The Democratic leaders are not even pretending to defend Social Security.

madfloridian

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Tue Dec-21-10 09:25 PM
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The Democratic leaders are not even pretending to defend Social Security.

That program has been a mainstay in our country since 1935...they are not even bothering to defend it. Social Security is being trashed by the right wing, and the Democrats are not standing up for it.

In my mind that means they probably are fully agreeing to cut the benefits. We just don't know how far. If they don't plan on that, then they are doing some lousy messaging...and people are getting angry.

The Democratic leaders are not even bothering to defend public school teachers. In fact under this administration teachers have been ridiculed and treated with scorn more than ever before. No one in the leadership is coming out to defend public education and to offer kind words for teachers.

I have been talking to teachers who are still working in the system, more than I have in ages. Their fear and unease is palpable, and it makes me uncomfortable. They can not share their feelings openly for fear of reprisal from principals.

I talked to an assistant principal this week, well-liked, respected. Before I retired I taught with him. I approached education cautiously because he is now in an administrative position. I know they have to be careful. I should not have worried at all. He said the hardest thing was having to keep his mouth shut about the harm being done by Race to the Top. He should know. His school is one with minorities and migrant workers, but last I heard the community spirit was great there. I assume it still is.

He said those in the system now are stunned beyond belief at what is going on. They know Arne Duncan's name, and even in this very red, very fundamentalist area....they despise what he is doing. Trust me, teachers and school administrators seldom know or worry about who is Secretary of Education. I know that from experience. It usually does not touch their lives, they do their best job no matter what. Many know Arne I hear. And they despise him.

But this assistant principal must worry in silence at what is probably coming for his school and others like it. It's hard for them to compete with the magnet and charter schools that do not have to keep underperforming students. Eventually if Arne's plans continue, it will cause their school to be "turned around" into a charter most likely. He says it is hard to keep his mouth shut, but he must.

I said I try to speak for teachers anonymously because they can't do it themselves.

The Democrats caved on the tax cuts for the highest income folks, saying it is because they needed that 13 months of unemployment. Agreed, that is needed desperately. But we gave them a majority so they would not have to expand the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. They did it anyway.

In fact the president said if we complained we would appear "sanctimonious" and seem to demand "purity" God, I hate those words.

The Democrats are catering to the religious right on positions of women's rights. They are more and more taking the position of allowing religion and public schools to blend. This quote from the WSJ put it in clear perspective recently.

5. Separation of church and state? We found a loophole.

Charter schools are public schools, supported by public tax dollars. But among the thousands of charters nationwide are schools run by Christian organizations as well as Hebrew and Arabic language academies that blur the line between church and state. “What would not be tolerated in a regular public school seems to be tolerated when it’s a charter school,” says Diane Ravitch, a professor of education at New York University and the author of “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.” Even if these schools aren’t explicitly teaching religion, “it’s potentially segregation by religious preference,” Bulkley says.

The president took another step toward the religious right when he signed an executive order severely limiting the use of public funds to pay for abortions.

From the White House website:

Executive Order -- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Consistency with Longstanding Restrictions on the Use of Federal Funds for Abortion...Section 1

Section. 1. Policy. Following the recent enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "Act"), it is necessary to establish an adequate enforcement mechanism to ensure that Federal funds are not used for abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered), consistent with a longstanding Federal statutory restriction that is commonly known as the Hyde Amendment. The purpose of this order is to establish a comprehensive, Government-wide set of policies and procedures to achieve this goal and to make certain that all relevant actors -- Federal officials, State officials (including insurance regulators) and health care providers -- are aware of their responsibilities, new and old.

The man who trained Obama's campaign staff on organizing had words recently about how OFA was being used.

Similarly, Marshall Ganz, the famed labor organizer and Harvard lecturer who trained Obama staff on organizing, showed his independent streak last month, when he critcized his former colleagues for putting OFA "to sleep," instead of mobilizing meaningful reform. "The president demobilized the widest, deepest and most effective grass-roots organization ever built to support a Democratic president," he wrote in the LA Times.
Former Aide criticizes Obama

Worst of all, the part that hurts the most....is that they are not paying any attention to those who want them to stand up against the extremist group of Republicans who are hurting our country.

They are simply ignoring us.

That hurts.