Still Fighting

Activism

America Coming Together is launching a new initiative for the 2006 election. ACT was instrumental in getting hundreds of thousands of Democrats together in 2004, and now they keep the fighting going. Sign up here and help in any way you can, whether it is by making phone calls, writing letters, or organizing/working in a local group. The 2006 election is by no means a cakewalk, and we need your help to ensure Democrats get elected.

News

Democrats See Social Security 'Bait and Switch.' One of the things that you notice in Congressional legislature is that amendments sometimes get put into bills that they have no relationship with. We've seen it time and time again, including the prescription drug plan. With the new Republican Social Security plan, Democrats (rightly) see it as a "bait and switch;" i.e. the funding for private accounts in this plan comes from "excess revenues," but Republicans will then later attach an amendment for Bush's original non-plan to something that must pass (i.e. the conference report), and Democrats would be powerless to remove it. As Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) noted, Democrats are united in their opposition to Bush's non-plan like never before. Now is not the time for Democrats to cave in - we must be firm in our opposition to private accounts. Period.

Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes. Ever wonder why you're a liberal? Sure, there may be a specific issue you could point to, but there must be an underlying reason. No one is suggesting that all liberals agree with all Democratic policies, but in today's polarized America, it's interesting to note the above article, where scientists believe that "people's gut-level reaction to issues like the death penalty, taxes and abortion is strongly influenced by genetic inheritance...Environmental influences like upbringing, the study suggests, play a more central role in party affiliation as a Democrat or Republican." No wonder the Bush administration is antsy about scientific funding!

Unclear on American Campus: What the Foreign Teacher Said. With the growing number of foreign graduate students in the United States, more and more teacher assistants are not native to America. No problem with that - America is the melting pot, after all. But when a TA doesn't have the ability to teach or speak with a student in understandable English, then we have a problem. 22 states so far have passed legislation that requires teachers be proficient in English. States aren't asking for the world here, but when a student pays $26,000 a year (or more) for school, they have a right to an education. The interesting thing in this story, however, is the reactions of some of the students to these TAs, openly mocking them in many cases. It's a part of the bigger picture that shows how far tolerance still has to go in this country. It's not just about civil union rights or affirmative action. When Republicans consistently vote down legislation to legalize gay marriage, they send the message that intolerance is OK. We see that manifested in situations like the one above, and that's unacceptable.

Editorials

The War President. Paul Krugman on why Bush is the only president in American history who wanted to go to war. We agree with Krugman (as usual) on many points. We're seeing a lot of Republicans simply say "Forget why we went to war. Let Bygones be bygones. Let's figure out how to get out of there." No, let's not forget. Let's never forget. Let's demand answers from an administration that has blocked repeated attempts to find out why. More people in America believe that Bush was more responsible for the war than Saddam - shouldn't that tell us something?

Bush's Energy Plan: Short on Progress, Long on Political Distraction. Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) has an editorial on Arianna Huffington's website. In it, he discusses the latest Energy Bill, which contains more distraction than resolution. Corporations poisoning the water supply? Thanks to Tom DeLay, taxpayers will have to fork over the money to fix it. Drilling in Alaska? You're welcome, China. Hybrid vehicles? Good luck, John Q. American. We can certainly do better, but can Republicans?

Humorous Media

God Hates Rags. In News #3 we wrote about intolerance. Check out this short film, entitled Felt, and then try and justify to us why blocking the civil rights of a certain segment of the population is OK. We dare you.

Activism

We can't allow ourselves to become lax in the quest for honest politicians. Tom DeLay's questionable ethics have taken a backseat to "weightier" matters over the last few weeks, but that is no reason to let him off the hook for his deplorable actions. Nick Lampson, DeLay's opponent in 2006 for Texas's 22nd district, has started a petition urging the Dennis Hastert (Speaker of the House) to appoint an independent counsel (like Kenneth Starr, only not so hung up on sex) to determine whether or not DeLay's actions (as they appear to be) violated the law. We encourage you to sign Lampson's petition here. If we don't hold them accountable, who will?

News

`Morning-After Pill' Not Abortion, Scientists Say. We start with a bit of good news this morning. Scientists have preliminarily determined that the "morning-after pill" does not, in fact, constitute an abortion of an embryo. Right-to-lifers maintain that the pill works "by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg in the womb and thus destroy an early embryo." The scientists counter that the pill actually works by blocking the release of an egg from the ovary, so no embryo is formed. It may seem like a small point, but that small point is the crux of anti-abortionist's arguments. If the scientific data stands, pro-lifers would have no leg to stand on regarding the morning-after pill. Of course, given how science gets squashed by this administration, we wouldn't be surprised to find out that the White House has released a statement saying "More study is needed." While this is a potential big win for liberals, it shouldn't change the message that liberals want to try and educate to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

Dad Picks Up $600 Tab to Get Marine Battle Ready. Here's what it comes down to, folks. Like a 12 year old at summer camp, the Army is sending new recruits a "to bring" list, for when they show up at the base. Included in the list goggles, knee and elbow pads, a canteen, a "drop pouch," and, oh yeah, a flak jacket with armor plating. The items on the list total $600, and for many of the people who are captivated by recruiters and join the Army, $600 is a hell of a lot of money. The message stated that these items would help "enhance the prospects of their survival." What the hell does that mean? Isn't it the Army's job to keep them alive? What in the world are they spending $401.7 billion dollars a year on, if not goggles and elbow pads?

Senate Passes Amendment to Combat Climate Change. Senate Republicans passed an amendment to pending energy legislation that would call for voluntary reductions in emissions. What is that about? Voluntary reductions? If a law isn't passed to make reductions mandatory (as Democrats are trying to do), then the only companies who are going to do this are the ones who are already doing it - the ones who actually give a damn about the world we live in. Sens. McCain and Lieberman have introduced a much stricter bill, with mandatory requirements, and that will be voted on later this week. But, of course, it won't pass. Too many Senators looking out for special interest groups, or worrying about their campaign contributions being pulled because they sided against big business. Change never comes easy. We only hope that the Republican-led Senate does minimal damage, before Democrats can take it back and start passing legislation that would actually, you know, benefit someone other than the top 1%.

Editorials

Run, Dick, Run. Tom Friedman breaks down why Bush has been acting so ridiculously, making decisions that don't benefit the country. It's simple, really - there is no heir apparent. Dick Cheney isn't running in 2008 (but oh, how much would we love it if he did). There's no Republican face that Bush can gaze upon and say "Yes, you. You'll do nicely." All of Bush's decisions during his second term have catered exclusively to the right-wing (sure, unlike his first term), and his short-sighted tax and budget cuts will be drastically altered in 2008, no matter who wins the office. He's also making it harder for the Republicans to put up a viable candidate in 2008, which is fine by us. By skewing everything that he's doing to the right, he leaves the rest of the country out (including moderates, who are not so keen on him at this point).

Veteran Republican Alleges Democratic "War on Christianity" on House Floor. If you haven't been following the Air Force Academy story, let us fill you in. First, the Air Force Academy admitted that a religious intolerance exists on campus. This is fact, and it cannot be denied. Next, as you see in the above editorial, Republicans are attempting to capitalize on Howard Dean's comments by picking apart statements made by Democratic Representatives on the House floor. Only, if you actually read their statements, there's no "demonizing" of Christians. There is a call to equity. Now, an Air Force Chaplain at the academy, Captain MeLinda S. Morton, has submitted her resignation because she is being pushed out of her current position and being transferred to Japan. Morton has been extremely outspoken in her criticism of the Academy, and this is their way of rewarding her. The real goat in this entire story is not the Academy, who have admitted their errors and are starting to take steps to correct it. The goats are House Republicans like Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind, who attempted to take Reps. Obey and Israel's statements out of context, and turn them into an attack on Christians. Hostettler, you may remember, was responsible last week for slipping an amendment into a budget bill to not fund the Supreme Court ruling to remove the 10 Commandments. When can we get this guy out of office? Why doesn't his opponent, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth, have a website up yet?

From Washington To Tehran, With Love. We wrote earlier this week about Bush's response to Iran's elections. After reading the Cunning Realist's editorial from last weekend, we're convinced that he must be a liberal. He really gets it. Bush is trying to use his political sway on countries that he doesn't need to. Instead, why not focus our energy on countries like Saudi Arabia, where our intelligence has reported high numbers of "human trading traffic." Instead, Bush feels that we need to cozy up to places like Saudi Arabia, so that they can continue to sell us oil at a raised price. Hey, here's an idea. Fund an initiative to make emissions reductions mandatory. Then, offer tax breaks to citizens who buy hybrid cars. Of course, Bush wouldn't do this. Maybe if he understood the Muslim culture better, he might better be able to negotiate. Then again, this is the same president who doesn't know how to pronounce "Luxembourg," so we won't hold our breath.

Activism

Operation Yellow Elephant. Finally! The 56th College Republican Biennial Convention is here! We know you're all excited. You know what's great about college-age kids? They make perfect soldiers. And General J.C. Christian, noted Patriot, is calling on all able-bodied college Republicans to enlist and go fight in the war that they've so enthusiastically supported. Go to the blog and read (above and below the post we linked to) about how you can help the General's campaign around the United States (although the convention is in Alexandria, VA) to expose the hypocrisy of those who want to get Americans killed for their principles, as long as it's not them who gets killed. Operation Yellow Elephant: Because Ranting is Safer Than Enlisting.

News

Government Collected Airline Passenger Data. The Transportation Safety Administration, the oft-maligned government agency responsible for letting shoe-bombers on aircrafts and losing your luggage has once again managed to make themselves look even worse. You may recall discussions between TSA and Congress that occured last year, where Congress forbade TSA from collection passenger data. Surprise! If you flew on a commercial airliner in June 2004, your name, address, phone numbers, credit card information and hat size were stored in a secret TSA database. TSA is clearly up a creek here, with no leg to stand on. It doesn't matter how secure the data is, or that it's being protected. What matters is that TSA willingly and knowingly violated the privacy rights of Americans, not to mention a direct order of Congress, and they'll probably get off with a slap on the wrist. Again.

Possible Court Nominees Pose a Quandary for Bush. With the Supreme Court's latest decision to overturn a death row inmate's sentence, we are reminded that it is critically important for the Supreme Court (as well as lower circuit and appeals courts) to be as non-partisan as possible. To consist of the most qualified judges available, who will interpret the constitution, not rewrite it. That's why we're so frustrated at Bush's latest "choice." With the impending resignation of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist because of his failing health, Bush is weighing options for his nominee. The options include two conservatives and...Alberto Gonzales. Bush's potential nomination is all about politics, and not the most qualified candidate. He's debating Gonzales because it would be a good "party" move; mobilizing the Latino voter base and showing a tolerance for minorities. Only...Republicans don't particularly like Gonzales, claiming that he is too moderate. Bolton, Hughes, Wolfowitz...What ever happened to nominating someone for a position who was qualified?

Democrats Block Attempt to Confirm Bolton. Speaking of which, let's check in with John Bolton. When last we left our ill-fated bullying anti-diplomat, the Senate vote for his nomination was being contested by Democrats because the White House would not release information on Bolton's career. Democrats said that they would not allow a vote on Bolton until that information was released. Well, the Senate voted 54-38 for cloture, which is six short of the 60 votes that are needed, which means Bolton will not receive a straight up-or-down vote yet. Democrats promised, Democrats delivered. Democrats have been asking for months now for the information about Bolton's misuse of U.S. intelligence. Conservatives rally around the partisan cry, but the simple truth remains; the White House is witholding information on an extremely important presidential nominee. Bush is threatening to make a recess appointment when Congress adjourns for the summer. Who's partisan now? That information must be quite damning...

Editorials

Terry Moran vs. Scott McClellan on 'Last Throes' of Insurgency in Iraq. We hear so much BS come from the mouths of our so-called "leaders" that we're not sure what to do when someone publicly calls them on it. Consider Dick Cheney, whose eternal optimism of his soulless mind continues to spew forth this absurd notion that the insurgency is in its "last throes." We're not huge fans of ABC correspondent Terry Moran, but when he repeatedly tried to get White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan to clarify Cheney's comments, McClellan could do nothing but stick to the talking points, which weren't entirely relevant to the question at hand (sound familiar?). Those in charge just love to capitalize on the sound bite, and they know that the press won't take what comes out of a press briefing and turn it into news, so they can get away with garbage like this. This brief editorial by Editor and Publisher shows that extent, and it's just pathetic.

Governor Sonny Perdue (R-GA) Convicted of Ethics Violations. Boy, how bad of a Republican do you have to be to be called on ethics violations in Georgia? As Pragmaddict shows us, the idea that the Southern states are red through-and-through is an untrue notion. Perdue, who, by the way, celebrated his violation by saying that it was a defeat for Democrats (because, you know, every charge they brought against him didn't stick), is now a Governor looking at his state from the outside. His poll numbers are down, and Georgians are starting to look at the party as something other than the be-all end-all of politics. Let's keep that ball rolling.

Where's The Apology? If E.J. Dionne is really expecting an apology from Republicans over their ridiculous attempt to divide the public over Terri Schiavo, he'd better be prepared to wait. Republicans want us to just "move on." Sure they do - everything that they stated about Terri turned out to be false. Incorrect. Untrue. So, rather than admit any error, they instead want to push past it (unless they are in the group of Republicans that still wants to demonize Michael). Senator Frist, in particular, put his medical reputation on the line when he spoke from the Senate floor, saying that he disagreed with the PVS assesment. Then Frist went on This Week to say that he only gave a recommendation, and not a diagnosis. But his recorded remarks from March clearly show him saying that, as a doctor, it is his professional opinion that she was not in a PVS. Yeah, that and 37 cents will get you a copy of the Washington Post. We'd recommend not seeing him as a doctor, even in an emergency. You'd walk into his office, complaining of a migraine, and he'd tell you that the cause is not stress, but rather demonic possession, and you need to start praying a whole lot more. To plagiarize Monty Python, "it's people like him what cause unrest."

Our apologies for today's delay - we experienced computer issues this morning.

Activism

Too often of late we talk about what needs to be done in Darfur. Over 80% of Americans support action to stop Genocide in Darfur. Now is your chance to help. Visit the International Crisis Group to find out how you can help bring U.S. support to Darfur.

News

U.S. Pressure Weakens G-8 Climate Plan. By now we all know that the Bush administration has a soft spot for stopping science. After all, for an administration that doesn't believe in fact, stopping science is right up their alley. We've documented how Bush eliminates data and funding from many scientific initiatives, including all relevant data that shows that global warming is a clear and immediate crisis. So it should be no surprise that Bush administration officials have been working non-stop behind the scenes at the G-8 conference, in an effort to weaken plans for climate change. It's absolutely astounding how Bush's megalomania has extended to forcing sovereign countries to adopt a policy that is not what they want. More definite language in the policy has been changed to more nebulous policy. Simply disgusting.

Hard-Line Figure In Iran Runoff. Despite voter intimidation (doesn't that sound familiar?), Iran's presidential election went off on Friday. No candidate received 50% of the vote, so there will be a run-off between the top two vote getters; former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hard-line working class citizen. There was a very large young voter turnout, who were dissatisfied with the theocracy. Bush is very much against the vote, saying that the democratic election "ignores the basic requirements of democracy." We're not exactly sure how, but it did result in higher voter turnout. Keep an eye on how this plays out - Rafsanjani is far less likely to bring the change that Iran so desperately needs.

Senate Republicans Offer Deal on Bolton Information. You might call it desperation; we certainly would. The White House won't release information on John Bolton that Democrats are asking for, so Democrats won't allow the vote to go on. What are Republicans trying to hide? The question circles around whether or not Bolton tried to misuse U.S. intelligence. If he didn't, then why doesn't the White House release the information? Republicans need 60 votes to allow the Bolton vote to be brought to the Senate, but even with this disingenuous offer, Democrats are confident that they have enough votes to block the full vote as they should. Democrats just want all the facts before they vote to confirm a very controversial nominee to a very important position - is that a crime?

Editorials

Congress Assaults the Courts, Again. Slipping under the radar last week was an amendment put into a budget bill and passed by the House. The amendment would bar money from being spent to enforce a federal court ruling regarding the Ten Commandments. The amendment, introduced by Representative John Hostettler (R-IN) is a direct slap in the face to the judiciary in general, and the Supreme Court specifically. Hostettler declared that the Supreme Court ruling was unconstitutional, and inconsistent with "the Christian heritage of the United States." Funny, we thought that the United States government was supposed to be separate from the church. We know we've read that, somewhere. Hostettler is proving Howard Dean right, and that's the scariest notion of all.

Truth and Consequences. Bill Mon summarizes Gitmo in a way as to remind us why it is so important. Forget Dick Durbin's selfless, passionate speech on the floor of the Senate. Forget about the morality of holding 400 detainees without charges. Think back thirty years, to the Vietnam war. Think about all of those "guests" of the Hanoi Hilton, who owe their lives to the Geneva Convention. When the U.S. can't be bothered to follow the Geneva Convention, in the interests of "security," our nation loses what we value so dear - our values.

What's the Matter With Ohio? It's impressive to see MSNBC interview Ronald McDonald, and yet completely ignore stories like this. Paul Krugman writes about Ohio, and for once, it's not about voting irregularities. There's been a lot of writing by the Toledo Blade about the misappropriation of state funds, exposing a huge web of political and corporate tie-ins. The results of the Blade's investigation are staggering, and should be unheard of in this day and age. Instead, they've become commonplace in Ohio (thanks to Republican politicians), and we give kudos to the Blade for uncovering this mess.