Although I usually admire and appreciate his work, I was surprised by the recent M. J. Rosenberg TPM Cafe post, "Helen Thomas & The Gaza Flotilla" (crossposted at Huffington Post and elsewhere), stating:

But what she said can be interpreted as -- and is interpreted by me as -- "all the Israelis should get the hell out of Israel."

Here's what my transcript says:

RABBI DAVID NESSENOFF: Any comments on Israel? We're asking everybody today. Any comments [noise]?
HELEN THOMAS: Tell them [Israel] to get the hell out of Palestine.
NESSENOFF: Ooh. Any better comments?
THOMAS: Remember, these people are occupied. And it's their land. It's not German. It's not Poland.
NESSENOFF: So where should they go? What should they do?
THOMAS: They can go home.

Note that Thomas responded with a comment on Israel, and specifically mentioned "occupied" land. Even Israel officially uses the term occupied territories. These are terms of art. Any broader interpretation assumes that she is ignorant, despite being otherwise well versed in political and international affairs.

Thomas is the daughter of Christian Arabs who emigrated from Lebanon. She grew up in Michigan, where there is a large population of Muslims, Lebanese Christians, and also a very large Jewish population, all living together in relative harmony. As a Michigan reporter, Jack Lessenberry writes:

For me, this was especially painful because I have known and admired Thomas for a long time; we had a long dinner together a few years ago in Washington, during which she indicated that she had no quarrel with Israel's right to exist.

Given that information and the actual words in the transcript, there's no basis for conflating Israel with the nascent state of Palestine, nor assuming that Thomas advocates removing Jews from Israel. Calling for Israel to remove its colonists from occupied Palestine is mainstream liberalism -- and international law.

Her phrasing may not work well for 30 second sound bytes taken out of context. But I've only faint hope that I'll be as articulate at age 90 with an ambushing camera shoved closely into my face.

After reading Robert Reich and Theda Skocpol and Robert Reich, today's TPMDC Morning Roundup informs us:

Laura Bush: Obama Doing Everything He Can With Oil Spill 'Just Like We Did With Katrina'
In an interview on ABC's Good Morning America, former First Lady Laura Bush defended President Obama against criticism over his handling of the BP oil spill. "I think they're doing everything they can do. Absolutely. Just like we did with [Hurricane] Katrina," said Bush. "You know, it's not one person's responsibility. The president can't do every single thing there is to do."

President Obama should assign George "heck-of-a-job" Bush direct responsibility for the cleanup, from start to finish. What could possibly go wrong?

1. He's already responsible for issuing the drilling permits, with oil company "free market principles" and "voluntary self-regulation" to balance reputation and risk.
2. He's got some oil business experience that should help build support among oil patch executives.
3. He shouldn't have any problems leading the oil cleanup workers himself - he likes working with his hands, we've seen plenty of photo-ops demonstrating his brush clearing technique.
4. This could be his post presidency occupation. And BP would take care of his salary and security costs.

Finally, we'd find out exactly how much reputation that Bush is willing to risk himself.

In Michigan, there's a common legislative procedure known as a tie-bar.  The legislation doesn't become effective unless another piece of legislation passes.  This seems to be relatively unknown at the federal level.  Michigan congressional representatives that have been state legislators should be familiar with the process, and can educate the others.

Pass the fixes through the U.S. House and Senate under reconciliation.  Use a tie-bar to prevent them from taking effect without specific sections of the full health care bill.

Then, the House can safely pass the Senate version of the bill.

[cross-posted at Michigan Liberal]

Cross-posted at Michigan Liberal

With the Michigan legislature proposing cuts to state employee health care, and the debate on national health care, here's my proposal for combining the issues. Let's call this the "Michigan Plan", along the lines of our founding fathers' Connecticut Plan and Virginia Plan.

Medicare Patriotic Health Plan: currently 65 years and older.

Medicorps Heroic Health Plan: currently military veterans and dependents.

Eligibility for both plans should expand to include all Medicaid, S-CHIP, and other grant recipients; current and former Americorps, Peace Corps, Vista, federal, state, municipal, and other not-for-profit employees; and their immediate family; and dependents through age 21. This provides a competitive choice.

This competition would be with any other private plans that are available. Who could argue with good ol' fashioned American competition?

Read more »

What could be better than two (2) strong committee chairs? Five (5) strong committee chairs!

President-elect Obama has announced his top legislative priorities. This may be an opportune time for some reorganization to match these priorities.

1) Waxman could chair a new committee: "Health and Environment".  This could give a strong base for these important issues that are currently spread throughout other committees, and that often have some conflicts of interest with other constituencies of the same committee.

2) Combine "Energy and Natural Resources". The Natural Resources committee already has an "Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee", and a "Water and Power Subcommittee", that overlap jurisdiction with Commerce subcommittees. This would strengthen oversight of extraction industries, provide a platform for reform, and encourage innovation in renewable energy.

3) Return the "Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee" back to Science and Technology, its natural home.  Members there are familiar with technology issues, such as the basic principles of net neutrality, and less beholden to incumbent providers. The NSFnet (later Internet) was originally covered by Science and Technology during the '80s and early '90s, but moved during the Republican regime. That was a poor choice, weakening oversight, reducing competition provided by many smaller Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs). The US has fallen behind in deployment.

4) Remove Consumer Protection issues to another committee, perhaps Small Business, as it is often a conflict of interest with the other constituencies of the existing Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee. This would strengthen oversight.

5) Leave Dingell (the "Representative from GM") to chair the Commerce committee, perhaps renamed "Industry and Trade", to complement his long history and promote greater responsibility and oversight in this area.

[cross-posted at Michigan Liberal]

Democrats want pay limits, loan aid in bailout

Our Federal legislators must refrain from buying into the Bushian "trust me" logic. We must not give them any more money with no strings attached.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley change status to holding companies

If the massive investment banks still have enough money to buy out other commercial banks, they don't need taxpayer funds to prop them up. Seems like they just want a handout.

Instead, we should look at our history for successful models. Remember that (Republican) Hoover failed, and (Democratic) Roosevelt succeeded.

Bailouts are common, but risk doesn't always pay off

Resurrect the Home Owners' Loan Corp. Fund only occupied primary residential real estate. That was a successful program, and actually made taxpayers a modest profit.

Big Financiers Start Lobbying for Wider Aid

We must not bail out commercial (speculative) ventures or pseudo-assets based upon speculative financial instruments.

We must not privatize handling this matter to external firms for their exorbitant management fees. That's how we arrived at this debacle.

[cross-posted at Michigan Liberal]

There's a phrase "Catholic suicide" referring to depressed Catholics becoming "mishap prone" and their deaths ruled as accidents. By taking such extreme risks, perhaps Palin was attempting a "Fundamentalist abortion".

The suspicious series of events terminating her pregnancy -- such as flying, standing for long hours after her water broke, bypassing several nearby hospitals with neonatal intensive care units for a distant small rural facility without NICU -- all seem intended to "naturally" cause a still birth, or to allow the baby to die quickly following birth.

[hat tip UrbanBaby.com]

For the kingdom of heaven is as a master travelling on a long journey, who called his servants, and entrusted his property to them.

Unto Yochanan was given five talents, to Michaela two, and to Baruch another one; to each according to their heritage; and straightway took his journey.

For Baruch was the child of a poor woman, abandoned and divorced, but industrious and wise, and her parents likewise; by dint of alms, frugality, and long labour, he excelled in his study, and leadeth among the learned of the law. Giving thanks for his blessings, he escheweth riches, in service to the families of the poor and needy.

And Michaela was the child of two parents, although her father had a wasting disease, but took upon himself extra labour, striving according to his working; she was the product of a public school education, she excelled in her study, with honour among the learned of the law.

Now Yochanan was by far the eldest, the scion of an illustrious and wealthy family; he attended an all-male posh school under one Ravenel III of Alexandria, yet learned not the honor code; he ranketh among the least of the Naval warriors, and wasted his substance with riotous living and nocturnal perambulations.

So the hand of God hath gone against him, and he was struck down, and delivered into the hand of his enemies, who vexed him. And his wife was stricken likewise, and her beauty taken from her.

Yet he turned not from his wickedness. He abandoned and divorced his afflicted wife, enjoying the pleasures of a young wealthy strumpet.

After a long time the master of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

And so Baruch came, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me one talent: behold, I have gained beside this nine talents more.

Their master said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Michaela also came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained eight other talents beside them. And have joined with Baruch as his wife, and we are one flesh.

Their master said unto her, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Then Yochanan came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

Thus I was thy most faithful servant, taking that which I earneth not, seducing a wealthy heiress; she hath disinherited her sisters, and hath purchased me a high office among the princes and mighty men; I remember not the number of her talents.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou thinkest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Take therefore everything from him, and give it unto them that hath twenty talents together.

For the labourer is worthy of his reward; unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, committeth adultery; and whosoever shall marry him that is divorced committeth adultery.

Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

[cross-posted at Michigan Liberal]

We need a series of TV (and/or radio) advertisements that give people a reason to vote Democratic.

Today's AP article American life worth less today shows that the Republicans reduced their value of human life by 12% -- a drop of nearly $1 million from just five years ago.

Of course, the calculations are a cynical Republican ploy to avoid issuing regulations for clean air.

"It appears that they're cooking the books in regards to the value of life." -- S. William Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies

"It's hard to imagine that it has other than a political motivation." -- Dan Esty, a senior EPA policy official in the administration of the first President Bush and now director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy

But most folks certainly feel viscerally that their own lives have less economic value now.  We should be able to make a convincing case that the Democratic Party actually values individual lives more than Republicans.

[cross-posted at Michigan Liberal]

I was unhappy to learn (via TPM Campaign Wire) that the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee May 31st agenda was published yesterday (May 21st), and we are not on it:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/05/21/democrats-set-rules-for-meeting-on-florida-michigan-delegations/?mod=WSJBlog

(Not yet posted at http://www.democrats.org/press.php -- although May 20th and 22nd appear, there are none for May 21st.)

The Florida Challenger is being heard, but for Michigan, they just have the state party speak twice!

I know of two activist blogger Challenges for Michigan: One dated November 28, 2007, by a Grand Rapids attorney that posts at Michigan Liberal (Earl Erland) and elsewhere.  The other was developed in an open and transparent process at Michigan Liberal, with participation from local chapters of "Democracy for America" and "Michiganders for Obama" activists. The challengers are from several congressional districts across the state, demonstrating widespread community support.  It was filed electronically on May 4th:

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/files/28/files//2008/05/michiganchallengepetition.pdf

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/files/28/files//2008/05/michiganchallengedetail_exhibits.pdf

The Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) was required to file an Answer within 10 days.  They did not.  Earl Erland says they never responded to his, either! In any court of law in the land, a party that fails to file an Answer has defaulted, and/or is not usually entitled to oral argument on appeal.

The national Democratic Party charter requires that the Party:

Establish standards and rules of procedure to afford all members of the Democratic Party full, timely and equal opportunities to participate in decisions concerning the selection of candidates, ... and further, to promote fair campaign practices and the fair adjudication of disputes. (Charter, Article I, Section 4)

This is not a "fair adjudication of disputes."  The MDP leaders that didn't follow the rules (and are personally responsible for the problems) are heard, while voters that follow the rules are ignored.

Loosely organized citizen activists have filed a Challenge to the Michigan Democratic Party selection of delegates for the national convention.  Notarized signatures continue to be collected by groups around the state, primarily by affiliates of Democracy for America -- "the democratic wing of the Democratic Party".  This parallels a a similar effort at MichiganLiberal and FireDogLake to collect on-line signatures.

The formal Challenge counters the request by Clinton Michigan co-chair and Democratic National Committee (DNC) member Joel Ferguson to seat "super-delegates" (such as himself) with full 100% voting rights, and regular delegates with 50% votes.

Michigan's primary was held earlier than allowed under party rules.  The national party Rules and Bylaws Committee has refused to seat any delegates.  The Michigan law itself has been found unconstitutional by Federal Judge Nancy G. Edmunds on March 26th.

National party rules require that Michigan "super-delegates" will have no vote as part of the state's delegation, although DNC delegates may vote as a member of various committees.

Although Clinton received only 55% of the non-binding vote, and other major candidates were not on the ballot, the state party has allocated 57% to 87% of the categories of delegates and alternates to Clinton.

Instead, national party rules require that the number of actual attendees at district conventions held April 19th should be used to allocate delegates.  Clinton registrants were frequently outnumbered 2:1 at the conventions (as much as 4:1 in some districts).

Moreover, evidence has been uncovered showing that Clinton campaign officials were actively campaigning in the state before the unsanctioned primary. If proven, the Clinton campaign can have no delegate votes from Michigan at the national convention.

According to breaking news reports, the Michigan Congressional District conventions (previously scheduled for March 29th) have been changed to April 19th.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/POLITICS01/803220419

Most of the national convention delegates are actually selected at County/Congressional District conventions. In communications to congressional district chairs, the state party chair (Mark Brewer) has awarded Clinton 58% of the voting delegates and 100% of the alternates.

Michigan party rules drop all candidates that didn't achieve 15%, leaving Clinton as the only remaining candidate (other than uncommitted). Clinton barely won 55% of the actual statewide vote.

http://www.michigandems.com/2008DSP.pdf

See pages 6-9, sections III.A.6.a, 6.c(2), and 7.d(5)(b)(1).

Notes:
Section III.A.7 "District Conventions" comes after subsection 6, but is mistakenly numbered 4, although there is already a subsection 4 earlier.
The rules conflict on the date that the delegates were to be awarded, saying March 3 in section III.A.6.c(1), and March 22 in section III.A.7.d(5)(b) and IX.D "Timetable".

Michigan will hold County/Congressional District conventions on March 29th.  That is how the national convention delegates are actually selected.  Unless the rules for selecting delegates are changed, the Obama campaign would be foolish to permit them to be seated.

In most CDs, the delegates are evenly split between Clinton and "Uncommitted".  Clinton did not win a large enough margin to be allocated an extra delegate in many places.

However, there is no requirement that "Uncommitted" be Obama supporters.  It is very likely that the process will be manipulated to include Clinton supporters among the uncommitted.  That's one guess as to why the Clinton campaign is suddenly trying to have them seated.  It could provide a margin of victory.

The CD organizations are dominated by the congressional officeholder.  Dingell, Kildee, and Levin (Sandy) have all endorsed Clinton.

http://superdelegates.org/Category:Delegates_who_endorsed_Hillary_Clinton

In Michigan, we will hold County/Congressional District conventions in 2 weeks, on March 29th.  That is how the national convention delegates are actually selected.

In most CDs, the delegates are evenly split between Clinton and "Uncommitted".  Clinton did not win a large enough margin to be allocated an extra delegate in many places.

At the upcoming County/Congressional District conventions, allow the delegates to (re-)organize themselves.  Make them all officially uncommitted.   Those delegates could be seated at the national convention, and trusted to vote their conscience.

There is considerable local discussion about whether "superdelegates" can take seats already allocated for "uncommitted" convention delegates.  This would be wrong.

Therefore, no superdelegates from Michigan should be seated, nor should they be permitted to attend the national convention in any capacity.  They should not be allowed to be county/state uncommitted delegates.

Superdelegates are the folks that are responsible for flouting the national party rules.  Penalize them, not the general populace of the State of Michigan.