I recall one of the efforts of the Reagan Presidency was to surround the President with more of the trappings of power. Morning in America required an august rather than a modest President. (Contrast Carter.)
<
p>Likewise, Bush has been much more insistent on being a quasi-royal President going so far as to snip at a reporter who failed to call him “Mr President”.
<
p>So, it’s oddly ironic that a Republican wants a more modest Senate.
<
p>Or maybe it’s not: The more modest the Senate the more imperial the Presidency?
centralmassdadsays
Carter’s hyper-modesty– remember walking to his inauguration? played a not-insignificant role in the severity of his political weakness, IMO. In my view, Reagan was right to reject that particular affectation: he is not some guy on his way to work, he is the head of state of the USA. Indeed, the pomp, circumstance, and show is inherently part of the office. Carter forgot that, and wound up looking like a little kid, dwarfed in a big-boy chair in which he was ill suited and did not belong.
<
p>There is a significant difference between embracing the trappings of being the head of state, and asserting the political power of an absolute monarch, which is what Bush has done.
<
p>
tbladesays
…as indication that he cannot answer the direct question and Ogo’s claim that he will bring change to Washington is not be backed up by any substance whatsoever.
<
p>
laurelsays
so this tells me that he actually plans to partake in all the perks if he gets elected. real inspirational.
<
p>i hate to comment on people’s appearances, but ogonowski always looks red, sweaty and about to bust his collar. so when he commented about the free gym membership, the thought did run through my mind that he looks like he could use it (blood pressure reduction). i was dying for him to say: “look, senator-only elevators. if i come to washington, i’ll promise to take the stairs with everyone else.” coulda killed two birds (elitism, stroke victim-in-waiting) with one stone.
<
p>the 2nd part of the ad didn’t really have anything to do with the 1st half, other than being a gripe.
<
p>the presentation was cute and light. but the content was so poor that it just makes ogonowski look like a rank amateur.
centralmassdadsays
To the extent that you have any converstaions with the candidate or the campaign, I suggest ytou remind him/them that they are running in Massachusetts, and thus must win the votes of moderate independents to win. I don’t think that happens by running a campaign on the national GOP template, but by running a campiagn on the Weld 2002Romney template.
<
p>Even then, honestly, it may take a complete and crushing defeat, nationally, for the GOP to allow them to remake themselves into a party that I might vote for ever again. Actual small government conservatives with a sense of history and honor might be nice. If we have to hear a debate about whether Jesus loves torturing terror suspects as much as he hates gays, we aren’t there yet.
<
p>I wish Ogo-Kerry was in 2009 or 2010. I’m not a fan of Kerry, and will relish the opportunity to not vote for him, but I’m not sure that 2008 isn’t just too steep a hill for even a decent GOP candidate.
It establishes Ogo as one of us, rather than “one of them.” I am voting for anyone but John Kerry, so hopefully that other Dem is really going to run. But if not, I can see myself voting for Ogo, if only to send a message.
davesokosays
what kind of a message are you trying to send? on what issues is Ogo better than Kerry?
we’ve been paying for two senators and for all intents and purposes getting only one. So – the message is that I’m fed up with a less-than-engaged Senator with an arrogant and complacent staff.
bluetoosays
…I pretty much always agree with you! I’m not a big Kerry fan by any means…he is arrogant and somewhat complacent, I agree.
<
p>But, you can’t be serious about voting to replace him with the right-wing Ogonowski, can you? If you want to vote against Kerry, at least take a look at the Democrat, Ed O’Reilly, who is running in the Democratic primary. It would break my heart to see you support a right wing Republican!
In an earlier post, I said I would vote for any other Democrat and there is another one running. And when I really can’t vote in good conscience on a candidate, I’ve been known to write my father-in-law’s name in, thereby fulfilling my responsibility as a citizen of the Commonwealth, but not compromising on my principles. I held my nose and voted for Kerry for president, and I am so NOT going to do that again.
<
p>I will tell you this, though. I am the last holdout Democrat in my family. They’ve all gone independent and won’t be voting for Mr. Kerry.
bluetoosays
relief! đŸ™‚
tom-msays
is Ed O’Reilly and he is running. Now we just need to make sure he gets his 15% at the convention.
laurelsays
sorry, i can find no legit excuse for that. kerry isn’t perfect, and i really have some problems with him (including on the marriage equality front), but he can be relied upon to not lend his votes to other homophobes in the senate.
eaboclippersays
and is on record saying that we should allow gays in the military openly. Surely you aren’t talking about him.
laurelsays
well ok then. here are john kerry’s record and positions on lgbt-related civil rights. you tell me where ogonowski exceeds or even meets him.
<
p>
Just six months into his first Senate term in 1985, he introduced a gay civil rights bill.
Defense of Marriage Act – In 1996, Sen. Kerry was one of only 14 senators, and the only up for re-election, to cast a vote against this discriminatory act.
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ – He testified in front of a Senate committee in 1993 against DADT and continues to oppose it.
Employment Non-Discrimination Act – Kerry is a co-sponsor of ENDA, and has been voting for it since 1996.
In his Senate office, Kerry has a policy prohibiting discrimination against LGBT people.
Federal Marriage Amendment – firmly opposed
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (“Matthew Shepard Act”)- Co-sponsor.
Early Treatment for HIV Act – Co-sponsor. Also supports full funding for science-based HIV prevention programs and the Ryan White CARE Act
Adoption – supports giving appropriate authorities the full authority to make decisions on adoption based on the best interest of the child, without bans based solely on sexual orientation.
Permanent Partners Immigration Act – Co-sponsor
Marriage Equality – Kerry believes that marriage equality is established law in Massachusetts and should remain so. He also worked last spring with Gov. Patrick and state legislators to help defeat the discriminatory anti-equality marriage amendment.
The HIV Non-Discrimination in Travel and Immigration Act – He’s worked hard to get this passed.
<
p>I’m sure there’s more. But let’s start here. Tell me in how many ways Ogonowski is Kerry’s equal or better on being a proactive defender of LGBT civil rights. Also, please link us to any public statements he has made on these issues.
kbuschsays
Since 2004, Kerry has been a completely reliable vote on Iraq, FISA, and Supreme Court justices. Our junior Senator’s record is better than that of either the junior Senator from New York or the junior Senator from Illinois.
Maybe some of these things are necessary to Senate responsibilities and the importance we place on Senators. There’s a reason that the newly elected President’s first order of business is not looking at real estate ads.
petrsays
… a guy I’d like to sit down and have a beer with…
<
p>However… I take my Senator a little more serious than that. So, Ogo, next time your in Boston I’ll buy you a beer. But that’s about it.
<
p>
centralmassdadsays
They must have a sonorous voice and a blow-dried hairdo and speak in stentorian tones to make it sound like they are saying something important-like.
eaboclippersays
They must windsurf.
johnksays
the thought of seeing Ogo windsurf frightens me.
centralmassdadsays
or uses the word “summer” as a verb. Or skis in Gstaad.
laurelsays
ogo would rather play poltics with children’s health insurance than follow healthy pursuits himself. đŸ™‚
eaboclippersays
Ogonowski said that politics should not be played with SCHIP. That the current funding should be extended as to not hurt those currently receiving benefits and that any extension should be looked at once that happened. I was at the UML debate it’s what he said.
<
p>Lo and behold that’s what happened. So while you can say that he didn’t support SCHIP and was playing politics, I don’t buy it. He was trying to move SCHIP away from being a political football.
<
p>Congress ended up taking the Ogonowski approach. They should have done that in the beginning.
Specifically?
I recall one of the efforts of the Reagan Presidency was to surround the President with more of the trappings of power. Morning in America required an august rather than a modest President. (Contrast Carter.)
<
p>Likewise, Bush has been much more insistent on being a quasi-royal President going so far as to snip at a reporter who failed to call him “Mr President”.
<
p>So, it’s oddly ironic that a Republican wants a more modest Senate.
<
p>Or maybe it’s not: The more modest the Senate the more imperial the Presidency?
Carter’s hyper-modesty– remember walking to his inauguration? played a not-insignificant role in the severity of his political weakness, IMO. In my view, Reagan was right to reject that particular affectation: he is not some guy on his way to work, he is the head of state of the USA. Indeed, the pomp, circumstance, and show is inherently part of the office. Carter forgot that, and wound up looking like a little kid, dwarfed in a big-boy chair in which he was ill suited and did not belong.
<
p>There is a significant difference between embracing the trappings of being the head of state, and asserting the political power of an absolute monarch, which is what Bush has done.
<
p>
…as indication that he cannot answer the direct question and Ogo’s claim that he will bring change to Washington is not be backed up by any substance whatsoever.
<
p>
so this tells me that he actually plans to partake in all the perks if he gets elected. real inspirational.
<
p>i hate to comment on people’s appearances, but ogonowski always looks red, sweaty and about to bust his collar. so when he commented about the free gym membership, the thought did run through my mind that he looks like he could use it (blood pressure reduction). i was dying for him to say: “look, senator-only elevators. if i come to washington, i’ll promise to take the stairs with everyone else.” coulda killed two birds (elitism, stroke victim-in-waiting) with one stone.
<
p>the 2nd part of the ad didn’t really have anything to do with the 1st half, other than being a gripe.
<
p>the presentation was cute and light. but the content was so poor that it just makes ogonowski look like a rank amateur.
To the extent that you have any converstaions with the candidate or the campaign, I suggest ytou remind him/them that they are running in Massachusetts, and thus must win the votes of moderate independents to win. I don’t think that happens by running a campaign on the national GOP template, but by running a campiagn on the Weld 2002Romney template.
<
p>Even then, honestly, it may take a complete and crushing defeat, nationally, for the GOP to allow them to remake themselves into a party that I might vote for ever again. Actual small government conservatives with a sense of history and honor might be nice. If we have to hear a debate about whether Jesus loves torturing terror suspects as much as he hates gays, we aren’t there yet.
<
p>I wish Ogo-Kerry was in 2009 or 2010. I’m not a fan of Kerry, and will relish the opportunity to not vote for him, but I’m not sure that 2008 isn’t just too steep a hill for even a decent GOP candidate.
It establishes Ogo as one of us, rather than “one of them.” I am voting for anyone but John Kerry, so hopefully that other Dem is really going to run. But if not, I can see myself voting for Ogo, if only to send a message.
what kind of a message are you trying to send? on what issues is Ogo better than Kerry?
we’ve been paying for two senators and for all intents and purposes getting only one. So – the message is that I’m fed up with a less-than-engaged Senator with an arrogant and complacent staff.
…I pretty much always agree with you! I’m not a big Kerry fan by any means…he is arrogant and somewhat complacent, I agree.
<
p>But, you can’t be serious about voting to replace him with the right-wing Ogonowski, can you? If you want to vote against Kerry, at least take a look at the Democrat, Ed O’Reilly, who is running in the Democratic primary. It would break my heart to see you support a right wing Republican!
In an earlier post, I said I would vote for any other Democrat and there is another one running. And when I really can’t vote in good conscience on a candidate, I’ve been known to write my father-in-law’s name in, thereby fulfilling my responsibility as a citizen of the Commonwealth, but not compromising on my principles. I held my nose and voted for Kerry for president, and I am so NOT going to do that again.
<
p>I will tell you this, though. I am the last holdout Democrat in my family. They’ve all gone independent and won’t be voting for Mr. Kerry.
relief! đŸ™‚
is Ed O’Reilly and he is running. Now we just need to make sure he gets his 15% at the convention.
sorry, i can find no legit excuse for that. kerry isn’t perfect, and i really have some problems with him (including on the marriage equality front), but he can be relied upon to not lend his votes to other homophobes in the senate.
and is on record saying that we should allow gays in the military openly. Surely you aren’t talking about him.
well ok then. here are john kerry’s record and positions on lgbt-related civil rights. you tell me where ogonowski exceeds or even meets him.
<
p>
<
p>I’m sure there’s more. But let’s start here. Tell me in how many ways Ogonowski is Kerry’s equal or better on being a proactive defender of LGBT civil rights. Also, please link us to any public statements he has made on these issues.
Since 2004, Kerry has been a completely reliable vote on Iraq, FISA, and Supreme Court justices. Our junior Senator’s record is better than that of either the junior Senator from New York or the junior Senator from Illinois.
Maybe some of these things are necessary to Senate responsibilities and the importance we place on Senators. There’s a reason that the newly elected President’s first order of business is not looking at real estate ads.
… a guy I’d like to sit down and have a beer with…
<
p>However… I take my Senator a little more serious than that. So, Ogo, next time your in Boston I’ll buy you a beer. But that’s about it.
<
p>
They must have a sonorous voice and a blow-dried hairdo and speak in stentorian tones to make it sound like they are saying something important-like.
They must windsurf.
the thought of seeing Ogo windsurf frightens me.
or uses the word “summer” as a verb. Or skis in Gstaad.
ogo would rather play poltics with children’s health insurance than follow healthy pursuits himself. đŸ™‚
Ogonowski said that politics should not be played with SCHIP. That the current funding should be extended as to not hurt those currently receiving benefits and that any extension should be looked at once that happened. I was at the UML debate it’s what he said.
<
p>Lo and behold that’s what happened. So while you can say that he didn’t support SCHIP and was playing politics, I don’t buy it. He was trying to move SCHIP away from being a political football.
<
p>Congress ended up taking the Ogonowski approach. They should have done that in the beginning.