukakis’s politics were pretty similar to Jack Kennedy, another Northeastern Massachusetts Liberal Democrat.

Mike Dukakis was even likable, reserve and cool sure which hurt him with connecting with voters in the general election. But he was up 17 points over George Bush when the Democratic Convention was over. So the Bush Campaign made a similar calculation that they did when they were trailing Bob Dole back in January and February 1988. That they aren’t going to beat Dukakis by showing America how great a guy George Bush was. That the way to beat Dukakis was to make him look like a bad guy, as someone who was Un-American, unpatriotic, soft on crime, etc. Someone who was a Far-Left Democrat that’s unacceptable to be President of the United States.

That’s why we saw the controversial Willy Horton ad, and the commercial of Mike Dukakis in a tank. All thanks to Lee Atwater George Bush’s chief political strategist. And with the Dukakis Campaign playing dead on these ads thinking that Americans won’t believe them and take them seriously. This is where we heard the term an attack that’s not responded to, must be the truth. And these ads killed Mike Dukakis’s chances of winning that campaign. Mike Dukakis brought a twig to a Gun Fight and got his head handed to him.

Mike Dukakis represents to me how not to run a presidential campaign. That its good to share your personal story and your family history and how you worked your way up in America. And what you want to do as President, but that you also have to understand that presidential elections are also wars. That if you don’t fight back it’s just as good as surrendering and you’ll get beat. And this is a lesson the Bill Clinton learned in 1992, with his War Room with Jim Carville and others. And while they were so able to respond to any attacks that were thrown at them in 1992. 

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Firing Line With William F. Buckley: Christopher Hitchens & Emmett Tyrell- 'Is There a Liberal Crack-Up? (1984)'

Source:Firing Line With William F. Buckley- self-described Socialist writer Christopher Hitchens, when he wrote for the socialist magazine The Nation, on Firing Line With William F. Buckley, in 1984.

"Episode S0629, Recorded on December 11, 1984. Guests: R. (Robert Emmett) Emmett Tyrrell Jr., Christopher Hitchens. For more information about this program, see:Hoover Institution" 

From Firing Line With William F. Buckley 

"The 1984 election suggested, as WFB puts it, "the collapse of liberalism as we

have known it during the past half century," and he asks his two guests, one on the right, the other on the far left, where liberalism is likely to go from here. Messrs. Hitchens and Tyrrell actually talk more about the past than about the future, and it is illuminating (when they don't indulge in billingsgate) to get such different takes on the same set of events. CH: "I believe that the American Left, in starting the civil-rights movement for black Americans, in combating an unjust war in Indochina, and in beginning the emancipation of women ... changed the way everyone thinks and the way everyone lives ... the whole world is in debt to the American Left for these three enterprises." RET: "In the Sixties and Seventies the liberals achieved most of the things they set out to achieve, particularly welfare and civil rights, and then were overtaken by a lust for power. They refused to notice that they had indeed achieved these things ... 

From the Hoover Institution

By the time the late 1970s came around, it was rough time to be a Democrat. The Democratic Party was becoming divided and running out of ideas in where to take the country. So-called Progressives (Democratic Socialists, in actuality) wanted to pass the next installment of the Great Society, what's called the Fair Deal: single payer health care, universal higher education, return to the high tax rates of the 1950s, etc. 

The New Democrats (the real Progressives) wanted to freeze new social insurance spending and balanced the Federal budget. And Conservative Democrats were becoming Conservative Republicans. 

Progressivism was the ruling political ideology in the Democratic Party and in the United States from 1933-81. There was a feeling that the Federal Government wasn't big enough. Conservatives make a big comeback in the late 1970s just as the Far-Left of the Democratic Party wanted to take over the party and move it way to the left and the Democratic Party becomes divided as a result, with the Progressives wanting to govern the party and country from the Center-left. 

There was a tax revolt in California and in other places in the country led by Howard Jarvis and his group, Kemp-Roth is proposed in Congress (Senator William Roth and Representative Jack Kemp) 1978-79. Which became the Economic Recovery Act in 1981 signed by President Reagan. And after having their clocks handed to them (to put it mildly) in 1980, the Democratic Party wasn't sure where to go. And I believe they basically settled for Walter Mondale in 1984, who was President Carter's Vice President. 

See Progress: 'The Progressive Values of the U.S. Constitution'

Source:Center For American Progress- talking about the U.S. Constitution.

"A panel explores the progressive values of the Constitution at the Center for American Progress's annual "American Idea Conference" in Washington, D.C.

Featuring:

Richard Beeman, Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania

Jeff Shesol, Author, "Supreme Power: Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court"

Neera Tanden, President, Center for American Progress

Akhil Amar, Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University" 

From See Progress

To me the U.S. Constitution is an individualist document designed to protect, promote, and advance individual liberty and limited government. Limited government being the key factor, the belief that if government becomes very big, it gets big at the expense of individual liberty, because it makes the people more dependent on government. Thats one of the beauty's of living in a liberal democracy especially if you are a Liberal. 

But I would argue for anyone who's not a Socialist, that individual liberty is protected to the point that we have constitutional rights protecting our individual liberty. Not a government designed to take care of the people, that we have the liberty to make our own lives better. 

There is a Welfare Clause in the U.S. Constitution, but that doesn't mean that government funded by taxpayers, but that doesn't mean that government is supposed to protect the country. But more about protecting the country from things that individuals can't do for themselves. Like being attacked by armed criminals, being attacked by a foreign country, being held hostage, people out of work not able to fend for themselves. Or are disabled and can't work enough to take care of themselves or can't work at all.  

If your definition of Progressive is Progressive in the classical (or I would argue real) sense that you are someone who believes in progress and that government is supposed to promote progress and work to make things better for people and for society, then you could argue that the U.S. Constitution is progressive, because it allows for government to try to make things better for the society. 

But if your definition of Progressive is more a pop culture political sense and that Progressives are supposed to be anti-establishment, anti-man (especially straight, Caucasian men) that Progressives are supposed to be radical, hippie, Socialists and are supposed to hate everything that America stands for and it's the job of Progressives who take down the current government and replace it with something that's supposed to be more Progressive, which are the basically the current stereotypes of what's supposed to pass as a so-called Progressive today, then of course the U.S. Constitution is not Progressive. 

Our Founding Fathers (our Founding Liberals) didn't break away from one authoritarian state (the United Kingdom) to create a socialist state in the United States. But wanted to create a society in America where Americans were free to be Americans, which is free to be ourselves and have the freedom to live our own lives and make our own decisions. With a limited government there to protect our freedoms, but not run our lives for us.