Politics

Some of us are old enough to remember the civil rights movement in the USA. It took a long time for blacks to obtain equal rights, and there are still some problems, but things are sure a hell of a lot different now than they were then. I think the same is starting to happen for gay rights. More states are allowing better gay rights than were ever allowed before. More countries are allowing it as well, including gay marriage rights. Obviously much, much more is needed, but as far as I can tell, there is a lot of movement in the right direction and it's happening at a quicker pace than ever before. I'm quite optimistic that gay rights is gaining ground and the crap coming…

D.C. Douglas Fires Back At FreedomWorks. With all the bullshit this week from the Fox Ideologue Channel and pals it's good to see somebody strike back.

Stupid but enterprising and visible, in his own version of the Palin formula. The rightmost crazies and dimwits fall down in worship. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/us/politics/31landrieu.html?hpw

Actually I had decided against posting this letter from a former Marine DI until I ran across this article about the same sex couple in Malawi. It struck me that the power to distort reality of the culture biased animus against gays in both is much the same. One speaks in an American contex, the other in an African, but both show the same bizarre understanding of what is after all a fairly common behavior world wide. ---- It's enough to make me wonder how much my own understanding of reality is being distorted by the culture I grew up in. Maybe I was hexed by a witch back when and my culture is preventing me from seeing what is obvious to any Malawian.

Now it's the Lt. Gov. There must be a contest going on there to hit the lowest possible low. I shudder to think of what still lies in store. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/83072.html

I have been watching the election results in Massachuetts and I am dumbfounded. The most Democratic leaning state in the Union elects a Republican to fill Edward Kennedy's old Senate seat. Looks like the GOP isn't dead after all. Someone in Washington really needs to wake up and realize how upset people in this country are. Me thinks this will be a very interesting year for Politics.

Obama has passed some very significant important legislation in his first year. However, IMO he has come up short in some important ways too, most notably Wall St and Bank reform. Also, he has permitted a three ring circus with Health Care Reform, supported and even undertaken back room deals with special interests contrary to his campaigning against such practices. He has stood by while Congress has exhibited it's crassest characteristic of selling out to special interests -- again Banking and Wall St and also Big Pharma come to mind. I'm sure some of this was done for the sake of getting an end product. I understand practical realities but this hasn't been an example …

TY, do you (or anybody else here) know anything about the Comcast/FCC case just heard by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals concerning the FCC's Net Neutrality rules? I can't make out from the news reports whether Comcast is attacking the procedure used to establish the rules or questioning the FCC's statutory authority to regulate net traffic at all. Maybe it's both. Reporters seem to think from oral argument that the Court is inclined to rule for Comcast. This is different from the BitTorrent class action case settled last month by Comcast. Given your past interest in the net neutrality issue, I thought you might have some insight on this case. If the Court were to fin…

There was much Brou-ha-ha about Sarah Palin's book a few weeks ago but it seems to me that the new book out today, "Game Change", might be the one to buy. It takes a behind the scene look at the 2008 campaign, including the primaries, and was written by a couple of political reporters. It has already caused Harry Reid to issue an apology to President Obama but that is just a small tip of the political iceberg. I understand there is stuff about the Edward's, Clinton's, Obama comments about Biden, concerns about McCain's wife, and of course more on Palin. Since it has already caused Senator Reid to issue an apology, I think that just adds more credence to the book. Has an…

Is there anything in politics more obsolete than the Rep so-called establishment? The mainstream media don't think so. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/11/30/2009-11-30_rush_limbaugh_voted_.html

Why the health care bill is the greatest social achievement of our time. Food for thought. http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/just-noise

It appears that on the whole the flocks have gained less from their faith in this particular updated reading of the gospels than the preachers who promote it. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200912/rosin-prosperity-gospel

This is why I stopped investing in securities decades ago. I always figured that if those smart guys in New York were willing to sell it to me, I probably couldn't afford to buy it. Goldman Sacks: Paragon of Integrity

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/us/politics/01huckabee.html?_r=1&ref=politics Taking full advantage of the moment would require bashing Huckabee over the face with his blunder for as long as it takes to annihilate him. The Dems will be too wimpish to do anything more than make discreet reference to it.

He has gotten in touch with his deep fund of affection for immigrants, thus far successfully concealed. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/12/03/2009-12-03_antiimmigrant_group_legal_immigration_pac_says_adios_to_anchor_lou_dobbs.html Hope the link works.

This is really scary and unintentionally funny. It's really sad that people live off of Fox News soundbites without really knowing what they are talking about. Very SCARY and very sad . . .

They are determined to do him in. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/us/politics/16crist.html?_r=1&hp This article says nothing about periodic allegations that Crist is gay, but I'll bet they will all be dragged out and flogged for all they're worth by the right-wing media sleaze.

The Stonewall Democrats have identified the following twenty-two Democratic Members of Congress voted to remove the Matthew Shepard Act from the Defense Authorization bill: 1. Robert Berry (AR-1) 2. Dan Boren (OK-2) 3. Bobby Bright (AL-2) 4. Travis Childers (MS-1) 5. Artur Davis (AL-7) 6. Lincoln Davis (TN-4) 7. Joe Donnelly (IN-2) 8. Chet Edwards (TX-17) 9. Brad Ellsworth (IN-8) 10. Bart Gordon (TN-6) 11. Parker Griffith (AL-5) 12. Frank Kratovil (MD-1) 13. Jim Marshall (GA-8) 14. Mike McIntyre (NC-7) 15. Scott Murphy (NY-20)* 16. Collin Peterson (MN-7) 17. Mike Ross (AR-4) 18. Bobby Scott (VA-3)* 19. Heath Shuler (NC-11) 20. John Tanner (TN-8) 21. G…

If it comes to that, I think Palin and the bats-in-the-belfry party base will beat Gingrich to a pulp. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/opinion/26mon3.html?_r=1&ref=opinion If the link yields an Economist ad, click on Skip.

No real action: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/us/politics/18ethics.html

The Obama administration, which would seem to have its hands full with a two-front war in Iraq and Afghanistan, opened up a third front last week, this time with Fox News. Until this point, the conflict had been mostly a one-sided affair, with Fox News hosts promoting tax day “tea parties” that focused protest on the new president, and more recently bringing down the presidential adviser Van Jones through rugged coverage that caught the administration, and other news organizations, off guard. During the health care debate, Fox News has put a megaphone to opponents, some of whom have advanced far-fetched theories about the impact of reform. And even farther out on the edg…

TY, I don't know if you read the Miami Herald so I though i'd post this link for you. Cuban travel bill moves forward. I am so looking forward to you posting from Havana someday.

For those who want to hear Obama's speech to the HRC today (10/10), CSPAN will be rerunning it Sunday (11th) sometime in the afternoon. Among other things Obama explicitly reaffirmed that he would (eventually) put an end to DADT. Brief analysis of Obama's speech

That is OK. However, I am hoping this party will get going even better than it has in the past. Bascially the idea I like best about this party is to be left alone as much as possible and to leave others alone as much as possible. That does not mean ignore any that are having difficulty, just that the government internention is not the best way to help. That does not mean I don't believe there shoudl not be a federal or state government, far from it; I just think those entities should be more attentive to the things outlined in the constitution from the beginning. That is not a conclusive statement. Just an opening remark. Best regards, RA1

Cartoonish and a few cards short of a full deck, particularly the one with the crucifix in a holster, but better aware of how to demonstrate effectively than the crowd in Pittsburgh. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-october-1-2009/tea-partiers-advise-g20-protesters