And You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?

There is little that be said about the image shown here. It's taken from something called the Spirit One Christian Center, located in Wichita, Kansas. That said, I can't resist asking a few questions....

1.) Since, as far as I know, according to the Bible there is no such thing as "America", or "Muslims", I'm unclear how having a "Muslim President" constitutes a Sin Against The Lord.

2.) The wording of your sign suggests we have a Muslim President. Dubya? Really? Shit, he really did out one over on all of us!

3.) The Constitution of the United States makes no reference to the office of the President restricted to a certain religious belief, gender, or anything of that nature. How exactly is having a Muslim President a violation? Or is the Constitution only of value when you feel you're rights are threatened?

4.) I looked up the Bible passage cited - Exodus 20:3, which states "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me". Okay, but do you really think the voters were voting for God? Methinks the pool of candiates would have been a bit larger. Show of hands, guys, how many Obama voters think he's a messiah?

5.) You do know that Barack Obama is Christian, right? Granted, he might not subscribe to the special brand practiced at your place (frankly I'm a little scared of anyone who does), but he is an avowed Christian. Perhaps you recall the Right Wing outrage all summer about one Rev. Jeremiah Wright? Which is it - radical preacher follower or secret Muslim?

6.) Are you really this ignorant, or are you just trying to incite your flock, who might not be inquisitive enough to make two mouse clicks to find out you're being intellectually dishonest?

Honestly, it's somewhat amusing to see the hand wringing and panties-in-a-bunch behavior in the aftermath of the election, but stuff like this is just plain crazy. Do these people ever read the Bible? Particularly the part about not bearing false witness (you know, lying...like your sign).

Ignorance is nothing of which to be proud, nor is knowngly spreading outright misinformation from your pulpit. Please skim a bit of money from your collection basket and buy yourselves a clue.

Let's Get To Work

One week later, I still have to repeat quietly to myself that Barack Obama was elected our 44th President. As inevitable as it seemed during the closing weeks of the campaign, it was still stunning to hear the announcement we all knew was coming on Tuesday night.

History making? No doubt, but had the Republicans won we could have said the same thing, albeit for different reasons. Some random thoughts from Election night and the aftermath, and the campaign:

John McCain, during his concession speech, looked like the most relieved man on the planet. Something about his demeanor suggested to this observer that perhaps he was never comfortable with the way his campaign was run, and was just glad the whole thing was over. Perhaps the respected Senator can get back whatever credibility he may have lost during the past few months and return to being a prodcutive, bipartisan member of the Senate. I hope so.

It will be fascinating to read the multitude of books that will undoubtedly be published about the 2008 election. Newsweek's upcoming article is just the tip of the iceberg, and provides wonderful insight. The books will dig deeper, and will be a great read for political junkies everywhere.

What was soundly defeated this night? Rovian style polictics, for one. Maybe it was because the dirt kicked up by the GOP was already scraped up by the Clintons during the primaries, or maybe since the accusations were quickly refuted/explained by Obama, or simply beacuse people saw them for what they were - desperation ploys by a sinking campaign. Whatever the voter rationale, one thing was certain - the tactics were a complete failure, and for that, America should be grateful. Consider our collective bullshit detector finely tuned.

Also, more importantly, Fear had its ass kicked. Try as they did to make voters afraid of the scary Secrct Muslim/Terrorist "Paller Arounder"/Socialist/Commie and oh yeah, black guy, America called bullshit. If only there were some kind of saying I could quote, from a famous person, regarding how the only thing we should ever be afraid of would be being afraid, or something like that.......

I can not for the life of me recall ever seeing worldwide reaction to a Presdiential election. I guess there was never anything to show in prior years. Seeing how the world reacted spoke volumes about a.) how America's stock instantly rose throughout the world, and b.) how much it had fallen over the past eight years. (Though I'm still trying to figure out why the town of Obama, Japan was so excited - "Yay, the guy with the same name as out town won! We rule!")

I listened to people all around me tell me how they couldn't support Obama's candidacy. reasons varied, from his stance on taxes (folks who enjoy not paying them aren't generally happy about knowing they'll soon be paying more) to his Pro-Choice stance (please don't get me started on single issue voters - they get the government they deserve). One person I know started by telling me he just didn't think Obama "cared about America". I couldn't let that one go - no person crazy enough to run for President, and expose himself, his family, etc. to all that goes along with it could not be accused of not having some crazy America love. Later this person mentioned he was "tired of Barack Obama"....which made sense since the guy was in the news virtually every day from January. Eventually it struck me, and I never wanted to think so, but race had to play a factor for voters like this. People simply looking for a reason to not vote for him. Thankfully these voters were not much of a factor.

As for someone else I knew who was on the fence, I simply said "Two words: President Palin". I think this person flipped for Obama.

Wither Governor Palin? Well, for starters, it looks like the candidate who wasn't allowed to talk to the media now can't stop giving interviews. It would not be a surprise to see her continue her political career on the national stage (or try to , anyway), or end up hosting a morning talk show. Neither would surprise me. Keep talking, Governor, as you provide an endless source of material for Olbermann, Stewart and Colbert. Oh, and give back those clothes.


The amount of whining from the right wing noise machine of Hannity, Limbaugh, et al. is to be expected, and it will not be a shock to see these vile and loathesome demagogues (thanks to Al Franken for that line) flourish during a Democratic Presidential administration. Hate and fear still sells to a narrow (and narrow-minded) segment of the population, unfortunately, and these folks always choose the loudest, uglist path to follow, as opposed to rational, factual debate. A descent into obscurity and irrelevance would be most welcome.




...and what about President Bush and what's left of his cronies? If nothing else this vote was a resounding condemnation of this Presdient's two terms. He too looked to be relieved as he realized his time was just about up. I know he feels he will somehow be vindicated by history, but I don't see how. Rather, the last eight years will be studied by historians and used as a primer on how not to run government. The next four years pose an enormous challenge for Persident-Elect Obama, but the American people have spoken, and decided that he is just the person for the job.

Let's go, we've got work to do.

Palin Wins Debate! Palin Wins Debate!

(Thanks to Hobodeluxe from Fark for the image.)

Stunning, really. No other words can be used to describe the perfromance of Sarah Palin during last night's VP debate. By not falling flat on her face, not going awkwardly silent when facing a question, and generally not imploding, the Alaskan Governor far exceeded any and all expectations.

The only problem? When the bar is set as low as it was based on her recent train wreck interviews, it was not nearly enough. Substance? Not much from Ms. Palin. Talking Points, endlessly regurgitated, regardless of the question in play or the context of what was being discussed? Plenty of that.

Laying on the Hooterville act about as thick as she could without auditioning for a guest spot on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, Palin came across disingenuous and rehearsed. Refusing to answer direct questions (maybe she doesn't understand what an Achilles Heel refers to?), but instead drifitng off to blather on about "up in Alaska, we blah blah blah", "Barack Obama is bad, Maverick, Hackey Mahm, Joe Sixpack, etc." gave one the impression of a kid who'd been up all week studying for an exam, and reflexively spat out talking points whenever triggering words were uttered. Further, winking at the camera and the "shout outs"? Seriously? Can you imagine if Barack Obama pulled crap like this?

Except for a few suspect sourced polls (Drudge, I'm looking at you), Joe Biden was generally considered to be the winner of the debate. Looks like, for the most part, America's Bullshit Detector is operating efficiently.

It's Showtime....

As of right now, tonight's VP debate is still on, though it would not be at all surprising if some last minute "emergency" forces the GOP to withdraw Sarah Palin and get the hell out of dodge.

The Republicans have tried numerous devices to frame this debate, haven't they? Expectations have been lowered to the point where if Palin simply shows up, doesn't bite the head off of a pigeon and flash the crowd, it will be considered a good showing. By accusing the moderator, Gwen Ifill, of being "in the tank" for Obama because she wrote a book about the recent rise of Black politicians - despite the fact the book was announced in August, and both sides agreed to use Ms. Ifill weeks ago, they've constructed another excuse for a poor performance by Palin. Today, McCain uncorked the latest in his ever increasing line of verbal gems - when asked why Obama's poll number were rising during the economic crisis, he responded that "beacuse life isn't fair". Wow.

The format should be helpful to Palin, since it won't involve a lot of back and forth between the candidates. However, given her recent cringe inducing interviews with Kaitie Couric, Palin has to be considered dangerous whenever she's near an open microphone and is posed a direct question. Joe Biden should simply answer the questions posed, using his breadth of knowledge on whatever topic is brought up, and the difference between the candidates will be readily apparent. It should not be difficult to allow Palin enough rope with which to hang herself.

Perhaps the most refreshing effect of the handling of Palin is that the media, and much of the country, doesn't seem to be buying the Rovian bullshit this time. Every excuse is treated with figurative eye rolling by the press, and even conservatives are calling shenanigans on the Palin pick in particular, and McCain's candidacy in general.

Should be an entertaining evening no matter what. Grab some popcorn, kiddies!

McCain Clearly Wants To Lose

How else can anyone explain the bizarre behavior of the man and his campaign over the past few days?

Suspending his campaign, only not really (here's a tip, John. Continuing to raise money, appear on TV, run ads, etc. means you're still campaigning.)

Threatening to stay away from the debate, putting "Country First"...then not leaving to Washington, after telling David Letterman you had to leave town, stat.

Continuing the media blackout of Sarah Palin, which does nothing but allow bitter media members (you know, the guys you used to call "my base"), pore over the meager amaount of interview footiage and tear it apart. Here's a tip, John, if she talks more without being forced to regurgitate Karl Rove's Talking Points, she might come off a little better. As it is now, she's looking like a poorly programmed Stepford Veep. Only the soft bigotry of low expectations, whcih your party has gone to great lengths to foster, can allow her to come out unscathed after Thursday's debate - unless, of course, your guys are already crafting an escape plan for that too.

The lates: blaming the failure of the $700 Billion bailout packge from passing on, you guessed it, Barack Obama. Yep, it's all his fault, as he controls the votes of all those opposed (including, it should be noted, a significant number of Republicans). After putting himself front and center regarding this issue, he made it his own, and now that it is failing he deflects the blame to his opponent and thinks we're too stupid to notice. Un-flipping-believeable.

Changing positions almost hourly, unaware that in the age of YouTube nothing ios ever forgotten. Honestly, people, do you want this guy in the Oval Office, particularly with Caribou Barbie a heartbeat away?

Five Years On....

......since "Mission: Accomplished". Where are we now?:

3900 dead American soldiers

Countless dead Iraqi civilians

Gas headed for $4 per gallon

An economy in free fall

Bin Laden? Still hanging around.

No WMD's

No connnection between Iraq and 9/11

Squandered post-9/11 goodwill toward the US

No end in sight.

Heckuva job, Georgie.

This Sums It Up

Not to tip my politictal hand, but this quote from a poster on dailykos today pretty much hits the nail squarely on the head:

Saying that Hillary has Executive Branch experience is like saying Yoko Ono was
a Beatle.

Damn.

dailykos

Election 2008 Heats Up 17 Months Early

A while back, this blog called for the need to form a new political party. One which would actually represent the people, and harken back to a time when politicians were beholden not to corporate donors, lobbyists or the extreme fringe positions held by their party.

I think we found one.

Ron Paul, technically is a Republican. Watching him during the debates, however, shows either 1.) how far the party has strayed from stances it once held or 2.) that he's more of a third party candidate, which is a kiss of death in this day and age.

Check the online polls after the next debate - Paul has consistently come out ahead every time thus far. The mainstream media hates him - hell, Sean Hannity tried his best to tear him apart during a live interview following a recent debate. Why? Simple - Paul is absolutely, 100% against the Iraq war (like 70% of American voters). This doesn't fit with the right wing Bush loving pundits who never seem to be able to admit that maybe, just maybe, this adminsitraion has royally screwed this up. Paul's non-interventionist foreign policy is heresey amongst this batch of Neocons, who seek nothing less than control of the entire middle east and, more specifically, the flow of oil from same.

Will he win? It's unlikely. He'll get marginalized, despite his growing popularity, and will be lucky to have an impact similar to what Ross Perot was able to pull off in 1992. Paul does have one advantage Perot did not - the internet. The grassroots support generated by the blogsphere can have an impact, but whether or not it will be enough to actually propel him toward the nomination is unknown. The eventual winner, if not Paul, would be wise to co-opt some of his ideas, thereby gaining some much needed middle of the road support.

Who then, will be the final candiates for the big prize come next summer? Most likely, two people who are technically not even running yet - Republican Fred Thompson and Democrat Al Gore.

That's my call, and I'm sticking to it. Think Rudy Guiliani will ultimately get the support of the Christian Right, what with his three divorces, and liberal stance on abortion and gay rights? Think again. Besides, his entire campaign is pure fear - 9/11 this, 9/11 that, and I think Americans are tired of being scared into voting for candidates like this. John McCain is dropping like a rock, and will likely be fully done before the end of 2007. Mitt Romney? C'mon, he's a Mormon! Remember, there are over 50 million Catholics in this country, and only once has one managed to be elected President. We all know what happened to him, so if you think the Southern Baptists are going to put their support behind this guy, you're nuts. Religion aside, Romney seems to be the least genuine, almost willing to paint himslef as anything which would result in more votes ("I'm a hunter", "Lets double the size of Gitmo!"). In his favor, though, is the fact that he is still married to his first wife - something none of the other GOP candidates mentioned here can say. He's toast once Thompson joins the fray, however. Thompson paints himself as a Reagan type conservative, which will go over big with the party faithful after eight years of Bush.

Over on the Democratic side, it's already narrowing down to a two person race between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton (or Rodham, or whatever she's choosing to go by today) is the front runner, but in every hypothetical matchup with any Repub, she loses. This is a big problem for the Dems, obviously. Obama has support, but many feel he is too inexperienced for the job. Whether that is true or not depends on your world view - Kennedy was also though to be too green for the job, but seemed to do okay. Al Gore is riding high right now, what with his new book and recent movie. He has to put the most fear into the Republican machine - he's been through the whole election mess, and came out unscathed (the best they could do was poke fun at his "I invented the internet" quotes). He received more votes in 2000, but lost, so many have the opinion that he "deserves" the office. Should he decide to join, and there is no reason he needs to rush in any time before the fall, he would immediately vault to the top of the pack. Should he decide to join forces with Obama, he could be unstoppable.

My dream woild be some combination of Paul/Gore, but that will never happen. It should be a very interesting year nontheless.

Lost the Battle, Won the War?

So the first ever political endorsement made by this blog takes a dive, as you might have heard. Incumbent Joe Lieberman won convincingly over challenger Ned Lamont in the Connecticut Senate race this past week, gaining a fourth (and perhaps final) term. In hindsight, Lamont’s campaign seemed to peak during the Democratic primary, and was unable to sustain the momentum gained with the victory. Ariana Huffington pointed out that Ned seemed to begin acting like a Senator after the nomination was secured, and moved away from the one big issue which he rode to the win: Iraq. That assessment seems accurate to What?

That said, perhaps there was a larger gain from the entire Lamont run. His underdog, one issue run seemed to shine the national spotlight on the war, and those who continued to support it. The mid-term elections acted as a referendum on the War, and also to a larger extent, the Bush presidency. The results showed that America can unite against corruption, abuse of power, cronyism and lack of accountability and demand more from our elected leaders. What? Thinks the Lamont campaign had a lot to do with that.

Now, the Democrats have to prove their mettle, and make sure the only reason American voters turned the power over goes beyond them simply not being the other guy. Dems have a real chance at being agents of change in this country, and it doesn’t necessarily start with going out of their way to smite the current administration. It would be beneficial in the long term to produce legislation which will clearly show how much the President is willing to “work with” the Dems, as he humbly said he would once the votes were in. Push the core issues you campaigned on, Democrats, and make it clear where Mr. Bush will not budge. This will set the stage for the Presidential election on 2008.

It would be of great benefit to think short term as well, however. New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has laid out a plan for the first hundred hours after being sworn in which is very aggressive. Nowhere in the To Do list was the “I” word, Impeachment, mentioned. This can be broached without looking like partisian revenge for the Clinton debacle, and there are some important things that will be uncovered if investigations are launched. With subpoena power, the Dems will now be able to hold hearings and force accountability to those who have profited from the war, and abused power. These issues should be tabled, but not abandoned.

The balls in your court, Democrats, and you have a great deal of national support. Don’t blow it – there is too much riding on it.

Connecticut Senate Race - The Choice Is Clear

For those of you who haven’t noticed, What? lives in the great state of Connecticut, hence the following commentary on the Senate race in that state.

The Connecticut Senate race this year has attracted national attention. Incumbent Joe Lieberman faced an unlikely challenge for his senate seat from an unknown businessman from Greenwich, Ned Lamont. Lamont’s entrance into the Democratic primary drew notice for his stance on one issue – the ongoing war in Iraq. By highlighting Lieberman’s support for the conflict, Ned forced others to look into the Senator’s support of this along with his support for several other of Bush’s policies.

As the Lamont campaign began to pick up momentum, the Lieberman camp seemed to take on an indignant attitude, almost questioning why someone would even challenge the three term Senator. As the war became more and more unpopular, Lieberman’s camp was forced to defend his stance, which was becoming harder and harder to understand.

A little history here on Senator Lieberman: He himself ran as a Washington outsider in 1988, defeating Lowell Weicker by telling voters how 18 years (Weicker’s length of service at that time) was too long, and it was time for a change. His message struck a chord with voters (who themselves might have grown tired of the incumbent), and he won the seat he holds to this day. The only potential interruption in his service took place during the 2000 presidential election, when Democratic candidate Al Gore chose Joe as his running mate. When faced with the decision of vacating his Senate seat to focus solely on the race for the White House, Lieberman declined, thereby insuring himself of a fallback in the event the Dems lost the election. You know how that turned out, obviously. He once again faced a crossroads as the Primary drew closer, finding himself trailing badly in the polls, and facing a likely shocking defeat. Unable to accept the will of the voters, Joe once again hedged his bets by filing the necessary paperwork to mount an independent campaign should he lose the Democratic race. Again, you know how that turned out. It was funny to listen to Lieberman the night he lost the primary, comparing it to halftime of a football game, and declaring his willingness to slug it out in the second half and win the game. The next day he formally entered the senate race (again), under something called the Connecticut for Lieberman party.

The obvious underlying message taken from the examples above is a simple one. Joe Lieberman is more concerned with taking care of himself then he is the people of this state. Despite being in office exactly as long as Mr. Weicker was when Joe told him it was time to step aside, Lieberman stubbornly continues to do whatever he can to maintain his seat of power. Despite being called out by the voters for siding with an unpopular president on the single most polarizing issue this country has seen since the Vietnam War, Lieberman insists he remain in office. Despite having been defeated by the voters from the very party he claimed to represent and serve faithfully, Lieberman continues to demand his seat at the table.

Lamont, in contrast, is a political neophyte, no doubt. What? looks at this as an opportunity to introduce new blood into Washington, which is sorely needed right now. What started as a one issue campaign has expanded to touch on domestic issues such as health care and social security. Lamont’s stance insists that the ridiculous amount of money spent each day in Iraq could, and should, be used to address real domestic issues. His staunch stance against special interest influence and lobbyists is another issue to which lip service is often paid this time of year, but ultimately little is done about, on either side of the aisle.

The latest polls show Lamont gaining, but still behind. A late push over the weekend, coupled with a big democratic turnout on Tuesday could help tighten things, and bring the Democratic nominee the victory.

Remember, it’s not the famous “kiss” planted on Lieberman’s cheek by George W. Bush after the State of the Union which has put his senate seat in jeopardy, nor is this an indictment of his sometime bi-partisian efforts. On the contrary, voting the issue as opposed to the standard party line can be an admirable thing to do, and is all too rare in this polarized political era. This race, however, boils down to one thing: the war, stupid. No issue is as important to the future of this country and the world at large. The lack of post war planning, the resulting desecration of the constitution by removing habeas corpus, the ultimate creation of an imperial presidency, all stem from this disaster. Mr. Lieberman is clearly on the wrong side here, and he, along with any candidate left who supports it, has to go.

If you live in another state, do your part this Tuesday, and help by removing any incumbent who is still in favor of the mess in the Gulf.

What? heartily endorses Ned Lamont for Senator.

Something To Think About On November 7th

I’ve had a column in my head for the past few months regarding the situation in Iraq, but have never been able to fully articulate exactly how I felt. Then I came across this letter posted on truthdig.com, written by Kevin Tillman. You might be familiar with Kevin’s brother Pat, the NFL player who retired to join the Army Rangers in 2002, then was killed in 2004. His death was at first attributed to the enemy, but was later revealed to be the result of friendly fire. Kevin was discharged in 2005.

There is really nothing I can add to Kevin's words to increase the impact, so I present them herewith.

After Pat’s Birthday

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we get out.
Much has happened since we handed over our voice:
Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.
Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.
Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.
Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.
Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.
Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.
Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.
Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.
Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.
Somehow torture is tolerated.
Somehow lying is tolerated.
Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.
Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.
Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.
Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.
Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.
Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.
Somehow this is tolerated.
Somehow nobody is accountable for this.
In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.
Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,
Kevin Tillman

Admit it: You screwed up, GOP

Watching the entire Foley scandal unfold this week has been amazing. It provides a textbook example of how not to handle a crisis or sudden revelation. Consider the steps taken by the Republican leadership, Foley himself, and the associated right wing mainstream media lackeys in the wake of this scandal being broken:

* Deny any prior knowledge
* Michael Savage: doubt the validity of the entire story (um, Foley didn’t resign for no reason, there Mikey)
* Blame the victims (damn those cute, tight butted young pages and their baiting those weak-willed gay Congressmen!)
* Foley: I’m an alcoholic! (Okay…….but so is/was Ted Kennedy)
* Drudge: It was all a prank by those rascally pages!
* Foley: Um…a priest molested me! Yep, that’s why I’m gay too.
* Bring up the 1983 Gerry Studds scandal as an example of how the Democrats did nothing, and are politicizing Foleygate. (Hmm…Foley was censured, but got reelected anyway. The point is, it was acknowledged by the leadership.)
* Somehow tie this to Bill Clinton (note: this applies to everything)
* Question the timing of the relevations, coming so close to the mid-term elections. (Obviously a devious act by the Liberal Media ™ )
* Show a graphic (on Fox) listing Foley as (D-FL) – ooops, our “mistake”!
* Denny Hastert: accept full responsibility…while blaming the Democrats and the Liberal Media ™


As is the case with most scandals, the act itself is never nearly as serious as the eventual cover-up. The funniest thing is they never seem to learn this simple fact. It’s been brought to light that the Republican leadership has been aware of this for quite some time, and did nothing about it. That is the issue here, not the fact that Foley is gay, not the fact that he is Republican. It’s the simple fact that many were aware of what was going on, and did absolutely nothing to stop it. The only one with any honor here is Foley himself, ironically, who quickly resigned once the scandal came to light rather than trying to defend what happened and keep his seat. Looking the other way to maintain power is an abuse of that power, and inevitably raises more questions. For example, if they were covering this up, what else might they be hiding? With this crowd, one can never be too sure.

The old saw that “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” is invoked so often because it has never ceased to be true. With one party control, it becomes all about maintaining that power and getting reelected more than serving your constituents with honor and dignity. There is no denying that the Democrats can use this to political advantage, but so far they’ve been able to basically sit back and watch the Republicans self destruct in vain attempts to defend and deflect the issue. How this ultimately affects the election remains to be seen, but my gut tells me that this issue will not play well to the base, particularly the religious right which they covet. Karl Rove is always capable of pulling an “October Surprise” out of his ass in the coming weeks, so nobody should count their electoral chickens just yet. (“Hey, lookie here, we just found Osama!”)

Plenty of humor has come out during this scandal as well, particularly ABC News reporter Brian Ross reading the lurid instant messages on the air in a dull monotone, as shown in this clip form The Daily Show:





Grab some popcorn kiddies, I don’t think this one has been fully milked yet.

Never Forget

As we note this day, it's important not to lose focus. Remember those who gave their lives, those innocent people who simply went to work and never came home, and those left behind.

It's unfortunate that it often takes events such as these to make one appreciate things more, but that's reality. Spend a few extra moments with those you love today, and spend each day working toward creating a world where no one could think that the taking of another life can be in anyway justifiable. Naive? Sure, but most dreams worth striving for are.

Never forget.

America, Come Back to Us

Can you feel it? The frustration with the US government seems to be at an all time high. I can not recall a time when there was so much cynicism about our elected officals. Look at the approval ratings (subject to change daily, of course, but consistently low):

Bush 30%

Congress 28%

Cheney 18%

I’d really like to poll the 12% who like Bush, but hate Cheney, and see what is in their respective heads. Aren’t those two a package deal?

The Democrats should be riding high, as they are expected to sweep many of the November elections, and perhaps change the balance of power in Washington. I’m not convinced this is exactly a good thing. There seems to be an almost equal amount of corruption on both sides of the aisle, to varying degrees.

Full disclosure time: I’m a registered Democrat. Even so, I do not vote along party lines, and have voted for Republicans, Greens, and Independents over the course of my voting life. Vote the candidate, not the party, right?

We need new blood in Washington. More parties need to be part of the mix. The trouble is that the two main camps have set things up in such a way that makes getting on the ballot extremely difficult, and alternative parties are relegated to the fringes. Ross Perot made a nice run in 1992, and struck a populist chord, but in the end, it seemed like he was simply a guy with lots of cash indulging in a fun side project.

We need a party that honestly will look after the interests of the rapidly vanishing middle class. A party that does not equate corporate profits with economic success, but rather strives to ensure that Americans are not only prosperous, but also able to pursue what used to be the American Dream. The new global economy has meant nothing more than the exporting of middle class jobs. The United States of Corporate America rules, with each party more than willing to sell out to the highest bidder.

I think the creation of a viable third party would free up conflicted politicians who are currently forced to align themselves with one of the Big Two. Ever notice how much different a candidate sounds before he or she is forced to adopt the platform of their respective party? They must play ball, or they will not get the support (and the money) from the party. That’s insane. I’m sure there are plenty of Pro-Choice Republicans, and Pro Gun Democrats, etc. who are very electable, but won’t get anywhere since they do not cater to the extreme wings of each party. I would love to see a GOP candidate tell Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson to get bent, but when push comes to shove those fat asses have to be kissed to ensure a voting block. John McCain recently giving a commencement speech at Falwell’s Liberty University is a perfect example. Some “maverick”!

How about a Democrat who is a card carrying member of the NRA, and favors small government? That would be cool. Better still, an openly Gay Republican, who crosses the aisle and chooses a Pro-Life Democrat as his running mate!

My point is, the country is ready and willing to hear new voices. Voices of reason, which aren’t beholden to any group and can be immune to lobbyists. If this started, I think it would catch on quickly. The monopoly the mainstream media had is eroding with the growth of independent news and, especially, the Blogsphere. The internet provides a much more effective way of spreading grassroots movements around the world, and the declining ratings for TV news, coupled with the shrinking circulation of traditional newspapers, show a new breed of people who are tired of being told what to think about the news. After all, why should a media that is corporate owned be trusted when they amount to nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Government, never challenging, and following along in lockstep? (BTW, kudos to Steven Colbert for exposing these cowards at the correspondent’s dinner a few weeks back.)

What’s out there now? Some examples of viable alternative parties are listed here:

Libertarian Party

Green Party

Let’s do it, America. Let’s take the country back.

Heroes

MEMORANDUM:
Soldiers of the regiment: June 5, 1944 - D-DAY

Today, and as you read this, you are en route to that great adventure for which you have trained for over two years.

Tonight is the night of nights.

Tomorrow throughout the whole of our homeland and the Allied world the bells will ring out the tidings that you have arrived, and the invasion for liberation has begun.

The hopes and prayers of your dear ones accompany you, the confidence of your high commanders goes with you. The fears of the Germans are about to become a reality.

Let us strike hard. When the going is tough, let us go harder. Imbues with faith in the rightness of our cause, and the power of our might, let us annihilate the enemy where found.

May God be with each of you fine soldiers. By your actions let us justify His faith in us.

Colonel Robert Sink
Regimental Commander, 506th P.I.R, 101st Airborne Division

Immigration: Quick Fix Ideas

Lots of talk these days about Immigration. Suggested solutions sound as follows:

Build a fence! Round 'em all up and deport 'em all!

Look, the key word in "Illegal Aliens" is ILLEGAL. Can we arrest them all? Of course not. What to do, then? It's funny, this has been going on for years, but only now has it become a hot button issue. Since rounding up 12 million people for deportation is impossible, and building a fence is a waste of time, what do we do? How about asking the big question - why are they so desperate to leave Mexico? How bad are things there? Didn't NAFTA create more jobs in Mexico, at the expense of American manufacturing jobs?

Look, I can't fault anyone for wanting to come here. We have a large land, full of opportunity, and I will never fault any person who is trying to improve their life. But….why not go through the process and do it legally, as millions have already done? Don't even get me started on the lack of desire to learn English and at least attempt to assimilate.

The solution is simple. Three easy options are presented below.

1.) Call out the Mexican government, demand they assist in the effort to keep their own people from crossing the border. If they're such "good friends", as Bush keeps telling us, they should be more than willing to help.

2.) Punish those in the US who hire cheap Mexican labor, eliminating the incentive for them to cross the border. This will undoubtedly ruffle some big feathers, since many large corporations (read: contributors to the GOP) are guilty of this.

3.) Wait, I've got it! Bring the troops back from Iraq, and stick them on the border, thereby fixing two hot button issues at once. So simple, which means there is no way in Hell this
administration will do it.

There, fixed that for ya! Anything else you need straightened out?

James Spader is My Hero

Did you happen to catch a recent episode of the ABC series Boston Public? Yeah, me neither. Truth be told, I never have seen the show. From what I gather, Spader plays a rather unsympathetic character on the show, a smarmy lawyer with a heart of less than gold. Also? Shatner is on this show, and he’s always gold. I’m amazed I don’t watch, come to think of it.

The clip is here.

I haven’t even seen the entire episode mentioned above, only this clip. Spader’s character is defending a woman who is avoiding paying taxes in protest. It’s perfectly setup, having the prosecutor rant to the jury about how her form of dissent is unpatriotic, and how they, the jury, have little choice but to convict. Spader’s address to the jury is nothing short of astonishing, in the fact that it was broadcast on commercial television. It hits on all the relevant points of how dissent in this country is quickly labeled as unpatriotic, when the reverse is true. He dares to question the jury (and in reality, all of us) where our outrage is while all of these decidedly un-American things have occurred under the guise of a War on Terror. Things like a war based on misinformation, state sanctioned torture, warrantless wiretaps, etc.

I can only imagine that ABC has received a backlash form the traditional media lapdogs (Hannity, Limbaugh, etc.), ironically, calling them unpatriotic traitors. Yes, yes we get it: Hollywood is full of left wing liberal nutjobs who hate America and love muslims/commies. Hopefully, they will receive an equal number of comments applauding the bravery of airing this. Contact them here and tell them what you think.

We live in dangerous times. The climate of fear that has been placed upon us was not done so by accident. Having a population living in constant fear of whatever bogeyman we can think of (in this case, Muslim extremists) allows a government to get away with things far above and beyond rational democratic actions. The populace, when kept uneducated about such things, and in a constant state of anxiety, is far more likely to accept Police state type security measures, all under the guise of “protection”. Playing upon those fears is manipulative and more in line with the governments we claim to despise. Think that color coded terror alert system will ever sink below yellow? Yeah, me neither. Disagree with the current administration? You must hate America! Want to speak out, as is your right? Move over to that “Free Speech Zone” three blocks away. (Funny, I thought all American soil was a “Free Speech Zone”.)

Thankfully, it seems like we Americans might finally be waking up and smelling the coffee. Dubya’s approval ratings are the lowest they’ve ever been, and continue to sink each time the polls are taken. Even members of his own party are openly questioning the policies they helped put into place, though a lot of that could be due to election year posturing, as nothing is worse that to have the stench of an unpopular president on you while campaigning. Soldiers are openly questioning what the hell they are trying to accomplish in Iraq, and why they have to do so with inadequate equipment. Here’s a hint: maybe the goal isn’t to “win”, but simply to remain there and keep the war machine rolling along. There are profits to be made, after all, eh Dick?

The proof will be if, this November, things change enough to dismantle the Republican majority in Congress. I’m not saying the Democrats are any better, by any stretch. After all, many of them voted for this war, though they later claimed they were misled. They further proved their weenie-ness this past week when Russ Feingold produced a measure to censure the President, and the afraid-to-dissent-and-seem-unpatriotic Dems let him twist in the wind. The Dems need to convey a better message than “We’re not them” in order to rally the voters. We can force them to revert to being the party of FDR and JFK, if we do it right, and not reduce them to being the party that has to defend Pro-Choice all damn day. The tent needs to get bigger, and they can’t be held captive by the extreme fringes, which seems to happen every election cycle.

It would send a message if many incumbents were defeated, and that should be the goal. See who is up for reelection in your district, make sure the voting machines work (that is, they aren’t made by Diebold), and vote for change. Me? I’m going to do my damndest to make sure that my state senator, noted Republican-in-Donkey-clothing Joe Lieberman, gets ousted.

Remember, this country was founded by a group of intelligent, pissed off guys, who were tired of living under the rule of an elitist system of which they could never be part. Sound familiar? Dissent is not only in our blood, it is our responsibility. At the very least, we need to restore the system of checks and balances designed by these brilliant thinkers, which were setup to prevent anyone, even our elected (or in this case, selected) leaders from putting themselves above the law. As Sean Hannity likes to say, "Now more than ever." Indeed, Sean. Indeed.

Am I Being Monitored? I’ll Probably Find Out.

Now that Bush, Cheney and the neocon gang want to be all up in our personal business (see Act, Patriot and Tap, Warrantless Wire), I began to wonder what behavior, if any, I would personally do which could result in a visit from Big Brother. This blog is pretty much non-political, so I doubt it would turn up in any high powered searches (until now, perhaps). I don’t recall any phone conversation where I trashed the current administration, as most of those rants were done face-to-face.

Oh wait – I’ve recently made a few trips to my local public library, and was browsing for books when I did a search for Al Franken. Now, I like Franken, ever since the salad days of Saturday Night Live in the 70’s, he has consistently made me laugh. I recall seeing him at a corporate event a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed him. His books balance facts, heavy sarcasm, and intelligence to make his points. I don’t agree with everything he says, but nonetheless he is a very enjoyable read, and listen on his Air America radio show.

I found the book I was looking for, Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right, and grabbed a copy. While in the aisle, I also came across, then checked out these other items:

When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden, by Bill Maher
Bushwacked!, by Molly Ivans
Stupid White Men, by Michael Moore

I read those, then went back and picked up the following:

Dude, Where’s My Country?, by Michael Moore
The Truth (with Jokes), by Al Franken

Man, I’m screwed. I mean, if they’ve been poking around vegetarians and nuns, what would they do with me? The WARNING: LEFTY EXTREMIST alarms were probably ringing like crazy at the NSA. Maybe I should go back and grab a Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly or Ann Coulter book to balance it out. (Truthfully, I have read books by O’Reilly and Coulter, and got them from this library, but that was before the snooping began.) That would probably confuse the hell out of the poor schlub who was on Library Duty that day.

Guess if you don’t hear from me for awhile, assume the worst. Welcome to 1984.