Divide and conquer is the ultimate war mantra, and especially in politics this is a common practice. And the Democrats are too easy a prey. We can’t deny that although many times on the wrong side of history, the Republicans are masters at winning in political warfare. So much, to the point they can be seen as mean and as bullies. As a result, they may not be liked, but are feared and respected by many, including the opposition. They go even as far as turning around the bully and mean labels and slapping them on their weaker and more “fearful” opponents.

This latest stint of taking the words of Democrat strategist and CNN contributor, Hilary Rosen, and distorting her message, is extremely outrageous. Even more outrageous, is that everyone has fallen for it, including the media, the United States President and other top level Democrats.  It is the Democrats’ cowardly response, starting with the President, and not Hilary’s statement, that makes me think that perhaps, given this small “triumph”, the Romney campaign and the Republicans may just have a shot at the White House in November, after all.

As I watched the media coverage throughout the day, Hilary Rosen’s words were played over and over, mercilessly, and presented in a negative light. In the morning shows, mostly male Democrat commentators did not hesitate to throw her under the bus. By mid-morning, when CNN anchor Suzanne Malveaux came on, there was finally a non-GOP woman commenting on it. It took too long to get women who were not Republican  involved. And fairly, Rene Syler, author of the great blog, http://goodenoughmother.com/ finally shed the clarity that had been completely missing until then.

Her comments and entry deserve a good read. See my link below. I agree with Rene. Hilary Rosen’s  message last night was distorted when she was addressing the fact that Mitt Romney is so out of touch with women that he always turns to his wife for advice. The conversation turned to the economy and women, and how Mitt Romney often turns to his wife for advice on that as well. Hilary, obviously frustrated –as I would be- stated that, “guess what, his wife never worked a day in her life. She’s never really dealt with the kind of economic issues that a majority of women in this country are facing…”

Credit: CNN Videos http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2012/04/12/exp-ac-war-on-women.cnn.html

Apparently, after “Guess what. His wife has never worked a day in her life” no one heard anything else. No one actually paid attention to the words that followed: “She’s never really dealt with the kind of economic issues that a majority of women in this country are facing.” Of course the mean-spirited Romney/Republican camp took that and ran with it. They sent Ann Romney to defend herself out in the media, as if she had been called names. I found that outrageous. These Republicans are the same party that not long ago was calling women who want to make choices over their lives and family, sluts and whores. I have to give it to the Republicans. They are masters at political war.

When I heard the comment last night, it didn’t faze me. I didn’t think anything of it because I understood Hilary’s point. Ann Romney, and I Googled her, has never had to work outside the home in order to bring a paycheck while at the same time raise kids. She has been able to afford her choice to be a stay-at-home mom, which nowadays is more of a luxury a privileged minority of women in this country can afford.

The fact that Ann Romney and the Republicans have come out in force, twisting Hilary Rosen’s words and making an issue, making it seem like stay-at-home moms are under attack by the Democrats, including the President, is utterly ridiculous. The fact that the media bought it, as well as the White House and Dem party leaders, is beyond irrational. Weren’t people listening?

I am more outraged at the distortion of Hilary Rosen’s valid point than anything else. Hilary is right, although Ann Romney chose to work as a stay at home mom and raise her kids at home, (and I don’t deny is hard work) she had the privilege to choose it so, she and her few cars, likely household help and no economic worries. Sure I don’t discount her own life challenges. God knows we all have our own good share of those.  But to Hilary’s point, Ann Romney has never had to worry about choosing between staying late at work to finish something important for the boss, and coming home to make dinner or do the laundry.

My mother had to work three jobs and raise us at the same time, by herself, after the terrible divorce that brought us to this country. She took care of the laundry, the cooking, the teaching, all while working to make ends meet. She had to worry about the economic issues that women like Ann Romney, who are wealthy enough to choose to stay home, and likely with help, will never have to worry about. Worries such as coming up with money to pay the rent, school tuition, uniforms, books, all while making sure we as a family did not go to sleep hungry.  At times my mother had to make the tough choices of foregoing certain special occasions or other family needs to ensure all bills were paid and that our school came first. Our first Christmas we had to forego Christmas gifts so that all bills were paid. These, I doubt were the kind of choices that women like Ann Romney had to face.  But these are the choices millions of women out there are likely facing right now. And that is what Hilary Rosen was addressing. It resonated with me because I’ve seen it first hand. Perhaps it doesn’t resonate with others who have not had to go through those tough situations.

Working outside of the home, even if it’s just one job, it’s very difficult for a mother who does not have the option to be a stay-at-home-mom. She has to make sure the rent is paid and the food is on the table, all while making sure she earned enough money to afford her family a basic lifestyle and she still has to get home to be mom, night after night. Just like many moms out there, my mom had no choice. She had no help, not even the government’s. That is what Hilary Rosen was talking about. At no time I ever heard her say anything against Ann Romney as a stay at home mom, except that she has not gone through the hardships that working moms have to face, and therefore, Romney cannot rely on just her advice to understand women and economic issues. Ann’s experience does not encompass that of all women who are moms and have to make economic decisions. Hilary’s point was clear.

The fact that David Axelrod, on behalf of the Obama campaign, is upset because a political spouse has been targeted, is unfair. Mitt Romney often brings his wife into the conversation, and in fact, often mentions her as his advisor on women issues. So, in my opinion, that was fair game.

I am also extremely disappointed at the cowardly response from the White House. Earlier I heard the Press Secretary disown Hilary Rosen by claiming he didn’t know who she was, that there were a few other Hilary Rosens out there.

Was he serious!?

Does he not watch CNN?

Hilary Rosen is often on the air, speaking favorably, always supporting the president, even in his unpopular decisions, when he has bowed to the Republicans and angered his own base.

David Axelrod is just now on CNN speaking to John King, also disowning her.

This is downright betrayal!

Talk about turning so quickly on your own!

This is the sort of play that turns me off about the Democrats. While the Republicans have stated really awful things, they rarely apologize for anything. The gutless Democrats take it and move on. When one of their own gets attacked by the Republicans, the Democratic leadership steps aside and watches her get slaughtered, and in fact help the slaughter. And I am sure that all Democrat strategists won’t even dare to speak up against that cowardice. They have to watch out for their own political survival.

Had President Obama, his administration and advisors, taken the step to clarify the situation, instead of distancing themselves so quickly from Hilary Rosen, I would have more respect for this whole “democratic leadership”. For now, my respect goes to the nasty lying Republicans for winning this one, not cleanly, but for winning dirty. There go the Democrats giving in again. How can we voters expect them to stand up for us under the pressure of the Republicans? It feels hopeless!

While President Obama has been earning my vote, today I pause about that decision. It is sadly true that likely come November, there will be nowhere else to go but Democrat, but for now, I will say, President Obama on a day like today, could have easily lost my vote for not standing with a staunch supporter, who has faithfully stood by his side, politically in the media, and instead, once again, bowed to the mean suits whose only goal is to win, even if it is against the best interest of the American people.

I am very disappointed Mr. President, that you are not taking care of one of your own. You are so busy trying to keep your job that you may just lose it by showing lack of spine in defending your team and those who stand for you.

Let’s hope this is not the year 2000 over again.

Click here to read Rene Syler’s post on the controversy. Her blog address is: http://goodenoughmother.com

P.S. Interesting discussion on The View this morning. Check it out here, or click below.

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Fast forward three decades later, and I find myself here in the USA, having conversations with other friends who can recall similar experiences, whether they grew up here or abroad. We all openly discuss how products made in China remain low quality, low prestige and of course, very cheap. Gone are the days of buying a good blender with a high speed powerful motor. Of course you can buy a blender at the local cheap goods store in the neighborhood for under $30. Sure you can take it home, use it for the immediate needs, but we all know that such a blender won’t be still sitting in the kitchen counter a few years later.

A few years ago, I found in an antiques shop an old blender, still in its box. Apparently it had been gifted and never opened. It had the seals, the booklet, everything. It was like a time capsule. It was beige, with all the multi-buttons in the front. It had a 60’s/70’s look about it.  The jar was made of sturdy glass. Very sturdy. When I saw the speed of the motor and compared it to my current made in China blender, it was almost double the strenght! I bought it for $30 and took it home to open it with the curiosity of a scientist. I read everything in the booklet. It looked sturdy, solid, well made, the way old products made in the USA used to be. In comparison, my flimsy made in China blender that I had bought at Bed Bad and Beyond felt weaker and lighter. I looked at the bottom of the blender and it said, Made in the USA, Stamford, CT. I am sure that factory is no longer there.

Believe it or not, I put it to use. It was brand new, in the box. This blender was used on a daily basis. We used to put ice cubes and it would smash them to smithereens and keep going.

This blender is an example of the days gone. This is an example of what we have lost. In the eighties, the new administration began to open the door for companies to start making things cheaply elsewhere and bring them back to sell them for less.

Today we have all taken the bait, and put our country’s manufacturing industry out of business.

What has it done for us?

1. Sure! We are buying things cheaper. But if we think about it, are we really saving money in the long run by buying cheap things?

2. These cheap things we buy, usually made in China, don’t last the way other things do. It’s as if they are made so they break within a year or two, and then back to the market to buy again. Not built to last.

3. When disposing of these cheap things, we are hurting our environment, because we are disposing of these plastics and metals more often.

4. Not only are millions of workers jobless here in the USA, but those who are working those jobs overseas are being paid slave wages. Massive size factories paying people insulting wages. The workers out there are not exactly living a middle class lifestyle.

OK. So, we end up buying cheaper things. But are we really? What price are we paying for having this invasion of things made in China.

If we think about it, everyone is getting hurt, except those on top who are making money on this. We think we’re saving money, but in reality we are not, when we have to buy the same product a year or two later because it broke down.

I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to spend a few dollars more on something of quality, made in the USA, than buy something on the cheap that is enslaving masses overseas and keeping people jobless here at home. No doubt, I’ll have to replace the item quite soon, and by throwing out the first item, I’m polluting more!

It’s time we start looking at the labels and start demanding things made in the USA. The Made in USA label always meant built for durability, good quality and prestige.

Not sure how this can be done from the top, but I believe this movement needs to start with each of us. Let’s start asking for things made in the USA the next time we are at a store. We need to be willing to pay a little more. But we do get what we pay for. It is going to be difficult, no doubt, but we have to start somewhere.

It’s time to revive what Made in USA means and has meant. It is time to stop buying what they want us to buy.

If you agree with this, make sure to share this sentiment with at least two other friends. The next time you’re in a store, look at the labels, and ask for the manager. Ask her/him if there are items made in the USA. Hey, look, things made in Europe are pretty good too! Point is, avoid feeding the demand for products made in China.

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STOP PIPA (Senate 968) & SOPA (HR 3261)

★ ★ ★ Please take a minute to tell your Members of Congress you OPPOSE PIPA & SOPA ★ ★ ★

READ MORE BY CLICKING HERE

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, MOBILIZE. OR IT’LL BE THE END OF THE INTERNET AS WE KNOW IT.

LINK ABOVE WILL TAKE YOU TO CRAIGSLIST NY PROTEST PAGE.

For the Wikipedia page, please go to:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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Whether it’s women, young men or children, they valiantly face the cameras as they relate a very personal account of someone, usually an authority figure, who crossed the personal boundary line, to go where they were never invited. Usually these depictions are intimate, and here is why I call these victims brave. No one wants to share their intimate affairs in public! Unfortunately it is the only way to give certainty to what happened. The public is usually skeptical, so they want details. Details are fine if you’re talking about a business deal, about software, but about sexual abuse, it is immensely embarrassing. That is why I call these victims brave, because they have to re-live the abuse, by digging back into a memory they rather bury deep somewhere in their minds.

What’s worse, if the victim, who finally finds the strength to come forward is an adult, usually a woman, their personal history is suddenly under the microscope, and given that we’re all humans and have made mistakes along our paths, the past mistakes of these victims are suddenly magnified to take away credibility from their horrendous story. So, now the abuse has taken its second round of harm, this time on a public forum.

Interestingly enough, the focus remains on the victim and their past, and rarely is moved on to the abuser in question.

Skeptics usually will ask, “Why didn’t she say something right there?” “Why did it take her/him this long to say something?” “Is there proof?” “Are there any witnesses?”  Or “Perhaps  she was leading him on?”

Or worse, an even more insensitive crowd will just make statements, “Well, it’s a man’s world, what do you expect?” “You want to be part of the boys club, well, learn to play with the boys.”

I call it insensitive because it is obvious those who question victims of sexual abuse are clueless about the horror of the situation, which beyond the physical, relies on the mental realm to retain its power.

A conversation with a fellow tweep sparked this write up, because I realize each of us have our own perception of this type of abuse.  While some deem it as sexual, I am of the belief that the one thing these crimes have in commons is abuse of power.  Otherwise, how else do these abusers think they can get away with ravaging their victim, coming back for more, for years, confident  they will get away with it. It’s a power thing, it’s about impunity. No doubt, this is my view, and a very debatable topic. I don’t claim to be an authority in psychology, but I do want to share with you my dear readers an insight on this topic, especially if you consider yourself among the skeptics.

The first thing I’ll share here is that sexual abuse, whether you’re a child, or a woman, happens more often than you think. Most people would immediately ask here, why isn’t it reported as often as it happens?  Well, there are many factors in play, and usually the abuser knows them and utilizes these as tools to ensure secrecy.

For example, a known and well respected coach in an all-girls junior high school, begins to touch inappropriately and make sexual advances on some of the students, especially those trying out for the basketball team. He knows they want to make the team. How badly? His psychological advantage will be equivalent to their desire to make the team. That’s likely how he’ll choose his victims. After all, he’s the one with the final say. He’ll have their way with them and their docility and fear of getting a bad grade, not making the team, of embarrassment in front of their classmates, fear no one will believe them, are all factors that will come into play as they face the abuse. The abuser knows this, and perhaps gets a rise out of the possibility of getting caught, yet more confident of the likelihood of getting away with it. In their eyes, the fact that their victim is docile and afraid to fight them back, is implied acceptance. Their sense of power is increased.

Another example, a little four-year old girl has an old and highly revered uncle in the family, whose authority no one questions.  When he’s alone with the little girl, this uncle will pull her on his lap and begin touching her in her intimate parts. The little girl is perhaps three or four years old and doesn’t  understand what is going on, but she knows she doesn’t like it. She’s too small to stand up for herself, but  she keeps fighting and trying to get away from him. He is much bigger and stronger. She’s usually saved when another adult walks into the room. She dreads visiting this uncle throughout the years, because he’ll always try to find a way to be alone with her and make undesired sexual advances on her. Why doesn’t  she say something?  Perhaps because she does not want to hurt the uncle’s wife, or her own parents. She fears bringing this up will break up the family. She is also too embarrassed to say anything and even wonders if they’ll believe her.  It’ll be her word against his.

Another example, a young pharmaceutical sales rep, decently attractive, and a couple of fellow male reps, take a doctor and his wife out to dinner to a top New York restaurant. This doctor is key to the acceptance of the company’s new product into a major hospital formulary, which would mean a great triumph to the team, and to the company. At around dessert time, under the table, the doctor makes his move and starts running his hand along the inner thigh of this young female rep, who happens to be sitting next to him. While her first instinct is to get up, slap him and make a scene, she also knows it’d be over for her company and the relationship with this key client. Do you think the key client knows this? Of course he does! His wife is next to him, on the other side! Again, the risk of getting caught but likely the chance of getting away with it it’s certainly in his mind. What options does the young female rep have here?  Aside from the urge to get up and punch him in the face and cause a scene, she needs to think about the big picture. The official acceptance of this new product, into the hospital formulary would be a major win, and a traveling hand is standing in the way. I won’t tell you how she handled it, but it will suffice to say that the man’s hand was off that leg within seconds. The man, privately embarrassed, got up and sat elsewhere on the table. Apparently no one noticed, except a fellow rep, who had been watching, also at a loss of what to do, given all the dynamics playing in the situation. The product eventually went on formulary at that hospital.

A young woman has a colleague in the office, one  she’d rather avoid. Every time a woman is about to walk into the office, he’ll say, “hooter watch, hooter watch.” He rates women on their “headlights” and “rear bumpers”.  All this goes on in a mostly male environment. Of course this particular situation went on in the late 80’s, before sexual harassment  protection became more visible in the work place. This young woman dreaded coming into work because she also wondered what would this disrespectful, male, but otherwise considered “funny and likable” colleague would say about her. If he dared to say those things in front of her, she would only wonder what he’d say to the all-male office when she wasn’t  around.  The sad thing is that these situations are NOT uncommon. Women have to endure this all the time.

What if she were to walk into HR and denounce this otherwise likable guy? She’d be ostracized as the whiner and complainer.  The working environment would turn very uncomfortable for her, because all the other male colleagues complicitly participated into his female-berating banter and likely won’t appreciate that the “party is over” because of the one woman that was there. What’s more, among them, they will make a mental note not to allow her to participate in any group meetings or projects because she’s a “troublemaker” and “doesn’t play the game.” So, if this woman depends on this job to pay her rent, probably feed her children and put them through school, she knows she’s better off not saying anything, and start looking for another job to move on from that nightmare.

The problem is, even during the exit interview she may not say anything because she may need those references one day and she won’t want it to go on her record that she “made a stink” over a male colleague who will probably be described as a “harmless joker.”  The worse offense of all is that once she’s moved on safely onto another job, the next woman who replaces her will have to endure the same abuse, and be faced with the same choices. Eventually someone will notice and wonder why women don’t last there, and will probably chuck it to women not being reliable or right for the work environment. You always wonder though, if the people who manage those kinds of places really know what’s going on, and if they do, are they silently complicit, especially if they know the offender is a top producer?

What’s more interesting, would you believe each of the situations described above happened to one woman, one average looking woman??

For those of you who believe that sexual harassment, or abuse is set to only happen once if it does at all, it is an eye-opening fact, that a child or a woman can face this situation more than once in their lifetimes.

Many of my female friends have their share of stories of abuse, whether as children or as adults in the work place. Some are horrific stories, too horrific to believe. One of them, when she began to dig into her memories and re-lived the abuse, fell into drug-addiction, was in and out of rehab, and eventually jumped off a Manhattan building. She was beautiful, well off, so smart. No one would have believed her story.

All these stories are real. They have happened, and continue to happen to real people, in the most unlikely situations and places. I find it hard to believe that they only happens once in a blue moon to  a handful of people.

Do you know what happens once in a blue moon? That someone  has the courage to come forward, ready for public scrutiny and eventual ridicule, and denounce their abuser, or the system that protected the abuser. They know they will lose a lot. Their personal reputation will suffer. They probably even will have a hard time retaining their jobs or finding a new one. Employers would be skeptical of hiring “people like that” because they’ll fear any internal issues will be ousted by this “whistleblower”.

It is very difficult to find the strength to break out of a system that allows these abuses to happen, especially if someone’s livelihood depends on the very system.  Those who are courageous enough to do it, know their lives will forever be changed, and not necessarily for the better. And if we’re talking about a child in a bad family situation, the dynamics are even worse, for they’ll be fearing their families be  broken, torn apart, and they’ll needlessly wear their guilt in their conscience for years to come.

So, the next time you see a brave woman or brave young man, step up to the plate and face the media to denounce their horrid story, please be kind, listen with sympathy, if you cannot empathize.

Will there always be someone who abuses the system and will lie about abuse? Sure! But based on what I’ve seen, they are more likely to be the exception than the rule.

Notice that usually these people who come out of the shadows are usually people who point at someone who is or has been in a position of power, and is likely to be protected by their “good reputation” and “top standing in the community.”  How can a child or a young woman, less known, stand up to that?  At least the woman has the option to leave, and the situation won’t be corrected. The child has an even worse situation if it is happening within the family.

In whatever wicked way, the abuser knows their “power” will protect them. They feel they are above the law.

Sexual abuse, harassment, assault, in my opinion, are about abuse of power over someone  who they perceive, is unable to defend themselves, to fight back. Does it arouse some of these criminals? No doubt. The danger of perhaps getting caught, of doing something forbidden, of overpowering a meek prey, it all appeals to the id inside many predators. It smells of base instincts, those that are stronger in some people, stronger than their common sense and whatever intelligence they claim to have. Power, in my opinion, is the number one reason behind it, sexual pleasure is consequential.

So, at this point, I commend all those victims of sexual abuse of any nature, for coming out of the shadows and exposing this awful practice. We all know it’s been going on for as long as we exist as humans, but this is the 21^st century, and if we have not evolved from the early caveman era, then we have little hope for true evolution.

I would like to invite victims of sexual harassment, to speak up more often, whether it is by going to their HR department more often, by making allies out of other people in power positions, who will give you the benefit of the doubt when you speak up. Today is a bit easier to speak up. If nothing else, use your personal technology to record the crimes, and always be on guard, especially when you see the red flags. If your instinct tells you something is wrong, listen to it, arm yourself with your technology and record it. If no one believes you and you have recorded it, you have many more options today. And if going to the authorities does not help you, then you know the public  forums are the way to go.

Denounce your abuser.  We need to let these predators know that their crimes will no longer go unpunished or remain a secret. Let’s get it out in the open. Record it, tape it, but do not let them get away with it. That is how you’ll take away their power over you.

And as far as the rest of us, let’s not be so quick to jump to judgment. The victim has much more to lose when they step up and speak up. No one wants to be in their shoes. So, be kind and try to understand. Given that this happens so often, you can only hope it won’t happen to you, or someone you love.

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The moment that some people who identified themselves with the #OWS movement did not like my tweets about them, I was unfollowed. That behavior is no different than the very people they are opposing! Geesh! What is this? Some type of ideology that if you don’t follow to the letter you are shunned?

To expand on my thinking from this morning, I am not happy with the way the occupiers were treated as they were removed from Zucotti Park, however, I do believe it was necessary that a refresh occurs. And before any of you OWS supporters turn away, hear me out first, because I have the feeling I’m speaking up certain things that others, moderates and independents who like me, support you, won’t dare to tell you.

Each one of us, the average citizen, who toils to work every day, who pays outrageous bank and credit card fees, who got scammed in the housing boom by the greedy banks, who feel scammed by the liars in Washington D.C., and their K-Street lords, are thrilled, elated, excited that you guys took the time, effort and put yourselves out there and started this amazing movement that speaks for us, the silent majority who doesn’t have the time to occupy because there are so many other duties we must attend to, that there is no time. Here is where many of us decided to visit your location, bring stuff, go online and donate, since we couldn’t be there all the time as you have, to support you 100%, even if we can’t be there 100% of the time like you are.

Our support of the OWS movement, however, does not mean that we also support some of your methods.

While occupying beautiful Zucotti Park is certainly a way to make a statement, quite the statement no doubt, given how its lights were out the whole time you have been there, your statement has been heard loud and clear around the world, by everyone whose head hasn’t been in the sand. Thank you for speaking for us. However, moving into Zucotti Park and putting up tents, living under tarps, in the less than acceptable conditions, where in the past few weeks your movement has been filtered by petty criminals and less than desirable types, staining the good image of the movement, is certainly a major credibility killer.

I have been there, a few times, anonymously. I don’t tell you when I go there. I have spoken to some of your fine people at the “information” tables. I have seen the good work and organization. I have stood among you in the general assemblies and heard your valuable input. As I’ve walked about Zucotti Park, my heart has been broken watching some of you sleeping in bags in the cold concrete, braving rain and cold weather under tarps and tents. I respect and admire your risking police brutality, disdain, your health! What’s more, I’ve admired your amazing work online, and love the fact that Anonymous is behind you. But in truth, guys and gals, I have also seen some really odd characters there, detracting from your message. While everyone is allowed to express themselves, it seems that allowing these oddballs in the movement take away from the message. After all, it is these oddballs that make the cameras and the 6 o’clock news. We, the 99% you represent see this. I’ve seen the majority of OWS peeps at Zucotti Park, and I’ll tell you that you’re not well represented in pictures and videos!

Given the few times I’ve been to Zucotti Park, and especially having heard about some of the petty crimes happening inside the tents, makes it very difficult for your average Jane to just walk in there by herself, especially in a suit after work. Whenever I tell my friends I go there to visit the movement, I am always told, “be careful!”. This, coming from middle class professionals who are too busy to come down, but who I know have donated online supporting you. What does that say about the way the movement is perceived by the very people you are claiming to represent?

What’s more, I will confess that the smell of homelessness remains in my clothes long after I’m gone, every time I visit. The majority of the press has been diplomatic enough not to go there and share that with viewers when reporting, but those of us who have walked among you, seen the tents, know what I’m talking about. The comedians such as Stephen Colbert have touched upon the hygiene issue, which is no secret.

While we root for you, as we watch from afar, via the net, the TV, these minor detractors such as petty crimes, hygiene issues, noise, are slowly peeling away at the credibility of the movement.

Yes, you say there is no leader, but someone is handling your web presence, someone is handling the donations web page. I plead to those of you leading the movement, whoever you are; it is time to take it to the next level. You have earned enough attention and admiration, hopefully enough monetary support to open up your own offices, perhaps to rent a small building/location to house some of the people who have travelled from afar to join the movement. Why don’t you take it to the next level?

Isn’t it time you open up locations around the country? These offices could be staffed by volunteers. This movement, which we all know has gone global, could also transform itself into a powerful organized global political force, something the current establishment will fear even more and will have no choice but to take more seriously. What is wrong with protesting during the day and going home at night? Why can’t that be done?

Going back to the park, building tents and creating the conditions again that led to the petty crimes, the lack of safety, the lack of hygiene in there, is no way to increase your credibility. On the contrary, it squashes it. You all know well that throwing rocks at City Hall is not going to get you too far.

I bet if you take it to the next level and get rid of the minor deterrents which the OWS movement has been plagued with lately, open up campaign offices and organize protests from there, you will have the millions of us who have been watching you and supporting you from afar, come in, roll up our sleeves and help out in whatever way we can. The people presence would only increase immensely. I bet if you did that, the movement would be respected as a strong political movement. It will have to become that, a political force, otherwise how else can influence at the ballot box be obtained? Otherwise the real occupation of government cannot happen.

I beg you, think about it. There is no need to occupy physically anymore. Your message has been heard.  It’s time the Occupy Wall Street movement grows to the next level. When you do, you will find many more of us waiting to jump in.

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Earlier today I read an article in the Atlantic, questioning why would Iran want to blow up the Saudi Ambassador here in the capital.  That was the last straw that sent me to address this issue right here. The writer questions Iran’s motivations to the point of defending the bloody America-hating Iranian regime, framing what he believes is the correct Iranian thinking.  The writer goes even as far to accuse the Obama administration of having come up with a plot so “far out of left field that it should raise more questions than accusations.”

The further I read, the more I disagreed, but when the writer questioned why involve the Mexican drug cartels, I realized how this person really needs to brush up on their Latin American news and current events.

This was without a doubt, a right wing-conservative article, designed to plant the seeds of doubt against the hard work of the current administration, keeping us safe from the new emerging style of global threats. It was clear this person still has last century mentality when it comes to modern warfare and spy games.

Unfortunately, this writer, and this article, are not the only ones questioning the veracity of the latest Iranian plot in the United States. I can understand that some things are very hard to believe, especially if you don’t have any factual proof connecting the dots. Perhaps I can forgive the media, the real centrist media asking the tough questions. But when it comes from someone’s clear political agenda, I find it outrageous and unforgivable, almost to the point of treason.

It’s really shameful to see how right-wing-leaning commentators are so blind and so politically motivated to go as far as making the case for the Iranian regime to defend itself. These conservatives  will do and say anything to ensure Democrats and our well-meaning-but-too-naive-to-believe-in-the-good-faith-of-the-GOP-to-do-the-right-thing President are kicked out of power come election day.

I bet if Bush and Cheney had been in power, the con response would have been the opposite, with calls to even bomb Iran. I recall well at the end of those chaos-causing eight years of Republican regime, how talks about attacking Iran began to emerge from the administration. No con questioned it.

What the people who are questioning the veracity of this Iranian plot need to see is the ominous network developing south of the border, where dictators (who call themselves “president” and rig elections to keep the appearance of “democracy” to the naive world) have joined together in the so called ALBA, founded and led by Castro and Chavez. Castro with his ideas, anti-American hate and methods to extend stay in power, and Chavez financing it all, not only with oil money, but also with DRUG money.

Have you heard of El Cartel de Miraflores? That is the drug cartel run from Hugo Chavez’ presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela.

Have you heard of the chummy relationship between Ahmadinejad and Chavez? Check out this video right here, where they are holding hands! This video segment was televised by a Latin American news network, which sadly, today is under threat of closure by a Chavez-friendly administration. They have risked themselves so much that now they have caught the ire of these Chavez allies for exposing things as they are.

Have you heard of the tiny farmer towns in Venezuela hosting Hezbollah and other terrorist training camps? Hugo Chavez has expropriated lands and property from farmers, regular innocent people, from small towns, kicked them out, thrown them in jail if they protest, to make room for his new terrorist, guerrilla and drug cartel friends.

Have you heard how drug money and cartels are fighting for territory in Mexico, the link to Chavez’ terrorist network?

Have you heard how Manuel Zelaya (Chavez’ puppet in Honduras, which happens to be right south of the border of Mexico) is fighting to go back in power, after being kicked out of the country two years ago for trying to pull a “Chavez-style” vote on the people of Honduras, breaking constitutional law?

Did you know that Honduras is a key “entrance” port for Hugo Chavez and associates to infiltrate Mexico and the USA not only for smuggling drugs, but also weapons and their newly-trained “English/Spanish/Arab speaking” terrorists? Given their skin color and appearance, they usually pass as Latin Americans. So, of course he’s going to need a puppet as leader of Honduras letting him do whatever he wants. It was already happening before Zelaya got kicked out. Ask the people of Honduras about the overnight “small plane drops.”

Ask the police in the Dominican Republic about the Venezuelan owned planes that have been confiscated from illegal landings, all with traces of coke and other drugs? All these are registered Venezuelan-owned property. What’s more, it is old news that the drug traffic from Latin American into the USA and Europe has increased since Hugo Chavez has been in power.

So, can you connect the dots?

Iran—>Venezuela/Cuba—->Bringing terrorists via Latin America—->working with drug cartels—->smuggling drugs, money, weapons, people—->Up north into the United States.

And that is keeping it simple! Let me not confuse you with the complexities and all the other players such as Lybia, Bolivia, The FARC from Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua…

I bet you the questioners of the Iranian plot know very little of this slow-growing threat south of the border.

After all, many of them don’t care, because these are “third-world” countries, and only we the USA and key allies count.

Guess what? Ahmadinejad, Al Qaeda, Chavez, Castro and their ALBA buddies are all counting on our ignorance and lack of  caring.

It DOES make sense that Iranian operatives went to a Mexican cartel guy. The ties of trust between Iranian thugs and drug cartel thugs have already been established, thanks to Hugo Chavez’ leadership in Venezuela. It makes complete sense if you’re paying attention to what’s building south of our borders.

It makes complete sense that Iran is aligned with drug cartels from Latin America. Mexico is only a piece of the puzzle, the final step, the closest.

The door that Hugo Chavez has opened to all these terrorist thugs from the Middle East over in Venezuela, where he hosts them in their own towns, (AKA “training camps”) is designed exactly for the type of plot that writers like the one from the Atlantic are too blind to see.

I strongly encourage those who question, to do a little homework before devoting long paragraphs in well known publications, knitting a web of right-wing spin just to make the Obama administration’s actions look questionable. In reality we all know there are political motivations behind these uninformed “questions”, unbelievably enough to the point of defending the hideous Iranian thugs. Anything to make the President and current administration look badly, and score winning points, even if it is at the expense of the American people. Unfortunately it isn’t the first time right wingers show their disregard for the welfare of the American people, as long as they can regain power in the next election and keep their rich donors happy. Thankfully, there are exceptions. Tonight I saw NY Republican Representative, Peter King, validate the threat of the plot.

While the use of the first amendment is guaranteed by our constitution, I advice these “questioners” to do the responsible thing and do their homework first. Despite their aversion to it, brush up on their Spanish. There’s tons of material in Spanish, on what I describe above backing up my explanation. Unfortunately, not enough of  it gets translated to English. In fact well-respected journalists and news organizations in Latin America are either imprisoned, go under, or are killed when reporting all this, some have even gone undercover risking their lives. We rarely hear about it here, unless you tune to Univision and the great and courageous journalist Jorge Ramos, who’s constantly shedding light on this. He has also incurred the wrath of Hugo Chavez. In fact there is a story that Jorge had to flee Venezuela once because his coverage of Chavez angered the dictator and his mob of blind followers, armed by the very dictator. But again, you would only know this if you spoke Spanish and watched news from Latin America.

The English-speaking media here won’t cover it because we’re so self absorbed in our worlds. The ratings would suffer.

It seems to me the Obama administration IS paying attention to what’s going on. This is the picture of the new 21st century global warfare tactics. It is what it is, whether we like it or not.

If you find all of this hard to believe, think of the Twin Towers. Did we EVER believe they would fall? When they unfortunately did, it caught millions of us by surprise. Did you ever think a dumb terrorist would carry a bomb in his underwear? Sounds like fantasy?

If we keep analyzing things using a last century mentality, we are due for more of these “nasty” surprises.

Whether you agree with the President or not, with his administration, you have to give them credit for uncovering this plot, which for now makes complete sense to those of us who are paying attention to the full picture.

Many sources, many well-known, other lesser known, in English and in Spanish, are provided here in links to give you factual background on statements above. The following sources were used and linked:

CNN.com
TheGuardian.co.uk
Boston.com/bigpicture
Wikipedia.com
AlianzaBoliviariana.org
TheAmericasReport a project by the Center for Security Policy
NoticieroDigital.com
Fausta’sblog.com
Investors.com
DiariodelosAndes.com
Globalvoicesonline.com
La Prensa, Honduras
Library of Congress, Federal Research Division
Economist.com
AtlasShrugs2000.com
MSNBC.com
USAToday.com
ElPais.com
JorgeRamos.com

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This is a topic that needs to be addressed. How can black church leaders, who themselves have fought for civil rights, now advocate to deny those of the LGBT community and families such as that of my friend? It is quite unfair and it deserves attention.

There is a project being set up to shed a light on this hypocritical failure and share with the world the unfairness. Take a look at my friend’s email, her words, her compelling case, and click on the link below to learn more about this awareness project.

Excerpt from my friend’s email:

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This is great oppty to help raise awareness in the black community.

I’ve been totally disgusted by how some black churches have taken up the anti-same sex marriage crusade. It is reprehensible under any circumstances, but when the black community is in the midst of such a crisis, with unemployment, inadequate access to health care, failing schools, teen violence, teen pregnancy and high drop out rates, it’s damn near criminal.

We have black kids bouncing around from one foster care home to another, addiction rates are high, incarceration rates have sky rocketed and you have black ministers wasting time fighting same sex marriage.

I would like to understand how that helps the African-American community. If their failure to try to deal with the real challenges facing the African American community doesn’t destroy their credibility, I don’t know what will. Teens are dying in the street from gang violence and these weak-willed ministers are fighting gay marriage. What is wrong with these people?

If they truly want to walk with God, they need to fight for social justice. They don’t have to take up the pro-LGBT fight, but they certainly should not waste precious time and resources fighting against civil rights for the LGBT community. It’s easy to go out and denounce a group one deems small and powerless.

If these anti-same-sex marriage African American ministers want to save the black family, they can start with providing mentors to black boys and teens. Teach them skills that will make them employable. Teach them that love and commitment will make them strong. Teach them that the measure of a man is, as Sydney Portier (sp?) says, “how well he takes care of his family.”

Impregnating a bunch of women and in many cases young teen girls and then failing to care for the children, either financially or emotionally, does not make them men. It does not or at least should earn them the respected title of father. It makes them sperm donors.

Teach these youngsters how to resolve conflict without violence, and teach teen girls to value themselves and their bodies. Teach these young women not to sublimate their ambitions to make a man feel strong.

Our community needs strong, productive individuals of both genders.

Condemn the dysfunction that rap music perpetuates and show youngsters a better way.

When these anti-same-sex-marriage ministers turn 100 percent of their attention toward trying to solve some of the long standing problems in the African-American community, then they’ll be doing God’s work. Opposing equal protection under the law for the LGBT community is not worthy of the black church.

Progressive African American leaders both in and outside of the church need to step up and speak out about this issue.

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See below a note from Thomas Allen Harris, introducing this important project:

I am working on a new documentary project about Same Sex marriage from an African American perspective entitled Marriage Equality: Byron Rushing and the Fight for Fairness.

The film was commissioned by Tribeca All Access Program and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa to highlight individuals who embody the principals of Nelson Mandela. We chose to focus on Massachusetts State Representative and Civil Rights Movement veteran Byron Rushing, who together with a group of progressive Black leaders, successfully confronted African American clergy to win hearts, minds and votes on the emotionally divisive issue of same sex marriage, which is now legal in Massachusetts. Byron, who is straight, is perhaps an unlikely gay hero.

We are currently fundraising through United States Artist’s new social media website. The only hitch is that we have to raise our goal of $10k in order to access any of the funds. Please consider making a donation through the site:  http://projectsite.unitedstatesartists.org/notification/4236

Our goal is to complete the film in September and embark on a large outreach effort to gain support for and dialogue around the connection between Marriage Equality and the Civil Rights Movement within African American secular and religious communities across the country.

No donation is too small. Also, please spread the word to all parties who might be interested in supporting this important project.

Peace & blessings,

Thomas

Marriage Equality: Byron Rushing And The Fight For Fairness

By Thomas Allen Harris

A short documentary that connects the Black civil rights movement with the Lesbian and Gay marriage equality

Photo credits, and for more information on this important issue, visit the links below:
http://renwl.org/news/lgbt-rights/how-we-love-to-play-that-single-issue-blues-the-great-black-gay-cop-out
http://thebigotbasher.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/its-all-quite-simple-really/
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=965

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We have the Republican Party.

The way things are going, it does not look like the GOP cares about our beloved country.

The Republican party only cares about winning, even it means chaos.

They want to return to power so badly that despite millions of our tax dollars, that have been given to their donors and sponsors, getting richer on the back of the American Dream of the middle class, they are like little children who want to drive their father’s car, even though they know well they can’t drive and will likely crash the car.

Whatever happened to those conservatives who really cared about valid issues, those that made our country better?  Whatever happened to listening, to looking at the big picture, to be willing to negotiate?

These new people, who call themselves Republicans or Tea Party members, are a danger to the future of the United States. How can they not give a hoot about our national debt and hold us hostage to their whim?

If the Republican party, the Tea Party, the Obama haters, the racists who want to see the country fail under the leadership of our first African American president, all get their wish, they’ll bring doom to America without the help of terrorists.

The likes of Rupert Murdoch, manipulating messages to the masses to suit his right wing philosophies, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, spreading hate and division, the peddlers of doom and gold, and the millions of foolish followers, all living right here, are  the perfect formula to bring the destruction of the country we all love.

If the corporate puppets in congress win, by squeezing the middle, working classes, the poor, the disabled and retirees, by keeping their Bush era tax cuts, or by allowing us to go bankrupt as a country, millions of us will hold the Republican party responsible.

The problem is, it’ll be too late to do anything about any of this.

I thought we had learned our lesson after eight years of GOP-leadership. Yes, we voted for hope and change in 2008. But we all knew it wouldn’t be easy and couldn’t expect miracles, especially with the policies of obstructionism from the Republicans, from day one. Though Democrats aren’t perfect, at least we know they fight for us, the average voter. Their problem is that they are not tough enough to stand up to the GOP bullies. But we cannot let them stand back. Perhaps what we need to do is stand behind them as they confront the GOP bullies. We need to show up en masse, tell our democrat & independent representatives to keep fighting for us. After all, they are our only option, our only hope.

Some people are talking about abandoning their support for the Democrats,  no longer supporting President Obama. My question is, where are they going to go? What other options do we have? One option is to stay home and not vote on election day. For every Democrat vote that stays home, will be an advantage to the Republicans. So that is a foolish option. Ask the Venezuelans how did that work out for them and Hugo Chavez? Many stayed home out of anger and let the other side win. Staying home is NO OPTION. The other option, as foolish, vote for a third party candidate in the major elections. That’s another wasted vote, though I confess that I do wish sometimes that a strong third party candidate would surge and sweep the country and really do something about this corruption. But I’m a grown up and live in the real world. For now, Democrat is the only option, even if we are angry at them.

What perhaps we need to do with our Democrat representatives, once elected to office, is not forget about them, but keep checking up on them, keep calling their offices, writing to them, all the time, from every household.

This is no longer a job we should leave to small interest groups, or some political organization. Calling our representatives and state what we need them to do for us, as well as donate a little bit of our money, to keep them away from using corporate money, should be the new duty of every citizen in this country, especially us, independents, who normally aren’t registered with any party. Our voices often go unheard.

The Democrats are our only hope, but we need to keep them honest. So I say let’s begin micromanaging them, just like I have no doubt, the rich corporations micromanage their puppets in congress. Let’s contribute, but also keep tabs.  Not all of them are sell-outs or wimps, but let’s have them all do the job we send them to do for us.

Don’t give up on the Dems. We need to stack the deck against the threat that lives inside our own country, and that is political apathy. Those who only care about winning, even at the expense of millions of citizens in this country, will take advantage of our lack of oversight. You know who they are: the GOP, their various fragments such as the Tea Party, Fox News, and the many other well-paid multimillion dollar organizations with the sole purpose of defeating the middle class, under the guise of some apparently harmless “cause”. They benefit from our lack of involvement in the political process.

At this point, the GOP, and its many iterations, will win either way, whether the president and Dems give into their demands and cut basic services to millions of citizens who need them, and keep taxes to the rich and powerful, or if they allow the country to default so they can point the finger at our President. So, either way we’re screwed and the GOP wins.

The November 2010 election was not too long ago, but we’re already paying dearly for that mistake. Let’s not forget the hard-learned lessons of the past. Floridians were foolish enough to put a corrupt man in their governor chair. Such a short few months later, they are already regretting it.

Let’s not sit on the sidelines. We cannot let the bullies win. Call everyone of your political representatives in Washington DC and ask them to keep their promise to us the voters. Contribute if you can, because we have the awful results of the “Citizens United” case also stacked against us.

We cannot sit on the sidelines and let the GOP bullies win. For if they do, Al Qaeda will be celebrating, along with our many other enemies, for at this point, the Armageddon the right wing nut jobs keep talking about, will be brought on, by their own people, thus proving them right.

Let’s not let the bullies win. We know what we need to do.

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Autum of 2008 feels as if it were only yesterday. Unfortunately, the mess of that time is still quite present for so many. Andrew’s book no doubt, points to the many factors that led to that terrible state of things, the magnitude of the catastrophe that was really avoided, and the players who still have had a hand, and continue to have a hand on our economy. Trying really hard not to sound partisan, as much as it looks like every one had a part on this mess, including us the consumers, the story clearly indicates that the greed of the few that ran the financial institutions, protected by mainly Republicans, had a big piece of the stake in this mess.

Prior comment aside, clearly, partisanship is not going to get us anywhere. Clearly it has led us to undesired places. So, I will make every effort here not to point the finger at the ones I want so badly to continue pointing the finger to. Perhaps just this once is worth having done so we don’t allow these people back in power, perhaps so we’re reminded and don’t make that mistake again. Last year, the rise of the so called “independent” Tea Party movement, clearly financed by the Republicans who want to return to power at any cost, is not fooling the rest of us, true independents.

We do NOT need anymore finger pointing though, as tempting as it is, and so easy to dwell on. It is so, so easy to fall into that.  God knows how much I want to. But mine is only one of the million voices in this country, who have such little weight, without the multimillion donation behind it, that would have an impact on the vote of our so called “political representatives”.

Despite that, as all these economic, global and political issues crowd my head, there are no calls for partisanship from here, to go further to the left or the right, or blame a certain group for our economic woes. It is tempting, but we can no longer afford this luxury.

We are going through such challenging times at this point that the only option we have as voters, is to set our differences aside, for the sake of our common good.

We can no longer afford to let our differences and ideology divide us. Those who want to remain in power would love that, and will make sure to invest money in doing so in the upcoming election. They will make sure to bring up hot-topic buttons such as abortion rights, gay rights, immigrant rights, gun rights, taxes, etc. They’ll invest millions of dollars to keep us apart, so that their politician of choice –or better said, their high-ticket political representative– will vote for their interests, even if that vote goes against the interest of the people.

I would like to call upon each of us, to look into our hearts, our minds and step up to participate more actively into the political process, not necessarily to push for our own personal agendas, but setting aside those and looking to contribute to the collective good, even if at times we may not agree. The one rule we must respect is that we cannot trample on each other’s personal rights. We cannot. How can we fight so hard for the rights to own guns, yet fight so hard to keep women from making decisions over their own bodies? How can we fight so hard to keep taxes low for the ones in the upper income levels, yet allow the middle class to carry the burden of our country’s infrastructure? We need, desperately, to set aside our differences, find areas of agreement, and take it from there.

Life is too short to waste not contributing to the common good. We all have  a purpose that goes beyond ourselves. We need to start looking beyond our immediate wants and needs, and lend a helping hand to our communities in some way, doing something positive that will bring us together. We are fortunate to live in an amazing country that still defends the rights of the individual, a country with abundance of ideas and talent. We just need more good will, more community good will. For that is what will save us from empowering those few who suck the blood from our true democracy and capacity for middle class prosperity.

Let’s not fall for the single-issue campaigns, the one-line slogans. Let’s be smart enough to read through the lines and discern the lies, the hot button manipulations. I don’t see anything wrong with having an agenda that does not necessarily have party “purity”. Enough of that purity crap!

Though I advocate for bipartisanship, don’t be surprised if in my future entries you’ll find me railing against those campaigns (Republican or otherwise) that clearly do not represent the voters and the common good. I won’t hesitate to speak up, not necessarily against a party, but more against whatever ideology is likely to hurt the voters, if in power.

A great example of bipartisanship is the bipartisan vote to pass same-sex marriage legalization here in our great state of NY. Kudos to all those who worked hard to make it happen, and for those political representatives who looked beyond their own personal agendas and ideology, and voted for what’s best for the people. Having seen this last night, gave me hope.

So, stay tuned and don’t hesitate to voice your opinion here as well. Looking forward to your comments here and on Twitter.

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While they cameras were on you, the Republicans had the nerve to introduce a bill to privatize social security.

How dare they?

Mr. Weiner, you will always have my support, because in the end, after the mistakes, you did the right thing. Whatever you decide to do next, many of us will be wishing you the best and looking out for you. We hope you continue to fight for us.

Now I turn to you, my dear reader, a likely voter.

We need to start paying more attention to the issues that touch our lives. The one today is the privatization of social security. What are the Republicans thinking? Actually, they know what they are doing. They are taking advantage of the media circus around the latest scandal in Washington, to skulk in and slip in an ominous bill that will rob the people of the United States.

We have barely come out of a horrendous ride where our 401Ks took a major hit, and this shameless group of sell-outs in congress, who claim to represent us, but in truth we know they are representing those who line up their pockets, have the nerve to slip in quietly this bill, to give more millions of dollars to their true constituents, the financial institutions.

We cannot let this happen. Please spread the word and call your congress representative, and tell them you won’t stand for that.

If we follow the path the Republicans want, the middle class will cease to exist, and the gap between the rich and the poor will be as great as the distance between California and China. We will then be no different than any third world country, with no programs in place to help the citizens rise to a better place. That is where the “pull yourself up by your boot straps” mentality exists. And you see how bad it is. Druglords take over, poverty and crime become the standard of living.

I don’t support the Republican agenda. Not because I’m a “liberal”, as some people have labeled me on Twitter. Personally, I don’t mind. But know this, I am an independent, not registered with any parties. I don’t follow blindly along party lines, and won’t hesitate to stand up for that which I believe is unfair, regardless of party.

Right now, the Republican party is shamelessly doing things to divide us, separate us. They stand to gain much by appealing to the dark side of us, to our fears, our hate, our insecurities.

Let’s do everything possible to keep those politicians, who truly do not represent the citizen on Main street, in the minority in government. They don’t deserve a seat on the grown up table, because they are sell-outs, for the most part.

As an independent, though I may not agree with everything the Democrats stand for, I prefer to support their more inclusive agenda, which strives to help Main street. I hope those Democrats who have also become sell-outs, also get voted out of power and true representatives of the people replace them. Too bad for Mr. Weiner. He was one of our champions, but had to screw it up. Well, no one is perfect. But if given a choice between a John Boehner or an Anthony Weiner, I’ll take the latter any day, over the former. At least we know Anthony’s dirt.

Let’s get our true democracy back. Vote for true representatives of the people. Let’s look at ourselves in the mirror, for it could be one of us reading this column.

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