5-7pm, Thursday, April 30

Green For All is a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Founder and former CEO Van Jones, who raised Green For All to national prominence, has joined the Obama White House as Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the Council on Environmental Quality.  

Green For All’s new CEO is Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, who Jones calls "one of the nation's most brilliant, inspirational and creative problem solvers for working families." Previously, Ellis-Lamkins led the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and Working Partnerships USA

Defeating Bush and soundly adding to leads in the Senate and House has derailed many truly horrible Republican policies but it has not stopped the Republican’s ability to be ridiculous.

While many of us political junkies were astounded at the level of incompetence and outright criminality that existed in the Bush Administration I think it took the Obama victories to validate many less involved people’s beliefs that the Republicans were horribly wrong.  If you look at the polling data that is out there by region the disapproval with the Republican brand in anywhere but the South is devastating.  In case you haven’t seen it here are the results from a Research 2000 poll done this month.

President Obama:                                                     Democratic Party:

Northeast: 88% favorable, 11% unfavorable              Northeast: 66% favorable, 23% unfavorable
Midwest: 73% favorable, 24% unfavorable               Midwest: 52% favorable, 39% unfavorable
West: 76% favorable, 22% unfavorable                     West: 54% favorable, 38% unfavorable
South: 41% favorable, 54% unfavorable                    South: 31% favorable, 61% unfavorable

Northeast: 8% favorable, 82% unfavorable
Midwest: 22% favorable, 68% unfavorable
West: 20% favorable, 70% unfavorable
South: 43% favorable, 47% unfavorable

Given these numbers and where the Bush Economic Team has led the county the idea of doubling down on those tired Republican golden oldies of tax cuts being able to solve every domestic problem, everyone pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, and proposing non specific spending cuts during the worst recession since the Depression seems crazy.  But if you came to power paying homage to Grover Norquuist, The Club for Growth, any of a number of extremist Evangelical preachers  and  supported Bush to the hilt for eight years apparently you think the best thing to do is double down. 

While the reaction from the many different factions within the Republican Party leadership has been somewhat fractured it’s consistent in its lack of moderation and detachment from reality.  I’d been noticing more and more illogical and wholly unsupported arguments from the Right’s mouth pieces on cable news and was waiting to see where it went.  I think that between the reactions to the DHS report, the  Tea Parties, and the reaction to Obama’s travels I have my answer.  I believe the various Republican strategies are built around a belief that Perception Trumps Reality.  With this in mind below please find what not far right wing bloggers or talk show hosts are saying but elected Republican legislatures.

McCarthy wannabe Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) has put the number of socialists in the House at 17.  "Some of the men and women I work with in Congress are socialists," Bachus told local government leaders on April 9th, according to the Birmingham News.  Bachus gave the specific number of House socialists when pressed later by a reporter.  Self described democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Ver) has said he’s looking forward to meeting the 17 and has urged Bachus to release their names

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn) introduced legislation in March that would “bar the dollar from being replaced by any foreign currency." She issued a press release to go along with the legislation "demanding" that President Obama categorically rule out "abandoning" the U.S. dollar "for a multi-national currency." The issue that seems to have set Rep. Bachmann off was China’s suggestion that perhaps other countries should consider creating a reserve currency that was not the dollar.  Given that the real policy discussion here is about foreign countries creating a different foreign reserve currency, Greg Sargent asked Bachmann's press office whether Congress has the authority to legislate the financial decisions of foreign countries.  "She's talking about the United States," Bachmann's spokesperson said. "This legislation would ensure that the U.S. dollar remain the currency of the United States."  (What a relief that someone is doing something. ;-)

State Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)  told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday that Gov. Pat Quinn's (D) plan to raise taxes would be unacceptable. "I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree," Kirk said.  When reporters gave called to follow up on Rep. Kirk’s comments he did not retract his comment but is standing by them reiterating that Illinois residents "are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes" as much as Gov. Pat Quinn is proposing.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is so patriotic, that when his anti government rhetoric led the crowd he was speaking to at the Houston “tea party” to start changing “Secede! Secede!” he stated that secession might be the outcome if Washington does not mend its "oppressive" high-spending, dictatorial ways.  After the speech when asked about his comments Perry said "There's a lot of different scenarios.  We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot."  A couple of other Gov. Perry quotes to the crowd were "I'm just not real sure you're a bunch of right-wing extremists. But if you are, we're with you" and "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression," (quoting Sam Houston).  Since then, taking it a step further, Gov. Perry has gone on to say that he believes he could be at the center of a national movement that is coordinated and focused in its opposition to the actions of the federal government.  "It's a very organic thing," he said. "It is a very powerful moment, I think, in American history."  To add to the crazy members of the Georgia Senate, the South Dakota House, and both chambers of the Oklahoma legislature have also unveiled non-binding resolutions on the nullification of the U.S. Constitution.  (Republicans claim they’re the true patriots right?) 

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla) said that the Obama Administration will try "all sorts of things" to chip away at the individual right to own a gun, warning of gun control policies aimed at "disarming us."  Speaking at a town hall meeting in Cushing, Oklahoma, Coburn warned that Attorney General Eric Holder "doesn't believe in the second amendment" and "doesn't even know what an assault weapon is."  "He doesn't believe in our right to own and hold a gun," Coburn said of Holder, whose nomination he vigorously opposed. "He doesn't believe the Second Amendment means it's a right for me to have a gun to protect myself."  Coburn added, "I'm very worried about the Second Amendment, in terms of this administration,".  And all of this less than two weeks after Richard Poplawski gunned down three police officers in part because he feared the non-existent “Obama gun ban.”

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev) told CNN Sunday it was "irresponsible" for President Obama to been seen "laughing and joking" with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the Summit of the Americas on Friday.  "This is a person who is one of the most anti-American leaders in the entire world," Ensign told CNN's John King on State of The Union. "He is a brutal dictator and human rights violations are very, very prevalent in Venezuela. And you have to be careful."  "When you're talking about the prestige of the United States and the presidency of the United States, you have to be careful who you're seen joking around with".

Now for the non elected crazys…

RNC Chairman Michael Steele felt the need to go on the Sean Hannity show this week to make his voice heard about the Department of Homeland Security’s report of potentially dangerous right-wing radicals suggesting that President Obama is a threat to national security.  Steele went on to say that he was “sure” a recent anti-abortion event in Indiana was under federal surveillance.  "They've got their eye on the 3,000 Americans who assembled in Indiana last night, in Evansville, Indiana, to profess their continued effort to save the life of the unborn," Steele said, adding, "I'm sure there was somebody in the room with a notepad and a camera taking snapshots and writing down names."

TV preacher Pat Robertson in speaking about the DHS report on potentially dangerous right-wing groups was quoted as saying…"It shows somebody down in the bowels of that organization is either a convinced left winger or somebody whose sexual orientation is somewhat in question. But it's that kind of thing, somebody who doesn't think that we should have abortion on demand, is labeled a terrorist! It's outrageous!"

Colonel Ralph Peters, frequent Fox News contributor and New York Post columnist, was my favorite crazy regarding Obama and Hugo Chavez.  My favorite lines were “Good God Obama is already starting to make Jimmy Carter look like a victim of raging testosterone” and “...by talking to Hugo Chavez and embracing him, fist bumping, and making lovey dovey in the hotel.  God knows what went on behind closed doors.”  Media Matters has strung together a series of the more insane Fox News clips regarding Obama and Chavez.  Col. Peters comments are at 9.5 minutes in.  http://mediamatters.org/items/200904200036?f=s_search

The report can be found at www.centerforregulatoryreform.org.

I would also recommend Demos.org ’s recently issued Financial Regulation After the Fall which is available at www.demos.org/pubs/reg_fall.pdf

Our guests will be…

Dave Kenney – Balboa Park Committee member and Executive Director of the House of Hospitality.  He will present the Committee’s report and ideas for better fund raising and management.

John Stump – Azalea Park & Hillcrest Attorney.  He will discuss concerns regarding who will be the beneficiaries of a new park management structure and what he feels is missing from the committee report.  Mr. Stump has raised concerns regarding the $9 million dollar Zoo tax and excessive Balboa Park executive compensation funded by the City.