Tag Archives: Barack Obama

NRA Liars and Congressional Cowards

  By Walter Brasch | April 18, 2013 - 8:07 am | , , , , ,
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    by Walter Brasch   President Obama cast off his “No Drama Obama” garb, and became the fiery leader of hope and change that Americans first elected in 2008. At a speech in Hartford, Conn., the President, frustrated by Republican obstructionism, demanded of his audience, “If you believe that the families of Newtown and Aurora and Tucson and Virginia Tech and the thousands of Americans who have been gunned down in the last four months deserve a vote, we all have to stand up.” He demand, “If you want the people you send to Washington to have just an iota of the courage that the educators at Sandy Hook showed when danger arrived on their doorstep, then we’re all … Continue reading →

The Paul Ryan Magical Mystery Chop, Dice, and Slice Budget

  By Walter Brasch | March 22, 2013 - 6:34 am | , , , , , ,
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  By Walter Brasch   In 2011, before he was the Republican nominee for vice-president, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) proposed a federal budget. He called it, “The Path to Prosperity: Restoring America’s Promise.” Two years later, now in his second year as chair of the House budget committee, he dusted off and polished his old proposal. He calls this one: “The Path to Prosperity: A Responsible Balanced Budget.” His plan is to cut the federal deficit by $4.6 trillion in four years, reducing the deficit to about $12.1 trillion. While the Republicans blame President Obama and the Democrats for wild tax-and-spend policies that led to the huge deficit, they conveniently overlook the reality that Bill Clinton left George W. Bush … Continue reading →

Holding the American People Hostage

  By Walter Brasch | March 15, 2013 - 8:27 am | , , ,
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by Walter Brasch   Judges who wish to assure that a jury has no outside influence will sequester them. Legally, a sequestered jury is seized by authority and isolated from all outside influences. The jurors are escorted into and out of the courtroom. They aren’t allowed to read newspapers, listen to radio news, or watch TV news, ’lest they could be influenced by the media. They are escorted to and from meals, and isolated from other customers. They can’t discuss the case with family or friends. They can’t even go home at the end of the day; they’re housed in hotel rooms. In the summer of 2011, a bipartisan “super-committee” was supposed to come up with a reasonable budget to … Continue reading →

The No News News Media

  By Walter Brasch | January 27, 2013 - 9:53 am | , , , , , , , , ,
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There was a lot of news this past week. Some of it was even reported by the news media. First, there was a football player from Notre Dame who either did or didn’t know that his girlfriend was or wasn’t real, but died sometime during the season. Six column headlines for several days announced the fraud. Network news and talk show hosts rehashed it almost daily. Two weeks ago, Lance Armstrong admitted he was a dope. Or maybe he just took dope. The news media kept sending urgent flashes all week of what he was going to tell Oprah. And then he told Oprah, and now we’ll be reading stories about it until Schwinn adds a jet engine to a … Continue reading →

The Problem with the Bahmas

  By Walter Brasch | January 23, 2013 - 9:40 am | , , , , , ,
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His face flushed, his cheeks puffing half-syllables of super-heated air, Sen. Porkbelly Fishbottom was about to swallow an aneurysm. I threw water on his face, trying to cool him. It just sputtered and sizzled. I tried quietly talking to him, trying to calm him down. He wasn’t listening. After five minutes, I was about to call 911 to report a stroke victim, when he said his first two-syllable word. “Bahma!” “Bama?” I asked. “Something wrong in Alabama? Is the school cancelling its professional football team?” “Bahma!” he said, spitting out both syllables. His fire-red cheeks drained into his neck, leaving a pasty-white face. He was returning to normal, and there would be no need to call out a $2,500 lifeflight … Continue reading →

Obama ‘Man of The Year,’ But GOP’s Time May Be Past

  By Scott Nance | December 19, 2012 - 4:40 pm |
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Poised on the eve of a second term in the White House and now Time magazine’s 2012 “Person of The Year,” Barack Obama appears to be on the top of his game. The same can’t be said for the Republican Party. Even as the GOP attempts to go toe-to-toe with the re-elected president as the sides deal to avoid the coming so-called “fiscal cliff,” the Republican brand appears to be sinking into the toilet. The party, which just two years ago appeared ascendant with tea party fervor, now is mired with just a 31 percent favorable number, with not favorable up to 60 percent, according to a new CBS poll. Meanwhile, the CBS poll has even more bad news for … Continue reading →

Truckin’ to Treason: The Hot Air of Secession

  By Walter Brasch | November 24, 2012 - 11:17 am | , , , ,
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  by WALTER BRASCH   A white Ford F-250 pick-up rumbled through town, a Confederate rebel flag on a pole behind the cab; on the rear bumper were a pro-life and three Anti-Obama stickers, two of which could not be revealed in a family newspaper. It wasn’t a lone wolf protest; several cars, trucks, and homes in the area sport similar flags and messages. During the summer, when a 4-wheel Jamboree and a Monster Truck rally are held at the local fairgrounds, attracting thousands from a multi-state area, many trucks fly rebel flags, insignia, and political statements. During the annual eight-day fair at the end of September, vendors sell all kinds of items with the Confederate battle flag, most of … Continue reading →

Obama and Democrats Prevail

  By Pamela Leavey | November 7, 2012 - 6:39 pm | , , , , , , ,
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Last night was a big night for the Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. Make no mistake about it, it was a win with a mandate. As Greg Sargent noted on the WaPo late last night: Instead, Obamacare survived. Obama has been reelected with a resounding victory in the electoral college (the popular vote is outstanding). Democrats have routed Republicans in the Senate races. A progressive champion has been sent to the Upper Chamber in the person of Elizabeth Warren. The first openly gay Senator — Tammy Baldwin, another solid liberal — joins her. The Dem majority will be more progressive and energetic. In Maryland, gay marriage has been ratified by popular vote for the first time. This election was … Continue reading →