It sounds like the National Guard can be very helpful in assisting in efforts to clean up BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It makes me wonder why Mississippi's Republican governor refuses to activate more of them.
H/T to StateStreetPosts.com
Some states value education. At least, I have to believe that some states value education more than Mississippi. According to the Clarion-Ledger, hundreds of teachers are retiring across Mississippi, and the dire budget situation means that few will be replaced.
As the article points out, this means larger class sizes and less individual attention for students who need it. What isn't mentioned is the effect of losing so many experienced teachers without money to replace them. Without the experience these teachers provide, who will mentor the newer teachers?
In a state like Mississippi where our educational system trails behind that of most other states, this is unwelcome news. If we are to have a sustainable future and attract jobs to our state, we must find a way to fund public education.
Subscribe to Red State Progressive
I remember being frustrated when former President Bush refused offers of international aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It is good to see President Obama not making the same mistake. The U.S. will accept multiple offers of help with BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf.
Meanwhile, the Republican governors of Mississippi and Louisiana continue to side with BP in an effort to score political points. Both Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) and Gov. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (R-LA) seem determined to present themselves as local heroes fighting the evil federal government and protecting BP. Subscribe to Red State Progressive
It sounds like the Research 2000 polling firm that Daily Kos used for their recent poll was somewhere between inaccurate to fraudulent. It was very nice to see Daily Kos come clean so quickly. Something tells me we wouldn't see that sort of response from many of the conservative blogs.
I had previously written a post about the results of this poll. I have now deleted this post so as not to disseminate inaccurate information.
H/T to Library Grape
After a brief respite during which he attempted to blame his lack of preparation to cope with BP's oil spill by blaming the federal government, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) is back to his normal routine of minimizing the damage caused by the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Now he's claiming, "Nobody's got more to lose in this deal than BP."
Poor BP. Gov. Barbour and the Republican party in which he has a prominent place would have us believe that BP is the real victim. As for the rig workers who died, the countless animals dead and dying, the massive economic damage to the Gulf region, it all pales in comparison to BP losing some money. If only this perspective was simply a matter of Gov. Barbour's insensitivity. But this, dear reader, is Republicanism. Barbour has plenty of company.
H/T to Think Progress
Subscribe to Red State Progressive
Sharron Angle is the Republican candidate running for Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) seat. You know her primarily for her advocacy of armed insurrection by right-wing extremists against the U.S. government if they do not get their way in our next election (i.e., "Second Amendment remedies"). As it turns out, there are plenty of other things you should know about Sharron Angle and her plan for America:
- Angle's energy plan involves deregulating the oil industry, the same industry currently bringing us the worst environment disaster in U.S. history.
- Angle has ties to the far-right Constitution Party, promoters of Christian Reconstructionism (i.e., they want to impose biblical law on the U.S.). In fact, Christian Reconstructionist groups are helping to fund her campaign.
- Just like George W. Bush, Angle wants to privatize Social Security. Going way beyond what Bush would have tried, she also wants to privatize the VA!
- Angle has publicly stated that she thinks alcohol should be illegal, and her website lists banning pornography as one of her goals. At least, it used to.
- Angle opposes a woman's right to abort a pregnancy even in cases of rape or incest, believing that pregnancy even in such awful circumstances is part of God's plan.
- Angle appears to be an anti-gay bigot.
- It appears that Angle only became a Republican when she realized that she was unelectable running as an Independent American Party candidate.
- Angle believes that unemployed Americans are "spoiled" and that job creation would not be one of her responsibilities as a U.S. Senator.
Despite increasingly desperate attempts to rewrite her own history to appeal to a larger audience, this is Sharron Angle. She appears to be a dangerous Christian extremist who would be bad for Nevada and the U.S. as a whole. This Christian Reconstructionism stuff, as I understand it, is about as extreme as Christians get. Even many on the Christian right consider it too far out.
Subscribe to Red State Progressive
According to the Associated Press, images of oil-soaked birds have led to efforts aimed at encouraging consumers to boycott BP service stations. I certainly understand the appeal of avoiding BP stations. However, it sounds like such efforts are likely to have little impact on BP and may instead harm local economies.
It seems to me that consumers angry at BP may have a greater impact by putting pressure on our elected officials to hold BP accountable and strengthen environmental regulations. In particular, the governors of states impacted by the spill should be pressured to take meaningful action instead of pandering or attempting to score political points.Subscribe to Red State Progressive
As progressives, we belong to a political minority in the U.S. Few elected Democrats can pass as progressives these days, even when they are on their best behavior. This is part of why I take the responsibility of being an informed voter so seriously. It is critical that we increase our voice throughout society and our visibility in the political arena.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
