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When you stand by your principles party or no…

Posted: March 17, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news
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…you are doing yourself and your country a real service.

Dennis Kucinich has stood fast and strong for the public option. He maintained on TV just one week ago that this bill was a giveaway to the insurance companies and that he would fight for a robust public option.

There is nothing like a pol willing to defy party and president in order to stand up for what he knows is right…

…oh nevermind.

“I know I have to make a decision, not on the bill as I would like to see, it but on the bill as it is,” the longtime congressman said in a 30-minute press conference on Capitol Hill where he detailed his vote change. “I have doubts about this bill,” he said. “…This is not the bill I wanted to support.”

“However, after careful discussions with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, my wife Elizabeth and close friends, I have decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation,” he said.

How about that? From Hotair:

Blue Dog moderates who already don’t want to be linked to Nancy Pelosi in upcoming midterms may find being linked to Kucinich even less palatable. We’ll see. In this case, the real test may not be Kucinich’s switch but who will be the first to follow him.

Michelle Malkin:

Selling out his progressive principles is worth the 15 minutes of fame.

Plus, ooh, la, lah, President Obama showered with him attention. Kucinich revealed that he met four times(!) with the cajoler-in-chief — the last time on Air Force One.

Contest time: What else did Congress’s favorite UFO/alien-spotter get in return for his vote?

The Other McCain keeps his eyes on the…prize?

This just in – Dennis Kucinich’s wife is still hot. You got to give the guy credit for that, eh?

Meanwhile, CNN reports “no” votes from five other Democrats whose wives aren’t nearly as hot as Elizabeth Kucinich.

Liberal Vales asks a relevant question:

One question is whether Kucinich is changing his votes due to receiving major concessions, or if this is an example of the type of pressure being placed on Democratic Congressmen to support passage of the bill.

Has everybody forgotten that the bill in question is the senate bill? There ARE no concessions to offer yet. The bill being offered is the unamended senate bill and a vote for that bill means neither the White House nor the Democratic Leadership have to deliver on any concession. And if reconciliation on this matter loses in the court and the president ends up with the senate bill. Oh Well!

Finally Firedoglake gives the bottom line:

If on the other hand he settles for some worthless reassurances that “Obama will work toward it in the future” (which nobody but Lynn Woolsey is dumb enough to actually believe), or a meaningless symbolic vote that achieves little more than 15 minutes of futile grandstanding, good luck to him. A thousand people have donated over $16,000 to Dennis since yesterday to thank him for standing up for what he believes in. We’ll be asking him to return it.

I still think this is going down.

Update: Forget last week Bill Jacobson reports that Bold Sir Dennis excoriated Obamacare in an op ed just two days ago.

The conservative Forum Meetup in Leominster

Posted: March 17, 2010 by datechguy in elections, internet/free speech, short films/interviews, special events
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Had a very good time at the Conservative Forum of the Commonwealth Meetup event last night. Met some dedicated conservatives from various parts of central Massachusetts and shared video from both CPAC and yesterday’s Tea Party protests on Main Street.

We talked about the Scott Brown race, the real impact of the average folk at CPAC and the obamacare bill. It was a very pleasant time and I look forward to the March 29th event that will be taking place at the Border Grille and Bar. (You know me any excuse to go to the Border is a good one for me!)

Of course me being me things would not be normal if I didn’t take some video and ask questions of those willing who attended.

I was not the only speaker, Dale Brown who is running as an independent in the 5th district (vs Niki Tsongas) was there and gave me a few minutes.

His health care plan is here. Brown maintains that it is likely that a republican in that seat rather than an independent would likely go back to business as usual. He stated that if elected he would caucus with Republicans for organizational purposes but would not be beholden to them in terms of fiscal responsibility

My final interview was with Charlie…

Being the modest man I am (hope you weren’t drinking when you read that) I got myself crossed up a bit after Charlie’s kind praise..

It was a very worthwhile evening, although two conflicting events (Glenn Beck film in Worcester and Republican party meeting in Leominster) affected turnout. I look forward to seeing them and you at the Border on the 29th.

Maybe I should miss these city counsel meetings more often…

Posted: March 17, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, local stuff, opinion/news
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Because this time the zoning petition that was offered was passed onto the proper board rather than simply tabled:

Members of the Planning Board will have a turn to hear from those who oppose Planned Parenthood opening an office on Main Street, after the City Council referred a petition banning medical offices downtown to the Planning Board Tuesday night.

Several people, most of whom mentioned Planned Parenthood as the impetus for the petition, spoke in favor of such an amendment to the city’s zoning laws.

Normal procedure for any kind of zoning petition is to send such things to a planning board, in fact the general laws of the state demand it. The last time we were before the counsel the matter was tabled and not sent forward, this time armed with a lawyer’s letter stating what the law is, the counsel relented and the item was passed.

Joan Conroy said it best:

“The last time, most of you councilors knew we were green … so you withdrew the petition,” said Conroy, who added that city councilors should not cut off what she has to say.

“Whether you agree with me or not, you represent me and have a responsibility to listen to me,” Conroy said.

Of course this isn’t a final victory in the fight, but it was the first real win in what Stacy McCain called the Battle of Fitchburg so we are going to enjoy it for a day before preparing for the next fight.

Update: Much more info at the new Greater Fitchburg For Life Blog. Good idea starting a blog. I wonder what put that thought into their heads?

I’ve got an errand or two to run this morning…

Posted: March 17, 2010 by datechguy in catholic, opinion/news
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…so blogging might be light.

Lucky for everybody others are on the ball:

Casey Fiano takes a pause from her pro life blogging to remind us of the small annoyances that the Obama administration brings us:

“An international partner”?? This may be an international relief effort — with the United States as usual giving far more than any other country — but that hasn’t kept other countries from flying their flags. France, Germany, and Croatia are all flying their flags, just like every other country. I doubt anyone in Haiti is weeping over the French, German, and Croatian occupations taking place because of it. No one besides Obama is idiotic enough to think that flying our flag means that we’ll be seen as an occupation force. It’s perfectly clear to everyone with a brain that we are in Haiti for one reason alone, and that is to give relief.

Considering the amount of money, time, and manpower we’ve contributed to the relief effort in Haiti, one would think that Obama would be proud to have our flag flying in Haiti. But Obama isn’t a president who is proud of his country, is he? He’d rather apologize for the United States than take pride in it. We are literally saving lives for no gain of our own in a foreign country, and he’s still apologizing.

If we aren’t even allowed to be proud of the country when we are doing a humanitarian mission when will it be.

At the other McCain Smitty has a word about St. Patrick’s day at google:

As a Christian, I’ll venture as a default position that Saint Patrick would be as excited about the attention directed at himself, and not Christ, as, say, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be.
Heaven forbid anything ever be about me personally, in all seriousness.

I don’t know it sure looks like a cross on that G to me and anyways we Catholics don’t have a problem asking the saints to pray for us. After all these guys have proven that they know what they’re doing.

Meanwhile the Washington Monthly bemoans CNN’s desire to try to actually get people to watch them.

This is easily the worst decision CNN has ever made. That the network probably reviewed Erickson’s work before hiring him, and offered him a job anyway, suggests CNN’s professional standards for what constitutes “an important voice” have all but disappeared.

The point here isn’t that it’s disappointing to see CNN hire yet another conservative voice, adding to its already-large stable of conservative voices. To be sure, it’s frustrating, but it’s nothing new.

The problem here is with Erickson himself.

Well Erickson did give me CPAC credentials so that’s a strike against him.

And if you need a sign of spring, look no further than the site of Father Z. He not only give you a taste of the birds of spring he handles the attacks on the Pope exactly the right way:

Pray.

Just pray.

Forgiveness for the haters.

Forgiveness for the failings of all professed Catholics.

Consolation for the damaged.

Courage, health and length of days for the Pope.

And he provides a prayer for those who might not have one handy.

I’ll be back in a bit, meanwhile pop in The Quiet Man and enjoy St. Patrick’s day

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