From The Editor
Sunday May 5, 2013
Cinco de Mayo!
Just a quick note...while I do cover news of general interest I try to limit the ADR to political news since that's really what motivated me to start the ADR. I really try not to cover purely sensational crime stories unless its just too big to ignore..and even when I do, I try my best not to post pictures of the perpetrators and/or their names since I don't think we should glorify someone for committing some horrible atrocity. That is why you may notice that I have avoided covering the Jodi Arias trial....just patting myself on the back a little bit...and I think it is irresponsible how most of the major media outlets treat tragedy as some kind of ratings bonanza.
Monday Feb. 18, 2013
I am back from a week visiting family in Panola County, Mississippi, Memphis and ending the week at Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ironically, Mississippi has just ratified the 13th amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery. Coincidence? I think not! I'll take credit for that. You're welcome.
February 8, 2013
I may have limited access to my computer and/or the internet next week so if you notice the ADR not getting fresh updates as often as usual, please bear with me. Thanks again for all your support. We continue to grow daily!
Jan 14, 2013
I've had a lot of folks ask why I don't post a blog on here or do more writing. The truth is I am firm believer in pre-empty-chair-speech Clint Eastwood's saying, "A man's got to know his limitations." There are a lot of better educated, more thoughtful people than me already writing about the things I care about so I'd rather place a link to Paul Krugman or Robert Reich than for me to blather on about what I think about the economy or politics, etc. I think we have enough people out there blowing smoke up their own asses with their self-importance (Rush Limbaugh comes to mind) without me adding to the heap. Oh, btw, before my career as a citizen journalist/left-wing rabble rouser began, I was (and still am in my mind) a singer/songwriter (google jay pounders for more info) and I've finished a new song "Crazy Mamas" dedicated to my mother and to mothers everywhere. You can check it out on the Facebook Anti Drudge Report page. Check it out and share it with a friend today, especially if one of them is a publisher in Nashville. Hope springs eternal. :-)
November 7, 2012
Congratulations Mr. President!
September 20, 2012
It is still my suspicion that the House Republicans have no intention of compromising on a deficit reduction agreement and are hoping to blame the cuts dictated by the sequestration (ie. the base closings and/or all the other cuts to vital programs that will happen) on President Obama. they know that their constituency (the richest 1%) will be fine, they have tons of money in savings and if that's what it takes to protect their tax cuts, its a small price for the rest of us to pay.
June 29, 2012
Think before you drink and drive.
We could be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of KennedyCare instead of the passing of ObamaCare if not for the tragic events of July 18, 1969.
June 24, 2012
I am bracing for the Supreme Court Decision on Obamacare next week. I would be shocked if the Individual Mandate survives but I hope I am wrong. Honestly, I"m not sure I agree that it's Constitutional with a big C, but I am not not one of those that gets hung up on the law (someone famously said something about the law being made for man, not the other way around). I'm more of an "any means necessary" kinda guy. I do know that every time I think the President has been bested he comes out smelling like a rose, so it may be that his lawyers are smarter than me :-) It might also take the Supreme Court knocking down Obamacare to galvanize the country behind the concept of national healthcare insurance. You never know how much something means to you until you lose it.
June 6, 2012
Message to Tea Party Numbnuts:
Because you spend so much of your time calling liberal democrats socialists or communists, allow me to fill you in on what actual Communists believe..it isn't that communism will eventually be accepted and installed by an informed electorate, it is that the inevitable result of capitalism is corruption and mass accumulation of wealth by a very small minority and a permanently disenfranchised underclass that will eventually rise up and take power (and the means of production) and distribute the rewards of labor equally (thus, communism)...so remember that as you celebrate your Gov. Walker and the Tea Party's victory over working families this morning. Congratulations?
May 2012
I have recently re-designed the site to include a third column and am now using an actual HTML editor to update the site instead of the software that is provided by my web hosting company. The site is 100% financed by ad revenue and I spend about an hour each day updating the site with the latest headlines that I think might be of interest to "progressives and the people who love them." I am committed to keeping the ADR going through at least the Presidential election and then I"ll have to make a cost-benefit analysis and decide whether to keep it going or not. I hope you enjoy your visit(s) to my site and I appreciate your help in getting the word out about the Anti Drudge Report.
Jay Pounders
Now that the GOP appears to be settling on Mitt Romney as the nominee of the Republican Party, the choice for the United States has never been more clear. Our country must choose whether to turn back to the failed policies of the past or to remain steadfast in its commitment to its people and to the rebuilding of the American middle class. I plan to work diligently to help re-elect President Obama and continue to work to bring economic justice and opportunity to all Americans, not just the privileged few. Obama 2012!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The killing of Trayvon Martin has galvanized the county as more details emerge to contradict the police's assertion that there was no evidence to contradict Mr. Zimmerman's claim of self-defense. The Sanford, Florida police knew Zimmerman was the aggressor from their own 911 tape that includes the dispatcher asking Zimmerman if he was following Trayvon and Zimmerman's response, "yeah". Its seems to me that when the police searched the dead body of a 140 pound kid and found iced tea and skittles the shooter's claim that he feared great bodily harm would have seemed "unreasonable" and warranted an arrest. Now comes the revelation that Zimmerman muttered, "fucking coons" as he was chasing the teen with a gun. The national media for some reason seems to be reluctant to shine a light on this and I wonder if it is because they fear inflaming racial tensions, but I"ve listened to tape (listen to the tape yourself at the link above >1:52 into the Young Turks YouTube video) and I don't know what else he could possibly be saying. To watch a bunch of white pundits on CNN play the tape and then say, "Well, it's not clear what he is saying" has got to have people of color shaking their heads. I keep hearing people say we shouldn't rush to judgement but the neighborhood watch captain certainly didn't mind rushing to judgement on Trayvon as he concluded that he was "up to something" because he was black and wearing a hoodie. It's 2012. How long do we have to wait before enough is enough?
Jay Pounders
President Obama is Leading from the Center
This latest fake outrage by the Republican Presidential Candidates and their media outlets (FoxNews/DrudgeReport/Hannity/Beck/Rush/Ingram/Etc.) about President Obama requiring health insurance to offer contraceptives and with no exemptions for religious institutions is just one more example of the right-wing trying to portray the President as being anti-religion or anti-Christian. Why should female employees of a religious university not have access to contraceptives just because her employer professes not to use them? I think the GOP has moved so far to the right that even the most partisan person can see that the President is leading from the center and that is where most Americans minds and hearts reside. It is frustrating to some of us on the left, infuriating to those on the extreme right but probably what is needed in a time of so much uncertainty and with so much at stake.
Dr. MLK Jr. Day, 2012
On this national day of service in honor of one of America's greatest leaders, I tip my hat to those that make the time to serve those less fortunate than themselves. It is the spirit of service that makes this country great, not its GDP.
Jay Pounders
I have decided I may have to get out of the GOP Nomination endorsement business after reading more of the Ron Paul Newsletter stories this morning. I am pasting an article on self-defense that was published in the Ron Paul Newsletter sometime in the 80s/90s. BTW, I did a little research to confirm that Ron Paul's hometown is Lake Jackson, TX, just like the writer of this story, so it does give credence that Ron Paul may be the author..and it is clearly racist. :-(
"If you live in a major city, you've probably already heard about the newest threat to your life and limb, and your family: carjacking. It is the hip-hop thing to do among the urban youth who play unsuspecting whites like pianos. The youth simply walk up to a car they like, pull a gun, tell the family to get out, steal their jewelry and wallets, and take the car to wreck.
Such actions have ballooned in the recent months. In the old days, average people could avoid such youth by staying out of bad neighborhoods. Empowered by media, police, and political complicity, however, the youth now roam everywhere looking for cars to steal and people to rob. What can you do? More and more Americans are carrying a gun in the car.
An ex-cop I know advises that if you have to use a gun on a youth, you should leave the scene immediately, disposing of the wiped off gun as soon as possible. Such a gun cannot, of course, be registered to you, but one bought privately (through the classifieds, for example). I frankly don't know what to make of such advice, but even in my little town of Lake Jackson, Texas, I've urged everyone in my family to know how to use a gun in self defense. For the animals are coming."
Sunday May 5, 2013
Cinco de Mayo!
Just a quick note...while I do cover news of general interest I try to limit the ADR to political news since that's really what motivated me to start the ADR. I really try not to cover purely sensational crime stories unless its just too big to ignore..and even when I do, I try my best not to post pictures of the perpetrators and/or their names since I don't think we should glorify someone for committing some horrible atrocity. That is why you may notice that I have avoided covering the Jodi Arias trial....just patting myself on the back a little bit...and I think it is irresponsible how most of the major media outlets treat tragedy as some kind of ratings bonanza.
Monday Feb. 18, 2013
I am back from a week visiting family in Panola County, Mississippi, Memphis and ending the week at Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ironically, Mississippi has just ratified the 13th amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery. Coincidence? I think not! I'll take credit for that. You're welcome.
February 8, 2013
I may have limited access to my computer and/or the internet next week so if you notice the ADR not getting fresh updates as often as usual, please bear with me. Thanks again for all your support. We continue to grow daily!
Jan 14, 2013
I've had a lot of folks ask why I don't post a blog on here or do more writing. The truth is I am firm believer in pre-empty-chair-speech Clint Eastwood's saying, "A man's got to know his limitations." There are a lot of better educated, more thoughtful people than me already writing about the things I care about so I'd rather place a link to Paul Krugman or Robert Reich than for me to blather on about what I think about the economy or politics, etc. I think we have enough people out there blowing smoke up their own asses with their self-importance (Rush Limbaugh comes to mind) without me adding to the heap. Oh, btw, before my career as a citizen journalist/left-wing rabble rouser began, I was (and still am in my mind) a singer/songwriter (google jay pounders for more info) and I've finished a new song "Crazy Mamas" dedicated to my mother and to mothers everywhere. You can check it out on the Facebook Anti Drudge Report page. Check it out and share it with a friend today, especially if one of them is a publisher in Nashville. Hope springs eternal. :-)
November 7, 2012
Congratulations Mr. President!
September 20, 2012
It is still my suspicion that the House Republicans have no intention of compromising on a deficit reduction agreement and are hoping to blame the cuts dictated by the sequestration (ie. the base closings and/or all the other cuts to vital programs that will happen) on President Obama. they know that their constituency (the richest 1%) will be fine, they have tons of money in savings and if that's what it takes to protect their tax cuts, its a small price for the rest of us to pay.
June 29, 2012
Think before you drink and drive.
We could be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of KennedyCare instead of the passing of ObamaCare if not for the tragic events of July 18, 1969.
June 24, 2012
I am bracing for the Supreme Court Decision on Obamacare next week. I would be shocked if the Individual Mandate survives but I hope I am wrong. Honestly, I"m not sure I agree that it's Constitutional with a big C, but I am not not one of those that gets hung up on the law (someone famously said something about the law being made for man, not the other way around). I'm more of an "any means necessary" kinda guy. I do know that every time I think the President has been bested he comes out smelling like a rose, so it may be that his lawyers are smarter than me :-) It might also take the Supreme Court knocking down Obamacare to galvanize the country behind the concept of national healthcare insurance. You never know how much something means to you until you lose it.
June 6, 2012
Message to Tea Party Numbnuts:
Because you spend so much of your time calling liberal democrats socialists or communists, allow me to fill you in on what actual Communists believe..it isn't that communism will eventually be accepted and installed by an informed electorate, it is that the inevitable result of capitalism is corruption and mass accumulation of wealth by a very small minority and a permanently disenfranchised underclass that will eventually rise up and take power (and the means of production) and distribute the rewards of labor equally (thus, communism)...so remember that as you celebrate your Gov. Walker and the Tea Party's victory over working families this morning. Congratulations?
May 2012
I have recently re-designed the site to include a third column and am now using an actual HTML editor to update the site instead of the software that is provided by my web hosting company. The site is 100% financed by ad revenue and I spend about an hour each day updating the site with the latest headlines that I think might be of interest to "progressives and the people who love them." I am committed to keeping the ADR going through at least the Presidential election and then I"ll have to make a cost-benefit analysis and decide whether to keep it going or not. I hope you enjoy your visit(s) to my site and I appreciate your help in getting the word out about the Anti Drudge Report.
Jay Pounders
Now that the GOP appears to be settling on Mitt Romney as the nominee of the Republican Party, the choice for the United States has never been more clear. Our country must choose whether to turn back to the failed policies of the past or to remain steadfast in its commitment to its people and to the rebuilding of the American middle class. I plan to work diligently to help re-elect President Obama and continue to work to bring economic justice and opportunity to all Americans, not just the privileged few. Obama 2012!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The killing of Trayvon Martin has galvanized the county as more details emerge to contradict the police's assertion that there was no evidence to contradict Mr. Zimmerman's claim of self-defense. The Sanford, Florida police knew Zimmerman was the aggressor from their own 911 tape that includes the dispatcher asking Zimmerman if he was following Trayvon and Zimmerman's response, "yeah". Its seems to me that when the police searched the dead body of a 140 pound kid and found iced tea and skittles the shooter's claim that he feared great bodily harm would have seemed "unreasonable" and warranted an arrest. Now comes the revelation that Zimmerman muttered, "fucking coons" as he was chasing the teen with a gun. The national media for some reason seems to be reluctant to shine a light on this and I wonder if it is because they fear inflaming racial tensions, but I"ve listened to tape (listen to the tape yourself at the link above >1:52 into the Young Turks YouTube video) and I don't know what else he could possibly be saying. To watch a bunch of white pundits on CNN play the tape and then say, "Well, it's not clear what he is saying" has got to have people of color shaking their heads. I keep hearing people say we shouldn't rush to judgement but the neighborhood watch captain certainly didn't mind rushing to judgement on Trayvon as he concluded that he was "up to something" because he was black and wearing a hoodie. It's 2012. How long do we have to wait before enough is enough?
Jay Pounders
President Obama is Leading from the Center
This latest fake outrage by the Republican Presidential Candidates and their media outlets (FoxNews/DrudgeReport/Hannity/Beck/Rush/Ingram/Etc.) about President Obama requiring health insurance to offer contraceptives and with no exemptions for religious institutions is just one more example of the right-wing trying to portray the President as being anti-religion or anti-Christian. Why should female employees of a religious university not have access to contraceptives just because her employer professes not to use them? I think the GOP has moved so far to the right that even the most partisan person can see that the President is leading from the center and that is where most Americans minds and hearts reside. It is frustrating to some of us on the left, infuriating to those on the extreme right but probably what is needed in a time of so much uncertainty and with so much at stake.
Dr. MLK Jr. Day, 2012
On this national day of service in honor of one of America's greatest leaders, I tip my hat to those that make the time to serve those less fortunate than themselves. It is the spirit of service that makes this country great, not its GDP.
Jay Pounders
I have decided I may have to get out of the GOP Nomination endorsement business after reading more of the Ron Paul Newsletter stories this morning. I am pasting an article on self-defense that was published in the Ron Paul Newsletter sometime in the 80s/90s. BTW, I did a little research to confirm that Ron Paul's hometown is Lake Jackson, TX, just like the writer of this story, so it does give credence that Ron Paul may be the author..and it is clearly racist. :-(
"If you live in a major city, you've probably already heard about the newest threat to your life and limb, and your family: carjacking. It is the hip-hop thing to do among the urban youth who play unsuspecting whites like pianos. The youth simply walk up to a car they like, pull a gun, tell the family to get out, steal their jewelry and wallets, and take the car to wreck.
Such actions have ballooned in the recent months. In the old days, average people could avoid such youth by staying out of bad neighborhoods. Empowered by media, police, and political complicity, however, the youth now roam everywhere looking for cars to steal and people to rob. What can you do? More and more Americans are carrying a gun in the car.
An ex-cop I know advises that if you have to use a gun on a youth, you should leave the scene immediately, disposing of the wiped off gun as soon as possible. Such a gun cannot, of course, be registered to you, but one bought privately (through the classifieds, for example). I frankly don't know what to make of such advice, but even in my little town of Lake Jackson, Texas, I've urged everyone in my family to know how to use a gun in self defense. For the animals are coming."
Friday December 16 2011
After watching the last debate between the GOP Presidential hopefuls to be held before the Iowa Caucus in January, I am now ready to endorse Texas Congressman Ron Paul for the Republican nomination. While I disagree strongly in his isolationist foreign policy and his disdain for the Federal Government, I believe he is genuine in his anti-war views and should be commended for standing up to his opponents and for speaking his convictions, even when they are not popular. It is not something many politicians have the courage to do and it is refreshing. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and suspend my suspicion that his views on foreign policy are born out of a desire to weaken our support of Israel and his views on State's rights is an attempt to roll back the the clock on civil rights, a woman's right to choose, etc. While it is unlikely the Congressman can win the nomination, it would be a good debate for this nation to have, whether we need to have armed forces stationed in 130 countries around the world and continue spending $600 billion dollars a year on defense. If a Ron Paul campaign results in President Obama and the Democrats moving to the left on foreign policy it would be a good thing and its about time we had an honest debate on whether Americans want to remain permanently in a state of semi-war. While I disagree with the good doctor on a whole series of issues, on that one, he is right. A little too far right, but right.
Jay Pounders
As the first actual vote that counts in the 2012 election campaign draws near in Iowa, I am considering whether the Anti Drudge Report should endorse a candidate for the GOP nomination. It presents a problem because of the various angles that progressives take when looking at the circus that is the Republican Presidential Nomination process. I know some secretly hope that the weakest or most reactionary GOP candidate is the eventual nominee because it makes it less likely that our candidate could lose, but this can be dangerous as the fortune cookie says, be careful what you wish for (Google Ronald Reagan 1980, et. al). Another strategy would be to hope that the most reasonable ie. least politically offensive candidate wins the GOP nomination just in the worst-case scenario that he or she wins the White House (ie. perhaps a Jon Huntsman?). A third option and the one I am currently leaning towards is the endorsement of the unlikely nominee, Ron Paul, in hopes of raising the tone of the political discourse in the general election. His recent refusal to participate in the NewsMax debate calling the selection of the moderator Donald Trump "beneath the dignity of the office" gives him the distinction among the GOP hopefuls of having at least a shred of decency and respect for the seriousness of the issues that our country faces. A contest between President Obama and the Texas Congressman might turn out to be a national discussion on the merits of drawing down our defense spending and and the role and scope of the Federal Government's power in our lives and that would be a welcome change from the usual GOP vs. Democrat race, ie. national media witch hunt to see which one loves Jesus more. That is not to say that I don't have serious problems with Ron Paul's views and think that his election would be a disaster for the country. I would like to hear your thoughts? Should I endorse anyone for the GOP Nomination? If so, who and why?
Jay Pounders
Thanks to everyone that came out to my show at Genghis Cohen.
In a former life, I was (am) a singer/songwriter. I was one of the founding members of Geffen Recording Artists, Crossfire Choir, back in the day and I continue to write, record and occasionally perform with former Crossfire Choir drummer, Brad Peet and bassist, Brad Rendell as Jay Pounders & The Brads. PS - I've recently added a link to CD BABY NOW below where you can hear a sample and purchase one of my songs, if you want! Hope you enjoy and your feedback is welcome.
Jay Pounders
Sunday October 16 2011
I have voted in every presidential election since I turned 18. I have only voted for the eventual nominee of my party in the primaries once in my lifetime and that was for then Senator Obama. I have never been more proud of my country than the day he was elected. I used to spend all my time arguing with people from the far-right that President Obama wasn't the socialist that they made him out to be and now I find myself arguing with far-left people that he's not the Wall Street Crony that they want to make him out to be. Unfortunately, its seems as if a lot of people thought the election of President Obama was going to usher in a new age of enlightenment and the end of injustice everywhere. Remember it was "Yes We Can" not "Yes He Can". Can we?
Jay Pounders
Saturday October 8 2011
I am really disappointed in the Obama Administration's decision to let the Feds go after the California pot dispensaries. While yes, I recognize that most of the dispensaries don't meet the legal requirements established in the state law that they be non-profit, etc., it is such a waste of time, money and energy to go after pot stores when the President has been telling us over and over again how it was time to get serious about our problems. It also shows the President assumes he'll carry the youth vote and California, I presume, but this could be a big mistake. It is very frustrating to support an administration that continues to try to play to the middle over and over again when the "middle" won't vote for him, no matter what he does. (cause the "middle" ain't really the middle, if you know what I mean). ARGHHHHHH...
Sunday October 2, 2011
William Faulkner wrote, "The past isn't dead. It isn't even past."
I just updated the site with the story about Rick Perry's hunting camp down in Texas being called "Niggerhead" until at least 1983 or 84 before the word was painted over but still nearly visible on the flat rock at the entrance to the camp. This is but yet one more reminder that racism is not some abstract evil of our forefathers but rather a plague on our society that you are either working against or helping to foster by abstentia.
When I was a kid, I remember the townspeople of Senatobia Mississippi being upset because the city was making the owners of the local laundry paint over the words, "whites only" (these were not cleaning instructions) on the front of the laundry. Afterwards, the large white rectangle painted on the front door served the same purpose, letting blacks know that no matter what the law was, they were not welcome.
The progress we have made as a nation is the result of some awfully brave people fighting the good fight and making sacrifices. Don't sit back and let someone else carry the load for you. If you want a government that understands where we've come from and fights for ALL of its people, get involved! The progress that we have made under President Obama can be reversed faster than you can say "niggerhead", but don't.
Jay Pounders
Can everybody please take a chill pill?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The unthinkable has happened. The US Credit Rating has been downgraded by Standard & Poor's. Their analysis cited the GOP's commitment to refusing to let the Bush tax cuts to expire, writing, ""Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise So, my conservative friends, please stand up and take a bow. I hope your mission of sabotaging the economy in a cynical effort to prevent the President from being re-elected will now be obvious to the rest of the country. Hopefully, the silver lining in this will be the American people waking up to the true motives of the Tea Party and a complete rejection of them in the next election. If the GOP is to survive as a viable party, I think it will need to distance itself from these right-wing radicals, but I don't see that happening. They can't help it, they were born with a silver foot in their mouth (RIP Ann Richards)
Jay Pounders
Thursday, August 4, 2011
I've come in from the ledge. Just so I don't get in the habit of disavowing each of my most recent posts with each subsequent post, let me say I am now unsure if the debt deal was a good one or not but we averted default so in that regard, it had to be done. I have read and listened to a number of people with varying opinions over the last few days and it seems even reasonable people disagree on whether its a victory for the Tea Party, Obama, or none of the above. I am encouraged by those that have presented evidence that the President protected most of his (our) priorities and the bill has provided the mechanics for more revenue (see link to "How Obama Won in Debt Deal" above) to be put in place by the Super Congress. PS- thanks again for all your help in spreading the word about the AntiDrudgeReport.
Jay Pounders
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Okay, I now have an opinion on this @#$@ bill. I think Obama bluffed. Cantor called and Obama had to show his pair of fours. He foolishly believed the GOP would eventually do the right thing but they proved they were wiling to ruin this country if that's what it took to protect the tax cuts given to the richest 1% of Americans. This bill basically raises the cap through the next election and not much else for the first year so the tea party can say they haven't raised taxes and Dems can say they haven't cut benefits too much (yet) and promise us that they will include revenues in the next round. It assumes the "commission" will come up with a compromise that includes both cuts and revenues, but ultimately, this bill is not a balanced approach at all, the only guaranteed part of the bill are cuts. No revenues. That is not a balanced approach, so if you are keeping score, call it Tea Party 1, America 0.PS. I hope I'm wrong.
Jay Pounders
Monday, August 1, 2011
A deal has been announced and the default has apparently been averted. I can only trust that the President feels confident in the bi-partisan commission that will be established to make the future cuts in a fair manner. I do hope that all of these so-called "conservatives" that have been calling for "cuts" realize that the government can not cut enough from budgets that help welfare cheats and freeloaders to get to where we need to be, the cuts you are calling for are ones to your own social security and medicare benefits, unemployment insurance, pell grants, etc. Be careful what you wish(ed) for, you might have just gotten it.
Jay Pounders
Saturday, July 30, 2011
As Boeher's bill gets reworked and sent back to the House of Representatives, I hope that we are finally nearing the end of this fake crisis. It is the GOP that has insisted on linking the debt ceiling vote to our deficit spending. The old guard Republicans are shocked that these Tea Party Numbskulls believe the rhetoric they've been spewing for decades (that the cause of all our ills is some perceived wasteful spending on lazy people living off of government hand-outs) and all we have to do is cut taxes and everything will magically fix itself. Apparently, governing requires thought, planning, foresight and the ability to compromise. The AntiDrudgeReport is taking off! I get more hits every day and more and more folks are sharing with their friends and "liking" it on Facebook. I appreciate all your help and if see a story somewhere that you think might be appropriate for my site, please let me know. I also welcome your feedback. If you see a headline or story that you think is off the mark, call me on it! Unlike SOME other aggregate news sites, I value the truth.
Jay Pounders
Wednesday, July 27,2011
As the various bills get bantered about in the press and Congress it is becoming increasingly clear that the House Republicans are going to push us closer and closer to the brink of economic disaster in an effort to protect the assets of the very top 1% wealthiest in this country. What my conservative friends may not realize is that the GOP can't get the spending down to the levels they want by just cutting aid to the poor. They have not made any secret about it. They are going after Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits as well as food safety, clean air, clean water enforcement, college tuition grants, etc. I am encouraged by the American people's response to the President's plea to contact Congress and yes, I'm naive enough that I still believe our government responds to public sentiment.
Jay Pounders
Sunday July 24, 2011
I was shocked on Friday when the President revealed his anger at Boehner and the House GOP for pushing their ideological agenda at the risk of driving the US into default. I seriously never thought the Republicans in Congress were this short-sighted and well, for lack of a better word, stupid. It made me glad I don't have any money in the stock market as I can't imagine anything but a huge sell-off on Monday and aren't the shareholders the ones that the Tea Party thinks it is protecting by fighting for these Tax Cuts on the rich? It is increasingly clear that the Republicans are willing to put millions of more Americans out of work and sabotage this country's economy in hopes of pinning the blame on Obama. I hope that Americans are waking up to the fact that the GOP is out of touch with reality. If there is a sliver lining to this shitstorm over the debt deal it might be that the House Republicans' insistence on protecting corporate tax breaks and keeping the Bush tax cuts on those earning more than $250,000 per year even at the risk of a US default may be the beginning of the end of the GOP as a viable political party. One can dream.
Jay Pounders
July 3, 2011
The AntiDrudgeReport has been an idea that I've had for several years that I've finally put into action. I am a news junkie who regularly scans the various online news sources to learn about what's happening in the world and have been frustrated over the years by most of the other aggregate news sites, especially those that have a right-wing agenda to promote. I've been dismayed at the misleading and sometimes completely inaccurate headlines on sites like the Drudge Report, Breitbart, FoxNews, etc. so I have created this site for progressives and the people who love them. If you see a news item or blog etc. that you think might be of interest to progressives, please let me know. I make no secret of my support of President Obama on most issues but I will include stories critical of the President or other progressives where they are fair and accurate. I am not as liberal as many of my friends and I am not one that likes to demonize the other side. I don't think all conservatives are bad people, just wrong on most issues. My early feedback has been encouraging but surprising as I've received as many complaints from people who feel the President's policies are not progressive enough as I have from conservatives who think he is a radical left-winger. My guess is the truth is somewhere in the middle which is where I and most people are politically. I hope to continually improve the site with the goal being to make the AntiDrudgeReport matter by November 2012. Won't you help? If you find the site interesting, please visit often and share with your friends to help me get the word out.
Jay Pounders
July 2011
After watching the last debate between the GOP Presidential hopefuls to be held before the Iowa Caucus in January, I am now ready to endorse Texas Congressman Ron Paul for the Republican nomination. While I disagree strongly in his isolationist foreign policy and his disdain for the Federal Government, I believe he is genuine in his anti-war views and should be commended for standing up to his opponents and for speaking his convictions, even when they are not popular. It is not something many politicians have the courage to do and it is refreshing. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and suspend my suspicion that his views on foreign policy are born out of a desire to weaken our support of Israel and his views on State's rights is an attempt to roll back the the clock on civil rights, a woman's right to choose, etc. While it is unlikely the Congressman can win the nomination, it would be a good debate for this nation to have, whether we need to have armed forces stationed in 130 countries around the world and continue spending $600 billion dollars a year on defense. If a Ron Paul campaign results in President Obama and the Democrats moving to the left on foreign policy it would be a good thing and its about time we had an honest debate on whether Americans want to remain permanently in a state of semi-war. While I disagree with the good doctor on a whole series of issues, on that one, he is right. A little too far right, but right.
Jay Pounders
As the first actual vote that counts in the 2012 election campaign draws near in Iowa, I am considering whether the Anti Drudge Report should endorse a candidate for the GOP nomination. It presents a problem because of the various angles that progressives take when looking at the circus that is the Republican Presidential Nomination process. I know some secretly hope that the weakest or most reactionary GOP candidate is the eventual nominee because it makes it less likely that our candidate could lose, but this can be dangerous as the fortune cookie says, be careful what you wish for (Google Ronald Reagan 1980, et. al). Another strategy would be to hope that the most reasonable ie. least politically offensive candidate wins the GOP nomination just in the worst-case scenario that he or she wins the White House (ie. perhaps a Jon Huntsman?). A third option and the one I am currently leaning towards is the endorsement of the unlikely nominee, Ron Paul, in hopes of raising the tone of the political discourse in the general election. His recent refusal to participate in the NewsMax debate calling the selection of the moderator Donald Trump "beneath the dignity of the office" gives him the distinction among the GOP hopefuls of having at least a shred of decency and respect for the seriousness of the issues that our country faces. A contest between President Obama and the Texas Congressman might turn out to be a national discussion on the merits of drawing down our defense spending and and the role and scope of the Federal Government's power in our lives and that would be a welcome change from the usual GOP vs. Democrat race, ie. national media witch hunt to see which one loves Jesus more. That is not to say that I don't have serious problems with Ron Paul's views and think that his election would be a disaster for the country. I would like to hear your thoughts? Should I endorse anyone for the GOP Nomination? If so, who and why?
Jay Pounders
Thanks to everyone that came out to my show at Genghis Cohen.
In a former life, I was (am) a singer/songwriter. I was one of the founding members of Geffen Recording Artists, Crossfire Choir, back in the day and I continue to write, record and occasionally perform with former Crossfire Choir drummer, Brad Peet and bassist, Brad Rendell as Jay Pounders & The Brads. PS - I've recently added a link to CD BABY NOW below where you can hear a sample and purchase one of my songs, if you want! Hope you enjoy and your feedback is welcome.
Jay Pounders
Sunday October 16 2011
I have voted in every presidential election since I turned 18. I have only voted for the eventual nominee of my party in the primaries once in my lifetime and that was for then Senator Obama. I have never been more proud of my country than the day he was elected. I used to spend all my time arguing with people from the far-right that President Obama wasn't the socialist that they made him out to be and now I find myself arguing with far-left people that he's not the Wall Street Crony that they want to make him out to be. Unfortunately, its seems as if a lot of people thought the election of President Obama was going to usher in a new age of enlightenment and the end of injustice everywhere. Remember it was "Yes We Can" not "Yes He Can". Can we?
Jay Pounders
Saturday October 8 2011
I am really disappointed in the Obama Administration's decision to let the Feds go after the California pot dispensaries. While yes, I recognize that most of the dispensaries don't meet the legal requirements established in the state law that they be non-profit, etc., it is such a waste of time, money and energy to go after pot stores when the President has been telling us over and over again how it was time to get serious about our problems. It also shows the President assumes he'll carry the youth vote and California, I presume, but this could be a big mistake. It is very frustrating to support an administration that continues to try to play to the middle over and over again when the "middle" won't vote for him, no matter what he does. (cause the "middle" ain't really the middle, if you know what I mean). ARGHHHHHH...
Sunday October 2, 2011
William Faulkner wrote, "The past isn't dead. It isn't even past."
I just updated the site with the story about Rick Perry's hunting camp down in Texas being called "Niggerhead" until at least 1983 or 84 before the word was painted over but still nearly visible on the flat rock at the entrance to the camp. This is but yet one more reminder that racism is not some abstract evil of our forefathers but rather a plague on our society that you are either working against or helping to foster by abstentia.
When I was a kid, I remember the townspeople of Senatobia Mississippi being upset because the city was making the owners of the local laundry paint over the words, "whites only" (these were not cleaning instructions) on the front of the laundry. Afterwards, the large white rectangle painted on the front door served the same purpose, letting blacks know that no matter what the law was, they were not welcome.
The progress we have made as a nation is the result of some awfully brave people fighting the good fight and making sacrifices. Don't sit back and let someone else carry the load for you. If you want a government that understands where we've come from and fights for ALL of its people, get involved! The progress that we have made under President Obama can be reversed faster than you can say "niggerhead", but don't.
Jay Pounders
Can everybody please take a chill pill?
As I visit political websites across the spectrum trying to promote the Anti Drudge Report by commenting on various articles and blogs, I find myself shocked at the vitriol that is out there on both sides. Between the Right Wing claiming that a socialist world order is being forced upon them and the far Left calling for armed revolt against a capitalist conspiracy to enslave the masses, it is difficult to see how we are ever going to be able to find common ground upon which the solutions to our problems can be found. While I know that the anonymity of the internet gives people a certain bravado that they wouldn’t otherwise exhibit, the throwing around of words like “don’t retreat, reload’ and threatening violence in the streets similar to what’s just happened in the UK if certain policies aren’t enacted demonstrate that we are becoming increasingly reactionary at a time when our economic situation calls out for a calm, reasoned approach.
America has always been a country rich in political viewpoints and there is nothing wrong with healthy discourse, but at what point do we try to step back and consider the possibility that the other side may have at least some small point worthy of exploring? What are the odds of you being right about every single issue? We complain about our elected officials not being able to compromise while we demonize and dismiss each other on a daily basis because of differing viewpoints. So many of the online debates end with veiled threats of an impending revolution when this or that happens, but like a schoolyard bully, most of the talk is cheap. I don’t think nearly as many people want a revolution as the number that claim to want one. Americans like their trash picked up. We want our pay checks to clear. We want what’s left of our money to be safe in the bank.
A few years back, my favorite comedian, Doug Stanhope, came up with a classic response when a crowd was complaining loudly about the poor sound system during the warm-up act at a show in Los Angeles. I can only paraphrase, but Doug basically took the stage and yelled, ”Stop whining about the sound system. We know it sucks; it’s being run by the bartender who has no idea what he is doing. We’re trying to fix it, but you could hear better if you shut up and listened instead of bitching about it. If you want to show your displeasure, do it like Americans always do, tip your waitress slightly less than 15%.”
So America, shut up and listen every once in a while. You might learn something.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The unthinkable has happened. The US Credit Rating has been downgraded by Standard & Poor's. Their analysis cited the GOP's commitment to refusing to let the Bush tax cuts to expire, writing, ""Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise So, my conservative friends, please stand up and take a bow. I hope your mission of sabotaging the economy in a cynical effort to prevent the President from being re-elected will now be obvious to the rest of the country. Hopefully, the silver lining in this will be the American people waking up to the true motives of the Tea Party and a complete rejection of them in the next election. If the GOP is to survive as a viable party, I think it will need to distance itself from these right-wing radicals, but I don't see that happening. They can't help it, they were born with a silver foot in their mouth (RIP Ann Richards)
Jay Pounders
Thursday, August 4, 2011
I've come in from the ledge. Just so I don't get in the habit of disavowing each of my most recent posts with each subsequent post, let me say I am now unsure if the debt deal was a good one or not but we averted default so in that regard, it had to be done. I have read and listened to a number of people with varying opinions over the last few days and it seems even reasonable people disagree on whether its a victory for the Tea Party, Obama, or none of the above. I am encouraged by those that have presented evidence that the President protected most of his (our) priorities and the bill has provided the mechanics for more revenue (see link to "How Obama Won in Debt Deal" above) to be put in place by the Super Congress. PS- thanks again for all your help in spreading the word about the AntiDrudgeReport.
Jay Pounders
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Okay, I now have an opinion on this @#$@ bill. I think Obama bluffed. Cantor called and Obama had to show his pair of fours. He foolishly believed the GOP would eventually do the right thing but they proved they were wiling to ruin this country if that's what it took to protect the tax cuts given to the richest 1% of Americans. This bill basically raises the cap through the next election and not much else for the first year so the tea party can say they haven't raised taxes and Dems can say they haven't cut benefits too much (yet) and promise us that they will include revenues in the next round. It assumes the "commission" will come up with a compromise that includes both cuts and revenues, but ultimately, this bill is not a balanced approach at all, the only guaranteed part of the bill are cuts. No revenues. That is not a balanced approach, so if you are keeping score, call it Tea Party 1, America 0.PS. I hope I'm wrong.
Jay Pounders
Monday, August 1, 2011
A deal has been announced and the default has apparently been averted. I can only trust that the President feels confident in the bi-partisan commission that will be established to make the future cuts in a fair manner. I do hope that all of these so-called "conservatives" that have been calling for "cuts" realize that the government can not cut enough from budgets that help welfare cheats and freeloaders to get to where we need to be, the cuts you are calling for are ones to your own social security and medicare benefits, unemployment insurance, pell grants, etc. Be careful what you wish(ed) for, you might have just gotten it.
Jay Pounders
Saturday, July 30, 2011
As Boeher's bill gets reworked and sent back to the House of Representatives, I hope that we are finally nearing the end of this fake crisis. It is the GOP that has insisted on linking the debt ceiling vote to our deficit spending. The old guard Republicans are shocked that these Tea Party Numbskulls believe the rhetoric they've been spewing for decades (that the cause of all our ills is some perceived wasteful spending on lazy people living off of government hand-outs) and all we have to do is cut taxes and everything will magically fix itself. Apparently, governing requires thought, planning, foresight and the ability to compromise. The AntiDrudgeReport is taking off! I get more hits every day and more and more folks are sharing with their friends and "liking" it on Facebook. I appreciate all your help and if see a story somewhere that you think might be appropriate for my site, please let me know. I also welcome your feedback. If you see a headline or story that you think is off the mark, call me on it! Unlike SOME other aggregate news sites, I value the truth.
Jay Pounders
Wednesday, July 27,2011
As the various bills get bantered about in the press and Congress it is becoming increasingly clear that the House Republicans are going to push us closer and closer to the brink of economic disaster in an effort to protect the assets of the very top 1% wealthiest in this country. What my conservative friends may not realize is that the GOP can't get the spending down to the levels they want by just cutting aid to the poor. They have not made any secret about it. They are going after Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits as well as food safety, clean air, clean water enforcement, college tuition grants, etc. I am encouraged by the American people's response to the President's plea to contact Congress and yes, I'm naive enough that I still believe our government responds to public sentiment.
Jay Pounders
Sunday July 24, 2011
I was shocked on Friday when the President revealed his anger at Boehner and the House GOP for pushing their ideological agenda at the risk of driving the US into default. I seriously never thought the Republicans in Congress were this short-sighted and well, for lack of a better word, stupid. It made me glad I don't have any money in the stock market as I can't imagine anything but a huge sell-off on Monday and aren't the shareholders the ones that the Tea Party thinks it is protecting by fighting for these Tax Cuts on the rich? It is increasingly clear that the Republicans are willing to put millions of more Americans out of work and sabotage this country's economy in hopes of pinning the blame on Obama. I hope that Americans are waking up to the fact that the GOP is out of touch with reality. If there is a sliver lining to this shitstorm over the debt deal it might be that the House Republicans' insistence on protecting corporate tax breaks and keeping the Bush tax cuts on those earning more than $250,000 per year even at the risk of a US default may be the beginning of the end of the GOP as a viable political party. One can dream.
Jay Pounders
July 3, 2011
The AntiDrudgeReport has been an idea that I've had for several years that I've finally put into action. I am a news junkie who regularly scans the various online news sources to learn about what's happening in the world and have been frustrated over the years by most of the other aggregate news sites, especially those that have a right-wing agenda to promote. I've been dismayed at the misleading and sometimes completely inaccurate headlines on sites like the Drudge Report, Breitbart, FoxNews, etc. so I have created this site for progressives and the people who love them. If you see a news item or blog etc. that you think might be of interest to progressives, please let me know. I make no secret of my support of President Obama on most issues but I will include stories critical of the President or other progressives where they are fair and accurate. I am not as liberal as many of my friends and I am not one that likes to demonize the other side. I don't think all conservatives are bad people, just wrong on most issues. My early feedback has been encouraging but surprising as I've received as many complaints from people who feel the President's policies are not progressive enough as I have from conservatives who think he is a radical left-winger. My guess is the truth is somewhere in the middle which is where I and most people are politically. I hope to continually improve the site with the goal being to make the AntiDrudgeReport matter by November 2012. Won't you help? If you find the site interesting, please visit often and share with your friends to help me get the word out.
Jay Pounders
July 2011
Legal Disclaimer: (Dittoheads and FoxNews viewers pay particular attention, we'll type slowly) The AntiDrudgeReport is not affiliated with, nor should it be confused with, any other website with a similar name, including the site maintained by Matt Drudge. The AntiDrudgeReport is an alternative news source that serves to counter the bias and right-wing slant of most aggregate news sites.
