Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
My Dear America:
I am tempted to talk about Ted Kennedy rolling over in his grave but in deference to Senator Kennedy's long and remarkable career and his indelible image in the minds of Americans everywhere I will spare myself and them that sad image.
Something remarkable and possibly Earth Shattering has happened in the state of Massachusetts and it happened yesterday in the state that sent Ted Kennedy to the United States Senate for 42 years. Scott Brown, a handsome young Republican State Senator was elected to the United States Senate beating the Democratic Party's chosen Candidate, Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley. Martha, at first, seemed like a shoo-in but during the course of the campaign she seemed to look a bit uncomfortable and out of her league campaigning, especially over the past weekend when it seemed like every Democratic Stalwart who could be persuaded, including President Barack Obama, Senator John Kerry and Massachussetts Governor, Deval Patrick, came out to campaign with Martha. And, of course, there was that mistake of mistake on Martha's part which was not knowing Boston Sports History. An unforgivable sin in Boston.
Mr. Brown, on the other hand had some very important things going for him. His good looks had, many years ago, landed his naked body in a Cosmopolitan Magazine centerfold. Not only that, his daughter had been a contender on American Idol. Good God, you can't beat a background like that.
Do I sound cynical and disappointed. Yes I do. I am angry that the replacement for one of the nation's best and longest lasting Senators is going to be a Republican who campaigned on a platform of typical Republican obstructionism.
No, to Health Care
No to pretty much the full Obama agenda
And Yes to bipartisanship, although the bipartisanship seems to be only related to Republican sponsored issues and Republican Right Wing Thinking.
It is discouraging, to say the least, to be a liberal Democrat today. The Democrats seem to be stalled in every way except for continuing Wars of Questionable Choice. Those the Republicans can get behind.
Instead of lamenting our bad fortune, however, I think that it is time for the Democrats to gather their forces together and make one more stab at bipartisanship before doing what George Bush and his Republican Cronies did and say the hell with bipartisanship. We have an Agenda and we are going to push ahead full speed with our Agenda. We need Health Care Reform and not the watered down version it has become without even one public option proposed.
Enough with the obstructionists. It is time for the average American to recognize that they have the power to let their legislators know that they are unhappy with Republicans saying no to anything progressive. They need to get on the internet, get on their phones, write letters and let Congress know what they really want and what they really feel. It is time for Americans to vote not only with their eyes but with their ears, their hearts and their consciences.
Who knows. Maybe Scott Brown will surprise us and really become a bipartisan Senator.
It could happen, after all, although I personally doubt that it will.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
HAPPY NEW DECADE - The Best and The Worst Of The First Decade Of The Twenty First Century
January 8th, 2010
My Dear America:
First of all let me apologize for not communicating with you since October of 2009.
I have been busy finishing what I anticipate will be my first published book.
The book will be titled the following:
LETTERS TO A LOST NATION - A Watergate Chronicle
I plan to publish it shortly after a thorough review to make sure it is publishing ready.
It will certainly be available through this Blog.
But enough about that, for now.
It was during the last weeks of 2009 that I began realizing in talking with my wife and with friends that we were not just looking at a Happy New Year in 2010 but also the start of what we hope will be a Happy New Decade. Certainly it is anybody's guess how happy we will be in this next Decade but then we haven't been too happy with this last Decade either.
Those of us who are old enough can certainly remember the start of the First Decade of the Twenty First Century.
Y2K.
Oh My God, The Computers were going to crash. That's what we were worried about as the Decade started. As I sit here writing about it the start of the year 2000 does not seem like it was 10 years ago. It seems more like it was one or two years ago. Man, this Decade went fast.
Certainly The Worst Thing that happened during the past Decade was September 11th, 2001, when we were attacked by terrorists of our own creation on our own soil in our own major American City. We watched in Amazement at the Televised Madness as the two Major High Rise Signature Buildings on the New York City Skyline became rubble in a matter of minutes, while still filled with American Citizens as they crashed to the ground
Remember the Mujahadin, who kicked the Soviets out of Afghanistan during the Reagan years. Well now one of them, Osama bin laden, along with the Taliban, who we kicked out of Afghanistan are trying to return the favor to the United States 8 years after we invaded Afghanistan to get bin laden for what he had done to the United States in New York, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The Second Worst Thing that happened during the last Decade was the 8 Year Reckless Reign of President George Bush and his despicable sidekick, Vice President, Dick Cheney. Bush and his inner circle ignored the warnings of their National Security Advisor, Richard Clarke, a leftover from the Clinton Administration, about bin laden and his Terrorist Boot Camps in Afghanistan and the result was the disaster of 9/11.
Following 9/11 Bush had the entire United States on his side as he proceeded to follow the Terrorists to their Host Country, Afghanistan, and invade that Dangerous and Massive Country, when the Taliban Rulers of Afghanistan refused to turn over bin laden to US. It was a popular move on Bush's part, which was approved of by nearly everyone in the country. Bush promised that he would get bin laden and certainly he tried. There is no doubt of that. The elusive bin laden evaded capture, however, and released taped threats toward you and US for years afterward as he seemed to travel freely across the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
At some point Bush tired of the Cat and Mouse Game with bin laden and proceeded to invade the Country he had wanted to invade since his election.
Iraq
Early on in his presidency George W. Bush passed the word to his National Security Inner Circle to come up with a plan for an invasion of Iraq.
It was Iraq, after all, where George W.s Dad, George Herbert Walker Bush, refused to follow Saddam Hussein into his Baghdad Refuge following the thwarted invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. Dick Cheney had been a leader in that U.S. struggle and had been frustrated by H.W.'s failure to finish the job in Iraq. Now that Cheney was second in command, at least in White House structure, he sowed the seeds of Iraqi Invasion in the mind of the new Commander and Chief.
Thanks to Cheney and Bush we are still in Iraq stuggling to get out but with the election of Barack Obama we are finally on the way out of a stuggle that we should never have gotten into in the first place.
In my opinion the Best Thing that happened in this past Decade was the Election of Barack Obama.
Certainly Republicans would dispute this selection. To Republicans Barack Obama is the worst leader we have ever had. To Right Wing Republicans like Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh and others Obama is leading us to ruin.
The truth is that without Obama's Emergency Political Surgery all of the bad decisions made by Bush and Company over the 8 years he was in office could have continued to lead to National Security, Economic and Political Ruin. The hard truth is that it still could. The damage is so extensive that it may possibly be beyond the reach of even a brilliant leader like Barack Obama.
Even though they know it is not the truth, Republicans continue to dump every problem created by the disastrous Bush Administrations on the doorstep of Barack Obama.
The truth is that Barack Obama, a Dark Horse Candidate for President if there ever was one in 2008, realizes his imitations but he also realizes that unlike Bush, who alienated many countries in the world, Barack Obama is respected in much of the world. Oddly enough, after continuous refusal by Republicans in Congress to work with him in any manner, except in providing troops in foreign countries, Republicans deride Obama for not being bipartisan. It's bizarre.
And then there is that one more Worst Thing in the Last Decade, Fox News.
There are certainly worse things than Fox news in the American media. There is Rush Limbaugh, of course. He is by far the worst that the American media has to offer. But his importance and his influence is liimited to those who are willing to commit to listening to his vicious tirades on the radio for limited periods.
My Dear America:
First of all let me apologize for not communicating with you since October of 2009.
I have been busy finishing what I anticipate will be my first published book.
The book will be titled the following:
LETTERS TO A LOST NATION - A Watergate Chronicle
I plan to publish it shortly after a thorough review to make sure it is publishing ready.
It will certainly be available through this Blog.
But enough about that, for now.
It was during the last weeks of 2009 that I began realizing in talking with my wife and with friends that we were not just looking at a Happy New Year in 2010 but also the start of what we hope will be a Happy New Decade. Certainly it is anybody's guess how happy we will be in this next Decade but then we haven't been too happy with this last Decade either.
Those of us who are old enough can certainly remember the start of the First Decade of the Twenty First Century.
Y2K.
Oh My God, The Computers were going to crash. That's what we were worried about as the Decade started. As I sit here writing about it the start of the year 2000 does not seem like it was 10 years ago. It seems more like it was one or two years ago. Man, this Decade went fast.
Certainly The Worst Thing that happened during the past Decade was September 11th, 2001, when we were attacked by terrorists of our own creation on our own soil in our own major American City. We watched in Amazement at the Televised Madness as the two Major High Rise Signature Buildings on the New York City Skyline became rubble in a matter of minutes, while still filled with American Citizens as they crashed to the ground
Remember the Mujahadin, who kicked the Soviets out of Afghanistan during the Reagan years. Well now one of them, Osama bin laden, along with the Taliban, who we kicked out of Afghanistan are trying to return the favor to the United States 8 years after we invaded Afghanistan to get bin laden for what he had done to the United States in New York, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The Second Worst Thing that happened during the last Decade was the 8 Year Reckless Reign of President George Bush and his despicable sidekick, Vice President, Dick Cheney. Bush and his inner circle ignored the warnings of their National Security Advisor, Richard Clarke, a leftover from the Clinton Administration, about bin laden and his Terrorist Boot Camps in Afghanistan and the result was the disaster of 9/11.
Following 9/11 Bush had the entire United States on his side as he proceeded to follow the Terrorists to their Host Country, Afghanistan, and invade that Dangerous and Massive Country, when the Taliban Rulers of Afghanistan refused to turn over bin laden to US. It was a popular move on Bush's part, which was approved of by nearly everyone in the country. Bush promised that he would get bin laden and certainly he tried. There is no doubt of that. The elusive bin laden evaded capture, however, and released taped threats toward you and US for years afterward as he seemed to travel freely across the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
At some point Bush tired of the Cat and Mouse Game with bin laden and proceeded to invade the Country he had wanted to invade since his election.
Iraq
Early on in his presidency George W. Bush passed the word to his National Security Inner Circle to come up with a plan for an invasion of Iraq.
It was Iraq, after all, where George W.s Dad, George Herbert Walker Bush, refused to follow Saddam Hussein into his Baghdad Refuge following the thwarted invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. Dick Cheney had been a leader in that U.S. struggle and had been frustrated by H.W.'s failure to finish the job in Iraq. Now that Cheney was second in command, at least in White House structure, he sowed the seeds of Iraqi Invasion in the mind of the new Commander and Chief.
Thanks to Cheney and Bush we are still in Iraq stuggling to get out but with the election of Barack Obama we are finally on the way out of a stuggle that we should never have gotten into in the first place.
In my opinion the Best Thing that happened in this past Decade was the Election of Barack Obama.
Certainly Republicans would dispute this selection. To Republicans Barack Obama is the worst leader we have ever had. To Right Wing Republicans like Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh and others Obama is leading us to ruin.
The truth is that without Obama's Emergency Political Surgery all of the bad decisions made by Bush and Company over the 8 years he was in office could have continued to lead to National Security, Economic and Political Ruin. The hard truth is that it still could. The damage is so extensive that it may possibly be beyond the reach of even a brilliant leader like Barack Obama.
Even though they know it is not the truth, Republicans continue to dump every problem created by the disastrous Bush Administrations on the doorstep of Barack Obama.
The truth is that Barack Obama, a Dark Horse Candidate for President if there ever was one in 2008, realizes his imitations but he also realizes that unlike Bush, who alienated many countries in the world, Barack Obama is respected in much of the world. Oddly enough, after continuous refusal by Republicans in Congress to work with him in any manner, except in providing troops in foreign countries, Republicans deride Obama for not being bipartisan. It's bizarre.
And then there is that one more Worst Thing in the Last Decade, Fox News.
There are certainly worse things than Fox news in the American media. There is Rush Limbaugh, of course. He is by far the worst that the American media has to offer. But his importance and his influence is liimited to those who are willing to commit to listening to his vicious tirades on the radio for limited periods.
Fox news, however, is a non stop Television News source that pretends to be unbiased but is, in fact, a shameless mouthpiece for the Republican Party. It is Right Wing Extremist Mind Control Madness in the Big Brother 1984 tradition. But it is, unlike George Orwell's Science Fiction, a very real threat to America.
In response to Fox News, Rush and other Republican Propagandists, we have, thank God, had MSNBC and Air America Radio help to fill the sanity gap by exposing the Right Wing lies and propaganda with some truth and left wing propaganda. Thank God For Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, two of the Best People in the World, to use an oft used Olbermann expression.
Some of the other Best People in the world, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Al Franken and Al Gore.
In addition to Bush and Cheney Some of the other Worst People in the World (The list is longer) are: Joe Lieberman and every other gutless Republican Congressman and Senator who refuse to vote for anything that Obama is for. That list is long but certainly includes Mitch McConnell, Eric Kantor, and John Boehner. Other Worst people in the world include the following Hypocrites: John McCain, Elliott Spitzer, Mark Sanford, John Ensign, Carrie Prejean, John Edwards, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Donald Trump.
But lets for now at least not concentrate on what is wrong with America but what is good about our country. I love living here and realize that even with its faults America is still the land of the free and the home of the brave.
In the coming months and years it is up to us who voted for Obama to recognize his faults but still respect, admire and follow him. We must let him know our thoughts regarding his policies and unlike President Bush, I do believe that President Obama truly does care about the common person and not just the well heeled contributor to his campaign.
I will support his efforts to pass Health Care Legislation even though I know that what he will sign into law will be a watered down version of what real Health Care Reform could be or should be. It is at least a start down the road toward Health Care Reform. President Obama has worked hard to bring something resembling Health Care to us and although it should be better it could be worse. it could, indeed, be the same resounding failure to do anything that we have had in the past.
Has Obama made mistakes. Of course he has. But he at least has the interest of the average American in mind as he goes about his Government business.
I wish him and us a very Happy New Year, as well as a very Happy New Decade.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Sunday, October 11, 2009
BARACK OBAMA WINS THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE - Americans Should Be As Happy As The Rest of The World - Right
October 11th, 2009
My Dear America:
When I found out on Friday, October 9th, that The President of The United States, Barack Obama, had won the Nobel Peace Prize I have to admit that I was rather surprised but not really as stunned and shocked as apparently many other Americans were.
It would seem to me that it would be a slam dunk to expect that every American would react to our country's leader receiving this High Honor by expressing pride in our President's ability to impress the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.
That was not the case though.
It seemed to me that although nearly every leader of every civilized country in the world was thrilled with Barack's choice, the American Coalition of the Willing, the Stupid and the Insane went after the Nobel Committee's choice with a vengeance.
It is quite true that the Nobel Committee's choice can be viewed by many perspectives. Even Barack Obama recognized that the choice was made not so much as a recognition of his achievements but more so for the fact that his election was a symbol to the world that the George W. Bush period of Arrogant Cowboy Diplomacy was a bygone era. Obama's nomination in February for the Nobel Prize was made in the infancy of his Presidency. Clearly even from the beginning of the Obama Presidency, however, it was clear that we had entered a new dawn in which respect for other Nations and Human Rights were going to be protected and revered by President Obama and his Administration
It was early in the Obama Presidency that the nomination for the Nobel Prize was made but Obama's credit as a Peacemaker had already been clearly signalled throughout his Campaign for the Presidency in 2008 and in his Inauguration speech. He wanted out of Iraq, where he was certain we should never have invaded in the first place. In Afghanistan, he is presently conferring with his advisors, including the Generals who are in the field, in an effort to determine what to do next about the 9 year old war in Afghanistan that George W. Bush seemed to leave to die as he pursued his own agenda in nearby Iraq.
Are we going to continue to waste the precious lives of our American soldiers in order to prop up the corrupt Karzai government which didn't even seem to make attempts to hide the fraud in it's recent elections.
Perhaps before we continue to go any further in propping up the Karzai Government at the expense of American lives we should give some serious thought to the fact that every single time a foreign invader has tried to control or conquer Afghanistan they have failed. Witness the Soviet Invasion which not only bankrupted the USSR but also led to the fall of the Soviet Union.
We do not belong in Afghanistan. We can't afford it politically or financially. We may have belonged there in 2001 when Al Quida was there but Al Quida is gone and we should be too. We should pay attention to some of the early Television interviews with Osama bin laden when he was pretty much a nobody who no one else was paying attention to.
In one of those interviews when asked how he intended to defeat the United States he said very bluntly that he expected to bankrupt us.
With George W. Bush's help bin laden is well on his way to doing just that.
Bankrupting the United States.
Perhaps with the Nobel Peace Prize in his future it will give President Obama pause before he commits himself to increasing troop levels in Afghanistan, regardless of what his Generals advise him to do.
I personally wish to thank President Obama for his new world agenda and his continuing attention to efforts to make peace in this world wherever it can be achieved.
Yes there are elements in this world and movements that make it impossible for world peace to be accomplished that he needs to deal with today and probably for many days and years to come.
But perhaps with President Obama's efforts to improve the prospects for Peace tomorrow may surely be a better day and President Obama, The Peacemaker, may, indeed, live up to the High Honor that the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has bestowed upon him.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Thursday, August 27, 2009
HEALTH CARE REFORM - A Final Lasting Tribute To The Lion Of The Senate
August 27th, 2009
My Dear America:
It has been a harrowing couple of days for Americans. On Tuesday Night after practicing with my Friend, Larry, for a gig we are playing for local Democrats tomorrow, I returned home and found myself watching a strange movie on the Lifetime Movie Network with my wife. After the movie was over my wife and I just put on CNN with the intention of seeing if there was anything significant happening in the news.
There Was.
CNN was reviewing the life of Teddy Kennedy.
"Good God", I said to my wife. "Teddy Kennedy must have died".
As we all know now, Teddy Kennedy had died and the tributes began even at that late hour to start pouring in, from Democrats and Republicans, alike. Clearly Americans of all kinds loved Ted Kennedy. His name had been included as a sponsor on thousands of legislative bills over the years he had served in the Senate.
Thousands of others he had simply worked to have passed. He had been one of the longest serving Senators of all time, running third only to Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
Most of his Legislative Legacy had to do with helping those people who often could not help themselves. The Young, The Old, The Disabled, The Minorities all benefitted from his kindness and concern. Many of those Republican Conservatives who always seemed to have harsh words for Teddy Kennedy and his liberal agenda seem to be the same people who now, after the fact, are lining up to identify themselves as Good Friends and legislative partners of Ted Kennedy. John McCain and Orrin Hatch are two who insist that they loved Ted Kenndy. Orrin Hatch even allowed NPR to broadcast a song he had written for Ted.
Much has been written and broadcast over the past couple of days and nights about Kennedy's incredible ability to engineer compromises over his lifetime of legislation. It seems to me that at this very sad time when we are saying Good Bye to Ted Kennedy that it would be a great time for everyone in the Senate and The House to get together when they return to Washington shortly. It is time for them to stop their bickering and do what it was that Ted Kennedy wanted most to do since first coming to the Senate in 1962.
He made no secret over the course of his life that passing single payer Government controlled Health Care Coverage for all Americans was the most important legislation and "the Cause of his life".
In his honor, This congress should immediately start working together toward a compromise and put together a real Health Care Reform Bill that Ted Kennedy would have been proud of.
Full Coverage Health Care for All Americans just as good and comprehensive as that which covers Congressmen and Women is what Ted Kennedy wanted for all Americans.
In Ted Kennedy's name let us pass a Health Care Reform Bill that he would have been proud to have voted for.
Lets see all those Democratic and Republican buddies of Ted Kennedy step up to the plate and deliver the best tribute of all to Ted Kennedy.
Worthwhile, All Inclusive Health Care Reform.
The Edward M. Kennedy Health Care Reform Bill.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
It has been a harrowing couple of days for Americans. On Tuesday Night after practicing with my Friend, Larry, for a gig we are playing for local Democrats tomorrow, I returned home and found myself watching a strange movie on the Lifetime Movie Network with my wife. After the movie was over my wife and I just put on CNN with the intention of seeing if there was anything significant happening in the news.
There Was.
CNN was reviewing the life of Teddy Kennedy.
"Good God", I said to my wife. "Teddy Kennedy must have died".
As we all know now, Teddy Kennedy had died and the tributes began even at that late hour to start pouring in, from Democrats and Republicans, alike. Clearly Americans of all kinds loved Ted Kennedy. His name had been included as a sponsor on thousands of legislative bills over the years he had served in the Senate.
Thousands of others he had simply worked to have passed. He had been one of the longest serving Senators of all time, running third only to Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
Most of his Legislative Legacy had to do with helping those people who often could not help themselves. The Young, The Old, The Disabled, The Minorities all benefitted from his kindness and concern. Many of those Republican Conservatives who always seemed to have harsh words for Teddy Kennedy and his liberal agenda seem to be the same people who now, after the fact, are lining up to identify themselves as Good Friends and legislative partners of Ted Kennedy. John McCain and Orrin Hatch are two who insist that they loved Ted Kenndy. Orrin Hatch even allowed NPR to broadcast a song he had written for Ted.
Much has been written and broadcast over the past couple of days and nights about Kennedy's incredible ability to engineer compromises over his lifetime of legislation. It seems to me that at this very sad time when we are saying Good Bye to Ted Kennedy that it would be a great time for everyone in the Senate and The House to get together when they return to Washington shortly. It is time for them to stop their bickering and do what it was that Ted Kennedy wanted most to do since first coming to the Senate in 1962.
He made no secret over the course of his life that passing single payer Government controlled Health Care Coverage for all Americans was the most important legislation and "the Cause of his life".
In his honor, This congress should immediately start working together toward a compromise and put together a real Health Care Reform Bill that Ted Kennedy would have been proud of.
Full Coverage Health Care for All Americans just as good and comprehensive as that which covers Congressmen and Women is what Ted Kennedy wanted for all Americans.
In Ted Kennedy's name let us pass a Health Care Reform Bill that he would have been proud to have voted for.
Lets see all those Democratic and Republican buddies of Ted Kennedy step up to the plate and deliver the best tribute of all to Ted Kennedy.
Worthwhile, All Inclusive Health Care Reform.
The Edward M. Kennedy Health Care Reform Bill.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Monday, July 6, 2009
IRAN - Not Quite The Land Of The Free - But Definitely The Home Of The Brave
July 6th, 2009
My Dear America:
As I sit at my computer at the end of my Long Weekend Celebration of the Fourth of July I remain, as always, Happy, Proud and Lucky to be an American. The fireworks were great and sitting around a pool with my family members was great and I am grateful for the time that I have had this weekend in the Land Of The Free. I admit that I am as guilty as anyone else when it comes to taking for granted the benefits of living in America. That was brought home to me forcefully when in the month of June Iran had an election.
The results of Iran's election for President was questionable at best and brutal and savage highway robbery of voting rights and human rights, at worst.
Just weeks after American President Barack Obama reached out to Middle Eastern and Islamic Citizens everywhere in the world through his speech in Cairo, Egypt, Iranian citizens went to the polls in droves and staged pre election rallies that looked like nothing that had ever been seen before in this country that had stirred the ire of freedom lovers everywhere.
"Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran", John McCain had sung during the Presidential Campaign mocking the Jan and Dean and Beach Boys song, "Barbara Ann".
McCain, George Bush and Dick Cheney were all on the same page when it came to Iran. Never mind that they never finished what they had started in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not only didn't they finish what they started, they had turned both Afghanistan and Iraq into terrorist magnets and made what seemed like wrong moves at every juncture.
Following Bush and Cheney's disastrous entry into Iraq and Afghanistan the dynamic duo started taunting Iran. Just what we needed no wins in two countries was not enough, BC & Company started talking like they were going to invade Iran, as well. And they had some degree of support prior to the American Elections in November of 2008. Luckilly for us Bush and Cheney were shown the door before they could throw more gasoline on the Middle East Fires they had started.
And in June, 2009 the Iranian electorate prepared to show the door to their hard line holocaust denying President but instead the even harder line Islamic powers behind the scenes in Iran slammed the door to freedom on the progressive mainly young peoples movement in Iran.
At first it looked like a real election with polls set up for all Iranians to have their chance to vote. But clearly something went wrong in Iran as the hard liners were taken aback and the new freedom fighters, who recognized how badly they had been shafted hit the streets of Tehran in protests that were stunning. They were, at first, broadcast all over the world by CNN and other networks while Iranian Television gave no coverage to the protest in the streets. Blogs, Facebook and Twitter at first stoked the flames of freedom in the streets of Tehran. To those of us watching it in America, it looked as though the Candidate of the people, Mousavi, might actually be installed as President of Iran. But that was not to be, at least not in the immediate future.
Although at first Mousavi seemed to be given a free hand in setting up protests and rallys that freedom of assembly didn't last long. The more control Iranian officials had on the media the less they played their hand. But after about a week of protests it was clear to anyone watching that the rulling Ayatollah's were getting ready to rid the streets of Tehran of the stink of Freedom. Clearly if Freedom truly came to Iran the days of the Ayatollah's calling the shots were numbered. So the men of God, the followers of Allah, began a crackdown of epic proportions.
When the protests broke out after the election results were certified by the Ayatollahs, President Obama's reactions were measured and hopeful. His measured and thoughtful reactions to the crisis in Iran were criticized by John "Bomb Bomb Iran" McCain and Lindsay Graham, among other mainly Republican critics of the President.
Clearly at the beginning of the protests Obama getting involved in telling Iranaian authorities what to do is exactly what the powers that be in Iran wanted. When confronted at a news conference by a reporter's question regarding the Republicans, McCain and Graham, charging Barack with being timid in his response to the crisis Barack stated that
"I am the President and they are not"
In Obama's defense, as the violence in the brutal crackdown on Iranian protestors has escalated so has Barack Obama's condemnation of the Iranian government's vicious attack on their freedom loving countrymen. Although some word continued to get out through social networking sites, Twitter and phone cameras sent videos to CNN too violently graphic to broadcast, the Iranian regime stamped out the protests with incredible violence such as shooting innocent people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and even hatcheting incidents and human beings thrown off bridges and brutally attacked in their homes.
As CNN found it harder and harder to find appropriate broadcast videos suddenly word came that Michael Jackson had died and from then on all that could be seen on the 24 hour News Channels were all things Michael Jackson. So as the King of Pop has taken over our TV screens it seems as though we who are free have forgotten about those Freedom Loving Brave Individuals who, for a couple of brief weeks actually were free.
My Dear America:
As I sit at my computer at the end of my Long Weekend Celebration of the Fourth of July I remain, as always, Happy, Proud and Lucky to be an American. The fireworks were great and sitting around a pool with my family members was great and I am grateful for the time that I have had this weekend in the Land Of The Free. I admit that I am as guilty as anyone else when it comes to taking for granted the benefits of living in America. That was brought home to me forcefully when in the month of June Iran had an election.
The results of Iran's election for President was questionable at best and brutal and savage highway robbery of voting rights and human rights, at worst.
Just weeks after American President Barack Obama reached out to Middle Eastern and Islamic Citizens everywhere in the world through his speech in Cairo, Egypt, Iranian citizens went to the polls in droves and staged pre election rallies that looked like nothing that had ever been seen before in this country that had stirred the ire of freedom lovers everywhere.
"Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran", John McCain had sung during the Presidential Campaign mocking the Jan and Dean and Beach Boys song, "Barbara Ann".
McCain, George Bush and Dick Cheney were all on the same page when it came to Iran. Never mind that they never finished what they had started in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not only didn't they finish what they started, they had turned both Afghanistan and Iraq into terrorist magnets and made what seemed like wrong moves at every juncture.
Following Bush and Cheney's disastrous entry into Iraq and Afghanistan the dynamic duo started taunting Iran. Just what we needed no wins in two countries was not enough, BC & Company started talking like they were going to invade Iran, as well. And they had some degree of support prior to the American Elections in November of 2008. Luckilly for us Bush and Cheney were shown the door before they could throw more gasoline on the Middle East Fires they had started.
And in June, 2009 the Iranian electorate prepared to show the door to their hard line holocaust denying President but instead the even harder line Islamic powers behind the scenes in Iran slammed the door to freedom on the progressive mainly young peoples movement in Iran.
At first it looked like a real election with polls set up for all Iranians to have their chance to vote. But clearly something went wrong in Iran as the hard liners were taken aback and the new freedom fighters, who recognized how badly they had been shafted hit the streets of Tehran in protests that were stunning. They were, at first, broadcast all over the world by CNN and other networks while Iranian Television gave no coverage to the protest in the streets. Blogs, Facebook and Twitter at first stoked the flames of freedom in the streets of Tehran. To those of us watching it in America, it looked as though the Candidate of the people, Mousavi, might actually be installed as President of Iran. But that was not to be, at least not in the immediate future.
Although at first Mousavi seemed to be given a free hand in setting up protests and rallys that freedom of assembly didn't last long. The more control Iranian officials had on the media the less they played their hand. But after about a week of protests it was clear to anyone watching that the rulling Ayatollah's were getting ready to rid the streets of Tehran of the stink of Freedom. Clearly if Freedom truly came to Iran the days of the Ayatollah's calling the shots were numbered. So the men of God, the followers of Allah, began a crackdown of epic proportions.
When the protests broke out after the election results were certified by the Ayatollahs, President Obama's reactions were measured and hopeful. His measured and thoughtful reactions to the crisis in Iran were criticized by John "Bomb Bomb Iran" McCain and Lindsay Graham, among other mainly Republican critics of the President.
Clearly at the beginning of the protests Obama getting involved in telling Iranaian authorities what to do is exactly what the powers that be in Iran wanted. When confronted at a news conference by a reporter's question regarding the Republicans, McCain and Graham, charging Barack with being timid in his response to the crisis Barack stated that
"I am the President and they are not"
In Obama's defense, as the violence in the brutal crackdown on Iranian protestors has escalated so has Barack Obama's condemnation of the Iranian government's vicious attack on their freedom loving countrymen. Although some word continued to get out through social networking sites, Twitter and phone cameras sent videos to CNN too violently graphic to broadcast, the Iranian regime stamped out the protests with incredible violence such as shooting innocent people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and even hatcheting incidents and human beings thrown off bridges and brutally attacked in their homes.
As CNN found it harder and harder to find appropriate broadcast videos suddenly word came that Michael Jackson had died and from then on all that could be seen on the 24 hour News Channels were all things Michael Jackson. So as the King of Pop has taken over our TV screens it seems as though we who are free have forgotten about those Freedom Loving Brave Individuals who, for a couple of brief weeks actually were free.
As we move on through our lives in the new Post Michael Jackson world I hope we never forget the King of POP and I am even more hopeful that we will keep in mind the thousands of Brave Iranians who put their lives on the line to protect their votes and their freedom. They may not still be on the evening news but they are out there in that dark country shouded in mystery working toward the freedom that we take for granted in America every day of our lives.
Let us never forget their courage as they showed us how much like us they really are.
And if John McCain once again sings "Bomb Bomb Iran" lets keep in mind just who we will be bombing and never sing that song again.
Unless its Barbara Ann and The Beach Boys or Jan and Dean are singing it on the radio.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Saturday, June 6, 2009
D Day, June 6th, 2009 - 65 Years later
June 6th, 2009
My Dear America:
On this day, June 6th, 65 years ago, Allied troops, mainly American, British and Canadian soldiers, sailed across the English channel to France. By this point France had been occupied by German soldiers, who had fortified the French coast in preparation for the assault that they knew was bound to come. By the time D Day finally arrived Europe was almost completely under the control of Hitler's forces. D Day saw thousands of allied troops brutally cut down on the shores of France before they even had a chance to get off the sandy French beaches.
This morning American President Barack Obama, Prince Charles and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Great Britain and Prime Minister Harper of Canada met with French President Sarkozy on the French fields of Normandy that were the last resting place of so many allied freedom fighters. The leaders of the allied countries today celebrated the fallen heroes of Word War II.
The speeches given by the leaders of the Free World Countries on this day celebrated the courage and determination that was shown on D Day. Just prior to today's D Day celebration President Obama, with Germany's President Merkel and Jewish Author, Ellie Wiesel, visited the site of the Buchenwald Death Camp, where countless Jews were tortured and murdered by the soldiers of Germany's Third Reich.
Also this week was another speech given by President Obama in Cairo, Egypt, in which he mainly addressed his comments to the Muslim and Arab World. President Obama pointed out that Muslims and Americans and Europeans have much more in common than is often recognized. This speech seems to have been well received all over the world.
At Buchenwald Obama, after his remarks, turned the podium over to Ellie Wiesel who had been rescued by Allied Troops from this place in an era long past. President Obama personally invited Wiesel to accompany the President on the Buchenwald trip. Although Wiesel was not officially scheduled to speak on this occasion his heartfelt rememberance of his life in this German Hell on Earth will probably be the major speech that will be remembered from this German stop on Obama's trip.
At Normandy on D Day Sarkozy, Brown, Harper and Obama all gave great speeches that will be well remembered. But Wiesel's personal recollections of the reality of man's inhumanity to man will be the hardest speech to forget in this entire Presidential trip.
65 years down the line from D Day and the Normandy Invasion it is easy for Americans and others in the free world to forget the Terrorist Nations including the Nazi's and Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and Hitrohito in Japan. It took the American people the horror of Pearl Harbor to finally sit up and take notice of what was happening in the world. The true Axis of Evil, Germany, Italy and Japan were quickly takng over the known world and were cruelly and brutally exercising their killer instincts on those who opposed them or those who did not necessarily oppose them but who they didn't like. It was not only the Jews who the Nazi's targeted for extinction in their Death Camps. Hitler didn't like the gypsys or the handicapped either. They, along with the Jews, did not belong in Hitler's concept of German perfection of the Master Race.
Year by year we lose more and more of our brave World War II Veterans who came back to our country after their service and became regular citizens of America. They have, for the most part, not been the kind of people who stood out in a crowd. They have been the kind of people who blended in with the crowd. They have been our Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles, Brothers and Husbands. They have lived among us for 65 years, occasionally doing something special but mostly being the kind of people who didn't have much to say about politics, although if you engaged them in conversations you tended to find out just how knowlegable and special they really were. They seemed like simple people but they were not. Although many of them did not necessarily have personal visions of horror from the Front, they all knew other soldiers who had found out the hard way just how much had to be sacrificed for the Free World to remain free. They worked hard at their jobs hopping for the days when they could retire and fish or just take it easy. They asked very little from us and they almost never bragged about their service.
In Fact, they almost never even talked about their service and were often times embarassed when others talked about it. They were the Greatest Generation and they never demanded much in the way of anything from us. They just did their job and if they were lucky enough to come back alive they lived their lives among us with an appreciation of freedom that many of us can never understand.
They were just regular soldiers doing their job. Thats all they have to say when thanked for their service. But the truth is that Hitlers Soldiers and Mussolini's and Hirohito's soldiers were all doing their jobs too. Why were German soldiers able to carry out the horrors of the Third Reich. The truth is that they truly were, like soldiers before them since the beginning of time, truly just carrying out orders because that's what soldiers do and have done since the first solier of history marched upon the field of battle. The German, Italian and Japanese soldiers should probably have questioned the lunacy of cruelty in battle or agaist civillians who did not desrve to die. Thank goodness that our leaders, especially Roosevelt and Churchill, were the right leaders for this extremely important time in world history. Certainly the hands of all soldiers are not clean in the epic struggle of the invasion of Nomandy and the defeat of Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito. No war has ever been fought by people who were unwilling to kill. Death and War go together like mashed potatos and gravy. When you are a soldier and your back is to the wall and it's kill of be killed, you kill. But freedom's soldiers have learned over the years that killing should only be done when it is a last resort and as soldier has no other choice. Our soldiers, mainly a volunteer army in World War II, had no choice but to do what they did. They went to war with the knowlege that they might not come back from the experience and many thousands of them didn't return home alive. We owe these brave people, our brave veterans, everything. We certainly owe them respect and appreciation. Without them Hitler and others like him could have turned the world into a world filled with Death Camps like Aushwitz or Buchenwald. The brave soldiers of World War II allies kept that from happening to US.
On this 65th Anniversary of the salvation of the free world we salute our veterans for their valor and their sacrifice and we tell them truthfully just how much we love them and respect them and appreciate what they have done for every one of us who live in freedom in the new millenium.
Their sacrifices will not be forgotten and History will never let us forget just how important their sacrifice was.
We need to learn from experience in 2009 that in a very short period of time hatred and insanity can threaten and destroy our world just as easlity today as it almost did 65 years ago.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Help Me, I'm a Republican - Get Me Out of Here - A New Reality Show
May 25th, 2009
My Dear America:
We have all heard, I am sure, of the new Television Reality Series called "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here", in which (so called) celebrities go the Survivor Route in South America for the possibility of Big Bucks. We have all heard of this show because disgraced Illinois Governor was trying to get permission to leave the country to be on it.
He failed to get the permission to go himself but Bum Rod, being the ever intense self promotor that he is, finally convinced his wife to go and suffer the humiliations and degradations of the South American Jungle in his stead, while Rod watches the kids and the show in the comfort of his Chicago home. If I were Mrs. Blogoevich, I would stay home and divorce my husband and try to get my share early of Rod Blogoevich's big money book deal.
Anyway, to get to the main purpose of this rant, I have my own projected version of this TV Reality Series that I want to call the following:
"HELP ME, I'M A REPUBLICAN - GET ME OUT OF HERE"
I think, America, that you can already see the purpose and the potential of this Reality Show. The purpose of the show will be to show that Moderate Republicans are no longer welcome into what is left of the Mainstream Republican Party. We have seen Moderates leaving the party in droves for several years as they watched their party become more Extreme and unwelcoming to them on each passing day. Those who did stay did what they had to do in order to maintain membership in the party and became more extreme to the point where they left politics or, like Arlen Specter, moved to the other side of the aisle.
Specter is a fascinating case. He has led a very interesting public life. As a young lawyer he was the staffer on the Warren Commission Investigation of the Assasination of President John Kennedy who came up with the "One Bullet Therory", which supposedly explained how one bullet could have hit both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally, who rode in the front seat of the President's car in the November 22, 1963 Dallas Motorcade. This Theory has been discredited by many Warren Commission Critics but Specter marched on in his political career to being District Attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a rather successful run in Philly, Specter then ran for Senator from Pennsylvania and has been in that position for many years. Recently Specter switched from being a Republican Senator to being a Democratic one. It was not the first time that Specter switched parties in his political career but it was a stunning blow to Republicans and seemingly a welcome switch to President Obama and Democratic Party Pros in Pennsylvania. Anyway, Specter's recent votes have not seemed very Democratic and time will tell what will happen in the 2010 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Primary. My guess is that although there will be a scuffle in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party that eventually Specter will be the Democratic Nominee and the likely winner of United States Senate seat he has held for many years.
Lets forget about Specter, Hagle and the many many moderate Republicans who have been run out of their party. Lets get back to my premise of a Republican Reality Show that I want to call:
THE MOST DESPICABLE REPUBLICAN
This show has got everything that makes a Reality show interesting enough to be a ratings grabber. There is a large cast of backbiting, intensely dislikable real life characters, each one looking to slice up the other ones in their bloodthirsty quest for dishonor and fame.
Certainly in this Reality Show along with Specter's departure we need to jettison that last of the Republican Moderates still left in the Republican Party, Colin Powell. Along with Colin, out go the two Moderate Republican Women Senators, who had the nerve to, along with Specter, support President Obama's Stimulus package.
That pretty much cleans the Republican Household of moderates, although there may be some sneakily hiding out in the House of Representatives disguised as Extreme Republicans.
Now, as we get down to the real drama of figuring out who, indeed, is The Most Despicable Republican of all who are left, the pickings are far from slim.
We can't pick Rush Limbaugh only because he has publicly resigned from the Republican Party. I guess he resigned because his party still wasn't extreme enough for him.
What a loss.
He would certainly have been my choice for winner of Most Despicable Republican.
Certainly one of my picks for Most Despicable Republican would be and is Dick Cheney. His Nationwide search continues for finding opportunities to defend torture and to damage the Obama Administration's efforts to heal the worldwide wounds caused by the Cheney-Bush Administation.
At least Bush has the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
Then again when you are talking about Despicable Republicans you cannot avoid the man who started a needless War in Iraq and deregulated you, America, into the economic toilet. When you talk about Despicable Republicans you can't avoid including George W. Bush.
But while we can look through the Congress and elsewhere across America to find Despicable Republicans and God knows they are everywhere (Hannity, O'Reilly and pretty much everybody you can find at Fox News) there is no Republican in my book as despicable as Newt Gingrich. Newt Gingrich wakes up every day and looks at his odd features in the mirror and says to himself:
"Why can't I be President"?
The answer to that disturbing question is because, Newt, to be President you should have at least some redeeming qualities. You, Newt, have an awful name, awful stage presence and self interest that has nearly destroyed this country in the past and if brought back into play, surely will destroy this country in the future.
You led the effort to stop the government from working by keeping it from having a budget during the Clinton years. You led the charge to impeach Bill Clinton for lying about his affair while you were doing the same thing and you told your wife you were divorcing her for your new love while she was in the hospital dying of cancer.
But despite these solid reasons for Newt Gingrich to stay out of the political arena, he continues to slither back in on Fox News and elsewhere on television and radio as a spokesman for the party that he almost singlehandedly, with the assistance of George Bush and Dick Cheney, led to ruin. Gingrich is increasingly talking more and more like a man who knows what he is doing and may be thinking about running for President. God Forbid.
My Dear America:
We have all heard, I am sure, of the new Television Reality Series called "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here", in which (so called) celebrities go the Survivor Route in South America for the possibility of Big Bucks. We have all heard of this show because disgraced Illinois Governor was trying to get permission to leave the country to be on it.
He failed to get the permission to go himself but Bum Rod, being the ever intense self promotor that he is, finally convinced his wife to go and suffer the humiliations and degradations of the South American Jungle in his stead, while Rod watches the kids and the show in the comfort of his Chicago home. If I were Mrs. Blogoevich, I would stay home and divorce my husband and try to get my share early of Rod Blogoevich's big money book deal.
Anyway, to get to the main purpose of this rant, I have my own projected version of this TV Reality Series that I want to call the following:
"HELP ME, I'M A REPUBLICAN - GET ME OUT OF HERE"
I think, America, that you can already see the purpose and the potential of this Reality Show. The purpose of the show will be to show that Moderate Republicans are no longer welcome into what is left of the Mainstream Republican Party. We have seen Moderates leaving the party in droves for several years as they watched their party become more Extreme and unwelcoming to them on each passing day. Those who did stay did what they had to do in order to maintain membership in the party and became more extreme to the point where they left politics or, like Arlen Specter, moved to the other side of the aisle.
Specter is a fascinating case. He has led a very interesting public life. As a young lawyer he was the staffer on the Warren Commission Investigation of the Assasination of President John Kennedy who came up with the "One Bullet Therory", which supposedly explained how one bullet could have hit both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally, who rode in the front seat of the President's car in the November 22, 1963 Dallas Motorcade. This Theory has been discredited by many Warren Commission Critics but Specter marched on in his political career to being District Attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a rather successful run in Philly, Specter then ran for Senator from Pennsylvania and has been in that position for many years. Recently Specter switched from being a Republican Senator to being a Democratic one. It was not the first time that Specter switched parties in his political career but it was a stunning blow to Republicans and seemingly a welcome switch to President Obama and Democratic Party Pros in Pennsylvania. Anyway, Specter's recent votes have not seemed very Democratic and time will tell what will happen in the 2010 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Primary. My guess is that although there will be a scuffle in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party that eventually Specter will be the Democratic Nominee and the likely winner of United States Senate seat he has held for many years.
Lets forget about Specter, Hagle and the many many moderate Republicans who have been run out of their party. Lets get back to my premise of a Republican Reality Show that I want to call:
THE MOST DESPICABLE REPUBLICAN
This show has got everything that makes a Reality show interesting enough to be a ratings grabber. There is a large cast of backbiting, intensely dislikable real life characters, each one looking to slice up the other ones in their bloodthirsty quest for dishonor and fame.
Certainly in this Reality Show along with Specter's departure we need to jettison that last of the Republican Moderates still left in the Republican Party, Colin Powell. Along with Colin, out go the two Moderate Republican Women Senators, who had the nerve to, along with Specter, support President Obama's Stimulus package.
That pretty much cleans the Republican Household of moderates, although there may be some sneakily hiding out in the House of Representatives disguised as Extreme Republicans.
Now, as we get down to the real drama of figuring out who, indeed, is The Most Despicable Republican of all who are left, the pickings are far from slim.
We can't pick Rush Limbaugh only because he has publicly resigned from the Republican Party. I guess he resigned because his party still wasn't extreme enough for him.
What a loss.
He would certainly have been my choice for winner of Most Despicable Republican.
Certainly one of my picks for Most Despicable Republican would be and is Dick Cheney. His Nationwide search continues for finding opportunities to defend torture and to damage the Obama Administration's efforts to heal the worldwide wounds caused by the Cheney-Bush Administation.
At least Bush has the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
Then again when you are talking about Despicable Republicans you cannot avoid the man who started a needless War in Iraq and deregulated you, America, into the economic toilet. When you talk about Despicable Republicans you can't avoid including George W. Bush.
But while we can look through the Congress and elsewhere across America to find Despicable Republicans and God knows they are everywhere (Hannity, O'Reilly and pretty much everybody you can find at Fox News) there is no Republican in my book as despicable as Newt Gingrich. Newt Gingrich wakes up every day and looks at his odd features in the mirror and says to himself:
"Why can't I be President"?
The answer to that disturbing question is because, Newt, to be President you should have at least some redeeming qualities. You, Newt, have an awful name, awful stage presence and self interest that has nearly destroyed this country in the past and if brought back into play, surely will destroy this country in the future.
You led the effort to stop the government from working by keeping it from having a budget during the Clinton years. You led the charge to impeach Bill Clinton for lying about his affair while you were doing the same thing and you told your wife you were divorcing her for your new love while she was in the hospital dying of cancer.
But despite these solid reasons for Newt Gingrich to stay out of the political arena, he continues to slither back in on Fox News and elsewhere on television and radio as a spokesman for the party that he almost singlehandedly, with the assistance of George Bush and Dick Cheney, led to ruin. Gingrich is increasingly talking more and more like a man who knows what he is doing and may be thinking about running for President. God Forbid.
Newt's latest victim of slander is the person who holds the same job Newt did during much of the Clinton Era, Speaker of The House, Nancy Pelosi, who he accuses of lying about whether or not she was advised by the CIA that they were using waterboarding on terror suspects. She claims she was not told that. Newt says she is lying.
Who is this guy kidding? According to him the CIA never lied to her. The CIA lies for a living and so does Newt Gingrich, who left the job that Nancy Pelosi now has because he was censured by the Congress for ethics violations. Now he is the protector of the Truth. PLEASE.
The truth is, however, the Republicans have no one else to promote as a Presidential Candidate in 2012. They have driven nearly every decent Republican Politician either out of the party or into hiding.
Maybe Mitt Romney can move to some further extremes and maybe some fools might go for Rudy Giuliani but that's pretty doubtful. Lousisiana Governor Bobby Jindal made the mistake of opening his mouth too early and showing you, America, that there was not much going on in that head of his. Tim Pawlenty and others like Sarah Palin, YIKES. The truth is that anyone with any brains in the Republican Party will see that Barack Obama's appeal seems to be lasting and despite some supporters being unhappy with some of his moves they still like Obama, the Person and the President.
So the bottom line is that despite which Despicable Republicans gut and slash each other for the privilege of going up against Obama, only someone in the Republican Party whose negatives are few and who is a virtual unknown at this point in time can get the Republican Presidential nod with any chance of succeeding against Barack Obama.
Looks like an 8 Year Term for Obama as far as I can see. And to those Republicans out there who continue to slice and dice each other I say:
"Keep Up the Good Work Boys and Girls"
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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