Ronp's Comments (77)

“Thanks Ms. Huffington for a really informative and delightful, buckets of metaphors and all.

Outside of the WSJ, I wonder how Mr. Murdoch came to the conclusion that News Corp. would really benefit from restricting the free flow of information. It's so zero-sum game of these folks who while speaking with forked tongues, one moment would have you believe that financial markets should be left alone to natural forces and the next that information to be preserved must be controlled.

I guess this is another example of "Socialism for the rich and Capitalism for the poor!"”

“Great article... Thanks so much for bringing him to our attention.”

“"As far as Powell was concerned, the most salient fact about Cheney was his avoidance of the Vietnam draft with no fewer than five separate student and family deferments; during his confirmation hearing, Cheney told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he had "had other priorities in the Sixties than military service."

Karen DeYoung. Soldier - The Life of Colin Powell, 2006 - pg. 178”

“And I suppose that "Fox News" logo in the lower left hand on every FOX news and commentary show is not intentional deception.”

“It's becoming increasingly apparent to Rush that the end of his tenure in caustic radio will probably be ending in the near future and he will have to find another ledge to bloviate from. Little by little those in leadership positions within the Republican party are beginning to fatigue from the increased baggage they have inherited from Rush Limbaugh and Rupert Murdoch. I believe as we plow closer to the 2010 election, we will see more aggressive moves by mainstream Republicans to distance themselves from these folks in a desperate attempt to win seats.

Regarding his owning a baseball team - I wish him luck, although it would send an very paradoxical message to young people, having a substance abuser as an owner.”

“If Bill O'Reilly is sincere about differentiating news from commentary, then he should use his influence (if he has any) to push FOX (Keith Rupert Murdoch) to replace that "Fox News'" logo with appropriate labeling that clearly informs views of the non-news content (ala truth in advertising) during those commentary shows. Anything else is disingenuous and deceitful; not unlike FOX's definition of "fair and balanced," which constrains its stations coverage to between the far right and right center of the political, economic and social spectrums.”

“He is not a complex person at all. As all our mother's taught us, when you wish to identify the source of anything scary just follow the money. Glenn Beck's religion is nothing more than worship of that green Jesus.”

“I have agree with the woman who was pleading with him to take his vocal reporting outside. Although I have issues with the content of the conference, that doesn't give any side the privilege of distraction. I've been to enough conferences in my life to be familiar with the struggle to hear in the back of a ballroom amidst competing conversations. This is something that I expect from the Fox folks, but it appears they were being asked to leave as well.

It appeared to you and me that he was whispering, but its easy to see how quiet the background noise level was; thus probably was distracting. Filming is one thing, but he could have done his vocal reporting from outside the room or waited until in-between speakers.”

“The interesting thing about assertions, they only have credibility when certified with evidence. It's very difficult to find evidence to support your race-baiting assertion, on the contrary very easy to refute it; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/barack-obama-this-week-in_n_292013.html.

Regarding my inequality gap assertion, please investigate yourself census http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/histinc/incfamdet.htmll), irs data, as well as efforts done social scientists like Emmanuel Saez http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~saez//), Larry Bartels http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels//) and Rovert Dahl http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/polisci/people/rdahl.htmll) among others.”

“Might I suggest you reread the foundational and synoptic Gospels found in the New Testament, where lie most of Jesus Christ's teachings? You may find a more peaceful existence in the parable of the rich man and the beggar in Luke, or the description of the last day with Jesus separating the sheep and goats in Matthew. Special attention to Matthew 7:1-2 on the theme of non-judgement may help guide your view of those you perceive as not wanting to work, which BTW as I think you already know is a consistent theme throughout the New Testament; found also in John, Luke, Romans and James.”

“Bill Moyers, our modern day Walter Cronkite. Ironic how the gasping for air strategies of those in control of the Republican party continue to promote class and race warfare by appealing to working and middle class people's basic doomsday fears. Interestingly any thorough examination of these continuous charges of socialism and fascism against the Obama administration quickly exposes these Republicans to be the pinnacle of hypocrisy. It's also quite scary to have discovered that since the end of WWII the inequality gap in America has always increased under Republican presidential administrations and decreased under Democratic presidential administrations.”

“Condolences to the four young men who were smeared by the press in a way that increasingly demeans the character and value of America. They are supposed to be protected by the intent of the 5th, 6th and 14th amendments to our Constitution and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the US is a signatory of. Over and over again we see the press ignoring and intently circumventing such basic principles in the pursuit of revenue and prestige. I'm saddened that the Huffington Post has begun to slide down that slippery slope. Case in point - contrast the picture headlining the HP post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/15/hofstra-student-raped-on_n_286948.html with that of the picture headlining this story. It looks more like a perspective we've come to expect from New York Post or Fox.”

“Is your comment a way of masking disdain for President Obama or are you concerned about healthcare costs and their effect on "the general welfare?"”

“Woops, meant "data from 1948-2006"”

“I believe pushing this fight into 2010 close to the election would be a interesting Democratic strategy since reputable polls show that most Americans would vote for a public option if they could; giving single payer or a real public option maximum leverage.

Larry Bartels (Princeton Professor of Public and International Affairs) in his recent text "Unequal Democracy - The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age" analyzes income, census and election data from 1948 and finds very interesting correlations of proximity to the November election with voting on social issues of the moment well as the highest economic gains experienced by the working and middle classes occur during Democratic presidential administrations second year.

I'm surprised no one has tossed out the idea of a national referendum around the public option; even though if it accomplishes it's goal to constrain run away private sector healthcare costs, most American's wouldn't subscribe to it.”

“It's really easy to believe this was a planned outburst designed as a major distraction from the content of the President's speech evidenced by today's lead media headlines. How many of you remember the eloquent way President Obama reminded us that the country's character is being weighed?

Rather than spin off into the abyss with the crazy’s, this should be the opportunity to nudge our county to come together as a compassionate nation of laws to resolve our disagreements regarding immigration and healthcare. I for sure would not want to be that physician thrust into a position of breaking the law when an undocumented person shows up at the emergency room for treatment. It's a short step for too many in this country to go from no insurance to no treatment.

This is the point where I believe we have a moral imperative to step up and weigh in to our elected officials on as President Obama last night described in a personal letter from Ted Kennedy fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.”

“Thank you for posting.

These are pretty much my sentiments as well. Additional reasons he consistently stays the moral high ground and lives up to the office are due to his;

* consideration of others
* understanding and evaluation of future consequences
* utilization of his critical capacities and reasoning skills
* focus on the facts relevant to the problem at hand
* acceptance and articulation that there are no absolute principles
* understanding that improvement is an iterative process
* taking dispositions and circumstances into consideration (empathy)”

“jeff90125>> " Cite in the Constitution where the federal government jeff90125>> has the authority or power to:

jeff90125>> Interfere in the auto industry

jeff90125>> bailout the financial industry

jeff90125>> I can't even choose what to complain about with the stimulus package

jeff90125>> How about being in the insurance business?"

I suggest you spend a little time studying the writings of Jefferson and Hamilton, both of whom weighed in on with different perspectives on the concept of "spending for the general welfare." You'll find the issue is not cut and dry as your leading comments attempt to make it nor have the courts definitively addressed it.”

“You haven't produced any evidence that he has something to hide other than pure speculation. Possibly it's analogous those who cling to the second amendment with their assault weapons; just because they can.”

“Assertions without substantive reasoning backed up with certification(s) have no credibility.”

“>> "At the moment though we don't know how well he did at those "prestigious" schools since he has not released any of his records."

I suggest you look up the meaning and context of "magna cum laude" (hint: top 10% at law.harvard.edu). Your remark suggests either you never enrolled or didn't fare very well in an college or university, though you are quick to bash without any substance or certification someone recognized by his peers as a Constitutional Scholar.”

“I think it's becoming obvious to more and more Americans that our ability to compete in emerging global marketplaces (i.e. China and India) is tightly tied to the level of education of our citizens. The domestic markets aren't large enough for everyone to be skilled tradespeople and competing in foreign industrial markets is out of the question; thus staying close to the moving information age envelope is required for our survival. Those global marketplace opportunities will require greater reasoning and adaptability skills than when you and I went to school. Keeping your kids out of school because you don't want them exposed to IDEAS and speech artificially limits their ability to develop those critical reasoning and thinking skills and only propagates your dogma into the next generation. That is unless you can guarantee them a future as entertainers like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh both of whom have no credentials to compete anywhere else in the field of communications.”

“Interesting how the folks who claim to be the source of the conservative pull yourself up by your bootstraps ideology and now are bashing the President on an education speech to children are doing all the things necessary to pretty much guarantee they and their kids end up on the unemployment lines of the future; unable to compete in all the emerging global marketplaces.”

“How stupid and fortunate to be alive is this guy? Sounds like he went straight to Walmart from a Kevorkian consultation. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what the consequences, with very rare exception are from threatening a mother's (any species) children..­.”

“This is so funny and simultaneously terrifyingly sad how these students are attempting to negotiate for higher grades in a disingenuous way. That professor has spent practically his/her whole academic career building a foundation around her/his perspective of the world and here you come with your practically empty head telling her/him what? Now, let me get this straight; is the professor seeking a diploma from you or are you seeking one from him/her (school)? We all know that Columbus didn't discover America, nor were the Greeks the only foundation of Western Civilization. We also know the consequences of disrespectfully arguing otherwise in an undergraduate Western Civ class. What you need to do is supplement your reading with other factual material to support your assertions, get yourself credentialed and then if you're still so inclined go out and invalidate whatever it is you found faulty with his/her reasoning.”