So here I am with an Organizing for America log-in and I've supported EVERY SINGLE (EVERY SINGLE) agenda item the Obama administration has backed. Signed petitions, written congressmen and senators ad nauseum and even placed phone calls to them. I've been called obnoxious and overbearing by friends in my support of President Obama.
So I'm a little confused as a GAY AMERICAN why DOMA has recently been defended in a recent legal brief filed by the Justice Department in language that is so offensive to me and the Gay community that it well could have been written by Jerry Fawell or Pat Roberts. I can't say how upset I am with this and I DEMAND ... DEMAND immediate action to begin the process of elminiating don't ask don't tell in the military and a retraction of all the language used in this recent brief from the supposed good guys in the Obama Justice Department. Whose side are you really on here?
Sorry Mr. President. Until this happened I was willing to be patient. But now I'm not willing to be patient. You brag about being able to walk and chew gum at the same time so it's time to walk faster on this unfulfilled campaign promise.
Don't deceive yourselves here. We in the Gay Community will loose patience and we will cut our noses off despite our faces in other areas of support for your programs if you go back on your word on this fundamental and so far ignored civil liberties issue.
We expected this from George Bush and the reaction was disappointment and anger but hey it was George Bush. But to get this from you and your Justice Department has me outraged and enraged.
When are we going to see action? When?
Having followed this man from the third time I heard him speak. 19 1/2 months on his team. Posters, buttons, bumper stickers, signs! Telling everyone who would listen, and a few who didn't want to. I could not, at this moment be more ashamed of my choice!
Refusing to prosecute those responsible for breaking our constitution, our International treaties, our laws, and our morals. Even when those persons are all over the media BRAGGING about their role in torturing prisoners.
Refusing to close our borders, do something about illegals, and doing NOTHING to stop the ever-increasing flow of drugs & criminal elements across our borders. You'll notice Canada just closed their Southern border, IMHO because the USA won't close ours!
Targeting specific groups of people for higher taxes. Yes, I not only speak of the business owners in this country, but also of smokers (which yes, I am one). While at the same time, refusing to target alcohol sales, which not only cause as many health problems, but I have NEVER known someone to smoke a cigarette, then get behind the wheel of a vehicle & wipe out an entire family on their way home from Grandma's. No, of course not! That might interfere with the weekly cocktail parties at the White House the Obamas have gotten so fond of.
Bailouts of the Auto Industry, with strings attached. While at the same time Wall Street & the banks take BILLIONS with no questions asked.
And now this!!!! Don't ask, Don't tell. Choi & Fehrebach. Both decorated war HEROES, and both dismissed for their choice. Fehrebach after 18 years risking life & limb, only to be thrown under Obama's bus. The Pentagon CROWING about not having any plans to change their reprehensible ideals.
SHAME ON YOU OBAMA! We expect to have campaign promises broken. But Mr. Obama, I must say, I think you've set the World's Land Speed Record in turning into just another stinking politician! And I am |----------| this close to throwing my support to ANYONE running against you in 2012!
Stephen Views the News April 9, 2009
http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
* Fashion News ~ enough of politics, economics, war and unemployment – The more important question is, “How was Michelle Obama’s couture received in Europe?” At least three times the FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) wore the designs of lesser known designer Jason Wu. Can you imagine? Women’s Wear Daily asks where the love has gone for big name designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren.
Iconic fashion designer Oscar de la Renta took off the Gucci kidskin gloves to assess Michele’s choice of wardrobe. "American fashion right now is struggling." Concerning the outfit worn to meet Queen Elizabeth he said, “You don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.”
Well-known designer Vera Wang offered less edginess in her observations and more pleading: "I love seeing young designers and their vision and how they grow and all of that," she says. "On the other hand, of course, I wish she would consider some of us, because I think we also have contributions to make."
Liberal blogger and author Arianna Huffington, appearing on CBS, offered this observation: "Even if you don't terribly like that particular outfit," she said of Mrs. Obama's fashion sense, "you know it is what she loves and what she looks good in."
Progressive blogger Stephen Weinstein noted, in an interview with himself, that he was not crazy about the black coat Mrs. Obama wore with the purple stuff all over it.
* Hot Toddy replaces Scotch on the Rocks - “Arctic sea ice is melting so fast most of it could be gone in 30 years. A change in the amount of ice is important because the white surface reflects sunlight back into space… When ice is replaced by dark ocean water, that sunlight can be absorbed, warming the water and increasing the warming of the planet.” Also disappearing is the common sense of global warming deniers. Just because Fargo got two feet of snow does not mean the planet is not warming. The dynamics are apparently too complicated for the agenda-driven and scientifically challenged. The next thing they will be telling us is that evolution is a sham.
* Keeping abreast of trends – The swelling numbers of enhanced breasts that dominate television, cinema, magazines, fashion and pop culture is perhaps a metaphor for the U.S. in the early years of the 21st Century. Victoria’s Secret is no longer a secret. Phoniness has become de rigueur both in leadership and feminine allure. The inflexibility and grandiosity of the manufactured female breast is representational of much of our society – more pump than circumstance.
* Speaking of breasts – National Cleavage Day was celebrated on April 3rd, thanks to the initiative of the makers of Wonderbra. I look forward to the day when Jockey will produce miracle under ware for men, such as a MrWonderThong. In any case, Wonderbra brand manager Samantha Paterson said, "It gives women a chance to be beautiful and glow in the furtive, yet appreciative, glances their cleavage evokes from men." The last time I looked my furtive glances were not especially appreciated but, in support of this national day of pride, I remained furtive, committed and focused.
* A fading American trait ~ Integrity – This is a societal issue that runs broad and deep. We are experiencing a period where money and power have trumped and overwhelmed the common good and a sense of community. At every level of government investigations and corruption convictions dominate the news. Police corruption and abuse stain the landscape with regularity. In Pennsylvania two judges of Juvenile Court accepted bribes from the operators of juvenile detention centers. The judges encouraged accused youths to forgo legal representation and then found the youths guilty, resulting in incarceration. The FBI is so burdened by a broad range of investigations that they are overwhelmed. We look down upon Mexico and many other countries for the corruption that has rotted their political and legal systems but shrug at what is taking place in our own country. Oh well.
* Equality – The word has always been synonymous with America but for many it has also been an antonym. African Americans and Gays can attest to this reality. The good news is that gains have been made and these gains are marshalling momentum. The election of Barack Obama did not obliterate racial prejudice but certainly can be seen as a milestone. Three very recent events will be of import for gay rights. The Supreme Court of Iowa validated legal rights for gay relationships as did the legislature of Vermont which overrode their Governor’s veto of legislation recognizing gay marriage. The D.C. Council voted to recognize other states’ gay marriages. The religious right has every right to advise its members on sexuality. It has no right to infringe on the rights of citizens who choose a different course. That is the heart of freedom and one of the many reasons why we have separation of church and state. As former Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair said in a recent interview about gay rights, “Equality isn't political correctness, it's just justice.”
* Not a good week for the religious right ~ and that is good news – First their eyeballs were spinning with the news from Iowa and Vermont concerning gay marriage. This was capped by the President of the United States having the “audacity” to say in a speech in Turkey that America is a secular nation. Unlike his predecessor, President Obama must have read the U.S. Constitution.
Today the Obamas are hosting the first Seder ever held at the White House. The Passover holiday dinner remembers the Jewish exodus from slavery under Pharaoh over 3000 years ago. Yes we can in this country recognize each others religious beliefs while not imposing one group’s beliefs upon another. “Diversity” is not a four-letter word, nor is “respect.”
A reader forwarded a YouTube Video “20 Things To Do With Matzah” for those challenged with leftovers.
* Self-Euthanasia – May I take your order please? – MSNBC listed “The 19 worst drive-thru foods in America.” I was especially impressed with Hardee's Monster Thickburger. The sandwich contains 1420 calories, 108 grams of fat of which 43 grams are saturated fat, 2770 mg of salt and 230 mg of cholesterol. Put in perspective it is the caloric equivalent of 6 McDonalds hamburgers, the saturated fat of 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon, and the sodium equivalent of 84 saltine crackers. As we say in the fast food business, “Have It Your Way.”
* Warts that won’t go away – Former VP Dick Cheney recently made the media rounds where he had the opportunity to again preach about the justification of torture. He continued to emphasize its value in protecting Americans. We have heard this theme from other former Bush administration players as well as some Republican congressmen and right-wing media miscreants. Having closely followed this circus of situational ethics I have yet to hear of one instance where the use of torture saved one American life. You can bet your ass that if weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq we would know about it. You can make a similar bet that if a terrorist plot against America was thwarted because of information garnered from the use of torture it would have made headlines for days. It may be human nature to believe your own lies but it is neither good foreign policy nor moral.
* Call me proud, Mr. President – It has been quite a while since the leader of our country was welcomed with open arms, applauded and respected in a foreign venue. On his just-ended visit to Europe President Obama, our representative to the world, spoke in complete sentences. He answered unplanted questions openly. He renewed the concept of diplomacy and international cooperation. The last U.S. President’s foreign policy was predicated on megalomania, nation building and myopic militarism. The current challenges are more daunting because of previous policy but the possibility of resolution has substantially increased. The Progress Report reviews the substantive accomplishments of Obama’s European trip. Call me proud and hopeful.
* “You don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.” Oscar de la Renta
I am a 31 year old student, full-time worker and gay. I cannot seem to make ends meet most months especially when mishaps take place. I am working hard for a degree that will allow me to serve my country to the best of my ability. However, my country does not seem to care about me.
I voted for Obama/ Biden in hopes for change. All I have seen are the same ole Washington cronies being announced to fill cabinet places. I have watched this ticket vote for a stimulus plan that would have worked better if the money would have been invested into the infrastructure of this country to create more jobs. This ticket simply gave a man a fish to eat for a day instead of teaching the man to fish so he could eat for a lifetime.
I truly want change but in order to change, we have to implement it, not pretend we believe in it. I want to believe in this man, and I know he holds the weight of the world on his shoulders, but you cannot change Washington by implementing failed packages and politicians of the past.
I am a homosexual. According to my government I have no more rights than my cat or dog. I want that to change. I want a tax break, I want to claim head of household, because I am! I want to marry, and have legal rights to my partner. After All, someone fought extremely hard for this man of color to even be able to be nominated for president!
This is the content of the Whitehouse Civil Rights platform, as posted on January 21, 2009. Currently, on this site, which is a holdover of discussions before the election of November 4, these were not spelled out. They are now, and we will hold this Administration to answer for them.
Support for the LGBT Community
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
I'm already feeling a change and it isn't the one I wanted. I'm hearing and reading from others how they're already beginning to feel disillusioned with Barack Obama because of his decision to elevate hate at the upcoming inauguration. I say no way, no how will this victory be stolen from those of us who are looking to this new President to lead this country back to the course we must be on to fulfill our obligations to each other and the world. But just like Obama told us, we can't rely on just his rhetoric, his appointments, and his decisions. We must also participate in the change and with that in mind, I'm looking for like-minded individuals who want to find an organized way to express our outrage during the inauguration about the decision to include hatemonger Rick Warren.
I am very disappointed with the Rick Warren invitation, but I am not ready to write Obama off -- far from it. Instead I want to essentially follow his repeated calls to get more fully engaged. Had this been a policy decision I would not have been as surprised. After all, Obama ran opposed to gay marriage. Instead, and most perplexing, Obama chose to do this -- offend gay Americans and their friends and family -- over a strictly symbolic matter and sometimes symbols can be exceedingly important. This is one of those times. The man was elected because enough voters were swayed by his argument that the time for divisiveness was over. The very survival of the nation being at stake -- so we had to set aside things like the culture wars and deal with the fundamentals of national security, economics and environment. I totally agree with that premise.However, elevating a hatemonger to deliver a prayer on the stage at the nation's big day is a symbol of exactly the opposite: that we're not really setting aside those culture wars. Instead we're lending them more credibility. Just as I would not have expected Obama to select Gene Robinson (the openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church Diocese of New Hampshire) to deliver this prayer, so I would have assumed his choice would have been any number of clergy who have a far less public profile of the culture war issues such as gay marriage, abortion rights and stem cell research (all actively opposed by Rick Warren).While I hope the invitation will somehow be rescinded, having already made my plans to attend the swearing in, I and many other like-minded citizens need to prepare now for an organized action while the whole world is watching. Rarely will gay activists and their supporters have such an incredible stage to show ourselves and discuss our issues. For those of you who believe that doing anything like this on the occasion of the swearing in of our nation's first bi-racial President could be a PR disaster for us, I disagree. We can be forceful and respectful, especially if we plan this in advance. Those who agree that hatemongers should not be elevated in our society in this way need to have a way to express themselves right then, right there during the ceremony.
Having made my own personal case for organizing, I'd like to hear from others and especially get some ideas on what could be done in Washington at the Mall during the ceremony and/or the parade that follows. I'm sure many of you will write about how wrong this is as a strategy, but this blog is about taking a pro-active stand to speak out at the inauguration, not about debating whether we should be silent. As they once shouted in the Reagan years at ACT UP demo's, "Silence equals death." And this queen is silent no more!
As this is my first posting, I'll introduce myself: I am a retired art museum librarian, a grandmother with three children and five grandsons married to my husband for 42 years. I have three gay people in my family, so I am especially sensitive to the insults of people like Rick Warren, of whose ministry I have been aware for several years. (Yes, I'm aware of his opinions about the environment, the poor, etc. It doesn't ameliorate his abusive and wrong comments about gays.) I was shocked to find out yesterday that Barack Obama, whom I have supported since Fall 2006 because of his healing leadership, has chosen Rick Warren to present the invocation at his inauguration ceremony. Warren is a man who has made very clear his disdain for the gay community and there is no way Mr. Obama can select Warren for this prominent national exposure without sending a clear message of uncaring to gays, their families, and friends.
I've just posted the following comment within a petition to Rick Warren on the Courage Campaign website. I repeat it below in hopes that Barack Obama or a close associate may read it and consider either withdrawing the invitation or asking Warren to decline it. Obama has really disappointed me terribly in asking this very devisive figure to appear and lead a prayer at his inauguration. I supported you, Mr. Obama, primarily because of the sense that you could bring people together. I understand that you want to listen to what Rick Warren has to say--even that you think all of us should listen to what he has to say--in a less significant forum. But Rick Warren, by publicly equating homosexuality with pedophilia, polygamy, and incest, cannot be representative of the kind of leader--religious or not--to whom you would lend such prominence. I was looking forward to watching the inauguration on TV. Having to see and hear Rick Warren take part in it has completely spoiled it for me. I'm not exaggerating. Here's what I wrote to Warren:
To Rick Warren: I respect your opinion about "marriage," though I don't agree with it. But I can't respect someone who equates gay people with practitioners of pedophilia, incest, and polygamy. Look around you, Mr. Warren. Some of your "best friends"--or parishoners--are undoubtedly gay, and even if they aren't your friends, they deserve to have equal rights--including marriage--under the law. Marriage is not just a religious custom; it is a civil custom and can be performed between atheists as well as people of faith. Shame on Barack Obama (whom I supported strongly) for including you in such a significant national ceremony, intended for ALL Americans. Since some of your right-wing supporters are also against your inclusion in the inauguration, I believe the best thing for everyone would be for you to decline Mr. Obama's invitation.
I am going to the Inauguration. I WAS planning to be there to celebrate. Now I am going to protest.
I thought this was about bringing us together. When I heard, "There is no black America, no white America, no gay America, no straight America, there is only The United States of America!", I believed it. I stood up and cheered.
I was ready to change, to move beyond identity politics, ready to be a part of healing the divisions that have plagued this country for so long. I knew that it would not be a smooth ride. I accepted that the new President would not always do what I wanted him to do. It's a big country, with many strong cross-currents.
Even when the voters of California took away my civil rights and told me I was a second-class citizen, even though it hurt and angered me, I was willing to move on.
But when my leader chose, at the moment of his ascension to the highest office, to honor a proponent of division, hate and discrimination, that's when i lost it. The inauguration of a president means something. It is a symbolic moment. The symbol now is tarnished. The moment will be tainted.
I will be there. I was planning to celebrate. Now I will protest.
Dear Barack:
You have so admirably stated on a number of occaisions, that you will admit to mistakes when you make them. Well, you've just made your first huge blunder by selecting a right wing Christian Fundamentalist preacher Rick Warren, (who has no respect for Gays, women's rights to choose or science) to preside religiously over your innauguration. This is also a man who believes that the only way to obtain a ticket to heaven is through a belief in Jesus Christ. In otherwords many Americans that voted for you - according to this religious moron - are destined for Hell.
You have not only offended Gays with this choice. You have offended people like myself who supported you because I was fed up with the hijacking of the US by the religious right, their retrograde chauvinism and narrow xenophobic concept of God. This man may appearn more moderate on other issues such as poverty and climate change, but make no mistake, he is simply a "wolf in sheeps clothing". His views on abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and the "one true religion" (which is his brand of Christianity) are as retrograde as all of his ignorant predecessors.
With all due respect Barack, we, who were fed up with the right wing agenda for the past eight years, can't believe your lack of judgement on this one. This is, after all, "the Civil Rights Issue" of our day. If Rick Warren had the same attitudes about African American Rights as he does about Gay Rights, Women's Rights and the rights of sick people to benefit from stem cell research, there would be no way that he'd be allowed to share the podium on your innauguration.
If you want to reach out to that element of America, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so without giving him the prime spot at your inauguration and offending those who voted for you because of your liberalism and open mindedness.
Yes Barack, its time to admit your first enormous mistake and immediately do something to correct it.
Since the US is home to many religions, if you want to correct this blunder without alienating the Christian Right, I suggest that you consider inviting liberal clergy from all denominations of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddism, Hinduism and others to do a group invocation at your inauguration. That will send a message of American inclusivity to people all over the world. More importantly it will show all Americans that they have an equal spiritual voice in the United States.
It will also allow you to save face with Rick Warren and to let the American people know that you've both acknowledged and corrected your first enormous blunder.
Barack Obama has just rubbed salt in the wounds of millions of gay Americans by choosing Rick Warren to deliver an inaugural invocation. Gay Americans, still hurt and angry after anti-gay initiatives passed in three states on the day of Obama's election, just got pissed on by the candidate we passionately and overwehlmingly supported.
Barack's words in support of human rights need to be backed up by his actions. The selection of Warren, a staunch supporter of California's Prop 8, does much more than just send mixed signals. It ignores the decades long struggle of millions of Americans who have fought to be treated equally. Barack, you would never have chosen a minister who was against equal rights for children, the elderly, or any racial minority. Rick Warren . . . Rick Warren?! Not if he was the last minister left on earth!
Thanks for listening.
Yay for Human Rights! While the day is dedicated to the respect of all human rights, there is one that I tend to focus on more than others. This is gay rights. I'm not gay myself, but I don't think that should matter. I think that as a human being, it is my duty to look out for and aid in the pursuit of equality for my fellow human beings. Regardless of religion, race, political affilitation, or sexual orientation.
Thus, I would like to encourage everyone to participate in A Day Without a Gay. This is a protest that calls for supporters to "call in gay" by not attending work or by shutting down their businesses. The goal is to raise awareness to the gay community and the many ways that their rights are being violated and taken from them.
Thirty states have a ban on gay marriage. Thirty states allow for a person to be fired from work based on their sexual orientation. The Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996 by congress denied civil unions over 1000 benifits allowed in marriage including taxation, Social Security, and veterans benefits. Also, there are many states who have already or are in the process of banning gays from adopting or fostering children.
This madness has to stop! One of the goals of A Day Without a Gay is to raise awareness that marriage is a "basic human right" as recognized by the U. S. Supreme Court. Denial of rights to gays is wrong and in violation of the 14th Amendment. I'd like to encourage everyone to show their support for our gay brothers and sisters this December 10th for Human Rights Day.
I hope that everyone enjoys their time, and keep in mind that Change is Coming. Thanks to steps taken by ourselves and our fellow Americans, we can Hope to see a day where all people are treated equally and with respect and love.
Funny Star Studded Musical video on Proposition 8 - Jack Black and many more
Hosted on Funny or Die
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones
Stephen Views the News 11/22/08
* The Stench of Torture ~ will not dissipate with Bush’s exit – Barack Obama has stated emphatically that he will end any use of torture by the USA. Human rights groups, constitutional scholars and citizens have called for the next administration to prosecute those who authorized or used harsh interrogation techniques. “But two Obama advisers said there's little — if any — chance that the incoming president's Justice Department will go after anyone involved in authorizing or carrying out interrogations that provoked worldwide outrage.” Having closely followed the actions by the Bush administration and the use of torture, actions contrary to national and international law, I would like to see those who authorized and then lied about it come under scrutiny. Many believe that the US should not look back as Obama changes policy. What about after Obama? If Bush could authorize the use of torture so could a future president. It is obvious that safeguards are not in place to prevent the use of torture. It should not be an option for ANY administration. At the least, America should enact laws that unequivocally prevent any president or U.S. agency from utilizing a policy of torture. That being said, regardless of how the Obama administration decides to deal with abuses by George W. Bush or, should Bush grant broad immunity to perpetrators of abuse before he leaves office, the international community still could address the subject.
It remains to be seen whether there will be an effort to bring war crimes charges against Americans responsible for and involved in torture in Iraq, Guantanamo and secret prisons the U.S. government sanctioned around the world. There is a just-released report by the Human Rights Center/Center for Constitutional Rights report titled “Guantanamo and Its Aftermath.” Former DC Appellate Judge Patricia Wald, a judge at the international trial for Serbians accused of committing war crimes against Bosnian Muslims, compared the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody to the treatment Bosnians received at the hands of their Serbian captors. And from the web site ThinkProgress.org: “Last June, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (ret.), the Army general who led the investigation into prisoner abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, also accused the Bush administration of committing “war crimes” and called for those responsible to be held to account.”
The report noted above is 136 pages in length. Even if one only reads the Forward and Executive Summary one will find a chilling condemnation of the policies invoked by the Bush administration to deal with the aftermath of 9/11 attacks. It is a vision that no sentient American in my lifetime could have envisioned. I was especially struck with the innocent lives destroyed. I would hope that Americans are struck with a sense of the loss of innocence. The Forward concludes, “We, as a nation, must not only remember our past but strive not to repeat it. This report makes an invaluable start in that direction.”
* In Case of Emergency 1 ~ a simple yet very intelligent idea – A reader sent me notice of an idea conceived by a paramedic that is growing in popularity. Most of us have cell phones. If we were to be injured in an accident or unexpectedly taken ill, emergency personnel would want to alert someone to our situation. To avoid the need to search through a large number of entries in the phone’s address book there is an alternative. Add to the address file “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) and the telephone number of the person you want to be contacted. If there is more than one person or phone number, enter ICE 1, ICE 2, and so on. This is an idea you may want to share with friends and family.
* In Case of Emergency 2 – If you just accidentally swallowed poison and need to regurgitate, watch this video of the members of the U.S. Senate giving a standing ovation to Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Stevens is not returning to the Senate because he lost his re-election bid. Even if Stevens had won the election he very probably would have been expelled from the Senate because he recently was convicted in a federal court on 7 felony counts. This is the man who porked huge amounts of federal money for Alaska and he was the legislative architect for the Bridge to Nowhere, while using his legislative power for financial gain for himself, members of his family and friends and associates. And our illustrious Senators gave him a standing ovation, which happens to be against their own Senate rules. Applauding a low-life power abuser and convicted felon is not the message that I want to hear from legislators. It does not bode well for ethics reform or the responsible leadership that the American people crave. Republican losses over the last two election cycles have made this very clear. The Good Ol’ Boy Club has gotten very old. More need to be replaced, including a covey of Democrats.
* Derriere Orifice of the Week ~ say hello to Newt Gingrich – Appearing on FOX News (of course) Gingrich was criticizing those individuals protesting the loss of the right of gay couples in California to marry. Gingrich said, "I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion." I find Gingrich’s comments disingenuous, hypocritical and misleading.
Recall that it was Gingrich and his Republican Party that consummated a marriage with religious-right fundamentalists attempting to tell Americans how to conduct their lives. I see no evidence of people with a gay lifestyle either attempting to or, by example, influencing anyone to be gay. The gay community does not proselytize. It is seeking its own civil rights, in opposition to the likes of Mike Huckabee who pronounce that gay rights and civil rights are totally different. What is Fascist are Gingrich and his tight-assed brown shirts spewing untruthful propaganda and misinformation. Has anyone seen evidence of gay violence or harassment? More than half of the American people are aware of Gingrich and company’s dangerous band of blowhards. Once a few million more Americans wake up to the uncivil attacks on and the denial of civil rights to the gay community, people like Gingrich will find limited access to mainstream media and be relegated to the increasingly irrelevant Pat Robertson’s Holier than Thou TV infomercials.
* Knowing your limitations – “Congratulations” to Fred Thompson. Following the failure of his somnambulant presidential bid he has decided to again leave politics and return to acting. I suggest that his best chance to earn an Oscar or Emmy would be playing the role of Rip Van Winkle.
* Goodbye and good riddance – Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott is retiring in February. Under his management the largest retailer in this country honed the business model for low wages and low benefits, resulting in many Wal-Mart employees requiring public assistance. Wal-Mart is one of the models for sourcing goods and services overseas that has contributed to the weakness of our economy. Recall that Wal-Mart opposed more diligent inspection of containers as they enter our borders. A container destined for Wal-Mart enters the U.S. every 45 seconds. U.S. national security does not stand in the way of the Wal Mart bottom line. The bottom line is that under Mr. Scott, Wal Mart was a winner on Wall Street but quite damaging to Main Street.
* Is the Bush administration getting in touch with the needs of Americans? ~ Nah! – In an exceptional move the administration has agreed to support the extension of unemployment benefits as unemployment claims reach a 16-year high and unemployment reaches a 25-year high. Otherwise, it is nasty business as usual. The Bush presidency continues to undermine environmental safety, broaden the destruction of public lands and national parks, and further endanger endangered species as it pimps for business interests that are not in the interest of the American people. President George W. and co-conspirators in his administration are making every effort to reduce regulation and constrictions on oil, gas, mining, fishing, timber and financial industries while promoting the development of shale oil, the dirtiest fuel on the planet. America does not need enemies from afar. Our hands are full with the enemies from within.
The situation was best summed up by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee when he told the Wall Street Journal, “This administration will stop at nothing to jam through as many reckless proposals as they can before the clock runs out.” A glimmer of hope for the health of planet Earth is Barack Obama’s promise to make a decisive break with George Bush on the environment … promising a "new chapter in America's leadership on climate change.” These developments bring to mind a question I have often asked over the last seven years. “Why does George W. Bush hate America? I do not accept the conventional wisdom alibi that he is well-intentioned but ill-advised. The damage he has rendered is too widespread, too deep and well beyond the pale of mere incompetence.
* What have we learned in two millennia? A reader asked this question, accompanied by the following quote:
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
Cicero, 55 BC
Stephen Views the News 11/16/08
* Bumper Sticker of the Week ~ Joe Must Go – Many voices are urging the Democratic Party in the Senate to remove Joe Lieberman from his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee. I believe that this would be the correct action. His campaigning for John McCain and his questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism are at the bottom of the list of reasons for Joe to go. His pathetic record of leadership on this important committee is the overriding justification for his removal. Intentional incompetence best describes his tenure in this post. As Rachel Maddow on her MSNBC show and Heather writing at Crooks and Liars point out, Lieberman over the last two years, never held hearings on the disastrous US government response to the Katrina hurricane disaster nor did the committee look into no-bid contracts awarded to friends and associates of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Many of those contracts were implemented incompetently while the US government was overcharged billions of dollars. As chairman of this committee Lieberman did not represent the interests of the American people. Instead, Lieberman represented the interests of the Bush administration that operated in secret and often outside of legal parameters, and at great cost to you and me, the citizens recovering from a natural disaster, and the military men and women who were underserved as they served this country while in harms way. Joe Must Go.
* Remember Typhoid Mary? ~ Meet Leukemia Dick and some of the other dicks who “serve” America – Drilling for natural gas, a policy being touted as a means of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil, may contaminate water supplies with unsafe levels of chemicals like benzene, a compound that can cause leukemia, according to an investigation by Pro Publica. The drilling process, pioneered by Dick Cheney's former company Haliburton, uses water pressure and chemicals to break rocks and release the gas. It was exempted by Congress from the Safe Water Act after a 2004 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study declared it safe. It now appears that this EPA study was not as conclusive at it claimed to be.
It is well-documented that the EPA often goes out of its way NOT to protect the environment and the American public. It is well-documented that Cheney has been the most ardent advocate for the interests of energy companies and Haliburton. One wonders what influence was imposed upon the EPA that resulted in this exemption from the Safe Water Act. “More than 1,000 other cases of contamination have been documented by courts and state and local governments in Colorado, New Mexico, Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In one case, a house exploded after hydraulic fracturing created underground passageways and methane seeped into the residential water supply. In other cases, the contamination occurred not from actual drilling below ground, but on the surface, where accidental spills and leaky tanks, trucks and waste pits allowed benzene and other chemicals to leach into streams, springs and water wells.” This is but one example where the interaction of the executive branch, the legislative branch, federal agencies and business failed the American people. The majority of the problems and dangers confronting America today are the result of such failed leadership.
* Fly Me to the Moon ~ it may be safer – Sixteen months ago I commented about the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) being accused of covering up mistakes by air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. It was discouraging to learn that a federal agency empowered to protect air travelers was actually complicit in reducing safe conditions. At a minimum, one would expect that the release of the report would have resulted in personnel changes and an upgrading of the oversight. Not in the current state of our federal government.
ABC reports a new investigation has found “the misclassifying of safety errors had continued” at Dallas-Fort Worth, that FAA employees continued to hide safety errors. It causes one to wonder if the repeated dereliction of duty by the FAA at Dallas-Fort Worth is it also taking place at other airports. What is happening in Boston, NY, LA, Miami and hundreds of other major airports? I imagine that remedial action will be taken when two or three planes collide, resulting in the death of 639 passengers, 19 crew members, 412 people on the ground and the widespread destruction of a residential neighborhood. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security may even hold hearings. Perhaps Republican Texas Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchinson will exercise their fiduciary responsibility by pressing for an investigation into this problem that bodes dire consequences. Perhaps a new administration will coerce a sense of responsibility and accountability into the performance of federal agencies. That would be a refreshing development.
* Change we can believe in ~ it is up to us – The above examples of broken government brings to mind the often-used and cynical phrase, “You can’t fight City Hall.” It is only a truism if good people do nothing. I was reminded of this while reading an article by Gary Younge in the British newspaper The Guardian titled, “Obama's army of supporters must maintain their level of activism.” Younge notes that the characterization of American political life - the notion of a lazy, contented people who do not vote, care or really understand what is being done in their name and leaving governance to big business, and lobbyists – may be changing. I recommend the article because it notes many changes that have been occurring within the American electorate.
I would suggest that the change Younge identifies is a result of two influences; the devastatingly damaging tenure of George W. Bush and the electric and populist rise of Barack Obama. The Bush years awakened a previously unengaged citizenry and the Obama campaign provided the vehicle to channel the disappointment, the losses, the regression and resulting anger and frustration into a movement for change. This new activist citizenry demands responsible and responsive leadership. It opposes narrow ideology agendas and expects federal leadership to address the major issues that challenge our society – challenges that have been ignored over the last eight years. The higher expectations have brought us a new president, senators and representatives that embrace progressive ideas. Their mission is to overcome a bureaucratic government burdened by politicization, ideology and special interests as well as accepted and expected incompetence. Success will require a continually engaged citizenry that keeps a bright light on the ills, vociferously communicates to elected representatives the change that is required and rewards responsible and responsive representatives with re-election.
* All things Progressive – If you have interest in Progressive ideas and activities I recommend the web site The Bucks/Mont Progressive Events. The editor Tom Ulrich does a terrific job each month identifying Progressive events in the Philadelphia area and national broadcasts, publications and videos.
* All things regressive ~ prejudice, hate, ignorance – Much of the Sarah Palin rhetoric during the presidential campaign appealed to this three-headed Hydra. Those susceptible to divisive discourse reveled in the speeches of Palin and other Republican orators. The forces of hate are as real and alive today as they were 50 and 100 years ago. These forces certainly are not as widespread but, certainly as real. One example of such despicable human behavior is the Ku Klux Klan. This organization, originally spawned to repress African Americans, has broadened its “vision” to include Latinos and other minorities. It is fortunate that we have people such as Morris Dees and his organization The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) standing up to forces that debase civil rights and humanity.
In Kentucky on Friday the SPLC gained a decisive jury verdict against members of the KKK, accused of severely beating a Latino in 2006 at a rural county fair. As Dees noted, "The people of Meade County, Kentucky, have spoken loudly and clearly. And what they've said is that ethnic violence has no place in our society, that those who promote hate and violence will be held accountable and made to pay a steep price." The verdict against Imperial Klans of America (IKA), Imperial Wizard Ron Edwards and two former KKK members who have already served prison terms for their involvement was $2.5 million. It is likely the judgment will cripple IKA’s 16 chapters that are located throughout eight states.
The weakening of a KKK group is encouraging but the ugliness of hate that infects the land of the free and the home of the brave will not be eradicated in our lifetime. As noted in an article at the Huffington Post the election of Barack Obama has spurred hundreds of race threats and crimes that include, “Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting ‘Assassinate Obama.’ Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.” America has come a long way in civil rights and human relations. Gay rights are improving with much still to be achieved. There is much to be proud of in America but the road ahead will not be free of prejudice, hate and ignorance. It is a flaw in the human condition that may never be overcome.
* “You cannot hate other people without hating your self.”
Oprah Winfrey
Stephen Views the News 11/9/08
* Republican Shell Game ~ in the guise of conservatism – Most Republican politicos and pundits are cautioning the Obama administration not to go too far left. America, they tell us, is a center-right country. This is a misleading strategy. The McCain campaign had positioned Obama as the most liberal member of congress since, uh, FOREVER. Obama gained a sweeping victory and Democrats increased their majorities in the House and the Senate. Perhaps the Republicans are observing an alternative Universe – the one their simpatico Creationists claim was created just 6000 years ago. This is not to say that all Republicans and true conservatives are religious-right fundamentalists. On the contrary, there are many intelligent and valued conservative principles and thinkers in America that have much to offer our national discourse. Unfortunately, their ideas were so bastardized during the Bush/Republican reign that conservatism lost its meaning. Perhaps it is time to step back from assigning labels and evaluate ideas and policies in terms of their benefit to the common interest and the common good. What is that interest and good?
An examination of Americans’ positions reveals the following: Based on recent polls and studies the majority of Americans do not want to see more restrictive limits on abortion and women’s reproductive rights and they do not want more restrictive measures imposed on gay relationships; minimum wage increases and union rights are supported; stem cell research has a mandate and universal healthcare coverage receives overwhelming support; science is accepted as a valuable and vital tool to advance human knowledge, address illness, spur our economy and enhance the quality of life; Americans emphatically say that the federal government has an important role in ensuring food and product safety and providing oversight of pharmaceutical efficacy; the American people do not want to see the Supreme Court tack far right; the use of torture is strongly opposed; Americans want their government pro-active on energy conservation and addressing global warming; Americans do not want the USA involved in unjustified preemptive war and they desire that the country return to a position of trusted leadership in the world community.
These are Progressive ideas and values. America being center-right is a Republican/Conservative marketing tool and about as accurate as the recently revealed eye-crosser that Sarah Palin believed that Africa is a country. In the pre-2008 election world, if Republicans said something often enough it became conventional wisdom, regardless of the wisdom. If Republican “wisdom” is to continue to move to their convoluted interpretation of the right I welcome their ensuing electoral losses until the attrition ultimately attracts Republican leaders committed to serving mainstream America. The day of single-issue social conservative values is over. Trickle down economics is in the storage shed if not the trash heap. Republican Party genuflecting at the altar of Reganomics has experienced a crisis of faith by the congregation. For the 10th straight month the American work force has lost jobs and there are currently 10 million unemployed in the U.S. Many of those still employed are working at lower-level or lower paying jobs than was the case 10 years ago. Republican/ Conservative philosophy failed Americans economically, militarily, environmentally and socially. Welcome to the 21st Century, even though it is nine years late.
* The politics of Three Card Monte ~ the dealer lost – Leading up to elections this year Republican operatives were filling the airwaves and filing lawsuits across the country raising the fear of voter fraud and the demise of democracy as we know it. The states primarily targeted with “cry wolf” warnings were Pennsylvania, Nevada, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota. Election officials in these states report that there was no evidence of voter fraud within their borders this election, nor have there been in previous elections for that matter. Perhaps the derriere-kicking endured by the Republican Party in the last two elections will inspire them to direct their efforts toward more responsible politicking and governance. Hopefully, the Democratic politicos received this message as well. It has taken an avoidable and interminable war and a crushing blow to the economy for the American people to pay more attention to the politic rhetoric but, in 2008 we did pay attention. Voter fraud was never a real issue and a more informed electorate was one of the deciding issues.
* Gay marriage ~ Straight conundrum – On November 4th three states dealt a setback for gay marriage advocates. I believe that many of those who voted for the setbacks are not necessarily anti-gay or anti-gay rights. They are having a tough time with the “marriage” part. This is understandable. Social change does not occur in flashes. It takes society time to alter long-standing custom and belief. I would suggest to gay-rights advocates that their energies be focused on the principle that same-sex couples are entitled to the same legal rights as heterosexual couples which include employer spousal benefits, hospital visitation rights and adoption rights. I believe that today’s society is ready to accept same-sex civil unions, a legal relationship between two people of the same gender. “Marriage” confuses and exasperates the issue. By advocates concentrating on civil union rather than marriage the anti-gay forces will lose a significant portion of their support, thereby fostering an environment for gay Americans to gain the rights they seek and deserve.
* Post facto, post mortem, post Joe – Senator Joe Lieberman is entertaining joining the Republican caucus upon learning that he may lose his chairmanships on Senate committees that include the very important Homeland Security. Did anyone notice Lieberman’s membership in the Republican Party took place quite a while ago. On one of the most important issues to Democrats, Iraq, Lieberman has voted with the Republicans and the Bush administration consistently. He unconscionably reiterated administration misinformation and spin relative to conditions in Iraq, demonstrating his loyalty to neocon philosophy not embraced by most Democrats and most Americans. He then jumped with both feet onto the McCain campaign giving a major speech at the Republican national convention and appearing next to John McCain on the campaign trail almost as often as Cindy McCain. During the campaign he was a conduit for McCain campaign innuendos against Obama and Lieberman sinisterly questioned Obama’s patriotism. Joe Lieberman donated his soul to the Republican Party and in their company may he rest in piece, a piece that Democrats going forward can do without.
Although Democrats seek a 60-vote Senate majority to avoid Republican filibusters blocking their legislation, I do not believe they need Joe Lieberman. I do not see Republicans voting in robotic unison as they did in recent years. They do not hold the White House, and the totalitarian hold Republican leadership held over GOP legislators is experiencing its wake. Incumbent Republican senators will look to recent voting of their constituents and conclude that the appeal of Bush’s version of Republican dogma and the track record of Republican governance has been rejected. I expect that a significant amount of legislation proposed by Obama and his party is legislation needed and wanted by a significant majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation. The Connecticut Democratic Party rejected Lieberman in 2006. The Democratic leadership in the Senate should do likewise in 2008.
* The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”
Louis D. Brandeis (1856 – 1941) US Supreme Court Justice (1916 – 1939)
