The Political Voices of Women

Hi everybody.  GREAT NEWS!  Me and my daughter are going to the Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton Rally, in Orlando tomorrow.  We both have press passes to cover the rally.  Woo-hoo!  How cool is that?

We will be live blogging and hopefully getting some video interviews from the press room.

The rally doesn’t start until 6pm, but, I plan on posting some of the “behind the scenes” stuff, throughout the day.  This is the first time I am doing anything like this, so I’m not 100% sure what to expect.

Oh, and even though I’m somewhat new to the Twittering thing, I’ll be doing that too.   You can tweet me at…

http://twitter.com/catherinemorgan

Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll get a chance to meet Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.  Either way, it’s gonna be quite the mother/daughter adventure.  Well…That’s it for now, come back tomorrow and see how we’re making out. 

I think John McCain may have just lost Florida, and therefore the election.  How?  Not only is John McCain’s healtcare plan a dud for most Americans.  Especially, anyone with a pre-existing medical condition (ie: asthma, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes).  But, McCain will cut Medicare to fund his (so called) Healthcare Plan?  Yes.  McCain is planning to cut $1.3 Trillion dollars over 10 years from Medicare, to fund his healthcare plan.  Is this some kind of joke?  No.

From The Wall Street Journal…

In the months since Sen. McCain introduced his health plan, statements made by his campaign have implied that the new tax credits he is proposing to help Americans buy health insurance would be paid for with other tax increases.

But Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Sen. McCain’s senior policy adviser, said Sunday that the campaign has always planned to fund the tax credits, in part, with savings from Medicare and Medicaid. Those government health-care programs serve seniors, poor families and the disabled.

McSame to Cut Medicare to Pay for His Terrible Health Care Plan

Guess how J. Sid McSame intends to fund his terrible health plan that taxes employer based health care coverage and gives insufficient tax credit to employees to struggle finding health care insurance on their own?

He plans to make big cuts in Medicare!

Yesiree, multimillionaire J. Sid McSame, who has had government paid health care coverage his whole life and collects Social Security which he called a disaster, and US Navy disability checks, wants to cut your Medicare benefits! How’s that for robbing Peter to pay Paul!

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While you were sleeping, DNC and RNC held discussions about primary systems.

Mention the word ‘primary’ to a Floridian and chances are a scowl will slide across his or her face because the 4th largest state in the USA lost delegates when both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee penalized states for pushing primaries ahead of dates set in the cornerstone of party rules. The National Presidential Caucus convened a roundtable discussion with party leaders in New York on June 24. Timing is critical—the RNC mandates that primary rules and dates be agreed upon at the national convention. This year the RNC’s convention will be held in September in Minneapolis. The makeup of the roundtable participants is interesting to say the least.

The DNC isn’t quite as constrained. That committee can address its rules whenever it wants to. The RNC appears to be leaning towards a format named The Ohio Plan. Predictably, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada will continue to enjoy frontrunner status. Larger states like Florida, Michigan, California and New York would be part of a second tier holding primaries in early February. But both parties need, according to the discussion, to have “congruence” in their primary rules and plans. Michael A. Mauro, Iowa Secretary of State participated in the roundtable. Here’s a not very surprising comment from him, “…I praise this bi-partisan group’s recognition of the importance of maintaining the traditional roles of both Iowa and New Hampshire as first in the nation.” Please note Florida set its primary date exactly the way those states did, by legislative procedure. A state should be able to determine and set its own date as long as the legislative process is followed. I can see each party setting target dates for states to choose from. But I do not agree with anointing 4 states permanent frontrunner status. Everybody complained about the 2008 primary season. My question is why? It worked fine—the DNC race was of course particularly exciting and the RNC race surprised the hell out of every GOP voter I talked to, in Florida anyway. The breakdown occurred when both parties confiscated delegates.

The mindset both political parties have towards this matter is reflective of the Federal government at present—controlling matters best left to the states. Whether you’re for the GOP or the DNC, your voice means just as much as a voter’s in Iowa, New Hampshire or the other lucky duckies with permanent frontrunner status. Check out your nearest presidential history record for the impact of frontrunner states on who the nominee is. Here’s an indisputable fact: when the candidates go looking for bucks, they hit Florida and other states just as enthusiastically as they do the party favorites.

For a clear look at who’s making recommendations about your political party, check out the other videos at The National Presidential Caucus. Not a single female is present from either party and there’s about as much diversity as you’ll find in a bowl of cloned goldfish. I’d suggest a letter to your political party leaders sooner rather than later.

Tags: Presidential Primary, US Politics, Political Party Rules, delegates, political conventions, National Presidential Caucus

Roundup: Election Politics of Offshore Oil Drilling — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

Yesterday was my first post in a series on the gas crisis and offshore drilling. For that reason, I decided today’s political blog roundup will focus on the different opinions and reactions from around the blogosphere on this issue. We have some for drilling, and some against it. Let me know what you think in comments.

I’ll start with my personal opinion/theory regarding the relationship between high gas prices and the recent announcement by Bush/McCain to lift a ban on offshore drilling…

With regards to the gas & oil crisis — Does anyone else get the feeling we have been manipulated and duped AGAIN by the Bush administration? It’s all starting to feel really familiar.

1. Scare the American people (in this case with increasing gas prices).
2. Appear to be doing everything you can to get to the bottom of the crisis (go to OPEC, hold hearings, etc.)
3. Just when there appears to be nothing anyone can do…The Bush administration comes to the rescue and announces a plan to lift the ban on offshore oil drilling, because it’s the only way to help the American people and lower the price of gas.

Sound familiar?

What came first? The crisis or the solution?

I think with closer inspection (most likely after there is nothing anyone can do to change the outcome) – Revelations will come to light, that the Bush administration manipulated the “speculators” to cause an unnecessary but dramatic rise in gas/oil prices…For the ultimate purpose of lifting the ban on offshore drilling, and giving the brass ring to the oil companies.

Additionally, this is going to be the GOP “ace” in the hole, and “the perfect storm” for facilitating a third Bush presidency. I imagine it will go something like this…

The Democrats want to continue making you pay high gas prices during a weak economy…But the Republicans want to help you keep more of your hard earned money….bla, bla, bla.

The trouble is…there is no evidence that offshore drilling will help in the short or even long term. But that is not the “spin” you will be hearing from Bush/McCain. What at first appeared to me as a campaign killer for McCain, could actually be part of a carefully orchestrated campaign winner. Give McCain the experience, the Iraq war, and now the illusion of helping the economy (the number one issue of the American people). I shutter to think.

So, that’s what I think. However, not everyone agrees with me.

Shocking!

Well, not really.

But, I do want to take a look at all sides of this issue. Admittedly, mine is a very visceral reaction to the news of possible offshore drilling.

Let’s take a look at what other bloggers are saying about this. We’ll start with my good friend, Kay B. Day, from Covering Florida and Right Commentary, who has a totally different opinion from mine.

Earlier in the week I reached out to a couple of people to see what their take was on offshore drilling, and she was kind enough to send me her thoughts in an email. Although I don’t completely agree with her on this one…I must admit, she has a much more thought-out response to it. Here it is…

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Will Offshore Drilling Lower Gas Prices? – by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

This will be part one in a series of posts I will be doing on gas prices and offshore drilling. I want to take a look at the facts, and attempt to separate the truth from the fiction. Would offshore drilling lower gas prices? Why do the oil companies need more places to drill, if they aren’t even using all of what they have now? How would more offshore drilling effect the environment? Does this have more to do with politics than the people? These are just a few of the many question we will try to answer here.

Let’s start with an article in today’s New York Times. Here are a few excepts from that article, I really recommend you read the full piece.


READ FULL POST AT THE CARE2 ELECTION BLOG

McCain Flip-Flops on Offshore Oil Drilling – by Catherine Morgan 

John McCain is using our sky-high gas prices to justify his flip-flopping on the issue of offshore oil drilling. I mentioned this yesterday in a post, and questioned why the MSM didn’t seem to notice. Today, they have noticed.

However, there is no evidence that allowing more offshore drilling will help in reducing the price of gas in the near future (as McCain is suggesting), or even the far future. But, I guess the McCain campaign is hoping you will be fooled, and vote for McCain in the hopes of lower gas prices.

Here is an interesting clip from The Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer…

SEE VIDEO AND READ FULL POST AT THE CARE2 ELECTION BLOG

Here is a guest post by Penny Ronning from The NonSilent Majority.

(If you would like to be a guest blogger on this site, please join our community)

As the Rules and Regulations Committee of the DNC convenes today, I can’t help but wonder…

When Americans in political positions of leadership subvert the freedoms of American citizens and American Democracy how are their actions any different from dictators that deny their citizens the right to a valid vote?

We now have over 400 women political bloggers on our list, here are the T’s…

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Roundup: Will Florida and Michigan Votes Be Counted? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at the Care2 Election Blog)

Tonight’s political blog roundup will address the DNC Rules Committee, that will meet tomorrow to decide if Florida and Michigan votes will be counted.

Over the last few months I’ve made my feelings pretty clear on the issues of disenfranchising Florida and Michigan voters, a Florida recount, and my lack of love for Howard Dean. People who don’t really know the facts, are quick to judge, and claim that Florida and Michigan broke the rules and deserve their punishment. However, a smart Democrat (and I’m not referring to Howard Dean, just in case there is any confusion) would see the bigger picture. And the bigger picture is…Democrats have a slim chance of winning the general election without Florida and Michigan.

Here is some of what other bloggers are saying on this issue. Let me know what you think in comments.

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Blog Roundup: Florida Recount and Sexism Sells — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

Have you wondered What Actually Happened in Florida?

“…For the millionth time, Florida Democrats had no power to block the moving of Florida’s primary election. Thus, the DNC should not have “punished” Florida Democrats.Our state legislature moved the primary dates, an entity on which the DNC’s rules are not legally binding. Our State House has about 77 Republicans to 43 Democrats. Republicans constitute about 60% of our State Senate.

In short, Florida Republicans can unilaterally pass or block any legislation they want. They could have moved the primary date without a single Dem vote.

This is from a post at BlogHer by PunditMom…

Interestingly, while the Democratic National Committee, as well as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are still trying to figure out what to do with the votes case in the Florida primary, Obama is pushing ahead in the Sunshine State with his own GOTV efforts. It strikes me as a little funny that the Obama campaign is pushing hard in Florida when he doesn’t want the primary votes to count, but wants them to matter in the November general election. That could leave Florida voters scratching their heads

From Faye at Anderson@Large…

I missed the drama of Election Night 2000. After NBC called Florida for Al Gore shortly before 8 p.m., I turned off the TV and zonked out. So you can imagine my surprise when I woke up and discovered that the election was too close to call.I hoped to atone by researching, writing and producing a film about the recount debacle. The documentary, “Counting on Democracy,” aired on PBS stations nationwide. I’ve also screened it at countless colleges and community organizations.

In a primary season full of twists and turns, we’ve come full circle. In voting-challenged Broward County, they’re chanting “count every vote” like it’s 2000. And the head cheerleader is Hillary Clinton — read full post

This is by Jill from Brilliant at breakfast…

This weekend, John McCain has invited some prospective running mates to one of his eight homes, presumably for barbecue. Specifically, those being interviewed are the closeted governor of Florida, a card-carrying member of the Christofascist Zombie brigade who thinks joking about bombing Iran and about assassinating a black presidential nominee constitute humor, and Paulie Walnuts.

The Obama running mate hunt is just beginning, despite the Clinton campaign’s attempt to rewrite history and spin the Florida/Michigan situation as being (pick one) Zimbabwe, Florida 2000, or Jim Crow, even though it was HER VERY OWN PEOPLE who helped put together, and voted for, the rules that put us into this mess.

I haven’t got a freaking clue who Obama should pick, but I’m emphatically opposed to the so-called “dream ticket.” It’s clear that Barack Obama can’t trust Hillary Clinton one bit, and there’s something Shakespearean about the idea of a young president with the wife of a former president as his #2, with said former president lurking around the hallways. — read full post

This is from Kay at Covering Florida…

Sen. Barack Obama is spending time in Florida, venturing here now that dust has settled over national party leaders’ decision to make outcasts of Democratic voters in the state. I’ve said it before and I’ve had it said to me many times: media loves Barack Obama. Another media triumph in the Obama arena is a contributing editor from ‘National Journal’—Linda Douglass officially moves into a new role as Obama strategist and spokesperson, according to Politico blogger Ben Smith. Douglass interviewed the senator’s campaign manager in April. My, how she must have struggled with her “objectivity.”

I’ve pointed out figures before, from a study done by the Committee for Concerned Journalists. In early campaign coverage, here’s a breakdown on stories about the current candidates, with each statistic reflecting a percentage of positive or negative stories about the candidate. Of Hillary Clinton stories, 26.9 percent were positive; 37.8 percent were negative. Of Barack Obama stories, 46.7 percent were positive; 15.8 percent were negative. And coming as no surprise when it comes to media and conservatives, of John McCain stories, 12.4 percent were positive and 47.9 were negative. — read full post

Check out Florida Speaks, for more links to Florida bloggers.

From Pandagon…

Wow, talk about hardball. This was on CNN this AM, and it looks like the Clinton camp is tossing out some kind of not-so-veiled convention chaos blackmail card for the VP slot, and/or a way for the New York senator to have a face-saving exit strategy. The report from Suzanne Malveaux describes three scenarios being floated by people “inside Hillary’s innner circle.”

From The Women’s Media Center…

From PunditMom…

When someone calls Hillary Clinton a bitch, it’s not just about her.

It’s about me and my fellow MOMocrats and my sister. It’s about my mother and my aunts and my daughter. It’s about mothers and friends and women who haven’t even become the next generation of leaders, yet.

Of course, as the Women’s Media Center rightly points out in its new video called Sexism Sells, But We’re Not Buying It Anymore, we’ve been focusing on the wrong thing. The MSM doesn’t limit its use of terms like “soppy,” “bitchy,” “castrating,” “nagging,” or “Wicked Witch of the West” to Hillary.

The most famous and infamous TV pundits aren’t reserving their ‘looks are everything’ moments to talk of Hillary’s cleavage or wrinkles. There are no limits. We are all fair game. — read full post

Clinton & Obama Off To Florida — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

Here is a video clip that recaps last night’s primary results, and show the candidates are in Florida today…

See more on last night’s primary results, get more information on super-delegates, and see why Florida and Michigan could still be in play.

From The Nation…

Barack Obama may have reached what he describes as “a major milestone on this journey” up the 2008 campaign trail. The senator from Illinois has now secured a majority of the “pledged” delegates to be chosen in the party’s primaries and caucuses.

Citing that achievement, Obama told wildly cheering supporters in Des Moines that he was now “within reach of the Democratic nomination for president of the United States of America.”

But Hillary Clinton is not going to let him grab the prize this week.

The lady is not quitting this contest just yet.

I found an interesting blog, it’s called Superdelegateland.

Welcome to Superdelegateland. This blog’s purpose is to examine the developments and finer points in the delegate math for the Democratic Primary, providing objective analysis and insight where possible. This site is neither pro-Obama nor pro-Clinton. Email me at independent.don@gmail.com with your thoughts and questions.

From Talk Left…

CNN, along with NBC, at the behest of the Barack Obama campaign, will pretend Florida and Michigan do not exist. They will declare that Barack Obama has won a majority of the pledged delegates in the Dem race. They will declare that 2.3 million voters in Florida and Michigan do not exist. This is not only outrageous of these news organizations, it is monumentally stupid of the Obama campaign.

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Politico.com

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