Politics is just a dirty word for democracy

Broder does not like democracy.

Theft

UPDATE: THANK YOU READERS. I have a new-to-me laptop and my most urgent expenses have been taken care of. I can’t tell you what your support means to this tiny blog.

Someone stole my laptop. I have filed a report with the police; but I am advised the the chances of recovering it are very poor.

If you have steady employment, and are not overburdened with debt, this blogger would be especially appreciative of your support.

Michelle Rhee insults DC students, parents, and the entire city

watch the video

Anonymous sources defend Michelle Rhee

Infighting and lawsuit likely consequences of mass firings

“The council is struggling with how to handle the arrogance,” said at-large Councilman Phil Mendelson. “We’re struggling with, on the one hand there ought to be a consequence and on the other hand what is in the best interest of the citizens and the school children. It’s finding the right balance.”

What will not happen, sources say: A reversal of the public school reform act adopted by the council in 2007. Fenty will retain his control of public education, and Rhee will retain her job as chancellor.

When the only sources who will defend a public figure are anonymous sources, you have to wonder if the reporter just made it up. On the other hand, it is possible that the reporter had a source. By the name of Michelle Rhee or a member of her staff. Either way, the article has no credibility.

Certainly the lawsuits from this train wreck will be playing for years, draining precious dollars from the District’s coffers. It is possible that the city could sue the American Enterprise Institute and other right wing stink tanks who conspired to inflict this trainwreck on our school system. But to do that you would have to have evidence that Rhee was recruited not to reform the school system, but to destroy it and force everyone into charter schools. I have no idea how such evidence could be obtained.

The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy owes the people of DC some serious reparations.

Message for the Public Option Please crowd

slowereastside

The Pyrrhic Option: you begged for nothing and you got it.

Stop being peasants and start demanding a specific solution to the country’s healthcare crisis…

Medicare For All / HR 676: Don’t accept any substitutes or legislative rebranding of the only real option for the American public

Michelle Rhee, unlcear on the concept of democracy

Council Chair Vincent Gray asks a question:

“There is no question in my mind. All I can do. Wait a minute– I’m talking.” said D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray in one of many bitter and often combative back and forth.

“Why did you choose not to follow what the law?” asked Gray.

Rhee said hers was a better decision and blasted back.

“When you cut our budget by $20 million, you didn’t call me to ask me if it was okay to cut summer school or not,” exclaimed Rhee.

Since when does an elected leader ask permission of an appointed civil servant???? Council draws up the budget. Civil servants don’t get to second guess it. That is democracy. But in Fenty’s world of the unitary executive, no mayor need take notice of council or the law. It is how we will live until we boot Fenty from office.

Rhee’s disingenuous testimony

Council members accuse Rhee of breaking law in teacher showdown

“I was unwilling to make that cut [to summer school], and I decided that as unfortunate as it was, I’d rather see [cuts] happen to adults than to children,” Rhee said.

When you fire the schools only third grade teacher, you hurt third graders. When you fire the High Schools only chemistry teacher, you hurt children who want to study chemistry. When you fire the schools only French teacher, you hurt children who want to study French. I cannot understand how anyone continues to defend this train wreck.

Unlike some, I no longer think that this is merely about union busting, although certainly Fenty wants to bust all the public employee unions. I am increasingly convinced that this is massive resistance under color of reform. Rhee and Fenty are deliberately creating so much chaos in DC public schools that parents will be forced to send their children to charter schools or private schools. To Rhee and Fenty chaos is a feature, not a bug.

Democrats and the financial crisis

Jesse’s Café

It is important to bear this in mind, because it tends to knock down the assertion that the current financial crisis is somehow an act of God, something that just happened. There was an intent to subvert the regulatory process, to increase leverage beyond what has long been known to be prudent, and to engage in systemic fraud with a group of enables and agencies, such as the ratings firms, in order to reap fabulous personal profits for a small group at the expense of the many. There was planning, premeditation, malice aforethought. They may not have intended to harm; they just did not care. They really truly did not care, if they got theirs.

Until the banks are restrained, and the financial system reform, and balance restored to the economy, there will be no sustained recovery.

The Democrats have shown themselves to be incapable of dealing with the crisis. It is time to start seriously thinking about third party candidates.

Another recovering Kossack

Why I Am Leaving Daily Kos – Public Option Bait and Switch

More specifically, Kos is the leader. He has set up Daily Kos with a certain purpose, and given the editors a prominent voice through the front page. So I was imprecise in saying that the editors are the leaders; in reality Kos is the leader. And it was indeed foolish and naive of me to ever think that talking to the editors would make any difference in the blog’s agenda, because they don’t make the rules. I apologize for that naivete.

To see how unflinching Daily Kos is at sticking to the elected Democratic consensus, also consider that the whole public option idea is not even remotely close to what its defenders and most elected Democrats make it out to be.

With any luck we will see khin joining the single payer chorus at Corrente.

Church of Scientology guilty of fraud in France

Judge cites ‘obsession’ with financial gain as group is fined $400,000

PARIS – A Paris court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than half a million euros — but stopped short of banning the group as requested by prosecutors.