What About "We the People..."

Sometimes I think we spend so much time arguing about what was just said we forget what was said at the outset.

The outset of our constitutional government in this case. While our Rebublican brothers are wondering in a very Libertarian manner " What's wrong with everyman-for-himself?"; the founders had a more common sentiment in mind.

One of the few stated purposes of creating this great state was to "promote the general welfare". Granted this has always been held in tension with its companion purpose to "secure the blessings of liberty". Never in my lifetime have these noble motives seemed more mutually exclusive than in current conservative rhetoric. Unless you consider current conservative political action.

The government was always intended to promote the general welfare. It was clearly not the framers wish to leave portions of society either to fend for themselves or to rely on the kindness of the well-to-do.

We need to leave the jungle to its laws and the allow the U.S. government to pursue the purposes of its constitution. This absolutely includes the welfare of all its citizens.

Democrats' Crumbling Discipline

We have got to do better in defending issues we as liberals should fight by default.

Amen to Atrios.

Bankrupt of Compassion

The Congress is flying its true colors right now. The color of money, as in , the monied interests of the credit industry.

The tougher new bankruptcy law sailing through the hallowed halls right now will make this still less a nation of and for the people, at least us little people.

Remember these yea votes for '06 an beyond.

The Lamb is the Light

"The Lamb is the light of the city of God...". Singing this line from the Episcopal Hymnal this morning I thought of the tragic death of Nicola Calipari.

This man who orchestrated the release of Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, apparently made the ultimate sacrifice just when he must have felt home-free. When, for whatever reason, the vehicle carrying the just released Sgrena came under American attack, Calipari used his body as a human shield to save his charge.

There is no greater love than this.

An heroic act of humanity in the midst of violent chaos. I have hope still for us, this humankind.

Sabbath Time

Shalom.

Martha, Martha, and More Martha

I'm striking over the amount of time the MSM is spending on the diva's release from prison.

I'll be back tomorrow.

Let's Not Get Lost in the Social Security Shuffle

Friends bearing fair warnings are reminding us we really need to multi-task in keeping pressure on this administration and Congress.

Mark Schmitt at the Decembrist points our attention at attempts to make the Bush tax cuts permanent and at his rehashed slate of throwback judicial nominees.

Also, check out E.J. Dionne at the WP raising a flag over the new regressive bankruptcy bill.

So much to tilt at there's no time for windmills.

Liberal is of Freedom

Hooray! I am not alone in refusing to sit still while the conservatives both label and define me. Jeff Jarvis over at Buzzmachine is standing up loud and proud in not justing admitting, but celebrating, being liberal.

I'm with him.

The word has a definition, and 'they', didn't come up with it. It shares its Latin root, liber, with liberty. Liber means free. Liberal is suitable for a free person, and that suits me.

Let's continue to be us, folks. If you are defensive enough to want to be called a progressive, then let the defense stop there. Hold on to those liberal values.

They're real, and they're true.

Power Line Again Denies Reality

The Supreme Court today struck down laws permitting the execution of persons below the age of majority when they committed their crime(s).

Nineteen states had laws on the books allowing for the execution of such juvenile offenders. Federal law already prohibited the death penalty in such cases. Yet somehow John Hinderraker thinks some imaginary majority of Americans favor killing kids that kill people, and he says so.

"The Supreme Court is disdainful of public opinion in the U.S. as expressed by the laws passed by Congress and the state legislatures..."

Nineteen is not a majority of fifty; Congress is not even part of the equation. Breathing too much rocket fuel John?

Morbidity About Steroids in Baseball

Morbid because I've previously declared the sport deceased to my interest. Ah...but the scandal, the scandal has a hold on me I guess.

You see I was just innocently doing my treadmill work when Buster Olney of ESPN came on the screen in the gym. He was talking about a new piece exposing baseball management awareness of steroid cheating. Seems Kevin Towers, Padres' GM, 'fessed up to knowing about Caminiti being on the juice.

Anyway, they got my dander up by clarifying that Caminiti didn't use steroids to bulk up for dingers. No, he just wanted the 'recovery' benefit to stay in the lineup.

Hello...cheating by another name guys? I mean that's even worse, right? If I'm not mistaken you can't even hit a single if you're not in the lineup. That means everything he ever did in a game he wouldn't have played without the 'roids he did by cheating.

So now I gotta check out espn.com and I stumble onto Ray Ratto holding forth on what MLB as an institution needs to admit in order to really come clean. It's a good commentary well worth checking out. I also liked the wordsmithing of "...fueled by the lie and lubricated by the implausible denial." I see me quoting that often.

Way to turn a phrase, Ray, and amen. But...it ain't gonna happen.