Motley Blog

The Curious Case of Dino Rossi and the Tea Party

2010-06-06T16:45:47Z

**exactly** like Al Gore's in 2000. Since that time I've realized (and been reminded!) that his centrist political positions were not at all consistent with his role as a 'neighbor' in the Issaquah/Sammamish area - marked by hyper-partisanship and extreme divisiveness - though likely also not without blame from the opposing camp. That history likely shows the true character of the man behind the facade. This 2008 rematch against the now incumbent, Gregoire, curiously, foreshadowed the emergence of the Tea Party.]]> In this 2008 race he was flagged as a strong challenger by the National Republican Party and given strong support. He continued his outreach to the middle, but at that time it struck me as insincere. What I believe we saw at this time was a preview of what the Tea Party has become to the National Republican Party. I'm not enough of a political journalist to provide extensive details, but I'd hope those of you familiar with Washington Politics can see the same effect. Simply put, the Republican Party has consciously attempted to pull the **center** of American Politics, unaffiliated, independent minded, **common sense** Americans to the extreme right with their political efforts - premiering in the 2008 Rossi campaign and fully maturing in today's Tea Party politics. I'm sorry, but that's just bat shit crazy, not to mention highly insulting to this **thinking** individual. FWIW, getting Gregoire out of office might well have still been worth it in 2008 - with Senator Murray there's about as much chance as her doing the right thing as there is of anyone in DC, but she's certainly not as harmful as the bankrupt raging Republicans who are destroying the country in a vain attempt to retain control.

What Motivates Us?

2010-06-06T16:32:42Z

Dan Pink prepares a great summary about what really motivates the creative class. It leans to the left a bit, but bases that argument on an MIT study. Just my cup of Tea! FWIW, the effect documented here may well be what it takes to end a recession. Certainly learning to be happy with zero dollars is not a bad thing.

Rand and Rachel, Racist?

2010-05-27T21:32:59Z

Maddow and Paul Much of the media picked up on this particular meme very quickly, including the New York Times who quite deliberately misled readers about specifically what was said. Most of what I've read has been very polarized, and I think missed the crucial issues. On my Facebook page I'm fortunate enough to have some great folks who come to those issues from each direction, but with an open mind. If you have the time to read this through I think you'll get a better sense of this particular zeitgeist issue than you'll get from anywhere else. Tooley's Facebook Discussion about racism and Rand Paul (Click through for my personal conclusions.)]]> In my opinion there is a fundamental error in judgment of those assailing Mr. Paul for racism - it is true that anti-regulatory stance of Libertarians would make it easier for a racist business to exist - yet Libertarians themselves, highly principled people, are much less likely to actually **be** racist. I'd go so far as to say that those who accuse Rand of being racist are in fact engaging in the same sort of bias as they claim to be attacking. I don't consider myself a 'pure' Libertarian, more of a practical one, favoring the reduction of regulation where possible and an expectation that individuals should control themselves. I think this incident does prove the need for regulation in general, and the most egregious cases of racism in particular - for one it would save the Libertarian Party from being tarred and feathered with racists who choose to operate under their banner. The fact is that with the Constitution, as written, interstate business is regulated by Congress - personally I'd rather have it be limited to medium to large corporations as opposed to the small owner operated place with ten employees or so - but the match is still pretty good, perhaps good enough - as most smaller businesses don't cross State lines and most large corporations most certainly do (as well as international boundaries!) Rand Paul's defense of BP in this regard does strike me as wrong, and something he should be held to account for. FWIW, I see a similar problem with his namesake Ayn Rand between her two most famous books - "Fountainhead" being about the triumph of the individual, "Atlas Shrugged" an excuse for corporatism. Ms. Maddow and her corporate controllers are also in need of some appropriate 'regulation' - planting a liberal 'hate' meme that serves only to benefit mainstream Republicans is disgusting. Perhaps we need to establish Libertarians and Political Independents as a protected class, under a modified Civil Rights Act!

The Bar and The Public #1, Tooley v. US Attorney John McKay (2007)

2010-05-27T18:53:10Z

In the Spring of 2007 my last 'regular' work, an independent contractor arrangement ended and I began exploring new career options as well as revisiting previous issues that led to the end of my first professional career. Addressing many of these issues was a Washington State Bar complaint I filed against the disgraced Bush 2 US Attorney, John McKay, one of 8 nationwide in this well know incident. Though John McKay is an okay guy, I do believe that the Bush administration got this one right, probably coincidentally and the only one of the 8 to be so - for reasons more to do with Washington State legal practice rather than McKay's own character. (His brother Mike, the office holder under Bush 1, is a completely different story.) Here's a link to the Press Release I issued - not all that long before I started this blog. Download file Whenever I get the chance I repeat the story about the assassinated Senior Attorney in that same office at the start of McKay's term, Thomas Wales.

The Bar and the Public, #2 - Tooley v. King County Prosecutor's Office, et al

2010-05-27T18:27:06Z

Click through for the text of a Bar complaint against the King County (Seattle) Prosecutor's Office, received at the WSBA Office May 26th, at 10:25 A.M. BAR COMPLAINT AGAINST Dan Satterberg - BAR #15400 Barbara Louise Linde – BAR #10944 Jim Rogers – BAR #18163 In 1994 Satterberg, Linde, and Rogers illegally conspired to file criminal charges against a citizen and employee, myself, Douglas Tooley, without evidence, as the Superior Court record shows. The purpose of this effort was not to enforce the law but an enforcement of the legal profession’s ownership of the public interest. This charge involved unsubstantiated allegations by the State of Washington, most telling in the complete conflict of interest of this action in that Mr. Roger’s and Ms. Linde’s spouses were State Employees. Greg Canova was an Attorney General working under Christine Gregoire and Ms. Roger’s spouse, if I recall correctly, a professor at the University of Washington, the specific agency initiating the action. Please note also that plaintiff was also a member of the Knox/Logan ‘permatemp’ class action suit against King County – evidencing a continuing pattern of using legal status and authority to create, unlawfully, second class citizens. Please also note the case of Barahimi (sp) v. King County documenting a pattern of harassment by the legal authority against employees who use full good faith in the exercise of their land use related responsibilities. This case brings up specific questions about the use, abuse, and consequences of civil harassment. Though I have been victimized with this law I do support both it and the seriousness of the consequences that are dealt out through codified and common law civil procedures – so long as they are correctly applied and done so with an appropriate level of due process. Misuse of those procedures is nothing but the reinvention of the cycle of abuse and should be treated at least as harshly. Please note also that harassment for profit, including the salary of a government employee, constitutes felony. Please note also that I personally consider the wanton violation of a citizen’s rights the Constitutional equivalent of a sexual violation. As I understand it Criminal redress is not possible in this case as only elected Prosecutors have the authority, and discretion, to file charges. I Douglas L. Tooley affirm, under penalty of perjury, that the information I am providing is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I have read Lawyer Discipline in Washington and I understand that the content of my grievance can be disclosed to the Lawyer. I further expect the grieved Lawyer to hold himself accountable to the laws of Washington State without need for any formal proceeding, including his own Common Law standards regarding 2nd class citizenship for abusive behavior. I also remind Satterberg, Linde, Rogers and the Bar that, under the Constitution, each and every individual citizen is the ‘boss’ and that they serve at our pleasure and do not ‘own’ either the law, public assets, or information concerning its operation. I further propose that any attorney capable of passing the Bar exam who does not voluntarily hold him, or her, self equally to the Constitution, Law, Corporate Rules, and their own standards should be considered as genetically defective. ____________________________________________May 24, 2010 Douglas L. Tooley ]]>

Two Weeks in the Dirty Devil Canyon

2010-05-23T04:11:41Z

The Dirty Devil River flows between Hanksville, Utah and the Colorado River, at the top of Lake Powell, what was once the start of the much missed Glen Canyon. Some of the Dirty Devil's side canyons can be reached from the hard to reach Maze district of Canyonlands National Park. The most well known of these side canyons is Robber's Roost, a hideout for Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. I spent three days in this area, the first in the following slide show. The last side canyon in the presentation, the slot, is Happy Canyon - one of the world's best and nearly a mile long.

"Star Power" at the Washington Correspondents Dinner

2010-05-02T20:32:41Z

The annual Washington Correspondents Dinner is a not to be missed Washington D.C. social event, attracting not only the elites from the press and DC, but also a fair number of entertainment celebrities as well for traditionally humorous presentations, including from the President himself. In 2010 the Country is at a point of flux, poised to go in any number of directions - and I think this event captured the spirit of the moment - in particular one joke of Obama's caught my attention - comparing his decline in the polls to the decline of the news industry. There was however an unintended meaning to this joke - the decline of the elite, in general - including this audience as well as corporate America and Wall Street. It would be truly ironic, yet positive, **if** the racists in this Country were successful in bringing down not only Obama, but also the entire elite. Many different things could happen these days, but certainly holding the elite responsible for their actions in proportion to their position would be a good thing - as would foreclosing on their houses. And who knows, maybe we'd be better off using an American Idol type system to select our next President! I'd give it a shot...

What's Up in Olympia

2010-04-27T22:12:32Z

The 2010 Washington State Legislative session has wrapped up - with both the Governor and the Legislature curiously 'closing' government to observing eyes - the results of which are already obvious. These are trying times, but hiding from accountability solves nothing and makes many things worse. To a larger point, what does this say about our Democratic Party, which controls the Governor's Office as well as both legislative houses? Does it say this generation of leadership are hypocritical failures only concerned with their personal 'entitlements'? Does it say Christine Gregoire and her many associates in the practice of Law are nothing but Corporate lackeys for the right wing? Certainly, in Washington State AND Washington D.C., there is the same amount of freedom for an individual under a corporate controlled government as their would be under the government alone - and perhaps even less!

A 'Bull' Market?

2010-04-26T11:36:11Z

The stock market is plugging along, showing consistent gains - even while the total number of foreclosures go up (don't forget to count all the mortgages delayed in the name of 'mitigation') and so does unemployment (don't forget all the folks dropping off the 'official' statistic). Sure, Goldman Sachs has a minor civil action against them, but if we hadn't bailed them out they'd be rightly bankrupt, not the new owner of a shattered economy - with a stock market buoyed by TARP bailout funds. Do we have a Bull Market now, or just another taxpayer financed 'Pump and Dump' scheme waiting for the next round of Pension Fund and individuals to sucker up? Bull Market? How about a Bull**Shit** Market?

American Law and Order

2010-04-24T01:28:19Z

I am so proud of the American legal system. Why, without it, we'd be just another corrupt third world Country with the super rich and the very poor masses - with nothing to keep us all in line but reactionary right wing gangs roaming the countryside...

A moment of Zen

2010-04-13T18:32:45Z

And a tip of the hat to Jon Stewart:

An Easter Thought - R reborn as T?

2010-04-03T13:29:28Z

Given that the Republicans have crucified themselves with their own ideology (and fucked themselves to a corporate communist hell!) perhaps we will be so lucky to have the Tea Party rebirth true conservative ideals in this Constitutional Republic?

Tea with Goldilocks

2010-04-03T12:21:01Z

The Tea Party, still not a fully formed effort, has become the focus of much mainstream media attention regarding the potential for violence. What this still forming group will become is not yet known, and I would certainly give little credence to any corporate coverage of this group - and not too much more for their coverage of the Democrats or Republicans. As to the threats of violence, there are certainly those in both mainstream parties who put their often hypocritical group think ideologies above the foundation of American Law, the United States Constitution. We do have the legal right to overthrow our government, should it lose sight of its protections of individual social and economic liberties. But recall too, that the right to bear arms is the 2nd right, and speech is first. Alex Jones. Realize also that the Corporate Media are the one's actually encouraging the violence... Oh, and Goldy, make my Tea Black!.]]>

NO FOOLING - April 1, 2010

2010-04-01T14:27:43Z

"Economic depression cannot be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement. Economic wounds must be healed by the action of the cells of the economic body - the producers and consumers themselves." - Herbert Hoover Quoting Herbert Hoover, at this particular point in time, could be interpreted many ways, all valid. But the quote is very true, even if Hoover himself was not able to successfully act upon the premise. This early 20th century perspective is why Clinton's job oriented economic development focus, with a Republican Congress, was so successful. It is also why George Bush II was a total failure and bankrupted his own party. Business in a Constitutional Republic is not about corporations nor is it the exclusive domain of the Republican Party. 'Business' is about every body being free to pursue a good living. 'Business' is NOT about beating down individuals to benefit the corporatist military industrial complex and the ideology of the right. ]]> The failure of the Republican party and its corporate to own their failure for the foolish risks they took in search of unearned profits makes them nothing but abusers. Their taking of the public's money via the banks to cover their mistakes (and pay their cadillac plan insurance premiums!) makes them nothing but thieves. Their going to war on knowingly false pretenses makes them nothing but murdering gangsters. And the Democrats are close on their heels... These folks deserve to be either in jail or living under the bridge with the other abusive predators. and, frankly, should they be beat to death by a gang of thugs roaming the street or bleed to death anally in prison I could not care less. It is time for Americans who earn what they consume and work themselves for what they believe in to stand up and take the country back. Ignore the media and what they say about the right, left, and especially the Tea Party and independent voters. Listen to your friends, in your neighborhood and across the Country and make your own reality, AND YOUR OWN LIFE!

A Legal Reminder, plus something to Ponder.

2010-03-26T20:00:58Z

Don't forget that you have the legal right to defend yourself against the right wing folks who are going around threatening people in this post health care reform era. But note that they have the same legal option to build a case against the government for threatening them. But ponder also this, that it is likely the same Wall Street Corporate Bankers and their Takeover Lawyer associates who are controlling both the government and the right wing folks such as the Tea Party. ...and we are all quite safely distracted, yes?