Rachel Maddow again doing yeoman's work with reporting on the hypocrisy of the Republicans and their lies on the use of reconciliation to get the health care bill passed. If you haven't checked it out yet, Rachel has a new blog and here is more on this segment from her entry today -- Online items cited on The Rachel Maddow show 3/3:

Orrin Hatch honored to be called a liar by Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow (April 4, 2007) An Open Letter to Senator Hatch [Updated]

Republican OMG Code Red!!

Republicans cast doubts on Senate parliamentarian

Read on...

Sen. Sherrod Brown weighed in on why he thinks the Republicans are pushing so hard not to get anything passed and if he has any idea what they will do to keep the bill from passing. He said they're ready to keep them up all night if they try to add too many amendments. If that's true I say what took them so long? They should have been doing that before the tea baggers were taking over the town halls. I'm not wild about this bill but at this point I don't see how it is good for Democrats to not pass it. They get the worst of both worlds if it fails. They live with what the voters think of it after they see how it actually affects their own lives if they do. If they're not happy about it then it will be based on some facts and not Republican fear mongering and spin.

We all wondered what had happened to him, particularly since he did not come forward even for his own baby, Blogroll Amnesty Day.

Jon Swift passed away on February 27. His mom left this comment at the last post to his blog:

I don't know how else to tell you all who love this blog. I am Jon Swift's Mom and I guess I'm going to OUT him. He was Al Weisel, my beloved son. Al was on his way to his father's funeral in VA when he suffered 2 aortic aneurysms, a leaky aortic valve and an aortic artery dissection from his heart to his pelvis. He had 3 major surgeries within 24 hours and sometime during those surgeries also suffered a severe stroke. We, his 2 sisters, his brother, his partner and his best friend since he was 9 years old were with him as he took his last breath. We have all lost a shining start who warmed our hearts, tormented us and made us laugh as he giggled at our pulling something over on us. He passed away on February 27, 2010. My beloved child will live on in so many hearts. I miss him more than I can say. If you are on Facebook, go to organizations and join "Friends of Al Weisel, Unite!" It will give you just a taste of how special he was. Farewell, Jon (Al)

3/02/2010 8:14 AM
Jon Swift was already terribly missed because he stopped blogging abruptly last March. He was not only a very talented blogger, he was a true blog citizen. He linked to all of us, cared passionately about the community of small bloggers, and was one of the best at giving the ones and zeros in which we bloggers interact some heart and soul. And he was very funny.

Love to his family and may he rest in peace.

One of my favorite YouTube channels is the amazing collection of 50's rock and rockabilly at HepKat59. This one is from 1957.

This weeks installment of the Newstalgia Mid-Week Concert features a live broadcast by The Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra conducted by Franz-Paul Decker with legendary Spanish Pianist Alicia de Larrocha playing Mozart.

What are you bebopping to tonight? Music thread open to all.

This just cheered me up. Some youthful activists are sitting in at Tom Coburn's office until he allows the Uganda Recovery Act to pass the Senate. (Boy, the Senate really is the place where good ideas go to die - or get obstructed.) Go sign the petition, donate money for coffee, and cheer these guys on!

The momentum is building and more people just keep coming to join dozens of activists refusing to leave Senator Tom Coburn's office in Oklahoma City until he allows the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act to pass the Senate. Click here to help from wherever you are.

Here's the low-down: After impassioned lobbying from tens of thousands of activists, historic legislation aimed at ending Africa’s longest-running war is on the verge of passing the Senate unanimously. In fact, the bill has more bipartisan support in Congress than any bill focused on sub-Saharan Africa in American history. But Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, nicknamed “Dr. No”, is single-handedly blocking this landmark legislation because the bill authorizes new funds to assist victims of the violence (you can read more about why in the Campaign FAQ).

As Senator Coburn prevents this bill from passing, the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is terrorizing communities across three countries in central Africa. In the past two months alone, Joseph Kony's rebel army has massacred hundreds of people and abducted hundreds more, including children who are forced to become soldiers.

That's why we are holding the Oklahoma Hold Out, and we're not going home until Senator Coburn agrees to a compromise.

The most committed activists - who know that Senator Coburn's obstructionism is preventing the action needed to end this senseless violence - are "holding out" outside Senator Coburn's office in downtown Oklahoma City until the Senator allows the bill to pass.

People are driving and flying from all corners of the country to join in person.

We invite you to join as well, or if you can't join them in person, we need your support from right where you are.

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Alan Grayson and Michele Bachmann faced off on Larry King Live and no fireworks, but Alan Grayson did do a nice job of beating back Michele Bachmann's lies during the segment.

Laffy did a live blog which summed it up pretty well. Lie, wash, rinse, repeat, distract and we're going to see this bill pass. I think Bachmann kept herself in check more than she would have had Grayson not been there. She didn't come back at him other than on the accusation of trading judgeships for votes, which frankly I've not heard anything about until watching this interview. I would imagine we'll be hearing more on that before long if there's any truth to it. Coming from the likes of Bachmann I'll take it with a grain of salt for now.

Transcript via CNN.

KING: Joining us in Washington, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota. She is campaigning and championing what's billed as the Declaration of Health Care Independence.

And Representative Alan Grayson, Democrat of Florida. Last fall in a speech on the House floor he said that the Republican health care plan is don't get sick, but if you do, die quickly. All right, Congresswoman Bachmann, what's wrong -- since it's happened so many other times -- with an up and down -- up or down vote?

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN: An up or down vote is a good thing, Larry.

It's just how many votes will it take?

Will it take 60 votes or will it take 50 votes?

And that's what--

KING: But what's wrong with majority rules?

BACHMANN: Well, because that's not how the Senate works. The Senate works with 60 votes. And now, what the president is promoting is a nuclear option, which is 50 votes. So we should have an up or down vote--

KING: But it used--

BACHMANN: But it--

KING: It used that -- but it used a -- it used that majority rules on the Bush -- Bush tax cuts. It was 51 votes.

BACHMANN: Well, the House uses straight majority rule. The Senate doesn't.

So what this would mean, Larry, is that the Senate has to break their own rules in order to pass the bill.

KING: And that's wrong?

BACHMANN: Oh, I think so. Sure.

KING: OK.

And Congressman Grayson, why do you think they should break this rule, which they have done in a few times in the past?

REP. ALAN GRAYSON: My esteemed colleague from Minnesota is entirely wrong. There's nothing in Senate rules that prevents reconciliation. It's been used 22 times overall and 14 times by Republicans. If it's good enough for tax cuts for the rich twice under Bush, it's good enough to provide health care for all Americans.

Continue reading »

From The Colbert Report March 2, 2010:

A new credit website teaches kids how to spend money they don't have on things that don't exist.

We've remarked before on the lack of civility in today's society. Part of it, I suspect, is as it's always been (According to Plato, Socrates famously complained about the disrespect of the youth of his time and warned against the growing indolence of society). Part of it is the ease of anonymity of the internet age allowing you to express your basest self without fear of being known. But we have also become a society where facts matter less than emotion, where self-righteousness and demonization triumphs debate and understanding and too many people assume that you exercising your freedoms mean less for them. It all adds up to a society for which kindness is the least appreciated virtue.

Curiously, according to a recent study, that's actually going against our most successful instincts:

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive.

In contrast to "every man for himself" interpretations of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist and author of "Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life," and his fellow social scientists are building the case that humans are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits.

They call it "survival of the kindest."[..]

While studies show that bonding and making social connections can make for a healthier, more meaningful life, the larger question some UC Berkeley researchers are asking is, "How do these traits ensure our survival and raise our status among our peers?"

One answer, according to UC Berkeley social psychologist and sociologist Robb Willer is that the more generous we are, the more respect and influence we wield. In one recent study, Willer and his team gave participants each a modest amount of cash and directed them to play games of varying complexity that would benefit the "public good." The results, published in the journal American Sociological Review, showed that participants who acted more generously received more gifts, respect and cooperation from their peers and wielded more influence over them.

"The findings suggest that anyone who acts only in his or her narrow self-interest will be shunned, disrespected, even hated," Willer said. "But those who behave generously with others are held in high esteem by their peers and thus rise in status."

I want so deeply in my heart for this to be true...I would love to see us champion the generous over the self-interested more. Think how few Republicans would be celebrated. :)

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(Alicia de Larrocha - Grande Dame of the Keyboard)

From a concert relayed by Radio France, a performance by the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra conducted by Franz-Paul Decker and featuring one of the last concerts given by the legendary Spanish pianist Alicia de Larrocha with that orchestra, recorded in Barcelona on January 25, 2003.

This part of the concert (it was originally 2 hours long) starts with the Symphonic Serenade op. 39 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and ends with the Mozart Piano Concerto Nr. 23. Here is the rundown from French Radio, including the two pieces time won't permit including (sorry all you Strauss fans!). The announcements are in French.

Concert donné le 25 janvier 2003 en l'Auditori de Barcelona

Salvador Pueyo (1935-)

Morta fiamma

Erich-Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)

Sérénade symphonique en Si bémol Majeur Op.39

Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

Danse, Ext. de l’œuvre Salomé Op.54

Wolfgang-Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Concerto N°23 en la Majeur K.488

Alicia de Larrocha, Piano

Orchestre Symphonique de Barcelone et National de Catalogne

Franz-Paul Decker, Direction

Enjoy!

The Senate Republicans are like willful children: "You can't make me!" They obstruct, for obstruction's sake and here's a perfect example from Right Wing Watch:

If you need any more proof that Senate Republicans' sole mission at the moment is to prevent anything from happening in their chamber of Congress, look no further than the fact that today the Senate had to seek cloture on the nomination Barbara Milano Keenan to fill a vacancy on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, resulting in a vote of 99-0.

That's right - not one Republican senator spoke against her qualifications, record, or views or voted to prevent her nomination from receiving an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor ... and yet still they filibustered, forcing Democrats to seek a cloture vote in order to move ahead, simply because they are committed to obstructing the governing process in every way possible.

Earlier today, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy took to the Senate floor to blast the Republicans' refusal to allow the Senate to move on even noncontroversial judicial nominations:

Last year’s total was the fewest judicial nominees confirmed in the first year of a Presidency in more than 50 years. Those 12 Federal circuit and district court confirmations were even below the 17 the Senate Republican majority allowed to be confirmed in the 1996 session. After that presidential election year, Chief Justice Rehnquist began criticizing the pace of judicial confirmations and the partisan Republican tactics.

Among the frustrations is that Senate Republicans have delayed and obstructed nominees chosen after consultation with Republican home state Senators. Despite President Obama’s efforts, Senate Republicans have treated his nominees much, much worse.

I noted when the Senate considered the nominations of Judge Christina Reiss of Vermont and Mr. Abdul Kallon of Alabama relatively promptly that they should serve as the model for Senate action. Sadly, they are the exception rather than the model. They show what the Senate could do, but does not. Time and again, noncontroversial nominees are delayed. When the Senate does finally consider them, they are confirmed overwhelmingly. Of the 15 Federal circuit and district court judges confirmed, twelve have been confirmed unanimously.

That is right. Republicans have only voted against three of President Obama's nominees to the Federal circuit and district courts. One of those, Judge Gerry Lynch of the Second Circuit, garnered only three negative votes and 94 votes in favor. Judge Andre Davis of Maryland was stalled for months and then confirmed with 72 votes in favor and only 16 against. Judge David Hamilton was filibustered in a failed effort to prevent an up-or-down vote.

The obstruction and delay is part of a partisan pattern. Even when they cannot say “no,” Republicans nonetheless demand that the Senate go slow. The practice is continuing. This is the 17th filibuster of President Obama's nominees. That does not count the many other nominees who were delayed or are being denied up-or-down votes by Senate Republicans refusing to agree to time agreements to consider even noncontroversial nominees.

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("The voodoo you do so well")

When President Reagan spoke about the economy, most people were mystified. He was the one who stressed the "trickle down theory", the cuts in domestic spending, the increases in Military spending, the gutting of programs. What it managed to do was create a bigger gap between the poor and the wealthy, while fracturing the ever-shrinking middle class. All of this rose doubts, even within the ranks of the GOP, as White House advisers put spin in every way possible, hoping no one would look too closely at what would be disastrous long-term remedies to short term problems.

On September 24, 1981 President Reagan went before the public to outline his latest set of plans. The results were met with skepticism as is evidenced by this post-address round table, part of the September 24th edition of Nightline with Ted Koppel. It featured Murray Weidenbaum, a Reagan Economic adviser. Harold Brown, former Defense Secretary. Senator Paul Tsongas (D-Mass) and Congressman Toby Moffett (D-Conn).

Congressman Toby Moffatt: “ Well, this is part of what George Bush called ‘Voodoo Economics’, and I think if the President wants to really do something, what he ought to do is stop embracing these economic assumptions that don’t make any sense. He wanted tight money, he has tight money. We have 20% interest rates, small businesses are caving. The cuts are going to fall very heavily on the poorest of our people. He’s a charming fellow with what turns out to be a cruel program, and what he should do is back off on these tax cuts, defer them, until we have a balanced budget in our sights, and really cut back on what is the most massive defense increase in history. It’s not a Defense cut.”

I think it would be safe to say that much of what went on with the economy during the Reagan Years has had an effect on our current economic situation. Those "fixes" that were presented by The Great Communicator did not work. And to think they could work again is to live in a fool's paradise.

But then . . .so many still do.