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How Blagojevich Stole Christmas
Oh my... this is brilliantly hilarious: Merry Christmas!
If you haven't noticed... I am taking a blogging break. It started out unintentionally, as I just got busy. And all of a sudden I was taking a break. And it has been good for me. I may be back. I haven't really decided yet. But I haven't really missed blogging. Of course, I still spend too much time on blogs, just not my own. Oh well... But anyways... Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays, etc. Here is what I want for Christmas:
Alright... some of those things will obviously not happen by Christmas. But I can ask for them anyway, right? Have a great holiday season... talk to you all soon! Thanksgiving thoughts, expressed in pictures
Because they never get old:  
Florida gay adoption ban: unconstitutional
Excellent news... Florida Gay Adoption Ban Is Ruled Unconstitutional:
Shoot the Retailers
From Home Depot founder and former CEO Bernie Marcus Unbelievable. Of course, what this really means, is that Mr. Marcus is scared. He is scared that his workers may actually organize, and may actually have rights, and a voices. And this is just one more reason that we should all be fighting FOR the Employee Free Choice Act. Those workers at Home Depot need a voice, and need to be given a way to get that voice in the face of intimidation from people like Mr. Marcus. Olbermann on Prop (h)8
Arkansas, Hate, Gays, and Adoption
One of the things from Tuesday that has not been discussed in great lengths is the Arkansas ballot initiative "that would make it illegal for any individual cohabiting outside of a valid marriage to adopt or provide foster care to minors." This initiative was aimed at blocking same-sex couples from adopting children or acting as foster parents, but went a step further and will keep any non-married cohabiting couple from adoption/foster care. Unfortunately the Religious Right is completely unable to see beyond their hatred and bigotry towards LGBTQ individuals, and instead have placed their hate above the needs of children. Arkansas currently has 3,700 kids in the foster care system, but only 1,000 eligible parents. Even worse, many of this children will grow to adulthood without ever being placed in a home, and these children (now adults) are disproportionately people of color:
It gets even worse (PDF):
What this means is that children of color were more likely to age out o the program without a permanent family than their white counterparts. So what is the Religious Right's response? Instead of mobilizing people of faith to adopt, or encouraging ALL people to adopt and provide foster care to these children, they have pushed through an initiative that limits the number of available and eligible parents to provide such care. Does that sound like family values to you? At some point our world, and more specifically, leaders of people of faith, will see that their focus on issues like gay marriage and gay adoption have done much more harm than good for families and children. Oh how I long for that day. Barack Obama and Organizing
Some links:
Obama and racists?
Wow... the most popular search term finding my blog right now is "racist obama jokes." Here are the recent terms:
Lovely. For what it is worth, you won't find racist Obama jokes here. And Obama is not a racist. But you will find Christians who support Obama here. And yes, we should let sexual offenders in church, though we should be wise in how we do that. And I have no idea what foreign holidays you should celebrate. It means ...
Exit polls
FiveThirtyEight has a breakdown comparison of how President-Elect Barack Obama performed in comparison to John Kerry in 2004. Barack Obama out-performed Kerry in almost EVERY single demographic. We did it
Yesterday was incredible. We did it. But the really work is now just beginning. I will have more thoughts later... Yes we can.
Once again: O'Bama
The Daily Show, on community organizers
Watch this. Because the Daily Show is brilliant. And community organizers are awesome: Yes. We. Can.
Things will be pretty quiet around here for the next few days, as we have a man we need to get elected! In the meantime, enjoy this, once again: Early Voting
Go Vote Early!!! But if you are interested in looking at how many other people are voting early, take a look at this awesome site. It takes a look at early voting numbers this year and compares it to early voting numbers in 2004. It will bring out the geekiness in all of you! The Great Escape
I think we need a break from election stuff for a moment. Watch this video (hat tip Ezra): Armageddon and Gay Marriage
From Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council:
Heh. Did they both really say that? Really? Lets be very clear. Proposition 8, in California, wants to insert into the California constitution an amendment that eliminates same-sex marriage and defines marriage as between a male and a female. So somehow keeping things the way that they are (without that definition), will be "Armageddon," and we will "not survive." Interesting. Colson, Perkins, and friends seem more than a little confused. Apple: No on #8
Very cool. Troy Davis - Stay!
Troy Davis has been granted a stay, for 25 days, in order for the 11th Circuit Court to be briefed on the case. This is excellent news. More on Davis here. Palin on Terrorism
Sarah Palin defines what is, and is not, terrorism. The short version: Bill Ayers = Terrorist Huh? Real America
John McCain and Sarah Palin continue to push this "Real America" theme. Via Ezra:
Really? Are they really wanting to push this narrative that says, essentially, that Obama supporters are not "real Americans?" Wow. Free Market Flaws!?!?!?!?
Greenspan Concedes to `Flaw' in His Market Ideology
Biden and VAWA
Watch this video from the Obama/Biden campaign on the Violence Against Women Act, and what Sen. Biden's role was in getting the legislation passed: Barack Obama and Socialism
Barack Obama is not a socialist. That is all I have to say. BabyLowitzki.com
So, you all should go to BabyLowitzki.com. It is not quite finished, but being that we are already at twenty weeks, I figured it was probably well past time to make it public. At least I know that we will have a better President when our baby is born! :) Watch this ACORN video. Please.
Please, watch this video on ACORN: Wal-Mart at is "best"
Wal-Mart closes only union department in North America:
Ah Wal-Mart. Busting unions like only you can. $150M and Colin Powell
The Obama campaign has announced that they raised 150 million dollars. That is absurd. And sad. And exciting. Absurd, because that is a LOT of money. Sad, because this country is currently in an economic crisis, yet hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on an election between people trying to connect with the "common man." Exciting, because Barack Obama is exciting, and excites people. And this money will set him up well to finish the last two plus weeks very strong. But the bigger news of the day may be that Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama on Meet the Press this morning. While Powell is not loved by liberals, he is still a very well respected figure in American politics, and has long been a key leader in the Republican Party. Here is what Powell had to say:
Colin Powell immediately gives Barack Obama the final stamp of approval, especially on foreign policy. The stars are starting to align... Fact Checking on ACORN
Some information on the made-up controversy around ACORN:
Planetarians for Obama
Joe the Plummer [sic]
Hey look... it is Joe the Plummer [sic]. Debate #3 Thoughts
I thought that this was John McCain's best debate in terms of substance, and worst debate in terms of body language. And body language matters. And in turn, Barack Obama won by remaining calm and collected. It wasn't Obama's strongest debate, but it was more than good enough, which is all that he needed. The post-debate polls are decisive, showing a VERY clear Obama win. By the way... does John McCain know that Sarah Palin's child does not have autism? Debate #3
Open thread for the debate tonight. I will not be live blogging. Feel free to post your thoughts. Troy Anthony Davis: Justice Denied
The United States Supreme Court has denied Troy Anthony Davis a new trial in order to hear evidence:
You can read more about the case of Troy Anthony Davis on my blog, at Amnesty, or at Davis's website. Republican Money Troubles
Woh... this is good for us, bad for them:
In other words, the RNC is having money issus. MAJOR money issues. And the money issues are exacerbated by the fact that Republican Senators and Representatives are in trouble across the country, even in states and districts that were traditionally considered safe for the GOP. There are projections that are showing the Dems possibly getting very, very close to the magical 60 senator number, which would completely change the landscape in Washington and possibly allow for progressive legislation to actually be passed. As Bob Dylan would say, the times, they are a-changin'. Offensive Religious Fear
Posted by Dave
 on 10/14/08 at 09:29:23 amCategories: Religious Right, Religion and Politics, Barack Obama, Campaign 2008 Wow. Wow. Wow. Here is the highlight:
First, Hindu is not a God. Second, this man should be utterly embarrassed and ashamed that he would pray such a thing. Let say this very directly to "Rev." Conrad. There are many people who believe in the same God that you believe in that want "his opponent" to win. And using fear to align a Presidential candidate with other religions is incredibly offensive, and all Christians should be embarrassed, regardless of political leanings, that such a thing would be done by a "Reverend." Unbelievable. Market Surge
After last week's devastating market crash, combined with a bad preceding few weeks, the market had dropped nearly 30% over the last month. It looks like people are starting to gain confidence again, with the Dow up 660 points (7.83%), the Nasdaq up 139.58 (8.46%), and the S&P 500 up 73.61 (8.19%). That is definitely good news. UPDATE: The closing numbers are even better:
CRA, ACORN, and the Economic Crisis
The Right has recently created a new bogeyman. And this is a big one - it caused the current economic crisis!!! Supposedly. The new bogeyman is the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The Community Reinvestment Act is:
Because of this act, credit was opened up to a whole new market - lower and moderate-income, and often minority, communities. Many on the Right have pointed directly back to the CRA as a what caused the current crisis. Their argument is as follows - (irresponsible) poor people of color got loans that they could never afford, and in turn defaulted on their debt, which left the banks (or whomever bought the debt) empty handed. People default on debt all the time, but when it became thousands of people default on debt at the same time, the damn burst, lenders began to fail, and the stock market crashed. Of course, the Right is right that more poor people were able to get loans through the CRA. But they are very, very wrong that this was the reason for the current recession that the United States, and the World, finds itself in. Renowned economist Nouriel Roubini gives the cause of the crisis as follows:
It is clear that the current situation has been caused by many things, but one of those things was not the CRA. Of course, ACORN has been thrown into the mess as another scapegoat, being blamed by some as the "bogeyman" that caused the "bogeyman." ACORN has worked for years attempting to get banks to give loans to low- and middle-income communities, and especially to neighborhoods that are predominantly made up of people of color. That part is true, and the Right has attacked them for it. I mean, how dare they think that people of color should have the same access to loans as white people? But again, giving loans to low- and moderate-income individuals or families, or pressuring banks to be willing to give loans to those in predominantly minority communities, did not cause this crisis. Both Media Matters and the American Prospect have also taken this issue on and debunked many of the myths that are floating around about how the CRA and poor people caused the crisis, and addressed the ACORN connection. Robert Gordon, at the American Prospect, summarizes it like this:
This crisis was not caused by poor people. People of color did not cause it. And it was not caused by ACORN. It was caused by greed. It was caused by the demand for profit. Happy Genocide Day
Happy Genocide Day, or, as popularly known, Columbus Day. It always amazes me that this country celebrates a man who discovered land that had already been discovered, and then enacted mass extermination of the existing people on the "new" land:
And we have a holiday for this man? John McCain should be ashamed
John McCain has chosen to go after Michelle Obama:
Hmm... how does that compare to what John McCain said a few months ago:
So does that mean that John McCain would be okay if the Obama campaign started talking about John McCain's first wife? Or talking about Cindy McCain (John's current wife) and her drug addictions? Somehow I do not think that John McCain would be okay with that. John McCain has taken this campaign to a brand new, and despicable, level. He and his campaign have attempted to brand Obama as a friend of terrorists. He and his campaign have attempted to blame Obama, via ACORN, for both the current economic crisis and voter fraud. He and his campaign have used language that is drenched with racial undertones. And now he and his campaign have decided to go after Michelle Obama. Eight years ago John McCain's primary campaign got destroyed by evil campaign tactics by the Bush campaign, attacking Cindy for being a drug addict and attacking the McCains' adopted daughter as an illegitimate child. They, of all people, should know how evil a dirty and sleazy campaign is. The John McCain and his campaign are doing everything that they can to make this dirtier and sleazier. John McCain should be ashamed. ACORN and Voter Registration
ACORN has been hitting the news lately as controversy swirls about their voter registration tactics. Having a pretty good knowledge of ACORN and their tactics, I can say with authority that most of what is currently out in the media is a misleading, at best, and downright fraudulent, at worst. Anytime you are collecting thousands of voter registration cards, there are going to be bad cards. What is very important to realize is that ACORN actually does much of the reporting of "fraudulent" cards. As Progress Illinois explains, in context of controversy on ACORN's work in Indiana:
ACORN works very hard to assure that the cards that they turn in are valid, and they notify election officials when they have bad/invalid cards. In turn, ACORN gets blamed for "fraud," even though they are doing everything according to law. John Marshall, at Talking Points Memo, has the best explanation of the issues around ACORN. He sums it up well with this:
The Right has nothing else to hang their hat on other than allegations of voter fraud against ACORN. They are doing everything they can to attempt to delegitimize the upcoming election because it is looking more and more like they are not going to like the result. ACORN is not perfect. Far from it. But they do an excellent job engaging, empowering, and mobilizing low-income and minority communities and voters. They are not interested in stealing the election. They are interested in giving a voice to the voiceless. We cannot let the Right delegitimize this election, or ACORN. CT: Gays can marry!
Connecticut court overturns gay marriage ban:
Now if we can just get that stupid California Proposition to fail. Time to Panic?
The Dow Jones dropped nearly 700 points today. That is more than a 7% drop, and it moves the Dow below 9000 points for the first time since May, 2003. So when do we start panicking and placing money under out mattresses? Cook County Sheriff to Stop Evictions
Sheriff: I will stop enforcing evictions:
Wow... when is the last time you heard a positive story about Chicago area police? This is great news for struggling homeowners. Norm Coleman and Not Responding
Oh my... this is a painful press conference. Yet hilarious. And good news for Al Franken (Sen. Coleman's opponent). That One - '08
debate #2 polls: obama wins
As I expected, both CBS and CNN polls are showing a win for Obama. **UPDATE**: I updated the links to the actual polls. **UPDATE II**: Even the very conservative Power Line is calling it a win for Obama. debate #2 - after thoughts - obama wins
Hmm... I predicted that there would be no clear winner in this debate. I was wrong. Barack Obama won. And I think he won pretty clearly. Sen. Obama was good, clear, concise, composed, and collected. And the live-dial showed that he connected quite well with viewers. John McCain, on the other hand, did not connect nearly as well. He didn't appear as comfortable, and actually appeared almost nervous, or anxious. But I do not think that either candidate won on issues of substance. Obama won on personality, and connection, but while I think that John McCain is dead wrong on most of the substance, I did not see any major winner on the issues in this debate. I also think that it is quite clear that John McCain NEEDED to win this debate. He is behind, and he his behind by a lot, and needed a win. And he simply did not get that win. CNN Debate Live-Dial
I have been watching the debate, and cannot stop watching the live dial on the testing group. They are fascinating. CNN is testing a group of uncommitted voters from Ohio, and it breaks down the group my male and female perceptions of the debate. I don't know what it necessarily means, but it has been VERY rare that men have ha a more positive perception than women. And when they are the same, it takes longer for men to move to the more positive levels. Men have tended to be a bit more favorable towards McCain, in comparison to the female sample, but overall the two groups appear to be MUCH more favorable to Obama. Debate #2
The second presidential debate just started. My prediction? There will be no clear winner, and this debate won't have any impact on the race. I won't be live-blogging, but feel free to give some thoughts if you have them. ****UPDATE I****: While I am not live-blogging, the great FiveThirtyEight IS! Palin lies about Sudan
Record Refutes Palin's Sudan Claim:
Lovely. More VP Debate thoughts
So I have been watching the rerun of the VP debate. Gov. Palin does not sound nearly as clueless as she did in the interviews with Couric or Gibson. But she is clearly just spouting memorized lines. There is not one original thought from her. That is, in large part, why she will not respond to most of Biden's attacks of McCain, because she did not have a prepared line ready. Some random thoughts:
Final thoughts... the snap polls are coming in, and it is looking like Biden won fairly easily. That is not a surprise. Biden was good - somewhat bland, but good. He came across as very prepared, very knowledgeable, and very comfortable. Palin came across as nervous, rushed, and scripted. Nate Silver, at FiveThirtyEight.com had a pretty interesting comment, and I think he is right:
Palin bettered expectations, but she still was so clearly and so obviously the lesser candidate. VP Debate
I am only watching the first 30 minutes, as I have a Cubs game to watch. But Palin is already bettering expectations. But man, she only knows talking points. But she is good at spouting taxing points. ****UPDATE I****: My Palin paraphrase: "I won't answer the questions the way you want, because I don't know the answers. I only know talking points." ****UDPATE II****: Palin just blatantly lied about Sen. Obama's healthcare plan. It absolutely is NOT run by the government. Not even close. ****UPDATE III****: My initial general thoughts. Gov. Palin is good at talking points, but again, that is all she knows. Sen. Biden sounds extremely knowledgeable, while Gov. Palin sounds like she only knows what she has been told. And that she is a hockey mom. ****UPDATE IV****: Palin sounds very, very scripted. Which is why she is rushed. She has lines memorized, and she is rushing through them. ****UPDATE V****: She is refusing to answer every question. I do not think that she has answered a question yet. ****UPDATE VI****: Biden quote of the night? "If you don't know what the cause is, it is impossible to come up with the solution." Nice. Alright... this is probably the end of my updates. I will probably watch the rest later. Obama reaches out to deaf voters
This is pretty stinkin' cool, regardless of your politics: Obama campaign reaches out to deaf community BREAKING: McCain out of Michigan!!
McCain pulling out of Michigan:
Wow. That is huge. This quickly moving towards possible landslide status. Don't Vote
Great Expectations
You have to love this opening sentence:
I predict that Sarah Palin will do better than expected. The expectations have been set so low that they will be almost impossible to meet. But as the article goes on to say, maybe the expectations are wrong:
Of course, the debates in Alaska will be quite different than the Vice President debate on the national stage. But Palin will be okay in the debate. She will be well prepared for the expected questions. And Sen. Biden will have to be very careful in how he approaches the debate and how he frames his answers and attacks. Sarah Palin is not ready to be Vice President of this country. That is pretty obvious. But I expect her to be ready to debate. Kids Sing for Obama
From Sing for Change: Kimmel on Palin
Which John McCain?
From John McCain, in the same speech:
From John McCain, two hours earlier:
What a hypocrite. In the same speech he talks about how this isn't the time to "fix the blame" right after "fixing" blame. John McCain has been all over the place today. First, he claimed success for the successful bailout plan. Then the bailout plan failed. And he blamed Barack Obama and the Democrats, even though it was primarily the House Republicans who refused to pass the bill. Don't get me wrong - this bailout plan is ugly. And it sure isn't what I would do. But it is better than many options, and it sure is not Barack Obama's fault that it did not pass. And it also sure was not John McCain's "success" that it came so close. John McCain is doing everything he can to try and claim credit for the (lack of?) success of the bailout plan while blaming Barack Obama for its failure. Unfortunately for John McCain, his attempt simply do not align with reality. And I am also starting to get really confused about which John McCain will show up in a speech or interview, or even for the next sentence. Palin Problems?
From Ed Schultz, via Open Left:
Sarah Palin has had a devastating week. Her interview with Katie Couric was just plain awful. Palin started as someone who mobilized the conservative base and excited some moderate women. Now she is just starting to scare people - not because of her VERY conservative views (which are scary enough), but for the fact that it is blatantly obvious that she is too inexperienced, to unprepared, and simply not ready to be Vice President. As Kathleen Parker said this week, Palin is "Clearly Out Of Her League." Will she last until November? WaMu's CEO: Bagging $13.65 million in 18 days?
WaMu's CEO: Bagging $13.65 million in 18 days?
Wow... I am in the wrong industry. And people wonder why some of us say that CEO pay is out of control? Debate #1 - FactCheck
Here is the FactCheck from Debate #1. Brief debate thoughts
Obama won the first 40 minutes on domestic policy easily. I thought both were strong on foreign policy. Obama won overall, by not losing. McCain lost overall, as he needed a big win. Maybe more later... any thoughts from you? ****UDPATE****: Post-debate polls look good for Obama. ****UPDATE II****: More polls looking good for Obama from the debate. ****UDPATE III****: Oh... and I will waiting for the Right to attack Sen. McCain for not wearing a flag pin. Pre-debate thoughts
Tonight's debate will be interesting, thats for sure. First, foreign policy is obviously a strength of McCain's. But that does not mean that McCain is right about foreign policy. Second, McCain is a better debater than Barack Obama, regardless of the lowering of expectations from the McCain campaign. McCain is a very good debater. He is not likable, but he is a good debater. He is very knowledgeable, especially about foreign policy. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is not a good debater. He is extremely intelligent, and extremely knowledgeable, and he is likable, but he has a tendency to overtalk an issue. He also has a tendency to stutter and stammer somewhat, which can at times make him look hesitant. And then of course we have the "financial crisis." It sounds like the crisis will be dealt with in general terms, and specifically in how it relates to foreign policy (i.e. globalization, national security, etc.). Barack Obama should win any discussion on economics. I predict a close debate, with no clear winner. I may be wrong. It has happened before. :) Palin and Couric
I have only watched some of the Katie Couric/Sarah Palin interview. And all I can is that Sarah Palin is not ready to be Vice President. And conservative columnist Kathleen Parker agrees:
Go read the entire thing. It is simple. Sarah Palin is not ready to be Vice President. And even conservatives are starting to see that. The Republican Bailout Plan
Wow.
Well, at least they are being transparent. The Republican idea of fighting against this economic crisis is to make it easier for rich people to become more rich. Wonderful. Bono Knows Billions
Letterman on McCain
McCain Suspends Campaign
So John McCain is suspending his campaign so that he can focus on the "historic" crisis facing the U.S. economy. He also wants to cancel Friday's debate. What a joke. But it gets better - he also wants Obama to join him in suspending campaign activities, including ads. Of course, Barack Obama has a lot more money to spend on ads, so it would be extremely beneficial to Sen. McCain to have a suspension of ads. Does he really think that voters will not see right through his stunt? ****UPDATE****: Hmm... it looks like Sen. Obama had already reached out to Sen. McCain to put out a joint statement on the bailout:
So Sen. Obama tries to reach out and make a bi-partisan move on the bailout issue, and Sen. McCain tries to one-up him with this political stunt. Lovely. And the Obama campaign says the debate will still go on. ****UPDATE II****: Obama's statement:
STAY FOR TROY DAVIS!!!
US Supreme Court delays execution of Ga. man:
READ THIS: On Troy Davis
Doctors and Executions
Rainbow Medical is a private medical company that is paid by the State of Georgia to provide medical assistance for their executions, including the provision of provides two physicians and two registered nurses. Rainbow Medical is paid thousands of dollars for these services. These doctors have sworn commitments to the Hippocratic Oath, which says they will "do no harm." Someone please tell me how assisting with an execution is doing "no harm?" Troy Anothony Davis - 8 hours left
Troy Anthony Davis is going to be killed in about 8 hours by the State of Georgia. They may be killing an innocent man. Why, oh why, are people okay with this?!?! Troy Anthony Davis - 27 hours left
Troy Anthony Davis is 27 hours away from being killed by the State of Georgia. Troy will be executed at 7pm tomorrow — Tuesday, Sept 23, 2008. Davis was convicted of a murder of a police office in 1989 based on the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, seven of which have since recanted their testimony. There are very serious doubts about whether Davis was guilty, but the State of Georgia is ignoring the doubts and moving forward with their plans to kill a man who may innocent. You can read more at the following links: Here are some things that you can do:
An innocent may be murdered tomorrow. And none of us, regardless of our stance on the death penalty, should be okay with that. Eddie Vedder: All the Way
Transfer of Wealth
From Bernie Sanders, on the Wall-Street bailouts:
CUBS = PLAYOFFS
The Cubs just clinched the playoffs. That makes me very, very happy. Someday We'll Go All the Way
In honor of the Cubs being one game away from clinching the playoffs, I give you Eddie Vedder's Someday We'll Go All the Way, below the fold Enough?
From a comment at AmericaBlog:
Obamaheads?
Rock Legends to Play Obama Fundraiser:
Just so it is clear, the "who" would include ALL of the remaining members of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. Cool. Socialized Financial Industries and Priorities
One of the attacks that the Right loves to use against Barack Obama is that he is a socialist, or at least that he has socialist policies. Yet, interestingly, you hear little commentary about the socialist policies of nationalizing the financial industries. While the federal government is not completely taking over the financial industry, they are spending billions and billions of dollars in order to subsidize, and in some cases take over, the industry. The conservatives in this country have no problem with subsidies and welfare payments, as long as those subsidies and payments go to large companies rather than poor people. Do people realize that the CEOs of Fannie and Freddie got several million dollar severance packages? The CEOs led the two largest mortgage companies into failure, yet were rewarded, by the federal government, a combined 23 million dollars (source). Why is that conservatives are silent on this? Why is that that they will be the first to talk about the poor being dependent on the government while the rich take millions from the same government for blatantly failing? And why is that Barack Obama gets branded a socialist for wanting a more equitable tax system and a way for all to be able to access health care, yet the Republican Party continues to hand out money to the rich and move torwards nationalizing the financial industry? Why is that this country's priorities are so very wrong? Quote of the Day
From NY Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, on state subsidies for the New York Yankees stadium. Tax payers are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to help build the stadium, and we have also found out that the Yankees have been lobbying for $66 million in tax breaks. The Yankees are arguably the wealthiest professional sports franchise in the United States, yet they are subsidized by tax payers at both the state and federal levels. Where are the "small government" Republicans on these issues? A Plan for Change
Troy Davis' Clemency Denied
Troy Anthony Davis' clemency has been denied:
Let me repeat that. Clemency was denied, despite a group of witnesses who recanted their testimonies against the convict. There is serious doubt about the guilt of Mr. Davis, yet the State of Georgia is moving forward with their plans to kill. He is scheduled to be murdered on September 23rd. Regardless of your stance on the death penalty, this should cause EVERYONE to think about how the current judicial system works in relation to the death penalty. Are you really comfortable with a person being killed amidst serious doubts of his guilt? I have previously written about Davis here. Who do you put in charge?
From Josh Marshall:
Lose integrity vs lose an election
From Obama spokesperson Hari Sevugan:
Lying to Win?
From the McCain campaign, in response to questions about their continued lying:
In other words... "We want to win. And we will do what it takes to win. Including blatantly lying about various issues. And if the media calls us on it? We will attack them, and continue lie. Because we want to win." Unbelievable. McCain blatantly lies... again
How does he think that he will continue to get away with this:
I guess $200 million is close to zero, right? It is amazing how the McCain/Palin camp continues to lie about Palin's pork request and her opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere." Do they really have not truthful things to run on? ****UPDATE****:Some video: Thoughts on Palin interview
I haven't been able to watch the full interview yet, but here are some thoughts on the segments that I have watched:
God on our side?
NOTE: See update at bottom. People are talking about Palin saying we may need to go to war with Russia. That is a big deal, though I am not so sure that is it not getting blown out of proportion. Then again, even the idea of a war with Russia, spoken by a Vice Presidential candidate from a major party, is pretty absurd. But something else interested me from the transcript excerpts of her interview with Charlie Gibson:
Huh? How does saying that the war in Iraq is a "task that is from God" at all relate to Abraham Lincoln saying "let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God's side?" Palin said quite explicitly that the war in Iraq was a task from God. And now she is saying that what she meant was that we should should pray that we are on God's side? Anyone else confused? ***UPDATE***: It looks Gibson was a bit off on his quote, and in turn my analysis is a bit off. This is the quote that Palin is referring to:
I believe what she is saying is that she is praying that the war in Iraq is God's plan. She does not say that it IS God's plan. So the Abraham Lincoln connection makes sense, and I apologize for that mistake. Now, with that said, I find it completely absurd that bombing the hell out of a nation is "God's plan." Because that sure is not in my Bible. I do not believe that war is a "task that is from God." But that is a theological issue, not a political issue. And of course, the idea that this MAY be God's plan, or that it is a "task that is from God" does give credence to the idea that this could, or would, be a "Holy War," which is quite problematic both politically AND theologically. Stop corruption... by stopping investigations?
Palin May Move to Block Subpoenas in Trooper Case:
What does Sarah Palin have to hide? If she did nothing wrong, she should let the investigation proceed without interference. There is only one reason to try to interfere with the investigation, and that is because there is something to hide. I guess she is willing to stop all corruption but her own. Taxes, Baseball, and Stadiums
The Florida Marlins are attempting to have their franchise subsidized by the State of Florida via tax revenue for a new stadium. The Florida Marlins have, BY FAR, the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball. They receive significantly more money form Major League Baseball in the form of revenue sharing, allowing the Marlins' ownership to pocket millions and millions of dollars. Revenue sharing is designed so that small market teams can compete with large market teams, supposedly making it so small market teams can still afford to field a competitive team even though they may have less revenue. Unfortunately, as we see very clearly with the Florida Marlins, this idea is failing, with the Marlins pocketing millions rather than spend the money to field a better team. Thought, to be fair, the Marlins have still been quite competitive even with their low payroll. Yet somehow the team has convinced State politicians to fork over some corporate welfare subsidies so that the team can make even more money while not being required to spend anything. A new stadium should provide (as it historically does) a boost in attendance, and in turn revenue, for the Marlins. And what do the Florida residents get out of this? They get a new stadium that many will not be able to afford to attend. And they get a large chuck of tax revenue diverted from important programs like health care, childcare, education, and more in order to line the pockets of professional sports owners. And people say sports are not political. Kyle, Obama, and Education
Kyle is not impressed with Barack Obama's education proposals:
And Kyle is right. It is important for many of us to remember that Barack Obama is far from perfect. And he is far from progressive on many, many issues. Don't get me wrong. Barack Obama is a vastly better option than John McCain. And is vastly more progressive. But he is wrong, or at least not good, on a lot of issues. Dave Zirin and the Politics of Sports
Last night I got to experience the intersection of two of my passions - sports and progressive politics. Dave Zirin is on a book tour for his new book, A People's History of Sport in the United States, and he was brought to Chicago by The Public Square. Zirin is a rare individual: he is a sports journalist/writer that writes overtly political, and overtly progressive, material. He is the first, and only, sports writer that The Nation has ever hired. Zirin asserts that it is impossible to separate sports from the political world, as the political world shapes both sports and our understanding them. He got me thinking about the fact that there are so few people actively writing about the political issues of sports. And so few actively political athletes. But he also challenged the idea that there should be any expectation of politically active athletes. So few people are active politically, so why should be expect anything different from professional athletes? But it got me thinking about lack of discussion around the intersection of sports and politics. As Chicago attempts to lure the Olympics to the Windy City, professional sports franchise and their billionaire owners continue to rob tax payers to fund new stadiums, and organizations like Jocks for Justice begin to grow and take a stand on political issues (and specifically the death penalty), it is essential that we bring attention to what and how sports impact society, and how they are overtly political in so many different ways. More to come... Sarah Palin, Fannie, and Freddie
Sarah Palin is not ready to be the Vice President of the United State:
Huh? In case you are confused, let me explain. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are two lenders that are privately held. They are NOT funded by tax payers. They are being taken over by the Federal government. Ironically, they will know now BECOME tax payer funded. How is it that someone running for Vice President for a major political party does not have a clue about the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac situation, a major economic issue that this is country is facing?? Fannie and Freddie takeover
I admit that I know nothing, and can add nothing, to the discussions about what the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will mean. But others know a lot more than I do, and CAN add to the conversation. You should take a look at these thoughts:
Brilliance
You have all probably already seen this, but if you have not, you must watch this: don't question palin
Can some of conservative readers justify the decision to not let Sarah Palin be questioned by the press? For a group of people that attack Barack Obama as an empty suit, I find it quite odd that Palin is unwilling (unable?) to answer any questions. blackberry blogging
I am blogging from my blackberry for the first time. I am hanging out at the Equal Voice National Family Convention. You can watch it live at that link. Jesus and Community Organizing
Question of the day: Was Jesus really a community organizer? An Appalling Display of Injustice
You can read more about Troy Anthony Davis by reading through these posts. Obama and Community Organizing
Posted by Dave
on 09/05/08 at 08:11:09 amCategories: Social Justice Ravings, Barack Obama, Campaign 2008, Community Obama responds to the community organizing attack:
Excited base? (McCain thread)
This is good. Barack Obama will raise about 10 million dollars between the end of Sarah Palin's speech last night and the beginning of John McCain's speech tonight. John McCain, on the other hand, has raised about 1 million dollars through the Republican National Convention. So who did Palin get fired up? ******* I am not sure how much blogging I will do about John McCain tonight. But I did just hear Joe Gibbs claim that McCain and Palin would lead a new spiritual revival in this country. Seriously? Okay - I lied. I have some McCain speech thoughts below the fold. Obama Tax Cuts
Find out about how Obama's tax cuts will impact you at Obama Tax Cut. I wonder if Sarah Palin tried this before she lied about Obama's tax policies? What is Community Organizing
Sarah Palin had an interesting attack against Barack Obama's community organizing experience. Governor Pataki and Mayor Giuliani also joined in the fun. Of course, for what its worth, when Barack Obama was working as a community organizer Sarah Palin was a sports announcer, not a mayor. She may want to check the facts on that one. But that is beside the point. Being that Sarah Palin has shown a complete lack of understanding of what a community organizer is, and what a community organizer does, I point all of you to Marshall Ganz's web module on organizing. This is an excellent overview on what an organizer does and why he or she does it. If the McCain campaign wants to attack Barack Obama because he was a community organizer, I welcome that line of attack, because it is so very easy to respond to. What does a community organizer do? A community organizer organizes, mobilizes, and empowers members of a community to take an active role in changing their communities. A community organizer helps engage people on their levels, over their issues, in order to create social change. A community works with struggling families, home owners facing disclosures, sick individuals that cannot afford care, other community leaders, politicians, and all other community members. They have meetings, knock on doors, plan actions and rallies, register people to vote, and work well over 40 hours a week. A community organizer is about change. A community organizer is about social justice. A community organizer is about empowerment. A community organizer is about the community. Sarah Palin does not know what she is getting into when she starts attacking organizers. UPDATE: Organizers are already fighting back:
What you didn't hear
There are a lot of things you did not hear last night from Sarah Palin. You did not really hear anything about what she and John McCain will do. You did not hear about policy proposals. You did not hear about the poor. Or the middle class. You did not hear the truth. You did not hear about healthcare. You did not hear about what will be done in Iraq. Or any foreign policy, for that matter. We still know little about what Palin stands for. We just know that she stands against Barack Obama, and is willing to stoop to low levels to attack him, including blatantly lying. Baby Lowitzki!!!
So... we (meaning my wife and I) have some big news. We are PREGNANT!!!! I am going to be a daddy! The baby's estimated time of arrival is in early March. And I have not freaked out about it yet, but I still have time. And, of course, being the obsessive blogger that I am, we will be having a baby blog out shortly. Policy? What Policy?
By the way... was there any policy in Palin's speech? Because I sure didn't hear any. Attack the Media
Not sure if any of my readers actually watched the RNC tonight, but I had the pleasure of trying to watch some of it. I found it very odd that almost every speech used the limited time to attack the media. How will that win people over? Sarah Palin thread
Some random and incomplete musings from Sarah Palin's speech, below the fold: I design websites
As some of you know, I occasionally design websites. You can take a look at my most recent one here: MrsMacNally.com. If you know of anyone that wants to pay me to design their website, let me know! Palin's Granddaughter
The McCain/Palin camp has released information saying that Palin's oldest daughter is 5 months pregnant. Let me be very, very, clear about this. It does not matter, and it is not relevant to the campaign. Let me say that again. It does not matter. It is not relevant. Palin's daughter has nothing to do with this campaign, regardless of the candidate you are supporting. Barack Obama responded to the situation today with great class:
Palin's daughter/granddaughter are off limits on this blog. Happy Labor Day!
Check out the Labor Day message from Barack Obama. More Palin Info
Hilarious Animated GIF
This is hilarious:  I guess they liked the Sarah Palin announcement... Dobson is In!
James Dobson has decided that he all of a sudden CAN endorse John McCain, simply because he chose a VERY conservative Vice President running mate. Remember when he said this?
Nothing like consistency, eh? So even though McCain will be the "worst choice" in Dobson's lifetime, a conservative Vice President candidate makes it all better? Not Voting as Violence
Posted by Dave
on 08/30/08 at 08:00:03 amCategories: Religion and Politics, Patriotism and the Nation State Please read this post: Not Voting as Violence:
I have long said that I believe that the idea of not voting is, in itself, an act of immense privilege. Of course, I also do not believe that anything that comes from, or out of, privilege is by definition a bad thing, but I do think it means that we need to closely examine the affect such actions have. Voting is one of these actions. Those of us are are white and middle/upper class find it easy to eschew voting for theological reasons. We have always had the privilege to vote, and for the most part have had the privilege to be impacted by our lack of voting in very limited ways. Others with less privilege do not have the same context. And if we are unable to engage with that context, and if we are unable to take actions that help change not only our contexts, but others' contexts as well, we are failing. McCain and Palin
Huh? So John McCain has only met Sarah Palin once or twice? Very strange... By the way...
Have I mentioned that Barack Obama gave a helluva' speech last night? And I have not mentioned this yet, but I cannot wait for the Biden/Palin debate. That will be fun. But seriously... go watch Obama's speech. And as for the right-wing criticisms of Obama's speech (lacking details), what did they expect? No gives explicit policy details in that kind of speech. If you want the policy details, go to his website. They are all right here. Palin and Motherhood
Let me say this early, and stress this. The fact that Sarah Palin is a mother of five, one of whom is only four months old, should not have an impact on the political discussion and campaign (though the attacks have already started). Not one person would be questioning whether a man should be on the campaign trail just four months after having a child, and in the same way we absolutely should not question Sarah Palin for doing the same. Attack Palin for her policies. It is really easy to do. But leave out the motherhood attacks. More on Sarah Palin
I must say that it is quite cool that this year's Presidential election continues to make great historical steps. She will become the second female to ever be on a major-party ticket. No matter what happens, there will either be the first African-American President of the first female Vice President. The historical nature of that is pretty cool. And I must say I worry somewhat on what will mean for the fence sitters, especially those who supported Hillary Clinton, which is why this is such a smart pick. This election just got a lot more interesting. McCain's VP: Palin?
Several networks are reporting that Sarah Palin has been chosen by John McCain to be his running mate. As I wrote in the comments on the previous thread, she is a smart pick for McCain - she is young, female, and very conservative. If there is any doubt about how conservative a McCain administration would be, this should end those doubts. But Palin has her risks attached to her also. She clearly lacks experience - even more so than Barack Obama does. And she is very much an unknown from a far-away state. Over at TalkLeft, BTD sums up the risk factor well:
As BTD says... it is gamble. But John McCain has no choice but to gamble if he wants a chance at winning this thing. History!
Making history is always better when you do it in brilliant ways: Yes. We. Can.
This is good. Really good. Some thoughts and quotes... as I hear them:
He is strongly taking on John McCain. This is not just a message about hope and change. This is a message about how WHY Barack Obama gives us more hope and better change than John McCain ever will.
He is now talking real policy, and making it accessible. This isn't the typical motivational speech that Obama gives so well. This is a powerful and dynamic Presidential speech about policy issues. This is about what truly makes him a better candidate than John McCain. This is about why he brings hope and change.
Damn... I have tears... this is awesome. This is historical. This is powerful. Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.
Wow. That was not good. That was great. Again, it was not a typical Barack Obama speech. This was by far the most "presidential" that I have seen Barack Obama look, whatever that means. I loved it. He has given many great speeches. But this was different. This was special. Yes. We. Can. The Ordinary Radicals
Check out the trailer for The Ordinary Radicals: Presidential Platitudes
For what it is worth, I find it quite interesting that Barach Obama has been attacked for lacking substance, with the implication that John McCain HAS substance. I do believe that John McCain used to be much more substantive politician and candidate. But as I mentioned in the post below, John McCain is not that politician or candidate any more. John McCain's campaign has completely lacked any substance or policy up to this point. As TPM points out, it has been full of platitudes that mean very little. Especially when he cannot, or at least will not, even define what these platitudes mean. While Barack Obama gives a great speech, he also knows his policy and talks about his policy. He is a brilliant politician, but also a brilliant policy wonk who can talk the details of his policy with the best policy thinkers around. And he does do that. And he even talks policy in his "empty" speeches. John McCain does not talk policy. John McCain talks "talking points." He talks about "honor." He talks about being a POW. He talks about how Obama is a "celebrity" while McCain goes on Letterman. John McCain's campaign has become about Barack Obama. It has become about a POW experience that happened 40 years ago. It is not about who John McCain is now. Nor is it about what John McCain will do if he were to become President. Can you name anything that John McCain will do in his first year if he were to win? McCain and the Press
I must say that this Time interview of John McCain is quite strange. Remember when John McCain used to cherish his interactions with the press? Remember the "Straight Talk Express?" John McCain is a very different candidate, and a very different politician, than he was just a couple of years ago. And not in good ways. Barack Obama - Democratic Presidential Nominee
It is official. Barack Obama is the Democratic Party Presidential nominee. History was made tonight. The first person of color to be a major political party nominee for President. And unsurprisingly, Bill Clinton gave a great speech. But John Kerry may have given a better one. Vice President Nominee Joe Biden is speaking right now. He wasn't my first (or second or third) pick, but he will be a good candidate and a good compliment to Barack Obama. Yes. We. Can. Hillary!!!
Hillary is speaking at the Convention right now. She just got an amazing standing ovation when she was introduced. It was inspiring. And once again, she is delivering a great speech. UPDATE: Hillary sure can give a great speech. That was excellent. And inspiring. It was very strong. She highlighted her supporters, she highlighted Barack Obama, and she highlighted the wrongness of John McCain. It was brilliant. It was powerful. It was exciting. Yes. We. Can. Ted Kennedy and the DNC
Ted Kennedy is speaking right now at the DNC. That is very awesome. Ted Kennedy is very awesome. UPDATE: Michelle Obama? Also very, very, awesome. The first night at the DNC when from being VERY boring to being very awesome. Gene Upshaw and the NFLPA
Gene Upshaw, the President of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) died last week, bringing to end a 25+ year era. Dave Zirin (the best sports writer around) has an article taking a look at what Upshaw accomplished. Upshaw had his critics, most notably from a Mike Ditka led group of former players who did not feel that the Union had done enough to take care of the former players. Zirin finds that complaint without merit when one actually steps back and looks at the situation. Upshaw oversaw a 25+ year period where the average salaries went from $125,000 to over $2 Million. He led the fight for free agency and an increased salary cap. He enabled these players to be set for life. There is a lot of criticism of athletes and their high salaries, but let me point this out. The average player in NFL will have a career that lasts just three years. Let me say that again. Just three years. Further, these players have their bodies abused - constantly getting crushed by other bodies. They are pushed to play through injuries by their teams, teams that ignore the long-term ramifications of what it means to their bodies or even lives. Now... don't get me wrong. These players are not poor. But there are many, many players who will make $400-500,000 over a three year career, have their body abused, and then have to retire. Their career will be over. Are there some players who are overpaid? Absolutely. But the abuse that these players take, combined with their incredibly short careers, make a strong union not just possible, but necessary. Gene Upshaw helped make that happen. He was not perfect, but he played a significant role in building union strength against incredibly wealthy team owners who are making millions on the backs of these players. Gene Upshaw will be missed. Biden and Labor
Its Biden?
Wal-Mart: 8 Unionized Employees
This story is a few days old, but I figured it was worth a mention. Eight employees at a Wal-Mart in Quebec now have a union contract, becoming the only eight Wal-Mart employees in North America to do so. This is great news, and, unsurprisingly, Wal-Mart is not happy:
"Incompatible?" Really? Paying decent wages and giving decent benefits are "incompatible" with the way you do business? Thanks for reminding me why I have not shopped at Wal-Mart in years. Vice President ____ ?
So... we will probably find out who Barack Obama has chosen to be his vice president today. Who it will be? I have a hunch it is going to be Hillary Clinton. Iraq Timetable
The United States and Iraq have agreed to a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Does this mean that the Bush Adminstration and Iraq have, together, essentially endorsed Barack Obama's Iraq plans? John McCain is wandering out alone on his refusal to discuss a timetable for withdrawal. And with the Bush Adminstration and Iraq coming to an agreement today, McCain is looking more and more extreme. McCain's Houses and being a POW
Remember when I (and many others) mocked John McCain's "prisoner of war" strategy? It is back... and this time is is related to how many houses he has:
Are you kidding me? This is going to get old really quickly. McCain's Houses
John McCain does not know how many houses he owns. Seriously:
Do you know how many houses you own? I know I know how many houses I own. What is funnier is that he then went on to talk about being "rich," and how some billionaires are poor. It is amazing to me that people can talk about how Barack Obama is an elitist and out of touch with "regular" Americans, while John McCain gets a completely free pass. I am sure the Obama campaign is preparing the ad already:
Now... to be fair, I do not think that it really matters how many houses he owns. Politicians, and especially Presidential candidates, are rich. All of them. John McCain is rich. Barack Obama is rich. Cynthia McKinney is rich. Bob Barr is rich. They are all rich. I just find it incredibly humorous that Sen. McCain doesn't even know how many houses he owns. And I find it incredibly humorous that he admitted that. The 9/11 Speech
So... the Republican National Convention is shaping up for one huge cliche. We already know that John McCain is going to give a speech and let us all know that he is a prisoner of war. In case you did not know already. But it gets better. Rudy Giuliani is going to be giving the keynote speech at the Republican National Convention. Yup. You read that correctly. The same guy who ran one of the worse Presidential primary campaigns in history. So should we start placing bets on the number of times Giuliani will mention 9/11? I say the over/under is about 20. Just a word of advice - I wouldn't recommend drinking every time you hear "prison of war" or "9/11" at the Republican National Convention. We don't want to have to take anyone to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. The Collision of Catholicism and Capitalism
The Catholic church has long been supportive of a worker's right to organize. Bishops, Priests, Nuns, and other Clergy have long been at the front lines along side workers and union organizers, standing up against unfair labor practices, against intimidation of employees, and for the recognition of a union in the workplace. But what happens when the Catholic Church also owns hospital chains that have workers who want to organize? We are seeing what happens in California, as St. Joseph’s Health System (SJHS) continues to fight the organizing efforts of its workers. What makes this even more disturbing is that Mothers of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, which SJHS falls under, is the same order that strongly supported Caesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. They did not just support UFW in word, but they also supported them in action, even having several nuns be arrested in support of Chavez along housing union activists in the 70's. Now the NLRB has ruled that at there have been at least 35 different labor law violations by SJHS. SJHS claims that they have no problem with workers organize, while at the same time running an anti-union campaign:
SJHS claims they just want a private ballot election, and they support a worker's right to organize. Yet they continue to run an anti-union campaign. They continue to refuse neutrality (meaning that they would not run a negative campaign). I guess we see where Catholic social teaching and capitalism collide. Read more at the NY Times or St. Joe's Healthcare Workers United. I am a Prisoner of War!!!
Did you know that John McCain is a prisoner of war? If you didn't, I am not sure where you have been for the last two years. After the Saddleback Forum on Saturday, there has been some controversy about whether or not McCain listened to the questions that were asked to Obama so that he could be more prepared for them. I have little interest in that story. None of the questions were surprises. There were some good questions, but they were all questions that either candidate should have been more than ready to answer. But the McCain response to the story is what I am interested in:
Huh? So a prisoner of war cannot cheat? Hopefully we all know that McCain has proven that wrong in the past. But the bigger issue is that John McCain uses his "prisoner of war" line as an answer to any question that may challenge his credibility in any way. Yet he pretends that he is not willing to talk about it. When asked about his relationship with Jesus? He talks about being a prisoner of war. When asked about cheating? He talks about being a prisoner of war. When asked about foreign policy? He talks about being a prisoner of war. When asked about his qualifications to be a President? He talks about being a prisoner of war. Don't get me wrong - being a prisoner of war must be an awful, awful experience. I am not discounting that in any way. But being a prisoner of war does not make you perfect. And it does not make you qualified to be a President. And it does not answer any question that is asked of you. Ezra says is best here:
UPDATE: It gets better. John McCain's favorite song? Dancing Queen, by ABBA. Why? Because he was a prisoner of war:
Except Dancing Queen came out in 1976, several years after he first became a prisoner of war and a few years after he was released from Vietnam. McCain and the Supreme Court
One of the questions in the Saddleback forum last night was which current Supreme Court Justice would not have nominated. McCain, predictably, in an effort to prove how conservativ he really is, listed these four:
But here is the funny part. McCain voted to confirm three of them: Ginsburg, Breyer, and Souter. And the only reason Stevens did not receive his vote was because Stevens was a Justice before McCain became a Senator. John McCain and being rich
In the Saddleback Civil Forum tonight, John McCain defined being "rich" as making five million dollars. Yup... you heard that. FIVE MILLION DOLLARS!! Huh? I guess we should expect that from a guy who owns eight different houses and wears $500 shoes. But seriously... you are not rich until you make five million bucks? Seriously? Some more random musings... I only watched some of the forum. But for what it is worth, I think that McCain had a better night overall. But if there is ANY doubt about how conservative John McCain is, tonight's forum should have ended any of that doubt. And why does John McCain have to bring up the fact that he is a POW every opportunity he gets? He even talks about it when he was asked about what Jesus means to his life. McCain was definitely on message tonight. He was full of talking points, and new exactly how to excite the Evangelical voters. Obama didn't. Obama wanted to engage with the questions. Obama wanted to have a discussion rather than try to insert talking points into each answer. I give him credit for that. But McCain's talking points were effective. Too Many Blogs
I recently edited my blog subscriptions on Bloglines. I use Bloglines to read all of the blogs that I am interested in. I just went through and edited out many of the blogs that I don't really care about, that are dead feeds, that I don't have time for, etc. That part is a good thing. But here is the bad thing. Even after editing out a couple hundred blogs, I still have 217 blog feeds in my reader. I think I absorb too much information. Lomong and the Flag
Speaking of the political nature of the Olympics that people want to pretend doesn't exist, I must say that the decision to have Lopez Lomong be the United States flag-bearer at last night's Opening Ceremonies was quite cool. Lomong is/was one of the Sudanese "lost boys." The "lost boys" were thousands of young Sudanese boys who became refugees in the 80's and 90's. Lomong has also become a support and active participant in Team Darfur. The connection between Darfur and China is incredibly relevant, and you read information on the issue at the Save Darfur coalition. The issue has become even more poignant with the fact that China pulled the visa, at the last minute, from Team Darfur founder Joey Cheeks. Cheeks has been a vocal activist about the issues in Darfur, and is now seeing the ramifications of this activism from the Chinese government. Like it or not, the Olympics are political. And we need to know why. Hopefully having Lopez Lomong carry the flag will be just one step towards many learning more. China, the US, and the Olympics
Posted by Dave
on 08/09/08 at 01:56:07 pmCategories: Political Ravings, Sports Ravings, Patriotism and the Nation State I like the Olympics. Yea... I know... it celebrates nationalistic pride and patriotism that I am not interested in. And yea... I know... it has become so corporate and money driven that it is no where close to "pure" as a sporting event. But I still like them. Of course, it helps that I love sports. Any sports, really. I watched handball and badminton this morning, and thoroughly enjoyed it. But there is more to the Olympic Games than athletic events, pageantry, fancy medallions, and steroid allegations. The political nature of the Olympics is both sad and fascinating. I long for the Olympics to be much more political. I long for the Olympics to not just be a moment where people come together, but instead a moment where people (and countries) actually examine what they are doing and what their relationships and interactions look like with other people (and other countries). And there is no better example of how and why the games should be more political than this year, as the Games play out in China. China is a fascinating place. It is a nation that is rapidly changing, in both good and bad ways. The free markets have opened up in many ways, ushering in a new and huge middle/upper middle class in the country, with new purchasing and economic power and new cultural opportunities. Yet China is also a bad country. Its environmental record is awful. Its human rights record may be even worse. Its abuse of the lower and working classes in the country is appalling. Its support of Sudan in recent years has been atrocious. Yet there is a problem with some of this. While many in the United States have complained and protested China and the Games, this country, while not nearly as bad as China, is in no place to criticize others for these issues. Chris Bowers has a few basic comparisons:
So what does this mean? Does it mean that we should be silent about China? Absolutely not. What it means is that we - you and I and the rest of the people in this country - need to be willing to not just speak out about China, but also to speak out about this country. We need to be willing to stand up and force others to hear. We need to be willing to look at ourselves in the mirror, to look at the country that we live in, and challenge the many assumptions that so many of us have. The Olympics are an exciting example of athletic excellence. The Olympics are also an exciting opportunity for countries around the world to come together. But the Olympics are also an opportunity to force some discussions about what is really occurring in this world and in this country. Do not let that opportunity pass you by. Obama and the Anti-Christ
By the way... in case you were wondering, I don't think that Barack Obama is the anti-Christ. And I think that whoever is running the McCain campaign is pretty silly. Rick Warren and SDS
Heh. Rick Warren, purpose-driven megachurch pastor, was a leader of Students for Democratic Society:
Nice. I would have never guessed that. And you should read that whole article... it is quite interesting. McCain Mocks Obams for Being Right
McCain mocks Obama for being right on tire pressure. As TPM points out:
Ahh... remember when John McCain used to at least pretend he wanted to run honest campaigns? Tire Gauges
Obama responds, and responds quite well, to the tire gauge "controversy":
Chipotle and the Immokalee Workers
This makes me sad. I like Chipotle. A lot. They have an excellent vegetarian fajita burrito, and they use fresh ingredients and get their meat from ethically treated animals. Yet it seems that their "food with integrity" motto is more public relations spin than actual reality:
Why is it that Chipotle places an emphasis on "integrity" with the food that they purchase but not with the workers that pick the food? I have a guess... "ethical" food is trendy. Treating workers ethically and with integrity? Not so trendy. And in turn, it does not help the bottom line. Take a look at the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website to see what you can do to let Chipotle that do not just care about where the food came from, but that you also care about the workers responsible for getting the food. CA: Race and the Death Penalty
California is trying to determine how much race plays a role in death penalty cases: The death penalty in black and white. TalkLeft has a good analysis. Illinois: Cuts to Fighting Wrongful Convictions
Governor's vetoes cut funds to fight wrongful convictions:
Lovely. Thanks Rod. Hauerwas on Obama
Some good thoughts from Stanley Hauerwas on voting, withdrawing (from the Empire), and Obama: "I'll Probably Vote for Obama" McCain's Contradictions
From Open Left: What Is Your Favorite Contradictory McCain Attack?:
So what is your favorite contradiction? 200,000
Wow... they are estimating that 200,000 people showed up to hear Obama's speech in Berlin. You can see pictures here. And it was well worth it. It is also an interesting juxtaposition with what occurs when our current President travels to Europe. One person gets boos and protests. One person gets 200,000 people cheering and celebrating. Death Penalty: The Odd Couple
Activists: Halt death penalty in California [hat tip Talk Left]:
Fascinating. The well-known progressive Mike Farrell, who has long advocated for the end of the death penalty, and "the hanging judge of Orange Country" are working together to end the horrid punishment of death in the State of California. The more allies we have, the better. Minimum Wage Hike
Today is a good day for many working people around the country as the minimum wage hike kicks in:
Both Working Life and OurFuture have more. From Working Life:
And OurFuture points out that, contrary to many conservative theories, there are numerous studies that show that minimum wage increases are not harmful to the economy:
You can view many of those studies at the Economic Policy Institute, as well as the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. But while this is good news, it is far from enough. In a time where the rich are continually getting a larger and larger share of the pie, $6.55 per hour is hardly enough to live on, and even further from enough to have any semblance of an equitable society. Think about it... as food prices continue to soar, gas prices are outrageous, housing is becoming simply unaffordable, even at higher levels of income, the vast majority of the people in this country are struggling every day to get by. They are worrying where their food is going to come from tomorrow. They are being forced to make impossible decisions such as whether to buy their necessary medication or to buy food. They are struggling to even afford the gas that is requisite for them to even get to the job that they make just enough money to pay for more gas. Child care has become unaffordable for the average working American. Energy prices are soaring, making it nearly impossible to keep your house warm, keep your oven on, or even keep lights on. Without health insurance they put off necessary medical procedures, and without being able to afford any medicine, the problems are just exacerbated. And then they become too sick to work, but they cannot afford ways to get healthy and their financial situation continues to spiral down. We have a problem in this country. We have millions and millions of workers who have struggle with these nearly impossible situations every single day while the top 1% revel in the comfort of their wealth. A minimum wage increase is nice. And it is needed. And it will help many people. But we need more. And we need it soon. McCain: Obama and Castro
Seriously? John McCain is trying to link Barack Obama to Fidel Castro. You have to be kidding me. Remember when John McCain just to supposedly be opposed to dirty campaigning and personal attack politics? Stay classy, John McCain. Oh... and on a light note... for only $70 you now have the ability to walk all over McCain if you would like. Abortion Reduction in Dem Platform?
Pro-Life Democrats Call for an Abortion Reduction Plank (hat tip Jen R). Tony Campolo is leading a push for the inclusion of an abortion reduction plank in this year's Democratic Parth platform. The platform plan connects directly to the 95/10 plan (which I have previously written about here), which claims to that the U.S. can reduce abortions by 95% in ten years by rolling out initiatives like stronger anti-poverty measures, available birth control, paid maternity leave, etc. I am curious for your thoughts. Should the Democratic Party be interested in reducing the number of abortions that occur? Why or why not? And should the Republican Party be interested and willing to take measures to reduce abortions that go beyond criminalization? Dobson and Consistency
Hmm... so James Dobson, at one point, said this:
Now.. SHOCKINGLY!!! ... he seems to be changing his mind:
You know... the Religious Right is so predictable it is not even fun to watch them try to backtrack. blackberries and urinals
I saw a man checking his Blackberry tonight while standing at a urinal. That, my friends, is called an addiction. I am getting a PDA from work... if I ever check it while standing at a urinal, please take it away from me and tell me that I have a problem. Rape is Funny?
Can someone explain why John McCain thinks rape is funny [hat tip Feministe]:
Of course, as the linked post points out, this is the same guy who joked about a 17 year-old Chelsea Clinton being ugly. He is also the same guy who calls his wife a trollop and a cunt. And this guy is really the Republican nominee for President? I am not sure that John McCain would pass his own vice-president vetting process. Stay classy, John McCain. Five years ago
Five years ago I started blogging. I started out with this post talking about getting in trouble at Biola for having the nerve to say that the Bible may contain mythology. Heh. That was a crazy time. And I was a pretty crappy writer back then. The past five years have been interesting, both on my blog and in my life. My blog and life have seen numerous transitions. And I am now at a point where I still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, both on my blog and in my life. As many of you may have noticed, my writing has significantly dropped off. I am tired. Maybe a little burnt out. I am definitely questioning why I blog? Why I write? What's the point? Over the last five years I have written long posts and short posts, linked to stories and attacked stories. I have written about life, I have written about job searches, I have written about movies, I have written about books, I have written about politics and crime, I have written about justice and the death penalty, and then wrote about it some more, I have written about American Idol and labor, I have written about church and Barack Obama, I have written about community and sexuality, I have written about immigration and war, I have written about religion and Wal-Mart, and I have written about whatever I felt like writing about on any given day. And now I wonder why. I wonder if the hours I have spent were worth it (and I think the answer to that is yes). And I wonder if it is worth spending more hours moving forward (and I don't know the answer to that one). So we will see where I end up and this blog ends up over the next five years. Because I sure as hell don't know. McCain?
Can someone please explain to me how this country can have a Presidential candidate that... ... foesn't know how to get on-line; and ... thinks Social Security is a disgrace; and ... jokes about killing Iranians? I don't get how this guy has any credibility. WTF? Church Gun Giveaway
This is insane. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway:
WTF? Seriously... WTF? At least it got canceled. Meat and Efficiency
Bush Escalating in Iran
Read this post from Kyle: Bush escalates covert ops in Iran As Kyle says, "this may be the most important news you'll hear this year." But I will go a step further... it isn't just really important, it is really damn scary. Fireworks
Just a quick comment. While fireworks kinda' look cool, they are a complete waste of money, especially when you consider that most municipalities in this country are struggling financially in the awful economic climate we are living in. Why should we be okay with cities spending thousands and thousands of dollars on some colorful explosions while they are laying off workers and cutting hours for their employees? Why should we be okay with cities spending thousands and thousands of dollars on some colorful explosions while they are cutting services to their residences? Or while they are unable to make payroll? Or while they are going into debt for these colorful explosions? What a waste... P.S. Yes... I did watch fireworks last night. Happy Empire Day!
Happy Empire Day! I am going to celebrate it the same way I have been celebrating the rest of this week. Hanging out on the beach in Florida (hence the lack of posts). Enjoy the day... and don't get to patriotic on me! :) Its the Economy, Stupid
Workers, Labor, and Unions, Oh My!
Dobson vs. Obama - Round 1
Posted by Dave
on 06/26/08 at 12:45:36 pmCategories: Religious Right, Religion and Politics, Barack Obama I am sure that many of you have heard about Dr. James Dobson attacking Barack Obama's religious views, along with Dobson's attacks of Obama's constitutional views. Any reader of this blog will not be surprised at what I think of the situation, and what I think of Dr. Dobson, so I not really going to get into it. It is simple. Dobson is wrong. And Dobson has also completely distorted what Obama has said, which is not a big surprise. What IS ironic is that a man with a doctorate in child psychology is attempting to lecture a man with law degree, and a background in constitutional law, about how to interpret the constitution. I would love to see a debate between Dobson and Obama on constitutional law - now that would be fun. I also think it is ironic that Dobson is questioning Obama's "Biblical authority" as if Dobson is supposed to a greater Biblical authority. And as soon as Dr. Dobson actually takes a political stand on issues that extend beyond abortion and gays, then he may have some credibility to talk about theology. You know, issues that were just a bit important to the prophets, Jesus, and other figures throughout the Bible, like war/violence, poverty, sickness, loving our enemies, etc. And I am pretty sure that any good, or even decent, theology would also care about things like genocide, AIDS, and even the environment. So until Dobson wants to step away from the conservative political party line and actually have a conversation about theology and Biblical values, he will continue to lack credibility. Oh well. Lets just hope that Dobson sticks to his promise of not voting for John McCain. And brings a lot of his politically conservative and theologically confused followers with him. For more, take a look here:
Barack Obama Disappoints Me
Barack Obama has disappointed me greatly. Not because of the realization that he is a politician. We have all (hopefully) known that for a long time. He is as much of a politician as anyone else in the national political realm. He just happens to be a better one than most. But what disappoints me this week, and I believe that it is in part related to his being a politician, is his recent statement on the Supreme Court's decision on the death penalty for child rapists. The Supreme Court, earlier this week, ruled that the death penalty can and should only be used in the case of a death. A death sentence can only be the result of a crime where a death occurs. This was in response to a case that was related to a death sentence for a child rape. Child rape is an awful, awful thing, and it is a crime that I hope to never have to come close to. There is absolutely not question about that, and I think that everyone reading this would agree. But the Supreme Court has correctly ruled that it is not a crime that demands to be re-paid with death. For those of you who know my stance against the death penalty, you will not be surprised that this is a ruling that I agree with. Of course, I long for the day where the Supreme Court will rule that the death penalty IS crule and unusual, and it is not a sentence that should be administered for any crime. But Barack Obama disagrees. A long time ago Barack Obama was opposed to the death penalty. As Obama has drifted to the center (for the aforementioned reason of being a typical politician trying to win an election), he has built a stance that is supportive of the death penalty for the "most egregious of crimes." And there is no question that child rape is one of the "most egregious of crimes." But he is wrong to assert that such crimes deserve death.
To use death as retribution for "egregious" crimes may be as "egregious" as the original crime itself. Tax Policy
If you want to clearly understand the differences in tax policy between Barack Obama and John McCain, just read this. One wants to increase taxes on the rich, and cut taxes for everyone else. If you make under $111,646 you will pay less taxes under Obama than McCain And everyone making under $603,403, which is 99% of income earners, will see a tax cut from Obama. The other 1% will see raises under Obama. Under McCain the really rich folks will see the largest tax cuts of any group. So as Mike Lux says, this is:
Lottsa' Quick Links
Posted by Dave
on 06/13/08 at 02:59:13 pmCategories: Capital Punishment, Religion and Politics, Crime and Justice, LGBTQ, Quick Links, Immigration, Labor, Barack Obama, Campaign 2008 Here is what I am reading... what are you reading?
Tim Russert
A Union Renaissance?
Federal Lobbyists and the DNC
Howard Dean sent me any e-mail today:
This is obviously a mandate from the Obama campaign, and one that sounds really promising. But, of course, it is more rhetoric than real change. State registered lobbyists are still allowed to give money. People connected to lobbyists are allowed to give money. People who work for lobbyists and major corporations can still give money. So this is true change? Or is this just rhetoric? Of course... John McCain has loaded his campaign with similar rhetoric while most have his staff are former lobbyists. Rhetoric is what drives political campaigns. And John McCain has become the master of it, somehow painting himself as a moderate, a maverick, and a straight shooter while really being very conservative, traditional politician who will say anything necessary to gain favor with different groups (See Falwell, Jerry). So... Barack Obama has pushed the DNC to reject federal lobbyist money. He has also pushed his donors to not give to 527's, which is both a way to look good publicly while consolodating power. Barack Obama is a politican. A damn good politician, but still a politician. And he will need to continue to be good in order to beat John McCain. Clinton to Endorse Obama
Clinton has sent out an e-mail, saying that she will endorse Barack Obama on Saturday:
It is about time. McCain's struggles
Heh. John McCain only received 70% of the vote in South Dakota, even though everyone else has dropped out. He only received 70% in Idaho last week. He only received 72% in Kentucky the week before. Does anyone else find that really odd? the last paragraph
Barack Obama ended with this (via Blake's transcription):
Wow. Wow. Wow. SD/MT Primaries - Obama
CNN has called Montana for Obama. I may be live-blogging his speech. This is history. 9:02 PM: Wow. 20,000 people are there to hear Obama. That is awesome. 9:05 PM: Here is an idea. Clinton wants people to write in and tell her how much they love her. We should write in and tell her to stop. Tell her that it is over. 9:09 PM: Intro song: U2's Beautiful Day. It most definitely is a beautiful day. 9:13 PM: "We mark one historic journey with the beginning of another." 9:15 PM: "Because of you, I can stand here and say that I will be the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States of America." HELL YEA!!!!! 9:16 PM: "We should be proud that our Part put together one of the most talented fields ever to run for office." That is true, IMO. "And that is particularly true of the candidate who has traveled further than anyone else." "Sen. Clinton has made history in this campaign. She has made history not just because she is a woman ... but because she is a leader." Very nice. Very true. "Our party and our country are better off because of Hillary Clinton." Also true. 9:19 PM: He is really talking up Hillary, and showing her a lot well-deserved respect. 9:20 PM: "We don't just need to change the party in Washington, but we need to change Washington." Good line... but I am cynical that any actual change of Washington will occur. But it sure sounds inspiring. 9:23 PM: "I honor, we honor, the service of John McCain. And I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine." HAHA. Great line. 9:23 PM: "Its not change when you stand with George Bush 95% of the time." "There are many words to describe John McCain's attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush’s policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them." Heh. 9:26 PM: He is clearly running against McCain now. He gave his respects to Clinton, and is moving on to November. And man, Obama sounds good going after McCain's policies. 9:28 PM: He is talking policy now... and doing it well. He doesn't sound wonky, but he is stressing what he will emphasize - diplomacy, building the economy, helping working families. He isn't giving any details, but he does not need to. He is inspiring us to care about policy. How many people can inspire people to care about policy? 9:32 PM: Crowd: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! 9:37 PM: "America - this is our moment! This is our time!" Goose bumps. I am inspired. I am ecstatic. This is f'n history, my friends. 9:41 Damn, that was good. Damn, that was inspiring. I am seriously tearing up. This is amazing. This is powerful. YES. WE. CAN. YES. WE. DID. SD/MT Primaries - Hillary
Hillary is speaking now... We must remember that Hillary has also made history. And I respect her for that. A lot. Crap. She is now asking who will be the strongest candidate. Seriously?!?! Hillary - you lost. 8:39 PM: Umm... still waiting for her to admit that she lost. 8:41 PM: "I am committed to uniting the party." What does this mean? Still waiting for her to admit that she lost... 8:44 PM: "What does Hillary want. I want what I always fought for." Good line. 8:47 PM: This is a goodbye speech. She hasn't said it yet, but she is saying goodbye. She is looking backward, not forward. She is recapping her campaign, and is getting read to say goodbye. 8:49 PM "I will be making no decisions tonight." Boo. You have to be kidding me. You are talking about unifying the party? Winning in November? Admit you lost. 8:50 PM: "Thank you." She is thanking everyone. She is clearly stepping out of this race, but is not going to do this tonight. Which is too bad. But again, this is clearly goodbye. 8:53 PM: This was a good speech, as she often gives. She is a talented politician and a talented communicator. And she made history in 2008. And we will remember that. And she will step down. She clearly laid the groundwork for that this evening. And Obama will start running against McCain tonight. Yes We Can
Yes We Can. Yes We Did. Bring on John McCain. [youtube]jjXyqcx-mYY[/youtube]
Barack Obama, Democratic Presidential Nominee
Ladies and gentleman, take a look at the Democratic Presidential Nominee: 
Yes we can. Quick Links
Posted by Dave
on 06/03/08 at 04:12:18 pmCategories: Sports Ravings, Quick Links, Labor, Campaign 2008
Father Mike
Contrite Father Mike regrets Hillary 'dramatization,' pain he's inflicted on his church This is an excellent discussion with Fr. Michael Pfleger and the repercussions of his comments last weekend about Hillary Clinton. UPDATE: Oh yea... he also gave a strong apology:
Clinton to suspend campaign?
Reports Indicate Clinton To Suspend Campaign Either Tuesday Or Wednesday This would be wonderful, and allow the inevitable to happen sooner. Let's move on! UPDATE: Wow. This is from Bill Clinton's speech today:
It looks like it is over. So what: Clinton Wins Puerto Rico
So Hillary Clinton won Puerto Rico today, and she won big. And it does not matter. Obama is still leading in the pledged delegate count. He is still leading in the overall delegate count. And a fair look at the popular vote (i.e. either not counting Michigan, or giving Obama the uncommitted votes) means that Obama is still leading in the popular vote. So again - Obama is going to be the nominee. And hopefully that will become more official well before the August Convention. Florida and Michigan
Florida, Michigan get all delegates, but each gets half vote:
So what does this mean? It means that this campaign is essentially over. Obama still needs a little over 60 delegates to win the nomination, and he probably cannot get there with the last three primaries alone, so he will need (and get) the extra push from the superdelegates. It is over. Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee. And he can finally start running against John McCain. And in November Obama will be elected as the President of the United States. Should be fun! Obama quits Trinity
Obama quits church, citing controversies:
I am disappointed. But I get it. pastordan has some of the best and most insightful thoughts on the matter. Lesbian Problem?
Do the Seattle Mariners have a lesbian problem?
Ugh. Something tells me they probably have the kissing cam during the game also. Public displays of affection are wonderful, as long as it it "normal" and with a heterosexual couple, eh? To be fair... it does appear that the Mariners are looking into the incident and are responding well. Obama, Clinton, and McCain - UNITED
From Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain:
Very cool. In the midst of an intense Presidential campaign season, it is exciting to see the candidates agree on such an important issue. I have not written about the issues in Darfur for many months, and I have no one to blame by myself. But the issues are still there. And it is great to see Obama, Clinton, and McCain all take the issues very seriously. Can we vote the teacher out?
WTF?!?! Port St. Lucie teacher sidelined after letting kindergarten class kick kid out
Utah Phillips: 1935-2008
I was only introduced to Utah Phillips recently, when Kyle sent me a CD of "protest" songs with a duet from Phillips and Ani DiFranco. But I knew him long enough to know that he was more than a musician. He as an activist in every sense. He was a protester. He was an organizer. And he used music as the avenue to do those things. And he will be missed. Support the troops?
President Bush ‘Strongly Opposes’ 0.5 Percent Increase In Military Pay Because It ‘Is Unnecessary’ Look... I abhor military spending, especially at the levels that this country does such spending. But I have serious problems when this President spends billions of dollars on new weapons, planes, etc. but is unwilling to give the troops a little extra money. So much for the Republican mantra of supporting the troops, eh? Watch out for Vegans!!!
Yup... you read that correctly. The FBI is trying to find informants to gather evidence at "vegan potlucks." Wonder if they will invade our church? Though typically not all of the food is vegan, so we may be okay. Are Innovents Every Truly Free?
Exonerations Continue Across the Country -- But Are Innocent Prisoners Ever Truly Free? Also see a two-part series from CNN:
Memorial Day
Over 4,000 US soldiers have died in Iraq (more than 500 more than where we were last Memorial Day). Over 30,000 US soldiers have been wounded in Iraq (more than 5,000 more than where we were last Memorial Day). In memory of those who have died and those who have been wounded, lets bring the rest home. Is Barack Obama Muslim?
Hehe. Randomness
Posted by Dave
on 05/23/08 at 09:08:41 amCategories: Random Ravings, Sports Ravings, Theological Ravings, Capital Punishment, Non-violence, Chicago/Illinois, Labor, Barack Obama, Campaign 2008, McCain - More of the Same Hmm... looks like I have not blogged much lately, eh? Life happens, I guess. A few things I have been meaning to write about:
Anything else exciting going on? 75,000
I am a few days late on this, but this is utterly amazing. 75,000 people. Wow. [youtube]NtN3hsITCok[/youtube] California Court: Stops Gay Marriage Ban
California ban on same-sex marriage struck down:
Excellent news. Thanks, John Edwards
So John Edwards finally endorsed Barack Obama. That is a good thing. And only about 3 months too late. Oh well. Young, evangelical ... for Obama?
Are young evangelicals really leaving the Republican Party? Young, evangelical ... for Obama? There have been many articles pointing the "exodus" of young evangelicals from the GOP, but I do not see it. Take a look at these numbers from the above article:
So only 15% young white evangelicals say they no longer identify with the GOP? And only 5% have "joined the Democrats"? While the move away from the GOP by a few is better than no move at all, it does not seem that there is a mass exodus from the party either. Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mothers' Day! Go love your mom day. And if you are a mom, feel loved and celebrated. You deserve it. Happy Train Day!
Today is National Train Day, which is pretty cool, but makes little sense having a day to celebrate and encourage the use of public transportation on a Saturday. But still... it is pretty cool. And we should be using public transportation more. Because it is actually fun. And easy. And convenient. And cheaper. And faster. And more efficient. And more environmentally friendly. And on that note, it looks like public transit usage is up! This is explained due to the high price of gas. Which, of course, would lead some to believe (i.e. me) that we should raise gas prices more in order to fund a high quality public transit system. But that is just one reason why I won't be running for President any time soon. :) Republicans Vote Against Mothers
I am serious. They really did. Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens:
Yup... you read that correctly. 178 Republicans changed their votes so that they would vote against honoring mothers. Lovely. Hillary calls for another debate
Ugh. Seriously? Clinton calls for debate in Oregon:
Seriously? Sen. Clinton - you have lost. You are losing in every possible category. You are making things worse. If you have must stay in, so be it. But calling for another debate? You have to be kidding me. Obama Takes Superdelegate Lead
Barack Obama has now taken the lead among Superdelegates, meaning that he is currently leading in:
Yet Hillary Clinton still feels the need to continue on. Oh well. Barack Obama will be the Democratic Presidential nominee, we will just have to wait a little longer to make it official. MI: No same-sex benefits
Ugh. Mich. high court says gay partners can't get health benefits [hat tip Feministing]:
As Jessica, from Feministing, says, "Charming." A new faith in politics
State of the Election
Tuesday was a good day for the Obama campaign, regardless of the spin that you may have read or heard from the Clinton camp. Obama won big in North Carolina (by 14%) and narrowly missed a win in Indiana, falling just 1.1% short (50.56% to 49.44%). And to be perfectly honest, while we were disappointed that he was not able to win Indiana, he did more than enough to secure the nomination. Our time spent in Gary was well worth it - our get out the vote canvassing was extremely successful, bringing out huge record numbers of voters in the city and helping swing the results towards Obama. It was an exciting day, talking to people who were excited about voting, exited about politics, excited about change, and excited about making history. And we were all part of that. Yet Hillary Clinton is still around. Barely. She has loaned her campaign over 11 million dollars in order to stay afloat. She is losing the popular vote. She is losing the delegate count. She is losing the money race. She is losing in every possible measure. And the facts are simply. The math is against her, making it almost impossible for her to win barring some kind of catastrophe in the Obama camp. This campaign is over. What Barack Obama needs to begin to do is stop running against Hillary Clinton, and start running against John McCain. Clinton may still be around, but she is now essentially irrelevant. That means no more debates, no more criticizing Clinton, no more responding to her attacks. It is time to look to November. The One On The Right Is On The Left
Too busy today to write anything... so answer this questions: Why is Johnny Cash so good? [youtube]luQhAc6RNqI[/youtube] Indiana and Obama
Woo... I am in Indiana all day, Baracking the Vote. Once again, I strongly believe that Obama will win the nomination. It is just a matter of when. If Obama can win in both North Carolina and Indiana today, that just may force Clinton to finally drop out. So call your Indiana friens and tell them to go vote today for Barack Obama. Because this primary season needs to be over. Yes. We. Can. $3 Trillion Shopping Spree
How would you spend three trillion dollars: $3 Trillion Shopping Spree [hat tip Young Anabaptist Radicals] Why $3 Trillion? Because that is the estimated amount that this war in Iraq will cost. Some things I learned yesterday about one day in Iraq:
When will it end? Science, politics and preschool
Read this article from the Chicago Tribune on early childhood education: Science, politics and preschool. The article is a good primer on the issues around early childhood education, and includes a look at what possibilities look http://mindfulmission.com/admin.php?ctrl=edit&blog=24 b2evo :: New post in blog: like at the federal level. Equal Pay
I am also really behind on this one, but why do Republicans, including John McCain, hate the idea of equal pay for men AND women? Race and the Death Penalty
As executions resume, it is probably pretty important to remind people about the intense racial disparities in the practice of executions. The New York Times takes a look at this exact thing: New Look at Death Sentences and Race:
But yea... racism does not exist, right? The death penalty must end. And the racial discrimination involved is just one of many, many reasons for this. Executions Scheduled
I am a bit behind on this, but states are beginning to set new execution dates after the recent Supreme Court decision. After Hiatus, States Set Wave of Executions:
The courts decided that the current methods used for killing people does not violate the 8th Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Because somehow killing people is not cruel and unusual. Or something like that. In a nutshell, what this really means is that more people are going to die. Mission Accomplished
So what did the the almost 4,000 U.S. soldiers die for if the mission was already accomplished? What about the 29,000 wounded since then? What about the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Iraqis who have died or been wounded? Mission accomplished, eh? Indian Taxi Fund
Think about what you would get when you combine Kiva and Relational Tithe, and what you get is the Indian Taxi Fund. Here are the rough basics. Josh knows a guy named Amit in India who needs a loan to buy a Taxi, so that he does not get constantly ripped of by being forced to rent one. So we all have the opportunity to join together and loan Amit the money. I did something like this once before, with the Funds for Kasey campaign that I did, raising hundreds of dollars for the Clarks so that they could afford to adopt Kasey from Sierra Leone. And it was successful, and it can be successful again. If you are interested, please go here and read more. And give what you can. UPDATE: Josh and friends have raised $1,000, along with $2,000 coming in from Red Cowboy Designs. We are on the way, and we need your help. May Day!
Today is May Day, or the International Workers' Rights Day. And while many will be out marching today, I will be sitting in an office fighting for workers' rights. Or at least their health insurance. Fun times... Feministing has a good collection of links to read:
Providence, RI
I am going to be in Providence, Rhode Island this weekend for the Jobs With Justice National Conference. Anyone want to hang out with me? Saying Goodbye
Our brother Ted died last week of cancer, a struggle that began eight years ago that culminated with the last few months of intense discomfort before ending when the fight could no longer continue. Ted loved art. He loved to bike. He loved classic rock. He loved the Chicago Bears. And he loved kids. And what he loved the most was combining some of those things, which played out most of all in teaching kids at the church - both in Sunday school, about the Bible, and teaching young girls and boys how to not only create art, but to truly enjoy art. I unfortunately did not know Ted well, but did get an opportunity to get to know him. I had the opportunity to be in his apartment with our cell group week after week, because he was no longer able to leave the house without great effort. I had the opportunity to talk to him about music, or his art. I had the opportunity to hear his gentle voice, often containing a subtle joy. I also had the opportunity to receive a gift from Ted - a card with a sketch that he drew of me. That is the image on this post, and I will always remember the joy that Ted had when he created. Last night we said good bye. And our church knows how to say goodbye. We laughed, we cried, we hugged, we prayed, we sang, we danced, we ate, we talked, and we listened. We listened to Ted, in a video that he recently made, talk to the children that he loved so much. We played music that Ted would have loved. We listened to people's memories of Ted. We hugged each other, cried together. And like our church always does, we ate and talked together. There is something powerful about truly mourning and truly celebrating at the same time. We were able to celebrate the life of Ted while mourning the loss of a friend. And we were able to do it together. Good bye Ted. You will be missed. But we enjoyed you when you were here. Condi Rice: No guns
Condoleeza Rice, what any democratic state would insist upon:
This would put her to the left of most, if not all, prominent Democrats. Armenian Genocide - 93 years ago
Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Genocide is unfortunately little known by most people in the U.S., even though more than one million Armenians died under Ottoman rule. Blake on Homosexuality
I somehow missed this post from Blake that was written a couple of weeks ago, but it is still worth reading: Of course, he then followed it up yesterday with this cartoon, which was good for a laugh. Abstinence Only doesn't work
I know... this is not exactly shocking. Experts say sex abstinence program doesn't work:
Obama, Osama: Are they brothers?
What the hell is with racist churches?
What is even more sad is that the church actually voted to keep the sign up. And of course, the pastor did not mean for the sign to be "racial or political." Right. They have since removed the sign. But even with the removal, this church should be utterly embarrassed and ashamed. I am embarrassed and ashamed for them. It really has been sad to watch the both explicit and implicit racism and sexism in this Presidential campaign. I do not even know how many people find my blog for searching for things like "Obama muslim" and other related things. There are the infamous e-mails that have spread absurd rumors about Obama's faith. There is the contingent in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania who say that race matters, which is why they are voting for Clinton. There are the people that my co-workers have visited who have made racial and racist comments, both explicitly and implicitly. And of course there is the sexism that Clinton has experienced. The attacks on her tears. The attacks on her being "icy." The attacks on her hair. Or her outfits. Bigotry and prejudice is alive and well. But it, in my mind, is even worse when if comes from a church. Hatred, racism, and ignorance is surely not good theology. Prison-industrial complex
Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations’:
The entire article is an excellent read about the the United States' prison problem. 4/21
Happy Earth Day. Happy Primary Day. Speaking of which, why have the candidates been relatively silent on environmental issues? Why have we had a couple dozen debates with few questions about global warming, energy policy, or other related issues? I guess wearing a flag pin is more important than energy efficiency, eh? So... unlike Blake, I am not really worried about today's primary. I am disappointed, but not worried. Clinton should win today, and I am guessing the margin will be by about 5%. Not a big surprise, considering she was up by 30+% not so long ago. But if Obama keeps the margin to around 5% (or less), he will wrap up the nomination today. Not officially, but it will be over. Today's primary in Pennsylvania will have little impact on either the pledged delegate count or the popular count, which should in turn mean that it will have an impact of the superdelegate count. The may not throw their support behind Obama today or tomorrow, but it will happen. Like Blake, I want this thing to be over. And I do not think it will be officially over tonight. But for all intents and purposes, I believe that Obama will become the Democratic Presidential candidate tonight. Lots on my mind
The very random things flowing through my brain...
What is flowing through your brain? Hoosiers for Obama
Sorry for the lack of posting... I will be in Indiana tomorrow with the Obama campaign, where the polls (also see here) currently have him trailing by a couple of points. Indiana is a somewhat of a hybrid between Indiana and Ohio. Some urban areas, primarily around Gary and Indianapolis, and then rural/"southern" areas in the bottom half of the state. It also has the obvious geographic proximity to Illinois, which means that the residents of the state have heard more regarding Obama over the years - both the good and the bad. It is also shares media markets with some of those in Illinois. But regardless, the polls show the state to be close two and a half weeks out from the election. So we need to get out the vote. But only the Obama vote! :) And you Indiana Republicans? You can vote for Obama too! Yes. We. Can. Question of the Day
From Charlie at Cogitamus, via Ezra:
Obama in The Advocate
The Advocate, a leading LGBT magazine, interviews Barack Obama. Unions winning in Healthcare
Good news... Unions are winning the fights to organize the health care system. Lets hope that the internal/inter-union conflicts do not stop the momentum. Happy Military Day
Most people think that today, April 15th, is Tax Day. And I guess it is. But I call it Military Day. Why? Take a look at this chart, from here:  Yup... over half the money I just sent to the Federal Government goes to wars, weapons development, previous wars, military personnel, and other related military expenses. So as sad and depressing as it is to send that money in to the government, it makes it MUCH more sad and depressing to realize where this money is going. McCain Ads
Seriously... is the best that McCain's ad people can do? This is brutally awful: [youtube]inNBl6UV1TY[/youtube] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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