Sex=death and that's all teens need to know

"Some people have raised the issue of whether this vaccine may be sending an overall message to teen-agers that, 'We expect you to be sexually active."

--Reginald Finger, former medical analyst for Focus on the Family, appointed to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

"Just because you wear a seat belt doesn't mean you're seeking out an accident."

-- Alan Kaye, executive director of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, on the vaccine

Cervical cancer strikes more than 10,000 U.S. women each year, killing more than 3,700. Strains of the human papilloma virus can cause cancerous lesions on the cervix, but a vaccine has been developed that is 100% effective -- and forces on the Right, with representation on a CDC panel, may decide whether teen girls should get it, worrying it will "condone sexual activity." (SFGate):

Groups working to reduce the toll of the cancer are eagerly awaiting the vaccine and want it to become part of the standard roster of shots that children, especially girls, receive just before puberty.

Because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted virus, many conservatives oppose making it mandatory, citing fears that it could send a subtle message condoning sexual activity before marriage. Several leading groups that promote abstinence are meeting this week to formulate official policies on the vaccine. Officials from the companies developing the shots -- Merck & Co. and GlaxoSmithKline -- have been meeting with advocacy groups to try to assuage their concerns.

"I would like to see it that if you don't have your HPV vaccine, you can't start high school," said Juan Carlos Felix of the University of Southern California, who leads the National Cervical Cancer Coalition's medical advisory panel.

At the ACIP meeting last week, panel members heard presentations about the pros and cons of vaccinating girls at various ages. A survey of 294 pediatricians presented at the meeting found that more than half were worried that parents of female patients might refuse the vaccine, and 11 percent of the doctors said they thought vaccinating against a sexually transmitted disease "may encourage risky sexual behavior in my adolescent patients."

..."There are people who sense that it could cause people to feel like sexual behaviors are safer if they are vaccinated and may lead to more sexual behavior because they feel safe," said Finger, emphasizing he does not endorse that position and is withholding judgment until the issue comes before the vaccine policy panel for a formal recommendation.

Conservative medical groups have been fielding calls from concerned parents and organizations, officials said. "I've talked to some who have said, 'This is going to sabotage our abstinence message,' " said Gene Rudd, associate executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. But Rudd said most people change their minds once they learn more, adding he would probably want his children immunized. Rudd, however, draws the line at making the vaccine mandatory.

How does protecting women's health impede on a parent's ability to teach their children about abstinence? Folks, a lot of these kids are having sex and pretending that abstinence-only education is working is fantasy.

This nonsense is just going to continue to spiral out of control, as we see these Bush bible-beaters appointed to reality-based, science-based institutions flex their muscles. Let's hope Dr. Finger pays attention to his medical training and not Daddy Dobson.

Also see:
* Abstinence ed is really working: oral sex safe and not really sex, say teens
* Virginity pledge org busted by feds for proselytizing on your dime
* Your tax dollars at work: Texas teens increasingly knocking boots after abstinence program
* Chimpy didn't secure AbstinenceOnly.com

Wrong move: Pastor electrocuted during baptism

I know, this is unfortunate, but really -- this is bizarre. The church is in Waco, TX.

A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after adjusting a nearby microphone while standing in water, a church employee said. The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was stepping into the baptistery as he reached out for the microphone, which produced an electric shock, said University Baptist Church community pastor Ben Dudley.

Water in a baptistery usually reaches above the waist, said Byron Weathersbee, interim university chaplain at Baylor University.

Lake was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, nursing supervisor Pat Mahl said. The woman being baptized apparently had not stepped into the water and was not seriously injured.

Pastors at University Baptist Church routinely use a microphone during baptisms, said Jamie Dudley, the wife of Ben Dudley and a business administrator at the church. "He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," she said. "It's the only way you can be loud enough."

'Ex-gay' ministry on the radio

From the promo: ""She’s the woman that stole his heart. He’s the former homosexual man. Now married and on a mission… they’re out to set the record straight."

Former Homosexual's New Radio Show Tackles 'Gay' Issues Head On. That's the actual AgapePress headline, folks. Mr. Brightsmile and his wife are back and ready to chat with listeners everywhere about his purported exodus from the "homo lifestyle."

Debuting today is a unique new radio show that deals with the homosexual agenda from a conservative Christian viewpoint. Straight Talk Radio is hosted by Stephen and Irene Bennett, founders of Stephen Bennett Ministries.

For more than 10 years, Stephen Bennett lived as a homosexual, until he was delivered from that lifestyle after accepting Jesus as his Savior. Now the evangelist and ministry co-founder helps others who want deliverance from unwanted homosexual attractions. He says his new show will tackle a number of compelling issues related to homosexuality and the homosexual agenda.

...The host of the pro-family radio program says a major purpose of the show is to communicate the same truths his ministry seeks to communicate, namely that "people are not born homosexual, and that through the power of Jesus Christ, homosexual men and women can completely change."

...Irene says she is confident the program will "catch on like wildfire and resonate with many individuals worldwide." Through the show, she says she and her co-host husband are hoping to "educate, encourage, engage and equip people to understand this extremely important issue."

Here are some upcoming topics that are bound to catch your attention:

* “Sex Appealed: Was the U.S. Supreme Court Fooled? – Judge Janice Law
* Homosexuality: Born that Way, a Choice… or What?
* Homosexuality: Man’s Word vs. God’s Word with Pastor Wayne Goodall
* “The Wedding March of the Penguins: America’s First Ex-Gay Penguin?”
* The “Gospel” of Homosexuality According to Hollywood
* The Leading Lesbians of Hollywood

Iraq body count soars in October

Mission accomplished, over and over. (AP):

Four soldiers from the Army's Task Force Baghdad soldiers died Monday when their patrol struck a roadside bomb in Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad in an area known as the "triangle of death."

Two other soldiers from the 29th Brigade Combat Team were also killed in a bombing Monday near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad. The U.S. military also said a Marine was killed Sunday near Amiriyah, 25 miles west of Baghdad.

Those deaths raised the death toll for October to more than 90, the highest monthly total since January when 107 American service members died. The latest deaths brought to 2,025 the number of U.S. service members who have died since the Iraq war began in March 2003.

***



Must see cable TV: 'Off to War'

If you have cable and the Times/Discovery Channel, you need to tune in to the fine documentary series Off to War. It's ten parts (with the last episode premiering in late November), chronicling the deployment of the 39th Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard to Iraq.

On July 26, 2003, the lives of many families in rural Arkansas began to swing in an unexpected and even frightening direction. That's when members of the 39th Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard were officially told that they would be heading to Iraq and wouldn't be coming home until the spring of 2005.

The series is executive produced by the immensely talented Jon Alpert, whose work I enjoyed on the Today Show many years ago. He received critical acclaim for several documentaries produced for HBO, including Lockup: The Prisoners of Rikers Island.

The filmmakers on the ground, Craig and Brent Renaud, brothers born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, do an amazing job of reporting in the classic mode of documentary filmmaking -- they allow the voices, personalities and events the subjects experience to shape the politics of the film. We're not talking F9/11 here, but the effect is just as devastating an indictment of the Iraq war.

You can meet the members of the 39th Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard here, and there's an episode guide.

Daddy Dobson, Bauer, Scalito's mom weigh in

"Of course, he's against abortion."
-- 90-year-old Rose Alito, helping clear things up before Sam even fills out his questionnaire.

It didn't take long for the bible beaters to come out, and Alito's mom helps them rest easy that their guy's on the same page of the KJV.

Dobson's experiencing an orgasm -- but will he feel guilty about it later?

"We are extremely pleased by President Bush's selection of Judge Samuel Alito, who has earned the respect of colleagues in both parties for his legal acumen and courtroom demeanor. As a federal judge for the last 15 years, Judge Alito has demonstrated that he understands the role of the judiciary is to interpret existing law in light of the Constitution, not make new law in service to a personal political agenda.



"Perhaps the most encouraging early indication that Judge Alito will make a great justice is that liberal senators such as Harry Reid and Charles Schumer and leftist pressure groups such as People for the American Way and Planned Parenthood have been lining up all day to scream that the sky is falling. Any nominee who so worries the radical left is worthy of serious consideration.

"Based on what is now known about Judge Alito, we applaud the president for this outstanding nomination."

Little Gary Bauer thinks he's fair and balanced:

"For fifteen years Judge Alito has served on the federal bench, providing an extensive and distinguished record that demonstrates a consistent philosophy of judicial restraint, faithfulness to the Constitution, and respect for the values of the American people. He is a mainstream conservative who will uphold the best traditions of our nation's highest court.

Hat tip, Blogenfreude.

Back from vacation... what's up?

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past four days. I took a couple of days vacation on Thursday & Friday, then Saturday was my Halloween gig (I'll post more on that when I've downloaded the pictures) and Sunday was Football Sunday (or as we Packers' fans are calling it, Weekly Day of Mourning).

I should take vacation more often. Seems like when I don't post all the good political stuff happens. Harriet "I ♥ GWB" Miers had to withdraw her nomination to the SCOTUS... because Bush's own party forced it! A five count indictment against "Scooter" Libby was handed down on Fitzmas, with more investigation of Rove and the other war criminals soon to follow. Bush's approval ratings are coming in at a record low 39%.

And in sad news (that I'm not celebrating and for which I would be just as pissed at a President Kerry or President Gore), October was the 5th-deadliest month of the Iraq War, with 96 coalition troops killed in combat, bringing the total to 2,026.

Now, what's this I hear about a "Scalito"? That sounds like some sort of shrimp-based Mexican dish, doesn't it? "Yo quiero una Scalito grande, por favor, con frijoles negro y salsa picante!" Whatever it is, it's giving me heartburn already...

Must read: Rude Pundit on Alito

More swearing than a month's worth of the Blend and it's a winner: Samuel Alito, Another Motherfucker For America.

Scalito air-kiss from his fans

As the Right dances a celebratory jig, the Dems better start acquiring a spine right now. If this isn't the time to grow one, our country is screwed.

From Mike Tidmus:

You didn’t really buy that bull about President Bush was elected so he gets to personally choose his own nominees, and each and every one of them deserves a fair hearing and an up-or-down-vote, did you? And that part about not legislating from the bench?

Silly you!

Enter the pitchfork-wielding villagers of the religious-reich : Burn the witch! Burn the heretic Harriet! Take her away and give us another!

Head over to his pad for more...

Nauseating

I have to agree with Shakes Sis on the Chimp's love fest with the AmTaliban and Alito:

You know, the thing that makes me angriest about this is that Bush is still playing to his base, that 30% or so who think that Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs to church, as if he’s still running for something. It’s always, always politics; it’s all they know how to do. Never has there come a time when he has seemed to recognize that he needs to govern instead of campaign, or that he’s president of the entire United States. He has never even remotely acknowledged that he is supposed to be a steward of this country for all of us, instead of turning the country into a utopian paradise for its cruelest and most self-interested elements. Prick.

You can bone up on the White House talking points to combat attacks from the left on Alito, indicating that the goons know where the nominee's tender spots are (hat tip, Charlie).

The Heretik is collecting Scalito links...

Homeland Insecurity

"There's a lack of adult leadership on both sides. The department just doesn't have its act together."
-- James Carafano, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, on Homeland Security's efforts

As the Chimperor stood on the heap of rubble at the WTC, imagining himself as the savior of the country, he made his flock feel like he was going to keep them safe from the swarthy bin Laden-types from abroad. During the election, Darth Cheney even intimated that if voters cast a ballot for Kerry it was a vote for the terrorists.

"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States.

Between the White House and the Repug clowns on the Hill in the time since, the terrorists can rest easy when they read sh*t like this, from the AP:

* A plan to defend ships and ports from attack is six months overdue.
* Rules to protect air cargo from infiltration by terrorists are two months late.
* A study on the cost of giving anti-terrorism training to federal law enforcement officers who fly commercially was supposed to be done more than three years ago.
* The government has yet to develop a comprehensive plan to protect roads, bridges, tunnels, power plants, pipelines and dams.

The Bush administration has missed dozens of deadlines set by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks for developing ways to protect airplanes, ships and railways from terrorists.

..."The incompetence that we recently saw with FEMA's leadership appears to exist throughout the Homeland Security Department," said Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "Our nation is still vulnerable."

Congress must share the blame for the department's sluggishness in protecting commerce and travel from terrorists, according to other observers. Lawmakers piled on deadline after deadline for reports, plans and regulations while the department, created after the 2001 attacks, had to integrate 22 agencies with 170,000 workers and cope with terrorist threats and hurricanes.

Those deadlines, sometimes for minor projects, distract the department from putting in place the most important security measures, experts say. The Transportation Security Administration, for example, scrambled to try to meet a Feb. 15 deadline to ban butane lighters from airplanes, a precaution that does little to protect airliners, they said.

...A report on how a grant program for shippers and ports would work is more than a year late; a report on cargo container security is eight months overdue; a national security plan for marine transportation is well past its April 1 due date.

Rep. Harold Rogers, chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees Homeland Security spending, was unhappy because the TSA missed a March 17 deadline for a plan to deploy bomb-detection machines at airports.

Can we take three more years of irresponsible right-wing, blowhard rule? it's depressing.

Wilson says leak destroyed wife's CIA career

Let's not take our eye off the ball, as much as the White House and the GOP apologists would like us to. Joe Wilson was on 60 Minutes last night, underscoring the gravity of the crimes committed in the White House for political payback. (Reuters):

Valerie Plame's nearly two-decade career at the CIA and the secret life she crafted to conceal it were blown when her identity was revealed by a newspaper columnist, her husband, Joe Wilson said in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday.


Novakula from Russ.

Wilson, a former career diplomat, said Plame, 42, was in shock when she saw her name and that of her fictitious employer published in a syndicated column by Robert Novak.

"She felt like she'd been hit in the stomach. It took her breath away," Wilson said.

"When he published her name-- it was very easy to unravel everything about her, her entire cover," Wilson said. "You live your cover."

Asked whether she realized then that her career as a CIA undercover agent was over, Wilson said: "Absolutely. Sure. There was no doubt about it in her mind. And she wondered for what."

Wilson contends that his wife's identity was deliberately revealed by the Bush administration to get back at him for publicly challenging U.S. prewar intelligence on Iraq.

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff Lewis Libby was indicted on Friday on obstruction of justice and perjury charges in the two-year-old investigation into who leaked Plame's identity.

Blacks and gay civil rights

A break from the Alito madness...

Jeninne Lee-St. John has an excellent Viewpoint piece in Time this week, writing on the current conflict within the religious black community on gay civil rights. It's worth the read.

Just look at the black religious leaders—like Rev. Bernice King, a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.; evangelical juggernaut Bishop T. D. Jakes; and groups like the Memphis-based Coalition of African American Pastors—who've joined ranks with the conservative Right in opposing gay marriage. They say gay rights are not the same as civil rights. They accuse gays and lesbians of "hijacking" the civil rights movement for their homosexual agenda. They say it's unholy and unnatural. But it's for perhaps that last argument alone that, as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court mulls a challenge to an old state law now being used to prohibit out-of-state homosexual couples from wedding there, black Americans should sympathize with gays and lesbians who want to marry.

Lee-St. John accurately notes that anti-miscegenation laws in the South prevented blacks and whites from marrying for those same "unnatural" and "unholy" reasons. When that was over turned, it was not the end of American culture and civilization. Those yahoos hell-bent on "protecting marriage," such as Falwell, Dobson, Santorum, Rick Perry, a host of black homo-bigot pastors, and of course, our friend in the Vatican, Papa Ratzi, have made it practically their life's work to restrict same-sex couples to second-class citizen status.

The hangup many blacks have is the comparison to the gay rights struggle as equivalent to slavery, which is ludicrous. It's not a zero-sum game that civil equality for gays means blacks will somehow have their rights removed or restricted. This, of course is also nonsensical if one considers that there are those among us that are both gay and black, something that clearly is an uncomfortable reality for many religious blacks (see what occurred at the Millions More March, for instance, when black gay activist Keith Boykin was turned away from the podium by homophobe Willie Wilson).

Of course there are important differences. "The comparison with slavery is a stretch," Jesse Jackson asserted in a speech at Harvard last year, "in that some slave masters were gay, in that gays were never called three-fifths human in the Constitution and in that they did not require the Voting Rights Act to have the right to vote." All of which is true. Race is most often, rightly or not, signified physically. While gays have been, and still are in many instances, forced to play straight, they at least had a refuge. It was historically difficult, usually impossible, and often illegal, for a black person to pass as white (even if 15/16ths of his blood was). They had nowhere to hide.

So yes, in the game of Who's Been More Systematically Oppressed?, black people win hands down. But that doesn't discount the hardships of other groups. (Remember the federal Defense of Marriage Act?) And it doesn't mean everyone isn't entitled to equal rights.

Massachusetts Governor (and apparently an '08 prez contender) Mitt Romney is clinging to that 1913 law, and knows that there will be a domino effect, a likely positive cascade of gay rights rulings that will follow, if it is overturned by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Lee-St. John challenges those black leaders on the side of the gay-bashing evangelicals on this issue to remember how black civil rights and gay civil rights intersect.

Conservative blacks should denounce the Massachusetts law in question not because they've suddenly decided to embrace something they find wrong but because the law is wrong. It's ostensibly a Federalist argument that is in fact homophobic—and was racist—in intent. And it offends me to the core that lawmakers would deny equal rights to one minority group using a statute created to target others, a statute that could have barred, even invalidated, my existence and might have prevented me from marrying my (white) boyfriend from Massachusetts in Massachusetts. Remember that it took until 1967 for the U.S. Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the anti-miscegenation laws that remained on the books in 16 states—and that Alabama still didn't repeal its law until five years ago.

Key: black pastor

White House called Concerned Women for America for the thumbs up on Alito

The White House made sure to check-in to get the pat on the head from the homo-haters on the "Scalito" pick. (WP):

One group consulted was the Concerned Women for America, whose decision to oppose Miers last Wednesday became one of the final blows to help kill the nomination. Janet M. LaRue, the group's chief counsel, said it received a call from the White House on Saturday and liked what it heard.



"[Judge Samuel Alito] and Luttig have always been at the top of our list," she said in an interview. "We think either of them would be a supreme pick. There isn't a thing stealthy about them. They've got a long, proven record of constitutional conservatism."

It's no surprise -- no one expected Alito, a far-right winger pick to be homo-friendly, but this is something out of the dark ages.

In 2001, Judge Alito authored a decision in Saxe v. State that declared unconstitutional a public school district policy that prohibited harassment against students because of their sexual orientation or other characteristics.

The policy focused only on harassment that had the purpose or effect of interfering with a student's educational performance or creating and intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.

Alito reasoned that the policy was unconstitutional because it could cover what he called "simple acts of teasing and name-calling."

"If confirmed Judge Alito is likely to be the decisive vote on many critical issues important to all Americans, including the most basic rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-affected people," said Lambda Legal's Legal Director, Jon Davidson.

Mike Rogers of BlogActive and PageOneQ also points out that CWA's another organization with a homo actively working against civil equality for gays and lesbians.

In August of 2004, blogACTIVE, the editor's blog of PageOneQ, reported that the Chief Financial Officer of Concerned Women for America, Lee LaHaye was a gay man. LaHaye is the son of CWA's founders Timothy and Beverly LaHaye.

"I find it rather odd that a conservative President would turn to such a confused organization to vet his picks for the Supreme Court," said Michael Rogers, editor of blogACTIVE and PageOneQ. And the fact an organization with a gay man as its Chief Financial Officer would approve of such far right wing judges is further proof of the dysfunction of the organization's agenda and its operation.

What more do the Dems need to know to help them decide that this is a filibuster-worthy nominee?

Also see:

* Concerned Women for America drop-kicks Harriet

* 'Threats' from Concerned Women for America

* Concerned Women for America: 'the looniest of the loony'

Spitting on the casket of Rosa Parks

I feel sick. This president is completely, utterly base. (AP):

Wasting no time, the White House arranged for Alito to go to the Capitol after the announcement.The schedule called for Senate Majority Leader Bill First to greet him and accompany the nominee to the Capitol Rotunda to go to the coffin of the late civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

And if you're looking for a strong reaction from Democrats, look at the weak pablum from Harry Reid.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said he was disappointed with the pick and that the Senate, which must confirm the pick, will now have to determine whether Alito is "too radical for the American people."

"I look forward to meeting Judge Alito and learning why those who want to pack the court with judicial activists are so much more enthusiastic about him than they were about Harriet Miers," Reid said.

You can contact your Senators here.

***

Reaction to the nomination (AP):

"Judge Alito is unquestionably qualified to serve on our nation's highest court. And on the bench, he has displayed a judicial philosophy marked by judicial restraint and respect for the limited role of the judiciary to interpret the law and not legislate from the bench." -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

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"Rather than selecting a nominee for the good of the nation and the court, President Bush has picked a nominee whom he hopes will stop the massive hemorrhaging of support on his right wing. This is a nomination based on weakness, not strength." -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

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"Judge Alito is the best there is. The Democrat-controlled Senate recognized these qualities in Judge Alito when it unanimously confirmed him to the court of appeals." -- Wendy Long, counsel for the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network.

------

"President Bush put the demands of his far-right political base above Americans' constitutional rights and legal protections by nominating federal appeals court Judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor." -- Ralph Neas, president of the liberal People For the American Way.

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"The president has made an excellent choice today which reflects his commitment to appoint judges in the mold of (Antonin) Scalia and (Clarence) Thomas. Sam Alito, a 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals judge, has consistently embraced the original intent of the Constitution." -- Kay Daly, president of the conservative Coalition for a Fair Judiciary.

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"It is sad that the president felt he had to pick a nominee likely to divide America instead of choosing a nominee in the mold of Sandra Day O'Connor, who would unify us. This controversial nominee, who would make the court less diverse and far more conservative, will get very careful scrutiny from the Senate and from the American people." -- Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

------

"The nomination of Harriet Miers has split conservatives unlike anything I can remember. The debate will not end, in fact it will become more intense." -- Gary Bauer, a onetime Republican presidential candidate who now heads the conservative group American Values Coalitio

'Scalito': The AmTaliban butters Bush's bread

The announcement is slated for 8AM.

If there was any doubt, particularly among the moderates in his party, where this President turns to when he's got his tail between his legs, there isn't now.

The Chimp bowed down at the altar of Dobson, Bauer, Schlafly, and the rest of the AmTaliban to save his "base" of the wild-eyed Freeper set, nominating Samuel Alito. I'd someone will ask an obvious question -- how on earth did Harriet Miers rate ahead of Sammy when the Chimperor was looking down the short list? We know the answer, but I want to see the White House explain that one away.

While Miers was a crony pick, a weak choice not up to snuff, Alito has 15 years on the Philly-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, thus he has a paper trail that is clearly indicative of his conservative leanings -- which is the litmus test the religious right has been looking for.

This is an awful choice if women want to retain control of their wombs. (AP):

Liberal groups, on the other hand, note Alito's moniker and say his nomination raises troubling concerns, especially when it comes to his record on civil rights and reproductive rights. Alito is a frequent dissenter on the 3rd Circuit, one of the most liberal federal appellate benches in the nation.

In the early 1990s, Alito was the lone dissenter in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a case in which the 3rd Circuit struck down a Pennsylvania law that included a provision requiring women seeking abortions to notify their spouses.

"The Pennsylvania legislature could have rationally believed that some married women are initially inclined to obtain an abortion without their husbands' knowledge because of perceived problems - such as economic constraints, future plans or the husbands' previously expressed opposition - that may be obviated by discussion prior to the abortion," Alito wrote.

The case ended up at the Supreme Court where the justices, in a 6-3 decision struck down the spousal notification provision of the law. The late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist cited Alito's reasoning in his own dissent.

This one is going to spur a fight, possibly a filibuster and with that, the threat of the 'nuclear option.' How low can Bush go? Think Progress shows you why James Dobson is smiling as he has his morning cup of coffee:

ALITO WOULD ALLOW RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION: Alito dissented from a decision in favor of a Marriott Hotel manager who said she had been discriminated against on the basis of race. The majority explained that Alito would have protected racist employers by "immuniz[ing] an employer from the reach of Title VII if the employer’s belief that it had selected the ‘best’ candidate was the result of conscious racial bias." [Bray v. Marriott Hotels, 1997]

ALITO WOULD ALLOW DISABILITY-BASED DISCRIMINATION: In Nathanson v. Medical College of Pennsylvania, the majority said the standard for proving disability-based discrimination articulated in Alito’s dissent was so restrictive that "few if any…cases would survive summary judgment." [Nathanson v. Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1991]

ALITO WOULD STRIKE DOWN THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) "guarantees most workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a loved one." The 2003 Supreme Court ruling upholding FMLA [Nevada v. Hibbs, 2003] essentially reversed a 2000 decision by Alito which found that Congress exceeded its power in passing the law. [Chittister v. Department of Community and Economic Development, 2000]

ALITO SUPPORTS UNAUTHORIZED STRIP SEARCHES: In Doe v. Groody, Alito agued that police officers had not violated constitutional rights when they strip searched a mother and her ten-year-old daughter while carrying out a search warrant that authorized only the search of a man and his home. [Doe v. Groody, 2004]

ALITO HOSTILE TOWARD IMMIGRANTS: In two cases involving the deportation of immigrants, the majority twice noted Alito’s disregard of settled law. In Dia v. Ashcroft, the majority opinion states that Alito’s dissent "guts the statutory standard" and "ignores our precedent." In Ki Se Lee v. Ashcroft, the majority stated Alito’s opinion contradicted "well-recognized rules of statutory construction." [Dia v. Ashcroft, 2003; Ki Se Lee v. Ashcroft, 2004]

I know you don't want to see all the happy dancing in Freeperland, but here you go anyway. This is why this nomination has to be fought. They know how important this shot across the bow is.

Actual Freeper Quotes™

"IMHO, if Roberts and Alito (or anyone in the Scalia mold) is all we get from W serving as president, then he will have done us proud."

"This guy is on the most liberal appeal courts in Jersey. He has hasn't drifted left even being on that on that court .....WOO HOO!"

"NUCLEAR OPTION!!!"

"SHOCKING. STUNNING. Fabulous, Mr. President."

"FOX news says confirmation will be a "bloodbath" and "cataclysmic". I can hardly wait for comments by Reid, Schumer, Kennedy & Leahy - the four stooges!"

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!...........This is what the GANG OF 7 RENEGADES never wanted... the spot-light is on the SENATE! - Let's the games begin :)"

"Catholics dominate SC. All the Evangelicals dissed."

"I cannot believe people in here care that he is Catholic. I'd expect that to be from liberals who want Muslims and atheists. You really can't please everyone, even with a great nominee."

"On Fox it's already started: "The President has pandered to the most extreme wing of his political party..blah, blah, blah""

"Talking about the Gang of Fourteen now on Fox & Friends... Can we count on the RINOs among us when the chips are down?"

"I am elated that the Miers-supporters who preditced the nomination of Gonzales were WRONG!"

"This pick of Alito is orders of magnitude better than the pick of Miers. NOW the country will have the right debate - that is, if the GOP is up to the task of expressing why a conservative jurist is NOT an issues advocate. A conservative Court only returns the issue to the people, it does not "finally decide" the issue for them."

"Let's see how many bridges the pundits are willing to burn. I'd guess they finally jump on the bandwagon. If not, here is where I think they'll complain. Coulter will say that Bush should have consulted her first and that candidate X was a better choice. Frum will be ticked that Alito is opposed to first trimester abortions (Canuck Frum is pro-abort). Krauthammer will moan and groan about Alito's views on stem cells."

"The GOP has to take control of framing the debate. THe DEMs have heretofor been successful at tframing the debate as issues advocacy. The GOP needs to redirect that, so that the people realize the COurt is going to be LESS likely to make decisions relating to social structure, so that the people can make social issue decisions, working through their legislatures."

"Good, I hope for a miracle on Alito and it goes to a vote and passes, even if by only 51-50. Or, we may just well see Borking #2."

"This is one the Demodogs have mentioned filibuster...I wonder how many "conservatives" will join them, after having their blood dinner with Miers."

"Too conservative? Nobody can be too rich or too thin. Or too conservative. I LIKE to see the veins pop out on Chuck Schumer's temples. Of course, no matter who George W. Bush may have nominated, Chuck's response would have been exactly the same."

"Way to go Pres Bush! If Scalito is unacceptable to the Dems he is automatically qualified, let the war begin and lets go to the mattresses."

"BRING IT ON!!! This is the kind of shot in the arm the GOP needs right now."

"I STRONGLY suggest we start emailing all seven of those 'stinkin... sniveling... RINO's who always 'sh_t-their-pants' in the Senate. Tell them you'll donate to ANY candidate who runs against them if they fail again to find their spines!"

College Repugs bring anti-gay speaker to Gonzaga

Dan Brutocao of the Gonzaga University College Republicans signed up Dr. John Diggs to spew junk science.

Sweet. The Washington-state institution also rejected recent requests to allow a Planned Parenthood speaker and a production of "The Vagina Monologues" to the school, so clearly it's up for the controversy. From the Gonzaga Bulletin:

The College Republicans brought Dr. John Diggs to campus Tuesday. Diggs presented a controversial speech titled "The Medical Effects of Homo-Sex" to a packed Jundt Auditorium.

...Based on the planned topic for the speech, the College Republicans were not given University approval and therefore could not advertise the event. To gain University approval, however, the College Republicans were given the option to have Diggs change the title and topic of the speech to be more universal, covering the harmful affects of all human sexuality as it pertains to penetrative anal intercourse and promiscuity.

Dan Brutocao, president of the College Republicans, decided not to change the topic of the speech, reasoning that Diggs would be more knowledgeable on the speech he had already prepared. After talking to Diggs, Brutocao decided to change the title from "The Medical Effects of Homosexuality" to "The Medical Effects of Homo-Sex," because according to Brutocao, the term homosexuality denotes a person, whereas homo-sex refers specifically to the acts involved, which was more pertinent to the lecture.

Diggs' 75-minute lecture Tuesday night outlined the negative effects of homosexuality as it pertains to both society and the individual. Key points from his speech included the assertion that homosexuality is defined by two "inarguable" characteristics: promiscuity and penetrative anal intercourse. Diggs also said homosexuality was strongly responsible for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), particularly HIV, in both gay and straight circles.

Rod Aminian, president of Helping Educate Regarding Orientation (HERO), said Diggs' lecture went beyond the discussion of sex. "Dr. Diggs is an ideologue of vulgar proportions," Aminian said. "He stretched fact, used dodgy nomenclature and used every token anti-gay byline in the lexicon of anti-gay bylines."

Items that Aminian took particular issue with centered on Diggs' statements on promiscuity, especially the assertion "that gay men are not out for love and companionship, just pure, unabashed sex," Aminian said. Aminian also cast doubt on the validity of Diggs' points, specifically a statistic Diggs cited from a 1978 study claiming 28 percent of gay males had more than 1,000 sexual partners in their lifetime.

Diggs has also written some other outlandish things about homosexuality. In 2001, he railed on the work of then-Surgeon General David Satcher, using the whole "parts don't fit" and gays inherently suffer from mental disease. This is what the College Republicans are embracing:

One of the most egregious assertions made by the Surgeon General is that "Sexual orientation is usually determined by adolescence, if not earlier, and there is no valid scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed." First, real people know this not to be the case.

Thousands of people who used to practice homosexuality have told their personal stories to offer hope to those trapped in a self-destructive activity. Second, the periodic brouhaha over the discovery of a “gay gene” is always followed by much quieter retractions. No scientist confirms the presence of a “gay gene.” Third, people are not homosexual; they perform homosexual acts. We humans are male or female; “gays” do not have different “equipment.” Satcher blames those opposed to homosexuality for the high rates of mental disease found among those practicing homosexuality. To come to this conclusion, he must ignore similar high rates of mental disease, including suicide, documented among practitioners in societies which have come to embrace homosexuality. Lastly, he ignores the fact that most “anti-gay violence” is perpetrated by “gays” in domestic violence settings. The Surgeon General's statement erroneously leads people to believe they are trapped.

SCOTUS rumor mill says Alito is the pick

One never really knows with this sort of thing (always expect bait and switch), but here's the latest, with Bush naming Samuel Alito, possibly tomorrow.

President Bush neared a decision on a new nominee for the Supreme Court as Republican lawmakers suggested Sunday he should pick a solid conservative with a track record as a judge.

But the Senate's top Democrat raised the possibility of "a lot of problems" if Bush settles on federal appeals judge Samuel Alito to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a swing voter on abortion and other social issues. Others said to be under consideration include federal appeals court judges J. Michael Luttig, Karen Williams, Priscilla Owen and Alice Batchelder as well as Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan.


...A judge on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Alito has been dubbed "Scalito" or "Scalia-lite" by some lawyers because his judicial philosophy invites comparisons to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's.

"That is not one of the names that I've suggested to the president," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told "Late Edition" on CNN. "In fact, I've done the opposite. I think it would create a lot of problems."

...To avoid a repeat of Miers' failed bid, Bush's nominee will need the support from conservatives that Miers lacked and backing from moderates to escape a Senate filibuster.

American Values President Gary Bauer, a prominent [and tiny] conservative, said he would support a nominee such as Alito as well as federal appeals judges Janice Rogers Brown and Emilio Garza because they are proven conservatives who would strictly interpret the Constitution.

"For me, the criteria has to be to find that individual that has the right philosophy and the right experience to get through a confirmation process," Bauer said. "There are women that fit those characterizations. There are Hispanics, African-Americans."

A good profile of Alito is here, and 365gay.com has a shortlist of other anti-gay possibilities if it's not Alito.

Pope John Paul II's Ford Escort nets $690K

An employee of Kruse Internation auction firm hangs photos of the Pope John Paul II around a 1975 Ford Escort he owned. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

People are freaks. Why would you pay $690K for a 1975 POS compact car just because JPII sat his rear in it? Here's why, according to the AP story:

"To me, it's a piece of history," said John O'Quinn, 62, a Baptist who said he has a collection of about 600 vehicles. "What a great human being Pope John Paul was."

Built 30 years ago at a Ford plant in Cologne, Germany, the car sold Saturday in what auctioneer Dean Kruse said was original papal condition — no hubcaps, no air conditioning, no radio, but with several nicks and dents.

"The car will never be driven," said O'Quinn, who said that at least temporarily it will be warehoused with his other cars. "But hopefully, in my life, I'll be able to go back and touch this car and feel the pope's spirit."

Will Cheney step aside?

"He's lost some of his confidence in the three people he listens to the most. The problem is that the President doesn't want to make changes."

-- unnamed White House adviser in Time article

The Chimp is pissed at Rove, Andrew Card, and Darth these days. With a Libby trial, it's almost certain the VP will be called to the stand, and the beans will be spilled on the lies and deception regarding the run-up to the Iraq war. Drudge blares on front page: "Prosecutor plans on calling Cheney as witness in open court; executive privilege fight looms." What's a Chimperor to do?

The prospect of Cheney stepping down to "remove" the noise distracting the White House could be a viable option, given that "unnamed sources" speaking to Time this week are squawking about the falling out between the Chimp and Darth. (via Raw Story):

As for Cheney, who retained Libby as the scandal unfolded and did not follow the advice of some to move him out five months ago, his relationship with Bush has suffered "a strain, not a rupture," says a presidential adviser. That much was clear when the White House let it be known that Card had called Cheney to inform him of the choice of Miers. In earlier times, he would have been intimately involved in such a decision.

Cheney's standing has suffered mainly because Libby emerges as such a liability. Fitzgerald threw the book at him not for anything he said to reporters but for what he said to the FBI and the grand jury. The indictments suggest that the aide whose aim was to spin the war might have tried to spin the prosecutor. "Lying was a remarkable act of stupidity on Libby's part," says Richard Nixon's former White House counsel John Dean. "He's old enough to know better. He watched Watergate and Iran-contra. To try to pull the leg of the grand jury was really quite remarkable."

Heck, you know there must be talk about big shifts on the Cheney front behind closed doors if his homo daughter is getting the heck out of Dodge, landing a cushy deal at same-sex spousal friendly AOL last week. Daddy's in trouble and it makes sense for her to escape to the private sector now.

The theory that Cheney could vacate the VP chair is not just whispers in back rooms, Christine Todd Whitman puts forth the option in today's NYT article, In Indictment's Wake, a Focus on Cheney's Powerful Role:

Christie Whitman, the president's former E.P.A. administrator and a longtime Bush family friend who was critical of the White House and the Republican right wing in a recent book, said that she did not expect the president's personal relationship with Mr. Cheney to change. Nonetheless, Ms. Whitman said she believed that if more information about Mr. Cheney's involvement in the leak case became public, "and if it keeps hanging around and getting close to the vice president, he might step aside - but that's an extreme case."

Plus, Cheney's got a good fig leaf for stepping down. He's looking pretty death's door ill these days, and NY Congressman Charlie Rangel hasn't held back, saying Darth's not up to the job anymore.

"Sometimes I don't even think Cheney is awake enough to know what's going on," Rangel (D-Harlem) said during an interview on New York 1 last night. "[Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld is the guy in Washington to watch. He's running the country," Rangel added.

"He's a sick man, you know," Rangel said of Cheney, prompting host Davidson Golden to point out that the vice president suffers from heart disease. Rangel retorted, "He's got heart disease, but the disease is not restricted just to that part of his body. He grunts a lot, so you never really know what he's thinking." Asked whether he thinks Cheney is healthy enough to do the job, Rangel said, "Why do you think people are spending so much time praying for President Bush's health?

After all, how long can he hang around and try to clean up the "dry" drunk Chimperor's mess without having a fifth or sixth heart attack? Then again, maybe Darth's ticker has already been acting up.

In June, Arianna Huffington was in Vail, Colorado when the VP came into town, and noted that Dick Cheney was wheeled into the hospital, allegedly for his bum knee, but was serviced in the cardiac unit...hmmm. Managed care is getting mighty confusing, huh?

Why is the White House still insisting that the only health issue Vice President Cheney dealt with today is an old football injury to his knee, visiting renowned orthopedist Dr. Richard Steadman? At the Vail Valley Institute dinner tonight, I kept asking what those in the know here knew. Little by little, here is the story I pieced together: After the Secret Service secured the Vail Valley Medical Center, including the parking lot, the Vice President arrived under his own power and checked in at the orthopedic center under the name “Dr. Hoffman”. He was immediately whisked to the adjacent cardiac unit, suffering from what was described to me as “an angina attack”. The security was so high that a Secret Service agent wouldn’t let an ER nurse out of the bathroom that she had gone into just before the Veep arrived. “Get back in there,” the agent told her. Confounded, she called her husband on her cell phone, telling him “something big” was going on. And indeed it was… but you wouldn’t know it from the White House. It appears that not only doesn’t the public deserve to know what is really going on in Iraq (“last throes”?) we don’t deserve to know what is going on with our Vice President’s health.

The man's only had four heart attacks, quadruple bypass surgery, two artery-clearing angioplasties, surgery to remove blood clots behind each of his knees and an operation to implant a special pacemaker in his chest. It's perfect cover -- Cheney can step aside, saying it's time to smell the roses, testify a little and retire with his defibrillator intact and "unused."

Also see:
* Indictment Dissected: Cheney’s Role (Think Progress)
* "Bush losing faith in Cheney, top aides"
* "Calls for White House shakeup focus on Karl Rove"

WingNutDaily columnist on Halloween

Photo enhancement by Mike Tidmus. See schoolmarm Linda here.

Halloween marks and highlights the forces of darkness. It's a showcase for mediums, fortune-telling, occult beliefs, to become more and more mysteriously appealing to uninformed children, all whilst they are surrounded in today's America by the lure of "magick." We're not in Kansas anymore. It's 21st-century America, where Christian parents lovingly hand their kids novels where the child hero is tutored in witchcraft. Hello?

-- Linda Harvey, of Mission[ary Position] America

Mike Tidmus, a blogger and frequent contributor of some seriously hysterical graphic images to my pad, sent me the above graphic of earlier in the week, saying "I have a feeling you might need this. I just couldn't stand looking at her." I told him that the graphic was perfect, because it was only a matter of time before she opened her pie-hole again and uttered something completely absurd and deserving of the image above.

Of course I was right. Queen of all things good for children in Mission[ary Position] America, Linda Harvey, has written another WingNutDaily column, this time on the evils of Halloween -- and the damnation it foists on our youth and the family. Satan is everywhere.

I do love the twisted gyrations Linda goes through to explain away the "paganism" and commercialism surrounding Christmas and Easter.

Certainly not every child who goes trick-or-treating understands that it's the highest "holy" day of celebration for those immersed in the occult. But unless their parents are living under a rock, they can't have missed the wild popularity of "Harry Potter" and its many off-shoots. Only the brain-dead can fail to perceive that supernatural themes have eclipsed almost every other genre in youth media. The gatekeepers are not watching, don't get it, or don't care. It's almost as if Satan had some real power! The results portend spiritual trouble for this generation of biblically-illiterate kids. And so, we send them out in today's climate of supernatural evil's immense popularity, to celebrate it?

...Parents who claim to be Christian, who claim to love God and be followers of Jesus Christ, must not read their Bibles either. Don't they remember the clear admonitions against sorcery, witchcraft, all the forces of darkness? (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; 1 Samuel 15:23; Acts 19:19; Galatians 5:19-20) Or do they think this stuff is a joke?

...And those who say that, if we sacrifice Halloween, we'd have to stop celebrating Christmas and Easter, haven't thought this through. Yes, there were originally pagan holidays near Christmas and Easter, but Christ's birth and resurrection have really re-claimed both of these, despite the commercialization. Worldwide, people know what both these holidays are about.

God has left Halloween untouched. There is no significant Christian spiritual or historical event that occurs near Oct. 31. I think that might be deliberate by the Almighty, as a test. There is no "gospel" message in Halloween. It's a vacuum, and into vacuums rush all the demons of deception.

This goes on and on. I think I want to send Linda to a Hell House for reinforcement of the traditional values espoused on the holiday that she's missing out on.

More on Linda: Homosexual Activists Suspected of Pulling Students' Strings in GSA Lawsuit

More Halloweeny posts:
* I'm not sh*tting you, Halloween edition
* Harry Potter, faggotry and the comic book salvation

Poll on Chimp: 39% and your ethics stink

Actual AFP caption: US President George W. Bush, happy to leave a White House scandal behind on a visit to Virginia, assailed Syria and Iran as terrorism patrons and sought to bolster waning suppport for the war in Iraq(AFP/Mandel Ngan)

Bush's ass is dragging on the ground, and there's nowhere to hide. His tushie is raw, let's kick it again. (WaPo):

A majority of Americans say the indictment of senior White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby signals broader ethical problems in the Bush administration, and nearly half say the overall level of honesty and ethics in the federal government has fallen since President Bush took office, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News survey.


Cheney: REUTERS/Bob Snow. Bush: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta.

The poll, conducted Friday night and yesterday, found that 55 percent of the public believes the Libby case indicates wider problems "with ethical wrongdoing" in the White House, while 41 percent believes it was an "isolated incident." And by a 3 to 1 ratio, 46 percent to 15 percent, Americans say the level of honesty and ethics in the government has declined rather than risen under Bush.


REUTERS/Larry Downing

In the aftermath of the latest crisis to confront the White House, Bush's overall job approval rating has fallen to 39 percent, the lowest of his presidency in Post-ABC polls. Barely a third of Americans -- 34 percent -- think Bush is doing a good job ensuring high ethics in government, which is slightly lower than President Bill Clinton's standing on this issue when he left office.

The survey also found that nearly seven in 10 Americans consider the charges against Libby to be serious. A majority -- 55 percent -- said the decision of Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald to bring charges against Libby was based on the facts of the case, while 30 percent said he was motivated by partisan politics.

Daddy Dobson's legal goons pick on MCC

"Well, it's a Goliath versus David situation. As a relatively small Christian denomination, we don't have the financial resources to go up against one of the largest Right Wing organizations in existence, and quite frankly, we wouldn't want to invest our funds to fight them. We'd rather put those monies into our ministry programs that provide faith and hope for people."

-- Reverend Nancy L. Wilson, presiding bishop of the Metropolitan Community Churches, on legal threats from Dobson's Focus on the Family

The Metropolitan Community Church is under fire from the legal dogs for James Dobson's Focus on the Family because of a similarly named program of the MCC that ministers to people with AIDS, deals with infant mortality issues and performs outreach to the GLBT community.

Daddy Dobson is more concerned about confusion over whether this program is affiliated with his organization than actually trying to do something positive in the community. As if anyone would mistake an MCC program for anything affiliated with his wingnut organization. What a f*cking pig. (365gay.com):

In a ceremony marked by tears of joy, a Florida minister was installed Saturday as the new Presiding Bishop of the Metropolitan Community Churches, but the just hours before the service began a Conservative Christian group threatened to take the Church to court.

Washington's National Cathedral was filled with worshipers as the Reverend Nancy L. Wilson was installed in her new role as leader of the world's largest predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christian denomination. Wilson succeeds veteran human rights activist, the Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry.

During the ceremony Wilson unveiled a 10-year international program of social and spiritual transformation for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and the transgendered.

...But, it has raised the hackles of Focus on the Family, a right wing Christian political organization often at the forefront in battles against LGBT civil rights. FOC objected to the name the MCC program was using: "Focus on the Human Family".

Maybe Dobson's right -- his sheeple are too stupid to be able to tell the difference between a gay-affirming program and his hate machine. I'm glad he's acknowledging the fact that most of his followers are knuckle-draggers. (UKGayNews, via PageOneQ):

"Even though many of our views are diametrically opposed, apparently Dobson's organization feels the name of Metropolitan Community Church's new campaign could create confusion for people," said the Reverend Wilson.

... "It's a bit puzzling," admitted Rev. Wilson. "The ministry of Metropolitan Community Churches is so different from that of James Dobson. His group tends to focus on one kind of family, what they often mistakenly call the 'traditional family'.

"In Metropolitan Community Churches, we believe that God's people find many ways to create family, and that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families."

..."Dobson's group is certainly within their rights to defend their trademark as they see fit," she said. "They may be able to stop the name of our program, but they can't stop our ministry or our commitment to all members of the human family, especially those that have experienced rejection by other faith communities."

As a result of the bullying, the MCC has Metropolitan Community Churches will remove the "Focus on the Human Family" name from its website.

Maybe next year

This year's costumes were blah, not great. There was a couple there that came as Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, and they were most excellent, as well as a friend that came as Obi-Wan Kenobi, who did a whiz-bang job of making a beard out of mascara.

Next year, the theme will be "Musicals," and so folks can come as a character from any musical. That should result in some real creativity, though we cannot think of who we'd be, I really can't see us coming as a couple of Von Trapp siblings, for instance...

Wingnut Parents Television Council rates top 10 best and worst shows

Right wing arbiter of good taste and high moral standards, L. Brent Bozell, is the president of the Parents Television Council, an organization that prides itself on watching all the "smut" that airs to keep kids "safe" from the perversion out there. I imagine a room with banks of video monitors, sitting in a dark room, furiously writing about what they see...well, I'm sure one hand is always free.

This analysis is the PTC’s ninth ranking of the best and worst series on broadcast television from the perspective of family audiences. The lists are ranked based on the content of the program and the appropriateness of the show for children. The criterion for this annual ranking includes not only the frequency of foul language, sexual content and violence but also the time slot, target audience, themes and plotlines of the programs.

OK. Kate flipped on "Three Wishes" once, and nearly keeled over from the sugary-sweet pablum being served up on there. It's no surprise Brent gives this show the thumbs up.

Three Wishes is the best example yet of the positive potential of reality TV.  Utterly engaging and heartfelt, this series demonstrates the transformative power of kindness.  Each week, singer Amy Grant and a crew descend on a different small town to help deserving families realize their fondest hopes and dreams by granting them three wishes.

Too often our celebrity-obsessed culture celebrates vanity, materialism, and selfishness.  For children growing up surrounded by that environment, the temptation to give-in to those influences can be tremendous.  Three Wishes is a much-needed antidote, showing viewers that charity is its own reward. 

I've never seen "The War at Home," so I have no clue if it's awful, disgusting or just pathetically unfunny. Is it even still on the air?

The first episode opened with Dave introducing viewers to his wife, Vicky, then saying, "Did you check out that rack? Nice, huh?" Of his daughter, Hillary, viewers learn, "I only have one simple rule for dating my teenage daughter: if she sees your penis, I'll cut it off." It goes downhill from there. An early episode this season had Dave buying his teenage son a lubricant because he was making himself sore from masturbating too often.

I was not surprised to find CSI on that list. I get weirded out by some of those episodes, but certainly not offended. My personal favorite was that one on furries, where Grissom went to a convention of them.

Last season, episodes included storylines about the murder of a man who practiced the sexual fetish of infantilism, complete with scenes of him playing baby and "nursing" from his girlfriend's breasts; a murder resulting from the antics at a wife-swapping sex party; the investigation of illegal sex-change operations, complete with frightening and graphic death scenes; and a case at a mental hospital that revealed a twisted relationship of mother-son incest. In the first two episodes of this current season there was a storyline about a man dying from auto-erotic asphyxiation and a plot involving a special Las Vegas luxury "party bus" in which men were entertained by strippers.

You can find more descriptions of the top 10s here.

What are your comments on the list?

Wisconsin's junior-league 'Fred Phelps' spreads anti-gay pamphlets in Illinois

Every year, this nation tolerates and embraces new abominations. This year, the perversion being mainstreamed is "same-sex marriage." But God created and instituted marriage, not man. Sodomite couplings never have been and never will be marriage. Today, I want to share five reasons why so-called same-sex marriage stirs up the wrath of God and will bring even more judgment on our land.

-- Ralph Ovadal, pastor of Pilgrims Covenant Church, in one of his many sermons

This bonehead is spreading the word -- it's obviously his right to do so. However, folks need to know about the kind of bile this alleged Christian pastor from Wisconsin, Ralph Ovadal, is delivering door to door in Freeport, Illinois (and mailing out all over the country). He sounds like a Fred Phelps wannabe without the budget to travel.

His church, Pilgrims Covenant, according to its web site is "an independent, unlicensed church which is fundamental in doctrine. We believe that the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments, was verbally inspired and has been infallibly preserved by God. We believe that in the English language, God has preserved His Word through the King James Bible." We take literally our Lord's command to "go ye therefore, and teach all nations." We reject anti-nomianism and the ecumenical movement." There you have it. (CBS2 Chicago):

A Wisconsin pastor who says he is on a crusade against homosexual lifestyles has peppered neighborhoods in Freeport with pamphlets, and some residents who found them on their property are angry.

Anti-gay pamphlets were deposited at a number of Freeport homes last week -- some to the doors of homosexuals who believe they were being targeted. The pamphlets including anti-gay biblical references were written by Pastor Ralph Ovadal of Pilgrims Covenant Church in Monroe, Wisconsin.

The pamphlet, titled "What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality," cites biblical references calling homosexual acts filthy, wicked and unlawful.

I had to check out this church's web site, and I was not disappointed by the kind of lunacy up there. A sampling.

For the past several decades, the homosexual movement has engaged in a massive public relations campaign aimed at demonizing anyone who dares to suggest that American citizens should have a right to discriminate--to use good judgment--when dealing with persons involved in homosexual activity. That campaign has borne bitter fruit.



Open homosexuals, bisexuals, cross-dressers, and transgenders now serve as legislators, judges, policemen, medical technicians, food service workers, teachers, and adopters of children. This is a tragic situation given the fact that the homosexual community is the source of a greatly disproportionate amount of violence, sexual assault, and disease; and it brings the judgment of God upon our land.

I wasn't kidding when I said this was low-rent Westboro Baptist Church stuff:


Pilgrims Covenant Church members at a Monroe Gospel Witness, Monroe, Wisconsin, September 3, 2005.

But then you read the unhinged sh*t like this and you can't help wondering how much hatred is stowed up in this man. It's disgusting and sickening:

The homosexual life is a violent one. Many common homosexual acts themselves do violence to the body. Beyond that, sado-masochism, the intentional infliction of pain for perverse sexual gratification, is very popular in the homosexual community. And even the homosexuals have begun to admit that there is a disproportionate amount of “domestic violence” in their communities, violence directed inward.



Unfortunately, the homosexual community also projects violence outward, as any dispassionate study of history and current events reveals. For instance, considering the small percentage of the world’s population which claims to be homosexual at any given time, the incidence of members of that community committing rape culminating in murder is shocking!

If you want to have some fun, you can contact the church via its web form.

Hat tip, PageOneQ.

Liar Libby is going for the memory-loss defense

Big surprise. No matter, the exposure of a trial is going to damage the whole Administration, and he knows it. (AP):

The lawyer for Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide is outlining a possible criminal defense that is a time-honored tradition in Washington scandals: A busy official immersed in important duties cannot reasonably be expected to remember details of long-ago conversations.

Friday's indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby alleges that as Cheney's chief of staff he lied to FBI agents and a federal grand jury. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, a nominee of President Bush in 2001.

Libby, who resigned as soon as the indictment was handed up, was operating amid "the hectic rush of issues and events at a busy time for our government," according to a statement released by his attorney, Joseph Tate.

"We are quite distressed the special counsel (Patrick Fitzgerald) has now sought to pursue alleged inconsistencies in Mr. Libby's recollection and those of others and to charge such inconsistencies as false statements," Tate continued.

"As lawyers, we recognize that a person's recollection and memory of events will not always match those of other people, particularly when they are asked to testify months after the events occurred."

The lack-of-memory defense has worked with varying degrees of success in controversies from Iran-Contra to Whitewater.

Only one person went to prison in the Iran-Contra affair, although several people pleaded guilty to making false statements. President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, were cleared in the Whitewater investigation of fraudulent land deals in Arkansas, a subject well-suited to a lack-of-memory defense. The land deals took place a decade before they came under criminal investigation.

Tate referred to another possible line of defense, saying that "for five years, through difficult times, Mr. Libby has done his best to serve our country." That argument worked in the administration of President George H.W. Bush in 1992, though not in court.

Bush pardoned those in government who had been implicated in the Iran-Contra criminal investigation. Among others, the pardons went to former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, whose trial was scuttled.

Saturday

Sorry for the slacker posting. Worked late and was pretty wiped. This AM, Kate and I got up and decided to head over to the Durham Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, where they are giving away free mulch.

The city gives away compost and leaf mulch every Saturday during the month of October, so this was our last chance to load up. We lined the Focus wagon with a tarp, put in shovels, a bunch of plastic tubs and headed off. This is when I wish I had a pickup truck, since they have Bobcats to just pick up a load to fill your bed, or if you have a trailer. It's the only time I would really appreciate having a truck. Otherwise, a plain-jane station wagon is perfectly fine.

We actually got a lot, enough to line all the flower/shrub beds in our smallish yard. Anyway, that's what burned up the AM.

Now Kate's out mowing the lawn and I'm supposed to be designing some iron-ons to put on black shirts for our Halloween costumes. Our friend Kelly is giving a "superhero" theme party, and we're making up our own superheroes -- Supreme P (me) and Special K (the missus). Kate won't be going as a cereal box, and the origin of my "identity" is convoluted and has nothing to do with a superhero.



It's more of an inside joke about a ridiculous character in HBO's Oz, Kevin Ketchum, that called himself "Supreme Allah." (For Oz fans, the character was "convicted March 22, 2000. Murder in the second degree. Sentence: 25 years, up for parole in 10. Died due to allergic reaction to eggs.")

Since this guy had the balls to think of himself as a deity, I just figured I can call myself Supreme P, and reign over my domain. I think I was tired that night and clearly it was funny at the time...oh, never mind... Anyway, I need to create some logos to iron-onto T-shirts. We have capes already, and very strange wigs (I think mine is blue, hers is purple) with cat-like ears on them.

Below is from last year's 80s themed party. Lots of makeup, plastic jewelry, shoulder pads, and for Kate, Aqua Net.

Charles Rocket

Why am I posting about Charles Rocket? It's not like he's a standout, master comedic talent or A-list celeb. It's because, for me, his most memorable gig was his stint in several episodes of one of my favorite TV series, Moonlighting.

He played Richard Addison, David Addison's (Bruce Willis) deadbeat, smarmy, but charming brother. It was perfect casting; he had amazing comic timing and stole every scene he was in. His first appearance, in the episode "Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?" (September 1985) was so memorable that it was the first episode Tim and I watched when I got the Moonlighting DVD a couple of months ago.



Charlie Rocket (real name: Charles Claverie) will probably best be remembered for uttering "f*ck" on live TV on Saturday Night Live during the 80-81 season, which was easily the worst period of the show. He hosted the Weekend Update. From the Wikipedia entry:

Unfortunately, Rocket would eventually doom both his and [jean] Doumanian's tenures on the show with one word. The February 21, 1981 episode hosted by Dallas star Charlene Tilton featured an ongoing joke in which different cast members would vow revenge on him for some reason, in a parody of the famed "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of Dallas. Rocket was then shot in the chest by a sniper in the final sketch. At the end of the show, there was some time to kill, so members of the cast appeared onstage with Tilton, who improvised and asked Rocket how he felt about being shot. A wheelchair-bound Charles audibly mumbled that he'd like to know "who the f___ did it," followed by the cast and audience reacting with shock and embarrassed laughter. The incident seemed to encapsulate all that was wrong with Saturday Night Live at the time, and both Rocket and Doumanian were soon fired (along with some of the writers and fellow cast member Gilbert Gottfried). New producer Dick Ebersol replaced most other cast members later.

His died on October 7. it was ruled a suicide -- he slit his throat. When you decide to leave this planet in such a horrifying way, you have to wonder where it all went wrong, what drove him to take this route, what pain could he have been in to do this. We'll never know, and it sounds like people that knew him didn't know either.

What a different path Charlie Rocket's career might have taken if that F-word incident had only occurred just a few years later, after NYPD Blue's bare behinds, Janet's booby flashing, Bono uttering the same word on live TV, and countless other incidents that make Rocket's F-bomb seem inconsequential.

There's a good profile in the Providence Phoenix on him.

Rove is still in the crosshairs

This could still happen, if Fitzgerald keeps the heat on. (Mike Tidmus)

Raw Story, as usual, has the breaking news on what's next on Fitzgerald's plate. He plans to expand the probe, and believes he can nab Rove on more serious charges.

In one of the boldest moves yet in the 22-month investigation into the outing of a covert CIA agent to a handful of top reporters covering the White House, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is extending his probe and pursuing much more serious charges against senior White House officials, specifically President Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, lawyers directly involved in the case told RAW STORY Friday.

While many people were left confused by news reports that said Rove wouldn't be indicted Friday, the lawyers said that Rove remains under intense scrutiny and added that Fitzgerald is betting on the fact that he can secure an indictment against Rove on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, the misuse of classified information, and possibly other charges, as early as next week.

“This investigation is not yet over,” one of the lawyers in the case said. “You must keep in mind that people like Mr. Rove are still under investigation. Rather than securing an indictment on perjury charges against Mr. Rove Mr. Fitzgerald strongly believes he can convince the grand jury that he broke other laws.”

Scooter Libby indicted on five counts, resigns

He scooted on out of there. Beautiful. (AP):

The vice president's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr., was indicted Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements in the CIA leak investigation, a politically charged case that will throw a spotlight on President Bush's push to war.

Libby, 55, resigned and left the White House.

Karl Rove, Bush's closest adviser, escaped indictment Friday but remained under investigation, his legal status casting a dark cloud over a White House already in trouble. The U.S. military death toll in Iraq exceeded 2,000 this week, and the president's approval ratings are at the lowest point since he took office in 2001.

Friday's charges stemmed from a two-year investigation by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald into whether Rove, Libby or any other administration officials knowingly revealed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame or lied about their involvement to investigators.

Libby's indictment is a political embarrassment for the president, paving the way for a possible trial renewing the focus on the administration's faulty rationale for going to war against Iraq — the erroneous assertion that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

It could also mean that Cheney, who prizes secrecy, will be called upon as a witness to explain why the administration launched a campaign against Plame's husband, diplomat Joseph Wilson, a critic of the war who questioned Bush's prewar assertion that Iraq had sought nuclear material.

Here is the indictment. PDF | MS Word



Summary:

One count obstruction of justice
Two counts of perjury
Two counts of making false statements

Lied to FBI agents: Oct 14 and Nov 26, 2003.
Committed perjury: Mar 5 and 24, 2004.
Impeded investigation by engaging in obstruction of justice.

John at AmericaBlog has more on the Fitzgerald press conference.

Fitzmas news conference at 2PM

The lying Scooter will be indicted; it sounds like Karl remains in the crosshairs but will not be swept up in this round.

[UPDATE: see Mike Tidmus's anticipatory art below.]

Patrick Fitzgerald will give a 2PM news conference to announce...something. Based on the CNN report, it sounds like Scooter Libby is going down, but no Turdblossom indictment. However, looking at the big picture, we're talking about the indictment of a high-level White House official, tied to this failed war in Iraq.

David Gergen, a former adviser to presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, told CNN's "Larry King Live" that indictments in the case could have an enormous impact on the Iraq war.

"Because if there are indictments, it will not only be people close to the president, the vice president of the United States, but they will raise questions about whether criminal acts were perpetrated to help get the country into war."

Folks might also want to keep an eye on the Office of Special Counsel web site. Reports say documents are to be posted at noon.

Also, I saw Ann Coulter on CNN a bit ago. Why they have to give that whack job air time, I don't know, but she's worried about the prospect of both an indictment and a continuation of an investigation into Karl Rove. She referred to it as "the worst case scenario." That alone makes it a pleasurable morning experience.

Unfortunately I won't be at my computer when the news breaks, so feel free to pass along updates in the comments.


Check out the rest of Mike's "Predictions" series.

Jolly Green Giant's voice falls silent

Another voice behind an icon of advertising passes away.

In 1959, Chicago singer Len Dresslar stepped into a Windy City recording studio and, in his deep baritone, sang three words for a commercial jingle that have echoed through the decades: "Ho, ho, ho."

Dresslar, who died of cancer Oct. 16 in the hospice of a Palm Springs hospital at 80, was the familiar, booming voice of the Jolly Green Giant.

The leaf-clad Jolly Green Giant has been acknowledged by Advertising Age magazine as one of the three most recognizable American advertising icons of the 20th century — after Tony the Tiger and the Marlboro Man.

Dresslar's melodic rendition of his famous line comes in the middle of the jingle "From the valley of the Jolly — ho, ho, ho — Green Giant."

"I'm the king of the minimalists," Dresslar told the Detroit Free Press in 1999. "I do 'Ho, ho, ho' — that's it."

He periodically re-recorded the "ho, ho, ho" for Green Giant commercials, most recently in 1999 when, after an eight-year hiatus, the Jolly Green Giant was reintroduced in regional TV test spots.

In May, the voice of Tony the Tiger, Thurl Ravenscroft, left us.

Jeebus 'appears' on Rochester, NY tree

Some see face of Jesus in tree on North Clinton Ave. in Rochester, N.Y. (courtesy: WROC-TV)

What is wrong with people? And these numnuts can vote? I think we've identified part of that 30% that will cast a ballot for the Chimp no matter how corrupt or incompetent this Administration is. This is from, not surprisingly, WorldNetDaily:

Though the Bible does not give a detailed physical description of Jesus Christ, some people believe they're seeing an image of the Son of God on a silver maple tree in upstate New York.

"It's a sign from God that there should be peace," Maria Trinidad told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "There is a lot of crime here. People should have faith in God. This is God giving us a sign."

...The tree is situated on the front lawn of the Hickey-Freeman Co. clothing factory in Rochester's infamous "crescent," known for a high rate of crime.

"We can't physically see Jesus, so we only have signs," local resident Karen Marshall told the Democrat & Chronicle. "The only way we can know he's here is through signs. He's everywhere. You just have to have faith."

The article goes on to remind us of the "bathroom Jesus," a moldy door frame that was auctioned off for $2000.

As WorldNetDaily previously reported, people have been seeing what they believe is the image of Jesus' face in some odd places this year.



"Shower Jesus has been freed from the wall!" exclaimed Jeff Rigo of Pittsburgh, who offered on eBay "a section of plaster wall bearing the apparent face of the Son of God. No other items, promises, tidings, or guarantees are included."

Rigo was able to sell the holy water stain for $1,999, purchased by Internet casino GoldenPalace.com, the same company which cashed out $28,000 for a grilled cheese sandwich with an alleged image of the Virgin Mary.

There is more on a holy ham and cheese Jeebus sandwich, but I just couldn't take any more.

If Fox News Had Been Around Throughout History...

Spot-on site with lots of "screen shots" of what Faux News coverage of milestone events might have looked like.

Hat tip to our fave P'shop wizard, Mike Tidmus.

Short-list SCOTUS homophobes

365gay.com has added some information to the AP round-up of short-listers to replace Harriet Miers, and of course, the list is full of homo-bigots:

Janice Rogers Brown, 56, was confirmed in June to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after a bitter Senate battle and filibuster. Brown is an outspoken black Christian conservative who previously sat on the California Supreme Court. In 2003, she was the only justice on that court to rule against recognizing the right of gay Californians to legally adopt their children. Brown argued that allowing a gay parent to legally adopt the biological child of their partner "trivializes family bonds."

She also supports limits on abortion rights and corporate liability.

Priscilla Owen, 50, was confirmed in May for a seat on the 5th Circuit after a drawn-out Senate battle. Democrats argued that Owen let her political beliefs color her rulings. She has a long record of anti-gay rulings.

Alberto Gonzales, 50, is the U.S. Attorney General and former White House counsel. During his confirmation hearings for attorney general the American Civil Liberties Union said that Gonzales' White House office undertook the legal thinking behind Bush's decision to support the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban same-sex marriage and that he helped formulate the legal framework for it and for the president’s "faith-based initiative" which would allow faith groups to circumvent local laws which prevent discrimination against gay and lesbian workers.

Critics also contend a memo he wrote on treatment of terrorism detainees helped lead to abuses like those seen at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Conservatives have urged Bush not to nominate him.

Harvie Wilkinson, 60, currently sits on the 4th Circuit. He has been consistently conservative in his rulings since being put on the court by then-president Ronald Reagan in 1984. Wilkinson wrote the majority 4th Circuit opinion in 1996 upholding the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that barred gays serving in the military from revealing their sexual orientation.

CWA: Rising Crime Among Women Linked to Feminist Agenda

"It's the breaking away from traditional values -- the kind of lifestyle that has been proven through centuries to work best," Wright contends. "By throwing that away, what we're seeing is an increase in violence, an increase in the number of women who are pushed into activities that they may not have been otherwise."

-- Wendy Wright, executive president of CWA

I'm not sh*tting you. Concerned Women for America has blamed "radical feminism" for just about everything, but this takes the cake:

A spokeswoman for Concerned Women for America (CWA) says the recent upswing in arrests of women across the U.S. is a sad result of the breakdown of the family and the abandonment of traditional values in modern society.

A study released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics says the number of women incarcerated in federal and state prisons in 2004 rose four percent, double the increase among men. The study found that women are increasingly participating in drug crimes, violent crimes, and fraud.

Concerned Women for America's executive vice president, Wendy Wright, believes a link exists between the higher rate of women criminals and what she calls the feminist agenda, a movement away from traditional roles and relationships for women toward an emphasis on so-called female independence and empowerment.

The CWA official says the disheartening trend toward female criminal behavior is directly related to the promotion of "radical individualism," a concept that she asserts has been pushed by extreme feminists for decades and that "particularly targets women and says women should not be dependent on others."

Cheney, Libby withheld intel from Senate

How low can we go? More sleaze, more orange jumpsuits to sew...see Blogenfreude's post on Agitprop.

Mr. Sulu comes out

"The world has changed from when I was a young teen feeling ashamed for being gay. The issue of gay marriage is now a political issue. That would have been unthinkable when I was young."

-- George Takei, in Frontiers magazine

I thought that he was "family", but it's gratifying to see a Hollywood figure fling open the closet door as a statement of activism. As he notes below, he's been out to those that know him, but it's another matter to be out to fans and the general public.

Actor George Takei, best known for his role as Mr. Hikaru Sulu in "Star Trek," came out as homosexual in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly Los Angeles magazine covering the gay and lesbian community.

Takei told The Associated Press on Thursday that his new onstage role as psychologist Martin Dysart in "Equus," helped inspire him to publicly discuss his sexuality.

...The current social and political climate also motivated Takei's disclosure, he said...The 68-year-old actor said he considers himself as "having been out for quite some time." Takei and his partner, Brad Altman, have been together for 18 years.

Takei, a Japanese-American who lived in a U.S. internment camp from age 4 to 8, said he grew up feeling shameful about his ethnicity and sexuality. He likened prejudice against gays to racial segregation. "It's against basic decency and what American values stand for," he said.

I was a big fan of Star Trek:The Next Generation, and always wondered at that time why there were no gay characters on the program. In fact, I can think of only a handful of episodes that dealt with same-sex relationships at all, which is kind of sad. (The series ran from 1987-1994).

A good site on gay characters (or lack thereof) on the entire Trek series: Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Characters on Star Trek - a 12-year saga of deceit, lies, excuses and broken promises. A snippet on TNG:

Star Trek is notorious for its tentative treatment of sexuality, most notably in two episodes, "The Host" and "The Outcast," which operate in a twilight realm in which sexuality can only be hinted at, and in an ambiguous fashion at that. In "The Outcast," a member of an androgynous society falls in love with the male first officer and declares her desire to adopt a female gender identity; ultimately she is brainwashed by her own people into an acceptance of their enforced androgyny. This episode could be read, of course, as a reverse allegory of discrimination against gays and lesbians, but the fact that it is reversed (the character's rebellion consists of affirming heterosexuality) testifies to how careful Star Trek's creators are to maintain a level of deniability.

In addition, the androgynous species, presumably representative of gays and lesbians, turn out to be the bad guys, enforcing their "deviant" sexuality by means of brainwashing. In "The Host," the female chief medical officer falls in love with an apparent male, a member of a species known as the Trill, who is the host of a symbiont, a parasitical creature that coexists with willing humanoid hosts. When the symbiont is implanted into a female body, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) is unable to accept her lover. Again, this episode disappointed gay and lesbian fans in its suggestion that Crusher (frequently featured in lesbian slash stories) would be so restricted by her heterosexuality. As Henry Jenkins notes, these episodes "can be seen as similar plays with connotation, often threatened with being swamped by some larger, more 'universal' concern" than gender and sexuality.

Hat tip to Blender Donica for the pointer.

Daddy Dobson's glad Harriet's outta there

Whatever happened to Daddy Dobson's faith in this choice of Miers? After all, it was just last week that he was saying "I believe in trusting this president at this time," and that if he was wrong about the nomination, he would come before the microphone and "repent." I think I hear crickets chirping...

Focus on the Family Action founder and chairman Dr. James C. Dobson issued the following statement today in response to Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' decision to withdraw her name from consideration:

"I believe the president has made a wise decision in accepting Harriet Miers' withdrawal as a nominee to the Supreme Court.



"In recent days I have grown increasingly concerned about her conservative credentials, and I was dismayed to learn this week about her speech in 1993, in which she sounded pro-abortion themes, and expressed so much praise for left-wing feminist leaders.

"When the president announced this nominee, I expressed my tentative support, based on what I was able to discover about her. But I also said I would await the hearings to learn more about her judicial philosophy. Based on what we now know about Miss Miers, it appears that we would not have been able to support her candidacy. Thankfully, that difficult evaluation is no longer necessary."

Nancy Goldstein on Swoopes coming out

Nancy's latest column on Raw Story is an excellent piece on the news about Sheryl Swoopes yesterday (my post here). A snippet:

It takes guts to come out in this world. Swoopes’ announcement makes her the most prominent team athlete to say that she’s gay in the history of modern American sports, the only one to do so while still at her peak — and the first African-American professional athlete to do so, period.

...The fact is that Swoopes’ bravery has the potential to cost her plenty in terms of her league’s support, her reputation, endorsements, professional future, and the love and admiration of her fans. For years now, the WNBA’s marketing strategy has read like a master plan for convincing parents that hoops won’t turn their little girls queer. There’s a very real possibility that now the league will choose to downplay what has previously been Swoopes’ fairly prominent role as a spokesperson. When Swoopes says that her “biggest concern is that people are going to look at my homosexuality and say to little girls — whether they’re white, black, Hispanic — that I can’t be their role model anymore,” her fears aren’t baseless.

Swoopes is taking a genuine risk with her earning potential and her professional future by coming out. She isn’t a male professional athlete with an eight-figure salary and lucrative endorsement deals. She plays for a league where even the top draft pick rookie maxes out at $50,000 per season, a few superstars make the top salary of $87,000, and the members of each year’s championship team earn a measly $10,000 bonus. And while many of the top WNBA players are retiring from the league into college coaching careers, none have done so as out lesbians in an environment where lesbian-baiting remains an issue.

Surf and read the rest...

Karl's concubine wants off that nasty ride

Karl's been porking lobbyist Karen Johnson, but she wants no more of it. Right: Karl measures up.

You just can't make this stuff up. Karl's mistress, lobbyist Karen Johnson is ready to boot him, seeing that he could be heading to a fitting for an orange jumpsuit soon. (Radar Magazine):

In July we reported on the very close relationship Johnson, a single, Austin-based lobbyist, has enjoyed with Rove since they met over a decade ago in Texas. But now that Rove’s White House tenure is looking increasingly shaky, friends are whispering that the forty-something lobbyist—who pulls in well over $1 million a year thanks to her administration connections—may be cooling toward the married presidential advisor.

"Everyone knows how close Karen is to Karl, but she’s sick of it," says a person familiar with the situation. Johnson’s disapproving family has long urged her to settle down with the improbably named Rhett Hard, a handsome ranch foreman whom Johnson has dated sporadically over the last few years. "Karen’s dream has always been to own a cattle ranch, and two years ago she bought Cinco de Mayo [the name of her Austin property] and hired Rhett to manage the place. They even joined the Cattleman’s Texas Longhorn Registry together."

Also see:
* Going below Rove's belt

The Freepers on Bush and Miers

Yes, it's time to see the reaction in the land of the Freepi. First, watch as they bow their heads and drag their knuckles in a prayer thread...

May God be with you, Harriet Miers, and bless you. You have made a courageous move for the good of the President and many others. May He in His glory guide your days, and may you remain in His love forever.

Lord please grant the wisdom of Solomon to our great President right now. Difficult times may be ahead, and he needs you as all men need God, and then some. Help him to make a wise decision on who to nominate, and guide this White House through times of turmoil. Be with them strongly, and remind them to seek you in all decisions always.

Protect George W. Bush from those who would harm him, from those who seeks his destruction for selfish purposes, and from those who would lie, cheat, steal, or kill to get twhat they seek.

Amen, Lord, Amen.

After that short interlude, they get down to the real moaning and griping...

Actual Freeper Quotes™

"Bring on Janice Rogers Brown!"

"I didn't like her nomination, but thought the president deserved to have his nominee have her day at the hearings. I think that the Concerned Women of America call to withdraw her nomination yesterday had a lot to do with this. They are a powerful group and held their fire for a long, long time to sift through the evidence. When they finally decided to not support her, they met with Dan Coats yesterday and explained their decision. Miers lost grassroot support. But I still believe she should have been given the opportunity to appear before the judicial committee."

"This nomination was no effort to "reach out to the conservatives." President Bush nominated an inadequate candidate with a terrible (to the extent it could be determined) background on a "trust me" basis. In the last 50 years we've had 8 "trust me" justices nominated by Republican Presidents and each has gone over to the dark side. Miers' record shows she'd have been no. 9. If Bush wants to restore his reputation as a straight shooter, he'll keep his promise and nominate a real originalist."

"I subcribe more to Frum's theory. That is, Roberts was for the base, and Miers was for him and his legacy, whatever that is. Giving presidents more independance in waging the terrorism war? Miers, IMO, was not meant for us. "

"I would not be surprised to see a nominee we like even less."

"That would more or less blow out of the water any argument that he's some sort of conservative who's bringing the movement into the modern context. It would reveal him to be a "centrist" or New Deal establishment type. ie. not a reformer of the status quo, but actually to the left of Bill Clinton."

"Right. If he nominates a strict constitutionalist/originalist then the conservative pundits will sing her praise, FoxNews will sing her praise and the WORST the libs/media can do is discount her positions - posititions the MAJORITY of Americans agree or would agree with. We're in a win/win position with a fight!"

"I agree. Although Miers was an unlikely choice for the Supremes, she should of been given a chance to prove herself one way or the other in the hearings. The president now has to deal from a position of weakness knowing that whomever he selects was not his first choice for the job. If he wasn't going to stand up for Miers he shouldn't have nominated her."

""But he (Gonzalez) has the same internal Administration documents problem that was the reason for Meirs' withdrawal. They have to pick someone not currently serving in the Administration.""

"EXCELLENT POINT."

"I didn't elect Ann Coulter, Charles Krauthammer, or any other elite pundit snob to anything...I hope you people who felt like the President owed you something personally are happy. The combined chorus of your whining has run an honorable person out of town on a rail before she even had her chance at a fair hearing. I voted for George Bush to represent my interests as a Republican and to execute his duties as the POTUS. He did just that according to his judgment. I might not like all the decisions he makes, including his SCOTUS nominations, but he's our president and it's his call. If you don't like it, tough. We had our chance to oust him a year ago, and we didn't. The people's will is expressed at the ballot box, not in the op-ed section of the Washington Post. That's how the system is supposed to work."

"Well, you may get your way, and watch the liberals take the congress back.. I am truly afraid that this attitude will get us back to another 8-12 years of Liberals controlling everything, some of you folks are either so spoiled, or so near sighed or too young to remember when every bill that passed was a socialist mandate.. Interesting times ahead fir sur.."

"you're right, it is worth fighting for, but if you do not have to go looking for confrontation. My objection to Harriet Miers is that there are many other far more qualified candidates. There are very conservative candidates that are highly qualified that can be confirmed without things going nuclear. That is the path Bush needs to take now."

"He might want to nominate Gonzalez--but Gonzalez will have exactly the same problem as Miers, if the "access to confidential White House documents" is really the reason (or even the "reasonable" excuse) for her withdrawal."

"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents..."

"Bullshit! What IS clear is that senators rightly would not be staisfied until they had SOME small indication that Miers had at least some semblance of qualification for what is arguably one of the most important jobs in our federal government."

"I trust President Bush! Something I have done for 13 years since he has been in the political arena."

"I don't really care what you think."

"You've nailed it. This withdrawl makes nomination of internal administration "trust me" cronies impossible."

"After the shameful treatment of Miers, the table has been set for an all-out borking of any controversial nominee -- by either side. I can't imagine a dignified public servant who would be willing to go through that now that civility has been destroyed again. At least Gonzalez has been up for this before and would have some defense against it for that reason."

"No one assassinated her CHARACTER; it was her qualifications or the lack thereof. Have a nice day!"

"YOU my friend are wrong. Ann Coulter said Ms. Miers was nothing more than a highly over paid secretary, she said she was like having the cleaning lady sent to S.C. Many of us were turned off by the demands of the likes of Ann Coulter. I will have a good day, but find it a shame that people in my own party can be so turn coat and so demanding in their own temper tantrums."

"Actually, I supported her until yesterday. I heard about the speeches and since I'm a female attorney, I know the culture of the women's bar associations (I won't belong). The trouble is, it is near impossible to become a judge without sucking up to this power group so a conservative woman (I know, why a woman but politically it may be necessary) will be hard to find. BTW, the IOLTA trust account flap was totally bogus. Freepmail if you want to know why."

"IF the President nominates a clear "strict" justice with an equally clear record, and IF the President and all (or nearly all) of the Republicans unify to fight for her when the Democrats try to destroy him/her, then WE WIN. But those are two big IFs."

"I hope everyone will exercise a little restraint in their comments over the few days, but I know that's just wishful thinking. This is no time for gloating by Miers' opponents nor recriminations from her supporters. The fate of the US Constitution and the continued survival of the Republic is literally hanging in the balance pending the next series of moves by President Bush and our other leaders. What is needed right now is prayer and thoughtful reflection, not partisan fireworks."

"Then you are in the minority. They are still delusional that Rov v Wade can ever be overturned and are letting this cloud their minds."

"Note to Bush...one name above all: Kenneth Starr"

No wonder he's laughing: ExxonMobil posts record profit

Cha-Ching! Exxon Mobil Corp. Chairman and CEO Lee Raymond laughs at you. (AP).

Your wallet may be lighter, but Exxon Mobil posts a new record for profit.

Exxon Mobil Corp. had a quarter for the record books. The world's largest publicly traded oil company said Thursday high oil and natural-gas prices helped its third-quarter profit surge almost 75 percent to $9.92 billion, the largest quarterly profit for a U.S. company ever, and it was the first to ring up more than $100 billion in quarterly sales.

Net income ballooned to $9.92 billion, or $1.58 per share, from $5.68 billion, or 88 cents per share, a year ago.

Breaking: Harriet withdraws

[UPDATE: text of her withdrawal letter added.]

The wingers took her out, though that first questionnaire gave both the left and the right enough ammo to make hearings a complete disaster for the Admin. Earlier this AM they were talking about the submission of her "do-over" questionnaire, but I guess she won't need to crib anymore. Next up: the Chimp is going to probably push one of the Right's shining stars of AmTalibannery. (AP):

Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to be a Supreme Court justice Thursday in the face of stiff opposition and mounting criticism about her qualifications.

Bush said he reluctantly accepted her decision to withdraw, after weeks of insisting that he did not want her to step down. He blamed her withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of internal White House documents that the administration has insisted were protected by executive privilege.

"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House -- disclosures that would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush said. "Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the constitutional separation of powers -- and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her."

Here's the letter sent to the Chimp from Harriet withdrawing her nomination to the Supreme Court, my emphasis:

Oct. 27, 2005

Dear Mr. President:

I write to withdraw as a nominee to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. I have been greatly honored and humbled by the confidence that you have shown in me, and have appreciated immensely your support and the support of many others. However, I am concerned that the confirmation process presents a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the best interest of the country.

As you know, members of the Senate have indicated their intention to seek documents about my service in the White House in order to judge whether to support me. I have been informed repeatedly that in lieu of records, I would be expected to testify about my service in the White House to demonstrate my experience and judicial philosophy. While I believe that my lengthy career provides sufficient evidence for consideration of my nomination, I am convinced the efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials and information will continue.

As I stated in my acceptance remarks in the Oval Office, the strength and independence of our three branches of government are critical to the continued success of this great Nation. Repeatedly in the course of the process of confirmation for nominees for other positions, I have steadfastly maintained that the independence of the Executive Branch be preserved and its confidential documents and information not be released to further a confirmation process. I feel compelled to adhere to this position, especially related to my own nomination. Protection of the prerogatives of the Executive Branch and continued pursuit of my confirmation are in tension. I have decided that seeking my confirmation should yield.

I share your commitment to appointing judges with a conservative judicial philosophy, and I look forward to continuing to support your efforts to provide the American people judges who will interpret the law, not make it. I am most grateful for the opportunity to have served your Administration and this country.

Most respectfully,

Harriet Ellan Miers

Basically, the cover story is that the prying eyes of the Judiciary Committee about her service in the White House to demonstrate her "experience and judicial philosophy" is what tanked this. How laughable.

Given her thin credentials and ludicrous initial questionnaire (see: Harriet doesn't know how to fill out the form), what else could the committee rely on to find out more about her? In blindly following her Chimperor's wishes to serve him, she neglected to understand that he's not above throwing others to the wolves in order to save his ass, and with Karl focusing on his own rear-end, she was left to twist in the wind, wholly unqualified (and unsupported by the goons in the WH) to handle this. Cya!

Check out The Heretik for a roundup of blog reaction.

What North Carolina thinks about gay civil rights

The Common Sense Foundation, a non-partisan public policy organization, has released the results from a study that shows residents of the Tar Heel State believe that gay, lesbian, and transgender people deserve equal treatment under the law - a far cry from this Red State's reputation outside its boundaries.

You'll recall that North Carolina was the only state in the Southeast that faced an anti-gay marriage amendment and halted it in committee in the legislature, even with a plethora of wingnuts pushing it hard. The results of this survey indicates much more progressive thinking than I imagined existed outside the Triangle, though it's clear people are struggling with civil equality in adoption and marriage.

Some of the findings in "Liberty and Justice for All: A Study of Issues Affecting the LGBT Community in North Carolina" :

Do you believe all North Carolinians should have equal rights under the law regardless of sexual orientation?
73% said yes
18% said no
8% had no opinion

Do you think it's fair for an employer to discriminate against an employee based solely on his or her Sexual Orientation?
57% said no
19% said yes
24% had no opinion

Do you think it's fair for a landlord to deny housing to a tenant based solely on Sexual Orientation?
69% said no
23% said yes
8% had no opinion

Do you think it is fair to define marriage in such a way that it excludes same-sex couples?
51% said no
39% said yes
10% had no opinion

When a relative or loved one is sick and hospitalized, same-sex couples can legally be denied visitation rights. Do you think this is fair?
56% favor same-sex visitation rights
34% oppose same-sex visitation rights
10% have no opinion

Currently, same-sex couples are not legally entitled to coverage under their partner's employee health plan even though heterosexual couples are entitled to this coverage.
35% believe this is unfair
59% believe this is fair
5% have no opinion

The following responses show the complete disconnect of the perceptions and feelings about general civil equality for GLBT citizens from the specific situations of marriage and adoption. This is clearly where work needs to be done to educate and inform.

Do you believe same-sex couples should be treated the same under the law as heterosexual couples when it comes to adopting children?
39% favor equal treatment
54% believe the state can discriminate
7% have no opinion

As long as marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman, many individuals will be denied the right to hospital visitation, adoption, and may have to forego medical treatment themselves because they are not entitled to benefits under their partner's health plan. On further reflection, Do you think defining marriage in this way is fair?

12% believe this is unfair
54% believe this is fair
34% are unsure

On September 27th and 28th, 2005, Public Policy Polling conducted this telephone survey with a random sample of 25,000 voters in North Carolina. The results of this survey are weighted by gender to reflect the makeup of the original sample. While the number of responses varies per question, the minimum number for any single question was 770. The margin of error is therefore plus or minus 4%.

The victory in keeping the marriage amendment off the ballot in North Carolina is underscored by these findings. As long as the passage of such a measure is perceived as a benign affirmation of the "man-woman" institution, we have to be vigilant to keep an amendment from landing on the ballot. Our time and effort should be placed on coming out, speaking about our lives and letting our neighbors in this state know that civil equality for gays and lesbians poses no threat to their rights or liberties -- or their families.

On the matter of adoption, I wish the polling had included a question about fostering, which has often resulted in a "split vote." There are many gay and lesbian foster parents that take in and care for children in the system. States that had no trouble passing a marriage amendment or anti-adoption measures have left the foster system untouched, simply because of the desperate need for qualified adults to care for the explosion of kids in the system.

When the chips are down, gay is OK. It's hypocrisy at its height, and this discrepancy should be used early and often when debate over "rights" are concerned. It's a children's rights issue that qualified foster parents -- gay or straight -- are urgently needed, and if a state feels gay people can foster children, there should be no restriction on adoption for those same children in need if they are placed in a loving home, regardless of the adult's orientation.

You can read the report here (PDF).

Hat tip to Coturnix and BlueNC.

Concerned Women for America drop-kicks Harriet

The lightly embalmed Beverley LaHaye, Wright and LaRue bleat away.

"We'd prefer to have someone fond of quoting Margaret Thatcher or Antonin Scalia rather than Barbra Streisand and Gloria Steinem. Some of Miss Miers' own comments border on male-bashing. The record we know is a record that convinces us that Miers is not even close to being in the mold of Scalia or Thomas, as the President promised the American people."
--Jan LaRue, giving the Chimpy a wedgie on Miers

Harriet's nomination is toast. In the opinion of the CWA nut cases, every time Miers quotes or cites women she admires, they're to the left of Betty Freidan.

Concerned Women for America (CWA), the nation's largest public policy women's organization, is calling for Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' name to be withdrawn.

..."Harriet Miers has shown respect for Christian values by attending an Evangelical church. But her professional and civic life leaves us questioning whether she chooses to reflect and advance the views of the group she's with at the moment. Though she attends an Evangelical church known for its pro-life position, during the same time period she advanced radical feminists and organizations that promote agendas that undermine respect for life and family," said Wendy Wright. "This drives us to rely upon her actions, her deeds, her words as opposed to the endorsements of those who have worked with and known her.

"We believe that far better qualified candidates were overlooked and that Miss Miers' record fails to answer our questions about her qualifications and constitutional philosophy," said Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel. "In fact, we find several aspects troubling, particularly her views on abortion and a woman's ‘self-determination,' quotas, feminism and the role of judges as social activists. We do not believe that our concerns will be satisfied during her hearing."

McDonald's to label their products with nutritional info

Ever since the first obesity-related lawsuit came out against the fast-food industry, all I've ever asked is that they label their packaging with the nutritional information, just like grocery stores have to do on a can of green beans. (See 'Cheeseburger bill' puts bite on lawsuits and The Commonsense Consumption Act.)

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Make it a burger, fries and nutritional information to go.

Seeking to counter charges that its food is unhealthy and contributes to obesity, McDonald's Corp. announced Tuesday that it will display nutrition facts on the packaging for most of its menu items next year.

Patrons of the world's largest restaurant company will be able to learn the amount of calories and fat, among other information, in a McDonald's product by looking at the wrapper instead of having to go to its Web site or ask for it at the counter.

The fast-food industry has been under pressure from consumer groups and the government to provide more nutritional information about its food. McDonald's and others had previously made calorie count brochures available, resisting calls to do more.

In announcing the latest push to improve its image on health issues, McDonald's said it demonstrates its commitment to promoting balanced, active lifestyles. CEO Jim Skinner also said the move responds to demand by customers, not consumer groups.

"We've communicated with our customers for more than 30 years now about our food" ingredients, he said in an interview at the McDonald's flagship restaurant in downtown Chicago, Illinois. "This was a way for us to close that loop and provide them with an easy way to understand the nutrition information in the food that they're eating."

In my many discussions on this issue, someone always brings up the little mom-and-pop fast-food joint and complains how the costs of labelling would hurt them. It's a valid point, and it's why I'm glad McDonald's chose to do this voluntarily rather than wait for some legislation that would force them to do so, but also perhaps economically doom many of the smaller businesses in the industry.

For a mega-corporation with deep pockets like McDonald's, though, the move makes perfect sense. They talk a good talk about promoting health issues, but it's really about the money and their fear of being hit with some Big-Tobacco-like judgement and damages. By labeling their product, they are just pre-emptively dodging that possibility. Can't blame McDonald's for your obesity when the Big Mac wrapper plainly says "This item will make you chubby" (or statistics to that effect).

You Buckeyes ready for TomKat?

Holly (in Cincinnati) sent me this one, since she's probably dreading the possibility of this vortex of "fame" heading that way. The rumor mill is brewing that the "couple" is buying a house in the state to be near her family. I don't think this is going to happen. (Toledo Blade):

The final truth about whether Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are buying a house in Ottawa Hills will elude us a little longer.

The closing date for the house in question — a 23-room mansion on Ridgewood Road with a nearly $1.5 million asking price — was pushed back from yesterday but should happen very soon, according to Nancy Lohman, of RE/MAX Preferred Associates. She said only that the sale is to an out-of-town buyer.

White House Reinstates Davis-Bacon Act for Katrina Rebuilding

One of the first things Bush did in response to the Gulf Coast devastation from Katrina was to suspend the Davis-Bacon Act for construction and rebuilding. The Act mandates that all companies receiving government contracts must pay the prevailing wage in the area for their labor. Bush wanted it suspended so companies like Halliburton that are handling the rebuilding could pay less than the average wage scale to the workers they hired.

Thankfully, Democratic Representative George Miller of California led a united Democratic front to pressure the president into reinstating the Act. Families hard hit by Katrina, they argued, are the ones most needing the protection of the Act. Not only should local residents be helped with the income from rebuilding and construction jobs, but that income shouldn't be unfairly reduced just so Halliburton can make another record profit off of the taxpayer's dime.

Because of the pressure, Bush has reinstated the Davis-Bacon Act. Here's more from Labor Blog:

Bowing to pressure from a united Democratic front, a small group of members of his own party, the religious community, and the labor movement, President Bush announced today he would reverse the decision he made in September to remove wage protections for construction workers in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

After Katrina, the President suspended the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal contractors to pay at least the prevailing wage to construction workers in a local area. The president's action, which was widely denounced, followed requests from right-wing activists and Republican members of Congress who exploited Katrina to achieve a long-sought ideological agenda item.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, led the effort in the House to force Bush to rescind his Gulf Coast wage cut.

"President Bush finally realized that his Gulf Coast wage cut was a bad idea that hurt the workers and their families affected by Katrina," said Miller. "But let me be clear - the President is backing down today only because he had no other choice.

"The President's wage cut was just another example of his incompetence as a leader in a time of crisis and of his constant need reward the private agenda's of his special special-interest friends rather than attend to the needs of all the people affected by this storm."

The President's wage cut was facing a congressional showdown as early as next week because of a Joint Resolution Miller recently introduced that would have forced the House to vote by early November on whether or not to allow the wage cut to stand. Miller said that Democratic action - coupled with pressure from some members of the President's own party - left the President no option but to reverse his own mistake.

Miller said that until the President formally issues a proclamation reversing the Gulf Coast wage cut, he will closely monitor the situation, and remains prepared for a vote on his Joint Resolution if necessary.

Miller also said that the Bush Administration has taken other actions that undermine Gulf Coast workers - actions that it should also reverse. These include suspending affirmative action requirements and safety standards for truck drivers.

"Americans deserve a lot better than the failed leadership our President has shown in the Gulf Coast," Miller said.

Well said.

Hey, you know what, you're right! The emperor IS naked!

It's getting harder and harder for the Bush maladministration to fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. It's nice to see the public opinion swing around to what us progressives have known for five years: this administration is so filled with crooks and liars that it's giving Richard Nixon a hard-on in his grave.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Only one in 10 Americans said they believe Bush administration officials did nothing illegal or unethical in connection with the leaking of a CIA operative's identity, according to a national poll released Tuesday.

Thirty-nine percent said some administration officials acted illegally in the matter, in which the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA operative, was revealed.

The same percentage of respondents in the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll said administration officials acted unethically, but did nothing illegal.

The poll was split nearly evenly on what respondents thought of Bush officials' ethical standards -- 51 percent saying they were excellent or good and 48 percent saying they were not good or poor.

The figures represent a marked shift from a 2002 survey in which nearly three-quarters said the standards were excellent or good and only 23 percent said they were fair or poor.

Brownie bullsh*t

FEMA Extends Brown's Contract by 30 Days. Big f*cking brass balls in this Administration. I guess that is paired with tone-deaf judgment 100% of the time. (NYT):

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Wednesday defended FEMA's decision to extend former director Michael Brown's post-resignation employment by another 30 days.

"It's important to allow the new people who have the responsibility ... to have access to the information we need to do better," Chertoff told The Associated Press as he flew to view Hurricane Wilma's damage in Florida.

"We don't want to sacrifice the real ability to get a full picture of Mike's experiences; we don't want to sacrifice that ability simply in order to make an image point," Chertoff said.

...Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., whose coastal district was among the hardest hit by Katrina, said the contract extension is an insult to taxpayers, particularly those Gulf Coast residents "whose lives were in danger in the aftermath of that storm because of Mike Brown's incompetence."

"I've got tens of thousands of people living in two-man igloo tents tonight, and less than a quarter of the people who have asked for FEMA travel trailers have gotten them," Taylor said. "And at the same time they can find $140,000 a year to pay this incompetent son of a gun; that's ridiculous."

Other Brownie items:
* Brownie rehired by FEMA as 'consultant'
* Balls or dumb*ss -- 'Brownie' already shopping resume
* FEMA's 'Brownie': king of the padded resume
* Please let this be true - Brownie behind Enquirer story (Bush is drinking again)

Caption this

Actual AFP caption: New questions over Vice President Dick Cheney's alleged role in a CIA leak scandal bombarded the White House as it braced for a special prosecutor to decide whether to indict trusted Bush administration aides.(AFP/File/Jim Watson)

Get me some more of those black bucks

Every so often, it seems like some sports coach or broadcaster has one of those blast-from-the-past brain farts of racism and stupidity that just boggles the mind. Let's call it a romantic notion of the big, black, fast buck that just mesmerizes some people, especially when it comes to sports.

The latest bit of reality-based sports analysis is from Air Force Academy football coach Fisher DeBerry. I've not heard of the guy, but apparently this isn't the first time he's gone off the deep end. He thinks his winning record is due to all the darkies and their innate physical -- perhaps even magical -- gifts.

Coming off a 48-10 loss Saturday to the Horned Frogs, DeBerry was quoted as saying at a Tuesday news conference: "It's very obvious to me the other day that the other team had a lot more Afro-American players than we did, and they ran a lot faster than we did. It just seems to be that way, that Afro-American kids can run very, very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me they run extremely well.

"Their defense had 11 Afro-American kids on their team, and they were a very, very good defensive football team. That's exactly what I was talking about."

DeBerry mentioned Monday that the academy needed to recruit more minority athletes than its opponents.

Earlier entertaining implosions of this kind that I can recall spewed from the mouths of sportscaster Jimmy the Greek and former Dodger exec Al Campanis. These are two guys that famously said, on the air, unbelievable comments that they proceeded to compound with even more mind-blowing defenses in the same breath.

"(Blacks) may not have some of the necessities to be, let's say, a field manager, or perhaps a general manager."

-- former Dodger general manager Al Campanis in 1987 on ABC's "Nightline"

I was watching Nightline when Campanis had his live meltdown. Poor Ted Koppel tried asking him eight different ways to get out of the hole, but it got worse each time. I was embarrassed for the guy.

I didn't see Jimmy the Greek's infamous comments live (his faux pas came about year after Campanis's), but I saw plenty of replays of it; here's a good summary -- it takes my breath away all over again:

Jimmy 'the Greek' Snyder remarked that black athletes already hold an advantage as basketball players because they have longer thighs than white athletes, their ancestors having been deliberately bred that way during slavery. 'This goes all the way to the Civil War,' Jimmy the Greek explained, 'when during the slave trading. . .the owner, the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so he could have a big black kid, you see.' Astonishing though it may seem, Snyder intended his remark as a compliment to black athletes. If black men became coaches, he said, there would be nothing left for white men to do in basketball at all. Embarrassed by such rank and open expression of racism in the most ignorant form, the network fired Jimmy the Greek from his job. Any fool, the network must have decided, should know that such things may be spoken in the privacy of the locker-room in an all-white club, but not into a microphone and before a camera.

To add a feminist twist on this phenomenon, earlier this year we had a nice turn by Formula One head Bernie Ecclestone, digs himself into a giant hole of the dumb*ss variety.



Danica Patrick came in fourth at the Indy 500; president and CEO of Formula One, billionaire Bernie Ecclestone (center) attempted to pay her a compliment, but he needs to use some of his pocket change to buy a brain.

Ecclestone's chauvinist nonsense to Danica Patrick, who he was allegedly congratulating on her performance at the Indianapolis 500:

Among the comments Ecclestone made in the interview and to Patrick was: "Women should be all dressed in white like all other domestic appliances."

Said Patrick: "I just didn't make sense of it. I was surprised."

Ecclestone offered a clarification, blaming his English sense of humor.

"What I was trying to say was that I've been completely wrong about women race-car drivers," Ecclestone said. "I was so impressed with the way she had driven, because I always thought women couldn't drive and should be in the kitchen with the other domestic appliances. I was surprised at the job she did and I was happy for her."

Thanks to Blender Holly for the pointer.

Wal-mart tries to rehab its rep, then f*cks that up

The behemoth retailer (and contributor to DeLay defense fund) was feeling the pain from all the bad PR about off-the-clock workers and discrimination lawsuits. The arm was further twisted because of the fact that the wages are so poor and so many of the positions part-time that it ensured "health care" amounted to employees using the ER as "primary care." Less than 45% of Wal-mart's workers have health insurance.

The solution: develop a low-cost health care plan for employees. Wal-mart's cheaper plan includes premiums that would cost as low as $11. Good PR, right? Look at this, from the Arkansas Daily Blog, via the good folks at Facing South:

The company deserves points for trying. But ... it's not going to do much for a low-wage family.

First there's a $1,000 deductible to satisfy before you get any coverage ... Then there's $65 a month for family coverage or $780 a year. [the "$11 premium" will only be availble "in some areas.] So a poor family eking by on minimum wage is out, at a minimum, $1,780 a year before it gets any coverage under the Wal-Mart plan and then it still has co-pays.

Unfortunately, even whatever little bit of positive spin left in that initiative is further undone by a little board memo that surfaced, in today's NYT:

An internal memo sent to Wal-Mart's board of directors proposes numerous ways to hold down spending on health care and other benefits while seeking to minimize damage to the retailer's reputation. Among the recommendations are hiring more part-time workers and discouraging unhealthy people from working at Wal-Mart.

In the memorandum, M. Susan Chambers, Wal-Mart's executive vice president for benefits, also recommends reducing 401(k) contributions and wooing younger, and presumably healthier, workers by offering education benefits. The memo voices concern that workers with seven years' seniority earn more than workers with one year's seniority, but are no more productive.

To discourage unhealthy job applicants, Ms. Chambers suggests that Wal-Mart arrange for "all jobs to include some physical activity (e.g., all cashiers do some cart-gathering)."

...One proposal would reduce the amount of time, from two years to one, that part-time employees would have to wait before qualifying for health insurance. Another would put health clinics in stores, in part to reduce expensive employee visits to emergency rooms. Wal-Mart's benefit costs jumped to $4.2 billion last year, from $2.8 billion three years earlier, causing concern within the company because benefits represented an increasing share of sales. Last year, Wal-Mart earned $10.5 billion on sales of $285 billion.

Watch for falling prices indeed.

Thanks to Blender Laura for the pointer.

WNBA star comes out

Swoopes poses with the WNBA Most Valuable Player award after receiving the honor for the third time during a news conference in Sacramento, CA.< (AP)

"Being gay has nothing to do with the three gold medals or the three MVPs or the four championships I've won. I'm still the same person. I'm Sheryl."
-- Sheryl Swoopes on coming out, concerned that this could jeopardize her status as a role model.

You know, it's sad when coming out for a sports figure is feared as more damaging than say, steroid abuse (and lying about it), but here's a sports figure that is willing to take the heat and be who she is in this political climate.

The subtle and not-so-subtle lesbian-bashing and loss of endorsements prevents many women from declaring that they are gay. But Sheryl Swoopes is tired of playing the hetero image game. Thank you. (AP):

Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes is opening up about being a lesbian, telling a magazine that she's "tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about."

Swoopes, honored last month as the WNBA's Most Valuable Player, told ESPN The Magazine for a story on newsstands Wednesday that she didn't always know she was gay and fears that coming out could jeopardize her status as a role model.

"Do I think I was born this way? No," Swoopes said. "And that's probably confusing to some, because I know a lot of people believe that you are."

Swoopes, who was married and has an 8-year-old son, said her 1999 divorce "wasn't because I'm gay." She said her reason for coming out now is merely because she wants to be honest.

"It's not something that I want to throw in people's faces. I'm just at a point in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be somebody I'm not," the 34-year-old Swoopes said. "I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love."

Who wouldn't find Swoopes a wonderful role model of excellence in sports with an image untarnished by scandal.

A five-time All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Swoopes is the WNBA's only three-time MVP. She played for the Comets during their run of four championships from 1997-2000, but missed the 2001 season with a knee injury.

...Swoopes led the WNBA in scoring last year, averaging 18.6 points. She also averaged 4.3 assists and 2.65 steals while making 85 percent of her free throws and playing a league-high 37.1 minutes a game.

You can also read more about the Swoopes story on Outsports, Swoopes: The New Martina. Here's a snippet by Cyd Zeigler that rings so true.

While she is the Michael Jordan of the WNBA, she, of course, is not Michael Jordan. If Air Jordan himself was gay and came out of the closet, the impact would creep into every household in America and would be felt around the world. Given the place of women's sports in our culture, Swoopes' declaration won't have quite that impact. What it will do, though, is take the conversation about gays in sports to the next level. Despite the protests of many that an American professional sports team can't operate with an openly gay player, Swoopes' Comets will get the chance to prove all of those people wrong next summer.

For that matter, Swoopes' timing couldn't have been better. Many have said the "media circus" that would erupt around an active player coming out would be detrimental to their team. Swoopes' timing makes playing with her team the final act of the show, not the main event, with the season still over seven months away. And besides, Air Swoopes attracts significant media attention anyway; a couple more reporters asking for comments from her partner wouldn't be any more of a distraction.

The most important impact of her coming out will be felt in the high schools and the colleges of this country. Homophobia lurks in the locker rooms of most institutions; it's no different for the women than the men.

This is spot-on, especially in the light of the lesbian-baiting by Penn State coach Rene Portland, which I posted about recently (Gay-baiting coach needs to zip it). Outsports bring this up as well.

The last few weeks have seen the emergence of one of these stories. Penn State head women's basketball coach Rene Portland has a long history of anti-lesbian policy on her basketball team, according to the National Center for Lesbian Rights. NCLR has recently brought complaints against Portland, who is accused of kicking a star player off her team in the last couple of years because the player is a lesbian, and is prepared to file a lawsuit against her and/or the University if something isn't done about it. NCLR sports guru Helen Carroll, a former collegiate head basketball coach, has told me many stories about anti-lesbian collegiate coaches and "negative recruiting," in which a coach will tell recruits that a competing program is a "lesbian program."

Hopefully, what these coaches and programs will start to realize is that they may be scaring off the next Sheryl Swoopes.

Surf over to more Outsports coverage, Sheryl Swoopes Comes Out and this earlier Blend post on women in sports, Women, sports and sexism - has anything changed? A snippet:

It's like stepping back in time...to the days of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s and 50s (romanticized in the entertaining Penny Marshall flick A League of Their Own). The "girls" were professionally groomed, sent to charm school and expected to be a lady. From the charm school guide:

You should be the best judge of your own beauty requirements. Keep your own kit replenished with the things you need for your own toilette and your beauty culture and care. Remember the skin, the hair, the teeth and the eyes. It is most desirable in your own interests, that of your teammates and fellow players, as well as from the standpoint of the public relations of the league that each girl be at all times presentable and attractive, whether on the playing field or at leisure. Study your own beauty culture possibilities and without overdoing your beauty treatment at the risk of attaining gaudiness, practice the little measure that will reflect well on your appearance and personality as a real All American girl.

These young women, some of them lesbian, were allowed to play pro baseball - but all of them were forced to present a feminine image to the crowd, to assure that only heterosexual energy was radiating on the field.

Thanks to Blender Janean for the pointer.

Mary Cheney goes to work for AO-Hell

Mary and partner Heather Poe.

I feel sleazy even posting about this woman. She just makes me sick. Note that by taking a marketing position at AOL, she and her partner Heather Poe are entitled to same-sex spousal equivalent benefits, something she cannot get working for her father Darth in the federal government. Will she have a public comment on that? (Advocate):

After stumping for her father’s vice presidential campaign last year, Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Dick Cheney, has returned to the private sector with a content programming position at AOL. Cheney will be working under AOL vice chairman Ted Leonsis, who leads the company’s Audience Business, a marketing division of the Internet behemoth that seeks to grow AOL’s Internet audience via Web-based programming and products such as MapQuest.com and MovieFone.com.

"AOL is thrilled that Mary Cheney is joining us in a position where she'll be reporting to Ted Leonsis," AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham told Advocate.com.

AOL is owned by the world’s largest media company, Time Warner, known for gay-friendly practices. Time Warner offers workplace protections for gay and lesbian employees as well as providing benefits for same-sex domestic partners equal to those for heterosexual married couple.

The article also mentions the million-dollar advance from Simon and Schuster for her certain-to-be white-washed "memoirs" about life on the campaign trail in 2004. I posted about that nonsense here.

Dear Abby rocks again

Back in August, a Dear Abby column took on a reader that was offended by the hanging of a rainbow flag by a neighbor, and Abby put them in their place. Now we have a lesbian couple that is dealing with fundies offended by their definition of a family. Abby comes through again.

Dear Abby:

I am a 35-year-old lesbian. I have a wonderful partner and we have an amazing 10-year-old son. My problem is, we seem to offend people when we refer to ourselves as a "family." I have had people correct me, sometimes even suggesting that I refer to my family as "my friend and my son" or "my friend and her son" (depending on who they think is the biological mother).

Abby, this woman is more than my friend. She's my partner, my life mate, my support and my co-parent. We try to be sensitive to people's beliefs and not call each other "wife" or refer to our union as a "marriage," but how far do we have to take this?

We aren't "in your face" with our lifestyle, but to deny our partnership is to deny our son his family. We generally refer to each other as "my partner," which I think is an inoffensive term, but even that can send some people into a snit.

How should we handle people who want to redefine us? Why is it so hard for them to acknowledge that, untraditional though we may be, we are a family?

Trying Not To Offend in Texas

Dear Trying Not To Offend:

Forgive me if this seems negative, but some people are so rooted in their fundamentalist ideology that they cannot and will not change. The way to handle people who want to force you into their mold is to avoid them. You'll be happier, and so will they.

As I mentioned the last time around, the original Abigail Van Buren, Pauline Esther Friedman, is alive but the column is now handled by her daughter Jeanne Phillips.

Freaks

[UPDATE: a new one came in the mailbag this AM, for your entertainment, and I reposted the infamous "Bevis" email...]

Before I move on to the topic at hand, thank you to Russ for posting some great stuff while I was out of town. He provided most excellent service behind the coffee bar. Did you enjoy his green-tinted biscotti? ;) Blenders keep the email coming even when I'm away, so I'm just getting through a really full mailbox.

I almost got hung up on the flight delays up in NJ from Wilma remnants, but thankfully our flight was not cancelled.


***

Freak zone...

This letter, from some little redneck named "Samuel" writing from tiny Clyde, NC. He clearly has a sheet in his closet, and is suffering from a lack of self-esteem. It's about a post from the Blend early in September, Klan protests gathering of Methodists in NC. The Methodists met to discuss whether to include openly gay clergy and the article noted that the Klan only managed to find 20 people to show up in opposition.

I guess that set our little Blender Bigot off, because he's frothing at the mouth...

Hey Hypocrite, Just thought I would drop you a line and tell you I am from Clyde, NC where the Methodists held their little fag rally and I was there and you didnt even confront the KKK. Your comments on the event is absolutly wrong by saying you faced down the KKK. Wonder how you will face the Lord when He judges you for your sinful life under the disguise of Christianity. Break God's Law and you will pay.

Nowhere in my post do I say I was there, though perhaps he was using the collective "you" as in "you homos" in his missive. Who knows.

***

This is one that came in this AM (Wed), from "Steve"; I get variations on this theme all the time. My first thought is, why are they even reading my blog? What, pray tell, do they get out of reading it?

What will you do when you meet God to be judged for your sexually perverted lifestyle?

Is your eternal life in heaven worth losing?

If you do not believe in God's word or God and are left with your own imagination to guide your morality, do you ever think that you may be wrong?

Are you prepared for the eternal consequence?

Steve

***

And for newer readers, this is the classic "fan" email that regular Blenders know and love. It was sent to me and Shakespeare's Sister as we co-moderate Big Brass Blog. When this missive hit our inboxes, we knew that we had to share.

Subject: In you'r World
From: "joe"
Date: Tue, July 26, 2005 3:36 pm
To: mail at bigbrassblog
It sure seems to me You're World has to much Prozac,Pot ,and Crack.I my self cannot understand how anyone with a half of a brain,could believe some shmuck,who just sits reed's and regurgitates,what he read,after milling it around in a drug,clouded half of a mind,why do you think an anyone would believe you. At least the News Media has a structure,they do not print obvious lies,think it's called integrity??.They have others who monitor their news,for truth,and will call them on it,like Dan Rather,who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted

***



Al Franken was on David Letterman talking about politics (Al's new book is out, The Truth (with jokes), which is on my wish list), and there was a discussion about it on the right-wing site Newsbusters (allegedly "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias").

Get a load of this comment by someone named "Keith," whose profile says he is "an American of African descent. I live and work under a stage name in Hollywood where I am a mildly successful character actor." It is beyond the pale. It is another sorry case of unhinged wingnut Kool-Aid drinking (thanks for the pointer, Fritz). Try not to laugh...

The thinkers? There are no liberal thinkers. You people are idiots deceived by Satan. Notice how you love Halloween? That's your condemned nature rising up. Let's see, the "academics" and "media" intellects you site believe in Baby Killing and Sodomy, yet they are "enlightened".

Instead of ridiculing conservatives, you should be realizing that your entire liberal philosophy is bullshit based on lies. Here are some of the things that your academics and media elites believe, showing how truly stupid you people are in the face of my genius. My I.Q. is 187 one of the highest ever recorded. I don't put much stock in it since as a child I posited the theory, since proven, that the IQ test simply measured aptitude. However, whether you like the numbers or not, I'm certainly smarter than any liberal. The proof of that is in the list below. Look at the things you stupid liberals believe, when you awaken before the judgement seat of Christ, don't act like you weren't told how wrong you are!

TO BE A DUMB ASSED LIBERAL YOU MUST FIRST BELIEVE.........

1. A BABY IS NOT A HUMAN BEING, (this of course overlooks the fact that it has it's own DNA sequence separate from that of the mother and has a heart, lungs, fingers and toes at four weeks old and if it isn't human what is it, a camel?). You actually believe this because liberals are too stupid to understand that the word "fetus" is an artificial designation. You don't even get that do you? God didn't divide the stages of human developement into sections, humans did. That thing you're sitting on isn 't really a chair, idiot, we just call it that, other languages use different words to describe the same thing. The artificial designation, "chair" is okay as long as you don't prescribe an artificial value to it. If you call what exists in a womans womb a "fetus" for the purposes of common identification, that's fine, but if you assign a value, an assessment of the "worth" of the fetus, based on an artificial designation, you are a fool. A "fetus" is simply the earliest form of human developement, only a child of satan like yourself would value that as "less than".

2. PEOPLE ARE BORN GAY, (but curiously their heterosexual bodies are capable of reproduction, which doesn't cause any of you stupid liberals to say " Hey, wait a sec! If someone is "born gay" why is their FUCKING BODY, clearly born HETEROSEXUAL? That's because you're a dumb liberal, then there's the curious pride homosexuals take in "turning someone out", which means making someone who is NOT gay, like homosexual sex, kinda contrary to the whole "born gay" thing but hey, facts to a liberal are like crosses to a ...uh liberal! Well, vampires too!)...

My brother's first book is out!

My little brother Tim ("little" is relative, since he's 37 years old), is a professor at the University of Delaware. He called me yesterday to let me know that he received copies of his first book, "Re-forming The Past: History, The Fantastic, And The Postmodern Slave Narrative."

This is a rework of his dissertation and, it's wonderful to say, part of the reason, along with his teaching and service, that he was recently granted tenure at UD this year. The book is published by Ohio State University Press, and it's up on Amazon.

This work is, he admits, is really not something meant to read for pleasure by a wide audience; his next work will be a more accessible work on jazz. He laughed when he thought about how many folks will actually read his book. He said, "more people will actually learn about it on your blog than will ever buy it." Actually, more people will read about it on this blog in a couple of hours than will ever buy this academic text, lol.



But that's ok -- it's just one milestone in what I know will be a great career, and I'm really proud of him, as I know our late mom would be. Love to you, Tim.

Wingnut pharmacists to rape victim: Sorry, we won't help you.

More on the wingnut pharmacists who refuse to do their jobs by dispensing legal doctor-authorized emergency birth control prescriptions:

(Arizona Daily Star) After a sexual assault one recent weekend, a young Tucson woman spent three frantic days trying to obtain the drug to prevent a pregnancy, knowing that each passing day lowered the chance the drug would work.

While calling dozens of Tucson pharmacies trying to fill a prescription for emergency contraception, she found that most did not stock the drug.

When she finally did find a pharmacy with it, she said she was told the pharmacist on duty would not dispense it because of religious and moral objections.

"I was so shocked," said the 20-year-old woman, who, as a victim of sexual assault, is not being named by the Star. "I just did not understand how they could legally refuse to do this."

Women who report sexual assaults to police receive treatment, examination and the immediate offer of emergency contraception at a local emergency room, according to the policy of most Tucson hospitals.

But, like many sexual assault victims, the 20-year-old woman did not report the assault because she felt traumatized and guilty she had put herself in a situation that left her vulnerable. She was mistakenly locked outside a gathering at a friend's house and accepted the offer of a neighbor to stay at his place.

"This (sex) was with someone I did not even know and did not want to have intercourse with, and I am in no place now to have children," she said. "I just don't think this should be the pharmacist's decision."

Controversy over emergency contraception is roiling now at the national level, with FDA scientists resigning over the agency's refusal to allow emergency contraception to be sold over the counter, without a prescription.

The issue surfaced in Arizona last winter, when Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have permitted pharmacists to refuse to dispense it on moral or religious grounds.

But her veto was essentially meaningless, as most of the drugstore chains that dominate Tucson already allow that as a matter of corporate policy. Most also require that the customer be immediately referred to another pharmacist or drugstore willing to fill the prescription.

"He (the manager) said he would fill it himself if we could get there before his shift ended, within 10 minutes," said Sabrina Fladness, a University of Arizona student and [friend of the assault victim].

"But we were more than 10 minutes away, so that was impossible. So he said we would have to come back the next morning" - after the shift of the refusing pharmacist ended.

"He made no provision for getting it that night," she said.

And this is Tucson, Arizona, not exactly a rural backwater where there are only a few pharmacists available. What is the rape victim in Enid, Oklahoma or Girdwood, Alaska or any other remote town supposed to do in an emergency? And who are these idiot pharmacists who believe God prefers rapists to be fruitful and multiply?

2,000 is not a milestone...

The military would like us to be considerate when we publish the news of the 2,000th dead American soldier by not referring to the number as a milestone. Hmmm. Maybe we're just noticing because it is a nice even round number in a decimal-based counting system? Will that suffice?

(Editor & Publisher) U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, director of the force's combined press center, wrote in an e-mail to reporters, "I ask that when you report on the events, take a moment to think about the effects on the families and those serving in Iraq. The 2,000 service members killed in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom is not a milestone. It is an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives."

See there? If you even notice that one-hundred score American servicemembers have perished in Iraq, you have an agenda and an ulterior motive. Your agenda, of course, is to purposefully mock the sacrifice of brave soldiers and demean their families by noticing that 2,000 of them are no longer living. Your ulterior motive is to provide aid and comfort to the enemy by pointing out that they are succeeding in killing our soldiers, and by highlighting the 2,000 American deaths you'll make people second-guess the war and pull out before we finish the job. If it weren't for America-haters like you, no one would have even noticed that the 2,000th soldier died today.

Boylan, according to AP, added: "The 2,000th Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine that is killed in action is just as important as the first that died and will be just as important as the last to die in this war against terrorism and to ensure freedom for a people who have not known freedom in over two generations."

See, by reflecting on the 2,000th death, you are demeaning the brave sacrifice of the 1,999 who died before and the... the... how many more are going to die in this war on terrorism? What other milestones will we be told to ignore in the future? The death that matches the 9/11 death toll? The 5,000th, 10,000th, or 20,000th death? The death that matches the Vietnam death toll? The fifth, tenth, twentieth anniversary of the beginning of "shock and awe"?

He complained that the true milestones of the war were "rarely covered or discussed," and said they included the troops who had volunteered to serve, the families of those that have been deployed for a year or more, and the Iraqis who have sought at great risk to restore normalcy to their country. It also includes, he added, Iraqis who sought to join the security forces and had became daily targets for insurgent attacks at recruiting centers, those who turned out to vote in the constitutional referendum, and those who chose to risk their lives by joining the government.

You doom and gloom America-haters never discuss the troops that don't get killed! But hey, let's start marking some of these rarely covered milestones. Have we reached the 2,000th volunteer who's been stop-lossed far beyond the time he volunteered for? How about the 2,000th troop who's been sent out on mission with inadequate supplies or armor? How about the 2,000th family forced to buy equipment for their troop just to keep them safe? Are we close to the 2,000th Iraqi seeking normalcy for his country but blown up by a car bomb? We must have already reached the 2,000th Iraqi security force volunteer unable to even clean a rifle without direct coalition support.

Sorry, Colonel, but the only way to have people not notice the milestones of death is to stop reaching them. When it comes to soldiers' deaths, we Americans are a funny lot: we notice.

Dead US Servicemen = 2,000. WMDs found + Osamas captured + Iraqi links to 9/11 = 0. Flowering Middle East democracies = ???

Day 951 of the Iraq War marks the day we hit 2,000 US casualties. This makes an average of a little over two deaths per day in Iraq, assuming we're only counting American deaths in Iraq from combat -- not the Americans who die from their wounds out of country, not the rest of our coalition partners' deaths, not the body counts of insurgents (who always seem to die in packs of 20, 50, 70, but yet they're still around), and certainly not the innocent men, women, and children caught in the crossfire and bombings.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The war in Iraq saw two milestones Tuesday that reflect the country's path to democracy and its human toll as officials said the referendum on a draft constitution passed and the U.S. military's death toll reached 2,000.

CNN's count of U.S. fatalities reflects reports from military sources and includes deaths in Iraq, Kuwait and other units assigned to the Iraq campaign.

Among the latest casualties, an American soldier was killed Saturday by a roadside bomb, and a roadside blast killed two Marines in combat Friday near Amariya in the western Anbar province, according to the U.S. military.

Since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, more than 15,000 American service members have been wounded in the conflict, according to the Defense Department.

Now more than ever I'm eagerly awaiting the indictments to come from Fitzgerald's office. There have been rumors that the prosecutor is looking beyond the outing of Valerie Plame and into the whole White House Iraq Group and their conspiracy to deceive the American people into supporting an illegal war of aggression against Iraq.

The people are already having "buyer's remorse" over this war. The opinion polls now show a majority to believe the invasion was not worth it and the country is going in the wrong direction. Can you blame us? We were sold a cakewalk of a six-month war with few American casualties, a shared sacrifice by a coalition of the willing, paid for by the oil revenues of the invaded country, where the civilians would greet us as liberators as we removed a murderous dictator and demolished his stash of weapons of mass destruction before he let loose anthrax and nuclear bombs in our cities on 45 minutes notice. 32 months, 2,000 casualties (90% of the coalition casualties), 0 WMD, and $200 billion later, we nabbed Saddam Hussein. That's got to be the most expensive bounty hunt in history. We could've sent Dog the Bounty Hunter and got it done for a millionth of the cost.

Still, we have the True Believers who are willing to accept whatever is the latest rationale for continuing the war. Today we're expected to believe in a new Domino Theory, where a flower of democracy planted in Iraq blossoms and spreads to the rest of the region. Nobody said a thing about that in the "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud" days, or even during the "Mission Accomplished" days, but after so many young Americans are killed and so much taxpayer money is spent there must be a bigger payoff than pulling down a statue and excavating a grizzled old man from a spider hole.

The other theme making the rounds is that we have to stay the course so the boys who've already died in Iraq will not have died in vain. Finish the job, they say, which is a noble sentiment, but difficult to achieve when the job keeps changing and the goals were never fully defined in the first place. It seems a little like the idea of walking 2,000 steps toward a city you've never seen, whose location is unknown to you, discovering you're lost in the desert, but deciding, "well, I've got to keep walking in this direction, or else the 2,000 steps I've already taken will have been in vain."

That's why these coming indictments are so important. There is mounting evidence to show that the administration wasn't the victim of bad intelligence so much as the perpetrators of bad intelligence. They sought to sell us this war using scare tactics and propaganda, knowing full well that in early 2003 we'd never buy into "hey, we wanna respond to 9/11 by invading and democratizing a Middle Eastern country that had nothing to do with it; we'll be safer in the long run and we'll only spend two lives and a quarter billion dollars a day over the next decade or so to achieve it, assuming we can even succeed in that goal." That's why they were whispering sweet nothings in Judy Miller's ear, having her pimp the immediate danger of Iraqi WMDs like Armstrong Williams pimped for No Child Left Behind.

Rosa Parks, RIP

This is what it looks like when society starts to change.

(Detroit Free Press) When Rosa Parks refused to get up, an entire race of people began to stand up for their rights as human beings.

It was a simple act that took extraordinary courage in Montgomery, Ala., in 1955. It was a place where black people had no rights white people had to respect. It was a time when racial discrimination was so common, many blacks never questioned it.

At least not out loud.

But then came Rosa Parks.

This mild-mannered black woman refused to give up her seat on a city bus so a white man could sit down.

Jim Crow laws had met their match.

Parks' refusal infused 50,000 blacks in Montgomery with the will to walk rather than risk daily humiliation on the city's buses.

This gentle giant, whose quietness belied her toughness, became the catalyst for a movement that broke the back of legalized segregation in the United States, gave rise to the astounding leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and inspired fighters for freedom and justice throughout the world.

Parks, the beloved mother of the civil rights movement, is dead, a family member confirmed late Monday.

Let none of us ever forget that sometimes all it takes to change the world is for one brave person to stand up and demand that it change.

God: "Quit yer sinnin'... or I'll wipe out New Orleans!"

You've heard from the chorus of babbling Biblical literalists that Hurrican Katrina is God's retribution for the decadence fostered in New Orleans, haven't you? Sure, it's strange that God wiped out all of those poor folks in the 9th Ward, while leaving the hot bed of decadence, the French Quarter, virtually untouched. And yeah, it's odd that God's aim is so broad that He had to wipe out folks in Mississippi and Alabama, too. But God works in mysterious, inconceivably cruel ways.

Well, I surf on over to AgapePress to read this explanation from Rev. Mark H. Creech, the executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, Inc.

A two-foot snowfall in Los Angeles -- a severe drought this summer in the Midwest that dropped water levels in the Missouri River to their lowest on record -- a heat wave of temperatures of over 110 degrees that in one week killed more than 20 people in Arizona -- hurricanes in Florida, Carolina, and of course, the monster of all storms, Hurricane Katrina, which essentially washed away the city of New Orleans. All, says Ross Gelbspan of the Boston Globe, are the results of human-induced global warming.

...Dr. Sami Solanki, director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany, says dramatic weather changes are caused not by man-made activity, but the result of the sun heating up, which "may now be affecting global temperatures." Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, and Hurricane forecaster William Gray, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, essentially say the current "onslaught of storms 'is very much natural.'"

It's hard to believe what's been occurring of late is simply "very much natural." The succession and intensity of these events have rightly caused people to sense something isn't right in the earth, and scientific data alone can't explain it.

Interestingly, the Old Testament book of Haggai describes a time not unlike ours, when the people of Israel were wondering why so many natural calamities had befallen them. ...God was saying: "I'm the reason you've experienced the storms -- the drought -- the scorching heat -- the crop failures -- the strong winds -- this heightened intensity of natural disasters. I did it. And I did it because I wanted to get your attention about the way you've forgotten me and my business and focused exclusively on your own."

One needn't think the natural disasters in New Orleans, Biloxi, or any other place were because the people in those cities acted more wickedly than others. Jesus warned against that kind of assessment in Luke 13:1-5, declaring: "Unless you repent you will all similarly perish." But this unusual barrage of climatic catastrophes should be seen as a wake-up call for people everywhere -- the handwriting on the wall that God is ready to judge the nations. God gets no pleasure in afflicting men. His actions are not retaliatory. But the Sovereign of the Universe cannot simply allow His law to be spurned. His will and way must be paramount to everything else. His business must be attended to first.

Global warming? The sun heating up? A natural cycle? Have you ever considered the fact that recent natural disasters might have more to do with you -- your neglect -- my neglect -- America's neglect -- the nations' neglect of God's business for their own?

Dang! And I thought the worst thing God would do when I commit my favorite nearly-daily sin was kill a kitten.

KKK To Hold Anti-Gay Rally In Austin

Not bloody likely in our lifetimes... but it's fun to pretend!
We often hear homo-bigot pastors from the black churches who get riled at the notion that civil rights for gays and lesbians is anything like civil rights for blacks. "Nothing alike!" they'll preach, because you can't hide blackness in a closet, or because blackness is inborn whereas gayness is a choice, or some other nonsense.

I wonder how the black homo-bigots will react when they find themselves allied with a traditional enemy:

(Austin, Texas) The city of Austin on Monday gave the Ku Klux Klan permission to hold a rally against same-sex marriage on a public square in front of city hall.

The decision was made as early voting began on a proposed amendment to the Texas constitution to ban gay marriage.

The KKK rally will be held November 5 on the south plaza of Austin City Hall.

In seeking permission for the protest, called a "pro-family" rally, the American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan said: "Our speech will not be inflammatory, but we all know the reputation of the name of the KKK, so we expect anti-Klan demonstrators to be there who may become violent. We certainly don't want any of our people hurt nor any city officials. We just want to come and encourage people to vote for Christian Family Values and against legalized homosexual marriage in the state of Texas."

Voters will go to the polls November 8, three days after the Klan rally, to cast ballots on the gay marriage ban, that would also bar civil unions.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, ain't it, black homo-bigot preachers? There may be difference between the black civil rights movement of the '60s and the gay civil rights movement of today, but both movements seem to attract the same opposition -- ignorant hate-filled groups decrying tolerance, encouraging segregation, stifling equality under the law, and promoting discrimination against a reviled minority, all under the banner of protecting the family and society under mandate from God.

The Rotting Cryptkeeper's compound

I received a little gift in the mailbag from my colleague at Big Brass Blog, Charlie Kilian of Shades of Grey. His sister managed to get some pictures of Fred Phelps's compound in Topeka, Kansas. Click to enlarge.





Also see these refreshing Phelps activities...

* Phelps on James Dobson: "caving to the faggot juggernaut"

* The Phelps clan's day job

* Phelps now picketing war dead

* Topeka slam dunks Fred and Jael Phelps

* Fred Phelps on Peter LaBarbera, Cindy Sheehan

* Local media coverage of Phelps clan's visit to Durham
* First shots from the Westboro Baptist Church protest in Durham, NC

More DeLays

This one was sent in by Joe Tresh, from his blog bearnakedjoe.com.

Alfred E. DeLay: Why Tom is Smiling


Blender Sean added his contribution:



If you have a mug shot of the pig, send them along to Russ, since I'll be out of town. :)

Consider this an open thread to post whatever's on your mind.

28% would not support a woman running for President

I guess this is food for thought for those ready to back a Hil or Condi candidacy. A chunk of the sheeple just can't visualize a woman running the country. I don't know who these people are, but the penis-possessing clown currently marking time in the Big Chair isn't representing men very well right now. His current behavior suggests that he actually needs a high chair.

A WNBC/Marist Poll asked folks whether they could vote a woman into the Oval Office, and the results are interesting.

Question Wording: If the Democratic/Republican Party nominates a woman for president in 2008, are you very likely, likely, not very likely, or not likely at all to vote for her?

26% Very Likely or Likely if Democrat or Republican
25% Very Likely or Likely Only if Democrat
21% Very Likely or Likely Only if Republican
28% Not Likely Regardless if Democrat or Republican

Not surprisingly, women are more likely to pull the lever for a female presidential candidate than men. 31% of women would support a woman for president regardless of whether she is a Democrat or a Republican. 33% of men would not support a woman for the country’s highest office no matter which party nominated her. But age matters. 41% of women younger than forty-five years old would support a female presidential candidate regardless of the party who nominated her compared with 28% of their forty-five and older counterparts. Only 26% of men younger than forty-five years old would not vote for a woman president regardless of her political party compared with 36% of men who are forty-five years of age or older.

There is also information about Hillary specifically. As expected, she is a polarizing figure.

Although 46% of registered voters think Senator Clinton is about right on the ideological spectrum, 39% say she is too liberal. These two views of Hillary Clinton are colored by partisan lenses. 78% of Democrats think she is ideologically well positioned. 74% of Republicans characterize her as too liberal. Independent voters divide. 38% of these voters think she is too liberal, and 41% believe her views are about right.

If 28% of voters cannot find a way in their minds to cast a vote for a any woman, certainly adding current public perception of Hillary Clinton to the mix almost ensures that she can't get elected.

Of course this poll could be a throwaway given how early it is, but I'd like to see more detail on why 28% would automatically disqualify a woman regardless of party affiliation.

Thoughts?

Heading out of town...

I'm jetting off to NJ for business later today. I'm not sure whether I'll have time to post anything on this trip. We'll see.

Russ will be around, I'm sure, to serve up some fresh Blend and stir up welcome trouble. I'll be back in town late Tuesday.

In the meantime, since there are quite a few new folks lurking here due to my gig with Pandagon, here are a few links from last month. Also, check out the Best of the Blend links in the right-hand column.

* How influential are political bloggers?

* A must-read dual series on black homo-bigot pastors

* Make your own Jeffy Lube pro-war rally poster

* NC Pride and meeting the Log Cabin folks

* Give this man his own Klan sheet

Texas starts voting on Monday with marriage amendment on ballot

"Do you want schools to teach your children and grandchildren that homosexual marriage is normal? Do you want to undergo 'sensitivity training' at the workplace to ensure that you don't favor heterosexuality over homosexuality? ... These are not rhetorical questions - these are issues that we will face if we fail to defend and protect marriage."

-- Texas Republican Party chair Tina Benkiser heating up the rhetoric as Lone Star State residents start early voting on marriage amendment

There is hope that this amendment will be defeated, but it will depend on what is usually historically low turnout during off-year elections. (Austin American-Statesman):

Turnout historically is low for amendment elections in Texas. In 2003, just 12.5 percent of registered voters cast ballots. Secretary of State Roger Williams, the chief elections officer, hasn't projected what percentage of the state's approximately 12.3 million registered voters will show up for this election. He's urging participation and emphasizing that constitutional amendments can have more lasting impact than elected individuals.

"When you elect a person, you know they'll be back up for re-election in two, four or six years," he said. "But constitutional amendments endure. This November we hope that every Texan will go to the polls and make their voices heard."

Texans are increasingly using early voting, which runs through Nov. 4 for the constitutional amendments. In some recent statewide elections, early voting has accounted for about one-third of the total ballots cast.

The activist group No Nonsense in November, which opposes the same-sex marriage ban, is hoping low turnout will help defeat Proposition 2. "It's hard to believe that Texas — of all states — can turn the tide that is sweeping across the nation," the group's Web site says. "As strange as it may seem, with historically low voter turnout expected, Texas is uniquely positioned to become the first state to defeat a Marriage Amendment."

I'd say that is optimistic, but you Texas Blenders out there, how hot has the issue been in the press? We already know that Gov. Rick Perry thinks amending the state's constitution is one of his priorities.

Also see:
* Homo-hating TX Gov Rick Perry spams for marriage amendment votes
* TX bible beaters hold voter drive for marriage amendment, Rick Perry re-election
* Houston pols come out against marriage amendment

Insiders see hint of Miers pullout

That's the headline at the WaTimes. As all over the Harriet Makeover Projects^TM have spontaneously combusted, the backup plans are under way in case she pulls out before the hearings, or more likely if she melts down during the hearings. Considering the events over the last week (the questionnaire "do-over"), I suppose even the dunces in the White House know this nomination is toast.

"White House senior staff are starting to ask outside people, saying, 'We're not discussing pulling out her nomination, but if we were to, do you have any advice as to how we should do it?' " a conservative Republican with ties to the White House told The Washington Times yesterday. The White House denied making such calls. "Absolutely not true," White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

But a conservative political consultant with ties to the White House said that he had received such a query from Sara Taylor, director of the Office of White House Political Affairs. Miss Taylor denied making any such calls.

...A second Republican, who is the leader of a conservative interest group and has ties to the White House, confirmed that the White House is making calls to a select group of conservative activists who are not employed by the government.

"The political people in the White House are very worried about how she will do in the hearings," the second conservative leader said. "I think they have finally awakened."

An interesting aspect of this article is the intimation that Karl Rove's "troubles" are taking him away from the Harriet Project, and it's all unraveling because the rest of the White House clowns don't know what to do.

Just who in the White House may have asked Miss Taylor to seek advice from outside about the best way to drop Miss Miers' nomination without causing excessive embarrassment to the president or to her was unclear.

Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove no longer appears to fill the role as chief political strategist in the White House, a role he has filled from the start of the first Bush term. Mr. Rove's clear leadership hand went missing some time ago, the leaders say, when speculation grew that he might face indictment in the CIA leak investigation led by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

The Freepers just don't know who to blame for this mess.

Actual Freeper Quotes™

"Look what happens when Rove is "out of the loop" and Andy Card fills in for awhile. Can we expect more of the same for the remainder of the term?"

"The buck stops at GWB. All else is excuse."

"YEP, you're sooooo right...Go Hillary, beat John, win over our RINO's who like to play the blame game like the demonRATs do!"

"Blame Laura Bush for this one."

"Amen..I did not crawl thru broken glass for Rove or Card..I did for W and nothing else..He's president...not those two."

"I didn't either. But it now appears that one or the other has actually been driving the train for quite some time. Which, in turn, leads to some interesting questions . . . ."

"Folks, even the W Times doesn't have any idea what is going on. GW Bush picked Miers because he knows her philosophy. He doesn't care if you don't trust him. He is a brick wall and you all know it. "



"Bush makes the decisions, not Card or Rove."

"Therein lies the problem. Bush and his minions took conservatives for granted one time too many."

"Look what happens when Rove is "out of the loop" and Andy Card fills in for awhile. Card is from Massachusetts. Need I say more?"

"Hey, a fall guy could be useful this debacle. The White House could blame Card, withdraw Miers, appoint Edith Jones. Problem solved. Everyone is happy, but the Demonrats."

"I just don't think Bush has the political capital to appoint a moderate if Miers withdraws. Of course I could be wrong, maybe he likes Jimmy Carter style approval numbers, but I doubt it."

"You underestimate the power of the party faithful. They will crush the insurgency, the purists, the one percenters, the whole-loafers."

"Pretty sad state of affairs when a party thinks it has to crush its rank and file in order to protect its leaders' egos."



"Bring it on!!!! After being lied to "most qualified nominee", if there must be war, war will be had. It's sad, I used to crush lefies who said "Bush lies" because they couldn't come up with one I couldn't refute. Now there is one I can't refute "HM is the most qulified nominee""

"I see, George is tough enough to stand up to all his critics about Iraq, but will bow to his wife's wishes? You're all nuts."

"Thye buck stops with Bush, and he has disappointed time after time."

"Yes. A fall guy (Card) is needed. No point putting the President through more than necessary. Simply nominate Jones. And, he could even nominate Miers to Jones' position on the appeals court once Jones is confirmed."

"Did you read the thread about how the WH was going to "turn the screws" on Conservative Senators who had expressed reservations about Miers? How come we never read any threads on him "turning the screws" on the Moderates who derailed several of his other nominations? Zero competent leadership, and the proof is that the Presidents party has 55 seats in the Senate, and he can't even get his picks up for a vote, much less confirmed. So sad."

"Card = Nice guy, good manager, bad political advisor. Mark Raicoit perhaps would be a better replacement?"

"You know...I for one am getting pretty damned sick and tired of clicking threads and seeing you on every thread taking pot shots at the President. Why don't you get lost? You add nothing to either side of an arguement you just take your shots at W. You're really starting to look like a DUmmy disruptor to me."

"Lets see, GWB was the Man because he only nominated "our guys to the bench". Miers must know what he was looking for cause she was in charge of the venting process. Bush knows her better than ANYBODY else that could have picked. That means that he sold us out. I think I must have missed something."

"ann coulter's ego seems unchecked especially when she is on bill maher's show. Too bad her appetite isn't as big as her ego."

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith outed; will people of note ever willingly come out?

Smith once chatted me up in a New York City gay piano bar, bought me drinks, and invited me back to his place. When I declined, he asked me to dinner the next night, another invitation I politely refused. We sat at the bar chatting and drinking martinis until 3 a.m., our conversation interrupted only when he paused to belt out the lyrics to whatever showtune was being performed.

-- Washington Blade Managing Editor Kevin Naff, on getting hit on by showtune aficionado Shepard Smith

Just getting around to surfing some of my regular pitstops, and both BlogActive and Julien's List point me to a great editorial, which dovetails nicely with my earlier post on the present-day Hollywood celluloid closet.

Washington Blade Managing Editor Kevin Naff was propositioned by Faux News anchor Shep Smith, and Naff decided to write about it. The Blade, you may know, has had a position that it won't out public figures, so this development was a surprise.

The editorial is broader though. It addresses outing and the cowardice of the famous and powerful.

When rich, famous, wildly successful Americans refuse to acknowledge their sexual orientation, they contribute to keeping us at the margins of society and send a message that homosexuality is somehow shameful.

There is nothing more ridiculous than a public figure refusing to reveal whether he or she is straight — no heterosexual person would deny being straight.

He goes on to describe the barely closeted Anderson Cooper, who won't say one way or another for attribution.

Cooper, the popular CNN anchor, coyly refused to answer “the question” in a recent lengthy profile in New York magazine. Though long rumored to be gay — he once suggested he is gay in comments made at a GLAAD Media Awards event — Cooper chooses the closet over honesty.

“The whole thing about being a reporter is that you’re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in,” Cooper told New York magazine, “and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.”

Does he believe that female and African-American reporters lack credibility to cover stories since their minority status is showing? Should any heterosexuals who let it slip that they’re married to someone of the opposite sex be kept off the air, or does his rule apply only to gay journalists?

Exactly. It all tumbles out so easily when the person is straight. For gay people of note to come out certainly poses less risk that if the average queer person kicked open the door, yet these public figures suddenly find discussion of who they are seeking or are partnered with is "private." Oh? I see no evidence in my US Weekly, that heterosexual celebs and news figures have any problem talking about who they are dating and mating.

Jodie Foster’s recent film “Flightplan” spent two weeks atop the box office charts. She, too, continues to refuse any discussion of her private life.

Incredibly, even Sean Hayes, who plays the flamboyantly gay character Jack on NBC’s “Will & Grace,” won’t say whether he’s gay. Maybe when his hit show ends its run this year and the acting roles dry up, Hayes will muster the “courage” to appear on the cover of the Advocate.

And then Naff wraps it all up and ties it with a bow. It's exactly how I feel about this.

The biggest sleeping asset in the fight for full gay equality lies in the shadows of the closet. When we live openly, we force those around us to reconsider their negative views of homosexuality. That’s when the stereotypes give way to understanding and real change occurs.

No Human Rights Campaign ad campaign in the “red states” can produce the impact of gays who live in those states actually coming out.

How can we expect the construction worker making $20,000 a year to come out when the rich and pampered are still hiding in the closet? How will gays living in Peoria find the fortitude to live honest lives, when the gay denizens of New York and Hollywood won’t?

No one is asking Anderson Cooper to wear a pink triangle on the air or Jodie Foster to ride with the “Dykes on Bikes” contingent. Simply acknowledging the truth — whatever it is — would be enough.

We need role models and spokespeople to boost visibility, increase understanding and, most importantly, to inspire those living less privileged lives to come out and stand up to those who would deny us the right to marry, to adopt children and to go to work free from the prospect of legal discrimination.

Bravo.

Also see: Fight or flight, queer edition

The present-day celluloid closet

Fifties movie idol Tab Hunter recently published his autobiography, featuring an eye-opening look on his life as a gay actor in Hollywood when the closet was king. Having a starlet on your arm was a necessity if you were a gay man that wanted a successful career.

He wondered, in an interview in the Philly Inquirer, whether there's been any progress in the land of make-believe in terms of major movie stars kicking open the closet door.

Have things changed? So few big-name actors are out that the nation's few gay magazines stock their covers with nongay stars playing queer roles. A major film about two cowboys called Brokeback Mountain is about to be released, two cowboys in love, two cowboys afraid, two cowboys in a closet as big as all outdoors. We can already see the interview: Yeah, I had to kiss a dude, but I shut my eyes and thought about his hottie sister. They always say that.

So what's stopping you, Oscar-winner with yet another forgettable opus on the charts, or you, drop-dead-handsome lead with wrong-gender eye candy on your arm? Do you think you'll be importuned to raise money for causes that embarrass you, or be forced to grin and wave to hordes of ravenous gay teens? You do anyway.

A good actor can play any role, but sometimes the acting should stop.

No kidding. In a town full of gay folks at high levels of the industry, there is still plenty of room for homophobia based on the need to make a buck. Execs are nervous afraid of box office tanking based on any inkling of a portrayal of gay relationships or same-sex encounters (outside of indy films of course).



Look at the Oliver Stone film Alexander. The film's poor performance was blamed for scenes depicting same-sex acts between principal characters, by the director himself, who re-edited the film for release on DVD to pacify the bible beating set, back in May:

Director Oliver Stone has cut the gay references from his "Alexander" movie for the DVD version of the 2004 flop. Stone claimed his epic was unpopular with American audiences because of the subtle homosexual content.

He said, "They didn't even read the reviews in the South because the media was using the words: 'Alex is Gay.' As a result you can bet that they thought, 'We're not going to see a film about a military leader that has got something wrong with him.'"

In the DVD version, the relationship between Colin Farrell's Alexander the Great character and Hephaistion -- played by Jared Leto -- will be portrayed as simply a friendship. However, fans of Rosario Dawson will be pleased to know more angles of her character Roxanne's naked exposure will be included in the DVD.

Universal is so paranoid of homo-sex that the planned biopic of the life of Brit singer Dusty Springfield is going to be whitewashed of any lesbianism. And this was a woman that did eventually come out.



An anonymous Universal executive that was asked about the excision of Dusty's lesbian affairs said, "Film-goers are growing weary of overt scenes of homosexuality." WTF?

I guess Tab was right. Not much has changed. If these kinds of decisions are going on in Hollywood boardrooms, is it any surprise that PR gurus to the stars still keep their meal tickets locked away in the closet?

Strangely enough, some of our favorite TV stars of the past never played it straight, even if they never came out:



Is there anyone who didn't think Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) was queer as the day is long? And how about one of my favorite game show queens, Charles Nelson Reilly?

OK, gossip time, since it's a Saturday and all -- which stars need to come on out of the closet already?

Also see:
* Fox News anchor Shepard Smith outed; will people of note ever willingly come out?

* Classic Hollywood teen idol Tab Hunter comes way out in autobiography

Hat tip to Jennifer at Intous

Saturday night insanity

I saw this one up at Agitprop and couldn't resist. Blogenfreude's post is on this unbelievable dolt from the Midwest that tossed away almost a quarter of a million bucks at an "adult establishment" getting lap dances and who knows what else.

Sometimes I miss living in New York. When it comes to tabloid coverage of essential insanity like this, no one does it better than the Post and the Daily News. This tongue-wagger is from the NYDN:

A married business executive who dropped $241,000 during one wild night at Scores was an insatiable customer who hired a virtual harem of lap dancers, a strip club source told the Daily News yesterday.

Robert McCormick, 40, an Internet company CEO and Midwestern father of three girls, took over the exclusive President's Club when he showed up with some cronies the night of Oct. 22, 2003, the source said.

In the mirrored room, popular with high rollers and celebrities, the stripper enthusiast demanded 10 dancers lavish him with attention at the eye-popping cost of $4,000 an hour.

When their time was up, McCormick insisted club managers bring more girls - and keep them coming. "I need 10 more," he would say after the hour's entertainment was over, waving his arms like he was motioning a jumbo jet in for a landing, according to the source.

Later in the article, it turns out that after running up the huge tab on his corporate Amex card, McCormick said "psyche" and didn't pay up when the monthly bill came due. Amex is suing Scores because they feel the charges are padded. Unfortunately, McCormick signed a waiver to prove he authorized the charges presented by the company while he was getting "serviced."

"I am at Scores of my own free will. At the time of this transaction I am not drunk nor in any way impaired. I have not been coerced nor am I currently under any duress. I agree to pay any and all charges I have incurred as a result of my purchase of diamond dollars and/or food or beverages."

Notice it doesn't say anything specific about the babes, so I'm sure this will be tied up in legal knots for a long time to come.

Here's a sampling of equally entertaining NY tabloid headlines -- a real blast from the past. (New York Mag):

FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD
(Daily News, 1975)

HEADLESS BODY IN TOPLESS BAR
(New York Post, 1982)

‘I AM DEATH WISH VIGILANTE’
(Bernie Goetz turns himself in; Post, 1985)

MARLA: ‘BEST SEX I EVER HAD’
(Post, 1990)

AMY’S NUDE ROMPS IN JAIL
(Post, 1993)

KISS YOUR ASTEROID GOODBYE!
(Meteor misses earth; Post, 1998)

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
(Senate fails to convict Clinton; News, 1999)

FROM A BIG HOUSE TO THE BIG HOUSE
(Lizzie Grubman sentenced; News, 2002)

AXIS OF WEASEL
(Post, 2003)

Mike Tidmus slimes the DeLay mugshot

Mike's way too kind to me in this post, but it's funny. He's referring to my post earlier in the week on the sleazebag former exterminator's booking. I like the little sign o' the fish on his lapel, Mike. :)

Here's one to go on future lapels:

Pam Spaulding feels cheated by Texas Republican Congressman Tom DeLay’s much-anticipated mug shot. I can only imagine that Pam, the hardest working blogger in the blog-o-sphere, must have been handed one of those phony, heavily-PhotoShopped versions of the mug shot being furtively distributed by DeLay’s legal team. We can’t have Pam Spaulding feeling cheated now, can we?

So, here’s the real thing, completely unretouched by human hands (I used a mouse!). Note: absolutely no pixels were harmed and no predominately Democratic districts in Texas were gerrymandered in the creation of the image above.

Mike's got plenty of other Slime covers for you over at his place:

* slime slimed (11 October 05)

* ex-queen babs slimed (18 September 05)

* ratzi slimed (14 August 05)

* creationism slimed (14 August 05)

* turd blossom uncovered (18 July 05)

* coulterdice uncovered (20 April 05)

Dog day afternoon

Today it was overcast, but it was time to bathe the beasts.



Bailey, the Lab-Weimeraner mix, she was pretty fragrant. Anyone that owns a Lab knows those natural skin oils just function all year long, so if they are house pets, they need a regular bath. Plus she sheds like all get-out, which is why we have a Dyson vacuum.



Tonka, the Rhodesian Ridgeback is very fastidious, he doesn't like to get wet or dirty. They don't shed a lot, and rarely need bathing if they are housepets. I think I bathed my last Ridgeback Red maybe once a year; Tonka will probably need 2-3 a year.

Chloe, the Bichon Frise (up in the first pic of Tonka) hates getting a bath, but she's the dirtiest one of the lot. She adores being in the backyard and gets into everything. She watched the others get soaped up with peppermint Dr. Bronner's shampoo, but she got her turn in the bathtub after we finished off Tonka and Bailey.

The 'Olsen twins' of the White Pride movement

"We're proud of being white, we want to keep being white. We want our people to stay white … we don't want to just be, you know, a big muddle. We just want to preserve our race."

-- Thirteen-year-old Lynx Gaede, who, with her sister Lamb, are white nationalist singing group "Prussian Blue"

Oy, this is sad and sick. It makes you want to hurl. (ABC):

The girls from Bakersfield, Calif., have been performing songs about white nationalism before all-white crowds since they were nine.

...Lynx and Lamb have been nurtured on racist beliefs since birth by their mother April. "They need to have the background to understand why certain things are happening," said April, a stay-at-home mom who no longer lives with the twins' father. "I'm going to give them, give them my opinion just like any, any parent would."

April home-schools the girls, teaching them her own unique perspective on everything from current to historical events. In addition, April's father surrounds the family with symbols of his beliefs — specifically the Nazi swastika. It appears on his belt buckle, on the side of his pick-up truck and he's even registered it as his cattle brand with the Bureau of Livestock Identification.

...Songs like "Sacrifice" — a tribute to Nazi Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy Fuhrer — clearly show the effect of the girls' upbringing. The lyrics praise Hess as a "man of peace who wouldn't give up."

This sorry story reminds me of the horror of seeing children parading around at Westboro Baptist Church protests. This is what happens when children are infused with hate from day one. And they worry about gays having a negative impact on kids? Parents like the Gaedes and the Phelps clan are the real threat.

'Ex-gay' James Hartline: Repug group will promote the homo agenda

It seems like this guy pops up every other week, uttering some kind of nonsense. "Former homo" James Hartline is now worrying about a Republican "cabal" that's not just going soft on homos, but it is working to promote normalization of the deviant behavior he's worked so hard to escape. He's probably losing sleep at night.

California-based Christian activist who spent 30 years in the homosexual lifestyle says Christians need to be aware of an organization known as the Republican Unity Coalition, which he believes has stayed under the "Christian radar." According to its own website, the Coalition -- "a gay-straight alliance of Republican leaders, working to encourage tolerance and to address concerns of gay and lesbian Americans" -- came about as an outgrowth of the George W. Bush campaign in 2000.


Simpson, Ford and Kolbe are too down with the homos for Hartline.

Christian activist James Hartline says the RUC has one goal: "to make homosexuality a non-issue within the Republican Party." He contends the group will "turn the party into pacifists when it comes to dealing with the gay agenda." And Hartline says the RUC has some pretty heavy hitters, including a former Republican senator and president. He points out that retired Senator Alan Simpson is the group's honorary chairman, and that the RUC Advisory Board includes former President Gerald Ford as well as Jim Kolbe, a homosexual congressman from Arizona. "These are liberal Republicans who are not strong advocates of Christian conservatism," the former homosexual states. Hartline says the RUC is fully committed to opposing a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Closeted Heterosexual Deputy Chief of Staff Ken Mehlman?

In the WaPo today, more desperation:

Out of the hushed hallway encounters and one-on-one conversations, several scenarios have begun to emerge if Rove or vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis Libby is indicted and forced out. Senior GOP officials are developing a public relations strategy to defend those accused of crimes and, more importantly, shield Bush from further damage, according to Republicans familiar with the plans. And to help steady a shaken White House, they say, the president might bring in trusted advisers such as budget director Joshua B. Bolten, lobbyist Ed Gillespie or party chairman Ken Mehlman.

...Mehlman, who was White House political director before becoming chairman of the Republican National Committee, has been a key adviser, although some colleagues worry that bringing in the party chief might send too political a message. [ROTFLOL!! With all the shills and hacks in this Administration, what message do they intend to send?] Some close to the White House suggest Clay Johnson III, the deputy budget director who was Bush's chief of staff in the Texas governor's office, could be part of a reconstituted team. Attention has also focused on former White House counselor Karen P. Hughes, but she was just confirmed by the Senate as undersecretary of state and seems unlikely to leave.

Please, if the Chimp starts crying, he'll call Mommy Hughes in.

And Kenny Boy taking on Rove's role? As much as I'd wish for that -- it would provide endless use of The Picture -- but we'd be able to refer to him as Closeted Heterosexual Deputy Chief of Staff Ken Mehlman. Chances are he'll be Dreired^TM, though, and would be out of the running in short order.

The article continues, and you get the sense the White House is a haunted mansion, with spooks and ghouls scaring the be-jesus out of staffers, who are paranoid about discussing anything related to people getting indicted, resigning or dropping dead (Cheney).

Some GOP officials outside the White House say they believe the president rejects the idea that there is anything fundamentally wrong with his presidency; others express concern that Bush has strayed so far from where he intended to be that it may require drastic action.

...At the White House and among its close allies, discussion about Rove's fate is verboten -- in part out of fear and in part out of ignorance about what his legal vulnerability actually is. No one in the White House wants to talk about an indictment. As another former official said, "No one wants to believe anything's going to happen." Nor do people easily discuss other staff changes. "Anyone who talks about that kind of stuff should be shot," said a third Republican with close ties to the White House.

Is anyone else enjoying this meltdown as much as I am?

Hat tip, Shakes Sis.

Kansas courts can't single out gay teens

Surprisingly, a Kansas judge was able to see this clearly. Underage sex is underage sex, and the fact that a case may involve gay sex shouldn't mean the punishment should be more severe.

ansas cannot punish illegal underage sex more severely if it involves homosexual conduct, the state's highest court ruled unanimously Friday in a case watched by national groups on both sides of the gay rights debate.

The Supreme Court said in a unanimous ruling that a law that specified such harsher treatment and led to a 17-year prison sentence for an 18-year-old defendant "suggests animus toward teenagers who engage in homosexual sex."

The defendant, Matthew R. Limon, has been behind bars since he was convicted in 2000 of performing a sex act on a 14-year-old boy. Had one of them been a girl, the state's "Romeo and Juliet" law would have dictated a maximum sentence of 15 months.

The court said Limon should be resentenced within 30 days as if the law treated illegal gay sex and illegal straight sex the same, and it struck language from the law that resulted in the different treatment.

It's clear that this kind of sentencing is crazy -- what difference does it make if the parties are the same sex when a crime of this kind is committed?

Some may argue about what age should be considered the age of consent, but that's not the issue here. Attorney General Phill Kline's office considers the defendant a predator because of two prior offenses of a similar nature -- and required tough sentencing. Yeah, OK, so?

The problem is Kline's office wants to treat an illegal homosexual act as somehow more depraved and deserving of a stiffer punishment for no apparent reason except homophobia -- and that's what was outlined in a lower court ruling. It said that the state could justify the harsher punishment as "protecting children's traditional development, fighting disease or strengthening traditional values."

* Also see: Kansas AG Seeks late-term abortion records, including sex life history

Cookie-cutter Bush propaganda editorials

[UPDATE: the editorial-o-matic author is identified!]

Chris Kromm at Facing South is right to wonder about the origin of several editorials that contain the same following paragraph:

One of the smartest things President Bush did to reduce recovery costs in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita was to suspend Davis-Bacon Act rules in the hardest hit states. But Congress is frantically trying to overrule the president, which would add billions of dollars to the already staggering recovery costs.

The almost-identical editorials appear in:
* Appeal-Democrat (Marysville-Yuba City, California)
* Daily News (Jacksonville, NC)
* The Free Press (Kinston, NC)
* Gazette.com (Colorado Springs)

As Chris notes, these are presented as unsigned editorials, which the reader will assume is a paper's original opinion piece - and the Colorado paper's headline on the "editorial" is "Our View."

The Bush propaganda to drive worker's wages down in the Gulf Coast is incredible; the editors of these newspapers are tools of the machine.

***

UPDATE: and it's hacktacular: The cookie cutter editorial writer decloaks.

Facing South's comments are peppered with links to additional papers running variations on the editorial. This is something Keith Olbermann should be taking a look at.

The author of the editorial-o-matic is Sean Paige, editorial page editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette. Who is this dude? He's right out of the GOP machine...From Sourcewatch:

From his bio at CEI.

According to a brief biographical profile supplied to the National Journalism Center, Paige attended a course in summer 1988 and has subsequently been "editorial page editor, Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, reporter, Insight, editor, WasteWatch (DC), staff assistant for communications, White House, analyst, Media Research Center, Warren Brookes fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute, director of press relations, Citizens Against Government Waste, press assistant, Representative Robert Lagomarsino, press secretary, Keyes for Senate [Oh gawd.], published in Chicago Tribune ,Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Washington Times".

You also might want to check out this 2002 Public Eye article from the Colorado Springs Independent on Sean Paige, written as he was coming on board at The Gazette:

So what can we expect from our new right-wing ideologue? Well, let's take a look at his background: From 1988 to 1989, Paige worked as a personal aide to John Sununu. Three years later Paige worked as the press secretary for Alan Keyes.

John Sununu! Alan Keyes! How can we possibly decide which of these powerbars taste better?

...Of course, it isn't fair to judge a man merely by the politicians he once worked for. But it is relevant to consider the kind of leaders that gets Paige's juices flowing.

So what has Paige been doing since the Sununu/Keyes salad days? Besides working as a columnist for a publication owned by the above-mentioned Washingtom Times, for the past two years, he has also worked as an adjunct fellow and editorial director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

According to PR Watch, the Institute postures itself as an advocate of "sound science," but, in fact, "is an ideologically driven, well-funded front for corporations opposed to safety and environmental regulations that affect the way they do business."

In another piece the following week, we find out how Freedom Communications' philosophy of journalism works.

...let's take a look at how The Gazette is pretending that some of its writers, who work in other states, are actually on staff and crafting their prose from the home office at 30 S. Prospect.

In a widely criticized move earlier this year, The Gazette's owner, Freedom Communications, based in Orange County, Calif., launched an exercise in what it calls "joint content." Essentially, the suits upstairs decided that film reviewing, travel and food were pretty much the same wherever you go.

So why on earth should staffers at three different papers specialize in those beats? Why not have just one film reviewer, one travel editor and one food editor write for their three largest publications, the Freedom flagship Orange County Register, The Gazette and the Mesa, Ariz. East Valley Tribune?

..."Basically it was a decision at the corporate level," said Warner. "It's not something we were solicited about; it was a business decision and one I'm not going to Monday morning quarterback."

I guess in 2005 it also applies to Sean's hacktacularly-crafted editorials as well. Sweet.

***

While surfing about for more information on Sean, I came across one of his Hannity and Colmes appearances that you may want to check out, while he was at the Competitive Enterprise Institute: Are Government Regulations Causing More Shark Attacks?. You have to read it.

Conservative group slams Ann Coulter in a documentary

From The BradBlog.

"9/11 brought out the worst in Ann Coulter. She proclaimed a crusade against pagans and a jihad against liberals. Coulter advocated slaughtering civilians, ethnic cleansing and identity papers."

-- narration from The Truth About Ann, a new documentary by conservative Daniel Borchers

The intellectually bankrupt, bed-worn b*tch of the wingnut set, Ann Coulter, has seen her base begin to bail on her, as the deranged columns and speaking engagements, full of her trademark meaningless, hate-filled vitriol, turn people off.

Brad Friedman of The BradBlog, who chased Ann off the air earlier this month in a debate on Ron Insana's radio show, is probably getting a good laugh out of this development.

Conservative Daniel Borchers of the organization Citizens for Principled Conservatism (CPC) is producing a documentary called The Truth About Ann, which is going to heap more misery onto the beast as potent as anything Michael Moore could have doled out. His purpose is to call out Ann's hypocrisy and bigotry, and the fact that ultimately, she's a phony conservative media whore out for the buxxx.

Borchers gets bonus points for planning the release of the documentary to coincide with the release of Coulter's next book. Yummy.

The Truth About Ann, the documentary DVD currently in-production promises to "expose the extremist nature of Conservatism's preeminent diva and reigning political icon," according to a press release given to The BRAD BLOG by CPC. The film is said to examine "Coulter's worldview, and the extremist polemics used to promote it."

"Ann Coulter is mainstreaming extremism within the Conservative Movement," warns Borchers. "Coulter has hijacked a substantial segment of the Conservative Movement and is re-creating it in her image. Her 'New McCarthyism' is poisoning millions of minds."

Brad's got the entire "Gospel of Ann" presentation, converted to Windows Media Player Video at his pad.

The racist man-vessel of the right wing elite has had to deal with some indiginities in the last few months...

* If you live in Tucson, Ariz., you won't find Ann's rants because the Arizona Daily Star dropped the WorldNetDaily columnist. The editor and publisher says, "many readers find her shrill, bombastic and mean-spirited."

* In August, the right-wing blow-up doll was dumped as a speaker at Harding University, a Christian institution. The director of public relations said "We began to have second thoughts of the image that [Coulter] portrays in some of her presentations," and that the university did not want to be associated with Coulter's reputation for being "mean-spirited."


Time. (Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

It's likely Ann will always find some core Freepi fan base willing to shell out money for her latest book, but it will be interesting to see how many more movement conservatives abandon her. As one remarked in the Time April cover story on Coulter:

Some conservatives—many of them Coulter's rivals for screen time, as she points out—have also drawn their knives. "Ann's stuff isn't very serious," says a pundit who didn't want to begin a public spat with Coulter. "We have this argument every now and then among our side: whether she is a net minus or net plus to conservatism. I have come to the conclusion that she's a minus." Even fans speak of Coulter in ways that suggest some distance: "I think Ann is a brilliant girl, and she's got the quickest mouth in the East," says the Rev. Jerry Falwell. "Now, I probably won't use her on Sunday morning in my church because she is capable of getting a little aggressive."

The Blend is featured in an MTV.com article

I did an interview with MTV Online a while ago ago, and the article is now up, Diary to the Masses: Blogging Teens Learn the Pros & Cons of Publishing to the Web.

It's a good article on the issues teens face when choosing to blog, given what you say is broadcast all over the Web. This was certainly something that played out in the case of Zach, the young man that came out to his fundamentalist parents, who then placed him in a Love In Action "ex-gay" facility. He blogged about it and clearly had no idea of the impact his journal would have as word spread about the events going on in his life (I posted quite a bit on it). A snippet:

Young people have been using the Internet as a safe mode of communication for years. But the standard format has evolved from connecting through private chat room to letting the world in through blogs, the latest incarnation of the Doogie Howser-style electronic diary.

...But bloggers do face potential unintended consequences when they decide to type out their lives in cyberspace. The New York Times and dozens of other worldwide news outlets were able to use Zach's words - because he put them in the public sphere. In his most recent entry, Zach said he "feels annoyed towards a lot of things."

...But with so many eyes on your writing, there is always a risk that your message can be used in ways you cannot control, said blogger Pamela Spaulding, who established Pam's House Blend last summer to focus on LGBT issues in the months leading up to the presidential election.

"There's certainly a risk, because it's public," Spaulding said. "You're not writing in a personal journal that you can tuck back in your dresser drawer. You can share with people that you don't know, because you feel that you like them. But you're also sharing with everybody else."

Pam's House Blend has taken off in popularity and has received over 200,000 hits since its inception [It's up to 362,981 visits as of this AM, 15,197 this week]. BlogActive.com, listed as the most popular LGBT-focused progressive blog by the New Politics Institute, receives more than 13,000 weekly hits.

Nonetheless, Spaulding, Bowman and Lamont agree that the benefits of blogging far outweigh the risks - and the chances that personal entries will attract the kind of attention that Zach's did are slim.

"I think that it can help bolster the confidence of the person involved," Spaulding said. "If you're sharing stories about coming out to your parents, people who have already gone through that can give you advice, maybe even predict the possible reaction of your parents. I think it's more helpful than not."

Project 21 nutcase: blacks should thank God for slavery

Unhinged black conservative Mychal Massie, getting chummy with Rick "Man-on-Dog" Santorum; winger radio host Janet Parshall feels she's Mychal's "sister" under the skin...

Ah...I haven't written about this clown, Mychal Massie, in quite some time. Media Matters has audio and a transcript of Massie making an ass out of himself on the air. He's like a bad penny -- he'll turn up sooner or later. Massie, you see, is a member of the shady Project 21, the "National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives." He got a tad overenthusiastic in his wingnuttery.

On the October 18 edition of the syndicated radio show Janet Parshall's America, Project 21 national advisory council member and columnist for conservative website WorldNetDaily.com Mychal Massie declared to host Janet Parshall that African-American churches today "have succumbed to hatred" and "disobedience to God." Massie went on to proclaim that "the black people today that curse America are cursing God because if God had not permitted the Ashanti and Dahomey tribes of ancient Africa to trap other Africans and sell them to Muslims, who sold them to Europeans, we would not have what we have today." Parshall praised Massie for his "straight talk" -- the name of a program Massie hosts on the conservative website Rightalk.com -- and called him "brother.

What's amusing about this story is that it's a less-than-six-degrees-of-separation from our man of the day, Tom DeLay. More on that later.

I blogged about this sad Project 21 organization at my pad back in January. Project 21 is not a free-standing organization; it is an "initiative" of the conservative think tank, The National Center for Public Policy Research. The sole purpose of Project 21 is to provide token talking head media whores to represent the right wing when they need a splash of color. They will always be able find someone to Tom for the Right.

It's too bad they can't find anyone intelligent to shill for the wingers. I imagine after the Bush Administration's performance during and after Katrina, it's kind of hard for P21 thicken its ranks if they are looking for black folks that have consumed gallons of the Mehlman Kool-Aid.

It's doubly sad because they couldn't even find a brother to run the joint. P21 headed up by the curiously pale David Almasi, who, as Media Matters points out, previously worked for the Reed Irvine-created batsh*t group Accuracy in Academia.



How is this tied to DeLay? Terrible Tom's friend, lobbyist Jack Abramoff gets around. He's affiliated with The National Center for Public Policy Research. Media Matters:

Roll Call reported on October 19 that Jack Abramoff, a former NCPPR board member, used the organization to funnel $25,000 he received in lobbying fees from an Internet gaming company "to pay for foreign trips for Members of Congress and staff." Roll Call noted, as did The Washington Post, that this money was used to help fund a May 2000 golfing trip to St. Andrews, Scotland, that included former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX).

And here's a priceless photo for you, just to prove that P21 is firmly in bed with those in the know:


...Orrin Hatch in a loving embrace with P21 member Mychal Massie.

Hat tip, Blogenfreude at Agitprop.

Fun with DeLay

House Blender Grayseeker surfed over to Awfulplasticsurgery.com (a great, if weird site, BTW, for looking at before/after celeb shots), which got in on the DeLay fun today. I never paid attention to the guy's nostrils. He's too creepy to keep your eyes on him for any length of time.


From Stealth Lesbian: U.S. Congressman Tom "The Dirt Bag" DeLay was ordered to appear for booking on state conspiracy and money laundering charges. Stealth Lesbian has obtained an unofficial photo of DeLay in booking from insider sources. Yes!!!!

Planning for future discrimination

It's interesting. I guess most of these religious organizations are not sure what to do with the possibility of dealing with openly gay Christians, let alone married gay Christians.

The head of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship says its student leaders must be Christians who abide by biblical norms for purity. Alec Hill says that rules out anyone engaged in either a homosexual or heterosexual relationship outside marriage. Asked whether a homosexual who is legally married in Massachusetts could be a student leader, Hill says, "That hasn't come up yet, but it will." The InterVarsity president says, "There's legal authority and there's scriptural authority, and we would go with the higher authority" in defining marriage. The Christian student group's leadership qualifications have put it at odds with some universities' non-discrimination policies.

The ACLU: loved and hated by the Right

Mike Tidmus usually has some keen graphic that I want to see. This time I'm pointing to a post of his that you'll want to read on street preachers, the ACLU and the hypocrisy of the religious right, which slams the ACLU at every turn (most recently, see my post: Homosexual Activists Suspected of Pulling Students' Strings in GSA Lawsuit).

Mike's post is a great read.

GOP: Dumbest. Tactics. Ever.

This is desperation, plain and simple. Ken Mehlman is flailing.

The Republican National Committee today unveiled a new interactive Web-based news program entitled "In The Know," seeking to shore up support for Bush court nominee Harriet Miers and efforts to reach out to minority voters, RAW STORY has learned.

"In the Know" mimics a CNN-style news program. An olive-suited auburn-haired anchor sits in front of an ghosted capitol and two active LCD screens.

"Each edition of In The Know and all of GOP.com will keep you connected to President Bush," she says. To view the program, go to GOP.com.

I sullied my keyboard by surfing over to the site. Let me tell you, I nearly had to pick myself off of the floor after laughing so hard that it hurt.

Other segments of the show, "On the Move" and "Life of the Party," examine the latest GOP happenings and events. The first edition features the Republican celebration of Hispanic Heritage month and the RNC summer meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The "Life of the Party" segment is available in both English and Spanish.



"Mi partido is su partido," declares Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.

I moved on to the GOP blog, where I read some illuminating commentary from a party functionary, "eCampaign Staff Assistant" Katie MacGuidwin, in a post with the enlightening title, "More On Miers: Questionnaire Reveals Much More Important Info Than MSM Reported."

In an effort to ensure that you are getting all of the information regarding Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, not just what the main stream media chooses to report, each day we will give you “More on Miers.”

Katie cites a chunk of an answer to question 28, which deals with "her judicial philosophy and feelings on judicial activism." It's quite dry pre-digested stuff you'd expect. Katie also notes that Dallas Bar Association will endorse Harriet Miers. That's the same Bar Association, along with the State Bar of Texas, that Harriet (or her staff) can't quite seem to figure out what she was doing when, as Harriet attempted to fill out her questionnaire for the Judiciary Committee:

Dallas Bar Association (joined in 1971)
1984-1987 President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President
Date unknown: Chair of the Board
Date unknown: Vice Chair of the Board
Date unknown: Vice President, Activities and Administrative
Date unknown: Secretary
Date unknown: Member, Evaluation Committee, Committee for a Qualified Judiciary
Date unknown: Charter Fellow, Lifetime Member, Dallas Bar Foundation

I have made my best efforts to include all organizations of which I was a member. However, I may have been a member of other organizations for which I no longer have records.

DeLay is booked and released

This is not a normal mug shot. I want the real deal.

Cheated. Where's the little sign that you hold when they snap your pic? Why isn't there a profile view?

Rep. Tom DeLay turned himself Thursday in at the Harris County sheriff's office, where he was photographed, fingerprinted and released on bond on state conspiracy and money laundering charges.

"He posted $10,000 bond and they have left the bonding office," Lt. John Martin with the sheriff's department said.

DeLay, accompanied by his attorney, Dick DeGuerin, showed up about 12:15 p.m., appeared before a judge and was gone in less than 30 minutes, Martin said.

The appearance came a day after a state court issued an arrest warrant for DeLay and set an initial bail, a routine step before the Texas Republican's first court appearance Friday in Austin.

DeLay had been expected to make the appearance in his home county, Fort Bend, a suburban county southwest of Houston, where an entourage of media had been camped out awaiting him. Under Texas law he could check in anywhere in the state.

Calling all P'shop fiends -- he's given us a blank slate, so make him look like the criminal that he is.

Politics in the Great White North

A potty break on the campaign trail. U.S. political sideshows cannot top this, though Mr. Floatie could represent a good number of our elected officials.

Mr. Floatie, a community activist who dresses up in a feces costume to decry the pumping of raw sewage into the waters off British Columbia's capital, has withdrawn his name as a candidate for mayor.

The city had planned to challenge Mr. Floatie's candidacy in B.C. Supreme Court.

James Skwarok, the man inside the costume, said the city apparently took issue with his candidacy because only real people can run for municipal office.

"Of course I'm not a real person," Skwarok said earlier this week. "I'm a big piece of poop."

Church holding 'ex-gay' therapy on public school property

Rev. Ken Hutcherson, speaks to his Antioch Bible Church congregation in the Lake Washington High School gymnasium, where the church meets. The non-denominational church has more than 3,500 members.

Why is this happening?!

Concerned about 'ex-Gay therapy' being offered on Lake Washington High School property, staff from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Puget Sound testified before the district's five member school board last week.

GLSEN's Executive Director Robert Raketty and Education and Training Director Joe Bento, M. Ed., spoke out against the school district's rental of space to the Antioch Bible Church. Under the leadership of openly homophobic Rev. Ken Hutcherson, the church provides 'ex-Gay therapy' on school property every Sunday and is planning to host Exodus International's Groundswell 2005 conference - intended to teach clergy and youth how to proselytize to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth - at its Redmond, Washington, offices.

"We believe the agreement has created an untenable situation - one that interferes with the mission of Lake Washington High School," contended Raketty.

Hutcherson is best known for his opposition to marriage equality and his effort to get Microsoft to pull its support for a anti-discrimination bill in the state Legislature.

Earlier Blend posts featuring Hutcherson:

* Take action! Microsoft f*cks over gays
* OMG: Ken's new Barbie
* More on homo-bigot Ken Hutcherson

'Cheeseburger bill' puts bite on lawsuits

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would block lawsuits by people who blame fast-food chains for their obesity.

The "cheeseburger bill," as it has been dubbed in Congress, stems from class-action litigation that accused McDonald's of causing obesity in children.

The legislation's backers say matters of personal responsibility don't belong in the courts.

"As one judge put it, if a person knows or should know that eating copious orders of super-sized McDonald's products is unhealthy and could result in weight gain, it is not the place of the law to protect them from their own excesses," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

The bill seeks to thwart class-action obesity lawsuits against food manufacturers and restaurants.

I agree, to a point. If you don't know that a lifetime daily diet of Double Quarter Pounders with Cheese is going to eventually kill you, then your death from obesity is just weeding bad genes out of the pool.

However, I do expect some responsibility from the fast food industry in at least educating the public about the dangers of obesity and junk food. We expect tobacco companies and alcohol companies to put warning labels on their products and produce public ad campaigns touting how to quit smoking or how to drink responsibly. Why not fast food?

Moreover, why are food producers required to place nutritional content information on a bag of frozen french fries at the grocery, but not on cooked french fries at the McDonald's? That's all I ask for, is that every Big Mac wrapper, french fry holder, and soft drink cup be printed up with the same nutritional information the FDA requires of groceries.

Defenders of the industry would respond that all that information is available online or on a flier the restaurant will give you if you ask for it. OK, then why isn't that a viable alternative for groceries? Why is a manufacturer of bottled water forced to present all those zeroes on the nutrition label, but McDonald's can keep the fat content of a McNugget secret unless I specifically ask for it?

Finally, it is not always obvious to the consumer which choices are best for them. If you're trying to watch your fat intake, which is the better choice: the Fruit & Walnut Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette or a Cheeseburger and a Vanilla Ice Cream Cone? If you're watching carbs, is the Grilled Chicken Club a better choice than a Strawberry Sundae? If calories are your thing, should you go for the California Cobb Salad with Creamy Caesar Dressing or the 10 Piece Chicken McNuggets with two Spicy Buffalo sauces?

So let's compromise. If the fast food industry could agree to print nutritional information on their packaging, I could agree that they should never be sued for obesity-related claims. Seems fair to me.

(By the way, in case you're wondering, the second food choice in that list is the better food choice, according to McDonald's Nutritional Information online.)

Harriet doesn't know how to fill out the form

Harriet gets an "F" on her Judiciary Committee questionnaire, from both sides of the aisle. She better bone up pronto if she's going to get out of the gate; maybe good friend Condi can lend a hand on prep.

The top Republican and Democrat on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday told U.S. Supreme nominee Harriet Miers to elaborate on what they criticized as inadequate answers to a questionnaire prepared as part of an examination of her qualifications.

At a news conference, Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, described Miers' response to the questionnaire as "insufficient," and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, ranking Democrat, said some had complained the answers were even "insulting."



"Please prepare a supplement to your responses ... with as much detail, particularity and precision as possible," they wrote in a letter to Miers. It cited a number of areas, including her experience with constitutional issues and her brief suspension for nonpayment of dues to the D.C. bar association.

"We don't have enough in this questionnaire, the answers so far, to go forward," Specter said, complaining about what he called a "chaotic" confirmation process so far.

Don't take my word for it; you can see her responses here. Some sample answers...

State Bar of Texas
1991-1994 President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President
Date unknown: Director, Fact Finding Committee
Date unknown: Chair, Goals and Implementation Committee
Date unknown: Vice Chair, State Bar Antitrust Section Council
Date unknown: Chair and Vice Chair, Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters
Date unknown: Member, Administration of Justice Committee
Date unknown: Member, Directors Orientation Committee
Date unknown: Member, General Counsel Advisory Committee
Date unknown: Member, State Bar Litigation Section Council
Date unknown: Councilmember, Women in the Law Section

"I have made my best efforts to include all organizations of which I was a member. However, I may have been a member of other organizations for which I no longer have records."

"1989-1991: Chair, Railtran Advisory Committee. Contact information is not available."

"Dates unknown: Chair, Committee to Review City Budget Process, Contact information is not available."



"Dates not available: Member, Board of Directors, Tyler Cabot Mortgage Securities Fund, an investment company. Contact information is not available."

"In any instance in which I have not provided dates, my records do not indicate that information, and I have been unable to verify the dates of membership or service."

"Earlier this year, I received notice that my dues for the District of Columbia Bar were delinquent and as a result my ability to practice law in D.C. had been suspended. I immediately sent the dues in to remedy the delinquency. The non-payment was not intentioned, and I corrected the situation upon receiving the letter."



"The following list of speeches includes those I was able to locate after a diligent review of my records. I am confident that there are additional speeches, particularly prior to my appointment as Counsel to the President, to which I no longer have access or for which I did not prepare formal remarks. Although there may be press reports about these and other speeches that I have given, such reports are not all readily available to me. Any press reports I have located in my personal records regarding these or other speeches are included in my response to question 13d."

WTF is this?! Answers like the above go on and on and on, repeated many times. It's pathetic and really sad, come to think of it. She isn't ready for primetime, and the Chimp is leaving her out to dry, along with all of the rest of the folks he's trotting out to back her CV.

***

UPDATE: It's even worse than I thought. See the Raw Story article, "Miers provided misleading information to Judiciary Committee."

Miers also neglected to mention a class action lawsuit that accused the firm, Capstead Mortgage, of violating federal securities laws. The suit, which was later dismissed, came during the period Miers failed to include in her responses to the Senate questionnaire.

According to Capstead’s 1999 annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Miers remained on the board as late as March 9, 2000. Miers opted not to stand for re-election, and in April of 2000, the former senior managing director at Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc., Howard Rubin was voted on to the board and replaced her as chair of the Audit Committee.

But Miers 57-page questionnaire returned to the Senate on Tuesday claimed that her tenure at Capstead lasted only from January 1993 to 1997

When it's all going downhill, go after the homos

"This amendment represents, I think, the democratic process or the democratic response to recent and widespread efforts by activist courts to change this age-old definition of marriage."
-- Bonehead Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo), as he resurrected the FMA proposal

With the White House in chaos and the crooks and thieves on the Hill in trouble, it's time for a little diversion.

There's a fresh push by the Repug homo-haters on the Federal Marriage amendment; the Senate Sub Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution is holding hearings today, receiving testimony from those on both sides of the measure. The oh-so-pious attempt to keep marriage out of the hands of the Homosexual Agenda^TM was reintroduced in January after failing last year, and a House version was submitted in March.

An interesting witness in opposition to an amendment is Dr. Christopher Harris, assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He is a gay man, and has a 3-year-old daughter. His perspective, as a one of more than 750 pediatricians also opposed to the Federal Marriage Amendment, is that healthy families and kids result when gay and lesbian couples are able to form stable, legally recognized unions. And isn't a stable loving family what the Right is ceaselessly promoting? (365gay.com):

Harris said he will tell the sub committee that he agrees with the findings of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that there are no relevant studies of the effect of parental sexual orientation on children that show any measurable effect on the quality of parent-child relationships or the children's mental health and successful socialization.

An analysis of the issue prepared for the AAP board of directors in July 2005, concluded, in part, that "Civil marriage is a social institution that promotes healthy families by conferring of a powerful set of rights, benefits and protections that cannot be obtained by other means.

Civil marriage can help foster psychosocial stability and financial and legal security as well as an augmented sense of societal acceptance and support. Legal recognition of a spouse can increase the ability of adult couples to provide and care for one another and fosters a more nurturing and secure environment for their children."

Of course, bible-beater conservatives are feeling let down by this Administration for not using up some of the political capital (and "mandate") the Chimperor had after the 2004 election to mount a campaign for FMA. Read the whining of Daniel Allott at Human Events. Saving marriage from the maurauding crowd of homos wanting to partake in oh, the little matter of civil equality seems to rank up there with Social Security reform in his mind.

Despite the perfect storm of judicial activism and vast public support for protecting marriage, a federal marriage amendment inexplicably continues to gather dust at the bottom of the president’s agenda.

In January, when asked about the prospects of a constitutional amendment, Bush simply shrugged and said it didn’t have enough votes, and “until that changes, nothing will happen in the Senate,” thus implying that there is nothing he can do. Since then, Bush has made no attempt to reassess the viability of an amendment.

While it is true that a federal marriage amendment does not yet have the support it needs to pass the Senate, neither did Social Security reform but that didn’t stop the president from spending enormous amounts of political capital to try and win over leery lawmakers and a reluctant public on personal accounts.

In truth, the reason marriage amendments have had the overwhelming support of the public in states as diverse as Michigan, Oregon and Utah is the same reason the public is skeptical of personal accounts. To most Americans, same-sex marriage represents an assault on an institution that has provided security and order to families and society for millennia. Americans understand that children fare best when raised by a mother and father, and have witnessed the deleterious consequences for children when the loving care and unique abilities of either is missing from the family unit.

That's funny. Has Danny Boy heard about depraved adoptive (and heterosexual) parents, John and Linda Dollar, whose children were spanked with belts, paddles, switches and whips -- and at least one occasion struck with a cattle prod? [The Dollars surrendered their parental rights in June.]

Or maybe Danny would prefer the healthy home of Cincinnati City Councilman Sam Malone, a Repug that just wanted to "whip the black off of" his son? I don't think there's a parenting book out there that will help Malone succeed at beating the melanin out of his 14-year-old son's hide unless he's got some kind of belt with magical, Neverland properties.

Maybe Daddy Dobson has a chapter on this in his child-rearing book.

Parenting is the hardest job in the world - and way too many people are parents that probably shouldn't be, but they do have the right to procreate, of course. Then you have gay people that desperately seek to be caring parents that live in states that make it hard or impossible to foster or adopt. The inability to marry makes it all the more difficult to form and raise a family.

You can take action on this inane waste of time and tax dollars promoting homo-bigotry by going to the Human Rights Campaign web site and fill out the "FMA Hearings: Tell your Senator to STOP wasting time on the Federal Marriage Amendment" petition to counter the AmTaliban's latest attempt to stir up a diversion from the corruption and thievery going on in this Administration.

Shakes Sis also has a good take on this.

Bill O'Reilly to 'retire' from this cruel world

Bring out the tiny violin for the blowhard: "Now it's so bad that I spend an enormous amount of money protecting myself against evil."

Bill O'Reilly had a sit-down with Newsday's Verne Gay (excerpts here are from NewsMax), and he poured his heart out about the liberal media and the public persecuting him. Waaaaah, poor baby.

The Faux News gnome, after settling the "loofah" sexual harassment suit brought by former Fox News producer Andrea Mackris, now appears to have lost whatever tenuous grip he had on reality.

O'Reilly told Newsday that he receives death threats and has to hire bodyguards. He can't check into hotels with his family. People on the street take his picture with their cell phones and then post it on the Web. "Who wants to live like that?" he complains.

As a result of the lawsuit settlement, O'Reilly must have a third person present whenever he conducts an interview or speaks to someone on the phone. "Anyone can accuse me of anything and it's on a Web site," he said in the interview.

Gay writes: "So little wonder that when Bill O'Reilly is asked about his future after his current contract ends a little more than two years from now, he blurts out one word even as the question is asked: 'Retirement.'"

But then O'Reilly backpedaled somewhat: "I might. I might. There's only so much aggression you can absorb."

Good lord, talk about aggression. O'Lielly has to be one of the nastiest, rudest, most abusive talking heads out there. I can't believe those words emitted from his pie hole. The paranoia truly has set in. All the better -- I hope he can put us out of our misery and get the hell off of the air before his two years are up.

The only sad thing is that Al Franken won't have him to kick around anymore.

I decided to visit the swamps of Freeperland, to see whether the knuckle-draggers are still defending the nasty pr*ck. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they are in full revolt mode, even trashing former lovefest wingers Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. Special fun is provided as they present their picks for a replacement for Mr. Loofah.

Actual Freeper Quotes™

"I believe the shark has bitten Mr. O'Reily."

"O'Reilly has always been good at playing the victim. He's a very insecure person."

"People on the street take his picture with their cell phones and then post it on the Web."

"Seems kinda thin-skinned. He's a public figure for gosh sakes. What does he expect? Bush has his picture taken every 15 seconds on a slow day. You don't hear him complaining."

"Hey Bill, move to Florida (I'm sure Fox can let you broadcast from there), fire your bodyguards, get yourself a concealed carry permit and announce on air that you have it and will use it - end of problem!!!!"

"What do you mean? He's looking out for us. LOL. See ya, Bill. Don't let the door hit ya in the ass..."

"Retire Mr. O'Reilly. The new 8pm Fox show will be The Rush Rules. We just have to find the right host."

"Bill O'Reilly is hardly the conservative stalwart that the political Left makes him out to be. The Left just cannot stand a World where there are people who disagree with them."

"I'd love to see Rush as his replacement. Runners up either Dennis Preger, Michael Medved or Hugh Hewett."

"Listening to O'Riley is like listening to paint dry."

"loofah + goofball = falafel"

"He has also hired bodyguards to protect himself. Phone sex with the wrong woman.?"

"Oh please don't retire Bill.(/sarcasm)"

"Used to watch him when he first started but like many he's become so full of himself he thinks he's more important than the stories he covers. No loss here. Have a happy retirement."

"Bill carefully crafts his spectrum of positions on issues so that he is able to please all of the people some of the time. It is a marketing strategy, purely and simply, based upon boundless greed and ambition and a total lack of personal integrity."



"I hope he quits... give Ann Coulter or Laura Ingraham his slot."

"If he retires, he's just giving in to their smear attacks. I'll say one thing about Bill O'Reilly, he does more to protect America's children than most anyone in government."

"Prager will never have a prime time show, too thought provoking."

"How many bodyguards does a Leprechaun need?"

"e-mail the link to this thread to weeWilly at FNC: oreilly@foxnews.com"

"Well, The Leprechaun (Savage's term) is good for one thing. And as soon as I figure out what it is, I'll get back to you..........."

"Fox might be watchable again once they get rid of ORiley and Hannity. the 2 most over rated, pompous a$$es on TV. Legends in their own minds. Alan Colmes may be an idiot, but at least he is a gentleman."

"Both Laura and Ann have become so shrill and condescending the last year. I canceled my Laura 24/7 membership yesterday because I can not listen any more with out screaming! (and it is not over the Harriett nomination). BO was tuned out a long time ago over the same reasons."

"No, Bill, no! Don't retire! Because ...Huh. Can't think of a reason. Go ahead, then."

The Heretik on Humpty Dumbty Bush

The Heretik has the Chimp sitting on the edge of the wall...

THE NEXT WEEK WILL REVEAL whether the White House looks like the sequel to All the President's Men. [story]  If things get really bad, it might look more like Humpty Dumpty. All the kings horses and all the kings men may not be able to put Humpty Bush back together again.

Surf over for more.

***

Blender Joel Howard contributed a poem for this post...

Bush & Friends Are Going Down

By Joel Howard
(Sung to that old standard: “London Bridge Is Falling Down)

Bush and Friends are going down
Going down, going down
Bush and Friends are going down
Bush’ last days

Take a key and lock them up
Lock them up, lock them up
Take a key and lock them up
What a fine day

How will we get them out,
Get them out, get them out?
How will we get them out,
Bush’ last days.

Get them out with subpoenas
Get them out, get them out
Get them out with subpoenas
What a fine day.

Morals and truth they have none
They have none, they have none
Morals and truth they have none
Bush’ last days.

Break them down with honor and strength
Honor and strength, honor and strength
Break them down with honor and strength
What a fine day.

Honor and truth, squirm and squeal
Honor and truth, honor and truth
Honor and truth, squirm and squeal
Bush’ last days.

Build us back with old freedoms
Build us back, build us back
Build us back with old freedoms
What a fine day.

Democrats won’t fade away
Fade away, fade away
Democrats won’t fade away
What a fine day.

Build us strong with honesty
Build us strong, build us strong
Build us strong with honesty
Bush’ last days.

Starbucks bends over for the AmTaliban

Rev. (and best-selling author) Rick Warren. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Starbucks got a lot of heat for creating cups with a quote by Armistead Maupin (below), so now it is soothing the sensibilities of the bible-beater set by finding Jeebus and putting on some spiritually-centered content. (USAToday):

Coffee drinkers could get a spiritual jolt with their java in the spring when Starbucks begins putting a God-filled quote from the Rev. Rick Warren, author of the mega-selling The Purpose-Driven Life, on its cups.

It will be the first mention of God in the company's provocative quote campaign, The Way I See It. In 2005, Starbucks is printing 63 quotes from writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians and cultural critics on cups for company-run and licensed locations to carry on the coffeehouse tradition of conversation and debate.

...Warren says the idea of a grande pitch for God as creator came to him after seeing a Starbucks quote on evolution from paleontologist Louise Leakey. Because Starbucks solicited customer contributions for 2006, Warren sent his in. On Tuesday, Starbucks spokeswoman Sanja Gould confirmed that it would be used.

Baylor University pulled this Starbucks cup after objections to it; perhaps you catch homosexuality if you drink from them. Hey...we need to add this tool to our recruiting arsenal in our Homosexual Agenda^TM.



One of the wingnut leaders that is marshalling a campaign against Starbucks is our homo-fixated friend Bob Knight, the penis-possessing leader of Concerned Women for America, and director of the organization’s Culture & Family Institute.

“There are active homosexual groups in most major corporations now and they do a shake down, where they say, ‘If you don’t promote our events, you’re exhibiting bigotry and hatred, and we’re going to let everybody know that and you’ll feel bad about yourself and maybe it will hurt your sales.’ I don’t think it has ever hurt a company’s sales. I think they just cave in all too easily.”

...“It’s not enough not to go to Starbucks anymore,” he said. “You really need to visit your neighborhood Starbucks and ask to see the manager and just say, ‘You know, I’ve gone here a lot and I would love to go here but I have to tell you your company’s promotion of something that is against my values prevents me from having coffee here anymore, and I’ve found alternatives ... You make a great product, but you deserve to know why people aren’t buying your product anymore.’

Hat tips to Jennifer of Intous and Paul's Rants.

News from the coffeehouse...

Blenders, I have some interesting news to report this evening. If you click over to Pandagon, you'll see that I'm now a contributor at that fine blog.

I received an email from Amanda Marcotte yesterday, who has taken the blog over from Jesse, and she asked if I would tote some of my java over there once in a while. So I said yes.

I'll still be brewing the same Blend here, but guess this qualifies as offering take out...

Bush Disapproval Map - October Edition

Last month, I posted the Bush Disapproval Map. The idea is from the collected state opinion polls I've found at Survey USA. They list the difference between Bush's Approval Rating and Bush's Disapproval Rating. If the approval exceeds the disapproval, that's counted as a net positive for Bush -- in other words, that state "approves" of Bush. If disapproval is greater, that state "disapproves" of Bush.

Last month's map found 12 states where Bush had net approval, which I've marked in red, and 38 states where he had net disapproval, marked in blue. As you can see, things are getting rougher in this round of post-Katrina, post-DeLay, post-Frist, post-Miers, current-Plamegate-subpeona polling. Bush is down to seven states with a net approval (the purple states are where approval and disapproval are equal.)

Here's your Twelve Bush-lovin' states from last month and a look at how their minds have changed since September:

   STATE         OCT   SEP  DIFF
1  Utah         +25%  +27%   -2%
2  Idaho        +11%  +17%   -6%
3  Wyoming      +10%  +11%   -1%
4  Alaska        +8%   +1%   +7%
5  Nebraska      +7%  +13%   -6%
6  Oklahoma      +5%   +5%    0%
7  North Dakota  +1%   +5%   -4%
8  Mississippi    0%  +12%  -12%
8  Montana        0%   +1%   -1%
10 Alabama       -1%   +7%   -8%
10 Louisiana     -1%   +5%   -6%
16 Texas        -12%   +7%  -19%

In other words, out of the twelve states where Bush still held a overall positive view from the people, that view has declined in ten of those states. It's not surprising to see a 6%-12% drop for Bush in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, but I'm shocked to see a 19% drop in his own "home" state of Texas! Yee-Haw!

For reference sake, here's the map from last month:

Another Gay Oregon Marriage That Started Straight

I've blogged previously about Donna Ross, the Oregon radio announcer who had a sex change operation. Donna was Ron when he married his wife, and after the sex change, Donna's marriage to a woman named Christy remains legal and valid in Oregon and, I assume, all fifty states, because the marriage began as "one man, one woman", and it doesn't matter that it is now "one gender-reassigned woman, one woman".

There must be something in the water here, because we've got our second legally-recognized lesbian marriage:

(Eugene Register-Guard) Russell and Marsha Taylor met at a party, fell in love, got married, had two children, grew a business and bought a big white house on a hill.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to living happily ever after: Russell became Rebecca.

Diagnosed with gender identity disorder, Rebecca Taylor last year flew to Thailand to see a doctor she regards as the best in the world for sexual reassignment surgeries. Taylor describes the day of the surgery, Feb. 12, 2004, as "my second birthday."

The difference between who she is now and who she was then, she says, "is the difference between being real and playing a role." In her view, gender identity disorder is no different than, say, having a cleft palate: "It's a medical condition that needs to be fixed."

Taylor, 38, defines herself as a homebody who dotes on her partner and children - and acts surprised when others are surprised that her marriage and family are intact.

"We are a great couple - far better now than when I was pretending to be who I was not," she says of her spousal relationship. "We are soulmates. The idea of us not being together is ludicrous."

"I love her," says Marsha, who is bisexual. "It doesn't matter to me what genitalia she has. It's her soul, her spirit, her kindness. Overriding all that is our relationship and her parenting skills."

Finally, in 2003, Taylor could pretend no longer, and sat down for a hard talk with Marsha: "I need to stop fighting this if I'm going to truly be happy in this life."

Marsha, not entirely surprised, worried for her partner, her children, herself.

"I made two promises," she says. "I said I'll be as supportive as I can be, and I'll never keep our kids away from you."

She chuckles when asked how things have changed for the better since her partner became a woman.

"Well, she likes to go shopping now," she says. "And we get to wear each other's clothes."

It's hardly been easy, however. Marsha tears up as she recounts some of the schoolhouse teasing she says their daughter has endured. And, with the exception of Rebecca's sister and Marsha's niece, they are estranged from most everyone in their respective families.

Within the family they've created, they insist theirs is a normal world full of love and laughter. The biggest difference, they say, is that the kids now refer to Rebecca as "Dama" instead of "Dad."

"Our kids know they have two parents who love them and are invested in their well-being and their happiness," Marsha says. "So in the end, I think they're going to be OK."

"It doesn't matter to me what genitalia she has. It's her soul, her spirit, her kindness." That's it right there. It's something that the American Taliban just can't wrap their minds around; the concept that one's genitals do not necessarily determine one's sexuality. It seems strange to me when you consider that they are the ones who believe in souls. If there's a soul, then Russell and Don had lesbian female souls trapped in male bodies, and Marsha and Christy's lesbian female souls fell in love with Russell and Don's lesbian female souls.

When straight women fall for straight men, is she falling in love with the man's twig and berries, or is she falling in love with his soul? If he loses his family jewels in a freak accident, does she love him less?

If the marriages of Donna & Christy and Rebecca & Marsha are legally valid, and they don't seem to be bringing down Western Civilization with their socially recognized lesbian marriage, then why should we not extend the same benefit to female couples who were both born female? If the man in "one man one woman" becomes a woman, why do they get to keep their "traditional marriage" intact?

My tongue-in-cheek theory is that the Religious Reich just has a mandatory one-penis-at-the-altar requirement for marriage. If that penis is surgically removed later, no big deal, so long as it was present for the big dress-'em-up say-the-vows matrimonial event.

Queen LaBarbera's mad at Walgreens for sponsoring Gay Games

"The Gay Games are about homosexuality, and I think it's wrong for Walgreens to sponsor it. They've taken the step of becoming an official sponsor, which is putting the Walgreens name to endorsing this event."
-- Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute

It's like the AmTaliban jackpot today! Give a shout out to Walgreens, Kraft and Harris Bank for not caving to these bible-beating, homo-sex obsessing ninnies. (365gay.com):

Walgreens is the latest company to come under fire by a conservative Christian group for its support the 2006 Gay Games to be held in Chicago.

The drug store chain has given games organizers $100,000 and has been named a Platinum-level sponsor of the event. But, the Illinois Family Institute is calling for the company to take back the money.

The institute, which already has begun a campaign against Kraft Foods and Harris Bank which have each contributed $25,000 to the games, says that if Walgreens does not disassociate itself from the games it will encourage its members to stop patronizing the company's stores.

...The company, like Kraft and Harris, shows no sign of caving in to the institute's demands. A Walgreens spokesperson said that the company is participating in the Gay Games to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

LaBarbera said he has no problem with AIDS awareness and education because: "Homosexual behavior itself is a leading cause of HIV." But he said that he is opposed to an event to promote gay athletes to do it in.

Here are some choice quotes from Peter LaBarbera, who's also founder of something called "Americans for Truth":

"I have monitored the homosexual movement for 15 years, with special focus on its campaign to penetrate schools...Most parents, especially those living near big cities, simply have no clue as to the many ways that the 'sexual orientation' agenda works its way into their children's education."
(backing the Southern Baptist's call to investigate the influence of the homo agenda in public schools)

"It seems that liberals are afraid of Christians who will run for office as Christians. It's ironic that a group that fights discrimination is willing to basically foment discrimination against people of faith. I just found it shocking."
(whining that Christian candidates for public office feel like they have to "be in the closet about their faith.")

"We're opposed to the use of taxpayer dollars to promote an event that celebrates homosexuality. The idea of using sport to promote homosexuality is wrong."
(calling on Chicago to withdraw support for the 2006 Gay Games).


Peter recently did a lot of research at the bathhouse during his undercover work at the International Mr. Leather conference because he needed to educate his Christian audience about the inner workings of "a perversion center where men engage in despicable and dangerous acts with other men."

Peter also spends a good deal of time "going undercover" to gay pride events, and in multiple instances, an International Mr. Leather event, to do research on deviance. He also doesn't take criticism well. When Fred Phelps decided to demonize poor little Petey, he decried that The Rotting Cryptkeeper^TM was a plant of the homo agenda.

"Politically and culturally speaking, Phelps and his protesters serve as a crude caricature of pro-family traditionalists who oppose the normalization of homosexuality. Fred makes an easy target for the media and secularists who are tempted (partly by their own prejudices) to paint any opposition to "gay rights" as hateful. For this reason, I have sometimes wondered if Phelps and his lawyerly clan are 'gay plants.' "
-- Peter LaBarbera, undercover homosexual lifestyle investigator

I think these companies can swat this gnat.

Ode to Daddy Dobson's child-rearing manual

Shakes Sis has an interesting item up about James Dobson and his tome on child care, Dare to Discipline, specifically the chapter "Teaching Respect and Responsibility to Children." It's a winner.

Waiting for that DeLay mug shot...

When they book this sleazebag, it will be a priceless photo.

A Texas court issued a warrant Wednesday for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to appear for booking, where he is likely to face the fingerprinting and photo mug shot he had hoped to avoid.

Bail was initially set at $10,000 as a routine step before his first court appearance on conspiracy and money laundering charges. Travis County court officials said DeLay was ordered to appear at the Fort Bend County jail for booking.

The warrant was "a matter of routine and bond will be posted," DeLay attorney Dick DeGuerin said. The lawyer declined to say when DeLay would surrender to authorities but said the lawmaker would make his first court appearance Friday morning.

UPDATE: and here is the arrest warrant:



Hat tip, AmericaBlog.

Texas justice on Harriet: take my wife, please...

On Monday the White House trotted out six former justices of the Texas Supreme Court to vouch for Harriet's qualifications. That's no story. What is interesting is the observation Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hill made about Bush's #1 fan.

Maybe there's something he knows about Harriet that we've only been speculating about...(Reuters):

The six former justices, all of them men, said they had worked with Miers while she was a lawyer in Dallas and they endorsed her Supreme Court nomination.



"I'd trust her with my wife and with my life," former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hill told reporters on the White House driveway after a meeting with President George W. Bush.

Another Bushie under investigation

This toad Scott Bloch deserves his balls tightened in a vise. Photo: (By Lois Raimondo -- The Washington Post)

"The courts have specifically rejected sexual orientation as a class protection."
-- Scott J. Bloch, head of the Office of Special Counsel -- and another administration henchman under investigation.

A little background...back in May, it was learned that Scott Bloch was failing to enforce the federal workplace anti-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation, which was enacted when Clinton issued an executive order prohibiting bias in the civil service back in 1998.

If a federal manager fires, reassigns or takes some other action against an employee simply because that employee is gay, there is nothing in federal law that would permit the Office of Special Counsel to protect the worker, Bloch testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs subcommittee on oversight of government management, the federal workforce and the District of Columbia.

But wait...is that really the policy? WTF? Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) grilled Bloch about this at the time. (WaPo):

..."Longstanding federal policy prohibits discrimination against federal employees based on sexual orientation," the White House said in a statement. "President Bush expects federal agencies to enforce this policy and to ensure that all federal employees are protected from unfair discrimination at work."

"That is not something that you believe is binding on you?" he asked. "It is binding on me," Bloch said, "but it is not something I can prosecute in my agency. . . . I am limited by the enforcement statutes that you give me."

Federal civil rights laws ban employment discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability and political affiliation. Sexual orientation is not among these "protected classes."

When Levin asked if Bloch would recommend that Congress clarify the law so that protections for federal employees extend to sexual orientation, Bloch declined to take a position.

Bloch, who took the oath of office from Clarence Thomas in February 2004, now finds that his lack of position on the matter (and other par-for-the-course behavior in this Admin) has landed him in hot water. (365gay.com):

A high level investigation into Special Counsel Scott Bloch was announced Tuesday by the Office of Personnel Management. The inquiry will be undertaken by Inspector General Patrick McFarland.

Bloch has been under fire for more than a year. The Office Of The Special Council is the agency that investigates complaints of discrimination by federal workers, but, Bloch has refused to take on complaints of discrimination based on sexuality.

He is also accused of heavy-handedness in dealings with his own staff. Both Federal Globe, the LGBT organization for federal civil servants, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a watchdog group, have called for an investigation for months.

On March 3, 2005, the groups along with the Human Rights Campaign and OSC staff members filed an official complaint against Bloch. With pressure mounting on the administration to act, the decision bring in Inspector General McFarland was made by Clay Johnson III, Deputy Director of the President's Office of Management & Budget.

The complaint specifies instances of illegal gag orders, cronyism, invidious discrimination, and retaliation. [What? Cronyism, retaliation? How could this be possible? Not in this Administration...]

The OPM Inspector General investigation into Bloch is the third probe into Bloch's operation after less than two years in office. The Government Accountability Office and a U.S. Senate subcommittee both have ongoing investigations into mass dismissal of hundreds of whistleblower cases, crony hires, and Bloch's targeting of gay employees for removal while refusing to investigate cases involving discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Read more about Bloch and his background in a good piece in the Boston Phoenix.

Wayne Besen on the 'Priest made me gay' story

J. David Enright IV, a New York socialite, recently went public about his molestation at the hands of Catholic priest Rev. Joseph Romano when Enright was a child. Enright told the NY Post that this incident "made him gay." He's suing the church for $5 million.

"I believe my life would be very different now. I'd probably be married, living in Greenwich, with four children in boarding school. I had a completely straight life in business, socially on Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue. Then there was this other world, which was slinking around Greenwich Village gay bars, finding mates."

Wayne Besen, via PageOneQ, takes on the twisted thinking behind this truly sad and bizarre story, and why the AmTaliban grips onto this theory. A snippet of his commentary:

This story of self-loathing is horribly wrong on so many levels. But let's first cut Enright some slack, for he is clearly a traumatized victim of child abuse and internalized homophobia. He is spewing nonsense as he tries to make sense of a childhood stripped away by a priest who couldn't keep his clothes on.

However, his frivolous lawsuit must be addressed because it contains damaging assertions that erroneously tie homosexuality to child abuse. At the very heart of his claim is the notion that homosexuals are simply misbehaving heterosexuals who perform deviant acts because they were screwed up as a result of poor parenting or child abuse.

...The truth is, there is no link between sexual abuse and sexual orientation. The vast majority of child abuse victims grow up to be heterosexual. The myth that abuse leads to homosexuality is kept alive because anti-gay political groups fear losing support if Americans believe that gayness is natural and inborn.

Homosexual Activists Suspected of Pulling Students' Strings in GSA Lawsuit

"They will be introduced to college-age and adult homosexuals, and they will be fast-tracked right into the active practice of homosexual sex. What school ever wants to be in the situation of saying [that] homosexual sex is no problem for youth?"

-- Linda Harvey, of Mission[ary Position] America on the ACLU's pimping of the homo agenda

The title of this post is the actual headline of the AgapePress article. Is the AFA web news rag slyly referring to pulling G-strings (like our friend Willie Wilson, who suggests that lesbian recruiting involves G-strings made out of Pez)?

It's like clockwork. The wingnut stories just fill up on my Bloglines feeds each day. It's a seemingly endless list stories with idiots like this woman spouting off. The AmTaliban that thinks the ACLU folks sit around thinking about how to corrupt and turn the adults of tomorrow into raging fags and dykes.

Good night, this is brain-dead logic.

A conservative activist group is accusing the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union of using students to further its radical, pro-homosexual agenda in schools.

Two seniors at Maple Grove High School have sued their school and the Osseo School District for allegedly discriminating against their student group called "Straights and Gays for Equality," or SAGE. The students claim the school has violated the Federal Equal Access Act by not allowing the homosexual group access to meeting rooms, bulletin boards, and the public address system on campus.

However, Linda Harvey of the conservative pro-family group Mission[ary Position] America believes the students' lawsuit is yet another ploy orchestrated by pro-homosexual activists in an effort to gain legitimization for homosexuality. "This is one more of these situations, I would have to say, where students are being motivated and manipulated by adult homosexual activists and civil liberties proponents, and especially the American Civil Liberties Union," she contends.

Harvey believes Maple Grove High School can avoid trouble by not considering homosexuality to be a viewpoint, as the students claim. She argues that the Osseo School District need not accept Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) like SAGE in order to have "viewpoint equality" on the campus, because homosexuality is not a viewpoint -- rather, it is a dangerous, high-risk behavior.

And the school, the Mission America spokeswoman would argue, has both the right and the responsibility to protect students from unhealthy or unsafe activities on its campus. "What's going to happen in these homosexual clubs," she asserts, "is that they are social venues where kids will meet other kids who are also inclined to homosexuality."

Regular Blenders are familiar with Harvey; the Stepford Wife has made a career of trying to protect young people from the evils of homosexuality. Here are some past posts from the tightly-wound woman:

* Ohio State's Queers on Wheels affirms the destructive homo lifestyle

* Another wingnut ties ACLU to the Homo Agenda^TM. Check this post out, because it includes links to some of her essays, including: What homosexual 'marriage' will mean to America's children.

And I wanted to see Jo bed Blair

The Facts of Life According to Lisa Whelchel. AgapePress has a long profile on the former actress, who discovered God and has become sugar-sweet and light. I almost OD-ed on the glucose level.

I thought I'd pass the link so you could find out what happened to her, now that she's married to a preacher and has shot out a few urchins, who are now teens. Boy, I feel old.

But to Whelchel, risking success didn't matter when it came to her devotion to Christ. For example, she took a bold stand on the set of The Facts of Life early on in the show.



"They wanted my character to lose her virginity, and I was able to stand up and say, 'I can't do that. I can't use the talent God has given me to continue to perpetuate the lie that sex outside of marriage is just a normal fact of life,'" Whelchel recalled. "The producers were very honoring of that and respectful and didn't ultimately write that script for me.

"So I was thankful for the opportunity, however small, to take a stand for righteousness," she added.

Abstinence guru upset that contraceptives are reducing teen pregnancies

And her point is? Shouldn't Leslee Unruh just be happy teen pregnancies are down, no matter what the cause?

The president of Abstinence Clearinghouse says she is pleased that a recent study shows that the number of unmarried teenagers getting pregnant has gone down; however, some of the theories cited by the study as to why have her concerned.

The study Unruh is referencing, conducted by Columbia University, found that teen pregnancies are down about a third from their peak in 1991. The researchers credit this trend in part to higher numbers of teens remaining abstinent, but they also say that increased availability of contraceptives has been a factor.

The Abstinence Clearinghouse spokeswoman does not see this increase in the availability of contraceptive devices as a positive trend or a positive influence on youth. "Condoms are passed out in our schools; they are passed out everywhere," she laments. "You can hardly go anywhere anymore that you don't find some condom advertising."

Georgia's 'modern day poll tax' stopped by fed court

Good old boy Gov. Sonny Perdue tried to pull a fast one on the voters of his state.

I posted about this bullsh*ttery last month. Georgia wanted to require a driver's license or an ID card for a citizen to vote. No problem there. However, both of those IDs would be something that you must pay for. That's a no-no.

The real kicker was that out of 159 counties in Georgia, only 58 are set up to sell these ID cards. That's real convenient if you're poor and don't have transportation. Sonny's proposal only gives IDs away to those who cannot afford the fee. There's nothing wrong with requiring an ID to reduce fraud, but it must be free and easily available to everyone.

And the feds shot Sonny down.

In issuing the preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy said the law amounts to an unconstitutional poll tax because the state is not doing enough to make ID cards available to those who cannot afford them.

The requirement "is most likely to prevent Georgia's elderly, poor and African-American voters from voting," Murphy wrote. "For those citizens, the character and magnitude of their injury — the loss of their right to vote — is undeniably demoralizing and extreme."

So far, the law has been used only for local elections. The injunction could prevent its use during municipal elections Nov. 8.

Voter and civil rights groups sued over the new law, which eliminates the use of other forms of voter identification, such as Social Security cards, birth certificates or utility bills. Supporters, including Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, argued that the measure would help prevent fraud.

A driver's license with a photo is sufficient under the law. But those who do not have a license must obtain a state ID card, which can cost up to $35. The governor said such cards would be given free to those who cannot afford the fee.

..."We'll appeal it until the Supreme Court makes a decision. Hopefully by then the president will have a good conservative court up there that understands the will of the people," said Republican state Sen. Don Balfour.

Hat tip to The BradBlog. Brad's been all over this.

Woman refused emergency contraception at Target

Target's in deep doo-doo now. Man, I hate to be mad at this retailer, but this blows big time.

Via AmericaBlog, the latest in corporate womb control. A woman is unable to get emergency contraception filled at the red bulleye.

A 26-year-old Missouri woman was refused EC when she handed her prescription to a pharmacist at a Target store in Fenton, MO, on September 30. The woman was told by the pharmacist, “I won’t fill it. It’s my right not to fill it.” She was told that she could go to a local Walgreens instead. The woman said, “When the pharmacist told me she wouldn't [fill the prescription], I went from disbelief to shock to anger. I guess I'm still pretty angry. It seems unbelievable to me that a medical professional could/would deny access to a federally approved drug and impose their personal beliefs in a professional setting. I am also grateful that I did not need it filled at that time. I don't know how it would be if I had just been raped or if the condom broke and I was a feeling confusion and panic anyway -- and then was denied access and told to go across the street.”

There are several major corporations that have not declared what their policies are regarding pharmacists with "ethical or religious objections" to filling certain prescriptions. This is bull.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America has made three unanswered attempts to contact the following corporations in order to ascertain their policy regarding pharmacists' refusal to fill valid, legal prescriptions for birth control, including emergency contraception:

* Target
* Safeway
* Giant
* Duane Reade
* Piggly Wiggly

What you can do: go to the Planned Parenthood Fill My Pills Now campaign site and fill out a form to request that they release a public statement regarding their policies. Consumers need to know where to choose to spend their dollars if women cannot fill prescriptions in those stores.

You can also read more about refusals to fill from around the country here.

Packing heat or a colostomy bag...

Head over to Shakes Sis's pad to guess what's in the pants.

***

While we're on the subject of Darth, check out Catherine @ PovertyBarn's update on:
Libby's Loose Lips...

Printer dots and tin-foil hattery -- or not

Government Tracking You with Secret Code in Color Printers. I try to stay away from hard-to-prove tin-foil hattery like UFOs and the theory that Dick Cheney has a heart and Chimpy a brain, but this one you wish wasn't possible, and more disturbing, already in place.

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which watches out for privacy matters in the digital realm as our Patriot Act-obsessed Administration strips our rights way, the major printer manufacturers have been co-opted.

I guess the only good news about this is most folks don't have color laser printers yet.

The US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public.

A research team led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently broke the code behind tiny tracking dots that some color laser printers secretly hide in every document.

The U.S. Secret Service admitted that the tracking information is part of a deal struck with selected color laser printer manufacturers, ostensibly to identify counterfeiters. However, the nature of the private information encoded in each document was not previously known.

"We've found that the dots from at least one line of printers encode the date and time your document was printed, as well as the serial number of the printer," said EFF Staff Technologist Seth David Schoen.

You can see the dots on color prints from machines made by Xerox, Canon, and other manufacturers (for a list of the printers we investigated so far, see: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/list.php). The dots are yellow, less than one millimeter in diameter, and are typically repeated over each page of a document. In order to see the pattern, you need a blue light, a magnifying glass, or a microscope (for instructions on how to see the dots, see: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor/).

The list of color lasers that do and do not have the tracking dots is here.

Thanks to KittenSnu for the pointer

Wow. Ask a rhetorical blog question...

WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers pledged support in 1989 for a constitutional amendment banning abortions except when necessary to save the life of the mother, according to material given to the Senate on Tuesday.

"If Congress passes a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit abortion except when it was necessary to prevent the death of the mother, would you actively support its ratification by the Texas Legislature," asked an April 1989 questionnaire sent out by the Texans United for Life group.

Miers checked "yes" to that question, and all of the group's questions, including whether she would oppose the use of public moneys for abortions and whether she would use her influence to keep "pro-abortion" people off city health boards and commissions.

Well, that pretty much answers my question, "Harriet, Harriet, quite contrary, yet how will you vote on Roe?", now, doesn't it? I wonder how the White House is going to spin this one into "gee, we have no idea how she will vote on Roe / but trust us, she's exactly the judge Jesus would want (wink wink, nudge nudge" territory...

"A candidate taking a political position in the course of a campaign is different from the role of a judge making a ruling in the judicial process." said Jim Dyke, a White House spokesman.

Rrright... Ladies & gentlemen, if you elect me to the exalted post of Grand High Poohbah, I swear I will do everything in my power ensure that only a woman in imminent mortal danger of death itself can get an abortion... but if I become a judge, you can expect me to make an absolutely dispassionate fair decision in any abortion case.

Who do you believe? The White House, or your own lyin' eyes?

Armstrong Williams back in hot water

Mike Tidmus gives Armstrong the big pimping.

"It's not about trying to dictate to adults what they should do in the privacy of their own homes. Let's be clear about that. Opposition to the gay marriage amendment isn't about disallowing homosexuals the same basic rights we extend to everyone else. It is about recognizing that marriage between man and woman is the bedrock of our society. It is about the citizens of this country saying, en masse, that they are unwilling to deconstruct certain basic and essential norms in our culture and society."
-- White House propagandist for cash and "commentator" Armstrong Williams, whose *ss is in the fire

He was paid $250K to shill No Child Left Behind for the Administration, and didn't disclose it in his "commentaries." Now he's under further investigation over his anti-same sex marriage propaganda.

The US Attorney's office has begun an inquiry into the use by the Bush administration of anti-gay commentator Armstrong Williams to promote its so-called marriage initiative. The probe was launched following a request from the Education Department after months of pressure by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)

The Government Accountability Office has concluded that the Education Department engaged in illegal "covert propaganda" by hiring Williams to promote the No Child Left Behind Act without requiring him to disclose that he was being paid. The Education Department's inspector general also reviewed the Williams deal.

...Williams is a former aide to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In a column following the November 2 election Williams linked gay rights advocates with organized crime.

"Despite the rhetoric that you hear from the homosexual Cosa Nostra, the lack of support for the gay marriage amendment has nothing to do with prejudice," he wrote.

After Williams was exposed the White House pulled the plug on the operation, but sources close to the investigation say that Williams did not return any of the money, nor did the administration request it.

The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia is investigating whether Williams accepted public money without performing his required duties. The attorney's office has a range of potential remedies, from suing to recover the money to possible criminal charges,

"The inspector general wouldn't refer this to the U.S. attorney unless there was evidence of misconduct that requires further investigating," Dan Katz, Lautenberg's chief counsel, told the Associated Press.

It should be noted that homophobic sexual hypocrite and closet case Wilson was sued for sexual harassment by a man.

Stephen Gregory, a former male employee, sued Williams for $200,000 accusing the anti-gay commentator of sexual harassment. Gregory alleged that Williams kissed his mouth, fondled his fanny, groped his groin and climbed into bed with him on business trips. Gregory said that Williams – who denied being gay - fired him after he rebuffed the conservative’s advances.

Also, David Brock in his book Blinded by the Right said that Williams once made a pass at him in Williams' apartment, asking Brock if he was "dominant or submissive in bed."

Alrighty, then.

Gay-baiting in the Virginia governor's race

[UPDATE: I'm moving this post up because I'm interested in more discussion, and I added more on lesbian-baiting. Blender Sean in Dallas added some art at the end too.]

I don't know what to think of this bottom-feeding campaign. Is Repug Jerry Kilgore gay because he has a queeny voice? Or is it that his effeminate voice when paired with his homophobic positions - no gay marriage, no gay adoption, no civil unions, etc., leads one to the conclusion that the married-with-kids conservative is a self-loathing closet case? Or is he just a bigoted Repug that has a "gay-sounding," rural voice that is being gay-baited by the other side, playing on people's stereotypes and prejudices?


Opponent Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine (D) is raising that spectre, and people are talking -- get a load of this editorial in the Cavalier Daily:

So, Jerry Kilgore has a "gay-sounding" voice. This is apparent to almost anyone who has heard him speak. The Republican candidate also has a rural accent, but that's not what his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine, has been making fun of. Few outlets have dealt with this issue honestly, though several papers have danced playfully around it, such as the Staunton Daily News Leader, which has commented on "the 'Ned Flanders meets Mr. Rogers' whine that passes for Kilgore's voice."

These comments are, of course, meaningless, and insinuations drawn from Kilgore's "gay-sounding" voice are based solely on unfounded stereotypes. There is no distinct correlation between voice and sexuality and Kilgore, for his part, is married and has two children.

But for Virginia Democrats, the idea of connecting Kilgore to a slate of negative stereotypes associated with gay men -- and to therefore weaken his support among conservative voters -- has proven tempting. Discussion of Kilgore's effeminate tone has been all over the Internet for months, and prominent Virginia bloggers have repeatedly speculated on Kilgore's sexuality and the effect his voice could have on the election. Suggesting that Kilgore's "gay-sounding" voice gives the impression that he is "weak" and effeminate, some online commentators have implored the Kaine campaign to take advantage of Kilgore's voice in order to implicitly connect him to gay stereotypes.

The Kaine campaign in my mind is crossing the line. If you have some factual information about Kilgore being a gay hypocrite and not just a homo-bigot with a sissy-boy voice, then out the guy. If you want to just point-blank ask the man if he's gay, do it. Don't do bush-league crap like this:

Last week, the Kaine campaign debuted a radio ad, "Weak." As the title would suggest, the spot suggests that Kilgore is "too weak to lead Virginia." Has Kilgore done anything, more than most other politicians, to define himself as "weak?" That's not clear. What is clear is the throwaway line in the "Weak" spot: "Jerry Kilgore is not being straight." The Kaine camp fails to add the obligatory "with voters;" the ad simply observes, "Jerry Kilgore is not being straight," period.

The bottom line is, if Tim Kaine wants to win by equating an effeminate voice with weakness and inability to lead, that's bigoted as well, regardless of whether his political positions are more favorable to gays than his opponent. He needs to be called out on this. As the Mike Slaven editorial notes:

But even if one accepts the principle that ends can justify means, it is not clear that Kaine could ever benefit the gay community as much as he is damaging it with a campaign that insinuates that sexuality is a matter of public discussion and fair ground for humiliation. After all, if such indignity can happen to a conservative, married father of two with a flutter in his inflection, what keeps it from happening to a self-avowed gay man?

I'd refocus that slightly. Sexuality is a matter of public discussion if you are a hypocrite in the closet who intends to oppose legal equality for gays and lesbians in the office you seek.

***

Blender Sean in Dallas thought the Kaine campaign might want this little bit of handiwork for their man's site, since sounding and appearing like a big old queen is all the rage...



***

Also, what about openly gay candidates that run? Is is OK for an opponent to run ads saying someone is "weak" if they are effeminate? What about dyke-baiting? Is that OK to do if you're a purportedly pro-gay Dem?

What about taking on a person's record, and their hypocrisy if that's what is going on? That's the issue at hand, not whether the guy swishes or sounds like Ned Flanders.

How does the person vote? How does the person lead? Are they a crook? Those seem to be more useful things to look at, not this kind of cheap shot.

Unless a campaign wants to publicly take on the justifiable charge that an opponent is an anti-gay homo, cut this vague, devious, dangerous sh*t out. It's confusing the issue for the average voter, and perpetuating stereotypes about gays and lesbians as capable leaders.

Female candidates face gay-baiting all the time, as a slur to suggest they aren't taking care of the hearth and home, that they are somehow fatally flawed, especially if they happen to hold pro-gay positions. Back in March I posted an item on the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's report, "Written Out: How Sexuality is Used to Attack Women's Organizing." It specifically tracked the impact of this on women here and around the world.

"With the rise of fundamentalism in both the U.S. and abroad, we are seeing that women who take public leadership on any range of issues are on the receiving end of very calculated attacks," says Susana Fried, IGLHRC's program director. "We want to connect the dots to show how women's sexuality is manipulated in this specific and increasingly common way to discredit and silence women around the world."

The 189-page report, written by Cynthia Rothschild, documents examples of such attacks in countries ranging from the United States to Argentina, India, Thailand, Costa Rica and more. "If a woman is single, she's attacked as a lesbian," says Paula Ettelbrick, IGLHRC's executive director. "If she's married, she's attacked for neglecting her family. Either way, the issue becomes gender and sexuality rather than the merits of the issue under discussion."

One result, says Ettelbrick, is that it becomes more difficult for women's groups to support gay and lesbian rights. "It makes our natural allies more afraid," she says. "We see female politicians retreat into self-censorship. Not only do campaigns go down to defeat, but leadership and vision suffer as well."

The Kaine campaign can and should do better than this. One would hope that if there were advisors or liaisons to the gay community in this campaign they wouldn't have let this kind of nonsense out there, but as we've seen with the self-loathing, closet case gay Repugs, sometimes the paycheck and power are worth more to them than principles.

'God blogging' conventioneers and the political power of the medium

Obviously you can blog about religion from the Left (e.g., Street Prophets) or the Right (pick any AmTaliban site), but I imagine more folks at this convention were of the Right-leaning variety, based on this article (and the fact that the anti-gay, conservative blogger LaShawn Barber was there). (Guardian):

What would Jesus blog? This was among the questions considered by a conference of God bloggers in California at the weekend, which heralded their growing numbers as potentially the most important development in the spread of Christianity since the Gutenberg printing press began churning out bibles in the 15th century.

The three-day gathering at Biola University brought together around 135 Christian bloggers to discuss topics ranging from their relationship with the traditional church to their growing influence on mainstream politics.

...Some commentators believe the growth of religious blogs will have political ramifications in the US. Christian conservatives make up the Republican "base" that was primarily responsible for putting George Bush in the White House, and the God blogging phenomenon could make them an even more effective political force. It is "certainly going to be [of] more benefit to Republicans than Democrats", Carol Darr, director of George Washington University's Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, told Fox News.

Matt Anderson, 23, the coordinator of the God Blog Convention, told the news channel's website that one of the goals of the conference was to see whether God, Christian-oriented blogging and politics were a good marriage, and if so, how they should match up.

Is there any way that those blogging from the Left on religious issues can make any headway?

'Senior White House official' is squealing for Fitzgerald

Something's about to hit the fan...

The case of outed CIA agent Valerie Plame is set to explode.

The New York Daily News is set to report in Tuesday editions that a well-placed source interviewed by the newspaper believes a senior White House official has flipped and may be helping the prosecutor in the case, RAW STORY has learned.

The Daily News will reveal that a top source believes that based on the questioning of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and his other contacts with the investigation, someone in the White House has turned.

All eyes are on Dick Cheney, the News says, as the investigation wraps up.

Wingnut site: Oprah 'endorses homosexuality again' on upcoming show

Lifesite's a web portal that says it is "dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family" -- and features a thumb-sucking fetus on its "About us" page). It is fixated on Oprah's apparent influence on pro-gay and pro-choice politics, and they want to put a stop to it.

This time the site is getting on Oprah's case because she will have on as a guest, the straight guy that appeared on the fourth episode of Morgan Spurlock's documentary series "30 days: Straight Man in a Gay World." (Spulock's also the man behind Super Size Me). A description of the episode:

A God-fearing 24-year-old conservative homophobe from red state America travels to San Francisco's Castro District to live in what is notoriously known as one of the gayest areas of the country. As he joins a gay sports team, works a job that caters to gay clientele, attends gay-friendly church services and lives with a gay roommate, he gets an inside view of what it is like to live as a minority that still elicits strong feelings of hatred among many Americans.

Throughout the 30 Days this former youth minister and member of the military will have his Bible-rooted values severely challenged as these important issues become very personal.

This show has really set off the Lifesite people.

During this particular segment a farmer, Ryan Hickmott, from Michigan spends 30 days with a gay marketing consultant in San Francisco. The program notably did not address the sexual practices of many homosexuals that are said to often eventually lead to disease and other serious physical and psychological consequences.

While Hickmott doesn't disavow his belief that homosexuality is contrary to biblical teaching he does say that he has "a very positive image of homosexuals." He claims to be newly "open-minded, matured," and "a better person." He admits to having made uninformed opinions in the past.

For this reason Oprah is bringing the man onto her show. In 2000 Winfrey was the keynote speaker at a luncheon held by the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, a group whose priority this year is to ensure that minors, without parental consent, maintain their access to contraceptives and abortion. Winfrey's cameo appearance on the "coming out" episode of the TV show "Ellen" in 1997 raised concerns at the time over the promotion of homosexuality.

They also cite this bullsh*t from the Family Research Council.

Hollywood and the media relentlessly propagate the image of the fit, healthy, and well-adjusted homosexual. The reality is at polar opposites to this caricature: homosexual and lesbian relationships are typically characterized by instability, promiscuity, and unhealthy and risky sex practices, factors that greatly increase the incidence of serious and incurable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including hepatitis, HPV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS.

Can they just not tune if it's going to upset them so? Here are other ridiculous articles on Oprah at LifeSite:

* Oprah Winfrey support for abortion and homosexuality
* Culteral Icon Oprah Winfrey Promotes Acceptance of Homosexuality
* Oprah Promotes Homosexual Agenda Again Referring to Lesbians as "Married"

'Ex-gay' Janet Boynes and Michele Bachmann

She and Willie Wilson don't know each other, but I'm sure they'd get along like two peas in a pod, maybe trade stories about strap-ons, who knows...

Who is Janet Boynes?



She is featured in the anti-gay Minnesota Family Council's "Pro-Family News", and bills herself as a "former lesbian," speaking at engagements around the country to help call people out of their homosexuality by finding Christ.

Eva at Lloydletta and Dump Michele Bachmann has a good long piece on Boynes, who's the sidekick of homophobe Minnesota State Senator Michele Bachmann on some of these anti-gay publicity campaigns.

When Bachmann spoke in Hutchinson, Minnesota, Janet Boynes flew up with her and spoke also. (I still don't know who paid for the private plane.) I first saw Janet Boynes (but did not talk with her) when Dale Carpenter debated Glen Stanton at the MacLaurin Institute debate on the U of MN campus. Janet was sitting next to Michele Bachmann (who was seated right behind me). Janet asked a question after the debate, where she made the point that gays have a choice to be gay, and African Americans don't make a choice to be black. About a week after I saw Janet in Hutchinson, I saw her again at Outfront's listening session with minority gays. When I debated Michele Bachmann on KKMS, Janet called in and stated that gay women are frequently in butch/femme relationships, and so why not go for a male/female relationship.

You might recall Michele. Dump Michele Bachmann describes her this way: "Michele Bachmann is Minnesota's Answer to Colorado's Marilyn Musgrave. She is obsessed with gays at the expense of representing her district. This blog is here to chronicle why Sen Michele Bachmann needs to be retired from the legislature - and stopped from any future political career."

She was the unhinged winger that got caught last April at a gay rights rally at the state capitol, crouching behind bushes trying to get a look at what was going on, making a complete ass out of herself:


Bachmann crouched behind a bush, watching the homos; you'd think she was watching some dirty peep show.

Harriet, Harriet, quite contrary, yet how will you vote on Roe?

Don't let anyone talk you into thinking that no one knows much about Harriet "I ♥ GWB!" Miers and how she stands on the hot-button issues of the day. The press is trying to paint her as some stealth nominee whose views are unknown. The Republicans and the Evangelicals are trying to pull some "we don't think she's conservative enough!" wool over our eyes. The Democrats are doing their usual -- nothing -- and hoping the internecine friction on the right will bring down her nomination.

Don't buy it for a second. Bush and pals may be incompetent idiots when it comes to planning a war, running a war, managing an economy, reducing a deficit, preparing for a disaster, reacting to a disaster, making diplomatic friends, investigating intelligence failures, collecting anti-terrorism intelligence, saving the environment, defending the Constitution, and making America a better place for anyone making less than a million a year... but they are Hawking-level geniuses at politics.

They know exactly who she is and exactly how she will vote on everything. This supposed right-wing furor over her nomination will goad the Dems into inaction; they'll not seriously obstruct her nor filibuster, then, poof, the Repubs' concerns about her will disappear as they "take George's word" for her. Next thing you know, a Roberts - Thomas - Scalia - Miers - Kennedy majority is overturning Roe and the red states start locking up formerly pregnant teen girls and the doctors who help them.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, the woman already disqualified herself by lying. She once said, "George W. Bush is the smartest man I have ever met." If that's not lying, then it is proof of an extremely small network of friends or a critical misunderstanding of the word "smart", either of which do not bode well for a spot on the highest court in the land.

So Democrats, please, rent yourself a backbone and do all you can to oppose her nomination. You might want to start out by subpeoning these people:

(WSJ) Two days after President Bush announced Harriet Miers's Supreme Court nomination, James Dobson of Focus on the Family raised some eyebrows by declaring on his radio program: "When you know some of the things that I know--that I probably shouldn't know--you will understand why I have said, with fear and trepidation, that I believe Harriet Miers will be a good justice."

On Oct. 3, the day the Miers nomination was announced, Mr. Dobson and other religious conservatives held a conference call to discuss the nomination. One of the people on the call took extensive notes, which I have obtained.

The call was moderated by the Rev. Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association. Participating were 13 members of the executive committee of the Arlington Group, an umbrella alliance of 60 religious conservative groups, including Gary Bauer of American Values, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation and the Rev. Bill Owens, a black minister. Also on the call were Justice Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court and Judge Ed Kinkeade, a Dallas-based federal trial judge.

What followed, according to the notes, was a free-wheeling discussion about many topics, including same-sex marriage. Justice Hecht said he had never discussed that issue with Ms. Miers. Then an unidentified voice asked the two men, "Based on your personal knowledge of her, if she had the opportunity, do you believe she would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade?"

"Absolutely," said Judge Kinkeade.

"I agree with that," said Justice Hecht. "I concur."

Shortly thereafter, according to the notes, Mr. Dobson apologized and said he had to leave the discussion: "That's all I need to know and I will get off and make some calls." (When asked about his comments in the notes I have, Mr. Dobson confirmed some of them and said it was "very possible" he made the others. He said he did not specifically recall the comments of the two judges on Roe v. Wade.)

Yeah, right.

My eyes!

Actual caption: Former U.S. president George Bush (R) and his wife Barbara Bush (L) are seen kissing on a giant electronic screen in center field showing the 'Kiss Cam' during the middle of the sixth inning in Game 4 between the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series in Houston, Texas, October 16, 2005. Houston won the game 2-1 and lead the series three games to one. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Senior Repug saliva exchange. I think I'm going to be sick. Create a caption, folks.

Sore loser

Durham City Council member -- and recent primary loser -- John Best, Jr. cussed out a reporter with a "Zellfire"-type challenge.

A real class act. Folks, if you run for office, this stuff is going to come out, and guess what -- reporters are going to ask you questions. (News and Observer):

Durham City Councilman John Best Jr. tried to put a positive spin on his poor primary showing against first-time candidate Mike Woodard, who outpaced the incumbent's vote total nearly 2-to-1 on Tuesday.

In a phone interview that night, Best emphasized that his distant second-place finish was still good enough to earn him a spot on the November ballot.

But when a reporter recounted how several voters leaving the polls said they supported Woodard because of Best's well-publicized jail visit for failing to pay more than $18,500 in alimony and child support, the Ward 3 conservative lashed out at the "liberal media" for harping on what he considers a personal matter. [Dude, it's in the public record.]

A part-time bartender, Best issued a lengthy verbal tirade that displayed an impressive and varied command of curse words for an elected official. He then laid down a fiery challenge reminiscent of former Sen. Zell Miller's on-air invitation of NBC's Chris Matthews to a duel.

"I'll meet you anywhere, anytime, you [expletives deleted]," the councilman screamed before hanging up.

Hat tip to J. Williamson at Watauga Watch and Blender katuah for the pointer.

Rove, Scooter and DeLay Death Watches

Blogenfreude at Agitprop is almost as happy as we are regarding the prospect of Turdblossom taking a flying leap onto a sword for the Chimperor, since Rove announced in Time that he will resign if indicted.

We at Agitprop are pleased to inaugurate our Rove & Scooter Death Watch (patent pending). Will Rove go first? Scooter? Could DeLay be first? Could dark-horse Bill Frist (God's Diagnostician) come from behind? The mind boggles.

These Watches are needed, of course, due to the grand jury testimony of Judith Miller. Miller can't "recall" who gave her Plame's name (inscribed carefully in her notebook as "Valerie Flame"). In her own NYT piece published today, Miller nearly bent double protecting poor Scooter.

While you're there, check out the fun with Darth, who needs to be on a different kind of death watch, in "Cheney to Fitzgerald - Bring it on"...

Think Progress reports this morning that Dear [Vice] Leader and Sith Lord Richard "Darth" Cheney is directly in special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's gunsight. Darth Cheney was interviewd back in the spring, but it hasn't been clear until recently that he might go down with Rove, Scooter, and the rest.

Winning Iraqi Hearts & Minds, Part 287b

Remember when US General Tommy Franks famously said "we don't do body counts"? Well, apparently the body count -- that cherished remnant of the Vietnam era -- is back, because we need to show all those doubters back home (the 56% who say the Iraq War is less likely to come to a successful conclusion and the 51% who say invading was a mistake) that, yeah, sure we've lost 1,976 American servicemembers in the war... but you should see the other guy!

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military said Monday that coalition forces launched airstrikes Sunday in and around Ramadi, west of Baghdad, killing "an estimated 70 terrorists."

Military officials said they had no reports of civilians killed.

"We do careful targeting to ensure minimum civilian casualties in the areas that the insurgents are operating," said Lt. Col. Steven Boylan, director of the U.S.-led Combined Press Information Center.

In one operation Sunday, a precision-guided bomb killed up to 20 insurgents east of Ramadi after military personnel observed them planting a bomb at the site of Saturday's blast that killed five U.S. and two Iraqi soldiers, a U.S. military statement said.

Whoo hoo! Seventy dead insurgents! Precision guided bombs with careful targeting and special explosives that stop and ask "hey, are you an insurgent?" before their shrapnel rips through human flesh. Yea! The Iraqi people must really love us now that we're only blowing up the bad guys that put our lives and the lives of innocent Iraqi civilians in danger.


Or... maybe not so much:

But an Iraqi doctor who reported 20 people killed -- including six children -- and 25 wounded said all those were civilians.

An Iraqi Ministry of Health official also said one child was killed and two women wounded in the airstrikes.

"[They] were not terrorists -- they were only a bunch of civilians whose curiosity prompted them to gather around a destroyed Humvee," said Dr. Dhiya Fahdawi, who treated people at a hospital in Ramadi.

Well, don't sweat it, Doc. That's just a bunch of civilians who'll never have a chance to come to hate America for our freedoms. Their friends and relatives surely realize that those bombs were precision guided with careful targeting, so their loved ones must've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In no way should that motivate any of their friends or relatives to distrust America and support or join the insurgency.

Tidmus gives Willie Wilson the Shaft

Mike Tidmus...my hero!!! Brilliant as always -- he's given the good homophobic Reverend a 70s blow-out 'fro, though I certainly feel flattered by the Pam Grier casting (talk about over-the-top, lololol). Mike's post on the goings-on in DC over the weekend...

That Willie Wilson, he’s a bad motherfucker! Shut my mouth!

"Sisters making more money than brothers and it’s creating problems in families … that’s one of the reasons many of our women are becoming lesbians."

"Women falling down on another woman, strapping yourself up with something, it ain’t real. That thing ain’t got no feeling in it. It ain’t natural. Anytime somebody got to slap some grease on your behind and stick something in you, it’s something wrong with that. Your butt ain’t made for that."

"My son in high school last year, trying to go to the prom, he said, ‘Dad, I ain’t got nobody to take to the prom because all the girls in my class are gay. There ain’t but two of them straight and both of them are ugly. I ain’t got nobody to take to the prom.’"

"You can’t make a connection with two screws. It takes a screw and a nut!"

"I ain’t homophobic, because everybody in here got something wrong with him."

— All of these charming quotes come from arch-bigot Reverend Willie Wilson of Washington DC

Right Willie, you’re not homophobic and I’m not pansy pink! You are, however, one lesbian-love-obsessed, screwed-up nutcase.

Pam Spaulding has the goods on this pathetic homophobe and what he pulled at the Millions More March.

As gay rights activist and representative of the National Black Justice Coalition, Keith Boykin, was stepping up to address the crowd, as had been previously arranged with Minister Louis Farrakhan, the homophobic Wilson turned him away and Boykin was not permitted to speak.

Read Keith Boykin’s prepared remarks and his comments on the incident here.

For additional details, take a look at the Washington Post’s article, Gays Protest Rejection Of Speaker at Gathering.

Key: black pastor

Sleazy Dick Morris pumps Condi for '08

This media hog is going to be appearing in Durham at a local bookstore to promote his new tome pictured above. He's so full of hot air. Look at some of the BS that he's promoting in the book.

In “Condi vs. Hillary” you’ll find out:

--The former Clinton Cabinet member who goes on the record for the first time in Morris’ book to say Republican Condi Rice will take an unprecedented 40 percent of the black vote in 2008.

--How Condi will generate huge support among women, blacks and Hispanics – insuring a GOP victory.

--Condi’s real-life experience fighting the “war on terror” makes her the presumptive heir to the Bush presidency.

--Condi never held elected office, but could easily join other great American presidents who hadn’t held office either.

--The childhood vow Condi made to her father that someday she’d live in “that house” – the White House.

--Race: How her election to the presidency will be the final battle of the Civil War, break the glass ceiling and affirm America’s vision of equality for all.

--Condi and Bush: why they really hit it off (and it has little to do with politics).

--Condi’s fervent Second Amendment views and why she really believes in gun rights.

--The real Condi you haven’t read about in the liberal papers, and much, much more.

Then he goes on to describe Hillary's plan (as if he's privy to any of this, since no one trusts the guy).

--Hillary’s secret 2008 campaign: She has already raised millions for it – and incredibly, has even locked up 20 percent of the Democratic primary delegates! (You won’t read this in the New York Times!)

--Hillary’s ties to “Pardongate,” which helped her raise money for her 2000 Senate bid.

--How the Clintons’ “Rolodex of millions” has made them the most powerful Democrats in America.

--Bill Clinton’s secret role as Hillary’s media consigliere.

--Cat tricks: Hillary cleverly avoids getting photographed with Ted Kennedy.

--Hillary’s reinvention – how she has changed her image and politics – and why one poll even had 33 percent of conservatives supporting her.

--Unmasked: Despite the masquerading, Hillary remains a hardcore liberal -- for partial birth abortion, for more taxes, for lifting the travel ban to Cuba, for more union power and worse.

--Morris’s advice to Hillary on how to emulate Margaret Thatcher – and how Hillary has taken the advice!

--Why Hillary’s “Living History” was the ultimate “chutzpah.”

--Hillary’s two agendas in 2008; one involves Bill.

--Surprise: Morris says Hillary may actually drop out of the New York Senate race. (Morris reveals a private conversation with Terry McAuliffe about this.)

--2004 Games: The Clintons cleared the way for their 2008 run by sabotaging the Kerry campaign.

--Why Hillary has become scandal-proof and the old complaints over Whitewater just won’t work against her.

Well, it does sound interesting, almost high comedy -- he sounds like he's setting up a bitch-slapping fest. How does this sleazebag keep getting on the air to prognosticate anything? He will be all over the airwaves shilling this soon.

It's too bad for Dick that this news broke today: Rice Says No - and No Again - on Presidential Bid

I decided to wade into Freeperland to see how they view Dick Morris's predictions...

Actual Freeper Quotes™

"And we should trust his advice...why?"

"Dick Morris has 'egg on his face' because of his assertion that Hillery would not run for Senator."

"Dick must be sucking on a bottle rather than toes these days."

"Dick Morris has been touting this for some time. Condit probably could stop Hillary, but I doubt that she is the only one. Ms.Rodham Clinton is one of the most divisive figures in the country, and thanks to Rush, the internet, Fox News, etc., the American people will not forget it as they may have in a less technological era."

"Most Republicans are in denial, but Hillary Clinton is the most likely person to be the next president. The GOP can beat her, but the GOP needs to start acting like Republicans, mainly getting the budget under control with significant budget cuts. Without some bold actions by the GOP, Judge Roberts will be swearing in Hillary Clinton on January 20, 2009."

"One problem with Morris' prognostication is that three years is an eternity in politics. He doesn't know who could emerge as a candidate between now and then. Who outside of Dem political elites had heard of Bill Clinton in 1989?"

"Dick has jumped the proverbial "shark""

"I do not "get" Dick Morris. The few times I have endured listening to him, he reminds me of a gossipy old granny."

"Dick Morris, go suck a toe."

"Morris is right this time, not because he says so, but because I say so. Rice can beat Hillary, but only if she gets lucky. Hillary has to be considered the favorite in this match up, for now. The real problem is that the Republicans are afraid of making her look like a victim, so they can't attack. Hillary has to devote very few resources for defense, and that's an important key to victory."

"I'd vote for Condi, but sometimes I think I'd rather see Cheney in the Oval Office. Why? So I could grab a folding chair and a bucket of popcorn, go to the Mall and watch the Moonbats have aneurysms. There is a serious reason for that, too. Bush is so hated by what has become the mainstream of the Left that the Left does itself damage by constantly blaming him for every stubbed toe and parking ticket in America. That has to have an effect on the perceptions of Joe Lunchbucket, the Undecided Voter. A Cheney presidency would make the Left show itself for what it is in ways that would be impossible to ignore or misinterpret."

"Cheney's circulatory system couldn't stand up to a presidential campaign."

"Morris is selling a book. A work of fiction disguised as non-fiction. He's picked a dramatic topic well in advance of it being falsified by events. and he's promoting it like the movie posters of yore, which hinted at more provocative content than was actually supplied."

"The Freeh book is at least supposed to contain facts."

"Morris has it in for the Clintons and the (D)s , he sees the ultimate slap in the face to them would be defeating them with the "loophole" of an untouchable PC candidate... black, female."

"Let me guess. Goatboy wants to erase the impeachment 'stain' by getting Hildebeast to install him as General Secretary of the U.N. I've been saying that for some time -- a couple of years. I outlined the idea to some poker-playing friends, and two of them immediately responded, "You've just described the coming of the Antichrist." Seems they'd been reading the Left Behind series."

"America will not elect Hillary over a strong, competant man like George Allen or even John McCain. Call it an embedded sexist streak if you want, but my reading of the tea leaves never allows a woman to get elected over any suitable man. Put Condi in there, all bets are off, and removes that hurdle for Hillary!"

"Hell, Bob Dole could probably beat her."

"But seriously, George Allen could, and so could Mike Pence. Probably all of your standard liberal Republicans could (Giuliani, Romney, McCain, etc.), but they wouldn't be much of an improvement over her. I also think that Tom McClintock, given an equilvalent amount of support from the party that other more well-known candidates would receive, would clobber her."

"The only thing that disappoints me about George Allen was that he voted in favor of the " Hate crimes " legislation bill, in which included sexual orientation in that bill. Even if you speak out against homosexually ( the banning of the Bible will be next on the homosexuals target list , because it will be considered " HATE SPEECH " ) the gays will still consider it a hate crime if you even speak out against homosexuality. Just take a look at what happened to that pastor in Canada if you don't think this can and will happen here in America. enator Allen voted in favor of that legislation, in which, was a BIG disappointment, because I was thinking of voting for him in 2008, but now, I have my doubts."

"A dirty little secret is that there are a lot of senior citizens (many of whom vote Democrat--retired union workers, e.g.) who are sexist. I learned that firsthand when we got a woman pastor at our church. The old folks (men and women alike) did not like it one little bit. She's won most of them over, but there are still some who don't think women should have such a position of leadership and power. These folks will not vote for a woman for President."

"Only Condi can stop Conservatism."

Posted over the weekend...

If you're only a weekday Blender, here are some popular threads you missed.

* Keith Boykin banned from the podium at the Millions More March. Homo-bigot Willie "Strap on" Wilson had him turned away. This was also a front-page diary on DKos (238 comments and counting). Read this and take action. Post about it on your blog, pass the word along.

* I'm not sh*tting you, Halloween edition
* You've got to be f*cking kidding: KKK programming in Michigan
* CBS rejects UCC ad - AGAIN
* Wingnuts at 'tent revival' kickoff for Reformation Ohio
* Friday night at the movies, weeper edition

The Dark Wraith He-Stuff Challenge (for Shakespeare's Sister)

The Dark Wraith Forums has begun a little benefit for Shakes Sis, who was sacked from her job a couple of weeks ago.

This is a very interesting challenge; I've heard our very own "Radical" Russ has received an invitation.

As many of you who visit this part of the Blogosphere already know, Shakespeare's Sister lost her job awhile back. She and her husband, Mr. Shakes, have been the beneficiaries of kind and generous donations to tide them through this difficult time in their life together. She is a good woman, and he a good man. They contribute greatly to our stand against a machine of repression, mendacity, and stunning incompetence that has opened the 21^st Century on a trajectory as grim as any in American history. It is proper that we who are of like conscience in this time stand together and help each other.

Shakespeare's Sister and Mr. Shakes will emerge from this trial, and they will go on, together and as individuals, to do good and great things; but for the time that is now, they are still in need of donations.

I am, at my heart, an old-time capitalist: something should be rendered for something gained; and that which is rendered should be of value to the extent that the market for it is willing and able to pay the price. To that end, then, I offer The Dark Wraith He-Stuff Challenge.

This night and tomorrow, I shall be visiting selected sites of male bloggers. To the bloggers I visit, I shall deliver a slap-slap of masculine challenge with a link back to this post. If the he-blogger accepts, he must post his acceptance of the challenge on this thread to raise, in the period ending October 21, 2005, a sum of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.⁰⁰). The transfer is to go directly to Shakespeare's Sister at the donations link on her blog. She will keep track of how much has been raised in each participating blogger's name: each donor is to inform her by sending her an e-mail message at shakespeares_sister@comcast.net regarding.

Bloggers who reach a goal of $50 will be announced at Shakespeare's Sister at one minute past midnight on October 22, 2005.

Any blogger who raises the required $50 must then post by October 23, 2005, a full boob shot of himself. He may conceal or otherwise crop his face, but he may not in any other way retouch the photo posted. The photo and the associated post with it must remain at the top of his blog, or reasonably close thereto, until 11:59 p.m. on October 25, 2005. Light-up and lace-up piercings are discouraged, as are robotic enhancements and crass commercial messages.

A blogger who accepts the challenge must post his acceptance on his own blog, as well. Only those who are successful in reaching their respective, $50 goals will be announced at the deadline. This will avoid undue and degrading embarrassment to those unable to generate sufficient interest from their readers.

Now that Shakespeare's Sister has found out what's going on, she has published at her blog a post to parallel the one you are now reading.


And with this post, The Dark Wraith He-Stuff Challenge begins.

When Dark Wraith announced this to me over the weekend, I just pleaded to him that I don't want to see any he-chests that looked like the he-back in this post of mine...

Minor League Team To Host 'Hairiest Back' Contest.
Gag and hurl reflexes fully engaged. "The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League are ready to let the fur fly later this month."

Rove to resign if indicted?

If what Time Magazine's saying is true, it would be an occasion for all of us to do the happy dance, just a little one, anyway.

Of course it's Rove's idea; we all know the man would fall on the sword for the Chimperor. Now we just have to hope there's an actual indictment. If the White House is floating this story for Time, they may be feeling cocky that there won't be one.

Karl Rove has a plan, as always. Even before testifying last week for the fourth time before a grand jury probing the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, Bush senior adviser Rove and others at the White House had concluded that if indicted he would immediately resign or possibly go on unpaid leave, several legal and Administration sources familiar with the thinking told TIME. Resignation is the much more likely scenario, they say. The same would apply to I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the Vice President's chief of staff, who also faces a possible indictment. A former White House official says Rove's break with Bush would have to be clean--no "giving advice from the sidelines"--for the sake of the Administration.

Severing his ties would allow Rove--who as deputy chief of staff runs a vast swath of the West Wing--to fight aggressively "any bull___ charges," says a source close to Rove, like allegations that he was part of a broad conspiracy to discredit Plame's husband Joseph Wilson.

Oh, yeah. Bullsh*t charges. Man, he's knee-deep in pig manure; in fact, the Turdblossom specializes in rolling in it.

Rotting Cryptkeeper^TM Phelps flier on Judy Shepard appearance causes stir

This is via PageOneQ.



Fred's numnuts releasing a flier about IEDs when Matthew Shepard's mother Judy is planning to speak at a college isn't a bright idea, especially when the cops are taking it seriously as a threat. Because of threats made by the church, the Montana Human Rights Network has been denied the right to set up an educational table outside of the event, which will be at Carroll College, a private Catholic school, in Helena. There are also concerns about violent confrontations between pro-gay and anti-gay forces.

The Rotting Cryptkeeper^TM and his merry little drones aren't violent, just stupid. I don't know why this has set of the alarm bells -- the guy is clearly unhinged. What stinks is that it has now affected MHRN's ability to educate the public on tolerance and gay civil rights. In this case, Fred and his hatemongering wins.

There's also a story on 365gay.com about this.

Tidmus does it again

AbFab in the White House.

Patsy Stoned and Edina Rovina hit the bottle again. I guess with an orange jumpsuit in a certain someone’s future …

Sweetie! and darling! will be just a few of the sweet-nothings whispered by somebody’s new Leavenworth bunkmate.

More on Keith Boykin's banning from the podium at the Millions More March

Keith Boykin, and bigot Rev. Willie Wilson.

[I am posting a re-edited piece on the fallout at the Millions More March yesterday. This version has been front-paged at DKos. There are contacts at the end to take action on this bigotry. It's also time for a blogswarm. --P.]

Kossack TerrenceDC of the excellent Republic of T, had a diary on this subject that scrolled off very quickly yesterday and it deserved more exposure; I've excerpted snippets here.]

Several days ago, there was a meeting between Keith Boykin and members of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)  and Millions More March (MMM) leader Louis Farrakhan over GLBT representation at the march.

Keith Boykin was chosen to speak, but at the last minute, as he made his way to the podium, he was turned away by the homo-bigot co-organizer Rev. Willie Wilson.

Wilson was making sure that no one at that march was going to hear what Keith had to say about homophobia and the black community, or the need for gay visibility, recognition and acceptance.

From Metro Weekly's Will O'Bryan:

When NBJC president Keith Boykin and vice-president Donna Payne reported to the event on the Mall, they say, they were blocked from speaking by MMM organizer Rev. Willie Wilson.

Boykin was supposed to to represent the black LGBT community at the event.

Back at the Freedom Plaza rally, Payne said that when she and Boykin arrived at the MMM site, Wilson said, "They will not be speaking."

"I'm so angry, so angry," Payne said.

From TerrenceDC's diary, Million More March (Not) Missed:

The Million More March took place this weekend, and I did not miss it. Don't take that to mean that I attended, however, because I didn't. I didn't march, and I didn't miss marching either. After observing the behavior and listening to the words of those who organized the march, I don't believe I missed anything other than more of the same. And at this point in my life, I no longer wish to waste time on it.

...I've been over this ground before. I've been over it as a black gay man in an interracial relationship. I've been over it before in countless online flamewars and "blacker than thou" battles, in which it was asserted that I needed to prioritize one identity -- black or gay -- over the other; something I can no more do than, as I heard it put in Marlon Riggs' movie Tongues Untied, choose between "my left nut or my right."

I agree with Terrence. This is part of a sad sickness, a schism in our community that widens -- why should we have to choose? Why are the voices of bigotry against black gays and lesbians allowed to be leaders, to be organizers, to be arbiters of who is included and excluded in the community?

Wilson, a man placed in charge of organizing this march, said the following comments (and all involved, including Farrakhan knew he said these things) from the pulpit:

"But... women falling down on another woman, strapping yourself up with something, it ain't real. That thing ain't got no feeling in it. It ain't natural. Anytime somebody got to slap some grease on your behind and stick something in you, it's something wrong with that. Your butt ain't made for that."

"No wonder your behind is bleeding. You can't make no connection with a screw and another screw. The Bible says God made them male and female."
--The Rev. Willie Wilson

There's a real class act, huh? A man chosen to represent leadership in the black community for this march.

It is a sad state of affairs and if the other leaders present today are silent on this rebuff, they need to be held accountable.

Keith recounts what happened on his blog, in the post, "The Speech That Didn't Happen."

After eight months of discussion, four productive conversations with Minister Farrakhan and a heated exchange with Rev. Willie Wilson, the Millions More Movement March took place today and I was not allowed to speak. Although I believe we have opened the door for historic and positive dialogue with Minister Farrakhan, Rev. Wilson does not appear to be ready for such dialogue.

This is what happened today. After I arrived at the VIP tent shortly after 8 in the morning, my colleague Donna Payne spoke directly to Rev. Willie Wilson backstage, and he informed her that no one from the National Black Justice Coalition would be speaking today. Donna told Rev. Wilson that he was violating our agreement, and Wilson replied that the agreement was void because the Coalition had not responded by Friday. That was not true.

Rev. Wilson's excuse seemed a mere pretext to prevent us from speaking. Sadly, I am not surprised. He has been an obstacle to this process all along. Ever since his controversial July 3 sermon in which he blamed the rise of lesbianism for the problems in the black community, Rev. Wilson seems to have developed ill feelings toward the black gay community for responding to his attack. That was three months ago, and I had hoped to use my speech today to extend an olive branch to Rev. Wilson to move beyond our differences and heal our wounds, but his actions this morning made that impossible.

Eva at Lloydletta has thoughts on what went wrong.

I was thinking this probably happened because Keith Boykin and Jasmyne Cannick did the outing campaign looking for stories about Willie Wilson being a closet gay. [I posted about the series on my blog here -- Pam]

This reminds me alot of what happened between Log Cabin Republicans and the Bush campaign in 2000. Jake Tapper's account discusses the Log Cabin internal divisions on this.

Keith gave it the old college try, but after Wilson's behavior (as a minister, no less), it's time to hang it up with getting a seat at that particular table.

Farrakhan knew exactly what he was doing when he extended the invitation in the first place. The National Black Justice Coalition had sent him a list of 10 prospective gay speakers for the MMM -- Keith wasn't on the list -- yet Farrakhan asked Keith to speak, knowing that Wilson was hopping mad over the outing campaign from a few weeks ago.

It's no surprise then, on the d