"We Built That"

Signage and big screens at the RNC read "We Built It".

The Tampa Bay Times Forum, draped with this message, is a publicly financed and publicly owned venue, financed using $80 million in city and county bonds, backed in part by taxes.

Both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions are directly financed, in part, by taxpayer money. According to the FEC, The Presidential Election Campaign Fund gave public grants of over $18 million to each convention.

The city of Tampa Bay, financed by federal and local dollars, paid $2.7 million for beautification projects and infrastructure upgrades to get ready for the RNC, which improved highways, planted trees and redesigned signage.

The city has also received $11 million from the federal government to complete The Riverwalk, a two-mile greenspace near the Forum utilized by RNC attendees.

The federal government also provided a $50 million grant to provide security for the RNC, which is being used to pay police overtime and enhance equipment.

I get that they're not claiming that they built the arena, but it serves to illustrate the point that "we" are direct and indirect beneficiaries of state, local and federal spending. Spending made possible by our collective contributions.

Infrastructure spending is needed and important. It's how and why we have public spaces, with roads and bridges and bike paths allowing for, among other things, consumers and producers to get together.

We did build it in a sense, but that's not really the underlying message of those signs. The message seeks to divide us, but we're all in this together.

It may sound trite and possibly naive. Maybe, but I'd still like to have issues framed in a way that doesn't seek to push us hither and yon.

I expect we'll see more, yet different "messaging" at the DNC. In either case, pandering to low-brow BS is not helping.

Saxby Chambliss and manufactured outrage

Saxby and the other numb-nuts Republicans representing Georgia, my current home state, have asserted that presidential recess appointments are an egregious over reach of executive power. However, the facts tell a diferent story. Pay particular attention to St. Ronnie's numbers.

The chart was plucked from a piece on ThinkProgress.com

Iowa means what?

This multi-ring circus is a media feeding frenzy. The effectiveness and usefuleness are debatable.

This year we have Newt and Mitt polling at a combined 47%, with the rest of the pack combined at 50%. In other words half of Iowa does not support the front runners. This is shaping up to to actually mean something.

If Newt continues to slide and stumble, his supporters may turn their gaze to one of the conservatives at the back of the pack. There is still a glimmer of hope in the Bachmann, Santorum, Perry and Paul camps. Ron Paul will have a difficult time convincing voters of his conservative bona fides given his positions on abortion, drugs and foreign conflict. Choice, pot and peace are not rallying cries amongst Iowans.

The caucus process itself is an odd thing. People who work, or are sick, or who must take care of their children are challenged to participate due to the time demands of hours spent caucusing during a weekday. Absentee voting is barred, so active-duty Iowan soldiers lose the opportunity to participate, as do locally-registered college students who leave the state during winter holidays. This is not a simple popular vote. The rules are complex.

Advocates of the caucus process argue that the system favors the most motivated voters, and that supporters of non-viable candidates are able to realign with a more popular candidate and still make their vote count. Caucus-goers praise the interactiveness of the process. With all of the last minute speechifying caucus-goers tend to get more information before making their vote, so those voting are potentially be more educated than primary-goers. (Even if it means they'll need to go to re-education camps afterwards)

The complexity enters as each precinct's vote is weighed differently due to its past voting record. (That sounds fair!) Ties can occur and may be solved by picking a name out of a hat or a coin toss, leading to anger over the true democratic nature of these caucuses. (Grandma's gonna be pissed if that happens!)

Aguably the biggest who-gives-a-rats-ass quality of the Iowa caucus is the traditionally low turnout. All this fuss and money to win over a bunch of conservative retirees. A helluva lot of money for a candidate to gain a foothold and for about one percent of the nation's delegates to be chosen by the Iowa State Convention.

I predict the second and third place finishers to declare victory. (They do that you know!) A slim glimmer of hope may yet await the next not-Romney contestant. This means more money and potentially matching funds. The winner in Iowa will likely not be the Republican nominee.

Up next...New Hampshire. Yay! I am nearly paralyzed with boredom.

Twas the Newt before Christmas...

when all through the house


Not a creature was stirring, not even a justice from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals .

The accusations of "infringement on the executive" were hung by the Speaker with care,

In hopes that arrests and impeachments of judges soon would be there.



The Obama's were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of overturning Citizens United danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and Barrack in his cap,

Had just settled their brains for a long winter’s refusal to accept an unacceptable SCOTUS ruling on health care legislation.



When out on the south lawn there arose such a clatter,

they sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window they flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.



The moon on the breast of the Newtster out in the snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to their wondering eyes should appear,

But a desperate fear message pandering to the conservative base in Iowa.



The little old Newtster, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be that old dick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! "Traitors!"



"Now Vixen! now, Vixen! now, Vixen and Vixen!

On, Vixen! On, Vixen!, On, Vixen and Vixen!

To the front seat of my car! or behind yonder wall!

Now blow away! Blow away! Tickle my balls!"


OK that's enough!