1331 Days Until the 2016 Presidential Election

I know all of you are expecting Hillary Clinton to run in 2016, so don't get too excited over this.  Well, my liberal friends at least.

Yes, Hillary will run.  Why wouldn't she?  She's been the most popular and most admired woman in America for over 20 years, and according to Gallup the most popular woman in the world.  So when anyone ever asks me, "Peter, do you think she's running?"  I most emphatically say yes.

Take for instance, the fact she's created a new website called HillaryClintonOffice.com.  Sure it's nothing more than just a picture of herself and a large button that says "Contact", but it sure leaves one to question the "office" in the web address. Things that make you go hmmm... LOL.

Then there's the fact that she has transferred the balance of her campaign funds to the Friends of Hillary organization.

Or if you just want to go to HillaryClinton.com, you can click on the link "Click here to reach the Office of Hillary Clinton." and you will go straight to her Hillary Clinton Office once again.

Let's just say she doesn't really have to do a thing, as super PACs have started forming in anticipation of her 2016 run.

I, for one, am excited.  And provided she's in good health, will be ready to make history as our nation's first woman President.

sources:  hillaryclintonoffice.com, hillaryclinton.com, washington times

Only 22% of Americans Want To Be Known As Republicans

It's a pretty sad reality, but the Reds are in a downward slope and it seems the only way they can win any elections is by redistricting, and even then, public support is waning.  Trust me, and you can look back on this blog four years from now and tell me I was wrong - I won't take offense.

The Republican party will never win a national election without the people they hate most - Latinos and Gays.  Period.  And aside from that, Asians were the fastest growing racial group in 2012, bet you didn't know that either.  So we can only imagine how much more diverse this country is going to be in 10 years. Hell, 4 years - who am I kidding?

According to USA today, "President Obama starts his second term with a clear upper hand over GOP leaders on issues from guns to immigration that are likely to dominate the year, a USA TODAY/Pew Research Center Poll finds. On the legislation rated most urgent — cutting the budget deficit — even a majority of Republican voters endorse Obama's approach of seeking tax hikes as well as spending cuts."

And here's the real kicker... Only 22% of Americans want to be known as Republicans.  Pretty sad huh?  You can read the article here.

I have friends who are Republicans, but they are more fiscally conservative individuals, and I understand that.  I respect them.  But for those who tell us how we should live, who we can love and who we can marry.  That is none of their f--ing business.

I will be shocked if I ever see a Republican president for the remainder of my life.  They would need to drastically change for that to happen.  And throwing Marco Rubio and Susana Martinez in our faces is not going to make it happen.

Hillary Clinton: The Most Powerful Woman in American Politics

"...she has been one of the most remarkable Americans of our time. In the 20 years she’s been on the stage, the country has gone from wondering whether women could handle the toughest jobs to knowing they can. That is a huge cultural change—barriers that were a given for most people a generation ago are just completely socially unacceptable now, and thousands more women know they can aim for the top. No one is more responsible for that change than Hillary Clinton." 

     - Michael Tomasky, Special correspondent for Newsweek/The Daily Beast and editor of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas.

I pulled this quote from an article I read this morning, and it is absolutely wonderful.  Read it here - The Daily Beast

Oh So Very True!

"To My Unborn Child... I'll put a bullet in your damn skull" (if you turn out gay)

This hate talk comes from a parent or an idiot who wants to be a parent.  Everyone knows that Twitter is the place to be nowadays, and sometimes things can get a little personal, sometimes a little too personal.  "To My Unborn Child" has become a recent topic of discussion on Twitter.  Unfortunately, it turned into a disgusting ranting space for anti-gay bigots. 

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The Twitter account @Homophobes (which retweets public homophobic tweets to its 4,500 followers) created a post at Storify (a site where users can bundle tweets onto one page and add commentary to create a story) to document over 100 tweets of mostly young men and women saying they would murder their future child if he or she was gay. [source]

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I honestly don't know where to being with this to tell you the truth.  All I know is that this is who you're voting for, remember that.  Yes, I'm bringing politics into this, and for those who think that this has nothing to do with it, it most certainly does.  When you have candidates running for President who want to strip you of your dignity and your life, politics are involved.  When you have a candidate running for President who says he will stop at nothing to have every gay right overturned, you might as well put a bullet in our heads.  But you know what, why don't we just turn back the hands of time and be like Iran and parts of Africa and start killing our gay children. These imbeciles/parents don't seem to mind it.  Hell, one goes so far as to say "To My Unborn Child, I will kill you if you turn gay, (I support the gays, but will never be one, neither nor my unborn baby)."

Let me put it to you in simple terms, voting for the REDs says you are supporting their causes, and until you realize this, you are fighting against everything your cousin, brother, sister, friend, co-worker, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandson, grandaughter - the list goes on.  You are fighting against everything they have accomplished, and are still trying to.  All we want is equal rights for everyone, and the right to love who we want.  I know what you're going to say, "Oh, I can be a RED and not support everything they stand for."  Yeah, and I can say the same thing too, "I can vote for a Democrat and not support everything they do."  Only difference is, they are not trying to take away your rights and your freedoms.  If you vote for a RED - you are supporting them, you are giving them the key to the White House, which will eventually take away the rights from the people you love.

This blog post may have sounded repetitive, but I don't care, I need to make it clear to you people.  And don't even start saying you're Christian if you're tweeting shit like this.  Hell, if you're thinking or wishing it, you're just as guilty.

Voting vs. Driving

Can I hear an Amen up in here?

Super Pac Attack

What is a Super Pac?  A Super Pac (Political Action Committee) is an organization in the United States that campaigns for or against political candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.  At the federal level, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives more than $1,000 according to the Federal Election Campaign Act. At the state level, an organization becomes a PAC according to the state's election laws. [Ref]

Personally, I think it's a hot mess, because Super Pacs can alter an election, especially when huge corporations are the ones making the most contributions.  And we all know they don't want to pay taxes, while the rest of us have a 31% tax rate.  Corporations can donate and unlimited amount of money and have proven to be instrumental in bringing down or hurting Democratic candidates.  This was the case when George W. Bush won the governorship in the state of Texas and when John Kerry was swift-boated with the horrendous lies provided by these organizations.  Don't get me wrong some of them are legitimate, but you're not going to sit there and tell me that Karl Rove's Super Pac and the Koch brother's Super Pac are.

Attack of the Super PACs

Quoted - President John F. Kennedy on Being a Liberal

One State - Two Party Difference

I honestly wish this wasn't the case, but this is pretty much the way it is around the country.  When the country is divided this is what you get.  Only difference is, one party is a little more respectful.  These two women represent Arizona...

...I rest my case.

Gabby, It Does Get Better - You Will Get Better

On Sunday afternoon, Gabrielle Giffords released a video statement to her constituents, Congress and to America.  I have finally come around to blogging about it today.

To think that a year ago this week, this lovely woman was shot down in front of hundreds of people, along with the killing of innocent bystanders and supporters of her campaign.  And to know she managed to survive a gunshot to the head is a miracle in itself.

Our city of Houston played a major role in her recovery, and continues to play a part in her rehabilitation.  We've watched her recover month after month, releasing pictures in June and attending a joint session of congress in the fall.  But it's this video that will make your heart melt.  In it she says, "I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice," Giffords said. "I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country."

Congresswoman Giffords resigned yesterday afternoon.

Are People Really This Stupid? Issue No. 19 - Please Keep Your Pets Inside!

Ken Aden

If you're a Democrat, more than likely you're going to have some *cough*publican come over and do something very, very bad to your family pet.  

Ken Aden, a Democratic congressional candidate from Arkansas informed the Blue Arkansas that when he got home last night, he got "the most chilling phone call" he'd ever received.  He told police that his Campaign Manager, Jake Burris and his four kids had returned home after the long weekend when one of his children found their family cat on the porch -  SLAUGHTERED!

According to Aden's campaign the cat "had one side of its head bashed in to the point the cat's eyeball was barely hanging from its socket." and the word "LIBERAL" written across its side.

The article goes on to say...

Both Ken and Jake though made it clear that they weren’t going to back down on the campaign trail, both agreeing that caving to this kind of behavior would only make things worse. - Blue Arkansas

Quoted - Andrew Sullivan on his Newsweek Cover Story "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?"

"Under Obama, support for marriage equality and marijuana legalization has crested to record levels. Under Obama, a crucial state, New York, made marriage equality for gays an irreversible fact of American life. Gays now openly serve in the military, and the Defense of Marriage Act is dying in the courts, undefended by the Obama Justice Department. Vast government money has been poured into non-carbon energy investments, via the stimulus. Fuel-emission standards have been drastically increased. Torture was ended. Two moderately liberal women replaced men on the Supreme Court. Oh, yes, and the liberal holy grail that eluded Johnson and Carter and Clinton, nearly universal health care, has been set into law. Politifact recently noted that of 508 specific promises, a third had been fulfilled and only two have not had some action taken on them. To have done all this while simultaneously battling an economic hurricane makes Obama about as honest a follow-through artist as anyone can expect from a politician." 

- Andrew Sullivan on his Newsweek Cover Story "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?"

An Open Letter To The People Who Hate Obama More Than They Love America

If this letter doesn't change you, or move you, I don't know what else will.  On my knees and crossing my heart to the God who brought me into this world, this letter is the damn-awful truth!   If you're a Republican this is directed at you,  If you hate Obama, this is meant to describe you, and if you're considering to vote for any of the presidential candidates currently running, let this open letter help change your mind.

Written by the Ministry of Truth, this was published on the Daily KOS, and I absolutely had to share it with the rest of of the world.  I'm so tired of people who wear the cross and promote their hatred beyond belief.  I highly condone this letter, as it is straightforward, honest and true.  If it sounds like we're mad, we have every right to be.  But do we hate you?  No, we are just embarrassed by you!

An open letter to the people who hate Obama more than they love America

    I meet you all the time. You hate Obama. You hate gay people. You hate black people, immigrants, Muslims, labor unions, women who want the right to make choices concerning their bodies, you hate em all. You hate being called racist. You hate being called a bigot. Maybe if you talked about creating jobs more than you talk about why you hate gay people we wouldn't call you bigots. Maybe if you talked about black people without automatically assuming they are on food stamps while demanding their birth certificates we wouldn't call you racist. You hate socialism and social justice. You hate regulations and taxes and spending and the Government. You hate.

     You like war. You like torture. You like Jesus. I don't know how in the hell any of that is compatible, but no one ever accused you haters of being over-committed to ideological consistency. You like people who look like you or at least hate most of the things that you hate. You hate everything else.

Now, I know you profess to love our country and the founding fathers (unless you are reminded that they believed in the separation of church and state), but I need to remind you that America is NOT what Fox News says it is. America is a melting pot, it always has been. We are a multi-cultural amalgamation of all kinds of people, and yet you still demonize everyone who is not a rich, white, heterosexual christian male or his submissive and obedient wife.

You hate liberals, moderates, hell, anyone who disagrees with Conservative dogma as espoused by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. You hate em.

Well, here are the facts, Jack. If you hate the Government then you are unqualified to manage it. If you hate gay people more than you love America than you should take your own advice and get the hell out. There are several countries that are openly hostile to gay people, but they are full of brown people and you don't like them much either from what I understand. It looks like you are screwed, but that's not what I am here to tell you.

Continue reading after the jump . . .

Politics 101: Primary Elections Explained

For those who have no idea how Primary Elections work, I introduce you to CGPGrey.  Once again he educates us through video, and informs of the confusion between Primaries and Caucuses.  And how the nomination of a President comes to be.

So without further ado, the man who brought us Coffee: The Greatest Addiction Ever, Daylight Saving Time, Pennies Should Be Abolished, and "2012 & The End of The World" comes the second educational video of the year, "Primary Elections Explained."

Politics 101: It's Not All About Iowa

I just love how all the news is focused on Iowa today, and will be for the next several days until New Hampshire.  But is it really that important?  Is it as important as the media and your neighbors make it out to be?  NO.  That's a big N-O to all you Republicans.  And Democrats for that matter.

You want to know when all of this started?  When Jimmy Carter won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa in 1976, and ever since then these candidates have been hoping for the same thing.  But I don't remember hearing of a President Huckabee, President Dole, President Gephardt, or President Harkin, do you?

Furthermore, Iowa does not reflect the rest of America.  When the total population of Iowa is 96% white, 2% black, 1% Asian and 1% Hispanic you do not resemble America.  Adding to the absurdity, you have 60% of that population being mega-religious and a majority of them over the age of 50 or 60.  And with only 30% of Iowans expected at these Caucuses, how is this a reflection of America?  There is no comparison.

So, while I'm sitting at home watching all this mess, I'll be laughing quietly, because whoever wins will probably never make it past 2012.  It's about the rest of the nation, people.  It's not about Iowa.  Why do you think all these other states are moving their caucuses and primaries up?  They want to feel important too.  Oh. And by the way there are 49 other states who also want to play a part in the democratic process.

Watch Republicans Literally Walk Out on Democrats Yesterday - Lovely

Astounding, simply astounding.  And this is how Republicans address your $1,000 dollars being taken out of your paycheck next year.  

So let's see if you got a $1,000 raise this year, you're not going to see it in 2012. You're not!  And if you received a $1,000 Christmas bonus this year, save it. You'll need it next year.  

In other words, if you receive a bi-weekly check, your check will be $40-60 less than what you originally were receiving.  Trust me, you'll feel it.  Actually 160 million Americans will feel it.  Watch as the GOP speaker pro-tem, walks out as Democrats are pushing for a vote on the Payroll Tax-cut before it expires this month.

Yesterday morning, Speaker Pro Tempore Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), under orders from Speaker Boehner, refused to allow Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer to speak on the floor and ask for unanimous consent to bring up the Senate bipartisan compromise to extend the payroll tax cut. Whip Hoyer and Congressman Chris Van Hollen are continuing to try to offer the Senate compromise even though Republicans walked off the floor. Once again, Republicans are risking a tax increase on 160 million Americans and the loss unemployment benefits for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Quoted: President Barack Obama on Unfairness

"Keep in mind, when President Clinton first proposed these tax increases, folks in Congress predicted they would kill jobs and lead to another recession. Instead, our economy created nearly 23 million jobs and we eliminated the deficit.  Today, the wealthiest Americans are paying the lowest taxes in over half a century. This isn’t like in the early ‘50s, when the top tax rate was over 90 percent. This isn’t even like the early ‘80s, when the top tax rate was about 70 percent. Under President Clinton, the top rate was only about 39 percent. Today, thanks to loopholes and shelters, a quarter of all millionaires now pay lower tax rates than millions of you, millions of middle-class families. Some billionaires have a tax rate as low as 1 percent. One percent.

That is the height of unfairness. It is wrong. It’s wrong that in the United States of America, a teacher or a nurse or a construction worker, maybe earns $50,000 a year, should pay a higher tax rate than somebody raking in $50 million. It’s wrong for Warren Buffett‘s secretary to pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett. And by the way, Warren Buffett agrees with me. So do most Americans — Democrats, Independents and Republicans. And I know that many of our wealthiest citizens would agree to contribute a little more if it meant reducing the deficit and strengthening the economy that made their success"

- President Barack Obama at a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas on Tuesday, December 6, 2011

What If An Atheist Was Running For President of the United States?

Would you vote for him?  Probably not, according to this latest poll posted at The New Republic.  Question is?  Will religion play a role in the 2012 election?  I'm gonna say, yes.

The chart above shows the comfort level of voters who indicated they were somewhat uncomfortable or very uncomfortable with the prospect of an Atheist, Muslim, Mormon or Evangelical taking the oath of office.

Are You A Liberal?

Seriously, ask yourself why you would want to belong to a party who hates you so much?  I thank God everyday that I'm a Liberal!

Quoted: Elizabeth Warren on Fair Taxation

Honestly, why can't all the Republican senators think like this brilliant woman?  If she keeps speaking like this, Republican Senator Scott Brown has his hands full come November, 2012.