Monday, November 06, 2006


Your Five-Minute Task for Nov. 6th- Take Back The Capitol!

There's not too much more that can happen in the next 24 huors or so.... or so you think.

A few last minute reminders for tomorrow:

* PLAN YOUR DAY - schedule TODAY when you're going to vote tomorrow. Don't assume you'll have time.... plan to vote before work, during a lunch break, after work - anytime. BUt make sure you plan time to DO IT. This election is far too important - a phrase that has been well-overused, but I can't think of a more important mid-term election in our lifetime.

* TAKE A FRIEND - a colleague, family member, co-worker, or anyone else - take them with you to vote. Consider it your own "Get Out The Vote" effort.

* BE AWARE OF PROBLEMS - If you think there might have been a problem with your vote or at your polling place, call 1-888-DEMVOTE to report the incident immediately.

For those who don't believe that the Democrats have a plan of action, remind them of the following plan that is redily accessible from any number of sources online:

Democrats have set the following priorities:

* Increase attention given to emerging terrorist threats in Africa and Southeast Asia and devote more resources to North Korea and Iran;

* Boost security for rail and mass transit systems;

* Allow the Medicare program to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower prices. Pass a vetoed embryonic stem cell research bill again. Require insurance companies to provide benefits for treating mental illnesses;

* Increase education-based tax breaks. Close the so-called $345 billion tax gap, the estimated amount that people and companies owe but avoid paying each year;

* More incentives for biodiesel, ethanol and other alternative fuels as well as wind, solar, geothermal and other sources.

And that's just a beginning. In short, when asked what the "Democratic Plan" is, you can let people know that Democrats stand for HONEST GOVERNMENT, REAL SECURITY, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, RETIREMENT SECURITY, PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, CIVIL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE, and ELECTION REFORM.

When people throw out to you that the Democratic plan is simply a "tax and spend" plan, remind them of two things. First, you can quote from this report from the Cato Institute:
President Bush has presided over the largest overall increase in inflation-adjusted federal spending since Lyndon B. Johnson. Even after excluding spending on defense and homeland security, Bush is still the biggest-spending president in 30 years. His 2006 budget doesn’t cut enough spending to change his place in history, either.

Total government spending grew by 33 percent during Bush’s first term. The federal budget as a share of the economy grew from 18.5 percent of GDP on Clinton’s last day in office to 20.3 percent by the end of Bush’s first term.

The Republican Congress has enthusiastically assisted the budget bloat. Inflation-adjusted spending on the combined budgets of the 101 largest programs they vowed to eliminate in 1995 has grown by 27 percent.
Second, Democrats will not RAISE taxes. They may adjust or repeal tax cuts for the richest Americans, but this is vastly more responsible than creating federally-funded programs, spending like no other President, and then not taking fiscal responsibility for those actions.

Finally, simply keep in mind what has transpired over the last years of Republican-led government if you still don't believe that your vote is important tomorrow. Or instead, let's borrow this copy of Top Ten Reasons To Vote Republican:


1. Vote Republican If You Think It's A Good Idea To Put Detailed Atom Bomb Plans On The Internet For Anyone To See


2. Vote Republican If You Want To Stay The Course In Iraq


3. Vote Republican If You Think The President Should Get Advice On Gay-Bashing From A Pastor Who Secretly Bangs Male Prostitutes


4. Vote Republican If You Think The Best Way To Deal With A Child Predator Is To Cover Your Own Ass


5. Vote Republican If You Hate The Military


6. Vote Republican If You Like People Who'll Say Literally Anything To Get Elected


7. Vote Republican If You Think The Best Way To Answer A Tough Question Is To Have Your Questioner Beaten Up


8. Vote Republican If You Think That Laws Are For Other People


9. Vote Republican If You Think It's Cool For Congressmen To Pay Their Mistresses To Keep Quiet Until After Election Day


10. Vote Republican If You Still Think That This Crew In Congress Isn't The Most Corrupt, Hypocritical, Useless Bunch Of Asshats You've Ever Seen In Your Life

Take action tomorrow. Vote. Your single vote DOES count. Don't let Republicans and others try to convince you otherwise. A majority is made up of individuals - single entities who unite to have their voice heard. Make sure your is heard. Don't count on someone else to do it for you.

Posted by FleshPresser at 4:13 PM /

9 Comments

  • Anonymous Anonymous posted at 3:33 AM  
    Thanks for this. I've passed it on.

  • Blogger The Professor posted at 8:23 AM  
    Interesting... (well, not really... and I assume that this won't be posted until after the election, but here's my take: Dems get 15 seats in house, and Senate is 49 Dems, 51 Rep--Dewine gets Ohio, Pro-Life Casey wins in PA)

    Let's tackle the legitimate stuff first... You write:

    "President Bush has presided over the largest overall increase in inflation-adjusted federal spending since Lyndon B. Johnson. Even after excluding spending on defense and homeland security, Bush is still the biggest-spending president in 30 years. His 2006 budget doesn’t cut enough spending to change his place in history, either."

    And yet the Democrats "Plan" has identified the need for more spending? Hmmm... According to your Dem bullets, they want to:

    * devote more resources
    * Boost Security (assume THAT isn't free)
    * Pass Stem Cell Research Bill (assuming that you aren't cutting OTHER research--this is more spending)
    * More incentives for alternative fuels (Non-monetary incentives?

    On Taxes you write ""They may adjust or repeal tax cuts for the richest Americans, but this is vastly more responsible than creating federally-funded programs, spending like no other President, and then not taking fiscal responsibility for those actions."

    Somehow you can't seem to grasp that changes to the tax bill is a "raising" or a "lowering" of your taxes. Last time I checked, the "richest Americans" were the ones paying the largest share of the tax bill, and in fact the "poorest Americans" were paying none of it

    And one final thing: My daughter, a (God bless her, Republican) went to vote in Ohio, and had to fill out a provisional ballot. Even though her voter registration card had the CORRECT address, since her Driver's License didn't agree with it (the license bureau doesn't issue changes to the address--they just "record" it) they told her she couldn't vote.

    (Of course, she could only vote for candidates, the provisional ballot doesn't include the ballot initiatives on it.)

    Will the Democrats fight for HER vote to be counted?

    The Professor

    (Oh, and while I understand it is all about winning, don't you think your 10 points about Republicans is a bit... skewed? Does this mean you will "say anything to get elected" no matter how inflammatory and biased?)

  • Blogger GollyGumDrops posted at 3:19 PM  
    On the planning front, take a moment to think about anyone in your neighbourhood who could use some help to vote - a ride to the polling station, or a sitter for the children. Everyone should have the chance to vote.

  • Blogger FleshPresser posted at 4:30 PM  
    Sorry you found the list skewed and inflammatory. I'd be... well... I'd be amused more than anything else... to listen to you try to defend or refute any of the issues on that list? Go ahead... defend Foley, Haggard, Rumsfeld, DeLay, Abramoff, Taft, Frist, Burns, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, Gibbons... need I go on?

    Have fun at the Santorum/Swann "victory" party tonight.... giggle giggle!!

  • Blogger The Professor posted at 6:39 PM  
    Fleshy wrote:

    " Sorry you found the list skewed and inflammatory. I'd be... well... I'd be amused more than anything else... to listen to you try to defend or refute any of the issues on that list? Go ahead... defend Foley, Haggard, Rumsfeld, DeLay, Abramoff, Taft, Frist, Burns, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, Gibbons... need I go on?"

    Actually, I wouldn't need to refute most of them. Just publish a list of names on the Dem side that are just as guilty. It's interesting. Apparently Democrats are able to either imagine themselves pristine, or else excuse their own failing because they never claimed to be anything otherwise.

    But honestly, if you think a vote for a Republican is a vote of "hate (of) the military" then I would ask how many years of service you put in... And why you would think that John Kerry is somehow now to be seen as a Republican.

    But if you wish... here we go:

    1. ACLU--rarely seen as a conservative organization, has been opposed to any and all censorship over the years. As you may recall, stories about whether these sorts of things should be publicly available have been around for many many years (read, at least 30) and typically it's the ACLU that defends a person's right to speak, even in publishing these sorts of things (There was a funny episode from Barney Miller in the 70s with this very issue.)

    2. "Stay the course" Hmmm... and the alternative is? I believe I DO support Bush's view that we can't just pull out and leave Iraq to implode. And I believe we need a to get out when the goals are met, and not when a date/time is met.

    3. So, you think the President KNEW the pastor was doing this at the time? Now THAT would be quite a story! Are you suggesting that conservatives need to actually conduct an in-depth check into the sex lives of all their advisors? Hmmmm... Is that what the Democrats do?

    4. Cover our ass with a Child Predator? (are you sure this doesn't fit more with item 3?) Hmmm... last time I checked, FOLEY was gone, and Studds stayed in for another 13 years. Remember, Studds actually had SEX with a minor, and was left in office, while Foley only exchanged emails and IMs. (THE POINT: Dems are just as guilty...)

    5. Hate the military? Give me a f'ing break. Talk to a military member or 500 before going to THIS one...

    6. "Say literally anything"--like this list? Again, lying isn't uniquely Republican. And distorting the facts with witty (or not so witty) sound bites seems to be your favorite style...

    7. Beat up a questioner? For example, arresting a protester who voices an opposing view to the President at a rally? Oh wait--that was Clinton's Secret Service that did that...

    8. "Laws are for Other people" hmmm... Isn't that the logic that got that senator from NJ elected when Torricelli had to withdraw? I commented on this on my blog back in 2004--pointing out that the Dems actually argued that some things are TOO IMPORTANT for rules... (http://sctoday.net/ProfessorNotes/wordpress/archives/15) I wrote: "If you remember the US elections in 2002, the Democratic Candidate for the US Senate seat for New Jersey withdrew from the race inside the window allowed by law to find a replacement candidate. Simple enough. In fact, one would think more simple a decision than sporting rules–just abide by the law. But that was too obvious a solution. Somewhere in our convoluted world, we decided that the “law” was too constricting. The Democrats went to court, not to challenge an illegal action by their opponent, but rather to seek justification for their desire to break the law."

    In fact, this particular point of yours seems to be one that is more readly "owned" by the Dems than the Republicans, but if you would prefer, I would call this one a draw...

    9. Pay their mistresses to be quiet? Hmmm... is this a Kennedy reference? Gary Hart? (Remember the good ship "Monkey Business?") Again--not uniquely Republican, but if you insist...

    10. And since in this one, you actually ended it with "in your life" perhaps I should appeal to age... and remind you all of Jim Wright... Tip O'Neill, Ted Kennedy... John Glenn and the Keating 5... I think the Dems in the 70s and 80s are quite corrupt... and hypocrital... (and given the large number of viable Democrats running on largely Conservative platforms, like Ford Jr... one has to wonder if there is a new style of Hypocrisy on the horizon!)

    I did find it interesting that your list of names supporting your points are mostly gone or outgoing Republicans. They misbehave--they are gone. My list of examples includes people that are left to remain in office, despite transgression after transgression.

    Perhaps I can sum this up best by saying When Republicans are bad, they are gone... when Democrats are bad, they are re-elected. Perhaps it's just because we expected more from Republicans, and never deluded ourselves about the ethics or morality of the Democrats.

  • Blogger Bedazzzled1 posted at 7:10 PM  
    I proudly voted Republican today. The Professor has some very interesting and accurate points he made, by the way.

    I do not foresee the Dems being able to find solutions to much of anything should they take control, because they have no answers to problems. Only complaints.

    At any rate, I did my part as a U.S. citizen and voted.

  • Blogger The Professor posted at 9:58 PM  
    Given that you wrote:

    "Vote Republican If You Think The Best Way To Answer A Tough Question Is To Have Your Questioner Beaten Up"

    Try this story on for size:

    " PoliticsPA sources say CBS-3 has film footage of Benjamin Eisner, husband of PA-6 candidate Lois Murphy, assaulting a Jim Gerlach volunteer outside of their home polling location in Lower Merion this morning. CBS-3 has not decided whether to air the footage. Eisner was upset a Gerlach for Congress sign was in a camera shot with his wife prior to voting, and grabbed the volunteer."

    So this isn't about a "tough question" it's about a sign?

  • Blogger FleshPresser posted at 12:24 AM  
    Prof.... you'll forgive me if I don't take all your "hey...look at all this crap that happened in the past" bait tonight.... I'm too busy celebrating results.... I'll get back to you once you stop crying.

  • Blogger The Professor posted at 8:08 AM  
    Crying? Sorry to disappoint. Considering that I have been engaged in local politics since 1976, and had as my first academic interest political science, I find all this fascinating, regardless of results.

    And I know that, over time, all this will shift again.

    Enjoy...

    • Post a Comment

    « Home