Originally Published @ Care2.com, by Aaron D. Pendell:

As a resident of Illinois and someone who voted for Rod Blagojevich, not once but twice, there are a couple of things that I need to get off my chest. First, I have to explain how this character became the governor of Illinois to begin with. Secondly, I have to clarify some of the reasons why I believe the man must be removed from office.

Why I Voted for Blago:

In order to understand how this slow-motion train wreck became the chief executive of Illinois, you must first understand what the political climate was like leading up to his election in 2002.  It must be known that whoever ran as a Democrat that year was going to get elected. Our previous Governor, George Ryan–current resident of a Wisconsin federal prison–all but assured that anyone but a Republican would win.

Again, in 2006 it was a toxic GOP that ensured Blago would retain power. His opponent that year was three-term Illinois State Treasurer and former head of the state’s GOP, Judy Barr Topinka. If you’re unfamiliar with Topinka, imagine Sarah Palin, but less likable…

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Olbermann discusses address with Michael Beschloss

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From Talking Points Memo, 19 February 2009 post, by Robert Reich:

The stock market reached a six-year low today. Why? Some blame loose talk (including that of former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan) about nationalizing the nation’s banks. Others blame Obama’s new plan for helping homeowners who may not be able to pay their mortgages. But the real culprit is the accelerating decline in aggregate demand — consumers, businesses, and exports. Companies are losing money because their customers are disappearing. That’s precisely why the stimulus is so important — indeed, why many of us fear it’s too small.

One of the oddest of right-wing claims is that FDR’s New Deal didn’t pull America out of the Great Depression, so Barack Obama’s “New New Deal” won’t, either. While it’s true that the New Deal didn’t end the Great Depression, three points need to be impressed on the hard-pressed conservative mind…

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From Cliopatria @ History News Network, 13 February 2009 post, by Chris Bray:

Thomas Ricks wrote approvingly about the spectacle of gross military insubordination. I propose that we petition President Obama, as military historians, asking that he demand an explanation of these stories from General Odierno – and that he relieve General Odierno – and that he relieve General Odierno of duty if the explanation isn’t sufficient.

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Former counter terrorism adviser, Richard Clarke, offers solace to Obama critics on both sides of the political spectrum.

From The Boston Globe, 29 January 2009 post, by Richard Clarke:

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S order to close the Guantanamo prison provoked comments from the right about the risks of bringing terrorist prisoners to the United States. His order banning torture, but not outlawing “extraordinary renditions,” caused some on the left to complain. Both groups of critics, though, either overlook relevant parts of recent history or simply get that history wrong.

Before George W. Bush, there was no real question about what the United States should do with people who broke American anti-terror laws…

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Contrary to the anti-government myths and ideology-driven arguments of certain conservatives and mainstream corporate media, the facts show FDR’s New Deal quickly brought rapid growth to the nation’s economy during the Great Depression.

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Patriotic Organizations and The Big Red Scare, 1918-1920

Originally published @ Suite101.com, by Aaron D. Pendell

The years following World War I were marked by the waning spirit of cooperation that had delicately existed between organized labor and capital during the War. Perhaps it was inevitable that it fell apart as the cooperative situation had been brought into line by the Wilson Administration through, according to historian, M.J. Heale, “… engaging public opinion to the war effort, employing massive propaganda campaigns and secret armies of volunteers to ferret out subversives and slackers.”

Heale describes the Federal Government during WWI as “lacking coercive powers” to deal with a nation that was divided by war. When the cooperative spirit slipped following the War, the citizens that had been receptive to Wilson’s propaganda recognized the voices of labor activists as being associated with subversive elements that had infiltrated the ranks of organized labor…

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