REWIND - A Week of Quotes & Cartoons

SUNDAY

Quote of the Day
June 5, 2011

'What do those who are jobless have in common? They
lack the political connections and organizations that
would otherwise demand policies to spur job growth.
There's no National Assn. of Unemployed People with a
platoon of Washington lobbyists and a war chest of
potential campaign contributions to get the attention
of politicians.

'As a result, too many are likely to remain unemployed
for months if not years. That's bad news, not only for
them but for America.'

Economist Robert Reich
Los Angeles Times
June 5, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3msqftj

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/3vobqno
Pied Piper
David Horsey - Seattle PI

MONDAY

Quote of the Day
June 5, 2011

'What do those who are jobless have in common? They
lack the political connections and organizations that
would otherwise demand policies to spur job growth.
There's no National Assn. of Unemployed People with a
platoon of Washington lobbyists and a war chest of
potential campaign contributions to get the attention
of politicians.

'As a result, too many are likely to remain unemployed
for months if not years. That's bad news, not only for
them but for America.'

Economist Robert Reich
Los Angeles Times
June 5, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3msqftj

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/44u8dap
Staycation
Mike Luckovich

TUESDAY

Quote of the Day
June 7, 2011

'I have, myself, taken on a lot of these individuals
and institutions well before others. And believe me,
it's not easy. They are very powerful. They come at you
with guns blazing. And I totally get that. That's fine.
But I think there was a sense among a lot of my
colleagues in the press that-of a collegiality with
people, almost that you wanted to be invited to the
parties, instead of being outside with your nose
pressed up against the glass, which is where I'd rather
be. You wanted to be in the mix with the CEOs. There's
this sense of adulation. There's a sense that if the
CEO takes your call, that you're, you know, sort of
increasing in your own power. I think that's a very
hypnotic effect that happens in the media.'

Gretchen Morgenson, Pulitzer Prize-winning
business reporter who has written extensively
on how the government has failed to prosecute
any of the top figures who played a role in the
economic crash. She and Joshua Rosner are
co-authors of the new book Reckless
Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed,
and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon.

Democracy Now!
June 2, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/4y4gxg5

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/3pwrsbg
Credit Checks
Ted Rall


WEDNESDAY

Quote of the Day
June 8, 2011

'Some Obama advisers assume that the hundreds of
thousands of Arabs throughout the region who have
risked their lives-and continue to do so-to regain
their freedom and dignity will remain indifferent to
Israel's denial of that freedom and dignity to millions
of Palestinians. That is a delusion that will bring
about catastrophic consequences.'

Henry Siegman director of the
U.S./Middle East Project
in New York, a visiting research
professor at the Sir Joseph Hotung
Middle East Program, School of Oriental
and African Studies at the University
of London and former national director
of the American Jewish Congress and
of the Synagogue Council of America.

The Nation
June 13, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3sjmfov

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/3wjq3ah
New on Job Creation Front
Stuart Carlson

THURSDAY

Quote of the Day
June 9, 2011

'But it's not all the media's fault, and this is not
just about politicians who conduct themselves badly in
their personal lives. Much of what passes for debate
consists of irritable ideological gestures. The recent
disappointing economic news has not changed the set-
piece Washington deficit debate one bit.

'Big numbers are thrown around - Sen. Jon Kyl said
Tuesday that Republican agreement to raising the debt
ceiling would require $2.5 trillion in spending cuts -
with little inquiry as to how such reductions would
affect actual people, future economic growth or our
capacity to invest in ourselves. Ah, but trying to
answer such questions would distract us from the Weiner
story.

'Okay, most of us will always pay attention to sex
stories, and apocalyptic fears are usually a form of
paranoia. But we're a superpower with big economic
problems. We're acting like a country that has all the
time in the world to dance around our troubles by
indulging in ideological fantasies and focusing on the
behavioral fantasies of wayward politicians - who, by
the way, keep creating opportunities for distraction.

'Britney Spears, appropriately enough I suppose, has a
catchy song out with the refrain "Keep on dancin' till
the world ends." Forgive me for wondering whether her
song will provide the soundtrack for some future
documentary on our national decline if we don't get
very serious, very soon.'

Columnist E.J. Dionne Jr
Washington Post
June 9, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/4ytafpa

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/3z47vhe
Lying
Tom Toles - Washington Post

FRIDAY

Quote of the Day
June 10, 2011

'That the White House would even consider cutting
Social Security's funding is enormously alarming.  It
indicates that the White House does not take seriously
the dedicated nature of worker and employer
contributions to Social Security.  Those contributions
belong to American workers and their families.  Social
Security should not be treated as a piggybank or raided
by politicians in Washington.

'The supposed reason for the proposal is to further
stimulate the economy, but there are a number of more
efficient and effective ways to do so.  Those other
measures would boost the economy more without giving
ammunition to those who want to cut or even privatize
Social Security.

'Even if the lost income were made up from general
revenue, great harm would be done.  If the proposal
became law, those arguing to cut Social Security's
benefits would then point out that Social Security has
a huge shortfall and is contributing to the deficit,
and so must be cut.

'Social Security provides vital economic security to
millions of seniors, women, people with disabilities,
children, families of soldiers killed in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and others.  The government should do all
it can to spur job growth, but not at the expense of
Social Security.'

Nancy Altman, Co-Director of Social
Security Works following reports
that the Obama administation is
considering relieving employers
from their obligation to contribute
to Social Security.

June 10, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/28kmfye

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/3b2wv3c
Newt On Vacation
Jeff Danziger

SATURDAY

Quote of the Day
June 11, 2011

'Republican Paul Ryan and the House of Representatives
are looking to end VA healthcare for over 1.3 million
veterans who are Priority 7 & 8. These veterans are the
least disabled veterans using the system, usually with
disability ratings of 0 percent or no service-connected
disability. According to the Congressional Budget
Office "Option 35," the cuts would leave 130,000
veterans with no healthcare alternative. This means
veterans with conditions not recognized by the VA, like
certain diseases from Agent Orange exposure, would have
to pay for healthcare out of pocket if they had not
other service connected disability.

'Currently, the VA spends over $4 billion yearly to
treat these vets, despite co-pays intended to offset
the expense.  Ryan's cuts are intended to save $6
billion off the VA's tab and $62 billion over the next
10 years. Instead of merely increasing the co-pay or
taxing Wall Street, Congress wants to just cut your
benefits out, all together.'

From The Hill  - Quoted by Joshua Holland
'Republicans Want to Kick 1.3 Million
Vets Off VA Health-Care to Save the
Cost of Keeping Troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan for 13 DAYS.'

AlterNet
June 10, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/443ogzp

Toon of the Day
http://tinyurl.com/3up9cye
Grabbing Attention
Mike Luckovich

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