congress
Can Conservatives and Moderates get along? Could a Liberal be friends with a Republican? Is inter-political party love possible? Of course- these things happen every day. But if relationships are built on common values, how is this possible? Many Congressmen and Congresswomen believe Democrats and Republicans have different values, and that these values are an impassable gulf between us. However, the intractable divisions between the parties, from gun control to budget cuts, are all political, not value-based.
Except for sociopaths, all of us want our country to prosper and be safe. We want to see ourselves reflected in the leaders that represent us. Americans want to feel heard. How we achieve these aims is where we diverge. This is where politics steps in. Read more
Even the recent heinous acts of gun violence aren't budge the US Senate, which is too scared to tackle a restoration of the assault weapons ban.
Superstorm Sandy, the series of climate crises & the hottest seasons on record can't budge the climate change deniers in both Houses into any action on carbon reduction.
Despite an election that rejected him, nothing will budge Paul Ryan from a Tea Party budget plan that slashes popular, essential programs.
It's one thing to say Congress can't budget. But when it comes to Congress, nothing -- not common sense, popular sentiment or urgent necessity -- can budge it.
Congress: can't budget. Can't budge it.
If you need a drink to lift your spirits, or some comrades to share spirited talk, join your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY Find - or start - a chapter near you.
Because Congress created a Doomsday device that it was unable or unwilling to confront, we're now stuck with the sequester & it's senseless, severe service cuts.
Because conservatives remain in the grip of the dystopian paranoia at the NRA, commonsense gun laws finally introduced
already face a steep uphill climb.
Because Democrats were too timid to stand up to their own Prez over illegal drone strikes, it took the bane of liberals, Rand Paul, to raise the issue through a filibuster.
When a man droning about drones is the most functional, uplifting act in the Capitol, we might as well cheer a filibuster -- because otherwise we're feeling busted.
Lift your spirits, your voices & libations and fill-a-pitcher instead of filibuster at your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY Find - or start - a chapter near you.
Admittedly, I’ve slowed down on my consumption of news since I was hired to direct a nonprofit in January. At first, I tried to keep up with current affairs, pretending I had as much energy for it as I did when I was underemployed. But my patience and energy are waning. I feel a growing disgust with the new sequester drama, and it wearies me to watch it. If I don’t do my job, I get sanctioned or dismissed. When Congress doesn’t do its job, it gets a nice paycheck and ample vacation time. That is bullshit! I stopped watching.
A diversion! I needed a diversion from the real House of Representatives, and so I feverishly picked off the episodes of the fictitious one on Netflix’s superb series “House of Cards.” Give me Francis Underwood’s felonious antics over Rep. Boehner’s embarrassing fumbles any day. The writers of this series prove that sometimes real life doesn’t hold a candle to fantasy. Read more
We could have political leaders who seek to create the prosperous economy of tomorrow. Instead Congress avoids responsibility and follows the path of yesterday's bad choices.
Elected officials could make it their quest to inspire confidence in all Americans. Yet now they make Americans question
what our representatives are representing.
They could strive, champion and lead, but they hide, chicken out and flee from a self-created crisis with a silly name
that was a silly solution to another mock-crisis.
Their choices: calm crises, or create them? Ambitious inspiration or anxious perspiration? They can seek or quest...or sequester?
I guess the seekers and questers weren't available.
Come seek some solace in liberal company as we sequester ourselves for political conversation, sharing what we think while sharing what we drink at your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY Find - or start - a chapter near you.
After years of attacks by unmanned drones -- a practice that has seeded fear & enmity -- it takes a confirmation hearing for the Senate
to finally question the White House about it.
After years of increasing tension & confusion for non-documented workers in the US,
a group of GOP lawmakers finally speak for reform, but maybe not as loudly as those who oppose it.
After debt ceiling struggles, Super Committee foibles and Grand Bargain scuttles created sequestration, Congress is now talking about avoiding the crisis
of severe cuts that they themselves created.
They act like a bunch of unmanned crafts -- maybe it's a Congress made up of drones.
Even when they are poor at legislating, they still prove pretty adept at droning...
Instead of droning, join for discussion, and choose a drink instead of drone
as you share a night with like-minded lefties at your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY Find - or start - a chapter near you.
The fiscal cliff was an artificial problem caused by a Congress punting an issue and settled by Congress punting an issue.
When President Obama caved last time, he swore it would truly be the last time, a resolution he re-resolved this time, which will last until he caves next time.
The Republicans show serious resolve to refuse to seriously solve anything. The Democrats are only resolute in their commitment never to be too resolute.
We're kicking off a new year, but Washington can't kick old habits. We need a New Year's resolution to see this year new real solutions…or hey, we'll say we want a revolution.
Our revolution begins at happy hour so make your resolution to raise a glass at your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - chapter near you.
I spend a fair amount of time on the Twitter micropublishing service, sharing links & ideas – to follow along, just click “subscribe” in the left-hand sidebar: Read more
A year ago, my ex-husband and I sat down to negotiate the end of our marriage. Using standard forms downloaded from the state website, we planned the termination of a twelve year marriage- including custody of two young children, distribution of assets, and division of debts. No one was happy with the agreement, but truthfully, it has worked fairly well so far. The secret of the successful compromise is we understood there would be pain and sacrifice for everyone, but ultimately if we worked together we could find a way to make it tolerable.
Everyday people have to make life-altering decisions all the time- my ex and I did. It’s time for our government to figure out how to communicate at least as well as a divorcing couple.
Congress and President Obama find themselves in need of similar skills of negotiation this week, as they work to end a budget dispute that has dogged the country for years. To avoid falling off a fiscal cliff, our government must work within itself, like a family, to find a way for everyone to get what they really need, and be willing to give up that which they don’t for the greater good. Read more
We supporters of Barack Obama just won a major election and we are all feeling confident. We should, Obama definitely won a mandate when it comes to raising taxes on the rich, along with passing a comprehensive immigration policy. Then we managed to hold our majority in the Senate and we added two seats, with two Independents caucusing with the Democrats.
However, let us not get too comfortable because 2014 is just around the corner, as far as elections go. Some Republicans from the far right are not going to give up. Some even believe that this last election had to be fixed in some way, and that we Democrats were the ones who suppressed voters, not they.
Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate who lost the election to Barack Obama by a clear margin, discounts his loss in the election, to the president giving gifts to certain minorities. Read more
The day that the United States Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, I was expecting the worse and the end of hope for millions like me. After seeing the conservatively controlled court delivered several rulings that reflected what I believed was their partisanship, I expected the justices to throw the health care bill out on a 5-4 ruling.
So I was very happy to see Chief Justice John Roberts come out of the conservative fold and show that he was more than just a partisan player but someone who saw the need that was spread out over America; families hanging on the edge because of a health care crisis, along with the financial devastation it caused in its wake. Read more
