I Went Back to Ohio, and My Sense Was Gone

With apologies to the Rubber City's most prolific rocker, it wasn't the city that's gone: it's your rights as a woman!  On Tuesday the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bills 125 and 78, limiting a woman's rights to seek an abortion after a heartbeat is detected and outlawing abortions after 20 weeks

With job loss at an all time high (9.1 is not your floor exercise score, Republican majority: it's the unemployment rate), the Republican legislature decides that their most important duty is to push through the most draconian abortion legislation in the nation.  How does that create jobs?  And how the hell is that going to attract workers and business owners over the border?

Republicans are big on states rights.  Well, I guess there are those around Capitol Square who believe that Ohio has the right to drag its citizens right back to the 1500s.

Maybe they can get a bill passed soon celebrating the Earth's 6000th birthday.http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/28/heartbeat-bill-vote-today.html?sid=101

Al Gore, Baghdad Bob, and Noah

Politico Arena Topic: Does Al Gore Have Legitimate Gripes with Obama?

Gore does have a point. Climate change and environmental defense have taken a back seat to economic and international issues. Unfortunately, policy makers do not realize that the environment and its changes are economic and international issues. Air and water do not recognize state borders, so anything that is put into the atmosphere in California can be in Europe in a matter of weeks.

The same goes for other nations, where lower environmental standards can affect the health of Americans (and cause businesses to do an end run and take their factories overseas). Climate change deniers are parroting Baghdad Bob: there are no tanks in Baghdad, even as footage rolls of Bradley Fighting Vehicles roaming the capital of Iraq. Deniers keep stating that there is no such thing as a changing climate, even as tornadoes roll through New England and flooding has reached levels in the middle of the country that would make Noah shake his head.

Environmental protection and climate change have been relegated to side issues that are only available to be considered during times of economic prosperity and international peace. The hotbeds (literally, in the case of global warming) for environmental activism and attention in the United States are along both coasts (where you also find a majority of Democratic representatives).

Thus, this is often thought to be a Democratic issue, and as head of the party, President Obama will receive credit and blame for what happens in the ranks, but the blame lies with members of Congress and their 4-1 lobbyist to representative ratio. Republicans do keep the environment and climate change high on their agenda, and that agenda is crushing the EPA and the protections they provide. Those on the right believe that climate change is a myth and that choosing to protect the environment destroys jobs, and this belief is a false one. We can create jobs and manufacture products in this country (and around the world) without fouling our natural resources (purple mountains' majesty is not supposed to come from choking off the air supply).

Much like the dirty air and water that does not recognize state and national borders, this is an issue that should not recognize party borders. The evidence for climate change is available, apparent, and is increasing daily. Thousands of public arena hours have been devoted to the debate of how the earth and humanity was created. No matter what you believe, we have no witnesses to tell us how it all began, but if the political culture surrounding climate change does not change immediately, we will all be witness to how it ends.

Time to Keep the Promise

Politico Arena Topic: Is Obama Being Pushed Into Gay Marriage Support?

The president will feel pressure to weigh in, and he should feel it. Candidates run for office to do a tough job, and he has the toughest one, but he is up to the task. He is the president for every American, and if two American adults decide they want to unite themselves in matrimony, they should be able to make that choice.

Every American child grew up with the Pledge of Allegiance; if two people want to pledge themselves to another, let them. There is absolutely no reason, no reason at all, that in the greatest nation in the world, in the 21st century, that an individual cannot say publicly that this is who they choose to love, and make the leap that millions of straight couples have made.

As a country we should be ashamed we are still debating this. Marriage is not, and never has been, under attack from gays and lesbians. Marriage and families have had many foes: jobs with longer commutes, lower wages, less health care, the need for two paychecks, high education costs, taking care of children and sick parents, etc. But out of all the divorce decrees granted, I am willing to bet a clerk of courts has never had to type these words: "Reason for divorce: neighbors are gay."

With DADT on the precipice of ending, this is the time to knock down the walls of intolerance. Gays and lesbians were a solid voting block for the president in the last election, and even if they do not get all the campaign provisions they may have wanted, they will be behind him in this election. When soldiers and sailors are finally able to be open while serving, it will not be lifting a barrier to serving, because gay people have been protecting their fellow citizens since this nation was just an idea in the minds of the framers (which again is amazing that straight chicken hawks rail against how morale will fall in the military if men and women can serve openly when they have never worn a uniform and flag officers and the Sgt Major of the Marine Corps is saying publicly everything will be fine).

Marriage equality is not like being for an issue that you can live with if it is not in the forefront. If renewable fuels are not passed, you may, as an environmentalist be upset, but it is something you can wake up to and continue the fight. But if the country you love continues to tell you that who you love is wrong, then that cuts to the core of not only the individual, but to the core of our nation. America is not a tangible object: it is a promise. It is a promise that hard work, tenacity and fidelity can make any dream come true. It is a promise to every individual that biology is not biography, in that the station in life where you start is not where you have to end. It is a promise that while income and education levels vary, the value of a person does not. It is time to keep that promise. Let's not wait for it to get better; let's make it better. Cue the president.

Like Punctuation

Politico Arena Topic: Is Jon Huntsman Too Moderate?

This may be the greatest political cycle of our lifetimes, as both Huntsman and Romney, the Mormon candidates, are both being described as too moderate for Republicans.

Being governor of Utah does bring about an odd juxtaposition for a conservative. Although the native born are usually conservative, Utah's breathtaking scenery and status as one of the ultimate outdoor playgrounds draw many pilgrims to move there for the recreational possibilities (the 2002 Olympics showed the world that Salt Lake City is beautiful). If you want to attract the ski and snowboard set (who have higher than average incomes) to your state, you need to be open minded on who they bring as their "plus one."

It will be difficult for voters to forget that Huntsman worked on the Obama team, as his opponents will mention it so often it will seem like punctuation.

Snow in South Beach

Politico Arena Topic: Is Mitt Romney helped or hurt by climate change stance?

Mitt Romney is dead on in his stance on climate change, no matter how loud the shouting from other conservatives. The deniers that continue to claim that humans have no effect on global warming never provide evidence for such pronouncements, and Romney should be commended on looking at the facts.

Even when provided with evidence (polar ice caps melting, rising seas levels, etc.), they scoff and will only say it is liberal hysteria. The evidence provides not only exhibits such as higher temperatures and more extreme weather, but air and water quality issues as well. When non-smokers are being diagnosed with lung cancer, from the air they breathe, that is a sign that humans are contributing to poor environmental conditions, and contribute to violent and unpredictable weather patterns.

Why won’t conservatives consider the evidence that science provides? The only reason for this has to be that the industries that provide the fuel for their political engines (cleaning up campaign finance might lead to many in office adjusting their attitudes to cleaning up the environment). Just as the EPA is being demonized for enforcing standards on power plants, the heads of said plants are trying to paint (least it is not lead-based) the agency as liberal revenue destroyers (this stance is even more amazing in that the EPA was created under a Republican president, and that George H.W. Bush strengthened air pollution standards under the 1990 Clear Air Act amendments). Their contributors in the dirty energy sectors do not want to be good citizens, just prodigious financial backers.

No matter how much they wish it, you cannot eat or breathe money, and ignoring environmental science is lazy and an insult to those who have worked hard to make our nation the standard bearer for the health of the earth, such as President Teddy Roosevelt (whose bull moose might need supplemental oxygen if we keep going the way we are).

Sharing the responsibility of being good stewards of the earth is as foreign to global warming deniers as snow in South Beach. If those in power do not take this issue seriously and find a fact-based solution, that weather forecast will become a reality.

Golf Photo-Op Summitry

Politico Arena Topic: Obama-Boehner 'Golf Summit': Will it Help?

Washington is the center of the golf world this weekend, with the White House golf summit on Saturday, and the third round of the U.S. Open up the road at Congressional (Come on, Lefty -- you got this).



While it will provide a great photo-op, I don't know how much will really get done on the policy front. In the old days, golf foursomes, poker games and dinner parties (with intermingled families) provided a way for the political elite to socialize across the aisle. Through this socializing came the humanizing of those who might not share your political views, but enjoyed the same things in their personal lives. But Newt Gingrich's Contract on America included a separation clause, keeping the parties apart and families left back in the districts.


I think it is apropos that Boehner chose John Kasich as his partner. I suggest that the governor bring along an out-of-work public employee as his caddie: it will remind him that the people of Ohio will be left holding the bag for this terrible policies.

Tweet Your Resume While You Are At It

Voters do care about the personal conduct of their individual members, but the level of that concern rises with the unemployment numbers. No one wants their elected officials to be caught up in these scandals, but it is more egregious when jobs are lost, homes are foreclosed on, and (just like pre-WWII) college is becoming something that only the most affluent will be able to afford.

I have seen many commentators mention the salary of House members while covering this story. This number is tattooing itself into the mind of voters. While college educated citizens are fighting for minimum wage jobs, a congressman making more than $170,000, with a staff in Washington and in his district doing the heavy lifting of governing, has time to fool around on a computer like a teenager.

To the members of Congress who want to keep this up, those of us out here hunting for work will save a copy of the want ads for you ... because you, too, will soon be a college-educated person looking for work.

Two Americas: A Family in Each One

John Edwards indicted: Can his political legacy be rehabbed?

John Edwards could broker peace in the Middle East, cure cancer and give every out-of-work American a well-paying job for life and his legacy will still be that of world-class jerk.

His cyclone of deceit touched not only his family, but his staff, supporters and a huge number of volunteers who believed in his message. The actual affair, while tremendously hurtful, was/is the business of his family, and should be handled as such. But when he started throwing those around him overboard, especially his staff (the unsung heroes of every campaign and office who put their lives/dreams/desires aside for the good of the overall effort), he showed that his frailties went beyond carnal desires and that he took hubris to its highest levels.

The Weiner Media Blitz: From Mad-as-Hell to Affability

Why the Weiner Media Blitz?

During my limited experience on Capitol Hill, one thing was blaringly clear from the jump: the Hill is high school, but with no cool people (there are no Jake Ryans ... hell, there aren't any Lloyd Doblers).

What happened to Rep. Weiner was not only embarrassing, but surely frightening as well. We Democrats are still celebrating the win in NY-26, which would have not occurred had Chris Lee decided to leave the camera phone in his briefcase. Mr. Weiner and his circle of advisers could see his congressional agenda being damaged, as well as his plans to occupy Gracie Mansion in New York in the future.

The affable approach that Rep. Weiner took with the press yesterday was a much better strategy than the mad-as-hell angle earlier in the week. I am sure that time, distance and his friend Jon Stewart's amusing take helped him to relax a bit on it.

The congressman is one of our best on the Democratic side when it comes to fighting for issues close to our platforms and heart: it is the work he does. Now he just needs to go back to work.