Blackwater license to murder

Judge Drops Charges from Blackwater Deaths in Iraq by Charlie Savage.

It would be nice if the Justice Department would prosecute a case of this magnitude without violating the constitutional rights of defendants.  They boggled the Sen. Stevens case too.

Zinn Quote of the Day

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory

-Howard Zinn

Funny or Die - Best of 2009 Comedy

Funny or Die - Best of 2009 Comedy

Bat Fight is pretty good, but yet again so is Galifianakis.

Crooks and Liars, redux

Traficant:  Yes!  I'm running for office!

He's got a nice wig and a big personality.  He's a crook too.  I wonder if the voters will give him the privilege of serving them again.  I certainly hope not but the American voter has a short term memory...

Domestic Partnership Policy

One of the laboratories of democracy - Cowlitz County in this case - has taken a step forward by instituting a new domestic partnership policy.  Axel Swanson - a friend and fellow alum of VLS - is a County Commissioner in said county.  I'm impressed with this fellow - he's come a long way from his days in student government at VLS.  He's matured and is serving his constituency well.  He told me that he was considering running for Congress to represent the great state of Washington.  We'll see...he's not done yet.  Good work, Axe!  Peace.

Here's the article from The Daily News - Serving the Lower Columbia.

Rolling Stone's 25 Best Albums of 2009

Rolling Stone's 25 Best Album's of 2009.

Of the purported 25 Best Albums, I only have four of them:

• U2:  No Line on the Horizon (Ranked #1)
• Pearl Jam:  Backspacer (Ranked #11)
• Wilco:  Wilco (The Album) (Ranked #16)
• Mos Def:  The Ecstatic (Ranked #17)

My ranking of those four albums would be different.  I would reverse the order a bit - I confess that I'm a huge fan of Pearl Jam.  

Clancy's 4 of the 25 Best Album's of 2009

• The Ecstatic - Mos Def is an amazing and talented artist.  He really speaks the truth with deft flow mixed with good tunes.  I saw him in August of this year with Scott, Scott, and Jen.  It was a really good show that he dedicated to the late KOP.  A great album.  
• Backspacer - They continue to make relevant and good rock-n-roll.  Their live shows are electric, long, and often have deep cuts from the catalogue.  The album is a good mix of punk, melody, rock, and storytelling.  I look forward to catching them in Boston or Montreal or parts unknown.
• Wilco - This band kills it on their albums and live.  I'm going to see them in Montreal in February.  Great album.  
• No Line on the Horizon - U2 kills it, but this album isn't the best of 2009.  It's really good don't get me wrong, but it's not as strong some of their earlier efforts this decade.  They re-issued The Unforgettable Fire which I think is better than this album.  I've listened to it far more this year than the new album.  

Levon Helm is back on the scene.  He probably never left, but he's been putting out some good music lately.  I bought Dirt Farmer this year - which is a really good album - and will likely pick up Electric Dirt in the coming months.  

General Electric, polychlorinated biphenyls, and the Hudson River.

The General Electric superfraud:  Why the Hudson River will never run clean by David Gargill.

PCBs are synthetic oils made up of one to ten chlorine atoms bound to a biphenyl ring. The varieties used along the Hudson were amber in color, with the viscosity of maple syrup, but slipperier. The oils were long hailed as miraculous for allowing electricity to flow without altering the charge or being altered themselves, and for their non-flammability and resilience. Chemical anthropologists will be finding them thousands of years from now, assuming we’re still around. Their toxicity was well established by the 1930s, and no safe level of exposure has been set for cancer or non-cancer health risks; all that’s known is, more is worse. This is unfortunate, because until they were outlawed in 1977, PCBs were of use nearly everywhere electricity could be found, especially in wire, transformers, and capacitors. The oils were therefore ubiquitous, effective in preventing electrical fires and other disruptions, enabling much of modern life’s ease, particularly the portion abetted by General Electric.

No More - Song of the Day

No More by Eddie Vedder.

Nothing's too good for a Veteran
yeh, this is the way they say
so nothing is what they will get
in this new American way

Washington - Legalize it; Tax it.

I'd consider moving out west.  Seattle is a good town.  The Bellingham area is nice too.  I'm glad that the conversation isn't as taboo as it has been historically in this country.  Justice Brandeis pictured each state legislature as a laboratory of democracy where the needs of society would be met with innovations.  I think states need to become more active laboratories because society is need of a change in our drug laws and to the way we approach dependency.  

I do think, however, that it should be allowed to be grown in the home for personal use and not solely available in state-regulated outlets.

News from Washington State.  Legalize it; Tax it.

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, a Seattle Democrat who is sponsoring the legalization bill in Washington state, said that she "wanted to start a strong conversation about the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana."
Under her bill, marijuana would be sold in Washington state's 160 state-run liquor stores, and customers, 21 and older, would pay a tax of 15 percent per gram. The measure would dedicate most of the money raised for substance abuse prevention and treatment, which is facing potential cuts in the state budget. Dickerson said the measure could eventually bring in as much to state coffers as alcohol does, more than $300 million a year. From Crooks and Liars.

Islam and Terrorism

Making "Islam" Synonymous with "terrorism." by Glenn Greenwald.

Well stated in his assertion that "[O]ne would get the sense from listening to our standard political discourse that "Terrorism" and "Islamic-inspired Terrorism" are synonymous.  It's the kind of myth-based demonization that is as familiar as it is false, dangerous and repugnant."

We, as a nation, seem to demonize a particular minority from era to era and are so self-righteous about it that we never see the error in our ways.  Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

Karl Rove is a hypocrite

The Turd Blossom rides again.  Look out ladies, Mr. Rove is single again.  Mr. Family Values himself is not tied to the ball-and-chain anymore.  He opted for no-fault divorce in the Republic of Texas.  

The best part about Mr. Rove is that he's against same-sex marriage.  It doesn't seem like no-fault marriage is a very traditional or Christian law.  It's typical though from those who preach family values and other dogmatic morality.  They seldom follow their own venomous rants.  

Marriage should be about choice, not about sex.  People should be able to marry other people.  Plain and simple.  

Mr. Rove you are a hypocrite.  They do say that the "third time is a charm."  Best wishes to the Bride and Groom or, better yet, the Groom and the Groom.

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” -Sinclair Lewis

Conservative Christian Extremists Target Obama. Unacceptable.  These people are unimpressive.  They really should read the Bible and not bastardize the words into whatever sick and divisive dogma they happen to follow.  It's one thing to voice your opinion but callously talking about the death of the Pres. Obama is really not very Christian.  

Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods.
He believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes.
Long hair, beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends.
Reckon they'd just nail him up if He come down again.
-Kris Kristofferson - "Jesus Was a Capricorn (Owed to John Prine)"

Bernie, Bernie...the pork was too sweet to pass up.

Bernie Sanders refused to stand up for American and was shut down when he brought home $250 million worth of pork to Vermont.

He should have forced a vote on single payer.  He should have used the same tactics as Sen. Lieberman...err Droopy.

Leahy and Bernie both need to blame their own party too. More ads, more lobbying.

Sanders and Leahy defend the bill here in the Burlington Free Press.

This is out of control. We need regulations...

We've become surety to the repayment of the greed of others.  Big Pharma wins again.  

How a bone disease grew to fit the prescription

Women at Arms

Women at Arms
Another Peril in War Zones:  Sexual Abuse by Fellow GIs by Steven Lee Meyers.

Quote from the article:
“A woman in the military is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq,” Representative Jane Harman, a Democrat from California, said at a Congressional hearing this year, repeating an assertion she has made a refrain in a campaign of hers to force the military to do more to address abuses.

My quotation of Howard Zinn is poignant here again.

It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half the population of the country. The explorers were men, the landholders and merchants men, the political leaders men, the military figures men. The very invisibility of women, the overlooking of women, is a sign of their submerged status.

• HOWARD ZINN, A People's History of the United States

MJ's Expose': The War on Drugs

Mother Jones did an in depth review of the current issues involved with our never-ending war on drugs.

It's called Totally Wasted:  Just Who is Winning the War on Drugs?


Take the quiz.

I only scored a 60%.  RFK was the most strident drug warrior of the 1960s.  In 2004, the White House buried a study that found that a $1.4 billion anti-pot ad campaign had both increased first-time post usage among 14 - 16 year-olds and among whites.  I thought that Barry Goldwater or Strom Thurmond were more "drug warriors" than RFK.  I wasn't shocked about the study that the White House buried though.

The Drug War, By the Numbers by Celia Perry.

• 51% of possession arrests are for marijuana.  

Glenn Beck

What scares me is that a large portion of the population are subjected to his rants, lies, and hyperbolic rhetoric.  He pretends to be a regular guy and to be caught in the web of liberal elites.  He's a liar and is bad for America...he's Glenn Beck.

Media Matters considers him the Misinformer of the Year for 2009.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart really lampooned and impersonated the style and absurdity of Glenn Beck.  Check it out.

Quote of the Day

It is possible, reading standard histories, to forget half the population of the country. The explorers were men, the landholders and merchants men, the political leaders men, the military figures men. The very invisibility of women, the overlooking of women, is a sign of their submerged status.

• HOWARD ZINN, A People's History of the United States

Health Care Update

The health care "reform" debate was vicious.

We live in a world where the information we gather is so readily available that the "gotcha" of political speeches loses its effectiveness.  Politicians can be shown their words instantaneously.  The Daily Show is one of the best sources of these mashups.


Take the public option for example.  In July 2009, President Obama promised the "public option," but now claims to never have campaigned or promoted it as the central theme to his reform mandate.


It's a huge step regardless of the political theater.  We're more partisan in 2009 than we were years ago.


Kevin Drum enlightens us on the penultimate hurdle for health care.   He describes our divide very well:

There's a far-left wing so obsessed with the demise of the public option that it's working overtime to team up with reactionaries to destroy the bill and — maybe — Obama's presidency along with it. The more moderate left supports the bill, but hardly enthusiastically. For us, it's a "starter house," or "the best we could get." That's not exactly a rallying cry. And independents are just confused and exhausted by months of political sniping, intra-left bickering, and the relentless flood of Beck/Palin/Drudge demagoguery.

He also trumpets the highlights and compares it to the legislative reform eras:  civil rights, environmental protection. I'm glad that legislation is on its way to deliver a 95% coverage.  Hopefully, we can do more but it is a big step towards the recognition of health care as a human right.

Pearl Jam and Avi Sinensky

Pearl Jam is also one of my favorite bands.  They do tackle issues and they do care about their fan base.  They also continue to make relevant and good music.

State of Love and Trust:  Pearl Jam's Backspacer, Barack Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize.

I'm frustrated by the fact that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the face of an ever-escalating war.

There is much to be done.

If Pearl Jam - being one of my favorite musical acts - can be hopeful then I certainly can remain hopeful.  Obama has a lot of work to do and I certainly think he's up to the task.  However, I do not think going easy on him is necessarily a smart move by citizens.

Revolving Door

The revolving door in Washington, D.C. continues to swing.

Too Big to Jail? by Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery.

The Bankers on Obama's Team by Andy Kroll.

Revolving Door, Bailout Edition by Daniel Schulman and Jonathan Stein.

12 Better Uses for the Bailout Bucks by Marian Wang.
An impressive and sad list of what we didn't do with the bailout money.  Why "lend" the money to the banks?

The Accountability Deficit by Mother Jones.

The Constitution and the Flag

Does the Constitution Follow the Flag? Six Questions for Kal Raustiala by Scott Horton (No Comment).

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently noted that, although one might assume that the Bill of Rights follows and limits the conduct of American officials wherever they go, “that is not our current jurisprudence.” UCLA law professor Kal Raustiala has patiently traced the way in which the flag was separated from the Constitution in a new Oxford University Press book, Does the Constitution Follow the Flag? I put six questions to Raustiala about his book.

War

Rethink Afghanistan

This year, Christmas Eve falls on the 3,000th day that U.S. forces have been in Afghanistan, as well as the 30th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of the very same nation. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a disaster and they proved that you cannot win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people through troop surges, and continued occupation.

It is critical to note that while we do not view this as an occupation of Afghanistan, it is clear that the people of Afghanistan view our presence as just that. Please watch this extraordinary video, and then read my blog post on Huffington Postand Daily Kos where I explain further how you can help pressure Congress to end this war of occupation.

-Congressman Eric Massa


We are continuing a situation that will not have a positive outcome.  Many, many great empires have fallen victim to their own hubris and Afghanistan is one of those situations that will not end well for the people of either country.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  These words ring true today and forever.  I first remember reading this phrase when I visited the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau.  Failure to remember our past will only lead us to make the same mistakes.

We need to rethink our policy in Afghanistan.  We need to stop being so war hungry.  We need to concentrate on this broken nation, not some other broken one.

Presidential Approval Rating

I don't really take much stock in the so-called "Presidential Approval Rating" because it is not necessarily an accurate reflection of how we as citizens rate the president.

Mr. Obama has a fairly good approval rating, and I've stumbled upon an interactive poll from The Atlantic that asks us what will be his approval rating in August 2010.  I think it will be in the 50th percentile.

Vote here

Between Two Ferns

Between Two Ferns is a really funny show on Funny or Die.

VT Yankee Extortion

Entergy is racing to the bottom in its continued pursuit of a license extension.

VT Digger is a good rag.

Extraordinary rendition

More Justice Department Chicanery

Secrecy only leads to distrust.  There are two or three or four sides to secrecy.  There is an interesting documentary called Secrecy by Peter Galison and Robb Moss.  Film synopsis:

In a single recent year the U.S. classified about five times the number of pages added to the Library of Congress. We live in a world where the production of secret knowledge dwarfs the production of open knowledge. Depending on whom you ask, government secrecy is either the key to victory in our struggle against terrorism, or our Achilles heel. But is so much secrecy a bad thing?

Secrecy saves: counter-terrorist intelligence officers recall with fury how a newspaper article describing National Security Agency abilities directly led to the loss of information that could have avoided the terrorist killing of 241 soldiers in Beirut late in October 1983. Secrecy guards against wanton nuclear proliferation, against the spread of biological and chemical weapons. Secrecy is central to our ability to wage an effective war against terrorism.

Secrecy corrupts. From extraordinary rendition to warrant-less wiretaps and Abu Ghraib, we have learned that, under the veil of classification, even our leaders can give in to dangerous impulses. Secrecy increasingly hides national policy, impedes coordination among agencies, bloats budgets and obscures foreign accords; secrecy throws into the dark our system of justice and derails the balance of power between the executive branch and the rest of government.

This film is about the vast, invisible world of government secrecy. By focusing on classified secrets, the government's ability to put information out of sight if it would harm national security, Secrecy explores the tensions between our safety as a nation, and our ability to function as a democracy.

Health Care Update

Another hurdle passed...

Reform?

The cost of universal coverage

Paul Krugman's take on health care reform...coverage and costs.

Here's an email I received from President Obama:

Clancy --

Early this morning, the Senate made history and health reform cleared its most important hurdle yet -- garnering the 60 votes needed to move toward a final vote in that chamber later this week.

This marks the first time in our nation's history that comprehensive health reform has come to this point. And it appears that the American people will soon realize the genuine reform that offers security to those who have health insurance and affordable options to those who do not.

I'm grateful to Senator Harry Reid and every senator who's been working around the clock to make this happen. And I'm grateful to you, and every member of the Organizing for America community, for all the work you have done to make this progress possible.

After a nearly century-long struggle, we are now on the cusp of making health insurance reform a reality in the United States of America.

As with any legislation, compromise is part of the process. But I'm pleased that recently added provisions have made this landmark bill even stronger. Between the time when the bill passes and the time when the insurance exchanges get up and running, insurance companies that try to jack up their rates do so at their own peril. Those who hike their prices may be barred from selling plans on the exchanges.

And while insurance companies will be prevented from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions once the exchanges are open, in the meantime there will be a high-risk pool where people with pre-existing conditions can purchase affordable coverage.

A recent amendment has made these protections even stronger. Insurance companies will now be prohibited from denying coverage to children immediately after this bill passes. There's also explicit language in this bill that will protect a patient's choice of doctor. And small businesses will get additional assistance as well.

These protections are in addition to the ones we've been talking about for some time. No longer will insurance companies be able to drop your coverage if you become sick and no longer will you have to pay unlimited amounts out of your own pocket for treatments that you need.

Under this bill families will save on their premiums; businesses that would see their costs rise if we don't act will save money now and in the future. This bill will strengthen Medicare and extend the life of the program. Because it's paid for and gets rid of waste and inefficiency in ourhealth care system, this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade.

Finally, this reform will extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who don't have it.

These are not small changes. These are big changes. They're fundamental reforms. They will save money. They will save lives.

And your passion, your work, your organizing helped make all of this possible. Now it's time to finish the job.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Health Care Vote

Bernie Sanders Explains Why He's Going to Vote for the Health Care Bill

Recently Added - Music in 2009

Here is some of the music that I've been listening to lately:

• Atmosphere - Lucy Ford
• Ben Harper & Relentless7 - white lies for dark times
• The Black Keys - Attack & Release
• Blakroc - Blackroc
• Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Magic
• Calexico/Iron & Wine - In the Reins
• Cat Power - The Greatest / You Are Free
• Chris Cornell - Scream
• Corey Harris - Downhome Sophisticate
• DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo - Ki-Oku
• Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
• Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
• Frank Black - Fast Man Raider Man
• Frank Black and the Catholics - Dog in the Sand
• Kings of Leon - Only By Night
• Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer
• Mos Def - The Ecstatic
• 7 Worlds Collide - Live at The St. James / The Sun Came Out
• Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971
• Pearl Jam - Backspacer
• People Under the Stairs - Fun DMC / Question in the Form of an Answer
• The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
• Sootsy - Songs for the Dead Masters
• Stephen Marley - Mind Control
• Steve Earle - Townes / Washington Square Serenade
• U2 - No Line on the Horizon / The Unforgettable Fire (Remastered) 
• Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
• I'm Not There - The Original Soundtrack
• The Roots - Rising Down
• Morphine - Cure for Pain
• Q-Tip - The Renaissance 

VALID - Latest News

Vermont Alliance for Intelligent Drug Laws

January 15, 2010 - Lobby Day at the Vermont Statehouse March 2, 2010- Town Meeting Day! We have non-binding resolutions on the ballots in Montpelier and Burlington to advise the legislature to support Marijuana Decriminalization! Voters in these towns need to spread the word—we want a big win on these questions!

March 31, 2010 - Lobby Day at the Vermont Statehouse

Stay Tuned: We are planning a Gubernatorial Candidates Forum for the beginning of the year…Check back often for updates—and if you want to help!

VALID is forming citizen action groups and we need your help!

Would you like to start up:
Mom’s for Decrim or Moms for Dispensaries
Lawyers for Decrim or Lawyers for Dispensaries
Students for Decrim or Students for Dispensaries
Patients for Decrim or Patients for Dispensaries
Send us an email at info@validvt.org to learn how to help!

Latest Press Release | Text of House Bill H. 150 

The Underlying Division in the Health Care Debate - by Glenn Greenwald.

How Big Pharma continues to pilfer our wallets

Did White House Pressure FDA To Help Kill Measure To Make Drugs Cheaper?

We're facing the Tragedy of the Commons in this case.  Drug prices are strictly regulated in Canada and the European Union.  The United States of America, on the other hand, is the wild west of deregulation.  Big Pharma is racing to the bottom here.  If they were regulated in the U.S.A. at the same level as other industrialized countries people would have much better access to drugs that remedy their situations.  

Again, here is another opportunity where the Obama Administration has buckled at the knees on what they thought was a curveball yet was a tipped pitch that they should have hit out of the park.  

Why are corporate profits always put above consumer protection and consumer cost savings?  Because it's profitable.  Scare tactics and diversions.  The drugs that would be imported are made by the same manufacturers as the drugs we have domestically.  It is manifest that there are dangers associated with a drug regimen, but the safety issue isn't increased by importation of pharmaceuticals.  Big Pharma gobbles up profits in the U.S. because of these pretextual reasons.  

Big Pharma will not accept reform, and here is another opportunity where Obama is deciding not to honor his campaign rhetoric.  Stand and deliver.  There is no heavy lifting necessary on this issue.  

Progress report

It is commonplace these days for my friends, colleagues, and others to urge the critics of President Obama to take a "wait-and-see" approach to his legacy and/or current impact as his presidency unfolds. Change was the mantra of his candidacy for president, but change has been thwarted with a quick dash to the middle on the political spectrum. Candidates always say things when they're running for office that are difficult to accomplish and may not even be a real goal when in office.

I also realize that the federal government - not to mention the Congress - are collectively a leviathan, and that it is extremely difficult to right the ship after the Joe Hazlewood-like commander-in-chief's poor governing. However, there are many things that President Obama could have done in the first year of his presidency that he has not done.

War is never the answer. Yes, I "dabble in pacifism," but I'm a patriot. We have spent so much money - hidden from the public - on the military industrial complex of the past 50-60 years that our national debt is swelling like Mr. Creosote's body. We simply cannot afford to continue with the business as usual warmongering and defense spending binge. So by sending more troops to Afghanistan we are playing into the hands of those we're fighting in the so-called "War on Terror." They want to starve the beast by keeping us in a protracted and expensive - both in terms of casualties and money - war.

A domestic concentration must be on Obama's agenda. Our country needs mending. We need to pay attention, we need to participate in this democratic republic, and we need to stop concentrating on American Idol and other ridiculous reality-television drivel.

It is never a good thing for people to be distracted and to not pay attention to those who are given the privilege of governing us. Watch TV, tune out if you wish, but never take your eye off of the ball. I'm not going to take it easy on President Obama. He's been given an extremely important privilege by the citizens of this country. Corporate interests should never have a superior ranking in the heirarchy to the people. Asking questions - even critical ones - is a form of patriotism.

I'm writing this blog to open up to a creative side that I didn't know I had, but also to satiate my need to be critical of my government. Current affairs, politics, national security, the environment, and other news are part of my daily routine of information gathering and attempted understanding. So welcome to my rant. The poison pen is filled.

I don't want to wait-and-see; I want my voice heard. Informed participation is key.

Apparently there are two types of reconciliation - (1) reconciliation instruction and a (2) reconciliation bill. I looked through my 9th edition of The American Legislative Process: Congress and the States by William J. Keefe and Morris S. Ogul, 1997 for an answer to my query, but was disappointed to find that it didn't have anything readily available on this legislative process.

According to Wikipedia, reconciliation is a legislative process...intended to allow a contentious budget bill to be considered without being subject to filibuster. It - reconciliation - limits debate and amendment, which empowers the majority party. If you have seen the Democrats - the majority since 2006 - you would think that they would use a process that empowers them. However, they are not so effective. I'm trying to figure out if they are ever going to be effective again. To date, they've not done much with their majority in both houses of Congress.

Sen. Sanders is at odds with the majority because they've already decided that reconciliation is off the table. He also introduced the first single-payer legislation via amendment yesterday and the Republicans thwarted his efforts with a childish tactic. You can see his reaction on youtube.

"At the end of the day - not this year, not next year, but sometime in the future - this country will come to understand that if we are going to provide comprehensive quality care to all of our people, the only way we will do that is through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system, and I am glad to be able to start that debate by offering this amendment." Sen. Bernie Sanders, news release, 12/15/09.

Let's Transform Our Drug Policy

It is important for our elected officials to speak out and to speak truth to power. One of those elected officials is Robert Sand, Windsor County State's Attorney. State's Attorney Sand is courageous, thoughtful, and intelligent. People should listen to what he has to say about marijuana.

We need to change the law. We need to think more progressively.

State law continues to incarcerate Vermonters who use, possess, cultivate or distribute marijuana. This is a waste of taxpayer money. These people are committing nonviolent crimes, and they are contributing to the overcrowding population of our prisons. It also causes violent offenders to be let out because of this overcrowding.

We can regulate the use, decriminalize the user, and change our policy towards marijuana. The Vermont Assembly has a chance to change the policy, but they fail to take steps towards a new policy.

Marijuana should be regulated, like alcohol, with standards to prevent contamination or dangerous chemicals from entering the market.

We all know that alcohol and/or tobacco are far more harmful to individuals and society than marijuana. I find it inconsistent that we punish marijuana users more severely than those who abuse alcohol and/or tobacco products are not punished by the state in any way.

Public safety is more at risk due to violent crimes than it is from marijuana users. Our tax dollars should be used to prosecute violent crime, not to punish marijuana users. Let's transform our drug policy.

Bernie's dissent

See Bernie in action.

He's not voting for the health care bill because it doesn't accomplish anything and "there are a heck of a lot of things that you can do that would strengthen our health care system in a cost effective way that could be a giant step forward for the American people." We need reform and I'm glad that Sen. Sanders is a champion of the people.

I'm not familiar with reconciliation, but I'll make and attempt to understand it. Sen. Sanders recommends the procedure to pass health care reform.

Way to go Bernie.

Health Care

There are not a lot of people who are standing up to the monied interests. According to Harper's Index, the average amount spent on congressional lobbying, per day, by U.S. health-care companies in 2009: $1,500,000. Congress is not able to free itself from the greedy health-care industry, and the Obama Administration has consistently disappointed those in need.

According to Sen. Feingold, and Glenn Greenwald, the health care bill appears to be the legislation that the president wanted in the first place. There are at least five major democracies in the world that have a health care system that provides health care to its citizens. Our country, on the other hand, is on the wrong track. We have a system that consistently finds ways not to provide health care for its citizenry.

The United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland all have health care systems that are far more progressive than that of the United States. The film "Sick Around the World" by Frontline illustrates how these five capitalist democracies provide health care to their citizens.

I recommend watching this program - not to mention the others that exist on their website.

I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I do care about my fellow humans and citizens. One day this country will realize that it missed an opportunity to do the right thing.

There is no reform at this point. The bill is a joke. We more people like Sen. Bernie Sanders, who are willing to stand up to those short-sighted interests.

It is absolutely unacceptable that so much money is being wasted to buy our government, and that they allow it to happen. There has to come a time when people will stand up to power.

Dissent. Dissent. $1.5 million is being spent every day in Congress to stop progress, to maintain the status quo, and to continually deny the human right of healthcare.

Al Franken continues to amaze me

Al Franken continues to amaze me. The so-called "Franken Rape Amendment" was approved today by the House and now requires Senate approval.

I give kudos to Sen. Franken for seizing the moment and pursuing the necessary closure of a failed policy loophole. The Bush Administration really gave the farm away with respect to federal contractors.

It is simply unconscionable that the Obama Administration opposed the amendment.

I'm glad that the legal battle ended and that Franken was finally allowed to take his seat in the U.S. Senate. He's definitely up for the challenge.