Headline of the day: Queen 'thinks Charles has put gratification before duty'

Charles feeding Camilla a snack..oh wait. Sorry. There she is.

Isn't this just one of those headlines that makes you queasy? The imagery is just plain foul.

Thinking of the inbred future king and his pony-faced fiancee getting it on is just nauseating. Perhaps topped only by any thought about Michael Jackson face. (News Telegraph):

The Queen has "distanced" herself from the wedding of the Prince of Wales to Camilla Parker Bowles because she believes that her son is putting personal gratification before duty, royal courtiers have disclosed.

The courtiers also say privately that the Queen is "lukewarm" about the marriage and is worried that it could tarnish the monarchy.

Too late.

I think the next shoe bomber can light the fuse with a match just fine, you dumb*sses

Byron Dorgan (D-ND) thinks the limited synapse-firing Richard Reid wouldn't have been able to light up his footwear fuse if he only had access to matches.

From the brains-in-their-keisters dept: The U.S. government has finally decided to close one of the many laughable post-9/11 security holes -- the ability for passengers to carry butane lighters on the plane. One problem though -- you can still carry books of MATCHES. (Reuters):

The U.S. government will ban cigarette lighters on planes beginning in April but passengers can still tote common matches in carry-on bags for now, security officials said on Monday.

The Transportation Security Administration, responding to a congressional order, said passengers cannot carry butane, battery powered or other lighters on themselves or in carry-on bags after April 14. "By creating a policy to add lighters to the prohibited items, we are closing a potential vulnerability in air travel security," said David Stone, administrator of the security agency.

Wooden matches that can be struck on a hard surface are already banned but passengers will still be allowed to pack up to four matchbooks inside carry-on luggage, security officials said. Proponents, including Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, said it was necessary to reduce the chance that someone could ignite a bomb or incendiary device on a commercial flight.

Dorgan says "shoebomber" Richard Reid may have succeeded in blowing up a passenger plane on a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001 had he used a lighter instead of common matches to set off explosives hidden in his shoe. Reid was sentenced to life in prison in 2003.

No, Dorgan, Reid would have succeeded if the mouth-breather had enough brains to just go into the bathroom to light the fuse.

NC Gov Mike Easley courts those 'King of the Hill' rednecks

Well that makes me feel so included as a progressive Tar Heel. Often chatted up as the model for southern electoral success, my governor is hopelessly centrist -- it is what got him elected. Easley thinks it's more important for him to suck up to the NASCAR/mud-running crowd than to speak with any conviction to progressives, who did vote for him -- because the other guy on the ballot was a complete wingnut.

We now have a marriage amendment back up in the General Assembly and Easley, in the last days of the 2004 campaign, said he was in favor of one, losing the endorsement of EqualityNC. (Raleigh N&O):

How many in the audience watch the TV series "King of the Hill?" Gov. Mike Easley asked a conference in Chapel Hill last week. Easley expressed surprise when there was a scattering of hands of people who tuned into the Fox network animation about a good old boy propane salesman. Easley said that he once had his pollster survey viewers of the program.

"I like to know where I stand among "King of the Hill" voters," Easley said. He then quipped, "It reminds me of so many of my friends." [Unlike the (likely former) gay friends, the ones that actually raised and gave him money to ensure his re-election.]

Easley was making a larger point to a couple of hundred people attending a two-day regional conference at the Carolina Inn on "New Strategies for Southern Progress."

As the only Democratic governor in the South to win re-election last year, Easley has said he wants to talk about what it takes for Democrats to win. The conference gave him an opportunity. Easley said candidates should not try to pass too many ideological litmus tests and should instead appeal to voters in the middle.

"If you look at the Democratic and Republican parties right now, I don't think either one of them represents the voters in the middle," Easley said. Political leaders should focus on issues where there is broad consensus -- such as improving education -- while avoiding getting bogged down in divisive cultural issues such as abortion and the death penalty, he said.

Did you notice the man didn't refer to gay marriage, or gay anything, in spite of the amendment in the hopper? This potato is so hot he's buried it to cool off. I cannot see how long he will attempt to tap dance around this one.

Charlotte mayor gives HRC convention the cold shoulder

Mayor Pat McCrory must be afraid he's going to "catch" something from the homos of HRC if he positively acknowledged they were spending gay dollars in his city.

Though Charlotte is a business metropolis in the state, in many ways it is more conservative, than say, the Triangle area. It's not surprising that this sort of nonsense happened.

More than 1,300 HRC members turned out in Charlotte to promote LGBT rights, and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat. Out of more than 20 HRC events of this type, this was the third largest, so to ignore a convention of this size is a purposeful political slap in the face. (News 14 Carolina):

More than 1,300 members of the Human Rights Campaign came to Charlotte to promote equal rights for gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transsexuals. The event marked the group’s first trip to the area, but members say they did not receive the warm welcome they were looking for.

"You can welcome and embrace someone and you don't have to see eye to eye on all the issues," said HRC member Joni Madison. Charlotte lawyer Phil Wells says he requested a letter of welcome from the mayor's office – a common occurrence for convention attendees. Wells was hoping Mayor McCrory would write a couple welcoming sentiments. He was disappointed by the lack of response.

..."Here were a great number of people coming into this great city and spending money and wanting to see the best side of Charlotte, and all he had to do was say, ‘Welcome to our great city and he missed that opportunity,’” Wells said.

Others attending the weekend festivities felt the same way. “I just think that it was a kind of a courtesy, a protocol, and the fact that he didn't extend a hand, it was a missed opportunity for him," Madison said.

“I think he's pandering to what he thinks his constituents believe and it's shameful," Mitchell Gold said. Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon says the mayor's office gets approximately 200 requests for welcoming letters every year. McCrory did not comment on the issue.

Regular House Blend readers may recall that McCrory is embroiled in a tussle between gay rights advocates and the bible beaters of anti-choice, anti-gay Operation Save America, which I covered here. That organization wants to restrict the use of public parks, specifically targeting Charlotte Gay Pride. The fundamentalist group called for the police working the Pride event who wore rainbow pins to be reprimanded for this simple act of freedom of speech.

Pat McCrory (R)
mayor@ci.charlotte.nc.us

Upcoming hate-mongering, courtesy of Fred Phelps: attacks on John Edwards, gay official in Kansas

This will be a busy week for the Phelps machine, as they picket a John Edwards appearance in Kansas, and Phelps's granddaughter tries to unseat the only gay official in Kansas.

This gay-baiting, rotting Cryptkeeper™ and his tribe of hate will not stop their sh*t. For those of you not familiar with Phelps, he made a big name for himself and his church by picketing Matthew Shepard's funeral, gracing the event with placards such as "AIDS kills fags dead" and "Matthew Shepard rots in hell." (More on Phelps at the DKosopedia).

The latest in outreach by the Westboro Baptist Church "ministry" is that he and his hate mongers are going to picket former VP candidate and Senator John Edwards on March 4 at the Ramada Inn in Downtown Topeka, KS. Take a look at this flier (click to enlarge):



What patriots over there at Westboro. Here's the hate money quote: "God Almighty warned John Edwards by killing his son, but he hardened his heart & stiffened his neck, embracing the filthy fag agenda for political expediency."

Hmmm. Where do you go with something like this? You may think Phelps is on the fringe, but as a Kansas Repug said to Time mag: "A lot of people don't outwardly agree with what Phelps is doing, but behind the scenes they do," says Republican state representative Lana Gordon.

***

But wait, there's more...


Topeka councilperson Tiffany Muller is the only out official in the entire state of Kansas.

The other bit of Phelps political pollution is actually being generated by his equally hateful granddaughter, Jael. She's running for city council specifically because the incumbent, Tiffany Muller, is openly gay. The election will be held March 1. (Washburn University Review):

While Topeka residents are getting ready for the March 1 election, the District 9 race has garnered national and local attention. Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday to limit down the candidates running for council seats in area districts. The incumbent, Tiffany Muller, the first openly-gay member of the Topeka city council, was appointed to the council and is now vying to be elected for the first time. She is being opposed by both Bob Percival and Richard Harmon. However, out of the three people running against her, Jael Phelps, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church and Washburn student, claims to be the most qualified candidate.

"I am running for city council because the incumbent is a one-issue, appointed candidate concerned for and representing only a small fraction of our district. I have been doing campaigning for various city, county and state campaigns for many years now," said Phelps.

Phelps, granddaughter of outspoken anti-gay pastor Fred Phelps, is known for her strong stance against rights for homosexuals. The primary clash between the two candidates is regarding the city ordinance on discrimination, which will also be voted on March 1. Muller was one of the council members who brought up the idea of making sexual orientation a protected status for Topeka. Phelps assisted in getting the repeal of the law on the ballot.

"I oppose the ordinance passed by the city council, which equivocated voluntary behavior with immutable characteristics, such as being female, African-American or disabled. There is a moral standard and this not only breaks that, but violates the Constitution," said Phelps.

You have to get a sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach when you think about the fact that he's passing on this level of bigotry to the young people in his family. They got it honestly. How do you stop this sickness?

***

One more bonus Phelps missive - a "welcome to the DNC leadership" letter to Howard Dean!



Other past fun from your homo-pocalyptic Phelps crowd:



Phelps didn't donate to tsunami relief, and he got his rocks off on the Swedes dying -- it was only a matter of time before the thought of Americans being washed away got him hard.

The American Taliban is sicker than I thought

Bud & Betty Miller of Christians Unlimited Ministries give you a peek into their marital bond.

You want to get really queasy about the rollback of women's rights and the state of mind of the Religious Right? Read this essay on how to properly "submit" to your husband, What Does The Bible Say About The Duties of a Christian Wife? by a contributor, Betty Miller, to The Conservative Voice (a wingnut news/opinion site run by Nathan Tabor, covered in detail on the Blend here and here). You are not going to believe what you are reading, but this is dead serious. Some excerpts:

...Many times women who claim to be submissive are only outwardly going through the motions of submission while inwardly they are still resenting their position in life. A prayer of submission would be in order: "Father, help me to be content in the role you created me for and give me a submissive spirit, not only toward my mate, but also toward each member in the body of Christ. Let me serve and not expect to be served. Create within me a lamb-like spirit even as Christ our Lord had. Amen." ... Some results that can occur when women are not in a right relationship with men are divorce, rebellious children, emotional problems and sexual frigidity. (To read more on the proper submission to a husband click here: http://www.bible.com/answers/asubmit.html )

One of the main causes for these problems is an evil spiritual force of female domination. In I Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:22-25, and Ephesians 6:1-3, the divine order for families is stated. The husband is the head, then the wife is second in command, with the children in obedience to them. When the woman seeks to usurp this authority and rule the home, havoc results and the home is left wide open for Satanic attack. "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths" (Isaiah 3:12).

...Another area where Satan tries to push women to extremes is in keeping household duties and spiritual pursuits in balance. Women who are unequally yoked are especially vulnerable in this area. Perhaps you know women who serve their husbands "tapes for breakfast," "Charismatic book reviews for lunch," and "Praise-the-Lord's for dinner." If this is not done under the Holy Spirit's unction and with His wisdom, it can turn husbands away from, not toward the Lord. A change of diet might speak more loudly than incessant talking about Jesus. A neat house, nice meals, and a genuine interest in the husband and his interests many times speaks louder than all the tapes. To fulfill her household duties, a woman may have to give up some of her "spiritual" activities. Three meetings a week really do not make us spiritual anyway.

The woman has her primary responsibility in the home since the Scripture says she is to be the keeper of the home. "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Titus 2:5). Preparing meals for the family is one of her prime duties. The world has set the standard when it comes to eating, rather than the Word of God.

What on earth do you say behind this crap? It is truly mind-boggling. I need to disinfect my keyboard.

More stupidity "machining on" from religious wingnuts

Joseph Grant Swank, Jr. (joseh_swank@yahoo.com), pastor of New Hope Church, can't even spell a line out of one of his hymnals as he spews his filth about gay marriage.

(The Conservative Voice):

Already seventeen states have stamped a constitutional homosexual-‘marriage’ NO in place. Eleven of these states have ratified the constitutional bans in elections last autumn.

That’s the impact of "Onward Christian soldiers, machining as to war."

Interestingly enough, some of the so-called mainline Protestant churches have taken that long-standing, revered hymn out of their hymn books. Why? They say it’s too militaristic. Oh yeah. All the while, these same denominations wage war on biblical morality by endorsing homosexual ‘marriages’ and abortions. So go the devil’s disciples in playing hypocrisy maximum as a part of the End Time insanity enveloping the global church.

However, those believers still holding to biblical convictions work their morality in the marketplace from state to state. Fearing that immoral court judges will cancel out legislation against homosexual twosomes, these states have put in place their own constitutional amendments wiping out any possibility of homosexuals tying the knot within their borders.

He also wants you to know that he is a "Graduate of accredited college (BA) and seminary (M Div) with graduate work at Harvard Divinity School." Check out where this guy's work has been published: MichNews.com, BushCountry.org, TheConservativeVoice.com, RaptureAlert.com, Republican and Proud, FaithFreedom.org, Conservative Posts, Common Conservative, Out2.com, MensNewsDaily.com, Magic City Morning Star, Right Wing Conservative, Mullenax News, Religious News Online, among others.

Ann Coulter, voice of the Reich - Helen Thomas is an "old Arab"

Our favorite racist, homo-bigot and man-vessel of the right wing elite.

(via AmericaBlog and Crooks and Liars). Well, well, well. On her own web site, bony ass, bed-worn b*tch of the Reich, Ann Coulter, has an interesting line in her story defending rent boy Jeff Gannon that was edited out by her syndicator.

"Press passes can't be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the president."

--Ann Coulter, February 23, 2005

Veteran White House reporter and columnist Helen Thomas is Lebanese American.

I'm wondering if Ms. Aryan Nation's earlier draft looked like this...

"Press passes can't be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old camel jockey sand nigger Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the president."

Washington State woman with toddler called up for duty

Andrea DeGeus of Granite Falls holds her 14-month-old daughter, Abby, to comfort her Thursday. DeGeus, 21, enlisted in the Army Reserve while in high school, but had obtained a discharge. She has now been called up for duty because, to her surprise, she was placed into the Army's Individual Ready Reserve. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

It's still happening, though it's not in the major media coverage much any more. (Herald.net):

"I thought I was discharged and done," said Andrea DeGeus. Andrea DeGeus of Granite Falls holds her 14-month-old daughter, Abby, to comfort her Thursday. DeGeus, 21, enlisted in the Army Reserve while in high school, but had obtained a discharge. She has now been called up for duty because, to her surprise, she was placed into the Army's Individual Ready Reserve. It wasn't so simple.

DeGeus' name was transferred into the Individual Ready Reserve, an administrative roster the Army plucks soldiers from during times of war. DeGeus, 21, is now struggling to get her Army orders changed. Her biggest worry is 14 months old.

"My daughter. That's everything," DeGeus said, referring to Abby, her toddler. "Not to mention we could lose our house. What are things going to be like after I leave my job?" DeGeus asked.

...The Army has issued 3,802 mobilization orders for soldiers in the IRR.

...Last week, DeGeus talked with Army officials about an exemption and is now gathering the paperwork the military needs to consider her request. She's hoping the three weeks she has before she has to report for duty will be enough time to get it all together.

"I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. That's all I can do."

Why can't this lesbian teen have this picture of her posted in her yearbook?

Kelli Davis, who is openly gay, was dressed in tuxedo top and bow-tie outfit for her HS photo and that made the principal go apesh*t.

This young woman is a senior at a Florida high school. She has a 4.0 grade point average at Fleming Island High, is known as a conscientious teen with a part-time job and no discipline issues at school. Her crime? Wanting to have the above picture posted in her high school yearbook. It was rejected, as you will see below, because her principal has issues. Unacceptable issues. (Lakeland Ledger):

The picture of a lesbian student dressed in a tuxedo will not be permitted in her school's yearbook, the Clay County school officials decided.

Principal Sam Ward of Fleming Island High School made the initial decision to pull Kelli Davis's picture from the yearbook, saying he did so because Davis, who is openly gay, was dressed in boy's clothes. The county school board and its superintendent backed the decision, which was debated at a School Board meeting attended by about 200 people.

Fifteen of the 24 people who spoke at the meeting were in favor of Davis and nine supported the principal's decision. Kelli's mother, Cindi Davis, asked the board to reverse Ward's decision. "This is not to be treated as a gay right's issue," her mother said. "Rather it's a human rights issue."

Some applauded Ward's decision, including Karen Gordon, who said, "When uniformity is compromised, then authority no longer holds." School officials have maintained that sexual preference is not the issue, it is gender. They said since Davis did not follow the rules on dress, she will not be in the yearbook.

Bruce Bickner, an attorney representing the School Board, said there is no written dress code for senior pictures, but also said the district gives principals the authority to set standards. The board took no action to reverse Ward's decision and Superintendent David Owens said the decision will stand.

Here is the Dress Code established by the County Board:

4.03 STUDENT DRESS All students shall be properly groomed and attired when on school property or participating in school activities. Students shall be dressed so they will not present a clear danger to health and safety; nor shall they be dressed in indecent or obscene attire; nor shall they be dressed in a manner, which causes an interference with work or creates classroom or school disorder. (Ref. F.S. 1001.41) (Adopted: 01/08/81)

Here is the dress code policy of the Fleming Island High School.

Our dress code is set by the county school board. Please, no hats, bandannas or any other headgear is permitted. Also, you cannot wear halter-tops, midriff tops, tube tops, mesh shirts, or muscle shirts. Clothing should be in good taste and not distract others from learning in class. Safety issues mandate that student not wear spiked jewelry or heavy chains. It is strongly recommended that students not wear backless shoes or "flip-flops" in an effort to curtail accidents on the stairwells.

There is an An excellent, in-depth piece on the controversy is available at altweeklies. I think the following snippet tells us a lot about this principal. He is an uptight f*cktard -- look at the clear issues he personally has with gender, identity and dress. In my opinion, he has no business running a school if he cannot present a rational justification for his ruling. The article also makes no bones about the fact that the last school that employed Ward was not sorry to see him leave.

Asked about the Kelli Davis controversy, Ward vacillates. Initially he explains that females in tuxedos are not in keeping with Fleming Island High School senior tradition. Reminded there is no such tradition since there has never before been a senior class, Ward is silent for a moment. Then he explains that senior class members voted to wear tuxedos and drapes, and their wishes should be respected. Pressed, he acknowledges that the entire class did not vote, only a few "representatives." He also admits the outfits were not identified as gender-specific.

"But female students wear drapes, and male students wear tuxedoes," he pronounces firmly.

Asked what he finds so objectionable about Kelli Davis’ photo, Ward insists he’s never seen it — a statement that contradicts the claims of Cindi Davis, Scott Boggs and several students and teachers. Even having not seen it, however, Ward says he is certain "it is not uniform."

Asked if he considers piercing, tattoos or orange hair uniform, he declines to answer. Asked what he would do if a student had religious objections to wearing a drape, Ward says the drape "could be adjusted" for religious purposes. Advised that there didn’t appear to be any school regulation that would allow him to declare Kelli’s photo unsuitable for the yearbook, Ward agrees. But he adds flatly that he makes the rules at Fleming Island High School. Then, although he’s spent most of the 40 minutes listening to the sound of his own voice and the squawk of the weather radio, Ward announces he has tired of questions. The interview is over.

If you want to let Sam Ward know this is completely unacceptable and sends a hateful message to LGBT youth, here's the info you need:

Fleming Island High School
233 Village Square Parkway
Orange Park, FL 32003
Telephone 904-541-2100 * Fax 904-541-2110
Principal: sward@mail.clay.k12.fl.us

Thanks to House Blend reader Pat for the pointer. Also see the DKos diary on the issue.

Positive same-sex marriage gathering in Chapel Hill

It's always good to counter the southern homo-bigotry I post on the Blend with some positive pieces on things happening locally. Yesterday there was a gathering of about 100 people who discussed the issue of same-sex marriage at the United Church of Chapel Hill. (Herald-Sun):

Allowing same-sex couples to marry is simply recognizing the humanity of gay and lesbian individuals, a speaker told a crowd during a Saturday morning retreat on the topic. And denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marriage is akin to oppressing their human rights, added Marvin Ellison, speaking to some 100 people gathered at the United Church of Chapel Hill.

"Ours is a marriage culture," said Ellison, a Presbyterian minister and the author of "Same Sex Marriage? A Christian Ethical Analysis." "Doesn't it make sense that many same-sex couples who grow up in this culture would want to marry?"

Ellison was the featured speaker during the "Same-Sex Marriage?" retreat sponsored by the United Church, various gay and lesbian advocacy groups and several other churches from around the Triangle.

"This has been a conversation here for quite some time," said Rick Edens, the pastor of United Church. "But it's a much broader conversation than one congregation. I can't think of a congregation that's not a member of this conversation."

The United Church has been "open and affirming" for nearly 15 years, meaning it accepts and welcomes gay, lesbian and transgender members. Other groups and congregations haven't been so accepting, criticizing and banning unions between people of the same sex.

...Chapel Hill resident Kathy Feld traveled to Vermont this summer to witness her daughter's union to her female partner. She attended Saturday's retreat as a show of support for her daughter. Feld said Ellison's message that controversies have always existed around marriage struck home. "That gives me hope," Feld said. "We got through those controversies, and we'll get through this. I really want equal access for my daughter."

..."Ending the marriage exclusion is therefore another example of ending the social oppression," said Ellison, a professor of Christian ethics. "Much more about this debate is not just a question of who can marry, it's suddenly about the model of marriage. It's about equality."

Vicki Gardner, an organizer of the retreat, said same-sex marriage was both a church and civil issue -- both for the community at large and for herself.

"I am a lesbian and have a family," said Gardner, who is from Durham. "I would like access to the same rights married people have."

Great bumper stickers to show your bible-beating friends about the Homo Agenda

Great DKos diary up today, The Homosexual "Agenda", by BobcatJH. Good comments too. I saw some kick-ass images up there, available in bumper sticker at Designed for You. Here are two fun ones:



Also did you need to get a copy of the Homosexual Agenda, so you can carry it in your pocket so you are ready at any moment to participate in the insurgency? Here you go.

I know that many of you have heard Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and others speak of the "Homosexual Agenda," but no one has ever seen a copy of it. I have finally obtained a copy directly from the Head Homosexual. So we're all up to speed, it follows below:

The Homosexual Agenda:

6:00 am Gym

8:00 am Breakfast

9:00 am Hair appointment

10:00 am Shopping

12:00 PM Brunch

2:00 PM (Here's the really important part)

1) Assume complete control of the US Federal, State and local Governments as well as all other national governments
2) Recruit all straight youngsters to our debauched lifestyle
3) Destroy all healthy heterosexual marriages
4) Replace all school counselors in grades K-12 with agents of Colombian and Jamaican drug cartels
5) Establish planetary chain of "homo breeding gulags" where over -medicated imprisoned straight women are turned into artificially impregnated baby factories to produce prepubescent love slaves for our devotedly pederastic gay leadership
6) Bulldoze all houses of worship
7) Secure total control of the INTERNET and all mass media for the exclusive use of child pornographers.

2:30 PM Get Forty Winks of Beauty Rest to prevent facial wrinkles from stress of world conquest

4:00 PM Cocktails

6:00 PM Light Dinner

8:00 PM Theater

11:00 PM Bed

Mitt Romney is an ass -- gay marriage will destroy the international rep of the US

Homophobe.

F*cktard Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is sounding more like the Am Taliban every day. He thinks gay marriage will cause some sort of damage to our reputation in the international community. Well, that should come as a surprise to Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands, which have gay marriage, and a host of other countries in Europe that have civil unions. (Boston.com):

Speaking before an adoring audience of Utah Republicans last night, Governor Mitt Romney drew a link between America's prestige around the world and the legalization of same-sex marriages in Massachusetts.

''America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home," Romney said, calling the Supreme Judicial Court's legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts ''a blow to the family."

Hours after gay marriage supporters in Boston criticized him for his recent, strident criticism of same-sex marriage, Romney delivered a half-hour speech laced with references to religion, family values, and praise for Ronald Reagan's foreign policy. In the latest in his recent series of out-of-state political appearances, he smiled as Utah Republicans made fun of Massachusetts' liberal reputation in their introductory remarks.

Hasn't the world destruction excuse started to lose steam yet?

Open thread and back to the self-proclaimed Rednecks

Sunny Saturday here high in 50s.

I posted a couple of days ago about an unfortunate commentary by a wingnut, Judson Cox on the "values" of a redneck. If you want to catch the House Blend entry, go here. I also posted it at DKos, and there were some really great responses, so trek over to the diary to check it out.

There's also an interesting article on changes in Southern culture, Battle over the past rages on in an evolving South, in the CSM.

Talon "News" RIP - see ya, don't wanna be ya

Talon goes down in a flaming pile of dung, like the manure pile in Nebraska.

Not just shut down for a "top-to-bottom review," it's lights out, according to its founder and Bush crony Bobby Eberle. Journalism will never be the same. Sniff...(Reuters):

A Texas-based Web site whose conservative connections touched off a White House media controversy has shut down "to reevaluate operations," according to a message posted on the site.

A spokeswoman for Talon News said the site closed because its founder, Bobby Eberle of Pearland, Texas, "can only take so much beating" over the page's political slant, the Houston Chronicle reported on Friday.

Talon, which could not immediately be reached for comment, came under fire after its White House reporter, who identified himself as Jeff Gannon, asked a politically loaded question at a White House press conference and was accused by critics of being used by the Bush administration to spread conservative propaganda.

Bank of America loses a million customer records

Why is this happening? One would hope some heads would roll over this sort of thing, but it won't happen under Chimpy's tenure. Since Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT) is one of the victims, maybe there will be at least some noise about the slack-ass security risks that these outfits take with our personal data. (CNET)

A "small" number of backup tapes with records detailing the financial information of government employees were lost in shipment to a backup center, Bank of America said on Friday.

The tapes contained information on the customers and accounts of the U.S. government's SmartPay charge card program, which has more than 2.1 million members and annual transactions totaling more than $21 billion, according to the General Services Administration. Reports have pegged the number of cards affected at 1.2 million.

"Federal law enforcement officials were immediately engaged when the tapes were discovered missing, and subsequently conducted a thorough investigation into the matter, working closely with Bank of America," the bank said in a statement. "The investigation to date has found no evidence to suggest the tapes or their content have been accessed or misused, and the tapes are now presumed lost."

The acknowledgment comes as several other cases of businesses losing consumer information have come to light. Last week, data collection company ChoicePoint announced that it had given information on approximately 150,000 subscribers to about 50 fake business fronts created by fraudsters.

Bush Admin considering NOT reaffirming historic women's human rights agreement

(via Daily Mendacity)

Well isn't that a bit of irony, with all the talk of Condi's power boots today. Republican feminism in action. All surface, no substance.

As the clock continues to roll back here on women's rights (see Kansas), the Bush admin wants to take things on a wider scale -- world wide. This is all about the anti-choice, or "sanctity of life" movement as our Dear Leader intones over and over. (US Newswire):

Leaders from human rights and women's development organizations are sounding the alarm about the possible U.S. withdrawal from a historic women's human rights agreement currently under review at the United Nations. Governments are gathering in New York City over the next two weeks to revisit women's progress since the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women met in Beijing in 1995. The U.S. was a leading architect of the Beijing Platform for Action, where 189 countries committed to advancing universal education for girls, ending violence against women, and ensuring access to lifesaving reproductive health care, among other critical issues.

Late yesterday, in quiet negotiations out of the public eye, the Bush administration signaled to other nations that it would not unequivocally reaffirm the commitments made by the United States to the world's women a decade ago

With concern for the U.S. position, more than 30 U.S. organizations sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice late last week to urge the Bush administration not to withdraw from the U.S. pledge made at the Beijing Women's Conference. Leaders noted that the Beijing review was Secretary Rice's first official opportunity to speak about women's rights. They asked Secretary Rice for help in shoring up the U.S. commitment to global women's rights..

Bloggrrrl Ms. Julien is all over this:

And the dumbasses who voted for Bush will continue to support him while women globally get their clitorises forcibly removed, are sold into sexual slavery, are forced into marriages at age 12, are raped by militant invaders of their tribes, are denied access to condoms when their AIDS-infested sleep-around husbands come home for a little domestic piece...

Man-on-Dog Santorum gets heat from the Right

How does it feel, Rick?

Rick Santorum is getting beat up because he backed Arlen Specter. The Right is chewing on his leg like, hmmm... a mad dog. (Wingnut Agape Press):

...Pennsylvania pro-family Senator Rick Santorum is continuing to defend his decision last year to back pro-choice and pro-homosexual GOP Senator Arlen Specter for re-election. Santorum was challenged on that choice during a recent gathering of conservatives in Washington, DC. But Santorum did not back down as he answered the challenge. "I have one response to that: fifty-five -- that's my response," he said. "We had a plan in place to get as many Republican senators elected as possible, because the more Republican senators we have, the better chance we can pass legislation." The plan, the senator continued, was a simple one: "Minimize the problems we have in 'blue states' with open seats and tough races, and maximize the opportunities we have in 'red states' in November." The explanation did not seem to satisfy many of the conservative activists who are not happy with Senator Santorum.

Condi, 'ho boots, and rent-boy Gannon: sex and power in Washington

Condi Rice is channeling Barb Wire rather than Neo to display power, based on the WaPo article.

[UPDATE: I've added Freeper comments at the end.]

I'll get to how this relates to "Jeff Gannon" in a minute...

Washington Post Staff Writer Robin Givhan has written a mind-blowing fashion piece on "Condoleezza Rice's Commanding Clothes". It's sexist on one level because, aside from Dick Cheney's infamous parka faux pas you don't see political leaders get this extensive a workover. (By the way, Givhan also covered that event as well). The more curious aspect of the article to me, since this is the "Fashion and Beauty" section, after all, is what this says about how powerbrokers in DC perceive and tie sex to power.

According to Brian Lamb on C-SPAN this AM (where I first heard about this), Givhan is a woman, btw. Read this incredible description of Condi:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield on Wednesday dressed all in black. She was wearing a black skirt that hit just above the knee, and it was topped with a black coat that fell to mid-calf. The coat, with its seven gold buttons running down the front and its band collar, called to mind a Marine's dress uniform or the "save humanity" ensemble worn by Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix."

As Rice walked out to greet the troops, the coat blew open in a rather swashbuckling way to reveal the top of a pair of knee-high boots. The boots had a high, slender heel that is not particularly practical. But it is a popular silhouette because it tends to elongate and flatter the leg. In short, the boots are sexy.

...Rice's coat and boots speak of sex and power -- such a volatile combination, and one that in political circles rarely leads to anything but scandal. When looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams. Dominatrix! It is as though sex and power can only co-exist in a fantasy. When a woman combines them in the real world, stubborn stereotypes have her power devolving into a form that is purely sexual.

Rice challenges expectations and assumptions. There is undeniable authority in her long black jacket with its severe details and menacing silhouette. The darkness lends an air of mystery and foreboding. Black is the color of intellectualism, of abstinence, of penitence. If there is any symbolism to be gleaned from Rice's stark garments, it is that she is tough and focused enough for whatever task is at hand.

Countless essays and books have been written about the erotic nature of high heels. There is no need to reiterate in detail the reasons why so many women swear by uncomfortable three-inch heels and why so many men are happy that they do. Heels change the way a woman walks, forcing her hips to sway. They alter her posture in myriad enticing ways, all of which are politically incorrect to discuss.

Rice's appearance at Wiesbaden -- a military base with all of its attendant images of machismo, strength and power -- was striking because she walked out draped in a banner of authority, power and toughness. She was not hiding behind matronliness, androgyny or the stereotype of the steel magnolia. Rice brought her full self to the world stage -- and that included her sexuality. It was not overt or inappropriate. If it was distracting, it is only because it is so rare.

What kind of bullsh*t is this? I'm laughing out loud. No one is saying Condi can't wear boots and flash her kneecaps beneath a coat, but this kind of bogus analysis of her power being channeled through some sort of sex appeal begs the question -- do we need Chimpy gyrating around in a G-string to be effective on the world stage (bleh, the imagery)? Is she saying that the display of comfort in your sexuality in a passive way is what women need to get into the halls of power and to rise to the top? Who knows. Perhaps an anthropologist out there can pick over this story and share.

Maybe this says more about the juvenile nature of some of the men in power that they, according to Givhan, can be whipped into submission by a political "dominatrix", of sorts, because they are used to feeling dirty about their own sexual cravings and fantasies. Seeing black boots and bare knees must wake up the "other brain" and distract the primary brain from functioning. A sort of below the belt bait and switch, three-card-monty.

One hopes that our leaders aren't that hormone-driven, but I fear it's not far from the truth.



Now what does Condi's black boots have to do with Gannon, our cub reporter/rent-boy? Repugs think sex is dirty, forbidden and utterly enticing. It's the reason why the semi-closeted or completely closeted world of the gay GOP power structure wants this JG hooker sex-angle to fritter away as soon as possible. To talk about it means having to admit they are doing it (having sex). To be exposed in this mess will cause untold apocalyptic damage to the carefully crafted netherworld of shared secrets about carnal activities, a secret society right out of the days of J. Edgar Hoover, where blackmail existed for this sort of exposure.

In this day and age, it's less about actual $$$ blackmail, but political blackmail based on the political constituencies the GOP has cultivated in its rise to power - the religious wingnuts, bigots and homophobes. Look at how Chimpy has tapped danced around them publicly when the Dobsons and Falwells started grumbling about withdrawing support over FMA. Look at his thinly veiled contempt (and fear) of them in the tapes made before his run for the Presidency that have surfaced. Maintaining that delicate balance, knowing that the American Taliban, the Freepers and the intellectually (and sexually) dishonest DC power-brokers are ready to pull the plug on money and organizing only deepens the need for the closet door to stay sealed tight. Without the secrecy, the nastiness and intense sexuality of the forbidden will be lost, anyway -- that protects that aspect of their self-loathing behavior as well. Even if they wanted to be out of the closet, they've signed deals with the devil of the religious right-wing.

Will we ever know the extent of JG's sexual activities and relationships with the White House and in the DC power elite? Who knows. What I do know is that Guckert's high profile of late is a wise move if he doesn't want to be, let's say, taken out of the picture. Better to take the fall and be discredited and humiliated, I suppose, than to rat out folks that won't wish you well.

So it doesn't matter whether it's black boots or dog tags, the games in DC revolve around sex and power will never be discussed as much as it was in that WaPo article. It was a real peek at what is behind the curtain that manipulates the Oz we call Washington.


You knew I had to do it...

Actual Freeper Quotes™:"Slick! Perhaps in saucier moments she should flip a black cowboy hat on as well. The left would go mad ;) he he he"

"Republican politicians's clothes and conservative reporters's sex lives, all the MSM seem to think about these days. I thought they were so interested in "substance"."

"Hmmmmmmm.... I bet her feet & calves could use a good massaging after a hard day's work saving the world from the "axis of Evil"! Volunteer here Condi.... freepmail me."

"FINALLY!!! I SO want Condi to get more fashionable. She could look so stylish and hot, as we see here. Stay away from those bland boxy suits like the one she wore at her swearing in. Stay away from Chanel. Get slick and look toward Versace, Prada accesories, and Ralph Lauren type 40's style pencil skirts, heels, and vest, jacket layering."

"Rice brought her full self to the world stage -- and that included her sexuality It also may be the result of a little shopping she might have done when she recently visited Paris.....We girls must shop!"


"Wow, the word sexy was NEVER used in describing this SOS"

"Condi is better than Hillery "I have no ankles(Kankles)so I can only wear pant suits"Clinton"

"As a person in their thirties, Condi gives me hope. I hope I look that good in my fifties. She could give Beyonce and J-Lo a run for their money!"

"Condi just reeks of power."

"I wish I could cut and paste a bullwhip into her hand!"

"Let's make it "President Rice"."

"the freeper gals are gonna love this thread. We freeper dudes will be checking it out too."

"I never thought I'd think of the SoS as hot. :) But then Madleaine Albright came along.... :P Those were probably "hot flashes"!"

"incredible traveling outfits."

"A song comes to mind..."These boots were made for walking and that's just what they'll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you." Sounds just about right for Condi, eh?"

"Condi does need a new hair do,,I don't like hers at all. Just quibbling here."

"Cult of Clintonism raising its ugly head, these people are slaves to the religion of sex."

"the Wash Post was damning her with faint praise, trying to make her a cariacature. I hate them."

"Right,painting her as a oversexed black woman, racist article if you ask me."



"SHe's changed her style several times in the last few years.....My favorite is this one. I like her with a little length....Of course it may not be as easy to take care of with her busy schedule."

"There goes Hillary's worst nightmare."

"The MSM is digging. But Condi only comes off looking more favorable than she already was. People will just liker her even more! Bush has got it made with the First Lady and Sec. Rice. He has two elegant, smooth, smart, liked women at his sides.... No way to look bad with that."

I've also got a DKos diary up on this.

Lynn Swann for Gov in PA?

Chimpy and Lynn yuk it up.

More celebrity politicians. I don't know jack about the man's football career, but is he a viable GOP candidate for governor? I'm sure the Freepers love this guy, btw.

Remember these pigs -- Lay and Skilling?

Former Enron founder Ken Lay faces the media as he leaves the federal courthouse in Houston Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005 . The fraud and conspiracy trial of Lay, former CEO Jeffrey Skilling and chief accounting officer Richard Causey will begin Jan. 17, 2006. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Kenny-Boy Lay, Bush's buddy, should provide some nice negative publicity -- greed, corruption, the destruction of the retirement funds of employees, outright fraud -- yum. (AP):

Skilling and Causey each face more than 30 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and other charges, accused of being in on or knowing about various schemes to manufacture profits and hide debt in the years leading to Enron's crash. The case against Lay is narrower, alleging in seven counts of fraud and conspiracy that he took control of the ruse when Skilling abruptly resigned less than four months before Enron crumbled.

Ken-babe reaches out to the black folks

Getting on the GOP gravy train with Ken: Harry Alford, the president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and John Harmon, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce.

This is embarrassing -- such an shameless attempt to shave off black votes. I have no faith that the GOP is sincere about any of this; I am certain, however, that the Democrats are going to see those votes shave off -- part of Mehlman's argument has merit. Unfortunately his party is still full of too much bigotry to stand a bum rush of Negroes to the table. [See the redneck post and comments from yesterday.]

I'm waiting for Ken to show up to speak to a gay audience. That would be priceless. (The Trentonian):

Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman said his party must do a better job of reaching the black community in a speech to African-American business leaders in Trenton last night.

"I say humbly as a white man that I believe the African-American community is not well-served if one party takes you for granted and the other doesn’t go far enough in reaching out," he said. In an exclusive interview with The Trentonian before his speech, Mehlman said the Republican party has learned from lackluster minority turnout in the past several elections that it needs more dialogue with the largely Democratic black population.

"I think a lot of folks in the African-American community recognize sometimes the Democratic party doesn’t always represent their values and doesn’t stand up for their interests," Mehlman said. "This is part of a sustained, systematic, long-term effort to reach out. It’s for votes, but it’s also for building the (Republican) party."

Mehlman said President Bush and Republican leadership are trying to reduce government-imposed costs associated with opening new businesses and improve education through the No Child Left Behind Act, both of which he said would lead to a larger black presence in business and political spectrums. African-Americans, he said, are currently 50 percent more likely to start their own small business.

"During the Civil Rights era, it was the right to sit at the counter," Mehlman said. "Now it’s the right to own the restaurant."

[Oh, never mind the GOP didn't want them sitting there either. And read on for the faith-based carrot dangling...]

The black community, especially in urban areas like Trenton, would be better served if churches could receive funding for social programs as state, city, and municipal governments do. Many of those so-called "faith-based" initiatives are opposed by Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Mehlman was praised by Harry Alford, the president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and John Harmon, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce, for contacting both organizations first.

Sully finally weighs in, and it's w-e-a-k.

Sully types a few words in on Gannongate, and it's lame-o, and ill-informed, if I want to be charitable.

I haven't written about it because I agree completely with Glenn. The substantive case against Gannon is trivial; the irrelevant case against him (the one that's fueled this story) is that he's gay, has allegedly been (or still may be) a prostitute, and may not agree with everything the gay left believes (although I agree with David Corn that the evidence that Gannon has written anything even remotely 'anti-gay' is laughable). The real scandal is the blatant use of homophobic rhetoric by the self-appointed Savonarolas of homo-left-wingery. It's an Animal Farm moment: the difference between a fanatic on the gay left and a fanatic on the religious right is harder and harder to discern. Just ask yourself: if a Catholic conservative blogger had found out that a liberal-leaning pseudo-pundit/reporter was a gay sex worker, had outed the guy as gay and a 'hooker,' published pictures of the guy naked, and demanded a response from a Democratic administration, do you think gay rights groups would be silent? They'd rightly be outraged. But the left can get away with anything, can't they? Especially homophobia.

For one thing, Gannon left a boatload of reporting on gay issues at Talon News behind, still accessible even though the site is now down.

And if there is anyone that is demonizing homosexuality it is the Right wing -- they coasted their candidate to the White House on the homo-baiting. Does Andrew not remember his despair over FMA? Gannon is a hypocrite that worked for a sham organization that didn't mind gay-baiting in its support of the Bush Administration and was sitting four rows from the President. That's a security issue that no one is answering. Sully doesn't even address that.

No one gives a rip if JG/JG is a "sex worker", the Left is pointing out the hypocrisy of the Right. The activity is illegal! If the Right wants to stay on its moral high horse, why isn't Gannon's side life a problem? They worried about whether Bill inhaled; but now it's Chimpy on tape admitting to weed-smoking and intimating he has some blow-snorting to cover up too. That's illegal activity, but the Freepers are defending that behavior too. No, the Right cannot have it both ways on this one.

If they are truly tolerant of gays (as Chimpy admits on tape, he wouldn't fire anyone he knew to be gay), then why don't they support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) so gay folks not working for the White House don't get fired for being gay? I don't hear that coming from any of these suddenly converted privacy rights activists in the wingnut circle that have been, before Gannon, ready to burn homos at the stake.

Halliburton fleeces us in Kuwait and Afghanistan, gets bonuses

Do you hear the giant sucking sound of your wallet being emptied? Tell me, how the f*ck did the company really earn this? What objective standards do they really have to determine "performance"? (Reuters):

U.S. defense contractor Halliburton, under scrutiny for its contracts in Iraq (news - web sites), has been given bonuses for some of its work supporting the U.S. military in Kuwait and Afghanistan, the Army said on Thursday.

But the Army said performance-based bonuses had not been paid yet to Halliburton's Kellogg Brown and Root unit for dining services for U.S. troops in those countries. Military auditors have criticized those services as too costly and have asked the Texas-based company to justify its charges.

"Dining Facilities costs questioned by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) have not been included in Award Fee Boards but are scheduled to be addressed later," the statement said. Army Field Support Command in Rock Island, Illinois, said award fee boards held over recent months rated KBR's performance as "excellent" to "very good" for more than a dozen "task orders" in Kuwait and Afghanistan supporting troops.

Much of Halliburton's work for the U.S. military is on a cost-plus basis, which means the company can earn up to 2 percent extra depending on their performance. An Army spokesman said KBR had been awarded $9.4 million in bonus payments from its work in Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Overall, KBR has earned $7.2 billion under a massive 2001 logistics contract with the U.S. military and has obligations to earn more than $10 billion under that deal. It has separate deals with the government for reconstruction work in Iraq.

Anglican Church Asks U.S., Canada to Leave

Presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Frank T. Griswold hope debate on issues around gay unions will continue. The ordination of openly gay and partnered Bishop Gene Robinson set off a firestorm in the church.

Wow. They really did it. The schism is official. (AP):

The U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada withdrew Thursday from a key body of the global Anglican Communion under pressure from conservative church leaders distressed by the election of a gay bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions in the two countries.

Though the suspension of the two churches was said to be temporary, it marked the first formal split in the communion over the explosive issues of sexuality and biblical authority.

...The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Frank T. Griswold, said the debate would continue and that his fellow church leaders had made room "for a wide variety of perspectives."

The U.S. church precipitated the most serious rift in the communion's history when it affirmed the election of V. Gene Robinson, who openly lives with a male partner, as bishop of New Hampshire. Both churches have been criticized by conservatives for sanctioning blessings of gay unions.

The statement said the two churches were withdrawing from the Anglican Consultative Council, a key body for contact among the national churches, at least until 2008.

"In the meantime, we ask our fellow primates to use their best influence to persuade their brothers and sisters to exercise a moratorium on public rites of blessing for same-sex unions and on the consecration of any bishop living in a sexual relationship outside Christian marriage," the statement said.

...To some in the church, a break in the 77-million-member Anglican Communion is not unthinkable. "There do come times when the authority of the Bible is at stake — and this is one of those times — where to stay together becomes a great difficulty," Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney said in a British Broadcast Corp. radio interview on Thursday.

Is this for real? "Jeff Gannon" relaunches web site

[UPDATE (7:30 PM): It's really his site, according to John. Unbelievable]

Right now there is major discussion over at AMERICABlog about the re-emergence of "Jeff Gannon" on the web. No, not the HotMilitaryStud rent boy presence, but the "reporter" fighting back against the Left.

One has to question whether Guckert set up this site. I cannot imagine the level of egomania that would be required for this White House hooker to actually want to keep such a high profile. Could this be a freeper hack or more Rovian disinfo?

Here's some of the hilarious copy; it's truly unhinged...

I'm baaaaaaack! If you thought I was going to slink away - then you don't know much about me. Someone still has to battle the Left and now that I've emerged from the crucible, I'm stronger than before.

Despite all the pleas from the Left to go over to the 'dark side' and expose the 'corrupt Bush administration' simply isn't going to happen. My faith and my ideology are rock solid.

Still, the last few weeks have been difficult for my family and my associates. To them I offer my apology and gratitude for their support.

In regard to the allegations about my personal life, I have been advised by my attorneys not to comment on any of the details pending the outcome of any possible legal action I might pursue. Therefore, I won't be discussing any of that stuff here.

Oh and there's a link for "donations" on the site as well.


And one of Gannon/Bulldog's man-date sites, MeetLocalMen.com, is still live (above).

Kansas AG Seeks late-term abortion records, including sex life history

American Taliban ghoul, Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, wants to know intimate details of a woman's sexual history for 'evidence of crimes' related to late-term abortion.

WTF? Unbelievable, so out of control. The clock on rights is rolling back fast, women in the heartland. (AP)

Attorney General Phill Kline is seeking the complete medical records of nearly 90 women who received late-term abortions to search for evidence of crimes, according to court documents.

The secret investigation began in October, according to written legal arguments filed Tuesday by two medical clinics that are opposing Kline's effort. They are asking the Kansas Supreme Court to intercede, saying if it doesn't, "a woman who exercised her constitutional right to privacy" could find government agents knocking at her door.

Kline, an abortion opponent, scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon, and his office said he would discuss "questions raised relating to child rape and abortion in Kansas." The clinics' brief said Kline had demanded their complete, unedited medical records for women who sought abortions at least 22 weeks into their pregnancies. Court papers did not identify the clinics.

The records would include the patient's name, medical history, details of her sex life, birth control practices and psychological profile. The clinics, who say nearly 90 women would be affected, are offering to provide records with some key information, including names, edited out.

"These women's rights will be sacrificed if this fishing expedition is not halted or narrowed," the clinics' brief said.

Office of Attorney General Phill Kline
120 SW 10th Ave., 2nd Floor
Topeka, KS 66612-1597
(785) 296-2215 Telephone
(785) 296-6296 Fax
http://www.accesskansas.org/ksag/

Communications Office:
Whitney E. Watson
(785) 296-2219 Telephone
watsonw@ksag.org

Pope sick/deathwatch continues

NBC News' Chief Science Correspondent gets to sit on live TV and talk about the Pope's mucous.

I'm sitting here typing and feeling like crap -- I cannot sleep. The news is on in the background and it happens to be on MSNBC. I'm listening to the ass-clown coverage of the Pope going back into the hospital for a tracheotomy.

The details of the mucous in the Pope's throat are being tossed around by Robert Bazell (the "medical expert") and the little MSNBC newsreader chick that I've not seen before. Unfortunately 24/7 live news capability leads to this sort of speculative crap that goes on and on without any real news being conveyed. They can't confirm anything, other than he's having the operation. Now they are showing the exterior of a hospital window that has the shades drawn. Like this tells us anything newsworthy?

A wingnut Tar Heel's definition of a redneck and southern politics

I was getting my feet muddied over in Freeperville and came across a link to an interesting column by a Judson Cox on a site called TruthNews. According to his bio he is a "political columnist from the mountains of North Carolina. He is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most popular and influential voices of his generation. As a college student, and a young entrepreneur, he has a unique perspective on matters of politics, economics and culture."

Well alrighty then.

Anyway, his commentary is entitled "Bill Clinton Is No Redneck." The essay isn't particularly riveting in terms of BC (his argument is that no, Bill's not a redneck he's white trash -- whatever). Since Judson Cox proudly declares himself a redneck, I was more taken by his particular definition of this cultural "state of mind"; House Blend readers might find this worthy of chewing on.

I caution you to remember that he's describing the southern varient of redneck. I am sure you all can weigh in with your descriptions of regional forms of the species...Judson says:

A redneck is a rural, low land southerner - in other parts of the country, we are called hillbillies, cowboys, bumpkins, hicks or just country. Rednecks are traditional Americans, who work hard to support their families, and go to church on Sunday. Rednecks volunteer as Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, firemen and anything else their community needs. Rednecks usually drive pickup trucks, and they spend a lot more time than they would like using those trucks to haul things for neighbors, but they never complain, decline or accept payment. Rednecks pay their own way and spend their hard earned money on clothes, insurance, food and education for their kids - rednecks won’t take charity or welfare.

Rednecks mow their own lawns and work on their own vehicles and they have every manner of tool imaginable (which they keep in a shed that they built themselves). Rednecks don’t spend their leisure time protesting, or at fancy cocktail parties, criticizing President Bush’s grammar -- they hunt, fish and enjoy sports with their friends and families. Rednecks usually wear work boots or cowboy boots, but at some point in their lives most rednecks owned a pair of combat boots, when they risked their lives to give the "pampered" the privilege of criticizing our "cowboy" president. Rednecks show respect for veterans, say the Pledge of Allegiance with the words, "Under God", and stand when the national anthem is played. Rednecks may not have the best education, but they know what matters: faith, family, patriotism, self sacrifice, and a strong work ethic. A redneck may not have much money, but he knows what is truly valuable. If you threaten a redneck, his family, his friends or his country, he will not back down, surrender or appease.

I am a native Tar Heel as well, and somehow I think Judson Cox left out a few items about rednecks in his profile. Here are a few additions based on my encounters outside of the progressive bubble of the Triangle area.

These are not made up:


* on many pickups you will see a "Piss on ___" sticker (fill in the blank with Ford, Dodge or Chevy)

* the truck he mentions they work on is usually in the front yard, and there are multiple non-operational vehicles in the yard in many cases

* if it's a redneck car not a truck, it likely has the sign of the fish and a bumper sticker about gun ownership on it

* stars and bars stickers accompany W04 ones

* at stop lights, you may see a truck door open and the driver spitting out tobacco juice.

* if you're in the mountains of NC, you can find souvenir shops where they sell T-shirts with burning crosses on them. (The one I went into, in Maggie Valley, NC, said "You have your X (as in Malcolm X) and we have ours (burning cross). Needless to say, I got out of there fast.

Kate's experiences in Alabama...

* she said there was a legendary sign at the entrance to a town in Cullman, AL that said (entirely too recently), "Welcome to Cullman", and as a subhead it said: "Nigger, don't let the sun set behind your back." That was clearly redneck handiwork.

* in the same town, she and her friends formed a circle around a black man that was about to get the crap beat out of him by drunken rednecks.

* In Birmingham she's seen rednecks driving cars down the street with air horns that blare "Dixie" -- they don't think it offends anyone.

All that said, there are many, many native southerners who don't fit the above descriptions, and the main reason that they don't is they have been exposed to people of different backgrounds, grown up in an environment of tolerance and learned not to fear the differences in people. The upheaval of the civil rights movement has produced many more open-minded southerners, and the influx of Yankees since then (for the weather and high-tech jobs), further expanded the New South culture. Bagels and barbecue co-exist in harmony in the Blue parts of the state. Outside those bubbles, as I said above, you can easily enter the not too distant past of double takes and long stares if you're where "you're not supposed to be" and are the wrong color, or visibly queer. Those places resent the Yankee influence and are resistant to change.

An interesting post on the blog Facing South talks about the two schools of thought about how the Dems should approach the South. One is basically "F*ck the South," ceding it to the bigots and religious wingnuts, and the other is "stay in the South, but move to the right" -- the Centrist/DNC approach. It's what got Easley and Edwards elected, and that's good and bad -- it's compromise that has endangered progress on gay rights, for instance (Easley backs a marriage amendment). Many elected Dems in the State House are conservative, some signing on to the marriage amendment. For progressives, they are Repug-lite. [A look at NC legislators to look out for is in the Independent Weekly article, 10 to watch.]

The fact that openly gay Julia Boseman was elected to the state senate is a minor miracle -- that's partially due to her opponent's idiotic homophobic wingnuttery undoing him. He didn't conduct himself in a civil manner -- and that is relevant in southern politics.

My question is why do the Dems feel the need to cater to the closed-mind band of rednecks? They are here, but it's not clear to me that they anyone needs to win them over, or that they are the majority. What I can tell you is that there is zero chance anything will ever change about national electoral politics if the Dems abandon the South altogether. It leaves only the grass roots to fight the good fight in the progressive sphere, and that's not healthy.

Burning Manure Pile in Nebraska Goes Out

It was 100 feet long, 30 feet high and 50 feet wide. Heat from the decomposing manure deep inside the pile is believed to have eventually ignited the manure. (AP).

Perhaps that is what happened to all of Jeff Gannon's work from Talon News.

A Tar Heel Letter to the Editor of the WaPo on Gannongate

Ah it's nice to know there's good sense down there in Swansboro, NC. Here's a great letter.

How did Mr. 'Gannon' Slip Through?

Jeff Gannon -- or whatever his name is -- is taking the time- honored route of scoundrels who get caught. He apparently used his few days of silence to consult some media-savvy people who filled him in on the way to successfully manage a crisis: Repent, regret, reform.

So Mr. Gannon told Howard Kurtz [Style, Feb. 19] that he repented his past sins, regretted the pain he may have caused others, has reformed his ways and, of course, expects to be forgiven. He is now the victim, martyred because of his politics and sexuality.

Fine. Let's forgive Mr. Gannon and consign him to history's dustbin, where he belongs. Then we can turn our attention to the real questions:

• How does a guy with no journalistic background who works for Republican front groups and whose pictures have appeared on a gay-escort Web site get credentials to cover the White House, journalism's plum assignment?

• How, for two years, does the FBI, the Secret Service or whatever crack outfit the White House employs to screen people who work there miss what a handful of bloggers found in a few days on the Internet?

Maybe, if the lap dogs that are the members of the White House press corps did their jobs, the bloggers wouldn't have to.

FRANK TURSI
Swansboro, N.C.

Thanks to House Blend reader Holly for the pointer.

Rummy -- stop discharging gays, save $200 million

Rumsfeld has run our military into the ground. Representative Martin T. Meehan of Massachusetts (D-MA), is submitting legislation next week that to force "a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

While the British Navy is actively recruiting gays and lesbians, we have our dumbass Pentagon spending $200 million to sign up and train folks to replace the homos that are shoved out by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Remember, Arabic translators were given the boot recently under the policy, so we lost resources that cannot just be replaced overnight. If our government is serious about Homeland Security, then this policy needs to go. Now. (NYT):

The review by the Government Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, was requested by more than 20 lawmakers who were concerned about the costs of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy instituted in the Clinton administration, particularly for service members with "critical occupations" and "important foreign language skills."

The accountability office plans to release its review on Friday. The New York Times obtained it from a member of Congress who had requested the study.

In the last 10 years, more than 10,000 service members have been discharged because they did not keep their sexual orientation to themselves as required, according to the Service Members Legal Defense Network, a gay rights group that monitors the armed forces.

...The department [of Defense] does not track the specific costs of investigating or discharging gay service members, counseling and providing pastoral care for them or for handling legal challenges and reviews of dismissals, the report says. But the accounting office estimated that it cost the Pentagon nearly $100 million, $10,500 a person, to recruit replacements for enlisted service members who were discharged from 1994 to 2003 for being gay.

Investigators said that the cost to the Navy to train the replacements was $49 million, $18,000 a service member. The report said the Air Force estimated its training costs at $16.6 million, or $7,400 a service member, and the Army said its costs were $29.7 million, or $6,400 a service member. The investigators said the Marines declined to provide estimates

...The investigators also said they could not quantify the cost of losing personnel discharged after having been trained in certain areas of expertise like intelligence or languages like Arabic, Chinese, Farsi or Korean. "The principal limitation of our analysis is that for privacy reasons we did not review separated service members' personnel records, including training histories, which has implications for estimating training costs," the investigators wrote.

A lawmaker who sought the study, Representative Martin T. Meehan of Massachusetts, ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Terrorism, Conventional Threats and Capabilities, has drafted legislation that would repeal the policy on gays in an effort to enhance military readiness.

The measure, which Mr. Meehan said he would introduce next week, calls for the armed forces to enact "a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation," the first time Congress will consider such a proposal since "don't ask, don't tell" was approved on Nov. 30, 1993.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has said the Bush administration will not revisit the policy, but numerous pending suits are trying to overturn it.

Mr. Meehan called the policy "senseless and counterproductive," saying it undermined the strength of the military by "discharging competent service members at a time when our troops are already stretched thin."

See item below on the first memoir by a gay soldier that was in the military during the implementation of DADT

What it's like to serve your country under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

To underscore this stupidity of DADT discussed in my "Rummy wasting $200 million" post -- there is a book out, Major Conflict : One Gay Man's Life in the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell Military, that is the first memoir by a soldier faced with the implementation of the regulation. This puts a human face on the toll this ridiculous policy, and it shows how our government, in desperate need of every warm body it can get, spits in the face of someone willing to sacrifice so much for their country. Granting soldiers the ability to be who they are will not destroy unit cohesion. Someone needs to send Rummy a copy of this book pronto. Its release date is March 8. (Rocky Mountain News):

What [Major Conflict] reveals is the devastating impact on Jeffrey McGowan's ability to fulfill his dream of serving his country in the U.S. military and to live his life with integrity as an openly gay man.

After college in the late 1980s, McGowan was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. McGowan made the transition with relative ease, largely because he had always looked forward to a military career: "I've always wanted to be a soldier. In fact, I can't remember a time when I could imagine being anything else. It was, I think, my destiny; my path was pre-ordained."

...What is most striking and poignant during McGowan's first few years in the military is how well he fits in: He's a perfect soldier, fully committed to the sacrifices he must make. Such loyalty is facilitated in part by his almost complete denial of his homosexuality. As he tentatively begins to admit to himself that he is attracted to other men, his faith in the military begins to waver, yet his commitment to his duty remains firm.

Stationed in Germany at this point, McGowan prepares for his deployment to Iraq and the first Gulf War. As he watches the married couples say their goodbyes, he yearns for someone to comfort him, but realizes that "the love I wanted was against the rules. I was, in fact, a criminal."

Writes the author: "I could meet the standard, I was popular, I was accepted by my peers; my blood would shed as red as easily as the straight soldier fighting next to me. Why was I forbidden to be the person I am?"

McGowan postpones such soul- searching. As he finds himself in the midst of war, like most soldiers, he worries more about protecting the lives of the men under his command than foregrounding his own differences from them.

As he returns stateside, he continues to struggle with the ever more powerful sense that he lacks meaning in his life. During this period, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" also becomes law, and McGowan offers an insider's perspective into what it was like to experience this shift inside the military. McGowan writes that contrary to its vision as a kindler, gentler treatment of gays in the military, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" resulted in an increase of gay discharges and an entrenchment of anti-gay sentiment.

This increasingly hostile environment ultimately forces McGowan to re-evaluate his military career. After a number of disturbing experiences that threaten his own well-being, he returns to civilian life.

Go read what Shakespeare's Sister said...

I'm too brain-dead today to go into the weak, very weak recent Kevin Drum piece on why there is a dearth of female political bloggers. Actually, most of my response is the comments section of Shakespeare's Sister's take on it, "Bloggrrls". Go read and put in your two cents. A clip:

DRUM: There aren't any institutional barriers in the traditional sense of the word, which means either (a) there are fewer female political bloggers and thus fewer in the top 30, or (b) there are plenty of women who blog about politics but they don't get a lot of traffic or links from high-traffic male bloggers.

My guess is that it's a bit of both, and the proximate reason is that men are more comfortable with the food fight nature of opinion writing — both writing it and reading it. Since I don't wish to suffer the fate of Larry Summers I'll refrain from speculating on deep causes — it might be social, cultural, genetic, or Martian mind rays for all I know — but I imagine that the fundamental viciousness and self aggrandizement inherent in opinion writing turns off a lot of women.


So let me get this straight. In the same breath that he says he won’t speculate on “deep causes,” he surmises that the reason we don’t find as many women in the top 30 blogs is because women are turned off by viciousness and self-aggrandizement. I’m not sure exactly what it would take for something to qualify as a “deep cause” by Drum’s definition, if not a presumed aversion to something, anything, on the basis of one’s gender. If women are somehow innately indisposed toward those traits, that sounds like a pretty “deep”—or insurmountable—issue to me. (And let’s take note, shall we, that Drum was trying to refrain from such speculation to avoid suffering the fate of Larry Summers, by which I assume he meant being called out as a sexist, as opposed to the fate of actually being a sexist, with which Drum seems rather comfortable.)