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December 29, 2005
Friday, April 15, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
Tom DeLay's defense fund grows by the day. Companies like American Airlines, Bacardi and Verizon have all contributed to DeLay's pot. We urge you to "Drop the Hammer" by contacting these companies and letting them know that you will refuse to support them as long as they continue to fund DeLay. Here's hoping enough negative press will make them realize that this is probably not a worthwhile investment for them.
News
Frist likely to push for ban on filibusters. It's getting closer. Apparently Frist seems all but certain to go for the "nuclear option", and part of us wants to see him do it. Sure, we're concerned about the effectiveness of the possible Democrat response, but so far they've been doing a bang-up job. And with it hopefully still fresh in people's minds that Republicans are the ones trying to undermine the judiciary, it should be pretty obvious why they're making they're move. It's so disgusting, unconstitutional, and unprincipled that it makes us want to scream. At the same time, since the GOP is going to act in that manner no matter what, it's reasonably likely that if they continue to abuse their power so publicly, the citizenry will catch on. But that's why it's also important that you do your part and stay informed, and inform others about how and why the Republicans have gone completely off the rails. It's all about power, arrogance, and greed.
Read Between the Lines. Members of the uber-right-wing Washington Times sat down with Tom Delay for an interview, and peppered him with questions on everything from ethics to immigration. What DeLay said is just as interesting as what he didn't say. For example, he talks about limiting government. "Limiting the government in your life, regulatory, social issues and all that and shrinking the size of government or reprioritizing - or as I like to say it, 'redesigning' - government to reflect our values are very important." That seems a little at odds with his impassioned plea about Terri Schiavo, no? But DeLay doesn't mention Schiavo's name once in this interview. DeLay wants to spend money and military personnel to send all illegal immigrants back to their home countries just to have them apply for a "guest visa." And, of course, instead of coming clean about his ethics issues, he attacks Democrats. DeLay was given softball questions, and not really pressed on anything, yes still manages to look like a complete jackass. We recommend you read this transcript, if only to see how often he contradicts himself. (By the way, in the interest of "full disclosure," DeLay lied when he said that he voted against No Child Left Behind. The proof is here).
Paying Up and Hunkering Down. With 7 months left until the governor's election, fundraising is taking center stage in Virginia. Already, Timothy Kaine (D) and Jerry Kilgore (R) have raised more money than was raised for the 2001 election, with Kaine raising the most. He's also received a large amount of money from Howard Dean, which is good news indeed. Republicans surely want to take this state back, and you can expect the media blitz to be fast and furious over the next few months. Thankfully, Kaine seems to be well equipped to handle it. Virginians are a bitterly divided bunch, with the northern part of the state heavily Democratic, and the southern part heavily Republican. This promises to be a very close race, with every dollar and every bit of effort making a difference. Will you do your part?
Editorials
Teachers for Peace. Last month, a group of anti-war teachers met with like-minded activists in New York City. Their goal was to find new ways to oppose the war in Iraq. Why should teachers be relevant to a political or military operation? Well, aside from the well-know statistic about colleges being quite liberal, it seems that Bush's dismantling of the education system and the economy has actually been beneficial for military recruiting. Obviously, if you can't find a job, and the military is deluding you into thinking that enlisting is your ticket to success (because they're heavily recruiting on campus), well, maybe you start thinking about that option. But if teachers can start to fight back, and educate children about their career options, and get them to realize that war is never a good answer, then these kids can hope for something a little bit bigger than just being a grunt in an unnecessary war. Maybe we can train them to be diplomats!
The Biggest Tax Cheats. The problem with writer Robert Kuttner, if it can be called a problem, is his naivete. In his latest column, he poses the question of "How can we possibly reduce the federal deficit and find enough money for high-quality public services without raising everyone's taxes?" It's a fair question, and his answer is to get serious about collecting money from tax cheats. Specifically, those who hide money tax shelters. An estimated $7 trillion in assets sits hidden and isn't taxed. If we're going to get serious about balancing the budget, why cut discretionary programs? Why pull Medicaid funding from states? Why not spend a little more money on IRS enforcement to ensure that *every* American pays his or her fair share in taxes. Of course, a lot of those who get away with paying less are friends of the president, and he can't risk alienating them, can he? He's already alienated half the world as it is. The difference, of course, is that these people are willing to pay through the nose to make sure those in Washington continue to let them steal from the rest of us.
Disaster, Not Diplomacy. Richard Cohen discusses why the nomination of John Bolton is a bad idea. Having seen him in press conferences in his role as a White House spokesman, Bolton's idea of diplomacy is pretty meager, to say the least. He's hardly in control of his emotions. He "needs anger management," according to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Certainly, Bush is allowed to nominate anyone he wants. But, as Cohen says, why he would want someone with such a fundamental lack of diplomacy skills is beyond us. Then again, he did nominate Wolfowitz for the World Bank, so it stands to reason that Bolton's nomination is just another "Thank you." Unfortunately, it surely means that the rest of us will suffer.
Humor
A dose of Friday afternoon humor for you. dNeXT has created some humorous videos on Bush, and are constantly updating their site with more. You'll need sound, and it may take a little while to load, but the end result is worth it.
|
December 29, 2005
Friday, April 15, 2005
Friday's Links
Activism
Tom DeLay's defense fund grows by the day. Companies like American Airlines, Bacardi and Verizon have all contributed to DeLay's pot. We urge you to "Drop the Hammer" by contacting these companies and letting them know that you will refuse to support them as long as they continue to fund DeLay. Here's hoping enough negative press will make them realize that this is probably not a worthwhile investment for them.
News
Frist likely to push for ban on filibusters. It's getting closer. Apparently Frist seems all but certain to go for the "nuclear option", and part of us wants to see him do it. Sure, we're concerned about the effectiveness of the possible Democrat response, but so far they've been doing a bang-up job. And with it hopefully still fresh in people's minds that Republicans are the ones trying to undermine the judiciary, it should be pretty obvious why they're making they're move. It's so disgusting, unconstitutional, and unprincipled that it makes us want to scream. At the same time, since the GOP is going to act in that manner no matter what, it's reasonably likely that if they continue to abuse their power so publicly, the citizenry will catch on. But that's why it's also important that you do your part and stay informed, and inform others about how and why the Republicans have gone completely off the rails. It's all about power, arrogance, and greed.
Read Between the Lines. Members of the uber-right-wing Washington Times sat down with Tom Delay for an interview, and peppered him with questions on everything from ethics to immigration. What DeLay said is just as interesting as what he didn't say. For example, he talks about limiting government. "Limiting the government in your life, regulatory, social issues and all that and shrinking the size of government or reprioritizing - or as I like to say it, 'redesigning' - government to reflect our values are very important." That seems a little at odds with his impassioned plea about Terri Schiavo, no? But DeLay doesn't mention Schiavo's name once in this interview. DeLay wants to spend money and military personnel to send all illegal immigrants back to their home countries just to have them apply for a "guest visa." And, of course, instead of coming clean about his ethics issues, he attacks Democrats. DeLay was given softball questions, and not really pressed on anything, yes still manages to look like a complete jackass. We recommend you read this transcript, if only to see how often he contradicts himself. (By the way, in the interest of "full disclosure," DeLay lied when he said that he voted against No Child Left Behind. The proof is here).
Paying Up and Hunkering Down. With 7 months left until the governor's election, fundraising is taking center stage in Virginia. Already, Timothy Kaine (D) and Jerry Kilgore (R) have raised more money than was raised for the 2001 election, with Kaine raising the most. He's also received a large amount of money from Howard Dean, which is good news indeed. Republicans surely want to take this state back, and you can expect the media blitz to be fast and furious over the next few months. Thankfully, Kaine seems to be well equipped to handle it. Virginians are a bitterly divided bunch, with the northern part of the state heavily Democratic, and the southern part heavily Republican. This promises to be a very close race, with every dollar and every bit of effort making a difference. Will you do your part?
Editorials
Teachers for Peace. Last month, a group of anti-war teachers met with like-minded activists in New York City. Their goal was to find new ways to oppose the war in Iraq. Why should teachers be relevant to a political or military operation? Well, aside from the well-know statistic about colleges being quite liberal, it seems that Bush's dismantling of the education system and the economy has actually been beneficial for military recruiting. Obviously, if you can't find a job, and the military is deluding you into thinking that enlisting is your ticket to success (because they're heavily recruiting on campus), well, maybe you start thinking about that option. But if teachers can start to fight back, and educate children about their career options, and get them to realize that war is never a good answer, then these kids can hope for something a little bit bigger than just being a grunt in an unnecessary war. Maybe we can train them to be diplomats!
The Biggest Tax Cheats. The problem with writer Robert Kuttner, if it can be called a problem, is his naivete. In his latest column, he poses the question of "How can we possibly reduce the federal deficit and find enough money for high-quality public services without raising everyone's taxes?" It's a fair question, and his answer is to get serious about collecting money from tax cheats. Specifically, those who hide money tax shelters. An estimated $7 trillion in assets sits hidden and isn't taxed. If we're going to get serious about balancing the budget, why cut discretionary programs? Why pull Medicaid funding from states? Why not spend a little more money on IRS enforcement to ensure that *every* American pays his or her fair share in taxes. Of course, a lot of those who get away with paying less are friends of the president, and he can't risk alienating them, can he? He's already alienated half the world as it is. The difference, of course, is that these people are willing to pay through the nose to make sure those in Washington continue to let them steal from the rest of us.
Disaster, Not Diplomacy. Richard Cohen discusses why the nomination of John Bolton is a bad idea. Having seen him in press conferences in his role as a White House spokesman, Bolton's idea of diplomacy is pretty meager, to say the least. He's hardly in control of his emotions. He "needs anger management," according to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Certainly, Bush is allowed to nominate anyone he wants. But, as Cohen says, why he would want someone with such a fundamental lack of diplomacy skills is beyond us. Then again, he did nominate Wolfowitz for the World Bank, so it stands to reason that Bolton's nomination is just another "Thank you." Unfortunately, it surely means that the rest of us will suffer.
Humor
A dose of Friday afternoon humor for you. dNeXT has created some humorous videos on Bush, and are constantly updating their site with more. You'll need sound, and it may take a little while to load, but the end result is worth it.
|
December 29, 2005
Tom DeLay's defense fund grows by the day. Companies like American Airlines, Bacardi and Verizon have all contributed to DeLay's pot. We urge you to "Drop the Hammer" by contacting these companies and letting them know that you will refuse to support them as long as they continue to fund DeLay. Here's hoping enough negative press will make them realize that this is probably not a worthwhile investment for them.
News
Frist likely to push for ban on filibusters. It's getting closer. Apparently Frist seems all but certain to go for the "nuclear option", and part of us wants to see him do it. Sure, we're concerned about the effectiveness of the possible Democrat response, but so far they've been doing a bang-up job. And with it hopefully still fresh in people's minds that Republicans are the ones trying to undermine the judiciary, it should be pretty obvious why they're making they're move. It's so disgusting, unconstitutional, and unprincipled that it makes us want to scream. At the same time, since the GOP is going to act in that manner no matter what, it's reasonably likely that if they continue to abuse their power so publicly, the citizenry will catch on. But that's why it's also important that you do your part and stay informed, and inform others about how and why the Republicans have gone completely off the rails. It's all about power, arrogance, and greed.
Read Between the Lines. Members of the uber-right-wing Washington Times sat down with Tom Delay for an interview, and peppered him with questions on everything from ethics to immigration. What DeLay said is just as interesting as what he didn't say. For example, he talks about limiting government. "Limiting the government in your life, regulatory, social issues and all that and shrinking the size of government or reprioritizing - or as I like to say it, 'redesigning' - government to reflect our values are very important." That seems a little at odds with his impassioned plea about Terri Schiavo, no? But DeLay doesn't mention Schiavo's name once in this interview. DeLay wants to spend money and military personnel to send all illegal immigrants back to their home countries just to have them apply for a "guest visa." And, of course, instead of coming clean about his ethics issues, he attacks Democrats. DeLay was given softball questions, and not really pressed on anything, yes still manages to look like a complete jackass. We recommend you read this transcript, if only to see how often he contradicts himself. (By the way, in the interest of "full disclosure," DeLay lied when he said that he voted against No Child Left Behind. The proof is here).
Paying Up and Hunkering Down. With 7 months left until the governor's election, fundraising is taking center stage in Virginia. Already, Timothy Kaine (D) and Jerry Kilgore (R) have raised more money than was raised for the 2001 election, with Kaine raising the most. He's also received a large amount of money from Howard Dean, which is good news indeed. Republicans surely want to take this state back, and you can expect the media blitz to be fast and furious over the next few months. Thankfully, Kaine seems to be well equipped to handle it. Virginians are a bitterly divided bunch, with the northern part of the state heavily Democratic, and the southern part heavily Republican. This promises to be a very close race, with every dollar and every bit of effort making a difference. Will you do your part?
Editorials
Teachers for Peace. Last month, a group of anti-war teachers met with like-minded activists in New York City. Their goal was to find new ways to oppose the war in Iraq. Why should teachers be relevant to a political or military operation? Well, aside from the well-know statistic about colleges being quite liberal, it seems that Bush's dismantling of the education system and the economy has actually been beneficial for military recruiting. Obviously, if you can't find a job, and the military is deluding you into thinking that enlisting is your ticket to success (because they're heavily recruiting on campus), well, maybe you start thinking about that option. But if teachers can start to fight back, and educate children about their career options, and get them to realize that war is never a good answer, then these kids can hope for something a little bit bigger than just being a grunt in an unnecessary war. Maybe we can train them to be diplomats!
The Biggest Tax Cheats. The problem with writer Robert Kuttner, if it can be called a problem, is his naivete. In his latest column, he poses the question of "How can we possibly reduce the federal deficit and find enough money for high-quality public services without raising everyone's taxes?" It's a fair question, and his answer is to get serious about collecting money from tax cheats. Specifically, those who hide money tax shelters. An estimated $7 trillion in assets sits hidden and isn't taxed. If we're going to get serious about balancing the budget, why cut discretionary programs? Why pull Medicaid funding from states? Why not spend a little more money on IRS enforcement to ensure that *every* American pays his or her fair share in taxes. Of course, a lot of those who get away with paying less are friends of the president, and he can't risk alienating them, can he? He's already alienated half the world as it is. The difference, of course, is that these people are willing to pay through the nose to make sure those in Washington continue to let them steal from the rest of us.
Disaster, Not Diplomacy. Richard Cohen discusses why the nomination of John Bolton is a bad idea. Having seen him in press conferences in his role as a White House spokesman, Bolton's idea of diplomacy is pretty meager, to say the least. He's hardly in control of his emotions. He "needs anger management," according to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Certainly, Bush is allowed to nominate anyone he wants. But, as Cohen says, why he would want someone with such a fundamental lack of diplomacy skills is beyond us. Then again, he did nominate Wolfowitz for the World Bank, so it stands to reason that Bolton's nomination is just another "Thank you." Unfortunately, it surely means that the rest of us will suffer.
Humor
A dose of Friday afternoon humor for you. dNeXT has created some humorous videos on Bush, and are constantly updating their site with more. You'll need sound, and it may take a little while to load, but the end result is worth it.
