Still Fighting

Activism

Filibuster Frist! This is the true story of several hundred college students who have chosen to drive to DC and have their lives blogged, and find out what happens when people stop being polite and start filibustering. The Real World! Got some time? Go help 'em out!

News

The Saga of John Bolton. We don't always agree with Senator George Voinovich (R-OH), but if he's not blowing smoke, we do today. Well, except for the not voting against Bolton part. Voinovich agreed to let the John Bolton vote go to the full Senate, even though he is personally against Bolton. He delivered a scathing attack on Bolton, but declared that it wasn't his right to deny a full vote. "I am not so arrogant to think that I should impose my judgment and perspective of the U.S. position in the world community on the rest of my colleagues." Voinovich reflects the views of many Democrats, including all eight on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. Between Democrats not being allowed to see documents relating to Bolton and Condi Rice's reasoning on why Dems shouldn't be allowed to see them (knowledge is power, after all), Bolton's nomination has been full of controversy. Here's hoping the Senate puts aside partisan politics and denies Bolton's nomination, as he's clearly unfit to be a diplomat.

Democrats Play Hookey, Leaves GOP Alone in the Candystore. 7 House Democrats skipped town before the Budget Resolution vote last week, which passed 214-211. Had those Democrats been in town, Republicans would have found it much harder to pressure those GOP members who wanted to vote against the budget. Instead, the budget passed, no one was put on the hot seat, and Democrats look absurd for leaving town. The Democrats who skipped town are:

Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.)
Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas)
Bob Filner (D-Calif.)
Harold Ford (D-Tenn.)
William Jefferson (D-La.)
Steven Rothman (D-N.J.)
Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.)

If you live in any of these states (particularily Texas and Louisiana), we encourage you to call your House Reps and demand a reason why they couldn't make this vote. If you're wondering just how important it was to have those seven Democrats there, just read David Broder's most recent article. Elected officials are here to serve the people, not themselves.

They're Back! We talk a lot in this blog about the issues that are important to everyday Americans. Things like retirement finds, the economy, health care, job security - things that impact Americans directly. Well, thanks to Bush's complete ineptitude in domestic affairs, women (who voted more Republican in 2004 than they had in years) are returning to the Democratic party. Given how the 2004 election was likely stolen, we need as many like-minded people in the party as possible. Now, if the party could only have a clear, concise message, we might be able to attract dissatisfied Republicans. Ah, whimsy.

Editorials

A GOP Plan to 'Fix' the Democrats. It is interesting to see how the problems that Democrats are having with Republicans seem to hold a mirror up to history. Republicans in the Senate, under Bill Clinton, were notorious for stopping the nomination of many of Clinton's judges. Republicans refused to deal with Clinton and his health care policy; Democrats are doing the same with Social Security. And what about DeLay, who stood on a moral high ground 10 miles in the air, decrying Clinton, and pushing his peers to vote for impeachment. DeLay, who is now embroiled in a huge ethics scandal (and has greater name recognition for it). Remember, Democrats aren't doing anything (like not giving an inch of ground) that Republicans didn't do under Clinton. Only now, Democrats are "bad Americans" for doing so. If only every citizen had a mirror, or paid just a little more attention...

Persecution. We love this editorial, mostly because it speaks five words to religious right extremists in America who feel that their values are under attack: You are not being persecuted! Think Christians in China when you want to think about Christians persecuted. Think about Christians being thrown to the lions when you want to think about Christians being persecuted. No one is being killed in America for their religious beliefs. Christians have their own cable channels, for pete's sake! Radical Christians might want to consider their complete lack of tolerance for anything not Christian before continuing this farce. For example, if a Christian woman does not believe in abortion, then she doesn't need to have one. But she has no justification for getting on a high horse to speak of "moral values and human dignity" when she has no tolerance for the views of others (i.e. homosexuality). When will we wake up and learn that we all have to share this planet?

Laura Bush's Mission Accomplished. Frank Rich isn't alone in wondering when the media turned into a bunch of pathetic sycophants. Sure, Laura Bush was funny during the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner, but her choreographed interruption of her husband just shows how deft the administration has become in dealing with the media. The Bush administration does create their own reality (just ask the USDA).

Activism

Unite to Win. With the constant attacks on the working class, one of the most effective ways to fight back is through unions. Organized labor makes it possible for working people to have their voices heard. The problem is that over the past few years, union membership has been down, and so the people who work for a living are slowly being ignored and taken advantage of. If you work in a job that has a union, you need to take a more active role. If not, it still behooves you to learn about unions and make sure that those around you that can join unions do so. Go to the link above, and learn more about "Unite to Win", and then join the discussion about how to strengthen unions and take the country back.

News

Public Favors Keeping Filibuster Rule in U.S. Senate. (If you can't access that, try an older report, here.) The latest Gallup poll shows that 52% of Americans support the use of the filibuster (and oppose its elimination), while 40% do not support it. That's a good start. It may seem like we're pulling a Chicken Little here, though, constantly saying that the "nuclear option" is pending, but nothing really comes of it. Why is that? Well, we really just report the news, but we gotta start thinking that one of the reasons Frist hasn't pull the trigger is because he simply doesn't have the votes. This wouldn't be all that surprising, since Republicans may want to win, but the more sensible ones realize that this may do permanent damage to their careers. Fortunately, Harry Reid is in charge, and is willing to call Frist's bluff. Keep fighting, Harry!

Who Needs Nature? We're the Military! The Defense Department is, once again, attempting to get a waiver of environmental laws that protect us from problems such as air pollution and hazardous waste. The Pentagon feels that, in the interests of national security, it should be exempt from these regulations. We were initially outraged, but we really shouldn't be surprised. After all, this is the same group of people who, in the interest of national security, felt that the Geneva Convention didn't apply to us either. Incidently, the government ranks the military as the nation's biggest polluter. So maybe it isn't so much an issue of national security as it is an issue of money. As always, the Pentagon's solution (much like Republicans in government everywhere) is not to fix the problem, but change the rules. And with all of Donny Rumsfeld's plans to adjust the military, it's no wonder that they don't want to spend the money. That doesn't make it right, though. You would think that with all the bad press surrounding the military, particularily in regards to Guantanamo Bay, Rumsfeld's military would try to avoid more controversy, but that's clearly not the case. Now, he's publically stated that he wants to close several Army and Air National Guard bases, and that he doesn't need the state governors' approval to do so. Take it from us, folks. Rumsfeld's military is in a bad, bad way right now. Of course, Runsfeld won't be held accountable should anything go drastically wrong. Abu Ghraib taught us that. Why shouldn't we demand more accountability?

Knock Knock. Who's There? Not Medicaid! Facing the prospect of seeing their federal funding slashed, states are now having to come up with ways of making Medicaid work. New proposals by states would raise premiums and limit services. Some states are simply cutting people off, like Tennessee, where 300,000 were dropped from Medicaid. Remember, Medicaid was initially designed as health care for low-income families. Now, some states allow higher-income families to use the program, and perhaps that's part of the problem as well. It's noted that there has been a rapid increase in enrollment into Medicaid. Neither of us are health or economics experts, but it seems like if they economy were doing better, or more jobs were being created, or health care costs were reasonable, less people would need to enroll in Medicaid. Are we wrong?

Editorials

The Real Scandal of Tom DeLay. Even when conservatives try to do something worthwhile, they are stopped by conservatives! Consider Frank Murkowski, who was a Republican Senator in Alaska from 1980-2002, before he became the governor of Alaska. In 2000, Murkowski convinced the Senate to pass the Murkowski worker reform bill, designed to "extend the protection of U.S. labor and minimum-wage laws to the workers in the U.S. territory of the Northern Marianas." You see, Murkowski had seen what was going on in Saipan, and the horrendous working conditions that existed, and pushed his bill through the Senate, who passed it unanimously. Unanimously! The bill then made its way to the House, where it hit one unyielding brick wall, in the name of Tom DeLay. You see, DeLay's connections vacationed in the Marianas, and even took DeLay's family and staff there. DeLay approved of the low wage, 84-hour work-weeks. He called the Marianas "a perfect petri dish of capitalism. It's like my Galapagos Island." He shot down Murkowski's bill, where it died in the house. Admirable ethics, Mr. Tom "Moral Values" DeLay.

HB1212: Compulsory Childbearing for Children. You know a piece of Republican legislation is bad when the Texas newspapers think you've gone over the line. Yesterday, the House listened to arguments on HB 1212, which would require any female under the age of 18 to receive consent from their parents before having an abortion. Circumstances wouldn't matter - she would be forced to carry the child if the parents refuse. And if she disobeys? Jail time! As the Dallas Morning News writes, it's ridiculous to assume that teenagers who don't receive "approval" won't get it done somewhere less healthy and more dangerous. Teenagers who want a judicial "bypass" around their parents will be appointed a guardian who cannot be the minor’s own attorney, but may be a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a member of the clergy, or an "appropriate employee of the Department of Family and Protective Services." Then, if the teenager gets to court, she actually has to show a burden of proof (clear and present evidence) that she must have this abortion. We sincerely hope this bill does not pass, but with the "Theocracy Now!" gang, you can never be too sure. Contact your Representative today, especially if you live in Texas.

The Silent Scream of Numbers. It's not that we're on the "Kerry should have won" horse. If nothing else, that train left the station the minute Kerry decided to take a stand against gay marriage. No, Bob Koehler writes about the 2004 election, and how it was stolen. The media's inexplicable silence over the imperfections, broken machines, faulty systems, long lines and exit poll irregularities of the 2004 election have us wondering how we're going to fix them, since it's obvious that the MSM has no desire to educate the public on what went wrong. We can't let this issue die - the fact that the 2000 election was stolen, and that the 2004 election might have been stolen as well is a grotesque miscarriage of justice. We're pissed off. Are you?

Activism

Oppose Advantages for Predatory Lenders. Another day, another attempt by Congress to take from the average American and give to big businesses. This time, it's in the form of the "Responsible Lending Act", which would basically give more breaks to lenders that take advantage of homeowners and other borrows. Is anyone going to stand up for the little guy? Go to the link, write your Congressperson, and demand this bill be struck down!

News

An Energy CEO With a Conscience? The chief executive of the General Electric Company, Jeffrey R. Immelt, made sweeping comments at George Washington University yesterday, pledging to clean the company up, reduce emissions, and demanded a better energy policy from the government. But Immelt is one of the guys who is benefitting from Bush's energy plan. Could Immelt have a....dare we say it...conscience? Immelt feels that new products are the answer, and is doubling his R&D budget to get there. Good for him! Why can't more CEOs see what's going on, and think about the long-term effects of their work, and not the short term gains that come from tax cuts and lax emission standards?

Democrats' platform shouldn't back gay marriage, Kerry says. You know, we think the petals have finally come off the rose. Many of us were willing to turn a blind eye to Kerry's flaws as a national candidate because we were so eager to get rid of Bush. But he clearly was far from perfect, and now it seems that he's working to undermine the Democratic Party. Is he angling for 2008? Is he against equality for all? Senator Kerry, you lost. You've served your country well, and we hope you continue to do so as a Senator. But pulling the Democratic Party to the middle, and away from their ideals, didn't work the first time. Besides, shouldn't you be standing up for your constituents, who are strongly in favor of gay rights?

Bolton Hearings: State Department Only Responding To Requests Approved By Republicans. You know, when the Democrats are winning on issues, it's a bit tempting to become complacent. But that's exactly what Republicans are counting on - that Democrats will allow civility to limit the extent of their actions, while Republicans have no such restraint. And so, to remind you of how this administration lets politics affect EVERYTHING, we present you with this little tidbit about the John Bolton nomination. It seems that despite all of the ongoing questions about Bolton's qualifications and conduct, the State Department is only responding to document requests that Senator Lugar (R-IN) approves, but not ones that Senator Biden (D-DE, not CT as the article says) is interested in, even though the documents might not be classified. Does this make you angry? It should. That's why we have to keep fighting...

Editorials

What Would Dewey Do? There are journalists we admire, journalists we disagree with but respect, journalists we dislike, and journalists we disrespect. But even lower than that, we have a small set of journalists who we are ashamed to call journalists. A small circle reserved for people like Robert Novack. Novack, who would send his mother to Guantanamo Bay if it enhanced his career. Novack, who doesn't even seem to respect his like-minded peers. Novack, who alleges that there is an overwhelming liberal bias in the media, and thus gets away from "serious trouble." And yes, Novack, who publicly outed a CIA agent, Valerie Plame, and refused to divulge his source (while two other reporters sit awaiting a Supreme Court hearing over it). For more comprehensive news on the Valerie Plame saga, we encourage you to read Murray Waas, who is even more outraged at this than we are. The quick background is that Plame's husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV, had alleged that Bush's "reasoning" for going to war with Iraq was faulty (and he had proof). So, in an effort to discredit him, or at least shift the public's attention somewhere else, Novack outed Wilson's wife as a CIA agent, thus blowing her cover and ending her career. What a stand-up move, Mr. Novack! Truly, world class journalism. For your next trick, will you steal candy from a baby? Folks, when a journalist is allowed to get away with such a great breach of ethics, how can we not lose faith in the mainstream media?

It's Good to be Pharoah. Hosni Mubarak has ruled Egypt for 24 years. Most of his "elections" have been unopposed, and the U.S., in the form of Condi Rice, recently said, "Pardon us, Egypt, but if you don't bring some democracy into the fold, we won't bring out toys over to play with you." It seems that Mubarak took this threat seriously, and has opened up his elections. But has he? Apparently, it is just as difficult for a candidate to even step up to the platform than it was in the past, so nothing has really changed at all. In fact, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif has said that he doesn't expect serious democratic elections until 2011. Hey, Condi, how about working some of your magic over in Darfur? Oh, right, because you and your boss don't care.

Stranger Than Fiction. And speaking of Condi's boss, what the hell is going on? It's obvious from Bob Herbert's editorial (above) that Bush didn't really care about "freeing Iraq." He wanted his name in the history books as the great unifier and liberator. But why are we surprised? He obviously doesn't care about the environment, international security, the advancement of science or the press. In fact, when it comes to the press, as Eric Alterman writes, Bush doesn't even read the papers. Bush, remember, wants to hear that he's right, or hear nothing at all. The White House, then, withholds information, undermines journalism, and has no concept of the idea of the first amendment. Are we being harsh? Absolutely? Is it warranted? You betcha.

Happy Mother's Day!

Activism

Seeing as it is Mother's Day, today we encourage you to go to the Breast Cancer Site to help fund mammograms. Simply click the links - you don't need to spend money, or enter an email address. Take five minutes of your time to help support breast cancer studies, and fund mammograms.

News

Tolerance Reaches New Lows. A church in North Carolina has decided that if any of their congregation doesn't support Bush, they aren't allowed to come to that church. The East Waynesville Baptist Church has already voted out 9 congregants, and another 40 have left in protest. The pastor wants us to believe that this decision is not politically motivated, but how could it not be? Although we're sickened by the actions of the church, they are within their rights to do this. However, by making this decision, they are injecting partisan politics into a church, which could strip their non-profit status. Apparently, the pastor thinks that these congregants aren't allowed to worship and vote Democratic. But that's nothing compared to Rick Scarborough, a Baptist minister in Texas. Scarborough's name can be set alongside James Dobson and Pat Robertson in terms of influence, if not in name recognition. Scarborough has been extremely active in Texas, attacking high school sex education curriculums, attacking transsexuals for wanting to change gender identity, and supporting Judge Roy S. Moore (of the 10 Commandments fame). Now he has a grassroots organization he terms "Patriot Pastors," made up of about 5,000 Christian ministers. Scarborough is good friends with fellow Texan Tom DeLay, and is pushing Senators Frist, Brownback and Santorum to exercise the Nuclear Option against Democrats (which is looking more and more likely to happen next Tuesday). Can you imagine what it would be like if 5,000 Rabbis stood up and sided with Democrats? People like Scarborough would immediately decry it as another attack on their values. When will Christians learn that their values are not the only values in America? So much for tolerance.

Safe? $4.5 billion has been spent on security at airports, on roads, with our mail and at our borders. Now, much of that equipment must be replaced due to it being ineffective, unreliable, or too expensive to maintain and operate. The article lists a few of the problems, including radiation monitors that can't differentiate between nuclear radiation and cat littler radiation. It seems that, while the intent was there, the execution of upgrading America's security failed miserably. The problem lies in how quickly all this equipment was purchased, with the mandate from Tom Ridge to get it quick, agencies didn't seek out competitive bids, and simply bought "cutting edge technology," which doesn't necessarily mean the best. So, do you feel safer?

Flip Flops. Microsoft has now decided to support gay rights legislation. Whether this turnaround is the result of bad press or a guilty conscience, we'll never know. We're sad that this was even an issue in the first place - by hedging to neutrality at first, Microsoft exposed their lack of commitment to human rights, and flip-flopping back over doesn't make them any stronger.

Editorials

Calling Air America. Nicholas von Hoffman, over at The Nation, writes about Air America, and the rise of liberal talk radio. Why did it take so long for it to become as big as it is now? Liberal radio has lacked the memorable face that conservatives see in Rush Limbaugh. But with the rise to glory that Air America has enjoyed, Al Franken has taken that spot, despite Democracy Radio's desire to not build someone up in that vein. van Hoffman's article is an interesting look at getting liberalism "over" in America.

An Economy On Thin Ice. What's scary about Paul Volcker's (former Chairman of the Federal Reserve) editorial is that it was written a month ago, yet it's still highly accurate. The economy hasn't gotten any better, and Republicans sure aren't doing anything about it. But now, we've become so dependent on foreign capital that when it stops (and make no mistake, it will stop), we'll be in a bit of a financial crisis. Why isn't Congress doing anything about this? Oh, right...because it doesn't involve Christianity or the top 1%.

The Latest Rumbling in the Blogosphere: Questions About Ethics. As with everything else in life, blogging is a double edged sword. As Adam Cohen writes, bloggers are getting more and more involved and accepted. Sites like Drudge and Daily Kos have not only presented factual information, but they have been getting results. But the question of accountability is coming into play, as bloggers really aren't held to any sort of ethical constraints that the MSM are (bloggers should be, but they aren't). That's not to say that bloggers need to be non-partisan; far from it. But the same loose ethics that are applied to the MSM don't really seem to be present in the blogging world. This will all sort itself out, though - it's the reason you choose to read the Washington Post or the New York Times before you read the New York Post - you know which is reputable. Blogs are becoming the same way. Besides, we trust our readers to tell us if we're being less than factual.