I spend a lot of time bashing Republicans but I was deeply troubled by the public reaction to the comments made by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS). I liked Ms. Jenkins and paid attention to her politically from 2007 on and I was initially surprised to hear what she said. Not for the terms of content but all politicians with her intelligence and survival instincts know to never touch the topic of race. And she did.

"Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope." "I suggest to any of you who are concerned about that, who are Republican, there are some great young Republican minds in Washington." She went on and listed Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, and Paul Ryan. Ok, not the smartest thing to say but I'm so sick and tired of people automatically assuming that if a white person misspeaks on race for a moment they are a racist. Ms. Jenkins is not a racist. But I'm afraid that she made not be able to hold onto her seat and even sadder about the fact that she may be harmed for future higher office be it Governor or Senator because of one mistake. And that is a shame for the people of Kansas.

Being white, young and male certain things get said when you are around all white males. I have heard racism first hand and am disgusted by it and Ms. Jenkins’ comments do not qualify. I also have been clear to call out both sides for saying very racist things from Rush Limbaugh to Stephanie Miller. Mr. Limbaugh is a racist; Ms. Miller made some very stupid comments about our former Atty. General.

But is it wrong to say that the Republican Party is white? It is! I wish we had more diversity. I wish that people from solid conservative districts would elect an African American now and then. I know we can do better than Michael Stelle. But the Republican Party is white. And what was perhaps a bad joke from Ms. Jenkins was also right; she just spoke about the elephant in the room. She was also right about the party’s stars, Cantor and Ryan are brilliant and it's time to remove Boehner as House Minority Leader.

Let’s judge someone on their record and give people some needed leeway. This world is too full of people (and I realize I’m saying this on a blog) who make snap judgments and write people off in two seconds flat. Let’s be smart for a change.

Dear Michael Barone,

Thanks for the letter, it meant a lot. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Young-voters-should-take-another-look-at-Obama--53253317.html

Ok so yeah, we young people did vote for President Obama and we are so happy we did. We knew he wouldn't be able to change everything and that Washington D.C. seems to be in constant slow motion like a bad action film. But we had a choice, Obama-Biden, McCain-Palin. Really can you blame us? Can you imagine if McCain were not able to complete his first term and we had President Palin! You have to admit you owe us one.

Now you wanted to know how we felt about card-check, cap and trade, and the Obama administration's reaction of the Iranian elections. Well as you know both card-check and cap and trade haven't been signed yet by Obama and will be watered down even further, if and that's a big if, they ever get to his desk. But yeah we are generally pro-union (just because the alternative is horrible) and anti-carbon (did you even see "The Day After Tomorrow"?). As for the Iranian election, you should probably study your history a little better as you know we removed a Democratic leader in Iran and put in a pro-American monarchy. They were overthrown in 1979, and they've had a semi-democracy ever since. So when American leaders talk about democracy over there, first it hurts the protesters and gets them tarred as an American loyalist which in Iran is not a good thing, and second do we really have room to talk? Of course we're with the protesters, but having Obama proclaim some empty rhetoric only to see it used against the protesters and have criminal charges even death brought about to them might seem ok to someone as naive as you.

There is so much left to say, like how happy we are to see Sotomayor join the Supremes, and how this administration is fighting to protect a woman's right to choice and protecting gay rights as well. If anything, Obama's a little too conservative. But we are happy with our choice and hope that maybe you'll grow up a little and see the political reality for what it is. Come on, join us, I have an Obama 2012 sticker all ready for you!

Cheers,

Christopher A. Wensley

                                                        

I have been pointing out for the last month about the legal reality on the abortion issue, from the fact that Roe will almost certainly never be reversed and that if it was (and that is a big if) that abortion would still be legal in America. I also pointed out the fact that all 9 Supreme Court Justices believe that abortion is protected under the US Constitution. But another side deserves to be looked at, that being what would happen if Roe was reversed and the pro-life political community got its way?

We will look at the one of the biggest problems caused by a Roe reversal, the rape/incest exception. If Roe was reversed, and even in the most culturally conservative state, an exception must be made for the health of the mother and more importantly rape/incest. Even the most fervently anti-choice politicians almost always make this exception and the pro-life community tends to agree that this exceptions most be made. So if Roe were reversed either the courts or most likely the politicians would put in a rape exception. The rape exception however would cause chaos to our criminal justice system. All one would have to do in order to qualify for an abortion, is to say that you did not consent to the sexual intercourse that lead to the pregnancy. You can see how this exception would be abused and how telling real victims and those who are making it up would make handling rape cases a minefield. Also, unfortunately but true many women/girls might make up stories about "fake rape" hurting real victims cases. In cases in which the supposed victim is lying they tend to go for stereotypes, in which they blame young faceless African American men.

This could very well lead to false arrests and convictions, hurting innocent people and doing nothing to curtail the number of abortions in this country. This option would also liked be used by the most poor as getting an abortion, if Roe were reversed would not affect the successful to upper middle class, the wealthy, and everyone in socially liberal states like the west coast and the northeast, along with a few others. The rape exception is one of the biggest reasons why reversing Roe is a bad idea. This is not an argument for abortion but rather for making sure the consequences are known of what will happen if the impossible ever became reality.

The pro-life community would be wise to quit challenging Roe, one because it's a lost battle and two because if they were ever to win, would bring chaos to our criminal justice system while doing nothing to curtail the number of abortions in this country. The battle for life must be made at the personal level by talking to women/girls about their options and making sure they are aware of the reality of abortion but it should not be done by politicians. In time to take this most important issue at a personal level as those of us who are pro-choice have argued and stop the tired fight for legal restrictions that would turn into nightmares for us all.

                       

If one thing unites Republicans it was our tone after 9/11. I really don't like 9/11 being used or shown unless on the actually day. Every year on the day, I put in my tape CNN: 9/11. And I realize again and again the horror I felt. I was 14 at the time and I was so scared, afraid that there would be more attacks. And while I had been a Republican before, President Bush in his tone and manner managed to make me feel safe again with his words "Never Again". Well it has happened again, just this last Sunday when I was in my church in Plymouth, Michigan an unarmed man was murdered in front of his wife at his church in Wichita, Kansas. On holy ground, he died and with him the rights given to us under the Constitution were threatened as well.

   Dr. George Tiller, a man who gave so much for his country, finally gave his life for it. Many anti-choice people like to demonize those who perform abortions as monsters on a Cannibalistic level, when in fact they are exactly like you and me. Nobody...nobody likes abortion. There is not one single child growing up in the third grade right now saying "God, I want to perform abortions when I grow up." If all doctors did what they truly wanted to do, everyone would be a vet delivering Golden Retriever puppies. Under the Constitution, women have the right to an abortion as defined by not just Stevens, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Stouer and most like Sotomayor but also by the far left likes of Thomas, Roberts, Alito and Scalia. All of them reject the entire anti-abortion argument that the right of a fetus to live is protected under the Constitution. They disagree only on whether it is a federal or state right to have an abortion. But they consider it a constitutionally protected right all the same.

   But of course, most of those who are in the "Pro-Life" movement do not know that. They are not told that by Right to Life or any other anti-abortion group including the most radical. All you have to do they say is vote Republican and eventually abortion will go away. It is the greatest act of political fraud over the last thirty years. Acts like the death of Dr. Tiller are a result of the lack of clarity (there are other factors as well that will be discussed further in other posts) that fosters acts of terrorism like the one that killed Dr. Tiller.

   Make no mistake; an act of terrorism was committed here. As terrorism is defined as "an act or threat of violence against someone, especially for political purposes" (Dictionary.com) as I define it an act of terror is "an act or threat of violence to try and disturb, disrupt and threaten the freedoms assured under the U.S. Constitution". That is terrorism to me. It was done to us on 9/11 and it was done to us on 5/31. Now it will be harder for women across this country to fulfill their Constitutional protected right to an abortion, not because law has changed but because a man is dead, doctors are frightened and if you leave in the wrong zip code, sorry, you don't have the same right as someone in Manhattan. It's disgusting. Abortion is something I truly hate only on par with the lack of equality in our country. As it is for one, it should be for all. I say that in terms of freedoms only, not in some Marxist way. Those who commit acts of Jihad like the terrorism against Dr. Tiller, commit an attack on all of us. Make no mistake, terrorism lived to see another day, and its evil is exactly like that on 9/11.

In Kentucky, there is a brawl a brewing and it's between the state's two Republican Senators, Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning. A lot of it stems with Bunning, who is considered slightly unhinged and is angry over the fact that McConnell has not been as supportive to Bunning's 2010 re-election race instead trying to recruit other GOP candidates to beat him in the 2010 GOP Primary. In McConnell's defense, it's because Bunning barely won a squeaker in 2004 when Bush won the state in a landslide. In other words it's not a Republican thing it's a Bunning issue.

Still loyalty is a trait foreign to Washington but what's so much fun about this story now is the fact that Bunning is trying now out in the open to get McConnell removed as majority leader. It's a move I would favor; McConnell's has been a failure as minority leader and no where near as good as Former Senator Bill Frist. John Ensign of Nevada would be the best of a whole lot of rotten apples. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and could be the "newer" face of the Republican Party. Sorry we don't have any new ones.

As the old saying goes "Even a broken clock tells the time for two minutes a day" such is the case with Jim Bunning. He said "Mitch McConnell has not shown leadership. In 2004 we had 55 Senate seats today we have 40, having lost 15 Senate seats under McConnell’s leadership. In 2010 we're most likely to lose 4 (that's true) and be down to 36. That's not any kind of leadership I want". I'm paraphrasing here but that is what he said. I'm going to say it again; the Republican Party leadership does not exist to make sure the party is pure conservative. It exists to get its members elected until the get the majority of seats. Being down to 40 and most likely down to 36 (that will be the bottom) is not leadership. The strategy being used by the Republican Party leadership is to wait and pounce on failure. That's terrible. We should be trying to come about with solutions that work to the problems Americans are faced with. Not only that but many in the GOP leadership only given conservative ideas lip service but continue to support the high spending in Washington. No one in GOP leadership has talked, proposed, or even thrown the idea out there of how to cut entitlement spending. Bunning is right on this one; McConnell needs to step down as minority leader giving the spot to Senator John Ensign.

                                 

Republicans may be many things, but being up to date on the lingo of today's under 40 crowd is not one of them. So while FOX News and certain Republican 527s, have made a "grass roots" movement taking place today called "teabagging", I will be mailing my 1040EZ and getting $750 back. It's good to be an American. This whole tea party idea is beyond stupid, but I am on the record in 10th grade Advanced US History as being against the original Boston Tea Party as well. (On of my shining moments was getting my entire class to agree that the British were right in the situation and the events that followed...this is what you get coming from a family with a long line of Tories). 

Taxes are a good thing. Yes a good thing, Reagan was not against taxes but he was against too many of them and also sometimes what they were used for. There is a legitimate debate on how much we should tax and what we should spend it on. My own voting record is generally against taxes, unless it's for my state's nature preserves, zoos, museums and libraries which account for very little overall revenue. I've voted against park spending that wasn't localized and more new school construction as opposed to just repairs as well as other things.

Our taxes do a great thing, like provide for our military, our children's education, our roads, our libraries, our museums, our parks, food, health care and shelter for the poor, sick, disabled and elderly. We are a great country and we spend our taxes on great things that each and every one of us owns, as an American citizen. Does that mean we should give up our whole paychecks for taxes or not accept a certain refund coming in the mail? No, the private sector is an essential part of America and as such plays a much more dominant part in the average American's life.

This whole Tea Party idea is wrong, mostly because it's misses the historical point of the original Boston Tea Party, which was taxation without representation. Today we are taxed with representation, ergo these events are foolish. The taxes being screamed about by the Tea Parties are those under George W. Bush. And if he were the one getting yelled at by conservatives, I would be right there. The time for grass roots efforts is at the ballot box or on certain legislation not on April 15th, which I consider one of the most patriotic days in our country.

Before I end, please end the whole "tea bagging" verb. In case you don't know to 99% our today's under 35 crowd (I'm 21), does not consider tea bagging to actually involve tea bags, in involves something much more graphic than I can write here. Conservatives do not use it as a verb again or you are as clueless as the average FOX News host, and I believe you are better than that.

                                        

We'll soon hear the Supreme Court's decision about Proposal 8, the amendment that passed last November restricting basic human rights from our fellow citizens. It was sad to see a state considered to be so progressive, turn out to have so many bigoted people often low income, less educated minorities. It's been common practice, that once one group gets accepted by the mainstream of society, it turns against another fellow minority group.

As someone who is so close to so many members of the gay community, it pains me to see the hatred and vitriol thrown at them. The only thing that keeps me sane when hearing and seeing such bigotry is knowing that one day, sooner rather than later, we will look back at this moment in time as the embarrassing contretemps it is. Replace the word gay when discussing any civil rights issue with African American, Latino, Japanese or Chinese and we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

I had a debate with my political science professor a few years ago in which we argued over the role of the judiciary over direct democracy as what happened in California. I argued for direct democracy, she for the judiciary. But in hindsight, I agree with her, that the protection of minority groups can not be left up to the electorate. We may say that America is the beacon of light and equality for all but in reality hatred is still all too common particularly in certain areas. David Duke would have been the governor of Louisiana in the 90s if only white people had been allowed to vote. Over in certain southern states, white supremacists candidates still get hundreds or a few thousand votes. You can go to certain places in Alabama or Mississippi and still hear words that make any sane person cringe, even up here in metro-Detroit, Michigan, I still hear and see many things that tell me the bigotry is a perennial evil that must be fought at all costs.

I'm hopeful, although not confident, that the California Supreme Court will overturn Prop. 8 for the evil and unconstitutional force it is. But if not it will go down as the Dred Scott case before it and that makes me feel just a little bit better.

        

Over the last month, I've been writing about the American economy not in terms of how the system screwed up so badly but rather the business culture over the last two decades which we are finally paying for. Outsourcing, moving to states with lower wages and worker's rights, cutting wages/benefits/retirement plans. All of this is contributing to America's race to the bottom so that every one will pay their employees less and less making their product or service more competitive in the market. Technology has also been a huge factor in all of this, with more and more jobs not having to be done by humans at all, it's America's dirty little secret that many jobs being done by Americans today are not necessary. Yet, more companies are firing employees and using technology to enhance the bottom line.

Yet there is a last bit of American business culture that we still must discuss and that is the now adversial position between management/executives and the companies well being. Surly, employee wage cuts eventually hurt the company but it is rather how executives look at the companies that they run that is the biggest problem. From the financial cornerstones of AIG and Merrill Lynch to companies like Home Depot, executives no longer look at how to help their company but rather how to help themselves. Don't mistake this simply as populism paranoia. While many executives particularly if it's a family business want the business to succeed others only stay on for a year or two and during that time are locked into contracts that make the incentive to perform next to nil. In fact such lush contracts like those given to AIG weren't even for performance based pay merit but rather just a retention bonus. Meaning that just staying at the company or being dismissed on the company’s prerogative is enough to earn such a bonus. The people awarding these contracts were the same people receiving them. Yet all of this is not just legal it's the way that business has been performed over the last two decades.

In America, executives use to find a place to work and did so for the next thirty years as depicted in AMC's "Mad Men", yet now in the business climate they only stay on for a few years whether or not they do well at their job. Executives either leave for more money at another business or are removed from their position usually soon finding another. And every time, they do leave under less than favorable circumstances, they often get the amount owed to them on their contract in full. This culture has caused many institutions to fail most particularly in the financial services division. We can change this by requiring that more compensation be locked into company stock and stronger selling regulation on said stocks. Until we do such, this culture will continue to damage the American economy in ways we might not be able to repair.