Roomin' House Blues

This Blog is promoting a pledge that runs 180 degrees the opposite of Grover Norquist's  infamous American Taxpayer Protection Pledge.  The weak are being assaulted in the name of balancing the budget.  A committee is being started on an ad hoc basis until membership and officers can put it on a firmer footing.  Below is the pledge and information about the committee. Public Protection Budget Pledge, State Legislators and Congress People.  I, _______________, pledge to the citizens of the _____ district  In the state of__________, and to the American people that I will:  ONE, oppose any and all efforts to balance budget deficits at the expense of families, the poor, elderly, disabled or vulnerable. TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of programs helping these populations, unless matched dollar for dollar by improved programs.                           ...

The Tea Party may have been over brewed and some may be ready to dump the leaves. See: Last Call for Tea Party? - New America Media

Latino voters lean heavily democratic, except for Cuban Americans. They tend to be socially conservative but Republican economics and immigration policies have kept generally voting democratic and this threatens GOP control of the sun belt because of Latino population increases. Latino's generally vote in smaller numbers than whites, blacks or Asians however. After reading this article, it occurs to me that the Latino voter is like me--socially conservative but otherwise progressive and that candidates that fit that mold and have strong get out the vote campaigns tailored to Latino culture could do very well in the southwest right now. Latino Population Surge Poses Challenge to GOP - WSJ.com

Shouldn't this news have come a few days ago on April Fools Day.  The Washington State Legislature is considering legislation to suspend party primaries.   The State Senate has already approved suspending the primary.  Yes we will still have caucuses, which tends to mobilize the party faithful. But the average vote will lose their voice in the process of selecting who the party's nominee will be.  Smoke filled rooms are cheaper.  What next--cancel elections all together because they cost to much? 

Polls are showing wide swings of voters away from recently elected Republicans who are charing ahead with budget cuts and dismemberment of collective bargaining for public employee unions.   These polls are holding also for many of the recently elected Republican Congress people and in many states where the politics has been less volatile than the Upper Mid-West States. In Wisconsin, polls suggest that if there was a do over of the gubernatorial race in which Scott Walker decisively beat Tom Barret, Barrett would easily win by 52%.  Walker's support in union households has dropped from 40% to 33% and Tom Barrett's union household support has jumped from 54% to 64%.  Barrett's support among Republicans has risen to 10%.  In Michigan the new Governor created what people are calling financial martical law, where he can declare a financial emergency in a local government, take it over, and void union contracts. ...

The Republicans should have known that if you kick a sleeping dog you get a snarling dog and a snarling dog owner.  The attacks on labor, the extremism of budget cuts at a state level and by the House Republicans have stirred friends of  labor, friends of the poor, and the middle class.  

Public Citizen Democracy Update, a newsletter I receive states today that two organizations ( American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS )   founded by Karl Rove raised and spent $120 million in the last election.  There has been controversy over lack of disclosure by big corporate funded campaign organization, and further controversy over the possibility that foreign money may have been covertly donated through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  I believe, personally, that there has been a bigger cover up here than the Nixon hush on Watergate years ago, and when the truth will out, America will shake.   To find out more:  http://democracyisforpeople.org/

Public Citizen reports that in the recent elections , not counting official party committees, 308 groups report spending money on the elections.  And yet only 166 of these groups told us anything about their funding, only 27.1% of campaign expenditures being disclosed out of their $266.4 million spent.  Do you get the feeling the elections were bought?