January 30, 2012 at 10:55PM

OOPS: Romney ‘Proves’ Gingrich Supported ObamaCare With Three Quotes He Also Said http://t.co/lfb9tg8 http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/164225218519375872

January 30, 2012 at 08:41PM

Americans don’t know much about Romneycare — except that it’s very similar to Obamacare http://t.co/BcseO9I the ACA has more cost-cutting. http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/164191432826036226

January 30, 2012 at 12:47PM

RT @jdickerson: Late endorsing politicians of losing candidates should avoid deck chairs on the Titanic metaphors. http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/164072199819505664

January 30, 2012 at 12:33AM

http://t.co/M53sRJ4 http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163887584341266432

January 28, 2012 at 08:03AM

http://t.co/KlIPfxd http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163276120639279105

January 28, 2012 at 08:01AM

RT @NewYorker: Daily Comment: What government debt did for Romney at Bain: http://t.co/Y16thPzs http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163275462771097600

January 28, 2012 at 07:53AM

RT @TwistedSifter: Picture of the Day: Graffiti by the 1% http://t.co/d7dp8mVH http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163273602060398592

January 28, 2012 at 07:48AM

http://t.co/F2Z6EGR http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163272278400958464

January 28, 2012 at 12:48AM

http://t.co/DehT3KS http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163166482849742848

January 28, 2012 at 12:03AM

http://t.co/ZK8RMm1 http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163155210775171074

January 27, 2012 at 11:59PM

Romney’s ‘Blind Trust’ Was Not Very Blind http://t.co/CQIuATM http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163154270160560128

January 27, 2012 at 11:48PM

http://t.co/YW18wr9 http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163151412891623424

January 27, 2012 at 11:37PM

EBay Official: Company Won’t Move Jobs To Utah If It Doesn’t Pass LGBT Employment Protections http://t.co/2WqHeCw http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163148680172552192

January 27, 2012 at 11:33PM

http://t.co/0WYCcOl http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163147590060343296

Echoes

When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies - to be met not with cooperation but with conquest, to be subjugated and mastered.
Robert F. Kennedy, Cleveland, Ohio, April 5, 1968.

I just finished watching a documentary on RFK's funeral train and I heard this quote. Sadly, Bobby's speech seems as true in 2012 as is was in 1968.

I know I have not written here in ages and the habit has died out. But the spirit and the need have not. Do not think that I have not missed writing my thoughts to you or hearing your comments and responses. Know only that the luxurious fleeting moments of time have been spent with family and friends. Still, I regret my neglect of my online friends and the community of minds that can connect over the Internet through an idea. Like wiretapping and torture are wrong and make us less safe, that our time, treasure, lives, and international regard were needlessly squandered in the sands of Iraq. And yet we as a people need to attempt to see the world through someone else's eyes, and not immediately separate and demonize those who disagree with us.

My hope now is that these thoughts will no longer have to echo through time so that the lessons will not have to be relearned generation by generation.

January 27, 2012 at 09:18PM

http://t.co/fuO02ef http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163113658740781057

January 27, 2012 at 09:12PM

S.L. Co. Councilman Randy Horiuchi suffers stroke http://t.co/pDatagN http://twitter.com/thethirdavenue/status/163112152276811776

Clearly Obama did not think the government would be operating today. The Lincoln Memorial visit was supposed to be a backdrop for a speech about the government shutdown. Instead, it was more Beltway mythology about bipartisanship. Democrats are still demoralized and need Obama to pick a fight, not pick up GOP talking points. The about cut matters to those programs and people effected by it, but have nothing to do with the budget deficit.

For some reason, I find it hard to get worked up over the looming shut down of the federal government. Congressional Dems can't negotiate their way out a paper bag, GOPers only care about hurting things Dems care about and tax cuts, but do not care about the Deficit. And Obama cares about reelection.

the undo something congress

Harry Truman famously labeled the 80th (1947-49) Congress the Do Nothing Congress, while the 110th (2009-2011) Congress has been called the Do Something Congress due to the Democratic Majority's penchant for passing lots of big legislation during their brief period of having 60% in both chambers.

So far, the 111th Congress is hoping to be what I call the Undo Something Congress. Their goal is not to pass anything substantive, but to repeal the reform legislation of the prior Congress, starting with Health Care Reform. Also in the cue is College Aid Reform, Wall Street Reform, and undoing Obama Administration regulations regarding the environment. I am pretty clear what Republicans are against, namely every big accomplishment of the Do Something Congress, but I really have no idea what they are for other than reducing government spending. The reductions they want, however, are not about making the government smaller, but about cutting programs Democrats favor, either because they believe in the merits of the program or because it helps their district/state/reelection.

Maybe it should be called the Undo Something That Democrats Like Congress instead. But that would not be as catchy. And Washington DC is all about appearances and soundbites, not substance and reality.