For millions of us, carrying around your cell phone is just part of your life. It follows us from room to room, and from place to place. It's something that's almost there. It's always like an oxygen tank, at least it is for most caregivers.
In the rare event that we're able to go somewhere outside of the home, it's there for us. We hope that it doesn't ring, that we're able to enjoy a few hours of quality time outside of the home. We hope that Captain Kirk doesn't sound a "Red Alert" and that we have to leave our meal, our movie, or our stroll in the park. We want it to stay silent. We take comfort in the silence. But other times, we just wish that it would ring.
Most of us remember a time when we could go and come as we please. Its that great American freedom that we take great pride in, unrestricted travel, the ability to go to the grocery store, the mall, or even the veterinarian whenever we damn well please. Most people take that for granted; they get in the car, they drive wherever they want, whenever they want. You just have to have enough gasoline in your tank and your ready to go! Its not that simple for caregivers.
I took care of my mother for 12 years. Well, I took care of her in my home for 12 years. There were a few years in which I took care of her, even though she lived in her own home. I'll never forget the day that we packed her up and moved her from Mississippi to Kentucky. She had the perfect apartment. It was decorated and furnished just the way that she liked. She had an enclosed sun porch, a large bedroom with tons of storage. And she never had to take the trash out. You see, the building was shaped like a square, with a courtyard. Every apartment had a porch, or mud room, that opened onto that courtyard. Tucked away at the bottom of the built in cabinets was a door with a different sort of latch. You had to squeeze to open the latch. There was insulation along the doors of that cabinet. And that is where you put your trash. Outside, on the back terrace that ran along the inside edge of the courtyard, was another odd looking door that connected to that space. Several times a week someone would come along, open that door, and take the trash out to the dumpster. I don't even know if I even remember where the dumpster was. We always stuffed our trash inside that special compartment. It was, in many respects, the perfect apartment. No, it didn't have a washer and dryer. But just give Mom a bottle of Woolite, and she would be just fine, thank you very much. There was just one problem. It was on the second floor. And it wasn't safe for Mom to walk up and down the stairs along anymore.
Unlike my Dad, who Mom always says I'm just like, Mom could always save up a nest egg. She always had some money. She worked her entire life as a nurse. Following my Dad's death, Mom worked well past retirement to be able to pay for the house. Her final years as a nurse, she worked in a nursing home, and then a retirement home. She hated the nursing home. It broke her heart to see people dumped and forgotten. The retirement home was better. The residents were mobile, social, and reasonably happy. Family still came to visit. I got out of school at 3:15 and I walked the few miles from my high school to the retirement home. I played canasta with some of the residents, and did my homework in the sun parlor. It was the 1970's. I remember that Space 1999 came on at 6:00, and I wanted to see that. But often one of the ladies would stroll in the see the news. I was so disappointed. I can still remember the sound that the blades of the ceiling fan made in the summer. And I remember all of the cats that would come to the door about 6:30.
Katie Davis was a recluse and a hoarder ..... and her room was right across the hall from the lady that Mom was working for. It was a rare event to see her crack that door far enough to actually see inside of the room. But when she did, you would see piles and piles of newspapers, magazines, and who knows what else. She talked to very few people, and honestly most everyone thought she was just a little too eccentric. Others might say crazy, but we're talking about the South, Mississippi specifically. Eccentric was the more genteel word. But everyday, without fail, Katie would always emerge from her room, and walk outside to feed the cats. And for whatever reason, she enjoyed my company. I would help her feed them, get them water. We'd stand there and just watch the cats eat. We'd talk about how this cat looked, or where was this other cat was, and admire any new cat that would walk up. These weren't feral cats. You could pick most of them up and pet them. And Katie always loved petting the cats. After about 10 minutes she'd go back to her room, lock her door, and I wouldn't see her for the rest of the night. Mom would get off work at 11 pm, and we'd go home. We'd be awake the next day at 6 AM, she would drive me to school, then go back to do house work before going to work at 3 PM. And by doing that, Mom was able to pay off her car and the house - after my Dad died.
One day, she was on the way to the doctor's office, when her car somehow ran right smack dab into a large oak tree. She almost made it to the doctor's office. The tree was about 10 feet shy of the driveway, and just across the street from the retirement home where Mom worked, and the hospital that she was taken too. I don't remember who called me. I don't remember what they said. In fact, I didn't even remember that I had no memory of that day until just now. Mom's beautiful 1974 Plymouth Valiant was totaled, but she was well. The doctor said that it was some sort of black out. I would later learn that it was a TIA - which isn't the same thing as a stroke, but it's close enough for me.
I was living in Kentucky at the time. I still am. I drove home to check on her, I even stayed there for a while to take care of her. But she had an amazing network of friends who showed up to visit. They took her to the doctor's office, to the grocery store, and they even took her to work the last few months that she worked at the retirement home. Mom had sold the house and the lady that bought it brought her money every month until it was paid off. She often would take Mom places and visit with her. But in time, Mom began to fall at home. She even fell outside the front door once, and skinned her face. She hated when her face didn't look perfect. I knew that the pathway that she was on was going to lead her to some sort of harm. So, my partner and I drove down to Mississippi. We rented a U-Haul van and drove from Lexington, Kentucky, to Greenville, Mississippi, packed her up, and brought her back to our home. It broke her heart.
Mom always loved the Mississippi Delta. But she was also very excited when I graduated from college and became an adult. She enjoyed to see me happy. She enjoyed to see me explore life. But losing her independence was a paradigm shift for her. After the wreck, she couldn't go and come as she pleased. She didn't like that. She wanted me to come back to Mississippi. But we both knew that I couldn't earn a living there.
Mom lived with us for 12 years after that. The early years were an adjustment period. Then I had my heart attack and almost lost my house. And then I could see her health slowly decline. We stayed at home more and more. My partner and I had cultivated a large network of friends and enjoyed going out. But as Mom's health grew worse, I'd have to decline offers to go out to movies or drinks. And then it seemed like all I did was say no when someone would ask me to join them for dinner, or ask me to drive up to Cincinnati, or over to Louisville. My cell phone stopped ringing. My friends stopped calling. Sure, there was email, but the daily contact, the social interaction, was gone. When Mom was feeling well enough for my partner and I to go out, no one else was available. They had moved on, made newer friends, developed new habits.
So often I would sit there and and just pray that someone would call or text me. But, soon, nobody would. And I began my journey as a caregiver lonesome and afraid.
Garth Brooks was one of my favorite performers. The very first time I heard "The Dance," I was sitting at the marina in Greenville, Mississippi. I knew the very moment that I heard the song that Garth Brooks was going to be huge. And he was. I got to see him in concert once. It was one of the happiest days of my life. As his career wound down, and his songs weren't being played on radio anymore, I'd look for him on YouTube. Early on I would find a song or video. But when I would come back to it later it would be gone. It had been flagged on YouTube, and removed. The only way to listen to his songs was on my old stereo, which was broken. We couldn't afford to buy a new one, and it seemed like a waste to go out and buy CDs just to play on my computer when I had all of the albums anyway. You see, Garth didn't like I-Tunes, YouTube, or any kind of online streaming. It was as if all of his music had suddenly vanished from my life. And it had.
Profound sadness, depression, and loneliness are a daily part of the lives of most caregivers. We're alone, no friends, no social interaction. The mind can play tricks on you. I grew to despise Garth Brooks. His Chris Gaines period made it all a little bit easier. He had taken from me my favorite songs. The songs that brought me such joy, and such happiness.
I was alone.
Just this past year he made a comeback. He sold out multiple venues on multiple nights. But I was still mad. He played four shows at Rupp Arena right here in Lexington. The tickets were only $79. But I couldn't go. I couldn't guarantee that someone would be there to to watch Mom while I went to see the show.
I only bought his new CD this year, and it was because of just one song. I played his song "Mom" at my Mom's funeral. We played it at the service here in Lexington, and then we played it at her funeral back in Greenville.
I can now go and come as I please. And I hate that. I miss her. I keep it together at work and when in public, but it's hard to do at home.
But I'm trying. And if you are reading this, and if any of this remotely resembles a part of your life, I want you to try, too.Let's try together.
A good friend of mine suggested a while back that I blog. I share my thoughts on the internet. I'm enough of a marketing guy that I know that the blog that he was expecting me to write just wouldn't sell. Nobody would read another weather blog, even though I am a certified meteorologist. I haven't been on television since the '90's. That day has passed. But, what if I could share my learnings and my experiences with other caregivers? What if I could use what I've learned to make someone else's journey as a caregiver a little bit easier. That would be worth something to me. And that's what I'm going to try to do here.
And along the way I hope to develop the courage to get back in the society that I was gone from for so long. It's a dream, and I do like dreams!
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday, August 24, 2008
A Great Democrat: William Proxmire
William Proxmire was born in 1915 in Lake Forrest, Illinois. His college career took him to both Yale, and Harvard Business School. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, Proxmire enlisted in the Army. He spent the next five years in the Army's counter-intelligence division, before being discharged in 1946.
After his discharge from the Army, Proxmire moved to Wisconsin and became a reporter. His first job was at the Capital Times in Madison. Journalism turned out to be even more bumpy of a career than the Army. He was fired from his first newspaper after just 7 months. He bumped around from job to job reporting for various news organizations in Wisconsin until he met the man who would inspire him to make yet another career change.
Robert La Follette grew up as a farmer in Dane County, Wisconsin. He later became a lawyer, and even the District Attorney of Dane County. He was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1891. He was elected Governor of Wisconsin in 1900.
La Follette's wife, Bella, was a feminist; she championed women's suffrage rights, racial equality, and other progressive issues. This was, of course, at a time when diversity within the GOP was welcomed. There was both a right and a left wing of the Republican Party.
In 1912, La Follette supported Woodrow Wilson for president. That support for Wilson evaporated when the US entered World War 1. La Follette was later accused of treason because he opposed conscription and opposed passage of the Espionage Act.
La Follette left the Republican Party, but never gained any traction as a third party candidate. He later died in 1925
Meanwhile, Proxmire failed in three attempts to become Governor of Wisconsin. But he was later elected to the Senate in 1957 to replace Joseph McCarthy who had died.
In the Senate, William Proxmire once again championed progressive causes, and often clashed with Lyndon Johnson on civil rights issues. Johnson opposed civil rights reforms at that time.
In the 1960's, Proxmire opposed the Vietnam War and accused Johnson of misleading Congress into the war. He used his seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee to spotlight wasteful military spending and pork projects.
In 1975, Proxmire published the first of his famous Golden Fleece Awards, highlighting wasteful government spending. Proxmire retired from the Senate in 1988, and died in 2005.
The first Golden Fleece Award was given to the National Science Foundation in 1975, for their $84,000 public taxpayer's funding for why people fall in love. Other award winners were the Department of Justice, for their public taxpayer's funding for why people wanted to get out of prison. He awarded the Golden Fleece to the National Institute of Mental Health for their public taxpayer funding to study a Peruvian brothel. He also awarded a prize to the FAA for their public taxpayer's money to study the size of women's butts.
William Proxmire was a champion of fiscal responsibility, proving the point that a progressive could also be responsive to wasteful government spending.
And you probably thought that the Republicans had a lock on the issue of fiscal responsibility!
After his discharge from the Army, Proxmire moved to Wisconsin and became a reporter. His first job was at the Capital Times in Madison. Journalism turned out to be even more bumpy of a career than the Army. He was fired from his first newspaper after just 7 months. He bumped around from job to job reporting for various news organizations in Wisconsin until he met the man who would inspire him to make yet another career change.
Robert La Follette grew up as a farmer in Dane County, Wisconsin. He later became a lawyer, and even the District Attorney of Dane County. He was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1891. He was elected Governor of Wisconsin in 1900.
La Follette's wife, Bella, was a feminist; she championed women's suffrage rights, racial equality, and other progressive issues. This was, of course, at a time when diversity within the GOP was welcomed. There was both a right and a left wing of the Republican Party.
In 1912, La Follette supported Woodrow Wilson for president. That support for Wilson evaporated when the US entered World War 1. La Follette was later accused of treason because he opposed conscription and opposed passage of the Espionage Act.
La Follette left the Republican Party, but never gained any traction as a third party candidate. He later died in 1925
Meanwhile, Proxmire failed in three attempts to become Governor of Wisconsin. But he was later elected to the Senate in 1957 to replace Joseph McCarthy who had died.
In the Senate, William Proxmire once again championed progressive causes, and often clashed with Lyndon Johnson on civil rights issues. Johnson opposed civil rights reforms at that time.
In the 1960's, Proxmire opposed the Vietnam War and accused Johnson of misleading Congress into the war. He used his seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee to spotlight wasteful military spending and pork projects.
In 1975, Proxmire published the first of his famous Golden Fleece Awards, highlighting wasteful government spending. Proxmire retired from the Senate in 1988, and died in 2005.
The first Golden Fleece Award was given to the National Science Foundation in 1975, for their $84,000 public taxpayer's funding for why people fall in love. Other award winners were the Department of Justice, for their public taxpayer's funding for why people wanted to get out of prison. He awarded the Golden Fleece to the National Institute of Mental Health for their public taxpayer funding to study a Peruvian brothel. He also awarded a prize to the FAA for their public taxpayer's money to study the size of women's butts.
William Proxmire was a champion of fiscal responsibility, proving the point that a progressive could also be responsive to wasteful government spending.
And you probably thought that the Republicans had a lock on the issue of fiscal responsibility!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Remembering Gerald Ford
Our Nation’s oldest living President turns 93 years of age later this week.
Gerald Ford is the only President in the history of our Nation to assume the office of President, and not be elected by the people. Following the resignation of Vice-President Spiro Agnew, President Richard Nixon nominated Ford for the Office of Vice-President, and was confirmed by the Senate. Following the resignation of President Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford became our Nation’s President. He took the oath of Office on August 9, 1974. Ford was the first Vice-President to chosen under the terms of the 25th Amendment.
A number of problems faced the Nation in 1974. The Watergate scandal, inflation, a depressed economy, and chronic energy shortages were all on the front burner for the new President.
Gerald Ford selected Nelson Rockefeller as his new Vice-President. Ford was the last of the “Rockefeller Republicans,” a group of moderate liberals within the Republican Party.
In the Senate Ford enjoyed a reputation of fairness and openness, which made him popular during his 25 years in Congress.
Ford was born in 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska, but he grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was very athletic, and starred on the University of Michigan football team. He later went to Yale and served as Assistant Coach while earning his law degree.
After college, Ford joined the Navy and served in World War II. He achieved the rank of Lt. Commander of the Navy. After the war, Ford returned to Grand Rapids and began his political career in the GOP. He married Elizabeth Bloomer, who would later found the Betty Ford Clinic.
It was during Ford’s presidency that two notable figures in today’s GOP entered politics. And it was mostly likely the single greatest reason for him losing the 1976 Presidential Election to Jimmy Carter.
Both Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney started their careers in the Ford White House. And they were directly responsible for encouraging Ford to dump Vice President Nelson Rockefeller off the ticket in 1976. Rumsfeld and Rove encouraged Ford to move more to the right and to distance himself from the liberals in the GOP.
That most likely cost him the election. Had Nelson Rockefeller remained on the ticket, Ford might have won Rockefeller’s home state of New York. On Inauguration Day, President Carter began his speech: "For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land."
The Ford Administration oversaw the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam and the Helsinki Accord. With the heavily Democratic Congress in power, Ford was unable to pass much in the way of legislation. His vetoes were often overridden. Ford was also criticized for his pardon of Richard Nixon.
Ford is credited for introducing a conditional amnesty plan for Vietnam War draft dodgers in Canada. Jimmy Carter modified that plan to an unconditional amnesty program when he was elected President.
Ford faced two assassination attempts while president. The second assassination attempt was in San Francisco when gay man Oliver Sipple deflected a shot from Sara Jane Moore meant for the President.
Ford appointed John Paul Stevens to the Supreme Court in 1975. To his credit, Ford has always maintained the highest level of respect for Stevens, who turned out to be one of the more liberal members of the Supreme Court.
Ford had to deflect an endless number of media attacks. But the “kiss of death” probably came when NBC launched a new variety show entitled “Saturday Night Live.” Chevy Chase portrayed Ford, and often mimicked his famous stumble off of a plane. This was ironic because Ford is probably the most athletic President in recent memory.
President Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Courage by President Bill Clinton in 2001 in 1999. Ford suffered two minor strokes at the 2000 GOP Convention. He is one of only two US Presidents to live to at least 92 years of age – President Ronald Reagon being the other.
Ford remains close friends with President Carter and his wife Rosalyn.
Ford is also the last surviving member of the famous Warren Commission.
Gerald Ford remains, to me at least, one of the most intriguing political figures of our era. And on this occasion of his birthday I would like to wish our oldest surviving President a very Happy Birthday!
Gerald Ford is the only President in the history of our Nation to assume the office of President, and not be elected by the people. Following the resignation of Vice-President Spiro Agnew, President Richard Nixon nominated Ford for the Office of Vice-President, and was confirmed by the Senate. Following the resignation of President Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford became our Nation’s President. He took the oath of Office on August 9, 1974. Ford was the first Vice-President to chosen under the terms of the 25th Amendment.
A number of problems faced the Nation in 1974. The Watergate scandal, inflation, a depressed economy, and chronic energy shortages were all on the front burner for the new President.
Gerald Ford selected Nelson Rockefeller as his new Vice-President. Ford was the last of the “Rockefeller Republicans,” a group of moderate liberals within the Republican Party.
In the Senate Ford enjoyed a reputation of fairness and openness, which made him popular during his 25 years in Congress.
Ford was born in 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska, but he grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was very athletic, and starred on the University of Michigan football team. He later went to Yale and served as Assistant Coach while earning his law degree.
After college, Ford joined the Navy and served in World War II. He achieved the rank of Lt. Commander of the Navy. After the war, Ford returned to Grand Rapids and began his political career in the GOP. He married Elizabeth Bloomer, who would later found the Betty Ford Clinic.
It was during Ford’s presidency that two notable figures in today’s GOP entered politics. And it was mostly likely the single greatest reason for him losing the 1976 Presidential Election to Jimmy Carter.
Both Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney started their careers in the Ford White House. And they were directly responsible for encouraging Ford to dump Vice President Nelson Rockefeller off the ticket in 1976. Rumsfeld and Rove encouraged Ford to move more to the right and to distance himself from the liberals in the GOP.
That most likely cost him the election. Had Nelson Rockefeller remained on the ticket, Ford might have won Rockefeller’s home state of New York. On Inauguration Day, President Carter began his speech: "For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land."
The Ford Administration oversaw the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam and the Helsinki Accord. With the heavily Democratic Congress in power, Ford was unable to pass much in the way of legislation. His vetoes were often overridden. Ford was also criticized for his pardon of Richard Nixon.
Ford is credited for introducing a conditional amnesty plan for Vietnam War draft dodgers in Canada. Jimmy Carter modified that plan to an unconditional amnesty program when he was elected President.
Ford faced two assassination attempts while president. The second assassination attempt was in San Francisco when gay man Oliver Sipple deflected a shot from Sara Jane Moore meant for the President.
Ford appointed John Paul Stevens to the Supreme Court in 1975. To his credit, Ford has always maintained the highest level of respect for Stevens, who turned out to be one of the more liberal members of the Supreme Court.
Ford had to deflect an endless number of media attacks. But the “kiss of death” probably came when NBC launched a new variety show entitled “Saturday Night Live.” Chevy Chase portrayed Ford, and often mimicked his famous stumble off of a plane. This was ironic because Ford is probably the most athletic President in recent memory.
President Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Courage by President Bill Clinton in 2001 in 1999. Ford suffered two minor strokes at the 2000 GOP Convention. He is one of only two US Presidents to live to at least 92 years of age – President Ronald Reagon being the other.
Ford remains close friends with President Carter and his wife Rosalyn.
Ford is also the last surviving member of the famous Warren Commission.
Gerald Ford remains, to me at least, one of the most intriguing political figures of our era. And on this occasion of his birthday I would like to wish our oldest surviving President a very Happy Birthday!
Remembering Eunice Shriver
Eunice Shriver turns 85 years of age, today, making her the oldest surviving child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. Her famous husband is Sargent Shriver, who was the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate in 1972, and the Ambassador to France from 1968 to 1970. The Shrivers have 5 children, including Maria Shriver – wife of California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger.
Eunice actively campaigned for her older brother, John F. Kennedy, during his presidential bid. She also supported Arnold Schwartzenegger’s successful bid for Governor in 2003. Eunice is the only living woman whose face appears on a US coin, the 1995 commemorative Special Olympics silver dollar.
Eunice has been an advocate for those people with special needs and for those people who are handicapped or disabled. She is the Honorary Chairperson of Special Olympics. She is a social worker by trade, and in 1950 she worked as a social worker at Alderson Prison in West Virginia – the same prison Martha Stewart was sentenced to. In 1957 she took over the lead role of the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation.
Under her leadership of the Joseph P Kennedy Foundation, Eunice was directly responsible for the establishment of Special Olympics in 1968.
Eunice is widely recognized for her work for special needs people, and has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagon in 1984, The Legion of Honor, and the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award. She is also the recipient of the International Olympic Committee Award.
Shriver was directly responsible for the change in thought at the Joseph P Kennedy Foundation. At her bidding, the Foundation moved from looking for ways to prevent mental retardation, to the current philosophy of teaching others to accept those people with intellectual disabilities as contributing members of society. Shriver’s sister Rosemary was mentally retarded.
###
The Washington Post published the following on Friday ...
By Colman McCarthySaturday, July 8, 2006; Page A15
"Hello, my name is Eunice."
"Hello, my name is Eunice."
"Hello, my name is Eunice."
Some of the women looked up from their bowls of oatmeal; some didn't. But the self-introductions went on as Eunice Kennedy Shriver worked her way around the table one Sunday morning at a soup kitchen at Fifth and M Streets NW. It was a January day in the late 1970s, the temperature well below freezing. It was only a little less wintry inside: The furnace in the low-rent building had gone out during the night.
The women with whom Shriver was to share a meal were an assortment of the lost and lonely, the broke and broken. But it wasn't long before the Shriver table throbbed with conversation, much of it spirited. For all any of the homeless women knew or cared, their new table mate, appearing from nowhere and just a tad manic about shaking hands with everyone, was one of them.
Of the dozens of times -- perhaps hundreds going back 40 years -- that I've been in the company of Eunice Shriver, I remember that morning the best. She had called a few days before, asking to come along to the Catholic Worker soup kitchen where I was a volunteer dishwasher. Eunice was intellectually curious about homelessness, then surfacing as a public policy issue. She wanted also to gather information to give to her five children when pushing them to answer the call -- her call, the country's call, God's call -- to service.
Today Eunice Shriver will mark her 85th birthday -- at a dinner at home with her family and friends, after a priest celebrates a Mass of thanksgiving in the living room. Reaching 85 is an odds-defying event considering that twice in the past decade Eunice lay in hospitals critically ill and beyond the ministries of doctors. My friendship with her began in the mid-'60s through her husband, Sargent, for whom I worked and for whom the word ebullient was invented.
Reviewing 40 years, I can't think of any other woman whose commitments to works of mercy and rescue have touched more lives in more parts of the world. Her work with Special Olympics -- the athletic program for people with intellectual disabilities that she began in 1968 and that is now in more than 150 countries with 2.25 million athletes and their families, aided by 500,000 volunteers and coaches -- is the world's largest sports program. A poll taken by the Chronicle of Philanthropy in 1994 reported that Special Olympics ranked first as the nation's most credible nonprofit, well ahead of the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.
What her energetic and good husband was doing with the Peace Corps in the early 1960s -- inspiring people to give of themselves personally -- Eunice Shriver set out to do for people with mental retardation. After persuading her president brother -- John F. Kennedy -- to involve his administration in the cause, she traveled the world to defeat ignorance and indifference about the disability. Among medical specialists, divisions existed: Problem-describers saw retardation as a genetic or prenatal defect; solution-finders pushed for early intervention and education.
With a sociology degree from Stanford University, Eunice Shriver set out to be a social worker.
Her Roman Catholicism, nourished by the sacraments and the Beatitudes, eased her out of the life of privilege and plenitude into which she was born. It's only speculation, but I believe that Eunice's public life -- the frenzy of endless traveling, fundraising, organizing and cajoling for both the Special Olympics and her lesser-known but equally valuable program, the Community of Caring -- would have burned out long ago had she lacked a grounded spiritual life.
Her public successes were matched by success at home. Given the current cultural drifts, I think the most revolutionary deed anyone can perform is to raise honest, gentle and loving children. The morally driven mothering that Eunice Shriver gave to each of her children has resulted in five adults whose lives, like hers, are marked with public service and free of self-indulgence.
###
Happy Birthday Eunice Shriver!
Eunice actively campaigned for her older brother, John F. Kennedy, during his presidential bid. She also supported Arnold Schwartzenegger’s successful bid for Governor in 2003. Eunice is the only living woman whose face appears on a US coin, the 1995 commemorative Special Olympics silver dollar.
Eunice has been an advocate for those people with special needs and for those people who are handicapped or disabled. She is the Honorary Chairperson of Special Olympics. She is a social worker by trade, and in 1950 she worked as a social worker at Alderson Prison in West Virginia – the same prison Martha Stewart was sentenced to. In 1957 she took over the lead role of the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation.
Under her leadership of the Joseph P Kennedy Foundation, Eunice was directly responsible for the establishment of Special Olympics in 1968.
Eunice is widely recognized for her work for special needs people, and has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagon in 1984, The Legion of Honor, and the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award. She is also the recipient of the International Olympic Committee Award.
Shriver was directly responsible for the change in thought at the Joseph P Kennedy Foundation. At her bidding, the Foundation moved from looking for ways to prevent mental retardation, to the current philosophy of teaching others to accept those people with intellectual disabilities as contributing members of society. Shriver’s sister Rosemary was mentally retarded.
###
The Washington Post published the following on Friday ...
By Colman McCarthySaturday, July 8, 2006; Page A15
"Hello, my name is Eunice."
"Hello, my name is Eunice."
"Hello, my name is Eunice."
Some of the women looked up from their bowls of oatmeal; some didn't. But the self-introductions went on as Eunice Kennedy Shriver worked her way around the table one Sunday morning at a soup kitchen at Fifth and M Streets NW. It was a January day in the late 1970s, the temperature well below freezing. It was only a little less wintry inside: The furnace in the low-rent building had gone out during the night.
The women with whom Shriver was to share a meal were an assortment of the lost and lonely, the broke and broken. But it wasn't long before the Shriver table throbbed with conversation, much of it spirited. For all any of the homeless women knew or cared, their new table mate, appearing from nowhere and just a tad manic about shaking hands with everyone, was one of them.
Of the dozens of times -- perhaps hundreds going back 40 years -- that I've been in the company of Eunice Shriver, I remember that morning the best. She had called a few days before, asking to come along to the Catholic Worker soup kitchen where I was a volunteer dishwasher. Eunice was intellectually curious about homelessness, then surfacing as a public policy issue. She wanted also to gather information to give to her five children when pushing them to answer the call -- her call, the country's call, God's call -- to service.
Today Eunice Shriver will mark her 85th birthday -- at a dinner at home with her family and friends, after a priest celebrates a Mass of thanksgiving in the living room. Reaching 85 is an odds-defying event considering that twice in the past decade Eunice lay in hospitals critically ill and beyond the ministries of doctors. My friendship with her began in the mid-'60s through her husband, Sargent, for whom I worked and for whom the word ebullient was invented.
Reviewing 40 years, I can't think of any other woman whose commitments to works of mercy and rescue have touched more lives in more parts of the world. Her work with Special Olympics -- the athletic program for people with intellectual disabilities that she began in 1968 and that is now in more than 150 countries with 2.25 million athletes and their families, aided by 500,000 volunteers and coaches -- is the world's largest sports program. A poll taken by the Chronicle of Philanthropy in 1994 reported that Special Olympics ranked first as the nation's most credible nonprofit, well ahead of the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.
What her energetic and good husband was doing with the Peace Corps in the early 1960s -- inspiring people to give of themselves personally -- Eunice Shriver set out to do for people with mental retardation. After persuading her president brother -- John F. Kennedy -- to involve his administration in the cause, she traveled the world to defeat ignorance and indifference about the disability. Among medical specialists, divisions existed: Problem-describers saw retardation as a genetic or prenatal defect; solution-finders pushed for early intervention and education.
With a sociology degree from Stanford University, Eunice Shriver set out to be a social worker.
Her Roman Catholicism, nourished by the sacraments and the Beatitudes, eased her out of the life of privilege and plenitude into which she was born. It's only speculation, but I believe that Eunice's public life -- the frenzy of endless traveling, fundraising, organizing and cajoling for both the Special Olympics and her lesser-known but equally valuable program, the Community of Caring -- would have burned out long ago had she lacked a grounded spiritual life.
Her public successes were matched by success at home. Given the current cultural drifts, I think the most revolutionary deed anyone can perform is to raise honest, gentle and loving children. The morally driven mothering that Eunice Shriver gave to each of her children has resulted in five adults whose lives, like hers, are marked with public service and free of self-indulgence.
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Happy Birthday Eunice Shriver!
Monday, June 12, 2006
The Rise of Poverty in Suburban America
Very often when the topic of poverty is raised our minds wander to images of rural America, Appalachia, for instance, where poverty has been a way of life for so many people for such a long time. We don’t very often stop to consider that the faces of poverty might include our neighbor down the street that works two jobs, or the grocery clerk that always double bags our groceries for us who is a domestic violence survivor, or the family that sits in the pew beside us at church that lost their health insurance. But the face of poverty in our country is changing. More and more people find themselves with very little resources in which they can buy the groceries needed to feed themselves and their families.
And as a Nation we’ve been slow to catch on to the newest faces of poverty. Perhaps we just haven’t stopped to consider that when home heating fuel prices skyrocketed last winter that some people had to sacrifice eating in order to stay warm. Maybe we just assume that our neighbor down the street has health insurance, and we haven’t stopped to consider that he just paid $200 for a standard office visit to the doctor when he had the flu, and then paid close to $100 for the medicine. That might be the reason he only has $20 left in which to feed a family of three for the week.
Why is it that everyone is there to offer help and assistance whenever a neighbor’s house burns down, but doesn’t even stop to consider that that same neighbor may not have had any food on the shelf for the past week? Are we, as Americans, so busy that we just don’t have the time to notice when someone needs our help? And what happens if we one day look in the mirror and see the face of poverty looking back at us? Who is going to notice and will anyone be there to help us?
Navigating the channels of various social services can be challenging to someone who has never had to do that. Very often you are forced to jump though hoop after hoop in order to get any assistance – if any assistance is available for you at all. Could anyone tell me why a family of three that earns $20,000 a year, who has had large medical bills, but no children under the age of 18 living in the home, is not even eligible for emergency food stamps in many states? How come if I quit my job I can receive food stamps, and yet if I’m working and still not making enough money to pay the bills and buy food for the family I’m not eligible for any assistance at all? Why is that? And what kind of message does it send to people who are working to improve their situation, but still need a little bit of help during the tough times?
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has an interesting article on the subject of suburban poverty. Everyone should read it and consider what is being said.
And as a Nation we’ve been slow to catch on to the newest faces of poverty. Perhaps we just haven’t stopped to consider that when home heating fuel prices skyrocketed last winter that some people had to sacrifice eating in order to stay warm. Maybe we just assume that our neighbor down the street has health insurance, and we haven’t stopped to consider that he just paid $200 for a standard office visit to the doctor when he had the flu, and then paid close to $100 for the medicine. That might be the reason he only has $20 left in which to feed a family of three for the week.
Why is it that everyone is there to offer help and assistance whenever a neighbor’s house burns down, but doesn’t even stop to consider that that same neighbor may not have had any food on the shelf for the past week? Are we, as Americans, so busy that we just don’t have the time to notice when someone needs our help? And what happens if we one day look in the mirror and see the face of poverty looking back at us? Who is going to notice and will anyone be there to help us?
Navigating the channels of various social services can be challenging to someone who has never had to do that. Very often you are forced to jump though hoop after hoop in order to get any assistance – if any assistance is available for you at all. Could anyone tell me why a family of three that earns $20,000 a year, who has had large medical bills, but no children under the age of 18 living in the home, is not even eligible for emergency food stamps in many states? How come if I quit my job I can receive food stamps, and yet if I’m working and still not making enough money to pay the bills and buy food for the family I’m not eligible for any assistance at all? Why is that? And what kind of message does it send to people who are working to improve their situation, but still need a little bit of help during the tough times?
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has an interesting article on the subject of suburban poverty. Everyone should read it and consider what is being said.
#####
Food shelves in Twin Cities suburbs -- even affluent ones -- are suddenly busier than they've ever been, according to a report to be released this morning.
A state study that is undertaken only twice each decade will reveal a huge jump in visits in places such as Eden Prairie, Minnetonka and Golden Valley, according to Hunger Solutions Minnesota, the organization that coordinates the work of the shelves.
In Eden Prairie, it says, the number of visits for free food soared from slightly more than 1,500 in 2000 to nearly 10,000 last year.
"Hunger is not an issue that just affects homeless people on downtown streets," said Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions. "They also live next door."
Beneath the numbers, experts say, lie a number of intriguing messages, including a rise in affordable apartments in many suburbs long considered bastions of wealth, and a widening gap between wages, on the one hand, and rents and mortgage payments on the other.
The report comes weeks after one from suburban Dakota County, whose board of commissioners learned last month of a sudden increase in poverty after decades of low and stable rates.
The most notable increases in the food shelf study, however, occurred in Eden Prairie and other cities in neighboring Hennepin County, suggesting a wider suburban phenomenon. By comparison, use of food shelves in Minneapolis, in the same stretch, barely budged...
"What struck us is how few food shelf users are on MFIP," said Laura Schauben, of Wilder Research, co-author of the survey, referring to the public assistance program formerly known as AFDC. "Most are working. But it's turning out that employment doesn't solve everything."
Suburban middle-class families also need help from time to time.
"Lost jobs, divorce, domestic violence -- things happen," Holden said. "It's hard to come here the first time and ask for help. We have people say they used to donate, and can't believe 'I'm sitting here asking for food.' "
The message that all these needs exist, officials say, is especially important in the summer, when suburbanites' donations fade but the need intensifies: Kids, for instance, aren't getting free or reduced lunches at school, so costs rise.
"We've been working hard to increase inventory in a very generous community," Holden said. "But I'm not sure what will be happening by about August."
#####
I think that most people just haven’t stopped to consider these things. Perhaps the family down the street can’t move into a cheaper home because of a damaged credit from defaulting on a hospital bill. Many people are in effect trapped in a dwelling they can no longer afford because no one else will rent to them because of damaged credit. And how much affordable housing do you see developers building in your city?
It’s worth a second thought if any of this is news to you.
Monday, May 29, 2006
My Memorial Day Observance
Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend and the unofficial start of summer for many people. It’s a day set aside to remember our combat veterans who have died in service of their country. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day when it was first observed on May 30, 1868. The day was set aside to remember the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers by proclamation of General John A. Logan.
Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1966 under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson. But the “official” Memorial Day ceremony occurs at Arlington National Cemetery. American flags are placed on each grave. The President or Vice President speaks on the contribution the fallen soldiers gave to their country, and places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
And on this Memorial Day I also want to pay tribute to those brave gay and lesbian soldiers who serve their country in silence under “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
The Service Members Legal Defense Network estimates that about 10,000 gay and lesbian soldiers have been discharged under the law. At least one soldier, Private First Class Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was murdered because he was gay.
Just last year, the discharge of Sgt. Robert Stout of Utica, Ohio, a Purple Heart recipient who happened to be gay, became the topic of news stories. Stout is believed to be the first gay soldier injured in Iraq. Stout wanted to remain in the Army, but was discharged when the Army found out that he was gay.
Statistics on the effect of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell can be difficult to calculate. Gary Gates, a statistician at the University of California at Los Angeles, estimates there are about 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in the military, accounting for about 2.8 percent of all personnel. He estimates that at least 25 gay soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Of course that would be nearly impossible to prove.
And for yet another year the GOP has done nothing in regard to repealing this legislation, and the Democrats have done very little as well.
There are 116 members of Congress who support the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act in March 2005. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi supports the bill, as do several retired Generals and Admirals:
Major General Vance Coleman, U.S. Army, Retired
Rear Admiral John Hutson, U.S. Navy, Retired
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, U.S. Army, Retired
Brigadier General Keith Kerr, CSMR, Retired
Brigadier General Evelyn Foote, U.S. Army, Retired
Brigadier General Virgil Richard, U.S. Army, Retired
Major General Charles Staff, U.S. Army Reserve, Retired
Rear Admiral Alan Steinman, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
A complete list of co-sponsors of the bill can be found HERE. The cosponsors include 109 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 1 Independent. The bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel on March 17, 2005. No action has been made on the bill.
Will we see yet another year of inaction on behalf of our legislators to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell? Many polls indicate that allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military has the support of 60% of the country. Will the mid-term elections change the complexion of Congress in such a way that the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is possible? Maybe, but Democrats haven’t been all that vocal on the issue either. In fact, the Democratic Leadership has sent mixed messages to the GLBT community in recent months.
But there is one thing that we can do. On this Memorial Day we can also remember the gay and lesbian soldiers that have died, in silence, in service to their country. And we can honor and celebrate those brave gay and lesbian soldiers who served their country so well, only to be tossed aside on account of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
And on this Memorial Day I also want to honor those brave gay and lesbian soldiers who continue to serve in silence of who they are. These men and women serve their country despite the bigotry and homophobia centered squarely in Washington, DC.
Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1966 under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson. But the “official” Memorial Day ceremony occurs at Arlington National Cemetery. American flags are placed on each grave. The President or Vice President speaks on the contribution the fallen soldiers gave to their country, and places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
And on this Memorial Day I also want to pay tribute to those brave gay and lesbian soldiers who serve their country in silence under “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
The Service Members Legal Defense Network estimates that about 10,000 gay and lesbian soldiers have been discharged under the law. At least one soldier, Private First Class Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was murdered because he was gay.
Just last year, the discharge of Sgt. Robert Stout of Utica, Ohio, a Purple Heart recipient who happened to be gay, became the topic of news stories. Stout is believed to be the first gay soldier injured in Iraq. Stout wanted to remain in the Army, but was discharged when the Army found out that he was gay.
Statistics on the effect of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell can be difficult to calculate. Gary Gates, a statistician at the University of California at Los Angeles, estimates there are about 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in the military, accounting for about 2.8 percent of all personnel. He estimates that at least 25 gay soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Of course that would be nearly impossible to prove.
And for yet another year the GOP has done nothing in regard to repealing this legislation, and the Democrats have done very little as well.
There are 116 members of Congress who support the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act in March 2005. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi supports the bill, as do several retired Generals and Admirals:
Major General Vance Coleman, U.S. Army, Retired
Rear Admiral John Hutson, U.S. Navy, Retired
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, U.S. Army, Retired
Brigadier General Keith Kerr, CSMR, Retired
Brigadier General Evelyn Foote, U.S. Army, Retired
Brigadier General Virgil Richard, U.S. Army, Retired
Major General Charles Staff, U.S. Army Reserve, Retired
Rear Admiral Alan Steinman, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
A complete list of co-sponsors of the bill can be found HERE. The cosponsors include 109 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 1 Independent. The bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel on March 17, 2005. No action has been made on the bill.
Will we see yet another year of inaction on behalf of our legislators to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell? Many polls indicate that allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military has the support of 60% of the country. Will the mid-term elections change the complexion of Congress in such a way that the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is possible? Maybe, but Democrats haven’t been all that vocal on the issue either. In fact, the Democratic Leadership has sent mixed messages to the GLBT community in recent months.
But there is one thing that we can do. On this Memorial Day we can also remember the gay and lesbian soldiers that have died, in silence, in service to their country. And we can honor and celebrate those brave gay and lesbian soldiers who served their country so well, only to be tossed aside on account of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
And on this Memorial Day I also want to honor those brave gay and lesbian soldiers who continue to serve in silence of who they are. These men and women serve their country despite the bigotry and homophobia centered squarely in Washington, DC.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Bush Abuses Signing Statements
President Bush has now used the tactic of “signing statements” 750 times. (Source: Boston Globe) A relatively rare tactic called the signing statement provides the President with the ability to offer nuance or pushbacks on legislation he signs into law. This rare tactic had only been used just over a dozen times in the history of the country until the 1980’s. Ronald Reagon used the signing statement to challenge 71 legislative provisions. Clinton used the tactic 105 times. So far, George Bush has used the tactic around 750 times!
It’s no accident that this practice became more widespread in the 1980’s. And just who came up with using this obscure method of challenging legislation in the 1980’s. Why, none other than Samuel Alito.
In a February 1986 draft memo, then Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel Samuel Alito laid out a case for the President to routinely issue “statements” about the meaning of statutes which he signs into law. (Source: WaPo)
###
From WaPo:
Such "interpretive signing statements" would be a significant departure from run-of-the-mill bill signing pronouncements, which are "often little more than a press release," Alito wrote. The idea was to flag constitutional concerns and get courts to pay as much attention to the president's take on a law as to "legislative intent."
"Since the president's approval is just as important as that of the House or Senate, it seems to follow that the president's understanding of the bill should be just as important as that of Congress," Alito wrote. He later added that "by forcing some rethinking by courts, scholars, and litigants, it may help to curb some of the prevalent abuses of legislative history."
###
No case illustrated just how pervasive the Bush administration has become with the usage of signing statements than the recent McCain Anti-Torture Bill signed into law. In signing the McCain Anti-Torture legislation into law, the President in effect said never mind or this doesn’t apply to me. Although the legislation was crystal clear in its meaning and intent, the president’s signing statement went on to read “The executive branch shall construe Title X in Division A of the Act, relating to detainees, in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch as Commander in Chief and consistent with the constitutional limitations on the judicial power.” Translation – If the President feels torture is warranted to protect the country he will violate the law and use torture. If the courts try to stop him he’ll ignore them too.
By using the tactic of a signing statement, Bush disallows Congress the opportunity to overturn a veto. In fact the last President to stay in office this long without issuing a veto was Thomas Jefferson. In fact, Bush is using the tactic of signing statements as if they were a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional. (Source: FindLaw)
###
The Boston Globe gives us some examples of Bush’s signing statements and just how they changed the intended legislation.
March 9: Justice Department officials must give reports to Congress by certain dates on how the FBI is using the USA Patriot Act to search homes and secretly seize papers.
Bush's signing statement: The president can order Justice Department officials to withhold any information from Congress if he decides it could impair national security or executive branch operations.
Dec. 30, 2005: US interrogators cannot torture prisoners or otherwise subject them to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Bush's signing statement: The president, as commander in chief, can waive the torture ban if he decides that harsh interrogation techniques will assist in preventing terrorist attacks.
Dec. 30: When requested, scientific information ''prepared by government researchers and scientists shall be transmitted [to Congress] uncensored and without delay."
Bush's signing statement: The president can tell researchers to withhold any information from Congress if he decides its disclosure could impair foreign relations, national security, or the workings of the executive branch.
Aug. 8: The Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its contractors may not fire or otherwise punish an employee whistle-blower who tells Congress about possible wrongdoing.
Bush's signing statement: The president or his appointees will determine whether employees of the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can give information to Congress.
Dec. 23, 2004: Forbids US troops in Colombia from participating in any combat against rebels, except in cases of self-defense. Caps the number of US troops allowed in Colombia at 800.
Bush's signing statement: Only the president, as commander in chief, can place restrictions on the use of US armed forces, so the executive branch will construe the law ''as advisory in nature."
Dec. 17: The new national intelligence director shall recruit and train women and minorities to be spies, analysts, and translators in order to ensure diversity in the intelligence community.
Bush's signing statement: The executive branch shall construe the law in a manner consistent with a constitutional clause guaranteeing ''equal protection" for all. (In 2003, the Bush administration argued against race-conscious affirmative-action programs in a Supreme Court case. The court rejected Bush's view.)
Oct. 29: Defense Department personnel are prohibited from interfering with the ability of military lawyers to give independent legal advice to their commanders.
Bush's signing statement: All military attorneys are bound to follow legal conclusions reached by the administration's lawyers in the Justice Department and the Pentagon when giving advice to their commanders.
Aug. 5: The military cannot add to its files any illegally gathered intelligence, including information obtained about Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches.
Bush's signing statement: Only the president, as commander in chief, can tell the military whether or not it can use any specific piece of intelligence.
Nov. 6, 2003: US officials in Iraq cannot prevent an inspector general for the Coalition Provisional Authority from carrying out any investigation. The inspector general must tell Congress if officials refuse to cooperate with his inquiries.
Bush's signing statement: The inspector general ''shall refrain" from investigating anything involving sensitive plans, intelligence, national security, or anything already being investigated by the Pentagon. The inspector cannot tell Congress anything if the president decides that disclosing the information would impair foreign relations, national security, or executive branch operations.
Nov. 5, 2002: Creates an Institute of Education Sciences whose director may conduct and publish research ''without the approval of the secretary [of education] or any other office of the department."
Bush's signing statement: The president has the power to control the actions of all executive branch officials, so ''the director of the Institute of Education Sciences shall [be] subject to the supervision and direction of the secretary of education."
###
Hasn’t President Bush declared himself the sole judge of his own powers? Doesn’t this eliminate the checks and balances that keep our country a democracy? Isn’t this moving the country toward unlimited executive power?
It’s no accident that this practice became more widespread in the 1980’s. And just who came up with using this obscure method of challenging legislation in the 1980’s. Why, none other than Samuel Alito.
In a February 1986 draft memo, then Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel Samuel Alito laid out a case for the President to routinely issue “statements” about the meaning of statutes which he signs into law. (Source: WaPo)
###
From WaPo:
Such "interpretive signing statements" would be a significant departure from run-of-the-mill bill signing pronouncements, which are "often little more than a press release," Alito wrote. The idea was to flag constitutional concerns and get courts to pay as much attention to the president's take on a law as to "legislative intent."
"Since the president's approval is just as important as that of the House or Senate, it seems to follow that the president's understanding of the bill should be just as important as that of Congress," Alito wrote. He later added that "by forcing some rethinking by courts, scholars, and litigants, it may help to curb some of the prevalent abuses of legislative history."
###
No case illustrated just how pervasive the Bush administration has become with the usage of signing statements than the recent McCain Anti-Torture Bill signed into law. In signing the McCain Anti-Torture legislation into law, the President in effect said never mind or this doesn’t apply to me. Although the legislation was crystal clear in its meaning and intent, the president’s signing statement went on to read “The executive branch shall construe Title X in Division A of the Act, relating to detainees, in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch as Commander in Chief and consistent with the constitutional limitations on the judicial power.” Translation – If the President feels torture is warranted to protect the country he will violate the law and use torture. If the courts try to stop him he’ll ignore them too.
By using the tactic of a signing statement, Bush disallows Congress the opportunity to overturn a veto. In fact the last President to stay in office this long without issuing a veto was Thomas Jefferson. In fact, Bush is using the tactic of signing statements as if they were a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional. (Source: FindLaw)
###
The Boston Globe gives us some examples of Bush’s signing statements and just how they changed the intended legislation.
March 9: Justice Department officials must give reports to Congress by certain dates on how the FBI is using the USA Patriot Act to search homes and secretly seize papers.
Bush's signing statement: The president can order Justice Department officials to withhold any information from Congress if he decides it could impair national security or executive branch operations.
Dec. 30, 2005: US interrogators cannot torture prisoners or otherwise subject them to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Bush's signing statement: The president, as commander in chief, can waive the torture ban if he decides that harsh interrogation techniques will assist in preventing terrorist attacks.
Dec. 30: When requested, scientific information ''prepared by government researchers and scientists shall be transmitted [to Congress] uncensored and without delay."
Bush's signing statement: The president can tell researchers to withhold any information from Congress if he decides its disclosure could impair foreign relations, national security, or the workings of the executive branch.
Aug. 8: The Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its contractors may not fire or otherwise punish an employee whistle-blower who tells Congress about possible wrongdoing.
Bush's signing statement: The president or his appointees will determine whether employees of the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can give information to Congress.
Dec. 23, 2004: Forbids US troops in Colombia from participating in any combat against rebels, except in cases of self-defense. Caps the number of US troops allowed in Colombia at 800.
Bush's signing statement: Only the president, as commander in chief, can place restrictions on the use of US armed forces, so the executive branch will construe the law ''as advisory in nature."
Dec. 17: The new national intelligence director shall recruit and train women and minorities to be spies, analysts, and translators in order to ensure diversity in the intelligence community.
Bush's signing statement: The executive branch shall construe the law in a manner consistent with a constitutional clause guaranteeing ''equal protection" for all. (In 2003, the Bush administration argued against race-conscious affirmative-action programs in a Supreme Court case. The court rejected Bush's view.)
Oct. 29: Defense Department personnel are prohibited from interfering with the ability of military lawyers to give independent legal advice to their commanders.
Bush's signing statement: All military attorneys are bound to follow legal conclusions reached by the administration's lawyers in the Justice Department and the Pentagon when giving advice to their commanders.
Aug. 5: The military cannot add to its files any illegally gathered intelligence, including information obtained about Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches.
Bush's signing statement: Only the president, as commander in chief, can tell the military whether or not it can use any specific piece of intelligence.
Nov. 6, 2003: US officials in Iraq cannot prevent an inspector general for the Coalition Provisional Authority from carrying out any investigation. The inspector general must tell Congress if officials refuse to cooperate with his inquiries.
Bush's signing statement: The inspector general ''shall refrain" from investigating anything involving sensitive plans, intelligence, national security, or anything already being investigated by the Pentagon. The inspector cannot tell Congress anything if the president decides that disclosing the information would impair foreign relations, national security, or executive branch operations.
Nov. 5, 2002: Creates an Institute of Education Sciences whose director may conduct and publish research ''without the approval of the secretary [of education] or any other office of the department."
Bush's signing statement: The president has the power to control the actions of all executive branch officials, so ''the director of the Institute of Education Sciences shall [be] subject to the supervision and direction of the secretary of education."
###
Hasn’t President Bush declared himself the sole judge of his own powers? Doesn’t this eliminate the checks and balances that keep our country a democracy? Isn’t this moving the country toward unlimited executive power?
Friday, April 07, 2006
Conservative Democrats
Conservative Democrats
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of politics is the existence of the conservative Democrat. The GOP has successfully portrayed the Democratic Party through the thoughts and actions of the more liberal members of the party. And in some instances the Democratic Party did little to challenge that notion. My purpose is to draw attention to moderate and conservative wing of the Party.
The election of 2006 will find the Democratic Party being sampled by more recent GOP and independent voters than in other recent election cycles. Those disenfranchised right-leaning voters must find some reason to vote democratic, other than the standard “throw the bums out” line that is tossed out so often.
*****
Right Democrat is “…the voice of Democrats who believe in social conservatism and economic populism. This site is dedicated to revitalizing the moderate-conservative wing of our party.”
Immigration is a “hot topic” on the site, and the current article quotes the late, great Barbara Jordan of Texas who chaired the Commission on Immigration Reform: “Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: Those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave." Their mantra on the subject is “the right is right on immigration reform.” The site goes on to say: "When George Bush and Howard Dean are on the same page, you know that someone powerful is running the political printing press. And that is: corporations.”
Another essay on the site focuses on Former South Carolina Senator Fritz Hollings’ thoughts on fair trade. Hollings retired from the Senate after a 38 year service record (see Parting Shots from Fritz Hollings.)
Right Democrat:
Hollings writes: "First, we need to stop financing the elimination of jobs. Tax benefits for offshore production must end. Royalty deductions allowed for offshore activities must be eliminated, and offshore tax havens must be closed down.
Next, we need an assistant attorney general to enforce our trade laws and agreements. Currently, enforcement is left to the injured party. It takes corporate America years to jump the legal hurdles. At the end, the president, under his authority for the nation’s security, cancels the court order against the trade violation.
Rather than waste time and money, corporate America moves offshore. Trade policy is set by a dozen departments and agencies. Policy should be reconstituted in a Department of Trade and Commerce with the secretary acting as a czar. Then trade treaties can be negotiated for the good of the U.S. economy, instead of for the good of the transnational. The department’s International Trade Administration, finding a dumping violation, should also determine the penalty.
The International Trade Commission should be eliminated. Custom agents charged with drug enforcement and homeland security are hard-pressed to stop trade transshipments. We need 1,000 more Customs agents.
We need more funding for research in physical and mathematical sciences and engineering; more funding for the Manufactures Extension Partnership Act and the Advanced Technology Program. The list of materials critical to our national defense should be enforced. H1-B Visas should be repealed, and the United States should give notice of withdrawal from the World Trade Organization."
Hollings goes on to blast the closed markets of Japan, South Korea and China. The Right Democrat is a “must-read” for any conservative – republican or democrat.
If we go back in history, many people point to 1964 as the time in which the conservative wing of the GOP became the dominant voice of that party, and the liberal wing becoming the dominant voice of the Democratic Party. I’m not sure that I agree totally, and in fact I believe it was a more gradual shift until 1980. Unlike some people, I find that Nixon was more of a progressive with his domestic policy than some people credit him for. And I believe Reagon became the galvanizing factor for this shift. We all have our opinions.
Another interesting subject for conservatives is the “Blue Dog Coalition,” a group of 35 moderate to conservative Democrats, including: Rep. Joe Baca (CA), Rep. John Barrow (GA), Rep. Marion Berry (AR), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA), Rep. Dan Boren (OK), Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA), Rep. Allen Boyd (FL), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (CA), Rep. Ed Case (HI), Rep. Ben Chandler (KY), Rep. Jim Cooper (TN), Rep. Jim Costa (CA), Rep. Robert E. “Bud” Cramer (AL), Rep. Lincoln Davis (TN), Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (TN), Rep. Jane Harman (CA), Rep. Stephanie Herseth (SD), Rep. Tim Holden (PA), Rep. Steve Israel (NY), Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC), Rep. Jim Matheson (UT), Rep. Charles Melancon (LA), Rep. Mike Michaud (ME), Rep. Dennis Moore (KS), Rep. Collin Peterson (MN), Rep. Earl Pomeroy (ND), Rep. Mike Ross (AR), Rep. John Salazar (CO), Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA), Rep. Adam Schiff (CA), Rep. David Scott (GA), Rep. John Tanner (TN), Rep. Ellen Tauscher (CA), Rep. Gene Taylor (MS), Rep Mike Thompson (CA).
Most Blue Dogs are strong supporters of gun rights and get high ratings from the National Rifle Association, many have pro-life voting records, and some get high ratings from immigration reduction groups, which cannot be said for most members of the DLC. On economic issues, Blue Dogs span the spectrum from fiscal conservatives to supporters of labor unions, protectionism, and other populist measures, while the DLC tends to favor free trade.
Following the brief rise and fall of Lyndon LaRouche inside the Democratic Party in the 1980’s, more conservative democrats entered the playing field, including Joe Lieberman, CO Governor Richard Lamm, and MN Senator Eugene McCarthy. Former California Governor Jerry Brown would embrace the “flat tax” as the core of his unsuccessful 1992 presidential compaign. Bill Clinton distanced himself from the liberal wing of the party in his 1992 presidential campaign.
Democrats for Life is a national organization for pro-life members of the Democratic party. Their mission, “to foster respect for life, from the beginning of life to natural death. This includes, but is not limited to, opposition to abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. Democrats for Life of America is one of over 200 member organizations of Consistent Life: an international network for peace, justice and life.”
The Democratic Freedom Caucus is a “progressive, pro-freedom caucus, which promotes the values which the Democratic Party was founded upon: individual liberty, constitutional democracy, and social responsibility.” They “support the Bill of Rights, which describes what is meant by individual liberty and constitutional limits on government.” It is a caucus within the Democratic Party which seeks to return the party to it’s Jerffersonian roots of individual liberty, constitutional democracy, civil liberties, and opposition to corporate welfare and special interests. The DFC has been especially vocal in supporting Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold.
The Pew Research Center estimates that 15% of the electorate are conservative democrats. The left-wing of the Democratic Party liberally applies the term “Democrats in Name Only” to the Blue Dogs, the DFC and DFL. But I would argie that the conservative democrats are actually the true heirs to FDR’s New Deal Coalition.
In closing I would like to point out another group within the Democratic Party that conservatives might feel comfortable, the Amendment 2 Democrats. From their site: “Today, Amendment II Democrats pledges itself to helping take back America from the Republican Party and giving it back to the people. We will settle for nothing less than a Democratic House and Senate in 2006. And, at the same time, there is a golden opportunity for pro-RKBA Democrats to dramatically change firearms policy within the Democratic Party itself from the ground up. All we have to do is join together, stand up on our hind legs, and exercise our First Amendment rights if we want any hope of affecting real change within the party of Jefferson, Kennedy, and F.D. Roosevelt.”
The Democratic Party is actually more of a Big Tent than many conservatives within the GOP have given it credit for. It was the GOP that painted the Democratic Party as liberal. It will be up to YOU to determine if that was accurate.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of politics is the existence of the conservative Democrat. The GOP has successfully portrayed the Democratic Party through the thoughts and actions of the more liberal members of the party. And in some instances the Democratic Party did little to challenge that notion. My purpose is to draw attention to moderate and conservative wing of the Party.
The election of 2006 will find the Democratic Party being sampled by more recent GOP and independent voters than in other recent election cycles. Those disenfranchised right-leaning voters must find some reason to vote democratic, other than the standard “throw the bums out” line that is tossed out so often.
*****
Right Democrat is “…the voice of Democrats who believe in social conservatism and economic populism. This site is dedicated to revitalizing the moderate-conservative wing of our party.”
Immigration is a “hot topic” on the site, and the current article quotes the late, great Barbara Jordan of Texas who chaired the Commission on Immigration Reform: “Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: Those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave." Their mantra on the subject is “the right is right on immigration reform.” The site goes on to say: "When George Bush and Howard Dean are on the same page, you know that someone powerful is running the political printing press. And that is: corporations.”
Another essay on the site focuses on Former South Carolina Senator Fritz Hollings’ thoughts on fair trade. Hollings retired from the Senate after a 38 year service record (see Parting Shots from Fritz Hollings.)
Right Democrat:
Hollings writes: "First, we need to stop financing the elimination of jobs. Tax benefits for offshore production must end. Royalty deductions allowed for offshore activities must be eliminated, and offshore tax havens must be closed down.
Next, we need an assistant attorney general to enforce our trade laws and agreements. Currently, enforcement is left to the injured party. It takes corporate America years to jump the legal hurdles. At the end, the president, under his authority for the nation’s security, cancels the court order against the trade violation.
Rather than waste time and money, corporate America moves offshore. Trade policy is set by a dozen departments and agencies. Policy should be reconstituted in a Department of Trade and Commerce with the secretary acting as a czar. Then trade treaties can be negotiated for the good of the U.S. economy, instead of for the good of the transnational. The department’s International Trade Administration, finding a dumping violation, should also determine the penalty.
The International Trade Commission should be eliminated. Custom agents charged with drug enforcement and homeland security are hard-pressed to stop trade transshipments. We need 1,000 more Customs agents.
We need more funding for research in physical and mathematical sciences and engineering; more funding for the Manufactures Extension Partnership Act and the Advanced Technology Program. The list of materials critical to our national defense should be enforced. H1-B Visas should be repealed, and the United States should give notice of withdrawal from the World Trade Organization."
Hollings goes on to blast the closed markets of Japan, South Korea and China. The Right Democrat is a “must-read” for any conservative – republican or democrat.
If we go back in history, many people point to 1964 as the time in which the conservative wing of the GOP became the dominant voice of that party, and the liberal wing becoming the dominant voice of the Democratic Party. I’m not sure that I agree totally, and in fact I believe it was a more gradual shift until 1980. Unlike some people, I find that Nixon was more of a progressive with his domestic policy than some people credit him for. And I believe Reagon became the galvanizing factor for this shift. We all have our opinions.
Another interesting subject for conservatives is the “Blue Dog Coalition,” a group of 35 moderate to conservative Democrats, including: Rep. Joe Baca (CA), Rep. John Barrow (GA), Rep. Marion Berry (AR), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA), Rep. Dan Boren (OK), Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA), Rep. Allen Boyd (FL), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (CA), Rep. Ed Case (HI), Rep. Ben Chandler (KY), Rep. Jim Cooper (TN), Rep. Jim Costa (CA), Rep. Robert E. “Bud” Cramer (AL), Rep. Lincoln Davis (TN), Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (TN), Rep. Jane Harman (CA), Rep. Stephanie Herseth (SD), Rep. Tim Holden (PA), Rep. Steve Israel (NY), Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC), Rep. Jim Matheson (UT), Rep. Charles Melancon (LA), Rep. Mike Michaud (ME), Rep. Dennis Moore (KS), Rep. Collin Peterson (MN), Rep. Earl Pomeroy (ND), Rep. Mike Ross (AR), Rep. John Salazar (CO), Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA), Rep. Adam Schiff (CA), Rep. David Scott (GA), Rep. John Tanner (TN), Rep. Ellen Tauscher (CA), Rep. Gene Taylor (MS), Rep Mike Thompson (CA).
Most Blue Dogs are strong supporters of gun rights and get high ratings from the National Rifle Association, many have pro-life voting records, and some get high ratings from immigration reduction groups, which cannot be said for most members of the DLC. On economic issues, Blue Dogs span the spectrum from fiscal conservatives to supporters of labor unions, protectionism, and other populist measures, while the DLC tends to favor free trade.
Following the brief rise and fall of Lyndon LaRouche inside the Democratic Party in the 1980’s, more conservative democrats entered the playing field, including Joe Lieberman, CO Governor Richard Lamm, and MN Senator Eugene McCarthy. Former California Governor Jerry Brown would embrace the “flat tax” as the core of his unsuccessful 1992 presidential compaign. Bill Clinton distanced himself from the liberal wing of the party in his 1992 presidential campaign.
Democrats for Life is a national organization for pro-life members of the Democratic party. Their mission, “to foster respect for life, from the beginning of life to natural death. This includes, but is not limited to, opposition to abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. Democrats for Life of America is one of over 200 member organizations of Consistent Life: an international network for peace, justice and life.”
The Democratic Freedom Caucus is a “progressive, pro-freedom caucus, which promotes the values which the Democratic Party was founded upon: individual liberty, constitutional democracy, and social responsibility.” They “support the Bill of Rights, which describes what is meant by individual liberty and constitutional limits on government.” It is a caucus within the Democratic Party which seeks to return the party to it’s Jerffersonian roots of individual liberty, constitutional democracy, civil liberties, and opposition to corporate welfare and special interests. The DFC has been especially vocal in supporting Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold.
The Pew Research Center estimates that 15% of the electorate are conservative democrats. The left-wing of the Democratic Party liberally applies the term “Democrats in Name Only” to the Blue Dogs, the DFC and DFL. But I would argie that the conservative democrats are actually the true heirs to FDR’s New Deal Coalition.
In closing I would like to point out another group within the Democratic Party that conservatives might feel comfortable, the Amendment 2 Democrats. From their site: “Today, Amendment II Democrats pledges itself to helping take back America from the Republican Party and giving it back to the people. We will settle for nothing less than a Democratic House and Senate in 2006. And, at the same time, there is a golden opportunity for pro-RKBA Democrats to dramatically change firearms policy within the Democratic Party itself from the ground up. All we have to do is join together, stand up on our hind legs, and exercise our First Amendment rights if we want any hope of affecting real change within the party of Jefferson, Kennedy, and F.D. Roosevelt.”
The Democratic Party is actually more of a Big Tent than many conservatives within the GOP have given it credit for. It was the GOP that painted the Democratic Party as liberal. It will be up to YOU to determine if that was accurate.
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