Motley Moose – Archive

An historic event is taking place in Washington D.C. this week. The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit

August 4-6

“I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world – partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect.”

President Obama

President Obama in August will welcome leaders from across the African continent to the Nation’s Capital for a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first such event of its kind. This Summit, the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government, will build on the President’s trip to Africa in the summer of 2013 and it will strengthen ties between the United States and one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing regions. Specifically, the August 4-6 Summit will advance the Administration’s focus on trade and investment in Africa and highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people. At the same time, it will highlight the depth and breadth of the United States’ commitment to the African continent, advance our shared priorities and enable discussion of concrete ideas to deepen the partnership. At its core, this Summit is about fostering stronger ties between the United States and Africa.

The theme of the Summit is “Investing in the Next Generation.” Focusing on the next generation is at the core of a government’s responsibility and work, and this Summit is an opportunity to discuss ways of stimulating growth, unlocking opportunities, and creating an enabling environment for the next generation.

A week before the Summit President Obama greeted young leaders:

President Obama delivers remarks at the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Presidential Summit Town Hall in Washington, D.C., July 28, 2014.

YALI Network

The YALI Network provides virtual resources and vibrant physical spaces to equip young African leaders with the skills and connections they need to foster change in their communities and their countries. Established by the President in April 2014, the Network already includes more than 68,000 members. Using yali.state.gov and social media, the United States provides online courses and materials, and connects members with global leaders in their field. Over the next year, President Obama will continue to engage the YALI Network through virtual town halls.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

On July 28, 2014, in front of 500 exceptional young leaders, President Obama announced the renaming of the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in honor of Nelson Mandela. He also announced that the United States intends to double the number of annual participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship to 1000 by the summer of 2016.

Mandela Fellows facebook, YALI photos.

First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the young leaders to enthusiastic applause.

Remarks by the First Lady at the Summit of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

She placed specific emphasis on young women and education.

Now, one of the issues that I care deeply about is, as John alluded to, girls’ education.  And across the globe, the statistic on this issue are heartbreaking.  Right now, 62 million girls worldwide are not in school, including nearly 30 million girls in Sub-Saharan Africa.  And as we saw in Pakistan, where Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen, and in Nigeria where more than 200 girls were kidnapped from their school dormitory by Boko Haram terrorists, even when girls do attend school, they often do so at great risk.

And as my husband said earlier this week, we know that when girls aren’t educated, that doesn’t just limit their prospects, leaving them more vulnerable to poverty, violence and disease, it limits the prospects of their families and their countries as well.

Now, in recent years, there’s been a lot of talk about how to address this issue, and how we need more schools and teachers, more money for toilets and uniforms, transportation, school fees.  And of course, all of these issues are critically important, and I could give a perfectly fine speech today about increasing investments in girls’ education around the world.

But I said I wanted to be honest.  And if I do that, we all know that the problem here isn’t only about resources, it’s also about attitudes and beliefs.  It’s about whether fathers and mothers think their daughters are as worthy of an education as their sons.  It’s about whether societies cling to outdated laws and traditions that oppress and exclude women, or whether they view women as full citizens entitled to fundamental rights.

So the truth is, I don’t think it’s really productive to talk about issues like girls’ education unless we’re willing to have a much bigger, bolder conversation about how women are viewed and treated in the world today.  (Applause.)  And we need to be having this conversation on every continent and in every country on this planet.  And that’s what I want to do today with all of you, because so many of you are already leading the charge for progress in Africa.

Now, as an African American woman, this conversation is deeply personal to me.  The roots of my family tree are in Africa.  As you know, my husband’s father was born and raised in Kenya — (applause) — and members of our extended family still live there.  I have had the pleasure of traveling to Africa a number of times over the years, including four trips as First Lady, and I have brought my mother and my daughters along with me whenever I can.  So believe me, the blood of Africa runs through my veins, and I care deeply about Africa’s future.  (Applause.)

Now, the status of women in Africa is also personal to me as a woman.  See, what I want you all to understand is that I am who I am today because of the people in my family — particularly the men in my family — who valued me and invested in me from the day I was born.  I had a father, a brother, uncles, grandfathers who encouraged me and challenged me, protected me, and told me that I was smart and strong and beautiful.  (Applause.)  

After her speech, there were many hugs.

‘Billions’ on table at Africa summit in US

Administration officials have played down questions over whether the summit is in response to China’s growing presence in the continent.

Instead, they say American interests go beyond Africa’s oil and minerals, areas on which some say China is focused.

“You will see a series of announcements on agriculture and food, and power and energy,” Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), told the Reuters news agency.

“We will make big announcements that demonstrate these are big ambitions we can take on with our African partners and the private sector.”

Shah said there will be new support for Power Africa, a privately funded program launched by President Barack Obama last year to install 10,000 megawatts of new generation capacity and connect 20 million new customers across Africa by 2018.

Summit agenda

The U.S. is set to unveil nearly $1 billion in business deals, more funding for peacekeeping, and billions of dollars for food and power programs during the three-day summit. China, Europe and Japan have all held similar events to encourage investment in Africa, but the White House denies its Africa Summit is in response to increasing investment in Africa from China.

U.S. businesses have generally been hesitant to invest in Africa despite the high growth rates seen in many countries. Billions of dollars in new funding is expected to be announced for Power Africa during the summit. The program’s goal is to add 10,000 megawatts of generation capacity and 20 million new electric customers in Africa by 2018. Private industry has committed $7 billion to the program since it was announced last year by President Obama.

Countries have also said they will use the summit to lobby their interests in the U.S. For example, South Africa has already said its delegation will push for a 15-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The law gives eligible Sub-Saharan Africa countries preferential treatment in their exports to the U.S., but the program that began in 2000 is set to expire next year.

Excluded

U.S. officials say only four African leaders were excluded from the talks – the presidents of Zimbabwe, Sudan, Eritrea and the Central African Republic.

The summit convenes at the same time several West African nations are facing an Ebola virus outbreak. President Obama said Friday the United States is closely following the situation.  He said African officials from at-risk countries will be screened for the disease before entering the U.S. The leaders of Sierra Leone and Liberia have canceled their summit trips to Washington because of the Ebola outbreak.

I decided to post the complete list of invited attendees, since rarely do we see their names in the U.S. press, unless it is a country in the middle of a crisis.

Attending:

Algeria: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal

Angola: Delegation headed by Vice President Manuel Domingos Vicente

Benin: Delegation headed by President Boni Yayi

Botswana: Delegation headed by Foreign Minister PhAndu Tombola Chanda Skelemani

Burkina Faso: Delegation headed by President Blaise Compaore

Burundi: Delegation headed by President Pierre Nkurunziza

Cabo Verde: Delegation headed by President Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca

Cameroon: Delegation headed by President Paul Biya

Chad: Delegation headed by President Idriss Deby Itno

Comoros: Delegation headed by President Ikililou Dhoinine

Cote d’Ivoire: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Delegation headed by President Joseph Kabila Kabange

Djibouti: Delegation headed by President Ismail Omar Guelleh

Egypt: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab

Equatorial Guinea: Delegation headed by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

Ethiopia: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe

Gabon: Delegation headed by President Ali Bongo Ondimba

Ghana: Delegation headed by President John Dramani Mahama

Guinea: Delegation headed by President Alpha Condé

Guinea Bissau: Delegation headed by President Jose Mario Vaz

Kenya: Delegation headed by President Uhuru Kenyatta

Lesotho: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas Thabane

Liberia: Delegation headed by Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.

Libya: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Abdalla Alteni

Madagascar: Delegation headed by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina

Malawi: Delegation headed by President Arthur Peter Mutharika

Mali: Delegation headed by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

Mauritania: Delegation headed by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

Mauritius: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam

Morocco: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Abdel-Ilah Benkiran

Mozambique: Delegation headed by President Armando Emílio Guebuza

Namibia: Delegation headed by President Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba

Niger: Delegation headed by President Issoufou Mahamadou

Nigeria: Delegation headed by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

Republic of the Congo: Delegation headed by President Denis Sassou-Nguesso

Rwanda: Delegation headed by President Paul Kagame

São Tomé and Príncipe: Delegation headed by Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira da Costa

Senegal: Delegation headed by President Macky Sall

Seychelles: Delegation headed by President James Alix Michel

Sierra Leone: Delegation headed by Foreign Minister Samura Kamara

Somalia: Delegation headed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

South Africa: Delegation headed by President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma

South Sudan: Delegation headed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit

Swaziland: Delegation headed by King Mswati III

Tanzania: Delegation headed by President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete

The Gambia: Delegation headed by President Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh

Togo: Delegation headed by President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé

Tunisia: Delegation headed by President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki

Uganda: Delegation headed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

Zambia: Delegation headed by Vice President Guy Scott

The TM has paid some attention to the attendees – but placed more emphasis on who wasn’t invited:

The African leaders who haven’t been invited to D.C. – and the surprising ones who were

Before the Summit Susan Rice was the narrator of this promotional video.

I’m sure right-wing heads are exploding about all of this.  Our African-American President is hosting Africans. Must prove some warped Trump CT.

From my perspective, I’m glad to see this happen. The continent of Africa is vast. Its people’s are some of the most diverse in the world. With all the current problems that we see in blaring headlines daily, there is so much more that we don’t see. The potential for the future. This is a step in the right direction.  

cross-posted from Black Kos

“Insane”.

The Republican Party is making a point of not mentioning “Impeachment”. In fact just yesterday, Famously Insane Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said this:

“I think Congress has to sit down, have a serious look at the rest of this constitution, and that includes that ‘i’ word that we don’t want to say,”

He was talking about the other “I” word, “Immigration” and making sure that President Obama knew that trying to fix the immigration crisis via executive order (yes, the same crisis that Speaker Boehner (R-OH) begged him to fix via executive order) would trigger Impeachment.

Why is Rep. King so adamant about this? Because he is the author of HR 5272, aka, The Republican Party Suicide Note. He was bursting with pride over it:

“The changes brought into this are ones I’ve developed and advocated for over the past two years,” he told CQ Roll Call. “It’s like I ordered it off the menu.”

Well, as one who wants the Republican party to shrink into Irrelevance (another great “I” word!), seeing them following the lead of Steve King would be something I would order off the menu.

The Wall Street Journal is not as Impressed with what it called the GOP’s Deportation Caucus:

The conservative editorial board of The Wall Street Journal reamed into congressional Republicans in an editorial published in Saturday’s paper, after the House passed a bill Friday night that effectively would put the status of nearly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants in limbo.

Readers may recall that the last Republican in an election year to support deporting immigrant children brought here through no fault of their own was Mitt Romney. A splendid voter attraction that was.

“The episode is also sure to raise doubts among swing voters about whether Republicans would be prepared to govern if they do win control of the entire Congress,” the Journal’s editorial board wrote.

Govern??? Has the Wall Street Journal not been paying attention? The purpose of the Tea Party Caucus has not been to govern but to bring government to a standstill by refusing to fund essential services.

But I digress.

Why is HR 5272 so worrying to the Wall Street Journal and the Karl Rovian Republicans who realize that you actually need a stable functioning government to do business … and who would like that government to be run by Republicans?

A lot has been said about demographics. The far-right has pooh poohed the notion that the Latino vote is important, saying that the GOP simply needs to get more old white people to the polls. I say, go with that thought!! Because the thing about old white people is that they are, quite simply, old. It may be a short term solution but in the long run, perhaps not the best strategy.

It has not gone unnoticed that Republicans do not like the looks of the people at the border:

Republicans knew what they had to do to make an appeal to Latino voters [in their post election report]. But rather than follow their own prescription and embrace a new approach, they splurged on their old habits, binging on anti-immigrant rhetoric and indulging their worst nativist instincts. Indeed, the past few months have seen Republicans come unhinged at the mass arrival of child migrants and refugees from central America, with warnings of disease and mayhem.

After the RNC released its report, Latino Decisions published a poll on Hispanics, immigration reform, and the GOP. Among all Hispanics, 32 percent were more likely to vote Republican in the future if comprehensive immigration reform passed. What’s more, a later Latino Decisions poll-this time of Latino registered voters-found that 61 percent would be more likely to listen to Republicans on issues like taxes or school choice if the party supported reform.[…]

[The GOP] wants a larger portion of the Latino vote – lest it be crippled in future national elections – but it doesn’t want to pass immigration reform, lest it alienate core supporters. But there are no shortcuts to building respect and goodwill. If Republicans want more than a rump share of Latino voters, they’ll need to shift on immigration reform.

The DACA, Deferred Enforcement for Child Arrivals, executive order is very popular among those Latino voters. Ed Gilgore, on a more recent Latino Decisions poll:

I would assume that Republicans are at least dimly aware that the anti-DACA provisions they are toying with to get conservatives on board a border refugee bill will come at a political cost. If not, they should check out this reminder from the polling firm Latino Decisions:

  The push to dismantle DACA will significantly alienate Latino voters according to recent surveys carried out by Latino Decisions. President Obama’s 2012 administrative order on DACA, which provided temporary relief to more than 550,000 undocumented young people was overwhelming supported by Latino voters. In our June 2014 poll with the Center for American Progress, 84% of Latinos said they would be more enthusiastic toward the Democratic Party if DACA was renewed by President Obama in 2014. This high level of enthusiasm cuts across all segments of the Latino electorate….

I am not sure how the GOP recovers from the optics of their party, led by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), smirking at the passage of a bill that calls for the immediate deportation of children who arrived in our country without papers, many of whom have since graduated from college and even served in the military. And the reminder that the DACA is an executive order which can be rescinded should a Republican president become elected.

By the way, it is important that the Republicans do not get away with the claim that they passed a bill to fund the border crisis so they are off the hook. We need to make sure that the anti-DREAMer bill they passed after that funding, as a big sloppy kiss to their base, follows them around like a piece of toilet paper stuck to their shoe.

President Obama also noticed that the Immolation Wing of the Republican Party seems Intent on Insanity:

So the argument isn’t between me and the House Republicans.  It’s between the House Republicans and Senate Republicans, and House Republicans and the business community, and House Republicans and the evangelical community.  I’m just one of the people they seem to disagree with on this issue.

So that’s on the comprehensive bill.  So now we have a short-term crisis with respect to the Rio Grande Valley.  They say we need more resources, we need tougher border security in this area where these unaccompanied children are showing up.  We agree.  So we put forward a supplemental to give us the additional resources and funding to do exactly what they say we should be doing, and they can’t pass the bill.  They can’t even pass their own version of the bill.  So that’s not a disagreement between me and the House Republicans; that’s a disagreement between the House Republicans and the House Republicans.

I hope it becomes a disagreement between the House Republicans and the American people and that the American people realize that the only way to win this argument is to fire those House Republicans and hire some people who agree with them. Here are a few:

“I stand with those children at the border and I stand for due process,” Rep. Al Green (D-TX) said on the House floor Friday morning, evoking the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I don’t stand for a fast track adjudication that mimics due process and makes a mockery of justice. I stand with the DREAMers. They have been given hope by our president. I will not vote for a bill that will destroy hope for those DREAMers. We must keep their hope alive.”

One by one, Green and about 29 other House Democrats took to the House floor in a show of solidarity with the migrant children affected by the legislation that they were opposing. They requested, “I ask unanimous consent to bring H.R. 15, a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, to properly address the humanitarian crisis at the border.” Each time, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) refused to yield to the request and “reiterated that all time yielded is for the debate.”

And a few more:

“This, in all honesty and candor, is one of the most mean-spirited and anti-immigrant pieces of legislation I’ve seen in all of my years in the Congress,” said Rep. John Conyers (MI), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

“In the end, the Republican position on immigration can be summed up as: deport ’em all,” said Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL). “You know it is suicide as a political strategy, but you continue to say deport ’em all.”

Please proceed, GOP, please proceed. May your Irrelevance be Imminent.  

I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in “Cheers & Jeers”.  

OK, you’ve been warned – here is this week’s tomfoolery material that I posted.

ART NOTES – lithographs by Thomas Hart Benton are at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri through February 15th.

INTERESTING TO NOTE that several top members of Britain’s Labour Party are quite attuned to the US and the Democratic Party … unlike the Tories, who have no such affinity with the GOP.

THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a visit to my 40th high school reunion – which I know was not a pleasant time for many of you reading this – but for me, it shaped my life: and helped me to overcome the difficulties I had in junior high.

BRAIN TEASER – try this Quiz of the Week’s News from the BBC.

THURSDAY’S CHILD is Cleo the Cat – the second of three finalists in next week’s Hero Cat Awards in Britain – who alerted a woman to her husband’s oncoming heart attack … and would not leave his side, either.

FOR THE FIRST TIME an American craft beer brewer will own and operate a brewery in Europe – and in Germany, no less – where it is hoped that he addition of new styles will help overcome falling sales levels (relative to wine).

HAIL and FAREWELL to Manny Roth – the owner of the Greenwich Village club Café Wha? that helped launch the careers of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen – who has died at the age of 95 ….. and the Welsh-born drummer Rod de’Ath – the drummer for the late Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher in the 1970’s – who has died at the age of 64.

FRIDAY’S CHILD is Slinky Malinki the Cat – the last of three finalists in next week’s Hero Cat Awards in Britain – who alerted neighbors (by tapping on their window) that her human friend had slipped-out of consciousness due to her medications … who summoned help thereupon.

CHEERS to the progress in reducing female genital mutilation and childhood marriage for girls worldwide …… and yet still more needs to be done.

MORE SUNDAY READING for today: one essay by Barney Frank suggests that corporate America may be having a re-think on supporting only the GOP ….. and a Top 10 ‘Secrets to Happiness’ list (given to an Argentine weekly) by Pope Francis … has almost nothing that a liberal could not embrace.

OLDER-YOUNGER SISTERS? – singers Alecia ‘Pink’ Moore and Kelly Osbourne – yes, Ozzie’s daughter.

   

…… and finally, for a song of the week ………………………… have been too busy to write a full profile this week. So I though I’d utilize another song from someone I did feature recently, the folksinger Christine Lavin … with her song The Moment Slipped Away. High school was a time of growth for me, yet I was too shy to tell people how much I appreciated some of their words and deeds. The Moment Slipped Away is all about making an effort to tell people kind things you want to say to them … and for which I have tried to rectify in my own life (most recently at my high school reunion).

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diary series gives the Moose, new and old, a place to visit and share our words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.

In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, on Wednesday or Thursday to end the week. To find the diaries, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).

The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.

So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?

…

The President’s Weekly Address post is also an Open News Thread. Feel free to share other news stories in the comments.

From the White House – Weekly Address

In this week’s address, the President discussed the new monthly jobs report and the fact that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July for the sixth straight month – the longest streak since 1997. To ensure this momentum can be sustained, the President is pressing Congress to act to create jobs and expand opportunity from raising the minimum wage, to helping people pay back their student loans, to fair pay and paid leave. These are steps that would continue to make things better for the middle class, which has always been his priority. But Republicans in Congress have repeatedly blocked these important measures.

As Congress is about to go on vacation, the President encouraged Americans to reach out to their elected officials and let them know that they must pass these measures when Congress returns to session. And in their absence, the President will continue to do everything he can, working with all stakeholders who are willing, to create jobs, strengthen our economy, and expand opportunity for all Americans.

Transcript: Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Help the Middle Class

Hi, everybody.  My top priority as President is doing everything I can to create more jobs and more opportunities for hardworking families to get ahead.

On Friday, we learned that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July.  That’s on top of about 300,000 new jobs in June.  We’re now in a six-month streak with at least 200,000 new jobs each month.  That hasn’t happened since 1997.  All told, our businesses have created 9.9 million jobs over the past 53 months.  That’s the longest streak of private-sector job creation in our history.

Because of you – because of your hard work and determination – America has recovered faster and come farther than almost any other advanced country on Earth.  The economy is clearly getting stronger.  Things are clearly getting better.  And the decisions we make now can keep things moving in that direction.

That’s what’s at stake right now.  Making sure our economy works for every working American.  Making sure that people who work hard can get ahead.  That’s why I’ve been pushing for common-sense ideas like rebuilding our infrastructure in a way that supports millions of good jobs and helps our businesses compete.  Raising the minimum wage.  Making it easier for working folks to pay off their student loans.  That’s why I’ve been pushing for fair pay and paid leave.

These policies have two things in common.  All of them would help working families feel more stable and secure.  And all of them have been blocked or ignored by Republicans in Congress.

That’s why my administration keeps taking what actions we can on our own to help working families – because Congress is doing so little for working families.  House Republicans actually got together this week and voted to sue me for taking actions on my own.  And then they left town for the month without settling a bunch of unfinished business that matters to working families across America.

The bottom line is this – we’ve come a long way these past five and a half years.  Our challenges are nowhere near as daunting as they were back then.  But imagine how much farther along our economy would be – how much stronger our country would be – if Congress would do its job.

I’ll never stop trying to work with both parties to get things moving faster for the middle class.  And I could use your help.  If you see your Member of Congress around home this month, tell him or her what’s on your mind.  Ask them why they haven’t passed bills to raise the minimum wage or help with student loans or enact fair pay for women.

And when they return from vacation next month, instead of trying to pass partisan bills on party lines, hopefully we can come together with the sense of common purpose that you expect.  And in the meantime, I will never stop doing whatever I can, whenever I can, not only to make sure that our economy succeeds, but that people like you succeed.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Bolding added.

~

A look at my 40th high school reunion (that I still have a glow from) after the jump …

I was unable to attend the recent Netroots Nation gathering (two years in a row, alas) due to a bi-annual family reunion (and my 40th high school reunion) occurring on the same weekend as NN. As the former was in northeast Pennsylvania and the latter on my native Long Island, NY: it would require splitting my time to Friday night family time, then travelling north on Saturday, involving both Amtrak and a local car rental.

Yet a sudden illness that befell one of my aunts (who’ll be fine) led to the cancellation of the family reunion – as that family wanted to be with my Aunt Agnes, and the host family felt that since we met last summer for a wedding (which is why I missed NN last year in California) we should probably skip this year. And so I made my way down on Friday night to the reunion hotel.

This was the fourth reunion for my high school class of 1974 (having had a 10, 20 and 35-year reunion previously) and having set-up a dedicated Class of 1974 Facebook page made facilitating this much easier. We had a large (400 students) graduating class, and with several living around the country (and one in France) ….. we needed all the help we could get.

Unlike in past years – where there was simply a formal Saturday night gathering, and anything else was ad-hoc – the organizers arranged for some additional events, for those unable or unwilling to spring for a main event. And so Friday saw a restaurant gathering (along with a subsequent visit to a pub, where some old classmates were playing in a band).

On Saturday morning, I took-up an offer from one of my classmates (Bob Pombo, on the left in the first photo above) to visit a classmate of ours in a nursing home (shown below). Shirley Robeants suffered a neurological disease fifteen years ago, and a later stroke confined her to a wheelchair. After the death of her husband and her brother Stan – who also was a member of our graduating class, and whom I knew better – her condition worsened, and she has been in a nursing home since. Sad to say: along with occasional visits from other classmates, Bob is the only one who sees her on any kind of a regular basis. He drives up from New Jersey to see his mother every other month, and stops in to see Shirley – more than her children do.

And so she was grateful to recognize Bob, probably did not recognize me but was happy to accept a Class of 1974 cap I gave her. Seeing her condition was a case of déja-vu: Shirley could get 3-4 words out, then be unable to finish the sentence – causing her to clench her fist. Having gone through that with my mother, I knew the feeling. But we were hopefully able to brighten her day – and more than once she clasped Bob’s hand and said “I love you”. For all of the fun and partying we had that weekend ….. I was glad I went on this trip; it was a reality check of the first-magnitude and a way of remembering all of our old comrades.

Some time ago, I posted an ode to my high school principal John Rowan – who answered an inquiry I made into his activities. After that diary, I realized that he – along with my father as well as Wally Graham (my first full-time boss) – was one of the three male role models I have had in life.

The other two are easy to understand, but John Rowan is a Jesuit priest whose influence was subtle enough for me to overlook – until now. When I made contact with him and invited him to our reunion, he graciously accepted. At this link is my original diary, which explains my admiration for a progressive educator whose leadership prepared myself (and my fellow students) for life .. and as he left the school at same time as us – he, too, is part of the Class of 1974. And it was he who set the tone for the school name Holy Family … emphasis on the family. In fact, I would compare him favorably to Pope Francis, as a way to explain him.

At the reunion, I was telling some of my old classmates about explaining to co-workers and friends what made our class so special. “You can’t!” was a gleeful reply, yet one reason I gave people that did have salience was the fact that our school no longer exists. It was to be closed (due to declining enrollment) in 1984, and so the diocese sold it …… to our arch-rivals. St. Anthony’s was an all-boys school who were bursting at the seams of their old building …… and so our building was sold to them for the princely sum of $1 (on the condition that they go co-ed, which they agreed to). I have had some success in convincing folks on our Facebook page to refer to our old rivals – whose butts we used to kick every Thanksgiving morning in football, and whom we learned had thrown out many of our academic and athletic awards – as The School that Must Not be Named (and with some success, too).

I believe that when you are an alumnus of a school that exists only in memory: that you want to hold-on to it if it was a favorable experience. This school was a turning point in life for me, and former NBA stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Len Elmore, who graduated from Power Memorial in Manhattan (which also closed in the 1980’s) have noted a sense of loss, as well.

I was a bit hesitant on Saturday afternoon to visit The School that Must Not be Named …. but did so because Father Rowan agreed to hold a Mass there. Probably would not have gone but for him being there … but was glad I went, as he conducted a very personal and meaningful service. And then was especially glad I went because he told us he could not attend the reunion later on – and was not supposed to have even gone outside that weekend. He told us his cardiologist had contacted him the day before and scheduled a procedure … for Monday morning. Gadzooks, was I glad to talk to him and wish him well (I’m in the center of the back row, light blue polo shirt).

The reunion affair itself was marvelous: from a graduation class of 400, we had 135 attendees (plus another 25 spouses and, in one case: Steve Brown’s daughter in the lower left of this photo) and I spoke to as many of them as I could. The food was good, we had a 4-hour open bar (with much better liquor than the Boone’s Farm and the cheap beer we imbibed back-in-the-day) and the only disappointment was that I could not get to talk to everyone that night.

Set-up in the hall was an automated photo booth, with all sorts of props (fake mustaches, funny hats and signs that read “Here 4 the Beer”) that brought-out the ham in many …… well, see for yourself:

In my original essay I noted having been rather shy (and having to come out of my shell) back then in high school. At these reunions, I made it a point to tell a few of my classmates things I really wanted to say to them years ago, and am finally doing so now: “I’m not lacking, just slow” was my preamble. Here are a few of my classmates that meant something to me:

Our senior class president Dawn Rella and Sharon Del Col were the two women (girls, at the time) with whom I could have technical music discussions with back then. Which guitarist/drummer, etc. was good (and who wasn’t) was a conversation I could otherwise only have with guys back then – and both smiled when I told them this.

Beth Olphie was a classmate with a warm smile, usually laughing and who was always quite perceptive. I told her that I recalled an English class discussion after reading a poem (involving a female protagonist) with our teacher asking what the poem signified? Beth said she was pleasantly surprised when the boys all seemed to agree it was about a woman with a generous spirit ….. when she had thought it (allegorically) was about a prostitute. I told her that it actually had crossed-my-mind – but I was too bashful to say it out loud. She was surprised I remembered this (she hadn’t) but as she always spoke her mind, she didn’t doubt it happened.

There are not many of my classes that I still remember – but one was Hank (the Tank) Barthel’s sophomore American Literature class – where we would often wind up having esoteric discussions on topics far from the subject matter. It seemed like a heavy subject for us sixteen year-olds to be discussing “What makes someone a man?” – but Dennis Montano impressed me by responding ……… “Being able to admit that you were wrong”.

I asked John Bachety whether his mother was still alive – and when he responded yes: I mentioned how impressed I was with her as a quite outspoken female politician in the town government she represented back in the 1970’s. “And as a Democrat in a GOP district!” he noted (which I had avoided mentioning, just in case his political beliefs were different today). But he thanked me; saying he’d tell her that someone (from a town several miles away) remembered.

Before the event, we had a moment of silence for our 20+ classmates no longer of this earth (that we know of). Their deaths came via many ways: one died in the summer between our junior/senior year (from a faulty amusement park ride), others from ovarian cancer, one from AIDS, a murder-suicide, a suicide after being jilted via a broken engagement, and one fellow who was diagnosed with terminal leukemia before our last reunion five years ago.

But at that last reunion, Ed Bisson was as upbeat as possible (expressing much more concern about the orthopedic surgery I was recuperating from then) before he died a few months later. Many of us spoke of old friends… as if we were shepherds losing sheep.

The next day we had a buffet brunch at a restaurant with an outdoor patio, with about 25-30 attendees. Two old friends not at the formal event showed-up then, a nice place to catch-up with. And after the partying we had the night before (I mean, as much partying as a bunch of late fifty-somethings could handle) …… well, the coffee was the most important item there.

We agreed that (a) we would hold a 45-year reunion, that (b) annually an informal, mini-reunion would take place sometime in the region, and that (c) we would try to arrange regional gatherings for our classmates who live out of the NY metro area (indeed, as some liberal meet-up groups do). The afterglow was so bright from this event that we agreed it was worth preserving. A few more thoughts:

Yours truly is on the right of this photo, and when I cross-posted it to my Facebook page one DK reader wryly asked, “Did they only admit good-looking people to your school?” (Yes, the butter knife was in use.).

Claire Lamonica is on the left: although she has help, she is the one who has made all four of our reunions happen – and I can’t say enough about her. Just to my left is Sue Cummins, who had one of the best stories from our time there.

She was tipped-off that the assistant principal was going to inspect her locker for booze –  and she did indeed have several baby food jars (with Bacardi in it). The drinking age was only 18 at that time, and we never had trouble procuring any alcohol back then – but Sue  was nervous, having already been placed on probationary warning.

Fortunately, the search came-up empty – because she gave the jars to Pat (Pasquale Cofone) the custodian who stashed them in his locker for the rest of the day (before returning them to her). Pat was the super-friendly guy who smiled and said hello to you – even if he had already done so four times that day.

And so one of the gifts we received as attendees – obtained by a classmate who worked at a glass company) were some glasses filled with confetti, with the school logo on the side and with a …… baby-food jar cap on it. A way to recapture our youthful hi-jinks … who woulda thunk it?

Yet there was one dark cloud hanging at the time of our departures – until we got back this communiqué from our principal John Rowan:

Thank you for your prayers and good wishes. They worked! The angiogram showed no stress points in the cardiac system and, marvel! – a cat scan showed a complete occlusion of the carotid arteries to the brain, but adequate assignment of blood delivery to the brain by other arteries with the result: no treatment necessary. I’m home free and feeling great. My cardiologist says that the medical fact that I did not have a major stroke is a wonder, and he is going to write it up for the records. So I must have a purpose left in this life, right? You can share this message and my address with any who inquire. Much love.

JR

This is a rather personal diary – but I hope I’ve been able to impart just how important he (and my classmates) meant to me.I know for many of you, the next time you see your old schoolmates will be too soon ….. and so I feel lucky. It was junior high that I had problems with; this school was the antidote.

There are some of my classmates that I have spoken to more at these reunions than in our four years together – in a large graduating class, and especially if they took a different foreign language (and electives) than I did – that probably is to be expected. But none of that matters; and I felt it was a sign of growth that I avoided clinging to my old friends and sought the others out.

I feel the same way about my other childhood friends – we have held a party for three old chums with birthdays during Christmas week for the past 38 years – plus those at Drinking Liberally, Cheers & Jeers and Netroots Nation who also mean-the-world to me.

Two videos to close with. First, the same video I posted on my original diary: Stanley Clarke performing (with Larry Coryell as special guest) on the appropriately-titled School Days – a jazz-rock instrumental standard.

And secondly, the Christine Lavin tune The Moment Slipped Away – about making an effort to tell people kind things you wanted to say to them … which I have tried to rectify in my own life.

From the White House blog, President Obama in Kansas City

In two days, Congress leaves Washington for a month, and the President noted that there is still time to get things done. But rather than voting on bills that would provide resources to fight wildfires in the West, or prevent the Highway Trust Fund from running out of money, the President pointed out that Republicans in Congress are focused on one issue.

“The main vote that they’ve scheduled for today is whether or not they decide to sue me for doing my job.”

And they voted Thursday, 225 to 201, to do just that.

The president to Congress:

“Come on and help out a little bit. Stop being mad all the time. Stop just hating all the time…Let’s get some work done together.”  

Mad, indeed.

Transcript: Remarks by the President on the Economy — Kansas, City, MO

(Edited)

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Kansas City!  (Applause.)  Well, it is good to be back in Kansas City, back in the Midwest.  (Applause.)  And I have to say, I love these old theaters.  I mean, they are unbelievable.  This is just gorgeous. […]

But what happens is, every night I read 10 letters that we receive.  We get 40,000 correspondence.  And then our correspondence office chooses 10, sort of a sample for me to take a look at.  And it gives me a chance to hear directly from the people I serve.  And folks tell me their stories — they tell me their worries and their hopes and their hardships, their successes.  Some say I’m doing a good job.  (Applause.)  But other people say, “You’re an idiot.”

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, I mean, this is how I know that I’m getting a good sample of letters.  (Laughter.)

Last week, a young girl wrote to ask me why aren’t there any women on our currency, and then she gave me like a long list of possible women to put on our dollar bills and quarters and stuff — which I thought was a pretty good idea.

Now, Victor wrote to me to tell me about his life in Butler, and he told me that he has been unemployed for a while after he and his wife had had their first child.  But he refused to quit.  He earned his degree, found a full-time job.  He now helps folks with disabilities live independently.  And he’s just a good-hearted man.  (Applause.)  And you can tell, really, he’s doing great stuff.  And Victor described how he got through some tough times because of his Christian faith and his determination — which are things that government programs and policies can’t replace.  You got to have that sense of purpose and perseverance.  That has to come from inside; you can’t legislate that.

But he also said that he was able to afford health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.  (Applause.)  And he also said that because of the income-based repayment plan that we had put in place, where you only have to pay 10 percent of your income maximum in repaying your loans each month, that was what allowed him and his family to keep a roof over their heads and support themselves.

And so I’m here because Victor is the sort of person I’m working for every single day — (applause) — somebody who never quits, somebody who is doing everything right, somebody who believes in the American Dream.  Somebody who just wants a chance to build a decent life for himself and his family.  And that’s the vast majority of Americans.  That’s who I’m fighting for right here in Kansas City and all across this country.  (Applause.)  That’s why I ran for President in the first place, to fight for folks like that.  (Applause.)

Now, we all know it hasn’t always been easy.  The crisis that hit near the end of my campaign back in 2008, it would end up costing millions of Americans their jobs, their homes, their sense of security.  But we have fought back.  We have got back off our feet, we have dusted ourselves off.  Today, our businesses have added nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 52 months.  (Applause.)  Construction is up.  Manufacturing is back.  Our energy, our technology, our auto industries, they’re all booming.

The unemployment rate is at its lowest point since September of 2008.  (Applause.)  It’s dropped faster than any time in 30 years.  This morning, we found out that in the second quarter of this year our economy grew at a strong pace, and businesses are investing, workers are building new homes, consumers are spending, America is exporting goods around the world.

So the decisions that we made — to rescue our economy, to rescue the auto industry, to rebuild the economy on a new foundation, to invest in research and infrastructure, education — all those things are starting to pay off.

The world’s number-one oil and gas producer — that’s not Saudi Arabia; that’s not Russia — it’s the United States of America.  (Applause.)  We’ve tripled the amount of electricity we get from wind.  (Applause.)  We’ve increased by 10 times the amount of electricity we get from the sun.  And all that is creating tens of thousands of jobs across the country.

Our high school graduation rate is at a record high.  More young people are earning their college degrees than ever before.  (Applause.)  401(k)s have recovered their value.  Home prices are rising.  And, yes, millions of families now have the peace of mind, just like Victor’s family does, of getting quality, affordable health care when you need it.  It makes a difference in people’s lives.  (Applause.)

And, look, Kansas City, none of this is an accident.  It’s thanks to the resilience and resolve of the American people.  It’s also thanks to some decisions that we made early on.  And now America has recovered faster and come farther than just about any other advanced country on Earth.  And for the first time in more than a decade, if you ask business leaders around the world what’s the number-one place to invest, they don’t say China anymore.  They say the United States of America. (Applause.)  And our lead is growing.

So sometimes you wouldn’t know it if you were watching the news, but there are a lot of good reasons to be optimistic about America.  We hold the best cards.  Things are getting better.  The decisions we make now can make things even better than that.  In fact, the decisions we make now will determine whether the economic gains that we’re generating are broad based, whether they just go to a few at the top or whether we got an economy in which the middle class is growing and folks who are trying to get into the middle class have more rungs on the ladder; whether ordinary folks are benefiting from growth.

And that’s what’s at stake right now — making sure our economy works for every American.  See, I’m glad that GDP is growing, and I’m glad that corporate profits are high, and I’m glad that the stock market is booming.  But what really I want to see is a guy working nine to five, and then working some overtime, I want that guy making more than the minimum wage. (Applause.)

And what I really want is somebody who has worked for 20, 30 years being able to retire with some dignity and some respect.  (Applause.)  What I really want is a family that they have the capacity to save so that when their child is ready to go to college, they know they can help and that it’s affordable, and that that child is not going to be burdened down with debt.  That’s the measure of whether the economy is working; not just how well it’s doing overall, but is it doing well for ordinary folks who are working hard every single day and aren’t always getting a fair shot.  That’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s why I ran for President.  That’s what I’m focused on every day.  (Applause.)

 And that’s what sometimes Washington forgets.  Your lives and what you’re going through day to day — the struggles, but also the opportunities and the hopes and the good things, but sometimes the rough things that happen — that’s more important than some of the phony scandals or the fleeting stories that you see.  This is the challenge of our time — how do we make sure we’ve got an economy that is working for everybody?  

Now, all of you are doing your part to help bring America back.  You’re doing your job.  Imagine how much further along we’d be, how much stronger our economy would be, if Congress was doing its job, too.  (Applause.)  We’d be doing great.  Every time I meet some of these folks who have written me letters, we sit down and talk, and they say, what’s going on in Washington?  Why —

What they tell me is, if Congress had the same priorities that ordinary families did, if they felt the same sense of urgency about things like the cost of college or the need for increases in the minimum wage, or how we’re making child care more affordable and improving early childhood education — if that’s what they were thinking about, we could help a lot more families.  A lot more people would be getting ahead.  The economy would be doing better.  We could help a lot more families, and we should.

We should be relentlessly focused on what I call an opportunity agenda, one that creates more jobs by investing in what’s always made our economy strong:  making sure that we’re on the cutting edge when it comes to clean energy; making sure that we’re rebuilding our infrastructure — our roads, our bridges, our ports, our airports, our locks, our dams.  (Applause.)  Making sure that advanced manufacturing is happening right here in the United States so we can start bringing manufacturing jobs back to the Midwest and all across the country, jobs that pay a good wage.  (Applause.)  Investing in research and science that leads to new American industries. Training our workers — really making a job-training program and using our community colleges in ways that allow people to constantly retrain for the new opportunities that are out there and to prepare our kids for the global competition that they’re going to face.  Making sure that hard work pays off with higher wages and higher incomes.

If we do all these things, we’re going to strengthen the middle class, we’ll help more people get into the middle class.  Businesses, by the way, will do better.  If folks have more money in their pocket, then businesses have more customers.  (Applause.)  If businesses have more customers, they hire more workers.  If you hire more workers, they spend more money.  You spend more money, businesses have more customers — they hire even more workers.  You start moving in the right direction.  (Applause.)  But it starts not from the top down, it starts from the middle out, the bottom up.



Now, so far this year, Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down just about every idea that would have some of the biggest impact on middle-class and working-class families.  They’ve said no to raising the minimum wage.  They’ve said no to fair pay, making sure that women have the ability to make sure that they’re getting paid the same as men for doing the same job.  They’ve said no for fixing our broken immigration system.  Rather than investing in education, they actually voted to give another massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.  And they’ve been pushing to gut the rules that we put in place after the financial crisis to make sure big banks and credit card companies wouldn’t take advantage of consumers or cause another crisis.  So they haven’t been that helpful.  (Laughter.)  They have not been as constructive as I would have hoped.  (Laughter.)  

And these actions, they come with a cost.  When you block policies that would help millions of Americans right now, not only are those families hurt, but the whole economy is hurt. So that’s why this year, my administration, what we’ve said was we want to work with Congress, we want to work with Republicans and Democrats to get things going, but we can’t wait.  So if they’re not going to do anything, we’ll do what we can on our own.  And we’ve taken more than 40 actions aimed at helping hardworking families like yours.  (Applause.)

That’s when we act — when your Congress won’t.

So when Congress failed to pass equal pay legislation, I made sure that women got more protection in their fight for fair pay in the workplace, because I think that when women succeed, everybody succeeds.  (Applause.)  I want my daughters paid the same as your sons for doing the same job.  (Applause.)

Congress had the chance to pass a law that would help lower interest rates on student loans.  They didn’t pass it.  I acted on my own to give millions of Americans a chance to cap their payments, the program that Victor has taken advantage of.  I don’t want our young people just saddled with debt before they’ve even gotten started in life.  (Applause.)

When it comes to the minimum wage, last week marked five years since the last time the minimum wage went up.  Now, you know the cost of living went up.  The minimum wage didn’t go up.  So I went ahead on my own.  When it came to federal contractors, I said, if you want to get a federal contract, you’ve got to pay your workers at least $10.10 an hour.  (Applause.)  And I’ve been trying to work with governors and mayors, and in some cases with business owners, just calling them up directly.  How about giving your folks a raise?  And some of them have done it.

And since I had first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, businesses like the Gap — you’ve got 13 states and D.C. — they’ve gone ahead and raised their minimum wage.  It makes a difference in people’s lives.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, here’s something interesting:  The states that have increased their minimum wages this year, they’ve seen higher job growth than the states that didn’t increase their minimum wage.  (Applause.)  So remember, you give them a little bit more money, businesses have more customers.  They got more customers, they make more profit.  They make more profit, what do they do?  They hire more workers.  America deserves a raise, and it’s good for everybody.

So some of the things we’re doing without Congress are making a difference, but we could do so much more if Congress would just come on and help out a little bit.  (Applause.)  Just come on.  Come on and help out a little bit.  Stop being mad all the time.  (Applause.)  Stop just hating all the time.  Come on.  (Applause.)  Let’s get some work done together.  (Applause.)  

They did pass this workforce training act, and it was bipartisan.  There were Republicans and Democrats, and everybody was all pleased.  They came, we had a bill signing, and they were all in their suits.  I said, doesn’t this feel good?  (Laughter.)  We’re doing something.  It’s like, useful.  Nobody is shouting at each other.  (Laughter.)  It was really nice.  I said, let’s do this again.  Let’s do it more often.  (Applause.)

I know they’re not that happy that I’m President, but that’s okay.  (Laughter.)  Come on.  I’ve only got a couple of years left.  Come on, let’s get some work done.  Then you can be mad at the next President.

Look, we’ve got just today and tomorrow until Congress leaves town for a month.  And we’ve still got some serious work to do.  We’ve still got a chance to — we got to put people to work rebuilding roads and bridges.  And the Highway Trust Fund is running out of money; we got to get that done.  We’ve got to get some resources to fight wildfires out West.  That’s a serious situation.  We need more resources to deal with the situation in the southern part of the border with some of those kids.  We got to be able to deal with that in a proper way.  (Applause.)

So there’s a bunch of stuff that needs to get done.  Unfortunately, I think the main vote — correct me if I’m wrong here, Congressman — the main vote that they’ve scheduled for today is whether or not they decide to sue me for doing my job.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, no — first of all, here’s something I always say — do not boo, vote.  Booing doesn’t help.  Voting helps.  (Applause.)

But think about this — they have announced that they’re going to sue me for taking executive actions to help people.  So they’re mad because I’m doing my job.  And, by the way, I’ve told them — I said, I’d be happy to do it with you.  So the only reason I’m doing it on my own is because you don’t do anything.  (Applause.)  But if you want, let’s work together.

I mean, everybody recognizes this is a political stunt, but it’s worse than that, because every vote they’re taking like that means a vote they’re not taking to actually help you.  When they have taken 50 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, that was time that could have been spent working constructively to help you on some things.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, you know who is paying for this suit they’re going to file?  You.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no — you’re paying for it.  And it’s estimated that by the time the thing was done, I would have already left office.  So it’s not a productive thing to do.

But here’s what I want people to remember. Every single day, as depressing sometimes as what goes on in Washington may be, I see the inherent goodness and generosity of the American people.  I see it every day.  I see it in all of you.  I saw it in the four people that I had dinner with last night.

In addition to Victor, one guy who joined us was a guy named Mark Turner.  He works with high schools dropouts to help get them back on track.  He used to be a successful corporate executive, decided he wanted to give something back.  (Applause.)  You got Valerie McCaw.  Valerie is a single mom, engineer, owns a small business.  She’s doing great things.  Even though sometimes it’s a struggle making sure she keeps her business afloat, she’s persevered and is helping her son get his college education.  Then you got Becky Forrest.  She’s a fireplug.  She’s president of the Town Fork Creek Neighborhood Association.  She’s got so many things going on — after-school programs and mentoring programs, and basketball leagues, and all kinds of things at a community center — I couldn’t keep track of all of them.  (Laughter.)

And to listen to them talk, it made you optimistic.  It reminded you there are good people out here.  Everybody is out there trying to do their best, trying to look after their families, trying to raise their kids, trying to give something back — working with their church, working with their synagogues, working with their places of faith.  Just trying to give something back and give some meaning to their lives.  And they’re responsible.  And we all make mistakes and we all have regrets, but generally speaking, people are decent.

And so the question is, how can we do a better job at capturing that spirit in Washington, in our government?  The American people are working harder than ever to support families, to strengthen communities.  And so instead of suing me for doing my job, let’s — I want Congress to do its job and make life a little better for the Americans who sent them there in the first place.  (Applause.)  Stop posturing.

And, by the way, there’s one place to start.  I talked about this last week, but I want to talk about this a little more.  Right now, there’s a loophole in the tax code that lets a small but growing group of corporations leave the country; they declare themselves no longer American companies just to get out of paying their fair share of taxes — even though most of their operations are here, they’ve always been American companies, they took advantage of all the benefits of being an American company, but now their accountant has convinced them maybe they can get out of paying some taxes.

They’re renouncing their citizenship even though they’re keeping most of their business here.  I mean, it’s just an accounting trick, but it hurts our country’s finances, and it adds to the deficit and sticks you with the tab — because if they’re not paying their share and stashing their money offshore, you don’t have that option.  It ain’t right.  Not only is it not right, it ain’t right.  (Laughter and applause.)  It ain’t right.  I hope everybody is clear on the distinction.  There are some things are not right.  And then there’s some things that just ain’t right.  (Laughter and applause.)  And this ain’t right.  (Laughter.)

I mean, you don’t have accountants figuring all this stuff out for you, trying to game the system.  These companies shouldn’t either.  And they shouldn’t turn their back on the country that made their success possible.  And, by the way, this can be fixed.  For the last two years I’ve put forward plans to cut corporate taxes, close loopholes, make it more reliable, make it clearer.  And to Republicans, I say, join with me.  Let’s work to close this unpatriotic tax loophole for good.  Let’s use the savings that we get from closing the loophole to invest in things like education that are good for everybody.

Don’t double down on top-down economics.  Let’s really fight to make sure that everybody gets a chance and, by the way, that everybody plays by the same rules.  (Applause.)  We could do so much more if we got that kind of economic patriotism that says we rise or fall as one nation and as one people.  And that’s what Victor believes.

When Victor wrote me his letter, he said, “I believe, regardless of political party, we can all do something to help our citizens to have a chance at a job, have food in their stomachs, have access to great education and health care.”  That’s what economic patriotism is.  (Applause.)  That’s what we should all be working on.  

Instead of tax breaks for folks who don’t need them, let’s give tax breaks to working families to help them pay for child care and college.  Don’t reward companies shipping jobs overseas; let’s give tax breaks to companies investing right here in Missouri, right here in the Midwest.  (Applause.)  Let’s give every citizen access to preschool and college and affordable health care.  And let’s make sure women get a fair wage.  (Applause.)  Let’s make sure anybody who is working full-time isn’t living in poverty.  (Applause.)

These are not un-American ideas; these are patriotic ideas.  This is how we built America.  (Applause.)

So just remember this:  The hardest thing to do is to bring about real change.  It’s hard.  You’ve got a stubborn status quo. And folks in Washington, sometimes they’re focused on everything but your concerns.  And there are special interests and there are lobbyists, and they’re paid to maintain the status quo that’s working for somebody.  And they’re counting on you getting cynical, so you don’t vote and you don’t get involved, and people just say, you know what, none of this is going to make a difference.  And the more you do that, then the more power the special interests have, and the more entrenched the status quo becomes.

You can’t afford to be cynical.  Cynicism is fashionable sometimes.  You see it all over our culture, all over TV; everybody likes just putting stuff down and being cynical and being negative, and that shows somehow that you’re sophisticated and you’re cool.  You know what — cynicism didn’t put a man on the moon.  Cynicism didn’t win women the right to vote.  Cynicism did not get a Civil Rights Act signed. Cynicism has never won a war.  Cynicism has never cured a disease.  Cynicism has never started a business.  Cynicism has never fed a young mind.  (Applause.)

I do not believe in a cynical America; I believe in an optimistic America that is making progress.  (Applause.)  And I believe despite unyielding opposition, there are workers right now who have jobs who didn’t have them before because of what we’ve done; and folks who got health care who didn’t have it because of the work that we’ve done; and students who are going to college who couldn’t afford it before; and troops who’ve come home after tour after tour of duty because of what we’ve done.  (Applause.)

You don’t have time to be cynical.  Hope is a better choice.  (Applause.)  That’s what I need you for.

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

Bolding added.

~

Feel free to share other news stories in the comments.

The following was written by a friend of mine, Peter Andersen, an American currently living in Sierra Leone, who, for his internet-based coverage of Sierra Leone’s civil war, was made a Member of the Order of the Rokel.  The Order of the Rokel, together with the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone, is Sierra Leone’s highest civilian honor.   The piece is reproduced here with his permission

The media in North America and Western Europe has finally picked up on the Ebola outbreak, but mostly with the idea that it could come “here.” The inflammatory headlines and statements in the first paragraphs are balanced at the bottom, should anyone read that far, by experts who point out that the chance of an outbreak in those regions is vanishingly small.

The comments left after such online articles range from the uninformed to the racist, with the German readers of Focus being especially bad. Yes, people here eat bush meat including monkey and even fruit bat. No, it is not a choice between eating bush meat and starvation. No, it is not only rich people who eat bush meat. No, it is not “superstition” which causes people to catch Ebola, unless by that you mean that people want a decent burial for their loved ones and are uncomfortable with the so-called “medical burial” where the body is zipped into a body bag and tossed without ceremony into an unmarked grave. And no, the cause of Ebola is not overpopulation.

This Ebola crisis is not “about” Europe or America, despite media there trying to find a local angle. They are trying too hard. Suddenly the Liberian official who died in Lagos, Patrick Sawyer, has become “an American of Liberian descent” in the Western press, but he remains a Liberian in the African press. In fact, he lived in Minnesota where his wife and three children reside. He is likely a dual citizen, but that does not make him “an American of Liberian descent” as the BBC would have it. That would imply that he was born in the US of Liberian parents. Ever if that were true (and it isn’t), he would still have qualified for a Liberian passport. I am waiting to hear from the BBC how a Liberian official was traveling on official government business from Monrovia to Calabar, Nigeria to an ECOWAS conference with an American passport.

At present I am not worried about an epidemic, or a pandemic, or a serious outbreak in Europe or America. We have not seen a single case caused by exposure in the West, nor have we seen a single infected person arrive from Africa. This is not even, mostly, about us here in Freetown (for now) although we now have had some cases and some people have been exposed. Most of the victims on this side of the border are in Kailahun and Kenema Districts, and it is with them and their families that our thoughts, our prayers, and our sympathies lie. And most especially with those medical staff who work up to 22 hours a day to save those who have been infected. Media, stop dividing them up into Americans and Africans in order to sell your story to a certain market. Even now we are mourning the loss of Dr. Khan and the three nurses who gave their lives saving others, while the Liberians are mourning their own losses. We only recognize one category and it’s called “hero.”

However Ebola initially started –and fruit bats and bush meat are only an educated guess at this point — after the initial infection, it travels person to person. With the proper isolation facilities (which the Western countries have) and effective communication of information (which they also have), Ebola should not be hard to control in the West.

Cross-posted at Daily Kos

I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in “Cheers & Jeers”.  

OK, you’ve been warned – here is this week’s tomfoolery material that I posted.

ART NOTES – a career retrospective of the Czech-born photographer Josef Koudelka is at the Art Institute of Chicago through September 14th.

FOOD NOTES – Italy is setting out to prove the origins of agricultural products … for example: DNA profiling of wine.

IT’S REALLY SOMETHING to see the reaction to the corporate board struggles at the New England supermarket chain Market Basket – here, for example, is the story of my nearby store by our local newspaper city columnist.

THURSDAY’s CHILD is Soldier the Cat – a South Carolina kitteh who was resuscitated by firefighters after a house fire …. and his recovery has led to donations intended to provide every fire department in South Carolina with the same equipment.

DESPITE guarantees of a “one country, two systems” approach to preserve press freedoms in Hong Kong – authorities in mainland China are finding indirect ways to restrict them.

HAIL and FAREWELL to the author Bel Kaufman – whose 1965 novel Up the Down Staircase sold more than six million copies and whose title is still used metaphorically – who has died at the age of 103.

FRIDAY’s CHILD is Smudge the Cat – an English kitteh who rescued a five year-old boy from bullies … by jumping on them, causing them to flee. Smudge is among the finalists for Britain’s “Hero Cat” awards next month (and the other two will be profiled next week).

CHEERS to a nice profile of Sarah McLachlan on CBS Sunday Morning today.

BRAIN TEASER – try this Quiz of the Week’s News from the BBC.

CHEERS to a wonderful time this past weekend at my 40th high school reunion – which will be the subject of a Top Comments diary next week.

OLDER-YOUNGER SISTERS? – TV star Kirstie Alley as well as Caitlin Moran – the English TV critic and best-selling author.

   

…… and finally, for a song of the week …………………… this November will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of an English  singer-songwriter whose influence is felt to this day … yet sadly not during his lifetime. Nick Drake released three albums (from 1969-1972) that all sounded different and were critically-acclaimed … yet sold poorly, adding to his existing social difficulties.

Three names come-to-mind in describing his career: one was Eva Cassidy, who shared Drake’s fear of performing live, was largely unknown during her life yet achieved almost cult status after her early death. The All-Music Guide’s Richie Unterberger likens his music to that of Donovan, with breathy vocals, strong melodies and acoustic orchestral arrangements. Finally, Drake had the same dark tone that Kurt Cobain had, speaking to the sense of alienation that many indie rockers share … as well as Cobain’s personal problems.

Nick Drake was born in 1948 in Rangoon, Burma – the son of an engineer and the daughter of a civil servant (who returned to England in 1950, settling just south of Birmingham). Both parents were musically inclined (including writing songs) and recordings of his mother’s works (found after her death in 1993) show overtones of themes that her son’s works later explored. Nick Drake had talents at school, yet his aloofness hampered him academically.

He played piano in the school orchestra and in early 1965 formed a band called The Perfumed Gardeners, who played R&B and jazz covers (future star Chris de Burgh – of Lady in Red fame – was turned down as having too much of a pop influence). Drake left as his influences turned to that of Bob Dylan, Josh White Jr. and Phil Ochs, and he began to travel as a busking guitarist across Europe and even Morocco, where his drug usage began.

While performing solo in London coffeehouses and clubs, he had his big break as an opening act for Country Joe and the Fish in February 1968, as the Fairport Convention bassist Ashley Hutchings was impressed with both his songs and presence. Hutchings recommended Drake to the band’s American producer Joe Boyd (who had also produced the Incredible String Band and folksinger John Martyn) … who offered Drake a contract at age 20 after hearing a tape. Elton John was hired as a session vocalist to record Drake’s songs to use as demos to entice established singers to cover Drake’s compositions.

Boyd went on to produce the first two (of three) albums Drake would release in his lifetime – certainly the most commercially accessible ones – and yet they would not sell well in their first runs. Partly this resulted from Drake’s being ahead-of-his-time; anticipating the indie-rock scene that developed later, yet not quite fitting-in to the then-prevailing music scene. Yet a large part came from Drake’s early onset of depression and his reluctance to tour, do interviews and otherwise promote his career.

The first album came in 1969 with the release of Five Leaves Left – with a folk-rock sound (often utilizing Pentangle bassist Danny Thompson) and some selected use of strings. The mix of somewhat melancholy lyrics matched with uplifting melodies (on such songs as River Man and “Time Has Told Me” among others) garnered some favorable record reviews, and the influential BBC disk jockey John Peel championed Drake’s cause. Yet there were delays in releasing the album, a somewhat hurried production, a limited amount of promotion by Island Records and some errors on the inner sleeve notes: with the resulting poor sales not helping Drake’s sense of brooding loner-ness.

A series of concerts late in 1969 (solo shows as well as opening for Fairport Convention) pointed out some of Nick Drake’s difficulties: as one folk singer observer noted, folk music audiences wanted “songs with choruses” and banter in-between songs .. that would not be forthcoming from Nick Drake, even as he frequently paused to change his guitar tunings. Years later that may not have been such an issue … but as the singer-songwriter era was only in its infancy, it stood out then.

1970 saw the release of his most polished recording, Bryter Layter – with a more upbeat tone, some obvious jazz influences (including a few instrumentals). It also had help from the former Velvet Underground member John Cale, with bass and drum tracks included. Both Joe Boyd and his recording engineer John Wood thought the album (featuring songs such as Poor Boy and “Fly”) would be a hit … yet it sold less than three thousand copies in its initial release. At this time, Joe Boyd left the music field to work on Hollywood soundtracks.

All of this caused Nick Drake to withdraw from most concert performances, and felt alone living in London – leading to increased drug use and eventually depression. In June 1970, Drake’s final concert took place as noted by the folksinger Ralph McTell (of “Streets of London” fame) …. where Drake was “monosyllabic”, and eventually “just walked offstage”. Drake was prescribed a battery on anti-depressants yet was hesitant to take them (fearing side effects in conjunction with his recreational drug use).  

In late 1971, Drake approached his recording engineer John Wood about making another recording – but this time, he wanted only a sparse, solo guitar album (never truly comfortable with lush recordings). Pink Moon featured extremely personal (albeit bleak) feelings, which many believe capture Nick Drake’s inner-most feelings, with songs such as Road and Things Behind the Sun as a case-in-point.

The final tape was hand-delivered to the legendary Island Records president Chris Blackwell – who had neither expected (nor even desired) a third album – and who took out a February, 1972 album advertisement in Britain’s noted Melody Maker with the caption “The first we heard of it … was when it was finished”. Although short (less than 30 minutes) the album garnered some critical praise. Yet Drake was unwilling to promote the album, to the chagrin of Blackwell and A&R manager Mervyn ‘Muff’ Winwood (Steve’s brother) and as a result the album sold even less than Bryter Layter … and he entered a psychiatric rest home for a few weeks.

While Nick Drake did record some subsequent individual tracks (that appeared on later compilation albums) his career was essentially over; although the French pop singer Françoise Hardy was supposed to have recorded some of Drake’s songs, none were ever released. He withdrew into being a recluse, keeping correspondence with few people. One was Sophia Ryde described as the closest thing he had to a girlfriend … which she denied, saying that she (and Fairport Convention’s Linda Thompson) were relationships that Drake had, yet never consummated. Eventually he moved back in with his parents.

Nick Drake died in late November, 1974 at the age of twenty-six from an overdose of anti-depressant medications (with a letter to Sophia Ryde on his bed). Among friends/family, opinions are split as to the coroner’s verdict of suicide. Some agree, feeling that he had given-up on life. Others believe it was accidental, including Joe Boyd who had attended some recording sessions Drake had earlier that year. Boyd thought he detected a desire to resume his career (with Drake asking “Why am I not rich and famous?”) and seemingly willing to return to London to achieve that.

Nick Drake has certainly achieved fame in death: particularly during the rise of indie rock during the 1980’s. Musicians such as Lucinda Williams, Ben Folds, Martha Wainwright, Norah Jones, Radiohead, Paul Weller (of The Jam), Robert Smith (of The Cure), Peter Buck (of REM), and others have cited him as an influence and a BBC Radio documentary on Drake’s life had as its narrator none other than Brad Pitt – also a big fan. In the year 2000, the Guardian newspaper listed Bryter Layer as #1 in its Alternative Top 100 Albums of all-time list and in 2012, Rolling Stone named Pink Moon as #321 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. A compilation album has all of his known recordings …… to the point that his original albums have sold multiple times what they did during his lifetime.

And we may soon find out more about some solo 1968 recordings he made before his first album release. A folksinging mentor to Drake, Beverley Martyn (along with her late husband John) brought-to-light this tape, which will go on auction next week in London. And so the final chapter in the career of Nick Drake – which many liken to that of 19th Century Romantic poets who died young – may not yet have been written.

Of all of his songs: besides the sparse Things Behind the Sun … my favorite tune of his is Northern Sky from Bryter Layter – with Joe Boyd recruiting the former Velvet Underground member John Cale to produce it. And below you can hear what was – possibly – the song that could have been his breakthrough, had Island Records released it as a single .. and promoted it (even if Nick Drake wouldn’t).