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December 29, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
Join the Campaign for Change. It is imperative that the Democrats do all they can to take back the House and Senate in 2006. The House is going to be pretty tough, but the closer we get in 2006, the better chance we'll have in 2008. And, of course, they always need money, but what we're advocating is that you sign up for the "Campaign for Change" and get to know the candidates. If you get informed early, you can start to work on a local campaign that you feel passionate about. Sign on up: They need as much help as possible!
News
Frist and Santorum Call for Investigation Into Katrina Then Vote No... From the "You really can't get away with stuff like that anymore" files, meet Senators Bill Frist ank Rick Santorum. As The Huffington Post points out (with proof!), both these Republican Senators went on public record as saying that they supported an investigation into the Katrina relief effort. However, last Wednesday, both Senators voted to block the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission to "investigate the federal, state and local government’s response to Katrina." In fact, the only Senators to vote for the panel were the 44 Democrats and Jim Jeffords (I-VT). So, they can sure talk the talk, but when it comes to walking the walk, Republicans are afraid of the results. Simply shameful and cowardly.
Tax Avoidance 'Keeps Developing World Poor'. Quick, think about doing your taxes! Scary, huh? And probably the first thing that leaps to your mind is how to maximize your deductions and pay as little as possible. Of course, we can't blame you: We wouldn't trust this administration with a child's piggy back, nevermind our tax money. The report this link referred to is by Christian Aid, which has determine that multinational companies are dodging about 500 billion dollars worth of taxes that should be going to poorer countries. Imagine if all that money was being used to fight global poverty or the spread of AIDS, instead of going back into the coffers of gigantic congolmerates, many of whom are probably exploting the workers of those poorer countries, and then not even paying their fair share of taxes.
New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations. Look, we're all for activism, and donating money to appropriate causes, but this is just ridiculous. The Administration, clearly seeing how Americans have opened up their wallets in the wake of Katrina, has figured, "Hey, why not us?", and started the "Iraq Partnership" project. The idea is that you can choose from a specific project and donate money to help out the Iraqi people. Sure, helping people is all well and good, but the government has proven time and time again that it can't be trusted with the money we're legally obligated to give them. Now we're supposed to voluntarily donate more money because they screwed up so badly? We just have to laugh. We're tired of spending our capital - why not spend some of your political capital, George, and roll back those tax cuts?
Editorials
Taking Back Islam. David Ignatius finally says what we've been writing for months; this administration doesn't begin to show that they understand the first thing about Islam, and throwing Karen Hughes at the "problem" is going to cause more harm than good. The "war within Islam" isn't about PR, or even diplomacy. It's about the Salafists. Ignatius explains it far better than we could, but the essential idea is that is that there are currently two sides to Islam: Traditional Islam and the extreme Salafists, and that's where the "war within Islam" is coming from. In 782 words, Ignatius does more to explain the current state of Islam to the American people than the White House has done in 4 years. We highly encourage you to read this editorial.
Class-ifying the Hurricane. We have yet to see any sincere and insightful coverage of the horrifying class disparity that Hurricane Katrina finally exposed to all Americans. When the media does touch on the issue, it's boiled down to "Does Bush care about black people?", which is a good question to ask (Answer: No, but not because they're black, but rather because many are poor), but only as a starting point. Adolph Reed Jr. does as good a job as we've seen in deconstructing the underlying issues that Katrina should bring to the surface. The problem is, though, that Democrats like to oversimplify the debate, and Republicans don't really like to have one at all. Katrina should not just result in a discussion of race; it should result in a wholesale analysis of our national priorities, and expose that "What happened in New Orleans is the culmination of twenty-five years of disparagement of any idea of public responsibility; of a concerted effort--led by the right but as part of a bipartisan consensus--to reduce government's functions to enhancing plunder by corporations and the wealthy and punishing everyone else, undermining any notion of social solidarity."
Blogger Commentary
KY-Gov: Fletcher All Alone. Since Daily Kos gets so many hits a day, we try not to link there too much. But this writeup by DavidNYC is extremely interesting. Seems that Kentucky's Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher is in a bit of trouble. First, his staff is implicated in a hiring scandal. Fletcher then simply pardons his staff, and closes the door on the case. Only, the state's Attorney General continues looking, and indicates that he has documents that could implicate Fletcher himself. So, Fletcher fires the nine staff members and calls for the head of the state's RNC to resign. Only, the RNC says "No." The Republicans in the state legislature say "You're on your own." Going into July, Fletcher's approval rating was third to last in the country. We love seeing Republicans hung out to dry, especially when they are guilty as sin. In just a few short years in power, they've created a massive culture of corruption, reaching across the country.
Legal Leverage Against Bush. We're pleased to read that the entire Joseph Wilson/Valerie Plame issue just isn't going away. As Shaula Evans, over at The Blogging Of the President writes, last week 41 Congressmen asked "Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald to expand the scope of his investigation to include examining the causes behind the exposure of Plame's identity." Evans goes on to list the 41 Congressmen who signed off on the request (note that this isn't a request to the White House, but a direct request to Fitzgerald). Good for our elected officials (read: Democrats), and we encourage you to follow our lead; if your Congressman (or, indeed, any Congressman from your state) is listed here, go ahead and contact them and let them know you appreciate their efforts!
|
December 29, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
Join the Campaign for Change. It is imperative that the Democrats do all they can to take back the House and Senate in 2006. The House is going to be pretty tough, but the closer we get in 2006, the better chance we'll have in 2008. And, of course, they always need money, but what we're advocating is that you sign up for the "Campaign for Change" and get to know the candidates. If you get informed early, you can start to work on a local campaign that you feel passionate about. Sign on up: They need as much help as possible!
News
Frist and Santorum Call for Investigation Into Katrina Then Vote No... From the "You really can't get away with stuff like that anymore" files, meet Senators Bill Frist ank Rick Santorum. As The Huffington Post points out (with proof!), both these Republican Senators went on public record as saying that they supported an investigation into the Katrina relief effort. However, last Wednesday, both Senators voted to block the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission to "investigate the federal, state and local government’s response to Katrina." In fact, the only Senators to vote for the panel were the 44 Democrats and Jim Jeffords (I-VT). So, they can sure talk the talk, but when it comes to walking the walk, Republicans are afraid of the results. Simply shameful and cowardly.
Tax Avoidance 'Keeps Developing World Poor'. Quick, think about doing your taxes! Scary, huh? And probably the first thing that leaps to your mind is how to maximize your deductions and pay as little as possible. Of course, we can't blame you: We wouldn't trust this administration with a child's piggy back, nevermind our tax money. The report this link referred to is by Christian Aid, which has determine that multinational companies are dodging about 500 billion dollars worth of taxes that should be going to poorer countries. Imagine if all that money was being used to fight global poverty or the spread of AIDS, instead of going back into the coffers of gigantic congolmerates, many of whom are probably exploting the workers of those poorer countries, and then not even paying their fair share of taxes.
New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations. Look, we're all for activism, and donating money to appropriate causes, but this is just ridiculous. The Administration, clearly seeing how Americans have opened up their wallets in the wake of Katrina, has figured, "Hey, why not us?", and started the "Iraq Partnership" project. The idea is that you can choose from a specific project and donate money to help out the Iraqi people. Sure, helping people is all well and good, but the government has proven time and time again that it can't be trusted with the money we're legally obligated to give them. Now we're supposed to voluntarily donate more money because they screwed up so badly? We just have to laugh. We're tired of spending our capital - why not spend some of your political capital, George, and roll back those tax cuts?
Editorials
Taking Back Islam. David Ignatius finally says what we've been writing for months; this administration doesn't begin to show that they understand the first thing about Islam, and throwing Karen Hughes at the "problem" is going to cause more harm than good. The "war within Islam" isn't about PR, or even diplomacy. It's about the Salafists. Ignatius explains it far better than we could, but the essential idea is that is that there are currently two sides to Islam: Traditional Islam and the extreme Salafists, and that's where the "war within Islam" is coming from. In 782 words, Ignatius does more to explain the current state of Islam to the American people than the White House has done in 4 years. We highly encourage you to read this editorial.
Class-ifying the Hurricane. We have yet to see any sincere and insightful coverage of the horrifying class disparity that Hurricane Katrina finally exposed to all Americans. When the media does touch on the issue, it's boiled down to "Does Bush care about black people?", which is a good question to ask (Answer: No, but not because they're black, but rather because many are poor), but only as a starting point. Adolph Reed Jr. does as good a job as we've seen in deconstructing the underlying issues that Katrina should bring to the surface. The problem is, though, that Democrats like to oversimplify the debate, and Republicans don't really like to have one at all. Katrina should not just result in a discussion of race; it should result in a wholesale analysis of our national priorities, and expose that "What happened in New Orleans is the culmination of twenty-five years of disparagement of any idea of public responsibility; of a concerted effort--led by the right but as part of a bipartisan consensus--to reduce government's functions to enhancing plunder by corporations and the wealthy and punishing everyone else, undermining any notion of social solidarity."
Blogger Commentary
KY-Gov: Fletcher All Alone. Since Daily Kos gets so many hits a day, we try not to link there too much. But this writeup by DavidNYC is extremely interesting. Seems that Kentucky's Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher is in a bit of trouble. First, his staff is implicated in a hiring scandal. Fletcher then simply pardons his staff, and closes the door on the case. Only, the state's Attorney General continues looking, and indicates that he has documents that could implicate Fletcher himself. So, Fletcher fires the nine staff members and calls for the head of the state's RNC to resign. Only, the RNC says "No." The Republicans in the state legislature say "You're on your own." Going into July, Fletcher's approval rating was third to last in the country. We love seeing Republicans hung out to dry, especially when they are guilty as sin. In just a few short years in power, they've created a massive culture of corruption, reaching across the country.
Legal Leverage Against Bush. We're pleased to read that the entire Joseph Wilson/Valerie Plame issue just isn't going away. As Shaula Evans, over at The Blogging Of the President writes, last week 41 Congressmen asked "Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald to expand the scope of his investigation to include examining the causes behind the exposure of Plame's identity." Evans goes on to list the 41 Congressmen who signed off on the request (note that this isn't a request to the White House, but a direct request to Fitzgerald). Good for our elected officials (read: Democrats), and we encourage you to follow our lead; if your Congressman (or, indeed, any Congressman from your state) is listed here, go ahead and contact them and let them know you appreciate their efforts!
|
December 29, 2005
Join the Campaign for Change. It is imperative that the Democrats do all they can to take back the House and Senate in 2006. The House is going to be pretty tough, but the closer we get in 2006, the better chance we'll have in 2008. And, of course, they always need money, but what we're advocating is that you sign up for the "Campaign for Change" and get to know the candidates. If you get informed early, you can start to work on a local campaign that you feel passionate about. Sign on up: They need as much help as possible!
News
Frist and Santorum Call for Investigation Into Katrina Then Vote No... From the "You really can't get away with stuff like that anymore" files, meet Senators Bill Frist ank Rick Santorum. As The Huffington Post points out (with proof!), both these Republican Senators went on public record as saying that they supported an investigation into the Katrina relief effort. However, last Wednesday, both Senators voted to block the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission to "investigate the federal, state and local government’s response to Katrina." In fact, the only Senators to vote for the panel were the 44 Democrats and Jim Jeffords (I-VT). So, they can sure talk the talk, but when it comes to walking the walk, Republicans are afraid of the results. Simply shameful and cowardly.
Tax Avoidance 'Keeps Developing World Poor'. Quick, think about doing your taxes! Scary, huh? And probably the first thing that leaps to your mind is how to maximize your deductions and pay as little as possible. Of course, we can't blame you: We wouldn't trust this administration with a child's piggy back, nevermind our tax money. The report this link referred to is by Christian Aid, which has determine that multinational companies are dodging about 500 billion dollars worth of taxes that should be going to poorer countries. Imagine if all that money was being used to fight global poverty or the spread of AIDS, instead of going back into the coffers of gigantic congolmerates, many of whom are probably exploting the workers of those poorer countries, and then not even paying their fair share of taxes.
New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations. Look, we're all for activism, and donating money to appropriate causes, but this is just ridiculous. The Administration, clearly seeing how Americans have opened up their wallets in the wake of Katrina, has figured, "Hey, why not us?", and started the "Iraq Partnership" project. The idea is that you can choose from a specific project and donate money to help out the Iraqi people. Sure, helping people is all well and good, but the government has proven time and time again that it can't be trusted with the money we're legally obligated to give them. Now we're supposed to voluntarily donate more money because they screwed up so badly? We just have to laugh. We're tired of spending our capital - why not spend some of your political capital, George, and roll back those tax cuts?
Editorials
Taking Back Islam. David Ignatius finally says what we've been writing for months; this administration doesn't begin to show that they understand the first thing about Islam, and throwing Karen Hughes at the "problem" is going to cause more harm than good. The "war within Islam" isn't about PR, or even diplomacy. It's about the Salafists. Ignatius explains it far better than we could, but the essential idea is that is that there are currently two sides to Islam: Traditional Islam and the extreme Salafists, and that's where the "war within Islam" is coming from. In 782 words, Ignatius does more to explain the current state of Islam to the American people than the White House has done in 4 years. We highly encourage you to read this editorial.
Class-ifying the Hurricane. We have yet to see any sincere and insightful coverage of the horrifying class disparity that Hurricane Katrina finally exposed to all Americans. When the media does touch on the issue, it's boiled down to "Does Bush care about black people?", which is a good question to ask (Answer: No, but not because they're black, but rather because many are poor), but only as a starting point. Adolph Reed Jr. does as good a job as we've seen in deconstructing the underlying issues that Katrina should bring to the surface. The problem is, though, that Democrats like to oversimplify the debate, and Republicans don't really like to have one at all. Katrina should not just result in a discussion of race; it should result in a wholesale analysis of our national priorities, and expose that "What happened in New Orleans is the culmination of twenty-five years of disparagement of any idea of public responsibility; of a concerted effort--led by the right but as part of a bipartisan consensus--to reduce government's functions to enhancing plunder by corporations and the wealthy and punishing everyone else, undermining any notion of social solidarity."
Blogger Commentary
KY-Gov: Fletcher All Alone. Since Daily Kos gets so many hits a day, we try not to link there too much. But this writeup by DavidNYC is extremely interesting. Seems that Kentucky's Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher is in a bit of trouble. First, his staff is implicated in a hiring scandal. Fletcher then simply pardons his staff, and closes the door on the case. Only, the state's Attorney General continues looking, and indicates that he has documents that could implicate Fletcher himself. So, Fletcher fires the nine staff members and calls for the head of the state's RNC to resign. Only, the RNC says "No." The Republicans in the state legislature say "You're on your own." Going into July, Fletcher's approval rating was third to last in the country. We love seeing Republicans hung out to dry, especially when they are guilty as sin. In just a few short years in power, they've created a massive culture of corruption, reaching across the country.
Legal Leverage Against Bush. We're pleased to read that the entire Joseph Wilson/Valerie Plame issue just isn't going away. As Shaula Evans, over at The Blogging Of the President writes, last week 41 Congressmen asked "Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald to expand the scope of his investigation to include examining the causes behind the exposure of Plame's identity." Evans goes on to list the 41 Congressmen who signed off on the request (note that this isn't a request to the White House, but a direct request to Fitzgerald). Good for our elected officials (read: Democrats), and we encourage you to follow our lead; if your Congressman (or, indeed, any Congressman from your state) is listed here, go ahead and contact them and let them know you appreciate their efforts!
