Blue Mass Group

Haven’t we learned that capitulating to the right wing extremists of this country doesn’t get us anywhere? For those who haven’t read about it, President Obama already gave into the extreme-right-wing bishops of the Catholic Church, exempting religiously-affiliated institutions from having to cover contraceptives in their health care plans. He did this even though it’s a completely made-up issue, given the fact that most of these institutions already cover contraceptives today. He did this even for those institutions which receive federal money to operate on a daily basis, funds these organizations couldn’t exist without. He gave into the bishops driving the fight, bishops who are acting the part of spokesman for the GOP, when those bishops are completely divorced from reality when it comes to the opinions and beliefs of catholics, the large majority of whom supported Obama’s original policy and when 98% of sexually active Catholic women use contraceptives. And what does it get him? Catholic Bishops have sharply criticized a compromise President Obama offered on Friday over a health care regulation… declaring that the new plan remains “unacceptable and must be corrected.” Exactly where we could have predicted it get him. No where.

by Christy Mihos Like Captain Ahab, Mitt Romney has his great white whale, and it has all the likelihood of taking him down too. Universal healthcare and its author at the federal level, United States Senator Edward Kennedy tried for decades to establish healthcare for all, only to be shot down by the Congress, by a bad plan, and later, terrible execution by the Clinton administration and by a nation adamantly opposed to the concept of mandates. This all goes back to 1994, when Mitt took on Senator Kennedy and with the polls even in October, Mitt morphed into a candidate that we, as ardent supporters did not know. First he let it be known he did not vote for Ronald Reagan, http://www.capecodtoday.com/news/Op-Ed/2012/02/09/romney-and-the-whalewho by the way, carried our state not once but twice. Then he became Mitt the pro-choice icon of the left, only to trump that with a representation that he would be far better for the gay community than the liberal lion of Massachuestts Ted Kennedy. Huh? He said what? Who is this guy? After Kennedy took apart his business record the race was over and Kennedy won by almost twenty points. But in 2002 Mitt came back [...]

Monday February 13th ride the “T” into Copley Square and arrived about 4:30 for a grand, large, classic rally to protect the MBTA for a working Metro Boston!  See http://www.occupyboston.org/2012/02/10/monday-ride-rails-rally-copley-save-t/  After the Rally, march on over to the Boston Public Library for a chance to take the microphone, and share your own story, hopes, fears, and solutions.  Join with OccupySomerville, OccupyBoston, Occupy the T, and the T Riders Union and be heard.

Whenever I hear a professional politician in Washington talking as if he he really understands our lot in life I can only laugh at the disconnect. I mean how likely is it that a sitting U.S. senator, who’s probably at least a multi-millionaire or a congressman, who’s time is consumed with fund raising would even have the faintest idea of the trials and tribulations of us ordinary souls. Well this situation is even more dramatic when viewed through the lens of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge him his success or his money and I’m not exactly broke either, but when viewed against the lives that the vast majority of us lead, Romney’s comments reveal just how different he is from the average American. Romney’s presidential campaign has been plagued by a number of inopportune remarks about money and wealth that have cast him in the light of a privileged character. His public misstatements prove to what extent he is truly divorced from our reality: ”Corporations are people, my friend… of course they are”; ”I’ll tell you what, ten-thousand bucks? $10,000 bet?”; ”I should tell my story. I’m also unemployed.”;”There were a couple of times I wondered whether I was going to get [...]

Some people watch for crocuses to mark the beginning of spring.  I watch for caucuses to mark the real beginning of the campaign season. This year the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention will be held on June 2 in Springfield. Democrats will attend a candidate for US Senate to replace Scott Brown. Attend a caucus in your town or ward. Support great delegate candidates, or run to be a delegate to the state convention. If you have not been involved with your local Democratic Party, this is a great way to start.  I’m finding many communities where the “usual suspects” are saying that if new people are interested, they will step aside to encourage new people to become involved. In other places, many regular delegates will be running but there will be opportunities to run for alternate. Most alternates attend the Convention, sit with other delegates and have the same experience as delegates. Often alternates become delegates. Find your local caucus.  Caucuses will continue until February 26. Most will happen on February 11, but others will be held over the course of the next two weeks. I thought I would make this an open thread about caucuses on Saturday.  If people [...]