I do understand his anger. I too am fed up with senators and representatives living until their 200th birthdays while they are in office because they get the best healthcare in the country- and we, the taxpayers, foot the bill for them literally. Meanwhile, we are hurting regardless of who’s in office!

But here’s where I diverge from Bennett (and I respect him very much as a person and as a commentator)- A third party brought us the lousy Teabaggers- yes, they are the bastard child of a Republican party turned inside out by our last president, George W. Bush and a very new Democratic majority- it’s not just regular people who suffered because of the sham elections- it was members of his own party. The Teabaggers are dangerout too, bringing guns with them to protests, arguing their 1st Amendment rights are connected to their 2nd Amendment rights- and who is going to argue with a gun!!!

But it doesn’t stop there- Ralph Nader took away much needed votes from Al Gore in 2000- and yes, it’s likely moot because the election was decided by the US Supreme Court, not voters- Florida’s or anyone else’s for that matter. Still, Nader’s being on the ballot did take votes away from Al Gore, and now, we only can wonder where we’d be if history followed a different course.

And finally, why is it a bad idea to strengthen the democratic party? To do nothing is to ask the Democrats in office to become more like Republicans- slaves to Wall Street and filthy rich oil tycoons. Is that really what we as a nation want, especially while all of the scandals and disasters (real and metaphorical at the same time) are going on???

Anyway- if you needed any reason why the Democrats in office need to grow a set of balls (and yes- even senators like Barbara Boxer) so as to keep from becoming divided just like the Republicans have become.

Remember, it’s still our nation. We can determine our fate through organizing and keeping true to our values and principles of democracy.

Front page on the AOL website this morning:

In defense of the unjust $63,000 forced weed abatement tax lien placed on Joseph Diliberti’s land, San Diego County Tax Collector Dan McAllister said, “He ought to come in and set up a payment plan.”

Diliberti is a Vietnam veteran who survives on disability checks. He will become homeless if the county carries through on its threat to auction off his land to collect on the lien after July 1, 2010.

McAllister is up for re-election June 8.

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/squabble-could-evict-vietnam-vet-joseph-diliberti-from-sculpture-houses/19476263

Additional news coverage:

VETSPEAK.org
Marine Holds Ground:
http://vetspeakblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/action-alert-vietnam-veteran-joe.html

Los Angeles Times:
Rastafarian Against Tax Collector:
http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/topofthetimes/topstories/la-me-0505-weed-20100505,0,3309990.story

Audio Slide Show (LA Times):
http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/topofthetimes/topstories/la-me-weeds-ss,0,4653627.htmlstory

San Diego Union-Tribune:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/07/land-owner-still-fights-brush-bill/

I do understand his anger. I too am fed up with senators and representatives living until their 200th birthdays while they are in office because they get the best healthcare in the country- and we, the taxpayers, foot the bill for them literally. Meanwhile, we are hurting regardless of who’s in office!

But here’s where I diverge from Bennett (and I respect him very much as a person and as a commentator)- A third party brought us the lousy Teabaggers- yes, they are the bastard child of a Republican party turned inside out by our last president, George W. Bush and a very new Democratic majority- it’s not just regular people who suffered because of the sham elections- it was members of his own party. The Teabaggers are dangerout too, bringing guns with them to protests, arguing their 1st Amendment rights are connected to their 2nd Amendment rights- and who is going to argue with a gun!!!

But it doesn’t stop there- Ralph Nader took away much needed votes from Al Gore in 2000- and yes, it’s likely moot because the election was decided by the US Supreme Court, not voters- Florida’s or anyone else’s for that matter. Still, Nader’s being on the ballot did take votes away from Al Gore, and now, we only can wonder where we’d be if history followed a different course.

And finally, why is it a bad idea to strengthen the democratic party? To do nothing is to ask the Democrats in office to become more like Republicans- slaves to Wall Street and filthy rich oil tycoons. Is that really what we as a nation want, especially while all of the scandals and disasters (real and metaphorical at the same time) are going on???

Anyway- if you needed any reason why the Democrats in office need to grow a set of balls (and yes- even senators like Barbara Boxer) so as to keep from becoming divided just like the Republicans have become.

Remember, it’s still our nation. We can determine our fate through organizing and keeping true to our values and principles of democracy.