they have estimated the cost of the Iraq war at 3 TRILLION dollars.  GWB said that it would perhaps cost 50 -60 billion dollars.  But the estimate right now is 3 TRILLION  dollars!  I am heartsick.  When I think of the things this country could have done with that kind of money.  When i see the Republicans yelling about Obama being a spendy, careless President that is sending our country to ruin, due to his deficit spending ,  I am outraged. 

What is the idea of the GOP regarding “the threat that Sharia law will take over our country.”  WT??  The fear mongering the GOP is amazing.  Do they hope that all of the unquestioning Republicans will vote for them,  out of fear that the Muslims will take over our country and institute Sharia Law?  I am more in fear of the Fundamentalist Evangelical Dominionists (Taliban is another name for it) than I ever was about the Muslims. 

They know we have the First Amendment.  They know that we are never going to vote into law any Sharia law in this country.  What is their reasoning for this?  It just seems to me they are going farther and farther to the right,  about ready to fall off the scale.  I think the liberals and the progressives need to pull this country to a little bit more centrist place,  just pick it up and pull it over.  Because when Newt gingrich can talk about we should just bomb the hell out of Iran and N Korea,  they're bringing up Sharia law, etc.  can they get any crazier? 

Was watching some of the MSNBC videos,  and Sally Quinn was being interviewed.  She stated that there are whispers about town that VP Biden and SoS Clinton will switch positions for the 2012 elections.  That would free Clinton to begin campaigning earlier,  setting her up to run for POTUS in 2016.  Biden's love is Foreign Affairs and he would be a very good Sos.  Can you imagine an Obama/Clinton 2012?  I think it would be a good deal.  Then we'd have a Clinton/? 2016.  They asked Quinn what she thought the odds of this happening were?  And she answered, “Oh I am sure its going to happen.”  Then she smiled.  She would not release her sources, of course.  but she sounded pretty confident.   Any thoughts? 

Well, I went and voted today.  It felt good to vote.  While standing in line to sign in and get my ballot,  the people ahead of me were saying, “Republican.”  “Republican”, “Republican”, “Republican……”  And when I signed in, the woman started to ask me “Republican or Democrat”??  When the woman sitting beside her said, “Look,  she's a REGISTERED Democrat.”  Without saying any more,  she handed me a Democratic Primary ballot.  I clearly stood out among the people waiting to vote.  Anyway, I just smiled while I waited to vote.  It sure was a weird feeling.  That's why Steve King traditionally takes O'brien and Sioux County. 

Just checked with my county.  And in order to get an absentee ballot,  one needs to send them  a signed paper.  I got it at the Iowa Secretary of State site,  under “elections”.  I filled it out,  printed it,  and will be sending it to my county seat,  so I can receive an absentee ballot.  Anyone wanting an absentee ballot needs to remember to do this. 

Read today that Congressman Gutierrez,  congressman from Illinois,  was arrested in a sit down demonstration in front of the White House.  They were demonstrating peacefully against the Arizona “papers please” law.  He, along with many others, was taken away in those plastic handcuffs. 

I am sitting here watching CNN,  Sanjay Gupta is on AC360, and they have announced that the people working on that drilling rig that is leaking thousands of gallons of oil a day?  The big fear is that the entire drilling system and pipes may break off,  and then there will be no way of stopping the millions of gallons of oil from gushing out.  I am just sick at heart.  This is precisely why so many people did not want offshore drilling.  They have proven in Valdez, AK that even after years and years,  they still see the results of the oil there.  What would millions of gallons of oil do to the wildlife preserves and coastline? 

We have other options.  Wyoming,  western Colorado, Montana, etc.  love to have large companies come in and drill.  They drill for oil, they crack the shale for natural gas, the towns and schools are happy for the jobs, incomes, and businesses.  Of course,  the sewage system, the schools, etc.  need some time to adapt. But I grew up in Colorado, I have seen the boom for oil and gas in Colorado.  We can begin to switch vehicles to CNG,  we have LPG, drill for oil in Texas and the northern states.  We need to leave ANWR alone and drill out in the vast plains where the population is very low and towns and businesses are happy to have them.  We have wind towers in Iowa,  hemp is great for cloth and rope.  But all of that leftover hemp plant?  Great for ethanol.  Its time to start the switch away from oil.  Brazil has done it.  It took about 20 years, but they are completely off of foreign oil. 

Anyway, I am just sick at heart.  There is not enough Dawn in the world to treat every bird, the shorelines, the oyster beds, shrimp beds, etc. 

See if you can identify who said this quote:

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.”

 Obviously some bleeding heart liberal, right?

 Wrong,  Dwight Eisenhower in 1953.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/guns-vs-butter-2010_b_548620.html

I get so frustrated when people start saying things like:  “I wasn't raised to take a handout.”   and  “We don't want to be like European countries and get something for nothing.”  etc. 

A woman I went to high school with posted on a face book account of a friend (to me, instead of sending it to me) “I do not want to be a European country.  I have no insurance.  But I pay my medical bills by myself,. I wasn't raised to take a handout.  I was raised to pay my own way. I don't want health insurance crammed down my throat.  I do not want something for nothing like all the welfare people.  ”  I could have reamed her out,  but out of respect for our friend. I didn't. 

I may be a Social Democrat,  I lean far left.  That right there explains a lot about me and my views.  (or Democratic Socialist, whichever is farthest left, lol).  I have a job.  I pay my way.  I have hospital health insurance which is excellent.  I am willing to pay more in taxes,  more in insurance costs so that everyone that cannot afford it will be covered, and not worry about their health and illnesses.  I can pay more in social security taxes so that social security gets closer to solvent.  I do not mind paying a bit more in taxes every year. 

My town has a deal where everyone in town pays additional property taxes so that every child in the public school system has no fees for books, lockers, uniforms, etc.  Its only about 17 dollars a year on my property tax bill.  I don't have children in school.  The elderly in this town do not have children in school.  We all willingly pay this so children have the advantage of sports, music, book fees, lock fees, uniforms, etc.  And not one person in this town minds doing this. 

 I just do not understand why everyone thinks we are asking for handouts,  something for nothing, free stuff .  I understand I will pay more.  But as a citizen of this country,  it is my privilege and responsibility to pay a little extra so everyone has the advantages that they need to be healthy.  What is so difficult for the right to understand.

I was reading on the Colorado Springs Gazette (I used to live in C. Springs) and there was an article that just fried me. 

 http://www.gazette.com/articles/going-96438-green-creation.html

Read the comments at the bottom.  Do people really believe this?  I am not a radical green person,  I give all my bottles and cans with deposit to the local hospice,  I put out newspapers and card board for the city recycle truck,  I don't use paper towels, I have wash cloths, easier to wash.  I wash in cold,  have fluorescent bulbs,  use organic fertilizer in my garden.  Hey. I guess I am quite green.  lol. 

These people are saying that God gave us dominion over the earth,  and we don't need to worry about the earth.  That we are earth worshipping, instead of God worshipping.  A few people said we need to be good stewards of the land.  But over 50% of the comments are not agreeing with a Church in the springs that is going green.  Of course, Colorado Springs is the home of “Focus on the family”,  so I guess there is a majority of Evangelical Right wing fundamentalists Republicans  in that city. 

The GOP is already at it again!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36062872/ns/politics/

 Sure,  I agree that it needs “adjusting”.  But the GOP had 8 years to do anything at all,  and they did nothing.  Now they say they can do it better and with less cost?  AND with tax cuts (I think their answer to everything is tax cuts, and usually for just the top 1%).  I hate to say it, and I've said it almost daily for the past year or two,  but I am getting very tired of the GOPs dealings. 

I am so pleased that the HCR passed.  Of course, it would have been nice to have a FEW Republicans vote yes,  but at least it passed.  I really thought, deep down,  that HCR might not be passed in my working years (I am 57).  I was hoping for a stronger bill,  such as a strong public option,  or (really hoping, but not expecting) medicare for everyone.  Congressman Grayson is going to introduce a bill for a strong public option,  but since the HCR bill passed,  everything may just calm down and changes may be forgotten for a couple of years. 

 The GOP is screaming about repeal.  How many votes are they going to get to repeal the cover for the doughnut hole?  Wonder if anybody really wants to repeal the “no pre existing conditions,  the removal of the cap on benefits?  I can well imagine a rally of the Tea Party people (the lily white, sr. citizens, the majority) when they yell out, “And no more cover for the doughnut hole!!”  and the majority in the rally sit there in silence.  “And dropping the cap on benefits!! ”  ” pre existing conditions are coming back!”  and everyone leaves the rally. 

My health insurance is fine.  I am very happy with my health insurance.  However,  I am willing to pay more so that everyone can be covered.  I live in a small town that has passed a tax on property  taxes by which every child in town has public education with no fees.  No fees for lockers, books, lab fees, sports.  So every child can get a good education, even if they have no funds.  My children are over 30.  So I am not pleased with this because I am benefiting.  I am pleased and willing to pay this small amount for the children in our town.  I feel the same about health care.  I do not think health care is a privilege.  I believe it is a right.  “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. “

I am a Socialist Democrat from NW Iowa,  Rep. Steve King is my Congressman.  I am glad to have found these blogs.  I hope nobody minds if I post and pester everyone here.  I am out in Der Hinterland of the Dutch Reformed Churches and the ultra Conservatives that love Steve King and Michelle Bachmann.  What am I doing here?  I have grandchildren living in the area, and moved here from Colorado.  Why stay in Colorado when I have grandchildren growing up, seeing me twice a year?  so now I live 4 blocks away and I see them quite often.  Although now they are almost grown and busy with their social life (and talking to Army and Navy Recruiters.) .

I am a nurse in long term care.  I believe we should have health care for everyone.  I have good insurance.  Its not as if I want it for me.  I want and hope for health care for everyone and I am willing to pay more in taxes to get it.  If we all paid a little bit,  everyone would be covered.  We live in one of the best countries in the world,  yet 45,000 people die every year, because they don't have and cannnot afford insurance. 

 We need to regulate the insurance companies,  Wall Street,  big banks should be made small enough to fail.  Remember when Commercial Banks were different than Savings and Loans?  We need to regulate them again, making our retirements and our IRAs safe again. 

People talk about raising taxes.  Are they not aware that the rich are paying far less in taxes now than they were under r. Reagan?  And he decreased taxes! 

We need to draw back from this International Trade crap and begin to “Buy American” again.  We need to legalize hemp, so we can make our own ropes, our own cloth, (its just ditchweed, its not good marijuana, just the crap nobody will smoke).  Make our own clothing here,  our own shoes, our own cars, car parts, furniture, large machines, computers, everything.  We can't compete in the international market if we can't keep our own people busy.

Everyone talks about how Obama is leading us to Socialism.  I wish!  If we could get our political parties to lean far left,  the utilities, transportation and banks bought by the government,  and use more of a Socialist agenda,  we would have health care for all, tort reform, no student loans for doctors, decrease in health care costs.

My medical conglomerate I work for probably pays over 800 dollars a month for their share of my insurance costs.  I pay about 120 dollars.  If we had health care for all (or at least a good solid public option),  they could give me that 920 dollars.  And I would be more than willing to pay 1000 a month for health care for everyone.  I live in O'brien county and our town has voted in a tax paying for every fee for every school child in the school system.  If A child cannnot afford book fees, they are paid for everyone.  If a child cannot afford to play a sport,  sports, books, locker fees, etc. are paid for all.  I would be more than willing to do that for the least of our people in this country.