rainydaynews

I’d like to thank Today.com for giving me a chance to spread my wings as a blogger and get a little more familiar with the process. Unfortunately what I found shouldn’t have surprised me: Write controversial crap and you get page views. Write non-controversial crap and you don’t.
So, I learned that as much as I love doing political analysis and explaining things in basic terms for people who might not get it, or pointing out the facts that the mainstream media seems to forget (Seriously, I think they check their memories at the door), most people really don’t care. Since I am not willing to write about whatever googles hot at the moment (do we really need more links to the guy showing his ass on the chair lift?), this will be goodbye.
Anyone who cares can drop me a line for links to my other work and I’ll concentrate instead on blogging about the movies I like and those that sucked on a different forum. I may even start a political blog anew, maybe to coincide with the inaguration, but it won’t be here where I ahve to try to determine what constitutes a unique page view and what is just a returning friend. Personally, I’ve always liked friends beter than strangers anyway.
RaintheCat and I are migrating…find us on the web or email me for specifics. Steven (Rhino), I’ll miss ya. Stormy, email me! To the rest of you, I wish the best in this experiment. It just didn’t work for me.

The Minnesota Secretary of State announced late Sunday that they will probably certify Al Franken as the next senator elect from Minnesota sometime on Monday. However, there is some question whether or not the Republican governor of Minnesota will find the election certificate in time for Franken to take his place on Tuesday at the swearing-in ceremonies for the new Senate.

In addition, there is great debate over whether Franken should be allowed to take the seat while it is still contested. Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman has already said he and his campaign staff that it is likely he will challenge the canvassing of the vote on Monday and the Minnesota senatorial election will end up in court.

From election night to tonight, the boatswain between the two candidates has been a matter of about 450 votes. On election night Coleman was certified the winner by 215 votes, a small enough margin that Minnesota’s automatic recount statute was in effect. Now after multiple challenges to voting, a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling regarding absentee ballots, and more recounting than we care to think about, Franken is apparently winning by about 225 votes. The Coleman campaign argues that another 650 absentee ballots, many of them from from Coleman heavy districts, remain to be counted.

So, using either the filibuster rules of the Senate, or a procedure similar to the one that is going to be used to challenge Roland Burris’ right to be sworn in as the next senator from Illinois, it is likely that Senate Republicans will challenge Franken’s right to be sworn in on Tuesday.

Personally, I view the chaos that is likely to ensue on Tuesday as evidence of the continuing problem with voting in the United States. The simple truth is that our voting procedures have been compromised. We can no longer guarantee that one man gets one vote and only one vote. In fact, it seems as though we are doing more to make sure that one man gets no votes than to promote voting in this country.

Since 2000, there has not been a single election on a national level that did not include some accusation of voter fraud or voter disenfranchisement. Neither is acceptable.

The optimist in me would like to believe that the continuing problems with voting are not part of some larger scheme, but I find it hard to believe that my country, which is capable of so many technological things, cannot figure out a simple way to make sure that the person voting is the person who should be voting and that every vote is counted in the way that the voter intended. I don’t like conspiracy theories, but it seems too rampant for it to be coincidental.

The simple truth is other countries are able to conduct voting. Some, like Australia, have mandatory voting requirements and they managed to have elections without the fiascoes that it faced American elections the last eight years. Perhaps we need to talk to our allies around the world and garner their suggestions for making the American democracy work the way the Republic was intended to work.

Illinois may soon become the most hated state in the nation if things are not resolved here by the time the new U.S. Senate is sworn in.
Governor Rod Blagojevich is pressing the issue and forcing the Senate to dust off Constitutional law manuals to try to find a way not to allow a federally indicted governor, whose federal security clearance has been revoked, to name someone to the United States Senate.
The provess is convoluted enough to make even Constitutional scholars scratch their heads. The appointee, Roland Burris, will have to present to the Sargeant-at-Arms a certificate signed by Blagojevich and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White indicating that he is the Senator-elect.
If the certificate is presented, then some sitting Senator, probably a Democrat, will challenge Burris’ credentials when Vice President Dick Cheney, presiding over the swearing in of new Senators, asks for objects. Then, Burris will be referred to the Rules Committee of the Senate. Because he will prevented from taking the oath of office, Burris would be given priviledges to be on the Senate floor, but no desk or voting rights.
Without the certificate, Burris will simply be turned away by the Sargeant-at-Arms. White has said that he will not sign the certificate, but there is every indication that he may be required by law to do so.
The senate is hoping that the referral to the Rules Committee will be the delay until the Illinois General Assembly can take care of the impeachment proceedings here in Illinois. In theory, they may take action on the impeachment as early as Thursday. Locally, we can only hope so.
In the meantime, I am adopting the the new American Manifesto as written by Harry the Hobo Widdifield, except that I’ll be substituting Illinois for America.

Illinois, in addition to being the land of corruption, seems to increasingly be the land of “What?”

As of yesterday, the state has increased the penalty for a first drunk driving offense. The very first time someone is convicted of drunk driving, a part of his sentence is to rent a breathalyzer and have it linked to their car’s ignition system. Until they pass a breath test, the car won’t start.

Before you MADD-types jump all over me, I am not condoning or endorsing the concept of drunk driving. But, I think this lawis probably just another way to help someone’s good buddy benefit from Illinois laws. Someone, after all, must be producing and renting these machines.

The breathalyzer apparently costs $60 or so to install and then there is a monthly rental fee for the duration of the probation. Okay, again, it’s not that I object to the additional punishment. People who drive drunk need to be taught never to do it again.

On the other hand, I am much more concerned about the enforcement (and lack of it) for the law that already exists. Last summer, a friend’s little sister went out drinking with friends and then came to behind the wheel of her car after she had hit a telephone pole with it. Luckily, she did not hurt anyone, including herself, though she did total the car.

The police offier who wrote the ticket for her accident, wrote in his report that she reeked of alcohol (two hours after the bars closed), but he did not even do a breathalyzer test. She simply got a ticket for the accident.

Hello! Mr. police officer, what were you thinking?

She got away with it and didn’t hurt anyone, so do you really think she learned a lesson? I don’t. So adding more penalties for those convicted of DUI only works if you actually arrest them for the offense.

Another stupid Illinois law that went into effect yesterday prohibits employers from discriminating based on genetic information.

Okay, I understand the desire to prevent discrimination in all forms, but are employers really submitting potential hires to genetic testing? Most of the employers I know are too cheap to even conduct drug testing much less pay for an expensive genetic test for future/potential employees.

Clearly, I missed something here.

Anyway, that’s my rant today…Illinois should try enforcing the laws it has instead of making more.

After living in Illinois for almost two decades, I have become very accustomed to the concept of political corruption, but the last few years have been beyond insane. With Democrats controlling all branches of state government (largely in response to Republican scandals), the state has been a fiscal nightmare.
In 2007, when the state fiscal year ended June 30, there was no new budget. It was late August before the General Assembly approved a budget and they are stilla rguing about the implementation of it (though it expired in June, 2008). The governor has already received an Illinois court ruling telling him that he cannot force the state to pay for a child health insurance program that he instituted after the funding for the program was denied by the Geneal Assembly.
One local politician classified the discord at the state level as a Chicago block fight between the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate and the Governor. In it all, the citizens of Illinois lost.
The governor refused to live in the state capital, or the governor’s mansion, instead forcing taxpayers to fund his trips between Springfield and Chicago. He further alienated all of downstate Illinois and all the people of Illinois lost.
Now, the governor maybe (okay, I’m thinking definitely) was trying to sell our Senate seat and then nominated Roland Burris to fill it. Burris would be a good Senator, but should never be associated with Blagojevich. Again, the people of Illinois lose.
Personally, I’m hoping to get out of this tainted place and move to some place where the politicians are at least better at hiding their corruption. But in the meantime, I’d really like Illinois to consider the old adage and throw the bums out!

According to the weather man, we are about to be hit with a winter storm bringing the potential for power outages and heavy ice.

No, that’s not the good news.

The good news is that I am lucky enough to live in a really great neighborhood. This morning, the gentleman who coordinates neighborhood events sent out a note mentioning the coming storm and asking for neighbors to discuss what resources are available in the neighborhood in the event of a weather emergency.

He mentioned he had a chainsaw for downed tree limbs and such and that another neighbor had a four-wheel drive pickup truck. He also mentioned that if anyone else wanted to let their resources be known, to send an email to the list.

Just a few minutes ago, we got another note from another set of neighbors pointing out that they too had a truck for getting around in the bad weather. Even more moving, a neighbor about three blocks away said they have solar electricty, geo-thermal heating and a wood stove, with plenty of floor space if the power goes out and people need a place where there is heat.

In a state now well known for its political corruption, it’s nice to see that some people who live here are not the all like the governor.

As more and more information becomes available about the arrest on Tuesday of the Illinois governor, it becomes clear that many people knew what they were doing was wrong and have decided to cooperate in the investigation or resign.

The governor needs to do the same.

But in the meantime, it’s fun to watch the fallout. One of the presumptive potential candidates for the Senate seat was Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. There is no discussion in the affadavit of just cause about the potential to appoint Madigan to the senate other than a brief mention of various candidates. Attorney General Madigan has been above reproach in her job as AG and the reason the governor might want to appoint her would be to win favor with her father.

Madigan’s father, Mike Madigan, is a Chicago Democrat and long-time speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Speaker Madigan has been a thorn in the governor’s side almost since the day he was elected, prompting many to speculate that the problems between the two were part of a good old fashioned Chicago turf war.

Regardless, the governor has argued with Speaker Madigan time and again about his duties as governor, the responsible management of the state and the Illinois Constitution, prompting the speaker to remind the governor that Speaker Madigan helped write the 1970 Constitution.

So, there is speculation that the governor considered appointing the Speaker’s daughter to the seat in hopes of getting some goodwill from the Speaker. Fat chance, Rod. They don’t call Speaker Madigan the Velvet Hammer for nothing. He gets what he wants and those who cross him don’t.

The Speaker has been considerably restrained in the last two days, allowing the Republicans to sponsor the bill forming an impeachment committee. All he did was call the special session of the House. Will your buddy Senate President Emil Jones call a special session of the Senate to hear the charges? Oh, I bet he will.

And, Attorney General Madigan, I think she was righteously pissed to see her name sullied simply by the innuendo that she was one of the candidates you were considering. Whatever their faults, the Madigan family has never shirked doing what is necessary for the people of Illinois.

Maybe that’s why Lisa told CNN today that she’d give the General Assembly a little time to handle this and then she would take it to court. It looks to me like she’s giving her Dad a chance to get his revenge and still making sure the people of the state get rid of Rod.

Okay, so I generally think that Family Guy is a decent show, but tonight the show stepped over the line. In an episode where Mort, Stewie and Brian go back in time and end up in Berlin at the beginning of World War II. They mug a trio of SS officers and on one of the uniforms they find a McCain-Palin campaign button.

To be honest, I don’t mind if actors and writers and animators have an opinion on politics. That is their American right.

However, I do find the political commentary offensive in this context. I was offended when Democrat Dick Durbin (one of my senators unfortuantely) compared American soldiers to Nazis and I am equally offended at the concept of the Nazis endorsing McCain-Palin.

There is absolutely no reason that Americans should resort to such an ugly way to characterize political opponents.

Yup, I can endorse having different opinions. I suggest open debate. I think name calling like this is petty and degrading to the entire political process.

I’ve seen a lot of people who think that Joe the Plumber won the debate for McCain last night.

If so, then the campaign is in even worse trouble than I thought. See, if it took a Joe the Plumber to get the McCain campaign a win, when his exchange with Senaotr Obama was nothing new, you have to consider the McCain campaign dry toast. Done and over with.

Rush Limbaugh and his ilk would like you to believe that Joe the Plumber represents traditional blue collar Americans everywhere. He does not. My plumber doesn’t make enough that he could buy out his boss and small business owners are not traditional Democrats–employees are.

Let’s look at what Senator Obama actually said. He told Joe that he wanted to see the people that helped get him there (to the $250,000 income mark) benefit as well, to see the wealth spread around. The McCain campaign and conservatives everywhere gasped and said,” ooh, he’s a socialist”.

What they missed is that Obama never once suggested that Joe’s “wealth” be given to random people on the street. He suggested, shock! faint! that the people who did the work that made the money ought to be entitled to a share of it too. Arguably, the senator needs a better political flak. His is doing a remarkably poor job controlling the spin on anything.

Here’s how the Joe the Plumber remark should be interpretted. Executives from Enron to Tyco to Lehman Brothers have spent decades trying to make millions while the little guy, the factory worker or the low-level sales manager, does all the work. It’s great that Joe has a boss who has paid him what he is worth and made it so that he can move up to an ownership position, but that should not mean that Joe can rest on his laurels and make other people do the work.

The reality is that owning a small business, any business, creates stresses on the owner, but if all the owner does is take and take from his employees than sometimes there has to be an equalizing force. Generally, we call this government. We all know that no matter how poorly an employer treats his staff, in desperate economic times, someone will tolerate the injustice just to work. Barack is fighting that injustice.

Now, I don’t know. Maybe Joe the plumber will be a great boss, but the reality is that most business owners do not play fair with their employees and Barack knows that.

Rush Limbaugh reported today seeing a photograph of Sarah Palin, with the Secret Service in tow, stopping at Wal Mart to buy diapers.

He seemed to believe that this photo if circulated would give Sarah more street cred with working mothers everywhere.

I call “Bullshit.”

Shopping at Wal Mart does not make Mrs. Palin seem more like the working mothers I know unless she did it at 6 a.m. on the way to drop the baby off at a daycare that she can barely afford, but has to pay just so she can work to keep said baby in diapers. In fact, my most recent friend to become a working mom wouldn’t get caught dead buying diapers at Wal Mart. She hates the evil empire.

But more importantly than whether or not shopping at Wal Mart makes Sarah Palin seem more like common folk is Limbaugh’s assumption that it did. For a man who goes on and on about the class warfare in this country and who likes to blame it on the Democrats, his comment was absurdly offensive.

First, it assumes that all working mothers shop at Wal Mart. Seriously, Rush, there are women who make enough money to shop other places. Really, we do.

Second, it assumes that all mothers can take their child to work with them. Mrs. Palin has the luxury of taking her five-month-old son to work. Most employers from on this.

Third, it assumes that “common folk” are more interested in where she shops or that Mrs. Palin is “like them” than in her politics.

Let me assure you, Sarah Palin is nothing like me even though I once bought diapers at Wal Mart. I went to one college for my undergraduate career and had two majors. i finished both degrees in four years. I have never had a job where I could bring my child to work and in fact, I lost a job once because I took part of a day off to take my four-month-old daughter to the doctor. When my daughter was born, I worked until 2 days before her birth and got 5 weeks, including my 2 weeks of vacation time, off after she was born. Bringing her with me was never an option.

My husband has never been part of a secessionist organization, nor does he drink and drive. I’ve never used the power of my position to get someone fired and I believe that when it becomes time for my daughter to have children of her own, I will not use her boyfriend/fiance/whatever as a stage prop.

No, Sarah, shopping at Wal Mart does not make you one of us.