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December 29, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Thursday's Links
Activism
Today's activism link may seem like something out of a bad novel, but it is all true. The Birmingham News broke a story Wednesday about Alabama's Marshall County Sheriff Mac Holcomb's website. Seems Sheriff Holcomb posted a testimonial on his website about why he is proud to be an American. However, Mac isn't totally happy. He wants to hearken back to the golden days of the 40s and 50s, where "Men were men and women were women and there was no mistaking which was which. Both were proud of their individual roles. Homosexuality was very queer and a despicable act, an abomination." He goes on to say "Children's school days started with the recitation of the 'Lord's Prayer' and the 'Pledge of Allegiance' to the flag of the United States of America." We could go on, but why don't you go here and read for yourself. Once you've read it, we strongly encourage you to write a letter or an email to Sheriff Holcomb himself. You can find his contact information here. If you want to write, but aren't sure what to say, you might want to consider reminding him that his intolerance is a disgrace to his county, his state, his country, and every single man and woman who dons a law enforcement uniform.
News
Videos from Iraqi guerrillas have "traditionally" been grisly; beheadings, murders. But a new video released this week encourages American soldiers to lay down their arms, and seek sanctuary in mosques. It further mocks Bush's ridiculous early challenge to rebels of "bring it on." Purportedly created by the Islamic Jihad Army, the video is directed mostly at America, but the narrator does thank "France, Germany and other states for their positions, which we need to say are considered wise and valid until now." It's safe to say that their bravado worries us slightly more, and we hope, for the safety of our troops (and stability in the region) that we figure out a plan to fix (and possibly leave) Iraq as soon as possible.
Disengage. According to the New York Times, there has now been talk in Congress about how to realistically disengage ourselves from Iraq after the January 30th elections. Although the article is quick to point out that it is simply talk, and not planning, we are not that surprised. Given the level of efficiency this administration has shown, we expect there to be a fully developed plan for leaving Iraq after the elections by 2007.
Did you know we stopped looking for WMDs in Iraq? Probably - but did you know we officially stopped looking a month ago? The Washington Post reports that the U.S. search for banned weapons ended last month, amidst no fanfare, and certainly without finding anything. Can we genuinely say we were lead to war under false pretenses now? Can anyone even remotely deny this now? Well, we suppose that the Republicans can. Masters of spin, you'll find in this collection of quotes that, while containing nothing earth-shattering, gives a very good look at how the administration changed their story from pre-war WMDs to post-war "protecting the American people." The sad thing is that there has been no accountability for this deception. The greatest thing we could have done, as Americans, was to keep Bush out of office for a second term, and yet that's exactly what we failed to do. And you wonder why we're still fighting!
Editorials
Ohio. Did you just feel a Florida-like shudder creep up your spine while reading that word? As you may know, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) has been leading the investigations into what happened with the vote in Ohio. His goal has never been to change the outcome, but merely to make known what happened, in an effort to avoid it in the future. But, as William Raspberry points out, it's going to take a lot more than hearings to correct what went wrong.
Whither the Mormon? You read a lot about how Gonzales was tabbed for Attorney General, because he will help bring the Hispanic vote to the Republicans, or Lieberman raising the Jewish vote for Democrats. But now, with Harry Reid the most powerful Democrat in Washington, and the highest ranking Mormon ever to serve in public office, why is no one raising the question of Mormon voters? Amy Sullivan tackles this and more in her latest.
Amy Sullivan is busy this month. She also has an article in Washington Monthly that bears looking at - why do Democrats continue to promote campaign advisors who lose races? It is a very good question - If a candidate is the heart and soul of a campaign, then the candidate's staff is the brain. They are responsible for getting the message out (and, in some cases, helping decide what the message is!). And yet, people like Bob Shrum, who has the dubious honor of having worked on seven failed presidential campaigns, is still receiving money from the Democrats! Sullivan's article is well put together, and definitely worth your time.
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Monday, January 10, 2005
Monday's Links
Activism
Volunteer Match. You know, we talk a lot about policies that will benefit the poor and/or unfortunate, and while it's clearly important to make sure that our government takes the underprivileged into account, there's no reason why we shouldn't all personally do our part. Heck, the more power the GOP gains, the more do-gooders we need to try and fight against all the bad they're already done. Go to the link above and find whatever volunteer opportunity that suits you most!
News
Kerry cheered in Baghdad, decries Bush team's 'blunders'. This certainly isn't something you'll see on the front page any more: Kerry's old news. But Kerry's statements here, done while out of the mainstream public's eye, show that he really is a man of integrity, who cares deeply about our soldiers. And the fact that he was cheered and welcomed shows that the troops probably get that, and understand that being against Bush doesn't mean that you're against them. In fact, the opposite is true.
Billionaire Urges Bush to Give Inaugural Funds to Tsunami Victims. Unfortunately, the billionaire in question is Mark Cuban, the idiot owner of the Dallas Mavericks. But, in this case, he's not so idiotic (despite having voted for Bush), even though normally dead-on President Clinton disagrees. The point here is two-fold: One is that 30-40 million dollars for an inauguration in the midst of a war AND immense tsunami-induced suffering simply indicates our misplaced priorities - that money is coming from somewhere. The second point is that donating that money (maybe even from out of his own pocket?) would actually show that our President is willing to make sacrifices to help out other people - Muslim people, even. And, no, sending OTHER PEOPLE'S children to war does not count as a personal sacrifice. We know that Bush gave $10,000 out of his pocket, but Sandra Bullock donated $1 million out of hers! And what was the last movie you saw HER in? Oh, right, she's a God-hating Hollywood liberal, so she doesn't count.
Roemer Throws His Hat In. Former Represenative Tim Roemer (D-IN) has made it clear that he wants to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The kicker? Roemer is pro-life. Although Roemer has said he doesn't want to change the core principals of the DNC, this is clearly an issue of perception vs reality. The perception of the head of the DNC being against a woman's right to choose sends the wrong message for the Democratic Party, regardless of his intentions. Particularly because we can see the Republican media machine already hard at work planning spins for this. The Democractic Party's system of ideals and beliefs are what make it a better party choice for America, and no perception should be allowed to taint that. Go Howard Dean!
Editorials
Fighting the Wrong War. Fred Kahan of The Weekly Standard takes Rumsfeld to task for his failure to increase our troop strength. Of course, he takes some swipes at Clinton too, but he nicely points out the details of Rumsfeld's faults. He pigheadedly refuses to take any accountability for any of the problems in Iraq, and deflects criticism about troop size by claiming that it's Congress's responsibility to increase the size of the military, not his. But Kagan points out numerous statements by Rumsfeld in which he has opposed an increase in "end-strength", and Kagan also nicely identifies multiple different capabilities we would have had in Iraq if Rumsfeld had been able to increase the number of troops. This man is not interested in results; He's only interested in covering his own ass. But ultimately, our troops pay with their lives for his selfishness and obstinance.
Republicans once again can't keep their promises. Basie, a blogger, has dug up some interesting dirt. It seems that there are seven House members that, while advocating term limits, promised not to run in 2006. Let's hold them to this promise! We need to hold these politicians to a more honest line, and by decrying something on one hand, while working towards the exact opposite on the other hand, at the same time, makes us question their moral values.
Did You Know? One of the biggest arguments for delaying the election is because the Sunnis want electoral districts to be established. That's right - we're going to have elections in Iraq without electoral districts, thus not ensuring that each province may not have even minimal representation in parliament. Larry Diamond makes the case as to why elections should be delayed, and his main argument is that, under the current system, there's nothing to ensure that each part of the country will be fairly included in the government process.
|
December 29, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Thursday's Links
Activism
Today's activism link may seem like something out of a bad novel, but it is all true. The Birmingham News broke a story Wednesday about Alabama's Marshall County Sheriff Mac Holcomb's website. Seems Sheriff Holcomb posted a testimonial on his website about why he is proud to be an American. However, Mac isn't totally happy. He wants to hearken back to the golden days of the 40s and 50s, where "Men were men and women were women and there was no mistaking which was which. Both were proud of their individual roles. Homosexuality was very queer and a despicable act, an abomination." He goes on to say "Children's school days started with the recitation of the 'Lord's Prayer' and the 'Pledge of Allegiance' to the flag of the United States of America." We could go on, but why don't you go here and read for yourself. Once you've read it, we strongly encourage you to write a letter or an email to Sheriff Holcomb himself. You can find his contact information here. If you want to write, but aren't sure what to say, you might want to consider reminding him that his intolerance is a disgrace to his county, his state, his country, and every single man and woman who dons a law enforcement uniform.
News
Videos from Iraqi guerrillas have "traditionally" been grisly; beheadings, murders. But a new video released this week encourages American soldiers to lay down their arms, and seek sanctuary in mosques. It further mocks Bush's ridiculous early challenge to rebels of "bring it on." Purportedly created by the Islamic Jihad Army, the video is directed mostly at America, but the narrator does thank "France, Germany and other states for their positions, which we need to say are considered wise and valid until now." It's safe to say that their bravado worries us slightly more, and we hope, for the safety of our troops (and stability in the region) that we figure out a plan to fix (and possibly leave) Iraq as soon as possible.
Disengage. According to the New York Times, there has now been talk in Congress about how to realistically disengage ourselves from Iraq after the January 30th elections. Although the article is quick to point out that it is simply talk, and not planning, we are not that surprised. Given the level of efficiency this administration has shown, we expect there to be a fully developed plan for leaving Iraq after the elections by 2007.
Did you know we stopped looking for WMDs in Iraq? Probably - but did you know we officially stopped looking a month ago? The Washington Post reports that the U.S. search for banned weapons ended last month, amidst no fanfare, and certainly without finding anything. Can we genuinely say we were lead to war under false pretenses now? Can anyone even remotely deny this now? Well, we suppose that the Republicans can. Masters of spin, you'll find in this collection of quotes that, while containing nothing earth-shattering, gives a very good look at how the administration changed their story from pre-war WMDs to post-war "protecting the American people." The sad thing is that there has been no accountability for this deception. The greatest thing we could have done, as Americans, was to keep Bush out of office for a second term, and yet that's exactly what we failed to do. And you wonder why we're still fighting!
Editorials
Ohio. Did you just feel a Florida-like shudder creep up your spine while reading that word? As you may know, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) has been leading the investigations into what happened with the vote in Ohio. His goal has never been to change the outcome, but merely to make known what happened, in an effort to avoid it in the future. But, as William Raspberry points out, it's going to take a lot more than hearings to correct what went wrong.
Whither the Mormon? You read a lot about how Gonzales was tabbed for Attorney General, because he will help bring the Hispanic vote to the Republicans, or Lieberman raising the Jewish vote for Democrats. But now, with Harry Reid the most powerful Democrat in Washington, and the highest ranking Mormon ever to serve in public office, why is no one raising the question of Mormon voters? Amy Sullivan tackles this and more in her latest.
Amy Sullivan is busy this month. She also has an article in Washington Monthly that bears looking at - why do Democrats continue to promote campaign advisors who lose races? It is a very good question - If a candidate is the heart and soul of a campaign, then the candidate's staff is the brain. They are responsible for getting the message out (and, in some cases, helping decide what the message is!). And yet, people like Bob Shrum, who has the dubious honor of having worked on seven failed presidential campaigns, is still receiving money from the Democrats! Sullivan's article is well put together, and definitely worth your time.
|
Monday, January 10, 2005
Monday's Links
Activism
Volunteer Match. You know, we talk a lot about policies that will benefit the poor and/or unfortunate, and while it's clearly important to make sure that our government takes the underprivileged into account, there's no reason why we shouldn't all personally do our part. Heck, the more power the GOP gains, the more do-gooders we need to try and fight against all the bad they're already done. Go to the link above and find whatever volunteer opportunity that suits you most!
News
Kerry cheered in Baghdad, decries Bush team's 'blunders'. This certainly isn't something you'll see on the front page any more: Kerry's old news. But Kerry's statements here, done while out of the mainstream public's eye, show that he really is a man of integrity, who cares deeply about our soldiers. And the fact that he was cheered and welcomed shows that the troops probably get that, and understand that being against Bush doesn't mean that you're against them. In fact, the opposite is true.
Billionaire Urges Bush to Give Inaugural Funds to Tsunami Victims. Unfortunately, the billionaire in question is Mark Cuban, the idiot owner of the Dallas Mavericks. But, in this case, he's not so idiotic (despite having voted for Bush), even though normally dead-on President Clinton disagrees. The point here is two-fold: One is that 30-40 million dollars for an inauguration in the midst of a war AND immense tsunami-induced suffering simply indicates our misplaced priorities - that money is coming from somewhere. The second point is that donating that money (maybe even from out of his own pocket?) would actually show that our President is willing to make sacrifices to help out other people - Muslim people, even. And, no, sending OTHER PEOPLE'S children to war does not count as a personal sacrifice. We know that Bush gave $10,000 out of his pocket, but Sandra Bullock donated $1 million out of hers! And what was the last movie you saw HER in? Oh, right, she's a God-hating Hollywood liberal, so she doesn't count.
Roemer Throws His Hat In. Former Represenative Tim Roemer (D-IN) has made it clear that he wants to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The kicker? Roemer is pro-life. Although Roemer has said he doesn't want to change the core principals of the DNC, this is clearly an issue of perception vs reality. The perception of the head of the DNC being against a woman's right to choose sends the wrong message for the Democratic Party, regardless of his intentions. Particularly because we can see the Republican media machine already hard at work planning spins for this. The Democractic Party's system of ideals and beliefs are what make it a better party choice for America, and no perception should be allowed to taint that. Go Howard Dean!
Editorials
Fighting the Wrong War. Fred Kahan of The Weekly Standard takes Rumsfeld to task for his failure to increase our troop strength. Of course, he takes some swipes at Clinton too, but he nicely points out the details of Rumsfeld's faults. He pigheadedly refuses to take any accountability for any of the problems in Iraq, and deflects criticism about troop size by claiming that it's Congress's responsibility to increase the size of the military, not his. But Kagan points out numerous statements by Rumsfeld in which he has opposed an increase in "end-strength", and Kagan also nicely identifies multiple different capabilities we would have had in Iraq if Rumsfeld had been able to increase the number of troops. This man is not interested in results; He's only interested in covering his own ass. But ultimately, our troops pay with their lives for his selfishness and obstinance.
Republicans once again can't keep their promises. Basie, a blogger, has dug up some interesting dirt. It seems that there are seven House members that, while advocating term limits, promised not to run in 2006. Let's hold them to this promise! We need to hold these politicians to a more honest line, and by decrying something on one hand, while working towards the exact opposite on the other hand, at the same time, makes us question their moral values.
Did You Know? One of the biggest arguments for delaying the election is because the Sunnis want electoral districts to be established. That's right - we're going to have elections in Iraq without electoral districts, thus not ensuring that each province may not have even minimal representation in parliament. Larry Diamond makes the case as to why elections should be delayed, and his main argument is that, under the current system, there's nothing to ensure that each part of the country will be fairly included in the government process.
|
December 29, 2005
Today's activism link may seem like something out of a bad novel, but it is all true. The Birmingham News broke a story Wednesday about Alabama's Marshall County Sheriff Mac Holcomb's website. Seems Sheriff Holcomb posted a testimonial on his website about why he is proud to be an American. However, Mac isn't totally happy. He wants to hearken back to the golden days of the 40s and 50s, where "Men were men and women were women and there was no mistaking which was which. Both were proud of their individual roles. Homosexuality was very queer and a despicable act, an abomination." He goes on to say "Children's school days started with the recitation of the 'Lord's Prayer' and the 'Pledge of Allegiance' to the flag of the United States of America." We could go on, but why don't you go here and read for yourself. Once you've read it, we strongly encourage you to write a letter or an email to Sheriff Holcomb himself. You can find his contact information here. If you want to write, but aren't sure what to say, you might want to consider reminding him that his intolerance is a disgrace to his county, his state, his country, and every single man and woman who dons a law enforcement uniform.
News
Videos from Iraqi guerrillas have "traditionally" been grisly; beheadings, murders. But a new video released this week encourages American soldiers to lay down their arms, and seek sanctuary in mosques. It further mocks Bush's ridiculous early challenge to rebels of "bring it on." Purportedly created by the Islamic Jihad Army, the video is directed mostly at America, but the narrator does thank "France, Germany and other states for their positions, which we need to say are considered wise and valid until now." It's safe to say that their bravado worries us slightly more, and we hope, for the safety of our troops (and stability in the region) that we figure out a plan to fix (and possibly leave) Iraq as soon as possible.
Disengage. According to the New York Times, there has now been talk in Congress about how to realistically disengage ourselves from Iraq after the January 30th elections. Although the article is quick to point out that it is simply talk, and not planning, we are not that surprised. Given the level of efficiency this administration has shown, we expect there to be a fully developed plan for leaving Iraq after the elections by 2007.
Did you know we stopped looking for WMDs in Iraq? Probably - but did you know we officially stopped looking a month ago? The Washington Post reports that the U.S. search for banned weapons ended last month, amidst no fanfare, and certainly without finding anything. Can we genuinely say we were lead to war under false pretenses now? Can anyone even remotely deny this now? Well, we suppose that the Republicans can. Masters of spin, you'll find in this collection of quotes that, while containing nothing earth-shattering, gives a very good look at how the administration changed their story from pre-war WMDs to post-war "protecting the American people." The sad thing is that there has been no accountability for this deception. The greatest thing we could have done, as Americans, was to keep Bush out of office for a second term, and yet that's exactly what we failed to do. And you wonder why we're still fighting!
Editorials
Ohio. Did you just feel a Florida-like shudder creep up your spine while reading that word? As you may know, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) has been leading the investigations into what happened with the vote in Ohio. His goal has never been to change the outcome, but merely to make known what happened, in an effort to avoid it in the future. But, as William Raspberry points out, it's going to take a lot more than hearings to correct what went wrong.
Whither the Mormon? You read a lot about how Gonzales was tabbed for Attorney General, because he will help bring the Hispanic vote to the Republicans, or Lieberman raising the Jewish vote for Democrats. But now, with Harry Reid the most powerful Democrat in Washington, and the highest ranking Mormon ever to serve in public office, why is no one raising the question of Mormon voters? Amy Sullivan tackles this and more in her latest.
Amy Sullivan is busy this month. She also has an article in Washington Monthly that bears looking at - why do Democrats continue to promote campaign advisors who lose races? It is a very good question - If a candidate is the heart and soul of a campaign, then the candidate's staff is the brain. They are responsible for getting the message out (and, in some cases, helping decide what the message is!). And yet, people like Bob Shrum, who has the dubious honor of having worked on seven failed presidential campaigns, is still receiving money from the Democrats! Sullivan's article is well put together, and definitely worth your time.
Volunteer Match. You know, we talk a lot about policies that will benefit the poor and/or unfortunate, and while it's clearly important to make sure that our government takes the underprivileged into account, there's no reason why we shouldn't all personally do our part. Heck, the more power the GOP gains, the more do-gooders we need to try and fight against all the bad they're already done. Go to the link above and find whatever volunteer opportunity that suits you most!
News
Kerry cheered in Baghdad, decries Bush team's 'blunders'. This certainly isn't something you'll see on the front page any more: Kerry's old news. But Kerry's statements here, done while out of the mainstream public's eye, show that he really is a man of integrity, who cares deeply about our soldiers. And the fact that he was cheered and welcomed shows that the troops probably get that, and understand that being against Bush doesn't mean that you're against them. In fact, the opposite is true.
Billionaire Urges Bush to Give Inaugural Funds to Tsunami Victims. Unfortunately, the billionaire in question is Mark Cuban, the idiot owner of the Dallas Mavericks. But, in this case, he's not so idiotic (despite having voted for Bush), even though normally dead-on President Clinton disagrees. The point here is two-fold: One is that 30-40 million dollars for an inauguration in the midst of a war AND immense tsunami-induced suffering simply indicates our misplaced priorities - that money is coming from somewhere. The second point is that donating that money (maybe even from out of his own pocket?) would actually show that our President is willing to make sacrifices to help out other people - Muslim people, even. And, no, sending OTHER PEOPLE'S children to war does not count as a personal sacrifice. We know that Bush gave $10,000 out of his pocket, but Sandra Bullock donated $1 million out of hers! And what was the last movie you saw HER in? Oh, right, she's a God-hating Hollywood liberal, so she doesn't count.
Roemer Throws His Hat In. Former Represenative Tim Roemer (D-IN) has made it clear that he wants to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The kicker? Roemer is pro-life. Although Roemer has said he doesn't want to change the core principals of the DNC, this is clearly an issue of perception vs reality. The perception of the head of the DNC being against a woman's right to choose sends the wrong message for the Democratic Party, regardless of his intentions. Particularly because we can see the Republican media machine already hard at work planning spins for this. The Democractic Party's system of ideals and beliefs are what make it a better party choice for America, and no perception should be allowed to taint that. Go Howard Dean!
Editorials
Fighting the Wrong War. Fred Kahan of The Weekly Standard takes Rumsfeld to task for his failure to increase our troop strength. Of course, he takes some swipes at Clinton too, but he nicely points out the details of Rumsfeld's faults. He pigheadedly refuses to take any accountability for any of the problems in Iraq, and deflects criticism about troop size by claiming that it's Congress's responsibility to increase the size of the military, not his. But Kagan points out numerous statements by Rumsfeld in which he has opposed an increase in "end-strength", and Kagan also nicely identifies multiple different capabilities we would have had in Iraq if Rumsfeld had been able to increase the number of troops. This man is not interested in results; He's only interested in covering his own ass. But ultimately, our troops pay with their lives for his selfishness and obstinance.
Republicans once again can't keep their promises. Basie, a blogger, has dug up some interesting dirt. It seems that there are seven House members that, while advocating term limits, promised not to run in 2006. Let's hold them to this promise! We need to hold these politicians to a more honest line, and by decrying something on one hand, while working towards the exact opposite on the other hand, at the same time, makes us question their moral values.
Did You Know? One of the biggest arguments for delaying the election is because the Sunnis want electoral districts to be established. That's right - we're going to have elections in Iraq without electoral districts, thus not ensuring that each province may not have even minimal representation in parliament. Larry Diamond makes the case as to why elections should be delayed, and his main argument is that, under the current system, there's nothing to ensure that each part of the country will be fairly included in the government process.
