Still Fighting

Activism

You care about global warming, right? Not only does it impact the environment, but there are many economic and national security factors to consider as this administration blatantly ignores this issue (dare we say "crisis?") We know you want to do something about it, but we're guessing that you probably aren't up for a physical march from Washington state to Washington, DC. Well, you're in luck! Join the 14,000 plus Americans who are taking part in Wes Clark's Virtual March on Washington. With people like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and John McCain adding their voices to Clark's, this movement is picking up steam. Become a virtual marcher, and help force this administration to look at an issue that, for once, doesn't benefit big business.

News

On Tuesday, we talked about White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's attempt to explain to reporters why Bush wasn't notified when a Cessna flew within three miles of the White House, causing a mass evacuation. McClellan had nothing to fall back on other than "protocols" when reporters (actually) pushed him on this. Well, like sharks who smell blood in the water, the White House press corps took McClellan apart on Wednesday. In the interest of full disclosure, we will say that he had it coming. If you recall, there's been a big to-do over Newsweek magazine. As you can see in the story, some government officials still aren't satisfied with Newsweek's retraction and apology. Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio), for example, released a statement saying, "Retraction and regrets will not atone for the reckless behavior of an irresponsible reporter and an overzealous publication." How about the reckless behavior of a President to lie to the country to justify going into a needless war that has cost thousands of lives already? Would that be reckless? The media, by and large, has taken Newsweek's side on this one, as was evidenced in Scott McClellan's White House briefing on Tuesday. McClellan, in his role as presidential mouthpiece, came across as extremely holier-than-thou, demanding that Newsweek explain how they "got this wrong." The press, of course, jumped on him like kids on birthday presents. Dan Froomkin has all the response, both in the White House briefing room and written editorials, but we'll leave the last words to ABC News' Terry Moran (talking to McClelllan in the briefing room). "With respect, who made you the editor of Newsweek? Do you think it's appropriate for you, at that podium, speaking with the authority of the President of the United States, to tell an American magazine what they should print?"

China. Two interesting things in the news about China: First, we see that the Bush administration, attempting to make up for the record trade deficit we have with China, will impose strict limits on clothing imports from China. Bush wants an "even playing field," you see, and with the low value of the yuan, Bush feels like he's left with only two options: Impose import limits, and continue to lean on China to change their currency system. The former is happening, the latter has seen tremendous pressure from the U.S. to make happen. So, China's probably a little steamed. Then we read this today, which discusses Indonesia and China getting together for tea, and, oh yes, teaming up and creating short, medium and long range missiles. The U.S. won't sell weapons to Indonesia or China (the latter is something that's been a bit of a sticking point between the U.S. and Israel), and with tensions running high in Malaysia, there's no reason why Indonesia would say "no" to this. Unfortunately, if Bush keeps prodding them to reform its currency and human rights, we may be hearing a lot more about China.

Super Sheep. Quick, what's the biggest domestic terrorist threat to the U.S.? The KKK? The religious right? According to the FBI, the answer is "ALF, ELF and SHAC." No, they aren't talking about an alien, a Keebler, and a basketball player. ALF, ELF and SHAC are environmental and animal rights activist groups, and as the deputy assistant director for counterterrorism in the FBI, John Lewis testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday, they are the biggest domestic terrorist threat to America right now. Groups like these have claimed credit for over 1200 crimes between 1990 and mid-2004. The biggest question is where these groups are getting their funding. The Senate will continue to investigate, but in the meantime, we're watching you, PETA!

Editorials

The Top 10 Filibuster Falsehoods. The first step towards the "nuclear option" was official taken yesterday, as Frist brought Judge Priscilla Owen's nomination to the floor. And while some responsible Senators are actually trying to avert the loss of any remaining civility in the Senate, Frist is barreling towards meltdown. So, you can bet in the coming days you'll be hearing even more about the filibuster. Mostly, you'll be hearing overheated rhetoric, largely from the Republicans who are trying to justify their unprecedented power grab. This is a huge issue - you need to make your views known, and make sure that anyone who will listen realizes how truly anti-American the GOP is acting, and as such, you need to be armed with the facts.

The Missing Patriot Debate. Lost in the shuffle of Terri, Frist and DeLay is the overhanging Sword of Damocles that is the PATRIOT Act. Congress has until December 31 to choose which (any or all) of the 16 expiring provisions to re-authorize. But don't get too terribly excited. As David Cole writes, these 16 provisions are only a small part of the Act, and most are quite tame (they take up only 25 of the Act's 342 pages). The two most heated provisions will be: the "libraries provision," which allows the government to secretly obtain records of any person from any business, regardless of wrongdoing; and the other authorizes secret "sneak and peek" searches of homes without promptly informing the homeowner. Many provisions that should be stricken, however, remain, such as immigration, and the provision that criminalizes speech by making it illegal to provide "expert advice" to designated "terrorist organizations" (like ALF). So, as Cole says, while there will be outrage when this debate picks up again, regardless of how these 16 provisions are settled, the bigger issues will remain, and that's the real problem.

GOP Actually Prohibits Better Wages. It's hard to stop writing about how the GOP is not concerned with the average American citizen when they keep doing things to show it. As David Sirota writes, Republican Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue recently signed into law a bill that bars "any city from seeking to require their contractors to pay higher minimum wages to employees than the $5.15 per hour federal standard." Since the lower wages keep workers on the state's low-income healthcare program, big businesses save money, and are happy. The healthcare program, it should be noted, costs the state $10 million, and is footed by taxpayers. But you don't even need to look further than Washington, DC to see that GOP priorities are severely out of touch with America. How out of touch? Soldiers in Iraq go without armor, but DeLay and company drive around DC in uber-SUVs. More than 45 million Americans don't have health coverage, but Congress has provided itself with max-coverage health care and pensions that vest after only five years (thanks to your tax dollars). Oh, and let's not forget that this Republican-led Congress refuses to raise the minimum wage, yet, since 1996, they have given themselves seven pay raises, totaling $28,500! Never mind the to-do on Terri Schiavo, the fanatical focus on seven judges, and the lack of any discussion on the economy. Every day it becomes more obvious that Republicans in Congress don't care a bit about the people they work for, and if that's not enough to get you angry, we're not sure what will.

Activism

Protect Online Political Speech. If you listen to enough stodgy "pundits", you'll hear them say that the internet is problematic because it's "unregulated" and you can't hold anyone accountable. Well, really, the only problem with the internet is that those in power don't understand it. The internet played a crucial role in the last election, and hopefully that's going to continue for the foreseeable future. But for it to remain a powerful and democratic tool, we have to continue to fight for it, and make sure it's not compromised by those who are threatened by democracy. Go here to see what's at stake, and then take the poll above to help educate the Federal Election Commission about how normal people use the internet and why its independence must be protected.

News

Today in Iraq. We'll probably add this link to our list on the left of the page, but for now, hop over to "Today in Iraq" for the daily war news. Normally we don't just link to a blog, and instead point you to a specific article, but it's really staggering how every single day there are tens of stories about death and destruction and failure in Iraq. Scroll through their pages if you doubt it. Just yesterday we had "Thirty four bodies found in Baghdad, Ramadi and Latifya, two drivers taken hostage in Baghdad, two Iraqi journalists and their driver killed in ambush in Mahmudiya, two civilians killed in bomb attack on Iraqi convoy in Baghdad, four Iraqi troops killed by mortar attack in Khan Bani Saad, three civilians injured in mortar attack in Baqubah, an Iraqi policeman and his wife gunned down in Aalgaya, and four gunmen killed in failed assassination attempt on Iraqi army general in Baghdad." And that's just the reported news! In a single day! Bring 'em on, indeed...

Religion Is the Answer! At least, we think that's the motto of our president. How else do you explain his recent budget decisions to cut funding to traditional organizations that work to wipe out poverty and enhance the budget of faith-based and religious organizations? Bush's cuts would wipe out programs that have existed for decades, programs that have been proven to work. And if that was the extent of it, we'd just call it "cutting domestic funding." But with the increase to faith-based and religious organizations, specifically for the purpose of curtailing poverty, Bush is saying that religion is a better answer to those in need. Is it? We're no experts, but if the money is provided for these programs to help others, do they really need to feel like they are entering a contract with a religious group just to get the help? We're not suggesting that faith-based groups can't be a part of this - far from it. But it makes no sense to simply cast aside programs that have worked for 50 years. Instead, we get religious groups like Project ARISE, who tell despaired clients, "God loves you, God made you special." For a Christian, that's fine. But what about others?

Polls. With everything that's going on, we like to look at how America is responding. Turns out that the public is pretty well informed. Although the majority of Americans aren't following the filibuster saga, the majority oppose the rule changes. Interestingly, more independents think that Bush is responsible for this mess, instead of Senate Democrats. Americans see far more bickering in Congress than "usual." Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the Congressional job approval of Republican leaders, and are almost split on Democrats. Bush's approval rating has slipped to 43%, down 6% from March, and the most pressing issue to Americans is the cost of gas (58%). It appears that now would be the best time for Democrats to woo independent voters. But they can't do that without a clear message, which is something we've been asking for since last November. Any suggestions?

Editorials

Centrist Courage on Abortion. In EJ Dionne, Jr.'s latest editorial, Thomas Suozzi sums up our feelings on abortion perfectly. Instead of worrying about whether abortion is legal or not, shouldn't we, instead, be focused on reducing the number of abortions? There's no doubt that, were abortion illegal, many women would still seek and find a way to have one, only in far less sterile environments. Abortions should be available and legal, so that the 14 year old who is raped doesn't have her life irrevocably changed. But the centrist idea of shifting the argument away from legality and over to education (shared by folks like Hillary Clinton) is where Democrats need to focus their energy. We're never going to win the argument of "is it legal" or "when does life start?," because conservatives will never be able to see anything other than "no" and "at conception."

McClellan Says No Need to Notify Bush in D.C. Scare. It's been 1,334 days since September 11, 2001. Homeland Security and the Secret Service have, we assume, implemented and augmented plans in the even that, say, the White House was to be attacked. Yet last week, when a Cessna plane flew dangerously close to the White House, and didn't respond to the F-16s alongside demanding that it change course, the White House and Capitol were ordered to evacuate. During all of this, Bush was in Maryland enjoying a bike ride. What's interesting to note is that Bush wasn't notified of the then-crisis (and yes, until the Cessna was brought down and landed, this was a legitimate crisis) until several hours later. When reporters finally pulled their heads out of the sand and question White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan on why he wasn't notified, McClellan continually referred to "protocols" that didn't require the president to be notified. Never mind that his wife and most of the cabinet were a part of the evacuees. Never mind that, if the plane had to be shot down, Bush would be the one to make that decision. Whatever protocols have been put in place, they surely need to be looked at again.

Just How Gay Is the Right? Frank Rich looks at how the right has treated homosexuals. You don't need him (or us) to tell you that the answer isn't good. Look at the judicial arguments swirling around our country now - if the right had their way, we'd have lifetime appointments for judges like Roy S. Moore (infamous for the Ten Commandments debable) and William H. Pryor, Jr. (who believes that homosexuality is a crime, and should be punishible by execution). Or what about Republican Mayor James West, of Spokane? He was outed last week, and didn't deny it. But West has a long history of blocking the rights of homosexuals, from banning gay men and women from public schools to firing gay employees of the state. Do as I say, not as I do, eh?

Activism

How do you feel about Kraft? Not the foods, necessarily, like Jello, Gevalia and Oreos. The company itself? We ask because Kraft is sponsoring next year's Gay Games, being held in Chicago. We're pretty impressed that, in this day and age, Kraft would attach themselves to something so politically controversial. Apparently, so is the American Family Association (AFA), who is asking people to write to Kraft and object to their sponsorship. Well, to that, we say Nay Nay! BlogACTIVE has the link here for you to send a quick note to Kraft and thank them for their support. If we're loud enough, well, we don't expect AFA to go away, but we can make their ridiculous protest moot.

News

Operation Matador. A week-long strike in Iraq ended on Saturday, designed to flush out the insurgency. Along with 9 dead and 40 wounded Marines, over 125 insurgents were killed and 39 captured. Was there ever even a thought to diplomacy? Had there been any sort of negotiations attempted with the insurgents? No, there hadn't. Bush's hard-line stance won't allow for it, and that's just sad. When the families of a Marine squad that was completely decimated wonder why their sons and daughters had to die, they have no further to look than Bush.

Here Comes the Confrontation. The bad news is that Democrats made an offer to confirm only four of the judges currently being disputed. The good news is that Republicans rejected the offer. We're still incensed that Frist thinks that the filibuster should be ruled null and void for judicial nominees, when Republicans were so insistent on using both the filibuster and "holds" during Clinton's presidency. It appears that Republicans have a very short term memory, though. We'd love to see the vote to ban the filibuster happen, if only so that Reid's nine bills will get the attention that they deserve. At this point, though, there are seven Republican Senators "on the fence" regarding a vote against the filibuster.

When In Doubt, Push Harder. Loyalty is usually inspired. You want to follow someone because you respect their decisions, or because you believe in them. The Bush administration doesn't really inspire such loyalty, and as a result, moderate Republicans like George Voinovich receive calls from Bush, Rove, Andrew Card and others when big issues are at stake (like last week's Bolton nomination). Moderate Republicans are feeling the "squeeze" to be held to the party line, when not all feel that way. For example, three moderates have indicated that they will not vote to remove the filibuster. Gosh, Republicans voting their conscience - who would have thought it?

Editorials

Fraying Free-Trade Coalition. We haven't written a lot about CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement), because we're not sure where it's headed. As EJ Dionne, Jr., writes, NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) worked so well because it showed bipartisanship at it's finest - Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich doing something for the betterment of America. But although CAFTA appears to be cut from the same cloth, don't let the name deceive you. Democratic Moderates have pledged to not vote for CAFTA, because of weak protection of American workers. It also does little to change labor conditions in an area beset by low wages, child labor and suppression of unions. In fact, CAFTA is so badly written that Harry Reid has said "I don't like Cafta; I am not going to vote for it; and I will do whatever I can to kill it." Unless Bush does something to ensure American interests will be met, he has no hope of passing CAFTA.

Hillaryphobia. Bull Moose reminds us that we are still quite a ways away from looking at a 2008 presidential nominee, even though many are bemoaning a possible Hillary Clinton run. Although we are still leery of Hillary on the Democratic ticket, Moose makes some good points. Conservatives are scared of Hillary. Bill wouldn't be a liability. And really, anyone who runs on the Democratic ticket will be so scrutinized and broken apart that if "Jesus of Nazareth himself returned and dared to run on the Democratic line the righteous right would tar him as a bleeding heart vagabond who couldn't hold a job and that he needed a shave." Moose isn't really in favor of Hillary running; he just wants to make it clear that it is, in fact, entirely too soon to throw out candidates, and we find that we agree with him.

A Deficit of Seriousness. Why is no one trying to balance the budget? Robert J. Samuelson writes that it's now become "simply too much trouble" to try. And although we'd like to plant the blame squarely on the shoulders of Bush's free-spending reign, we can't assign all of it to him. Democrats, although in the minority, have voted for Bush's tax cuts. They haven't offered any sort of balanced budget. Since no one wants to upset their constituents, programs like farm subsidies and Amtrak continue to be funded, even though the country would get along just fine without them. When legislators put the needs of their constituents over the needs of the country, everyone suffers. The only way we're going to reduce the deficit is to cut funding from programs and raise taxes, and no legislator who wants to get re-elected will propose that.