A few days, one consistent pattern

On wars, taxation, social services, and almost everything else, the government and media now agree that the majority of Americans are, well, mistaken, and they’re letting us know with their LRAD’s and editorials, respectively. And why wouldn’t they? As George Bush said, “History? We’ll all be dead.” And for once, he wasn’t lying.

This November the voters of California will likely decide whether or not to give their state regulators the ability to approve or deny health insurance premium increases. Today the group Consumer Watchdog turned in over 800,000 signatures for their ballot initiative which should be more than enough to qualify.

Once upon a time, a certain preacher was attacked for preaching a strong and vivid sermon against confusing God and Government. For this, he was roundly attacked by the right wing.

Today, interestingly enough, that very same right wing is preaching against trusting in government over God, against a government that they claim is trying to take over their religious beliefs.

Why does the right wing hate Jeremiah Wright? His famous sermon is speaking their language, after all. I guess their problem with Wright isn’t really his message. I wonder what it could be . . .

How could an idea as brilliant as Americans Elect fail? HOW???

Campaigns will often talk a good game about expanding the map and how they can win a state that doesn’t look like a good prospect, but if you really want to know what states each side thinks the election will hinge on check to see if they put their money where their mouth is.

Mitt Romney’s campaign has launched a new ad making three promise of what he would do on “day one” if elected President.

For both parties contesting the 2012 election, looking back on their own records is always a bit awkward when attempting to differentiate themselves, so they and their consultants are understandably drawn to the deficiencies of their opponents, especially when the servants are around.

But, really. It’s only May, and the delightfully quirky billionaires that have so proudly, post-Citizen’s United, purchased our political system are so desperate for something to convince dumber Americans to vote for Romney rather than the only slightly less hawkish, authoritarian, and rich-coddling Obama, that they’ve already resorted to calling him a dirty darkie.

The ability of a President to sway broad popular opinion or change the minds of his opponents on a big issue with a speech is fairly limited, but that doesn’t mean that in certain situations the bully pulpit can’t be very powerful. The President can bring a huge amount of focus to a previously overlooked issue. A President’s opinion also has real sway over his own base and can cause members to rethink their position.

The public has a thirst for a real crackdown on Wall Street. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in the 48 hours since it went out with a petition in support of a new Glass-Steagall Act to separate commercial and investment banking received 60,000 signatures, and counting. But it’s not just arcane subjects about permitted practices by financial firms that has animated people. Eric Griego, a Democrat running for the House in New Mexico, released an ad this week with the line “I won’t stop until Wall Street bankers who broke the law go to jail.” The ad starts with the story of Alan and Melinda Witt who lost a good deal of their life savings in the stock market during the 2008 crash, right as they had planned to retire.