‘Twas the Night Congress Killed Social Security
By Josh Rosenblum
This older gentleman never thought he'd be wondering what Congress is smoking as they contemplate cutting Social Security benefits in the guise of defiict reduction.
‘Twas the week before Christmas, when Congress expects to go home,
And billionaires celebrated another victory under the Capitol dome.
After Congress had passed Social Security cuts through the night,
Obama continued his move to the right.
As holidays creep closer I have eaten my weight in potato latkes and need desperately to hike, ski, and enjoy some winter running while in Texas next week. There are hikes to be done though and outdoor activities to be enjoyed. Even if, like me, you fell on your behind while walking down K Street today in front of a law firm’s office who didn’t shovel their portion of the sidewalk (looking for clients?) I hope you’re willing to join me in getting back up and loving the outside. There’s zoo lights, markets, an AT hike, and pictures of Santa in a kayak after the jump. There’s much more DC stuff than we’ve posted in awhile but we’re back for now.
The holiday season posting has commenced though by now the holiday season is nearly over along with the holiday shopping crowds and the lack of snow so far in the DC area. Happy post-Thanksgiving, mid-Chanukah, pre-Christmas, and pre-Kwanza celebrating. Here’s hoping you don’t let the cold deter you from a little outdoor fun before winter’s official arrival. After the jump another AT hike in Maryland, and some awesome holiday and non-holiday activities in the area. Though it was not Tai Shan a pic of kung fu panda attacking a New York City apartment building taken from Central Park this Thanksgiving may help those missing the Chinese-owned panda. Continue reading
Cows on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland, walk the Mason-Dixon line like a balance beam, thrill and chill on an outdoor adventure course, and learn about fox behavior in Pohick Bay Regional Park, you sly dog, you.
After seeing Hair on the same evening that Tina Fey received her Mark Twain award at the Kennedy Center, we saw Fey, her husband, Betty White, Jane Krakowski, and, could it have been–yes, it was former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf all in the same place. It was fun seeing a great show and celeb spotting, but I’m slightly more excited to potentially finish the Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail this weekend or next, which, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, is one of the easiest sections. Below you’ll find outdoor stuff about the seemingly everywhere Betty White an a hike in Virginia, the Tenleytown Heritage Trail, and the start of outdoor ice skating season in DC!
November 10, 2010 – 11:31am ET
The Latest Battle to Take Social Security from the Middle Class, People of Color, and People with Disabilities
This is my first post for OurFuture.org and can also be viewed on their blog here.
Earlier today I attended a press conference in an elaborate 8th floor room overlooking the U.S. Capitol at the Newseum for an unveiling of billionaire Pete Peterson’s latest attempt to crush Social Security with his bags of money. Peterson and his son launched “OweNO,” a $6 million national and regional ad campaign to supposedly “educate Americans about the consequences of our soaring debt and deficits.” Just before the press conference a reporter whose badge indicated he worked for the Associated Press asked a fellow reporter if he’d had any luck getting information on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The other reporter indicated he hadn’t as did the AP scribe.
Harper’s Ferry for much more than rafting, a revolutionary bike ride with a ranger on the Mall and a coupon for $5 at the Eastern Market Fleamarket are all in the cards on this weekend following the brutal week for Democrats. Go get some fresh air to recover from your election hangover if you want. We’ll head off to Maryland and look down disapprovingly at the Tea Party before they start giving comedians constant fodder as elected officials.
Rallies, marches, fear, sanity, insanity, fall foliage, ghosts, Halloween and lots more. The outdoor activities in this final weekend of October in the DC area in that nexus when we have professional football, basketball, and hockey still happening with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Will Gilbert Arenas show up to Stewart’s rally? To Colbert’s? Will he have a fake or real injury? Read on to find out or at least to keep fear alive!
Pic from Wonkette shows Palin "buck" the system by saying more ridiculous stuff.
Democrats who so often coasted to victory often little more than “hope” and gas fumes for the last four years are feeling the full weight of a pendulum swinging back despite all they have accomplished. Some Republicans will win this year on “hate” and gas fumes. But the best incumbents, candidates, and campaigns recognized this reality long ago, subsequently doing their planning and plan implementation to win this year. In our communications planning Democrats too often treat voters as if they only want to hear about abstract policy. On the other hand Republicans often treat voters as if they won’t see the wool being pulled over their eyes.
It’s crucial for Democrats to “show” and not just “tell” voters why they should vote for the party in charge when most voters don’t have a job, worry about losing their job, or know someone who doesn’t have a job because this is so obviously what people care about and there’s no article out there that says a full economic recovery is happening any time before the election.
“Showing” voters why they should vote for the party in charge hasn’t ever been this difficult for most of the politicians and their campaigns. One way to “show” and not tell voters why they should pick Democrats is by making the rationale to do so relatable by taking something that’s a feel-good story ready-made for Oprah or the Today Show and using it as a metaphor.
Below are 10 pre-election metaphors that use the latest global feel-good story for speeches, press releases, op-eds, and soundbites to “show” voters why they ought to pull the lever, check the box or touch the screen for Democrats up and down the ticket on November 2:
1. The Tea Party has no plans to help our economy recover, no plans to fix our health care system, and no plans to stop greedy Wall Streeters from instigating the next economic collapse. Voting for Republicans and Tea Party candidates is like voting against trying to rescue the heroic Chilean miners. They will walk away from fixing our nation’s problems, but we can prevent that.
Capital Trail Mix 