How to Restore American Democracy on January 3, 2011

Last Tuesday the Republicans in the Senate blocked passage of the DISCLOSE act. The vote “failed” with 57 votes in favor and 41 votes against.

The DISCLOSE act is a response the recent Supreme Court decision regarding campaign finance reform. The US Supreme Court ruled that corporations have right to spend unlimited amounts of money to influencing elections. The DISCLOSE act would require that these corporations do us citizens the kindness of identifying themselves. The corporations could still spend all the money they want to buy elections, they would just have to tell us who was doing it.

Apparently, this is something the GOP now opposes.

Voting against the measure was each and every Republican senator - including New Hampshire’s Senator Gregg. Including the New England “moderates” of Brown, Snowe, and Collins. And including senator John McCain, the author and one-time champion of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.

Adding to the absurdity is the fact that the bill is supported by 59 senators and opposed by only 41. Thanks to the insane rules of the US Senate, they need to 60 votes to break the filibuster. Why would the Republicans unite to filibuster this particular piece of legislation? That is what they do. They filibuster everything.

The 60 votes-to-break-filibuster business was a hot topic during the health care reform debate. During that debate is was suggested that the senate rules are not absurd, and that the filibuster is there to insure that the voice of the minority is heard on important topics. But that’s not how it works and that is not how the filibuster is used.

Republicans have employed the filibuster more than 105 times during this congress. They filibustered health care reform, financial regulation reform, economic stimulus, extending unemployment benefits, judicial nominations, federal appointments, cutting taxes for small businesses, and now, corporate campaign disclosure rules. They filibustered everything.

No matter what the topic, the Republicans are opposed. Not only will the vote against, but they are opposed to even letting the vote happen at all. During the Obama presidency use of the filibuster has jumped dramatically. Its use has gone from the extraordinary to the routine.

The perpetual filibuster votes requirement has, amidst turmoil and a vast array problems that require action, turned the legislative process to a slow slog. Important laws have been distorted, delayed, water-down, or killed by a super-majority requirement for each item of business.

This is not your father’s filibuster. They do not involve a Mr. Smithian stand or principle. They do not involve feats of endurance or endless inspirations speeches. The modern Senate filibuster is a parliamentary gimmick where the speech itself is not required and can not be compelled.

The GOP found a loophole in the rules. They broke the game.

It is frustrating to watch a duly-elected legislative majority try to confront our nations problems only to be thwarted by the minority. It is tragic to see our problems fester from abuse of protocol and cruel political calculation.

This can change.

The US Constitution makes clear that the Senate can establish its own procedures. At the start of a new congress, a simple majority can establish a new set of rules. The 112th Congress will be seated on January 3rd, 2011. On that day, they can break the filibuster once and for all.

Live Free, New Hampshire

Today's front page of the Boston Globe has an article on the branding of New Hampshire (featuring photos of Portsmouth, naturally). Since our big stone face fell down, apparently there have been some problems coming up with icons and slogans that capture capture the essence of New Hampshire.

Vermont has its cows, farmers, and hippies. Maine has the coastline and Lobsters. Massachusetts has it's history and dynasties. New Hampshire has a little of all of that, but less that is distinctly its own. When the West Wing was on the air New Hampshire native President Bartlet was always in search of New Hampshire maple syrup. We can relate.

The Floridian firm that has been tasked with the re-branding effort is steering clear of the state slogan: Live Free or Die. "We're not touching that." And that is why they fail.

The one thing that unifies us as a state is our willingness to deploy our motto at every opportunity and for every purpose. It's an echo of our patriotic past and present. We're a state with no sales tax, no income tax, no motorcycle helmets, gay marriage and plenty of firearms and fireworks. We have beautiful mountains, trails, ski slopes, and historical areas. And we have industry and entrepreneurial spirit. There's opportunity here. People have the means to enjoy it all and there's much to enjoy. New Hampshire is also famous for its importance in primary politics. But its citizens are fundamentally skeptical and unpredictable.

Our independence is our unifying theme.

Live free, New Hampshire. There is no alternative.

On the Bright Side

Last Thursday my parents came to town to see Isaac's 4th grade track meet. It's about a 3 hour  trip from their place in Vermont to Portsmouth. I've yet to witness one of these meets myself. But I understand my son's contribution is a minute or two of middle-of-the-pack jogging and jumping. Under the best of circumstances, the trip itself was a heroic act of grand-parental involvement. 


As it turned out, these were not the best of circumstances. The meet was rained out. There was no competitive elementary running to be witnessed. My parents joined my sister for a short shopping trip with a cranky and screaming baby. They joined us for a quick dinner. Then they got back on the road for the 3 hour return trip. 

On their way home, in the darkness on Vermont's route 2 their car hit a moose. The moose had been struck and killed by the car preceding them, totaling the car and moose. My parents ran into and over the large carcass lying in the road. They weren't hurt. Their car was not so fortunate.

The day after their 9 hour odyssey to witness an event that didn't take place - after a morning spent cleaning the blood and gore off their banged-up and undrivable car - Mom had this to report:

We are thankful that no one was hurt. The female driver of the first car (whose car was probably totalled) was much more interested in whether or not she could get the moose meat than she was about her car. That's Vermonters for you!

Sorry that you didn't get to see the moose... but believe me, it's not the best way to have a sighting.

Thanks for the fun day yesterday and the slice of life of each of your families. We loved it in spite of the rain, crying baby, and cancelled track meet!

Happy Birthday to Me

It was my birthday yesterday. 38. Birthdays are a good time to have a few drinks, sit back, and think about where you are and where you've come from- the years gone by and the ones that lie ahead. It's been a good year. It's been a good life.

I am one of the most fortunate people anywhere. Ever.

I have been blessed with the good fortune of being born, a human being, on this earth, in the United States of America. Today, in the year 2010, I find myself in world of privilege, opportunity, and material comfort. The world has provided an abundance of games and music, sights and sounds, wonderful people and fantastic foods. My daily cares and concerns are generally small and petty. Few of them are worth recounting. Most are easily resolved.

My job is lucrative enough to provide a comfortable life for my family. It is stimulating enough to be gratifying. My colleagues are pleasant and competent. My work keeps me busy but doesn't overwhelm my life - leaving me time to spend with family and pursue my interests, hobbies, and amusements.

Every year my two sons grow more interesting, more confident, and more independent. I see myself in them and see them growing into themselves. This is the 23rd birthday I've celebrated with my wonderful and lovely wife, Christine. That's a lot of years. But time has spared us the worst of its ravaging. With a little regular maintenance, we both carry our years well. I am fortunate to share my life with such a wonderful wife, mother and friend - someone who complements and supports me. I am blessed to have someone who tolerates my eccentricities, diversions, and perpetual distractions.

In the past year, thanks to the technological marvels of our time, I have been able to reconnect with a great many people. There are so many old friends, lost classmates, physically distant relatives, kindred spirits, and interesting souls met along the way. Maybe we get together once or twice over months and years. Many of you I had no expectation of ever hearing from again. Now, from afar, I get a rolling window into your world. I can see the snapshots of your life, share in your stories, banter a bit, and follow your ideas and interests.

This year also marked, for me, a return to writing. It has been a pleasure to take the thoughts rattling around my head and find a home for them. My natural state is introverted and standoffish. So I'm enjoying this little soapbox. I like being able to share my views with friends, acquaintances, and a few strangers. I appreciate you for taking the time to consider my musings.

The year to come holds great promise. Perhaps my little company stands on the financial success. Perhaps another long-held dream will bear some delightful fruit. Whatever comes, I will share it with wonderful family and friends.

It is a happy day. Thank you for being part of it.

Housekeeping Note

I just updated the blog here a bit. The good news is all my posts have been labeled. On the right here you'll find a handy-dandy list of everything I've written about. I tend to write about anything that interest me. Now you can find my thoughts on whatever interests you.

The bad news is that, for reasons unknown, blogspot decided to update the time-stamp on the 'You Lie!' and 'Tea and Nazis' posts. Those were written last Fall. They are not new. But maybe they are new to you...

I've also added my email to my little profile box. So, that's another way to reach me with a question or comment.

You Lie!

You do lie, of course. I lie. All of us human beings do a fair bit of lying. We should not find it surprising or outrageous that politicians also lie. If you won't vote for politicians who lie, then you won't vote. President Obama is both a person and a politician, so yes, he lies. Anyone can be painted with that brush, and most people have been. It's surprising there is any bristle left on it.

Everyone lies, but we lie to varying degrees, frequencies, and for various nefarious and not-so-nefarious purposes. Among human beings, and certainly among politicians that have ascended to the office of the presidency, Barak Obama strikes me as one of the more honest ones. He has not been in politics, and certainly not been president, long enough to abandon his aspirations. He has not kept all his campaign promises. But he's been busy. He deserves some time and space to determine which promises and priorities he'll continue to pursue. We should not be appalled by inevitable compromise. Some commitments will go unfulfilled. Circumstances will change. He'll change his mind. Some dreams will die.

We still honor honesty, and should continue to ask for it. When the president was speaking to the congress last Wednesday he was articulating his principles. President Obama was describing his desires and expectations from the bills that congress is authoring. When the president said his plan would not use public money to pay for the health insurance of illegal immigrants, that was a statement of principle. The facts, the text of the bills, are still subject to amendment and change.

Congressman Wilson, and many of his more courteous colleagues, presumably agree that taxpayers should not purchase insurance for the undocumented. They may suspect that Obama's agreement is insincere, or that the current text is inadequate. Rather than assault him, why not just hold him to his word? Congress is authoring the bill. Joe Wilson is a Congressman. Why not work to insure the bill contains the principles that both Wilson and Obama say they support?

Obama wants the public option to be funded, not by taxpayers, but by subscriber premiums. He speaks of fair competition between the public and private insurers. Obama says he doesn't want a single payer plan and offers a market-based approach. He says, constantly, that he intends to (mostly) leave private employer-provided plans alone. Obama says he wants the plan to be fully funded, to reduce medical costs in the long run, and not add a dime to deficit.

Congressional Republicans don't argue that these are bad ideas. Instead, they argue, that Obama's health care reforms must be stopped because Democrats can't be trusted! So, don't trust them. Laws are written with words and those words have meaning. The GOP should be negotiating to insure their shared principles are signed into law.

Republicans, including New Hampshire's own Senator Gregg and that forgettable gentleman that spoke after Obama's speech, all claim they recognize the real and urgent need for health care reform. When described, the Republican plans sound a lot like what Obama is proposing. But when it comes to negotiating in good faith, the GOP is just yelling from the sidelines.

Of course, when Republicans say they support health care reform, they may be lying.

Tea and Nazis

There was a big teabagger march in DC yesterday, with lots folks carrying creative signs.

One particular sign and sign-holder merit a bit of deconstruction:

Let us pause to admire the unnecessary quotes, and then proceed to consider the message and the messenger.

Does he look like he wants to serve in a Nazi Youth Militia? Yes. He does. He looks like precisely the sort that has conviction without reason and a pack mentality. He jumps right to the persecution of the vile, alien, other and throws out indiscriminate accusations. In a Nazi Youth Militia, he would fit right in.

He's calling for new era of McCarthyism? McCarthyism was a good thing?

I don't know if we're meant to take these people seriously. Presumably, they don't consider themselves to be outrageous fools. Did the people around this kid chastise him for making them all look like extremist idiots? Or did they applaud his creativity and audacity?

Have these people no shame?