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December 29, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
Michael Steele has Karl Rove and George W. Bush. Ben Cardin Needs YOU! Ben Cardin is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Paul Sarbaines (D-MD) in 2006. Although Cardin isn't the only challenger (Kweisi Mfume is also running), Cardin has just as much of a chance, at this point. Republican challenger Michael Steele has the support of Bush and Rove, who will be visiting Maryland this week to campaign for Steele. We saw how well that worked for Jerry Kilgore in Virginia; let's send the message that it won't work in Maryland, either!
News
CEO: Worker Pay Ratio Shoots Up to 431 : 1. Here we have yet more proof of something that's usually considered "conventional wisdom." We know CEOs are raking in millions, and we know that this administration has been friendly with contractors. Thanks to a report by "United for a Fair Economy," we know that they average CEO pay is $11.8 million, and the average worker pay is $27,460. 2 years ago, the ratio was 301-1. Last year, it jumped to 431-1. Republicans will tell you that America is all about the bottom dollar, and commend these CEOs for their "ingenuity." But the fact of the matter is that defense contractor CEOs saw their pay increase (on average) 200%. All other saw a raise of 7%. This is due to nothing else than this administration's desire to throw money at defense contractors, like United Technologies, Textron and General Dynamics. Need any more proof that your tax dollars are being wasted and the average worker is getting screwed?
Katrina Documents Released. Over 100,000 pages of documents relating to Katrina were released last week by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, who is most likely going to have to delay elections in New Orleans, scheduled for February 4. The documents show communications between Louisiana and the White House, and they are quite...enlightening. Blanco sent a letter to the White House the day before Katrina hit, which stated "I have determined that this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance will be necessary." Three days after the storm, she wrote another letter to Bush asking for the 256th Louisiana National Guard Brigade to be sent home from Iraq, to help, as well as additional resources. A full five days after that, the White House said that they hadn't received the letter, and Bush assistant Maggie Grant emailed a Blano aide to say "We found it [the letter] on the governor's Web site, but we need 'an original' for our staff secretary to formally process the requests she is making. We are on the job but appreciate your help with a technical request. Tnx!" The idea that people were dying in New Orleans while some mindless aide wrote an email notwithstanding, this is typical of the administration. Delays, lack of response and misplaced priorities have been a hallmark of this administration, so why should we have expected the Katrina response to be any different?
Third Party Group, Santorum Campaign Use Same Footage. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) is running scared. He's down in every poll taken, some by as much as 18 points, to Democratic challenger Bob Casey Jr. A recent internet ad by Santorum uses footage of a grandfather and grandson. But those two same actors appear in a television ad that is being run by a third-party group in support of Santorum. Coincidence or collaboration? Santorum's ad began running on November 25th. The third party ad was distributed two days before and began running six days after. Democrats have asked this third-party group, Americans for Job Security, to release the names of its donors, something they can legally do, and something that isn't normally hidden. Yet AJS won't do it, leading to even more speculation that there's something amiss. Santorum's spokeswoman is on record as saying, "It just seems like that Bob Casey is using this as an opportunity to change the issue to talk about something other than the issues that Pennsylvania voters care about." Really? He's afraid to talk about the issues? Then why has he had a double-digit lead in virtually every poll taken this year?
Editorials
Judge Alito and Abortion. A new editorial in the New York Times highlights Judge Samuel Alito Jr.'s back and forth with abortion. On Friday, Alito said that his personal views on abortion would not be a factor in approaching abortion cases. But given Alito's background and history, it seems like he'd prefer nothing more than overturning Roe v. Wade. From his Reagan memos to his job applications, Alito's background is sure to entice the religious right, as it is plagued with his "proud" stance against abortion. This isn't about getting answers in a confirmation hearing, like Harriet Miers. This is about stopping a man who wants to bring the Supreme Court back into the 1800s.
A Vatican Retreat on Homosexuality. Ellen Goodman, of the Washington Post, talks about the recent Vatican ruling that says it "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'" This is, as Goodman states, a huge backslide from thirty years ago, where the Church accepted that some members were gay. This new proclamation goes a step backwards, banning not only those who are gay, but those who have homosexual "tendencies." For a church that proclaims its doctrine to be tolerance, we're sure not seeing it here. This isn't a case of something improper, like bestiality or child pornography. Homosexuality occurs between consenting, of-age adults. The debate of nature vs. nurture should have no place here, yet the church has taken it upon themselves to push this civil rights debate back about 60 years. And with so many states trying to pass bans on gay marriage, this isn't a positive step at all.
Blogger Commentary
A history of (pro-life) violence. We've talked a lot about the political ramifications of the Democratic Party being open to at least understanding certain pro-life positions, but we want to make it clear that banning abortions is something that is completely unacceptable. But for pro-lifers to justify their zealotry, many have to turn members of the pro-choice movement into "baby killers" and anti-Christian heathens. Steve Almond examines the mentality that leads to such delusion. It's much easier to hassle the opposition relentless if you believe that they're evildoers and demons, but doing so is actually a form of projection. Almond provides a bunch of keen observations, such as "Embedded in the anti-choice stance is the basic notion that sex for pleasure is wrong. Sex is for procreation, which is why every fetus (in some minds every sperm) is holy." This is what happens when you see the world in black and white. As Almond says, "The choice to abort an unborn child is, without a doubt, a modern tragedy. Forcing poor women to seek out illegal practitioners is a medieval one."
Alito Night Music. The more we learn about Alito, the less we like him. We don't care if Arlen Specter thinks his nomination isn't in trouble. We think it should be. He is a radical, a man who has taken far-right positions, and spent considerable effort pushing the judiciary towards draconian conservativism. We don't buy his excuses, and when a man takes positions like the one Digby outlines in the link above, you shouldn't either. Digby summarizes his position thusly: "When in doubt, blow their brains out." Yeah, Alito's not a radical. Right.
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December 29, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Sunday's Links
Activism
Michael Steele has Karl Rove and George W. Bush. Ben Cardin Needs YOU! Ben Cardin is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Paul Sarbaines (D-MD) in 2006. Although Cardin isn't the only challenger (Kweisi Mfume is also running), Cardin has just as much of a chance, at this point. Republican challenger Michael Steele has the support of Bush and Rove, who will be visiting Maryland this week to campaign for Steele. We saw how well that worked for Jerry Kilgore in Virginia; let's send the message that it won't work in Maryland, either!
News
CEO: Worker Pay Ratio Shoots Up to 431 : 1. Here we have yet more proof of something that's usually considered "conventional wisdom." We know CEOs are raking in millions, and we know that this administration has been friendly with contractors. Thanks to a report by "United for a Fair Economy," we know that they average CEO pay is $11.8 million, and the average worker pay is $27,460. 2 years ago, the ratio was 301-1. Last year, it jumped to 431-1. Republicans will tell you that America is all about the bottom dollar, and commend these CEOs for their "ingenuity." But the fact of the matter is that defense contractor CEOs saw their pay increase (on average) 200%. All other saw a raise of 7%. This is due to nothing else than this administration's desire to throw money at defense contractors, like United Technologies, Textron and General Dynamics. Need any more proof that your tax dollars are being wasted and the average worker is getting screwed?
Katrina Documents Released. Over 100,000 pages of documents relating to Katrina were released last week by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, who is most likely going to have to delay elections in New Orleans, scheduled for February 4. The documents show communications between Louisiana and the White House, and they are quite...enlightening. Blanco sent a letter to the White House the day before Katrina hit, which stated "I have determined that this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance will be necessary." Three days after the storm, she wrote another letter to Bush asking for the 256th Louisiana National Guard Brigade to be sent home from Iraq, to help, as well as additional resources. A full five days after that, the White House said that they hadn't received the letter, and Bush assistant Maggie Grant emailed a Blano aide to say "We found it [the letter] on the governor's Web site, but we need 'an original' for our staff secretary to formally process the requests she is making. We are on the job but appreciate your help with a technical request. Tnx!" The idea that people were dying in New Orleans while some mindless aide wrote an email notwithstanding, this is typical of the administration. Delays, lack of response and misplaced priorities have been a hallmark of this administration, so why should we have expected the Katrina response to be any different?
Third Party Group, Santorum Campaign Use Same Footage. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) is running scared. He's down in every poll taken, some by as much as 18 points, to Democratic challenger Bob Casey Jr. A recent internet ad by Santorum uses footage of a grandfather and grandson. But those two same actors appear in a television ad that is being run by a third-party group in support of Santorum. Coincidence or collaboration? Santorum's ad began running on November 25th. The third party ad was distributed two days before and began running six days after. Democrats have asked this third-party group, Americans for Job Security, to release the names of its donors, something they can legally do, and something that isn't normally hidden. Yet AJS won't do it, leading to even more speculation that there's something amiss. Santorum's spokeswoman is on record as saying, "It just seems like that Bob Casey is using this as an opportunity to change the issue to talk about something other than the issues that Pennsylvania voters care about." Really? He's afraid to talk about the issues? Then why has he had a double-digit lead in virtually every poll taken this year?
Editorials
Judge Alito and Abortion. A new editorial in the New York Times highlights Judge Samuel Alito Jr.'s back and forth with abortion. On Friday, Alito said that his personal views on abortion would not be a factor in approaching abortion cases. But given Alito's background and history, it seems like he'd prefer nothing more than overturning Roe v. Wade. From his Reagan memos to his job applications, Alito's background is sure to entice the religious right, as it is plagued with his "proud" stance against abortion. This isn't about getting answers in a confirmation hearing, like Harriet Miers. This is about stopping a man who wants to bring the Supreme Court back into the 1800s.
A Vatican Retreat on Homosexuality. Ellen Goodman, of the Washington Post, talks about the recent Vatican ruling that says it "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'" This is, as Goodman states, a huge backslide from thirty years ago, where the Church accepted that some members were gay. This new proclamation goes a step backwards, banning not only those who are gay, but those who have homosexual "tendencies." For a church that proclaims its doctrine to be tolerance, we're sure not seeing it here. This isn't a case of something improper, like bestiality or child pornography. Homosexuality occurs between consenting, of-age adults. The debate of nature vs. nurture should have no place here, yet the church has taken it upon themselves to push this civil rights debate back about 60 years. And with so many states trying to pass bans on gay marriage, this isn't a positive step at all.
Blogger Commentary
A history of (pro-life) violence. We've talked a lot about the political ramifications of the Democratic Party being open to at least understanding certain pro-life positions, but we want to make it clear that banning abortions is something that is completely unacceptable. But for pro-lifers to justify their zealotry, many have to turn members of the pro-choice movement into "baby killers" and anti-Christian heathens. Steve Almond examines the mentality that leads to such delusion. It's much easier to hassle the opposition relentless if you believe that they're evildoers and demons, but doing so is actually a form of projection. Almond provides a bunch of keen observations, such as "Embedded in the anti-choice stance is the basic notion that sex for pleasure is wrong. Sex is for procreation, which is why every fetus (in some minds every sperm) is holy." This is what happens when you see the world in black and white. As Almond says, "The choice to abort an unborn child is, without a doubt, a modern tragedy. Forcing poor women to seek out illegal practitioners is a medieval one."
Alito Night Music. The more we learn about Alito, the less we like him. We don't care if Arlen Specter thinks his nomination isn't in trouble. We think it should be. He is a radical, a man who has taken far-right positions, and spent considerable effort pushing the judiciary towards draconian conservativism. We don't buy his excuses, and when a man takes positions like the one Digby outlines in the link above, you shouldn't either. Digby summarizes his position thusly: "When in doubt, blow their brains out." Yeah, Alito's not a radical. Right.
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December 29, 2005
Michael Steele has Karl Rove and George W. Bush. Ben Cardin Needs YOU! Ben Cardin is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Paul Sarbaines (D-MD) in 2006. Although Cardin isn't the only challenger (Kweisi Mfume is also running), Cardin has just as much of a chance, at this point. Republican challenger Michael Steele has the support of Bush and Rove, who will be visiting Maryland this week to campaign for Steele. We saw how well that worked for Jerry Kilgore in Virginia; let's send the message that it won't work in Maryland, either!
News
CEO: Worker Pay Ratio Shoots Up to 431 : 1. Here we have yet more proof of something that's usually considered "conventional wisdom." We know CEOs are raking in millions, and we know that this administration has been friendly with contractors. Thanks to a report by "United for a Fair Economy," we know that they average CEO pay is $11.8 million, and the average worker pay is $27,460. 2 years ago, the ratio was 301-1. Last year, it jumped to 431-1. Republicans will tell you that America is all about the bottom dollar, and commend these CEOs for their "ingenuity." But the fact of the matter is that defense contractor CEOs saw their pay increase (on average) 200%. All other saw a raise of 7%. This is due to nothing else than this administration's desire to throw money at defense contractors, like United Technologies, Textron and General Dynamics. Need any more proof that your tax dollars are being wasted and the average worker is getting screwed?
Katrina Documents Released. Over 100,000 pages of documents relating to Katrina were released last week by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, who is most likely going to have to delay elections in New Orleans, scheduled for February 4. The documents show communications between Louisiana and the White House, and they are quite...enlightening. Blanco sent a letter to the White House the day before Katrina hit, which stated "I have determined that this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance will be necessary." Three days after the storm, she wrote another letter to Bush asking for the 256th Louisiana National Guard Brigade to be sent home from Iraq, to help, as well as additional resources. A full five days after that, the White House said that they hadn't received the letter, and Bush assistant Maggie Grant emailed a Blano aide to say "We found it [the letter] on the governor's Web site, but we need 'an original' for our staff secretary to formally process the requests she is making. We are on the job but appreciate your help with a technical request. Tnx!" The idea that people were dying in New Orleans while some mindless aide wrote an email notwithstanding, this is typical of the administration. Delays, lack of response and misplaced priorities have been a hallmark of this administration, so why should we have expected the Katrina response to be any different?
Third Party Group, Santorum Campaign Use Same Footage. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) is running scared. He's down in every poll taken, some by as much as 18 points, to Democratic challenger Bob Casey Jr. A recent internet ad by Santorum uses footage of a grandfather and grandson. But those two same actors appear in a television ad that is being run by a third-party group in support of Santorum. Coincidence or collaboration? Santorum's ad began running on November 25th. The third party ad was distributed two days before and began running six days after. Democrats have asked this third-party group, Americans for Job Security, to release the names of its donors, something they can legally do, and something that isn't normally hidden. Yet AJS won't do it, leading to even more speculation that there's something amiss. Santorum's spokeswoman is on record as saying, "It just seems like that Bob Casey is using this as an opportunity to change the issue to talk about something other than the issues that Pennsylvania voters care about." Really? He's afraid to talk about the issues? Then why has he had a double-digit lead in virtually every poll taken this year?
Editorials
Judge Alito and Abortion. A new editorial in the New York Times highlights Judge Samuel Alito Jr.'s back and forth with abortion. On Friday, Alito said that his personal views on abortion would not be a factor in approaching abortion cases. But given Alito's background and history, it seems like he'd prefer nothing more than overturning Roe v. Wade. From his Reagan memos to his job applications, Alito's background is sure to entice the religious right, as it is plagued with his "proud" stance against abortion. This isn't about getting answers in a confirmation hearing, like Harriet Miers. This is about stopping a man who wants to bring the Supreme Court back into the 1800s.
A Vatican Retreat on Homosexuality. Ellen Goodman, of the Washington Post, talks about the recent Vatican ruling that says it "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'" This is, as Goodman states, a huge backslide from thirty years ago, where the Church accepted that some members were gay. This new proclamation goes a step backwards, banning not only those who are gay, but those who have homosexual "tendencies." For a church that proclaims its doctrine to be tolerance, we're sure not seeing it here. This isn't a case of something improper, like bestiality or child pornography. Homosexuality occurs between consenting, of-age adults. The debate of nature vs. nurture should have no place here, yet the church has taken it upon themselves to push this civil rights debate back about 60 years. And with so many states trying to pass bans on gay marriage, this isn't a positive step at all.
Blogger Commentary
A history of (pro-life) violence. We've talked a lot about the political ramifications of the Democratic Party being open to at least understanding certain pro-life positions, but we want to make it clear that banning abortions is something that is completely unacceptable. But for pro-lifers to justify their zealotry, many have to turn members of the pro-choice movement into "baby killers" and anti-Christian heathens. Steve Almond examines the mentality that leads to such delusion. It's much easier to hassle the opposition relentless if you believe that they're evildoers and demons, but doing so is actually a form of projection. Almond provides a bunch of keen observations, such as "Embedded in the anti-choice stance is the basic notion that sex for pleasure is wrong. Sex is for procreation, which is why every fetus (in some minds every sperm) is holy." This is what happens when you see the world in black and white. As Almond says, "The choice to abort an unborn child is, without a doubt, a modern tragedy. Forcing poor women to seek out illegal practitioners is a medieval one."
Alito Night Music. The more we learn about Alito, the less we like him. We don't care if Arlen Specter thinks his nomination isn't in trouble. We think it should be. He is a radical, a man who has taken far-right positions, and spent considerable effort pushing the judiciary towards draconian conservativism. We don't buy his excuses, and when a man takes positions like the one Digby outlines in the link above, you shouldn't either. Digby summarizes his position thusly: "When in doubt, blow their brains out." Yeah, Alito's not a radical. Right.
