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December 29, 2005
Monday, February 21, 2005
Monday's Links
Happy President's Day! Let's use this time to remember what it was like when we had Presidents with integrity, character, and a modicum of common sense. Oh, those were the days!
Activism
The American Friends Service Committee is dedicated to social justice and peace programs throughout the world. Although AFSC's philosophy is based on the Quaker faith, they are not a religious group. AFSC has created a short film entitled "Wage Peace," which you can watch on the website. Once you've watched, go here to sign AFSC's petition to get our troops home, and out of harm's way.
News
Surprise! You're on Candid Camera! Ok, well, it was audio tape, but Bush was still surprised to learn that conversations he had during his run for the White House were recorded by an aide to George H.W. Bush, Doug Wead. In the tapes, Bush discusses how to parlay religious beliefs into votes, dismisses John McCain as an empty candidate, and predicts John Ashcroft would make a "'very good Supreme Court pick' or a 'fabulous' vice president." The White House, surprisingly, has not denounced the tapes. Although the article is a little long (5 pages), it does provide some great insight into Bush's character, and shows a man who, at times, seems to simply pick the right thing to say to get what he wants, regardless of how it may make him look down the road.
Election Reform...? John Kerry has introduced a new bill into the Senate, designed to revamp election laws, in order to curtail the problems faced in states like Ohio in 2004 and Florida in 2000. Also supporting the bill are Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Bills are also being introduced by Democrats in the House, and Republicans in the Senate. Look for the topic of election reform to build momentum over the next two years. After watching Ohio in 2004 with disgust, we hope new legislation will not only facilitate every American voting, but also having their vote counted accurately. Americans deserve nothing less. If Republicans fight against this bill, it should be taken to mean that they don't believe they can win fair elections, pure and simple.
What Crisis? Jason Furman, of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) breaks down the administration's argument of a Social Security program in crisis, and why they are, at best wrong, and at worst lying. The numbers and results in this article may surprise you. CBPP is a non-profit, non-partisan policy organization that works at both the state and federal levels on fiscal policy and public programs.
Editorials
Gannongate. We've tried to stay away from the Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert story, because we had hoped that it would be picked up by the mainstream media (MSM). However, for the first few days after Americablog and DailyKos broke the story, the MSM was silent. Now, finally, the MSM outlets are starting to look at the story, but no one is asking the most important questions - how did Gannon/Guckert get a press pass in the firts place? How did he pass a Secret Service background check under a false name? How did he get away with this for two years? Why didn't David Gregory or Major Garrett speak up about a reporter for a newspaper they had never heard of continually lob softball questions at the president? Today's MSM is in sorry shape, and we fear it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. When Nicholas LeMann asks "Why is everyone mad at the mainstream media?", we'd love to tell him that it's because of their complacency in the face of stories like this.
Kids Say The Darndest, Most Stalinist Things. Comedian Bill Maher takes a bit of time off from trying to be funny (well, mostly), and ends up being rather frightening. He cites a recent poll that shows support for some fascist philosophies are gaining hold in high school, of all places. If our high schoolers aren't rebelling against authority, something's really wrong. We're doing this country a disservice if we can't even teach them one of the most basic principles of democracy: That everyone has the right to free speech. You gotta wonder if they're learning some of these ideals from their public officials - people that are supposed to be "leaders", but really are simple fearmongers, exploiting our basest emotions and vulnerabilities.
Hunger For Dictatorship. You might think that we throw around the term "fascist" pretty casually, but we really don't want it to be thought of as hyperbole. Scott McConnell discusses the growth of fascist tendencies in conservatives, and how we seem to have entered into a new political, brought about by 9/11. In fact, the subtitle of the article is "War to export democracy may wreck our own," and his warning is dead-on. We're seeing the slide down the slippery slope start now - torture being justified, people who question the government being called traitors, and a "pseudo-religious transfiguration of politics". It's a scary prospect, and one we all need to work together to prevent. Oh, any by the way, did we mention that this article was found in The American Conservative?
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December 29, 2005
Monday, February 21, 2005
Monday's Links
Happy President's Day! Let's use this time to remember what it was like when we had Presidents with integrity, character, and a modicum of common sense. Oh, those were the days!
Activism
The American Friends Service Committee is dedicated to social justice and peace programs throughout the world. Although AFSC's philosophy is based on the Quaker faith, they are not a religious group. AFSC has created a short film entitled "Wage Peace," which you can watch on the website. Once you've watched, go here to sign AFSC's petition to get our troops home, and out of harm's way.
News
Surprise! You're on Candid Camera! Ok, well, it was audio tape, but Bush was still surprised to learn that conversations he had during his run for the White House were recorded by an aide to George H.W. Bush, Doug Wead. In the tapes, Bush discusses how to parlay religious beliefs into votes, dismisses John McCain as an empty candidate, and predicts John Ashcroft would make a "'very good Supreme Court pick' or a 'fabulous' vice president." The White House, surprisingly, has not denounced the tapes. Although the article is a little long (5 pages), it does provide some great insight into Bush's character, and shows a man who, at times, seems to simply pick the right thing to say to get what he wants, regardless of how it may make him look down the road.
Election Reform...? John Kerry has introduced a new bill into the Senate, designed to revamp election laws, in order to curtail the problems faced in states like Ohio in 2004 and Florida in 2000. Also supporting the bill are Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Bills are also being introduced by Democrats in the House, and Republicans in the Senate. Look for the topic of election reform to build momentum over the next two years. After watching Ohio in 2004 with disgust, we hope new legislation will not only facilitate every American voting, but also having their vote counted accurately. Americans deserve nothing less. If Republicans fight against this bill, it should be taken to mean that they don't believe they can win fair elections, pure and simple.
What Crisis? Jason Furman, of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) breaks down the administration's argument of a Social Security program in crisis, and why they are, at best wrong, and at worst lying. The numbers and results in this article may surprise you. CBPP is a non-profit, non-partisan policy organization that works at both the state and federal levels on fiscal policy and public programs.
Editorials
Gannongate. We've tried to stay away from the Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert story, because we had hoped that it would be picked up by the mainstream media (MSM). However, for the first few days after Americablog and DailyKos broke the story, the MSM was silent. Now, finally, the MSM outlets are starting to look at the story, but no one is asking the most important questions - how did Gannon/Guckert get a press pass in the firts place? How did he pass a Secret Service background check under a false name? How did he get away with this for two years? Why didn't David Gregory or Major Garrett speak up about a reporter for a newspaper they had never heard of continually lob softball questions at the president? Today's MSM is in sorry shape, and we fear it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. When Nicholas LeMann asks "Why is everyone mad at the mainstream media?", we'd love to tell him that it's because of their complacency in the face of stories like this.
Kids Say The Darndest, Most Stalinist Things. Comedian Bill Maher takes a bit of time off from trying to be funny (well, mostly), and ends up being rather frightening. He cites a recent poll that shows support for some fascist philosophies are gaining hold in high school, of all places. If our high schoolers aren't rebelling against authority, something's really wrong. We're doing this country a disservice if we can't even teach them one of the most basic principles of democracy: That everyone has the right to free speech. You gotta wonder if they're learning some of these ideals from their public officials - people that are supposed to be "leaders", but really are simple fearmongers, exploiting our basest emotions and vulnerabilities.
Hunger For Dictatorship. You might think that we throw around the term "fascist" pretty casually, but we really don't want it to be thought of as hyperbole. Scott McConnell discusses the growth of fascist tendencies in conservatives, and how we seem to have entered into a new political, brought about by 9/11. In fact, the subtitle of the article is "War to export democracy may wreck our own," and his warning is dead-on. We're seeing the slide down the slippery slope start now - torture being justified, people who question the government being called traitors, and a "pseudo-religious transfiguration of politics". It's a scary prospect, and one we all need to work together to prevent. Oh, any by the way, did we mention that this article was found in The American Conservative?
|
December 29, 2005
Activism
The American Friends Service Committee is dedicated to social justice and peace programs throughout the world. Although AFSC's philosophy is based on the Quaker faith, they are not a religious group. AFSC has created a short film entitled "Wage Peace," which you can watch on the website. Once you've watched, go here to sign AFSC's petition to get our troops home, and out of harm's way.
News
Surprise! You're on Candid Camera! Ok, well, it was audio tape, but Bush was still surprised to learn that conversations he had during his run for the White House were recorded by an aide to George H.W. Bush, Doug Wead. In the tapes, Bush discusses how to parlay religious beliefs into votes, dismisses John McCain as an empty candidate, and predicts John Ashcroft would make a "'very good Supreme Court pick' or a 'fabulous' vice president." The White House, surprisingly, has not denounced the tapes. Although the article is a little long (5 pages), it does provide some great insight into Bush's character, and shows a man who, at times, seems to simply pick the right thing to say to get what he wants, regardless of how it may make him look down the road.
Election Reform...? John Kerry has introduced a new bill into the Senate, designed to revamp election laws, in order to curtail the problems faced in states like Ohio in 2004 and Florida in 2000. Also supporting the bill are Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Bills are also being introduced by Democrats in the House, and Republicans in the Senate. Look for the topic of election reform to build momentum over the next two years. After watching Ohio in 2004 with disgust, we hope new legislation will not only facilitate every American voting, but also having their vote counted accurately. Americans deserve nothing less. If Republicans fight against this bill, it should be taken to mean that they don't believe they can win fair elections, pure and simple.
What Crisis? Jason Furman, of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) breaks down the administration's argument of a Social Security program in crisis, and why they are, at best wrong, and at worst lying. The numbers and results in this article may surprise you. CBPP is a non-profit, non-partisan policy organization that works at both the state and federal levels on fiscal policy and public programs.
Editorials
Gannongate. We've tried to stay away from the Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert story, because we had hoped that it would be picked up by the mainstream media (MSM). However, for the first few days after Americablog and DailyKos broke the story, the MSM was silent. Now, finally, the MSM outlets are starting to look at the story, but no one is asking the most important questions - how did Gannon/Guckert get a press pass in the firts place? How did he pass a Secret Service background check under a false name? How did he get away with this for two years? Why didn't David Gregory or Major Garrett speak up about a reporter for a newspaper they had never heard of continually lob softball questions at the president? Today's MSM is in sorry shape, and we fear it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. When Nicholas LeMann asks "Why is everyone mad at the mainstream media?", we'd love to tell him that it's because of their complacency in the face of stories like this.
Kids Say The Darndest, Most Stalinist Things. Comedian Bill Maher takes a bit of time off from trying to be funny (well, mostly), and ends up being rather frightening. He cites a recent poll that shows support for some fascist philosophies are gaining hold in high school, of all places. If our high schoolers aren't rebelling against authority, something's really wrong. We're doing this country a disservice if we can't even teach them one of the most basic principles of democracy: That everyone has the right to free speech. You gotta wonder if they're learning some of these ideals from their public officials - people that are supposed to be "leaders", but really are simple fearmongers, exploiting our basest emotions and vulnerabilities.
Hunger For Dictatorship. You might think that we throw around the term "fascist" pretty casually, but we really don't want it to be thought of as hyperbole. Scott McConnell discusses the growth of fascist tendencies in conservatives, and how we seem to have entered into a new political, brought about by 9/11. In fact, the subtitle of the article is "War to export democracy may wreck our own," and his warning is dead-on. We're seeing the slide down the slippery slope start now - torture being justified, people who question the government being called traitors, and a "pseudo-religious transfiguration of politics". It's a scary prospect, and one we all need to work together to prevent. Oh, any by the way, did we mention that this article was found in The American Conservative?
