Captain Jimi ~ Taking the Politics Personal

Captain Plaid - New Approaches for New Days

2006-08-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'll be cross posting the following across the five efforts. I'll keep Captain Plaid up and running via Blogger, although TypePad continues to call me. Until I announce otherwise, Captain Bama is leaving the building. For the near future at least, I'll abandon Tin Shop Tartan. I'm going to put Captain Jimi in the holster as well in that I can fight the culture war on the main blog. Marque Stuart has long been neglected and my inner Martha will need to be surpressed even further given these next few weeks ... and perhaps even months and years.

I've been slack in posting these last few days but family called. I was unexpectedly called in to help a relative with a business/building project and that has been the priority these last few days. Even though the fam might not always understand me, I am thrilled to help any of my brood. I understand Highlanders had "broken men" that had left their own Clans and joined with another in some respects, generally free to return to or assist their kin as circumstances required. Maybe that is what is going on with me? There have surely been plenty of shifts and changes for me over this summer! Here's the immediate deal ...

I'll be working for a Progressive Political Action Committee until mid-November. Reporting on Labor Day for duty, I'll be in Milwaukee for the first few days but they'll soon farm me out to at least one candidate. Although there may be some races for Governor or other state/local positions, I'm likely going to be working in one of the competitive U.S. House districts. I could be working pretty much anywhere but doubt it will be in Alabama or even the South (Florida doesn't count as the "South" does it?). Country come to town?

I'm hoping to find future work, ideally in politics/policy or some type of non-profit education, away from rural East Alabama. I'm looking in relatively urban areas along the East Coast or in the Mountain West. This PAC I'll work for next will assist in placement and yet I've got friends and contacts that are also looking and helping. The experience will hopefully teach me much plus it will admittedly help expand my resume. By the first of the year I hope to have a long term position nailed down. If anybody knows of something that might suit me please let me know. I'll work like two trojans. I can get along with most folks, event though some family and a few past "significant others" might disagree.

I'm leaving for several reasons. I've mentioned that several fundamentalist family members reacted rather harshly to a letter I sent First Baptist Church on their shilling of Amendment One, the Alabama Contitutional Amendment on banning same-sex marriages that every major paper or reasonable authority in Alabama agreed was not necessary and even foolish. Some have expressed displeasure with my Letters to the Editor to my local paper. I think I've done four since the first of the year and I've yet to have anybody say my facts were wrong. In every letter I challenged Bu$hCo (and often the GOP and conservatism and ...) so I think that was mostly the problem. Again, explain where I was wrong! Until then, and probably even after then, I feel very patriotic to have spoken out against the abuses of this worst administration ever. Additionally, my ex-wife has gone on the warpath so that my ability to have the type of relationship I'd like with my son has become more of a challenge.

I've left the classroom after five years back in the trenches frustrated with NCLB and other bureaucracy, with this last years's experience trying to teach the young adults of Heard County, Georgia being the final nail in that coffin. I was also feeling "cooped up" in that teachers are forced to work inside cement block rooms for most of their day and not always able to engage people and the community as might be ideal for any profession. I'd pondered returning to the practice of "country law", thinking a low overhead practice where I could perhaps avoid the drudgery of merely paying the bills might be rewarding. I'd thought I could do criminal defense and some worthy activism plus simply help folks but I've decided I can't remain here in rural East Alabama and keep my sanity. I'm somewhat afraid I'd wind up an angry, lonely old man. Living in this conservative backwater, even though I cherish some of the rural lifestyle, might do more harm than good. As a single man, the social scene around here is especially scary. I love the dirt and woods and critters and ..., and certainly a few dear friends, but I'm now certain I need another setting.

I've learned to live simple, and the older I get the less I seem to need, but I want "purpose" to my life. I seek intellectual and spiritual experiences. I want to work with people that generally possess a Progressive outlook. I want to find my place in a vibrant community that values learning and art and compassion and service and health and ... I've long though about building a "home" where I'll feel some measure of security and completeness. My experiences as a child, with my mother dying rather young plus several other unfortunate realities, have I think tempered me where I default to seek "place", although I'll argue this is a very Southern, perhaps even Scottish, trait.

My failed marriage and practice, one that I'll submit I've placed in the proper order, plus the resulting troubles, were certainly events I'd have just as soon avoided. Ten to seven/six years later, I'm twice the man I was and I'm just forty. I can still be a good father, even though the idea of moving away from my son is the toughest part of these changes. In fact, given the current attitudes and actions of my ex-wife, I'm perhaps making the best of a bad situation. I wanted to be near "the boy" through these early teen years but if I'm better centered by being elsewhere then more good might result.

I've really enjoyed posting on these five blogs and hope they've been valued for at least effort if not for insight. I've only done a few on Marque Stuart but I've dropped 126 posts on Captain Jimi. Tin Shop Tartan has seen 127. A total of 186 post appeared on Captain Bama. Captain Plaid has had 279. Over seven hundred posts! Many hours of mousing and keyboarding (with Blogger being bloggered often making it take longer!) but I've learned so much. I appreciate the comments and communcations. For those that have honored me with a blogroll link feel free to leave any or none. I'll continue over at Captain Plaid, with the caveat that if my new gig doesn't allow time then posts might be scarce. I anticipate a new email addy once I get settled in.

Thanks again for allowing me to share my thoughts and frustrations plus my hope for a better world. Peace ... or War!

George Allen - All Hat and No Cattle Version 2.0?

2006-08-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

Jesus General gives us the image and link to Jeffery Feldman's Frameshop that reveals the apparent racism of this new version of Dubyah. Crooks and Liars has the video of Senator Allen playing to the base. Betcha he didn't tell them "My mama is French."

I've posted on Virginia's George Allen previously. Ryan Lizzi's "George Allen's Race Problem" is looking rather prophetic.

I liked SusanG's Kos post "Keep Talking, George Felix Allen Junior! Please." This guy and Dubyah might make good fishing buddies for each other. They can talk sports at least. Dumber than buckets of spit! Bu$hCo cuts brush and Junior saddles up. Silver spoon born and raised yet they've provided ammunition for the anti-evolution loonies with how they've regressed. C&L has a large but timely video file up showing some classic "Bu$hisms" and commentary. When you need both Joe Scarborough and John Fund having to work this hard to provide cover to Dubyah then you see how far this White House has fallen.

The WaPo's Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig reporting entitled "Allen on Damage Control After Remarks to Webb Aide" is the most recent I can locate. What a wanker! Peace ... or War!

Susan Jacoby examines the "Activist Judge" Myth

2006-08-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

"Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism" by Susan Jacoby is pictured to the left. Ms. Jacoby is also Program Director for The Center for Inquiry in their New York City effort.

Her TomPaine.com commentary on "activist judges" covers the death threats concerns yet the following is especially solid:

But the current climate of hostility to the judiciary cannot be written off as a product of the lunatic fringe. Attacks on “activist judges”—a phrase that, like “the elites,” has become a code word for liberals—are regularly issued by Republican officeholders from the White House to state legislatures. The assault on an independent judiciary has always been an integral part of the Rovian political strategy that put President George W. Bush in office.
The Democratic Party’s response has been defensive and wishy-washy. Al Gore and John Kerry said almost nothing about the judiciary during their presidential campaigns unless they were asked a direct question—and questions were rarely asked because judges, unless their relatives are being murdered, are not hot news. Furthermore, the issue of “activist judges” resembles the “values issue” in that it has been brilliantly hijacked by the right in a fashion that tends to elicit me-too answers along the lines of, “I don’t like activist judges either, but I do want fair judges.”
The truth is that the real issue is not the activism of judges but the principles upon which they are acting. ...
... What the right resents is what the framers of the Constitution intended—a judiciary able to serve as a counterweight to popular passions. Conservatives oppose the appointment of any judge who, like many great Supreme Court justices in the past—Hugo Black, Earl Warren and Harry Blackmun come to mind—might confound the expectations of the presidents who appointed them. ...
... This is not a case that judges should have to make on behalf of themselves but a case that politicians who understand the meaning of the Constitution ought to be making to the public.

Peace ... or War!

The Anniston Star's H. Brandt Ayers Scolds Southern Baptist Convention

2006-08-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

My regional paper, The Anniston Star, provides a rare Progressive voice down here in my wilderness. H' Brandt Ayers, boss hoss for the paper, delivers "Faith of my father" that rightly demonstrates why many of "the best and the biggest Baptist colleges and universities" are breaking their ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. He also writes "thoughtful Christians began to drop away", serving up examples like Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter as Exhibit A. I especially like this:

This cleavage between faith and reason, between a doctrine of godly perfection and an intelligent, fallible Christian's struggle to find his way in a sinful world shouldn't be black-and-white choices.

I'm thinking hope in the new President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Frank S. Page, is a bit optimistic but I'm sure Mr. Ayers hangs out with a different set of Baptists than I do. Down here, and in my family I fear, they've seemingly swilled the Fundy Kool-Aid. Peace ... or War!

Understanding America's Scientific Illiteracy

2006-08-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ker Than LiveScience.com reports “U.S. Lags World in Grasp of Genetics and Acceptance of Evolution” building from a recent study by Michigan State’s Jon Miller and then National Center for Science Education in California’s Eugenie Scott . The article begins as follows:

A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower.
Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say.
“American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close,” said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University.

I'm thinking a stretch to explain it all about Turkey's religion, although partly true. Much of it is poverty and, while Turkey tries to remain rather secular for that neck of the woods, fuanamentalism pockets continue. There's a pull I think of fundy thinking to poor people. I'll also add that I'm convinced some in the GOP manipulate evangelical voters through fear, wedge issues, anti-intellectualism, ...

Portions of the balance of the piece include:

The analysis found that Americans with fundamentalist religious beliefs—defined as belief in substantial divine control and frequent prayer—were more likely to reject evolution than Europeans with similar beliefs. The researchers attribute the discrepancy to differences in how American Christian fundamentalist and other forms of Christianity interpret the Bible.
While American fundamentalists tend to interpret the Bible literally and to view Genesis as a true and accurate account of creation, mainstream Protestants in both the United States and Europe instead treat Genesis as metaphorical, the researchers say.
“Whether it’s the Bible or the Koran, there are some people who think it’s everything you need to know,” Miller said. “Other people say these are very interesting metaphorical stories in that they give us guidance, but they’re not science books.”
Politics is also contributing to America's widespread confusion about evolution, the researchers say. Major political parties in the United States are more willing to make opposition to evolution a prominent part of their campaigns to garner conservative votes—something that does not happen in Europe or Japan. …

… Scott says one thing that will help is to have Catholics and mainstream Protestants speak up about their theologies' acceptance of evolution.
"There needs to be more addressing of creationism from these more moderate theological perspectives," Scott said. “The professional clergy and theologians whom I know tend to be very reluctant to engage in that type of ‘my theology versus your theology’ discussion, but it matters because it’s having a negative effect on American scientific literacy."

ID proponents were heard from in “explaining” the study according to the following:

Bruce Chapman, the president of the Discovery Institute, the primary backer of ID, has a different view of the study.
"A better explanation for the high percentage of doubters of Darwinism in America may be that this country's citizens are famously independent and are not given to being rolled by an ideological elite in any field," Chapman said. "In particular, the growing doubts about Darwinism undoubtedly reflect growing doubts among scientists about Darwinian theory. Over 640 have now signed a public dissent and the number keeps growing."
Nick Matzke of the National Center for Science Education in California points out, however, that most of the scientists Chapman refers to do not do research in the field of evolution.
"If you look at the list, you can't find anybody who's really a significant contributor to the field or anyone who's done recognizable work on evolution," Matzke said.

I suppose in Mr. Chapman’s world the “ideological elite” are the folks that might actually know what the hell they are talking about. American’s United might be a good place to begin understanding this “think tank” and policy shop. Chris Mooney’s American Prospect piece “Inferior Design” is another.

I was discussing this study with a couple of friends last evening and we began talking of the home schooling trend. They seemed to be unaware of the Southern Baptist Convention moving toward this, or at least considering briefly a resolution, as the default preference. The President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary explains what seems to be the official position of the church I grew up in yet NPR also provides space for other faith communities to make their case as well.

As an educator, I’ll tell you that teaching hard shell fundamentalist kids can be a difficult task. Teaching any child in today’s climate is demanding I’ll argue. Still, once they’ve been brought up in that fundy culture it is difficult to get them to consider other views. They often distrust “science” or “history” or … I can also tell you that some of these parents can be a pain. However, many of the kids, and the parents, are super nice and are, or likely will become, solid citizens. The caveat is that “solid citizens” need to be able to entertain alternative perspectives. I want my secular government making decisions on science not superstition. I know some schools and teachers bend over backwards to avoid stirring up a hornet’s nest but if this trend continues we might even be passed by Turkey!

Finally, a tip of the tam to R.J. Matson for the above image located via Daryl Cagle’s MSNBC syndicate. Peace … or War!

Senator Feingold Questions DLC's Republican Lite

2006-08-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Senator Russ Feingold rightly called out the DLC today for their flaws and failures. Building off the Lieberman primary loss, Senator Feingold is right to question the DLC approach. We simply can't allow the radicalism to go unchallenged and our failure to confront the many failures of conservatism on steroids simply legitimizes their wrong thinking. The DLC's sole success was mainly from the skills of Team Clinton with a little help from Ross Perot.

There is plenty of good in some of their ideas but right now there is no way to work around Iraq and the culture war, especially given the way the GOP conducts scorched earth politics, that doesn't involve fighting from our side of the divide. Centrism will not create the kind of change our society needs. Peace ... or War!

Far North Mega-Church Pastor Loses Flock

2006-08-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

I ran across this Laurie Goodstein NYT piece but to avoid paying the Gray Lady to read turned to AOL. Her "Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for Pastor" reports on Dr. Gregory Boyd's struggles with Conservatives in his 5000 member church in St. Paul Minnesota. He actually only lost part of his flock yet if he were leading the average Southern Baptist congregation down here in Dixie I expect they'd have shown him the door long ago. I think this reporting reveals much about our "culture war", even if this one is being fought inside a church. I also note the church is multi-racial.

I recognized Dr. Boyd's name and in fact his "Letters From a Skeptic" was on my shelves. A/My sister(s) gave it to me, in her/their perpetual battle to save the little brother's soul. I admittedly have only glanced at the book but liked a good portion of what he writes. As I've long told them if I could find a more liberal form of Christianity, ideally Universalist oriented, in my locale I'd at least every so often darken the door. I've tried to attend some local churches but the literalism and resulting fundamentalism and hyper-evangelicalism seem to always hinder my staying around. I might actually wind cracking Dr. Boyd's book due to this article. "The Lord works in mysterious ways." comes to mind. Peace ... or War!

Complexities of "dispensational premillennialism"

2006-08-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, I guess a whole five years ago, I took two Early Modern Europe graduate courses in the same semester. One was a straight lecture plus papers and the other a seminar but the same professor handled. The classes were not related to my focus on the South and Modern U.S. and Politics and ... I could, and briefly will, complain about much with this Professor in that she, actually the Graduate Program Boss, was not only mistaken on their value as credits toward a straight Masters in History (I could have taken some other perhaps more appropriate classes instead of these!) but also had a draconian reading load with requirements of "book notes" that took an inordinate amount of time to complete. Toward the end she was gracious enough to allow me to complete the book notes after the mini-mester ended.

At the time I referred to this period as the "Bohanan Death March" as I was finishing up my M. Ed. comps plus teaching undergraduates that summer and taking I think two other classes and gearing up for a new teaching gig and ... I'll 'fess up that I began to resent the workload, even though I enjoyed the reading and discussions/lectures. But darned if I didn't learn tons of stuff! Those classes, especially the seminar, have remained with me. I've found the issues we covered useful for American History but also simply for wrestling with change and fear and religion and conflict and economics and technology and art and ...

The image here is from Albrecht Durer's "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". I think a woodcut but I'll not bother with certainty. I thought of the image, and the "Bohanan Death March", when I noted Salon's (just watch the ad) "Apocalypse soon" by Jason Boyett. This is a reasonably easy to follow summary, with some good links, of the doctrines at play as relates to the Israel/Lebanon conflict.

I've previously posted on John Hagee and Tim LaHaye and the Rapture Ready crowd but another view of the "thinking" of this rather influential group is useful. I saw John Hagee on MSNBC recently so they are getting coverage. I'd missed this BBC article on Pastor John Hagee and his Christians United for Israel.

I find it interesting that our national media isn't as direct in questioning these types as they are across the pond. I also wonder why we get so few comparisons to fundamentalist of any stripe. Be they Muslim or Christian or ..., folks on the fringe have earned questions and concerns from the more moderate members of any advanced society. Here that might feed the Christian Right's persecution complex even more yet darned if handling their doctrines with kids gloves isn't resulting in a good dose of complex. They and their GOP allies have managed to create fears of a false "War on Christians" so perhaps we might as well confront their more bizarre ideas often resulting from inerrancy and literalism. Hem them in with their doctrines and we might see some Americans stop thinking of the GOP as "God's Own Party". Peace ... or War!

Oh Brothers! A twofer against Southern Baptists!

2006-08-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

These are the Caner Brothers. Emir is on the left and Ergun is on the right. With both having rather promotional websites, plus a fair amount of press and publications, I'm surprised I've never stumbled across these two. Emir is the Dean of The College of Southwestern at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Ergun is the President of Liberty Theological Seminary.

Emir's bio has him apparently proud that he has been endorsed by Beth Moore (she has two main sites - LifeWay and Living Proof Ministries) and "crazy as a run over dog" Ann Coulter which reveals much. Emir even has a link to Ann Coulter! Ergun doesn't. It's scary when you figure the Falwell connected brother seems to be less radical that the Southwestern one. I'll not link to any of these dream team's books or tapes or shirts or booking processes or ... Lots of profit in this blend of Evangelicalism and Conservatism it would appear.

The reason for this post is that I ran across a Ethics Daily Post on Ergun's recent speech/sermon at Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church that motivated me to look a little further at these brothers. The reports on his church talk is revealing for Ergun's contempt for the UN and his Christian Zionism and hatred of Islam and .... Since these young men were raised in a Muslim leader's household only to later abandon their faith I'm thinking there are some serious issues floating around. They've both seemingly done well on the Evangelical's team. Of course Beth and especially that hateful lying Ann haven't done too shabby either but I think both were born and raised as WASPs.

I'll just remain a "recovering Southern Baptist" seeking love, peace, justice, reason, learning, morality, ... and maybe even just enough wealth to live comfortably. Peace ... or War!

More of Bu$hCo's Coffins from Jesus General

2006-08-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

J.C. Christian gives us "The Week in Priorities". On Captain Plaid I built off Sojourners' Jim Wallis past work to remind us that probably none of these families had to lose their loved ones! Peace ... or War!

James L. Evans reminds me of Jim Wallis

2006-08-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

James L. Evans, pastor of Auburn First Baptist, often gets space in my local Anniston Star where he often demonstrates that not all Southern Baptists are lunatics. Today's "The right and left hands of God" begins with the following:

For some time now, groups like the Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family, the American Family Association and the Family Research Council have served as a conduit for funneling a particular political agenda into the hearts and minds of many Christians.
These same organizations have also returned the favor by channeling right-wing religious concerns into the Republican Party. This back and forth has been so successful that in some instances it's hard to tell where the church ends and the Republican Party begins. And from the political side, there are some who think the GOP is “God's Own Party.”

Pastor Evans also reminded me of Soujourners and Jim Wallis. His most recent work, "God's Politics : Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It", earned solid reviews. I've added the book to my "Wish List" and SoJo to Jimi's Jumps. Peace ... or War!

Question Us? Then you must be with Satan.

2006-08-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

Michelle Goldberg’s writing has long been a favorite of mine. Her recent Salon work entitled “Abortion under siege in Mississippi” was a gem. Carrying out the siege is Operation Save America/Operation Rescue. They have a separate website for Mississippi 2006. That they’ve an image of somebody, looking like a lass to me, playing the pipes hardly made my day!

Burning the Koran was one highlight. Calling the little children to his “Ecclesiastical Court” for the BBQ of the sacred text of another monotheistic religion and various Supreme Court cases was another. Having these children hear “We can either kill them, be killed by them, or we can convert them to Christ.”, of course referring to those practicing Islam, was instructive. Going to the neighborhood where the gynecologist at Jackson Women's Health Organization lives and ringing doorbells so that the neighbors can be informed of the man’s profession shows their dedication.

Ms. Goldberg writes,

His attack on Islam might seem like a non sequitur, but to Benham, it made perfect sense. "Islam is the same thing as abortion and homosexuality," he said. "It's the black-colored glove covering the same fist, which is the fist of the devil." Benham had T-shirts made up, black with white lettering, proclaiming, "Homosexuality Is Sin! Islam Is a Lie! Abortion Is Murder! Some Issues Are Just Black and White!"

Lest you think that just because Operation Save American might return to Texas, all is well in Jackson perhaps for the Christianist community. Home to the only abortion clinic in the entire state, Jackson is home to several locals that are rather scary. Ms. Goldberg writes,

The most faithful is C. Roy McMillan, who sees protesting abortion as his full-time job and says he's been arrested 65 times. His wife, a former abortion provider who, after being born again, became a gynecologist who refuses to prescribe contraceptives, supports him financially. McMillan is one of 34 signatories to a 1998 statement that calls the murder of doctors who perform abortions "justifiable ... for the purpose of defending the lives of unborn children." He describes the late Paul Hill -- the murderer of gynecologist Dr. John Britton and his bodyguard, retired Air Force Lt. Col. James Herman Barrett -- as a friend.

On the Operation Save America page, at least on today’s date, I found what motivated me to label my post as I did. I’ve provided some emphasis. Portions of their splash page reads:

August 2, 2006 -When Salon and the others attack us like this, you've got to know that we're moving in the right direction because they are doing everything they can to shame us off the street. They fabricate lies; their father is the author of all lies. We must learn to despise the shame. Jesus did it! We must pick up our cross and follow Him. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2)

Shining the Light of Jesus on Articles From the Dark Side - When you expose the lies of Satan, all hell breaks loose among the wicked as evidenced by this collection ofarticles.

Santorum Nails the True Nature of Islamic Fascism - One day after we publicly burned the lies contained in the Koran, the homosexual flag, and seven abominable Supreme Court decisions in Jackson, Mississippi, Senator Rick Santorum gave this speech. It is remarkable, and perhaps the most powerful speech given by anyone in the United States Senate in the past fifty years.

Sunsara Taylor uses Truth Dig to reveal even more about OSA/OR. Talk to Action also has some tolerable insights into this organization.

Scary and yet there are plenty of people in my locale that likely feel the same as these radicals. I recall perhaps twenty years ago being confronted with a couple of kids, perhaps about ten years old each, passing out anti-choice literature here in my little village in a shopping area. When I politely told them I didn't want their material as I believed in a woman's right to choose an abortion they looked at me like I was Satan. I started to seek out their parents or church leaders and ask them why in the hell they were sending kids to do this sort of stuff but I figured it wise to avoid trouble.

At least their boy Rick Santorum, the finest man of the 13th Century, is doomed in his race. Peace … or War!

Bloggered!

2006-08-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

At times I wonder why I bother. Blogger is acting rather bizarre, especially here on Jimi. Lost posts and exponentially ornery, I'll be back ASAP. Peace ... or War!

LaHaye, Inc. - End Times & Concerned Women

2006-07-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

As part of their coverage of the Mideast Crisis, Newsweek's Brian Braiker interviews Tim LaHaye of "Left Behind" infamy. Dr. LaHaye is pictured with his lovely wife Beverly of similarly scorned Concerned Women for America.

OK, maybe major news sourcs and media outlets and the party in control and zillions of American that have bought his books and ... don't feel the same as your humble blogger and few others such as Michael Standaert. His initial post at HuffPo was a gem and yet the more recent offers up even more on the radicalism of these two pillars of the Christianist community.

To my Amazon list I'm adding Michael Standaert's "Skipping Towards Armageddon : The Politics and Propaganda of the Left Behind Novels and the LaHaye Empire". I know my local library has I think every LaHaye book prominently displayed, possibly multiple copies and even ones on tape, so perhaps they need a copy as well? I'm sure my lovely sisters and their broods would love me making that donation. Peace ... or War!

Alablawg's Wheeler puts reason before decision

2006-07-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

Short post ... Wheeler nails the issue of how the states should handle benefits to "married" couples. Same sex couples should get the same secular benefits as traditional couples even if they are not "married" in the eyes of the various religious communities. Simple enough. Peace ... or War!

I also miss Monica ... and surely the Clenis!

2006-07-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Reflecting back to the days of Slick Willy seems like good move for this Friday. Dean Friedman's "I Miss Monica" at HuffPo's Contagious Festival is rather clever. I weep and gnash my teeth over this period as I'm convinced that if only Team Clinton had been able to keep Big Dog on a slightly tighter leash we'd have likely avoided these Bu$hCo years. Peace ... or War

WorldNetDaily Welcomes Alabama's Roy Moore

2006-07-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

God Damn! I hate to get all profane here with God's own theocrat up above my words yet news that Roy Moore is a columnist with WorldNetDaily seems like a perfect place to offer up a little cussing. This is a perfect match, in a purely heterosexual way of course. Reverend Roy's first column "Will America choose to acknowledge God? dropped just yesterday. I'll not try to address his ideas, as "A position not founded upon reason cannot be swayed by argument."

If WorldNetDaily founder Jospeh Farah will write a book with Republican California Congressman Richard Pombo I guess there's not much of stretch of this pseudo-news site to give Roy Moore a column. Note the ads appearing on WND and read some of the "reporting" for yourself. Roy's found a home! Peace ... or War!

Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, & Religious Right

2006-07-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard, got space in The Boston Globe some days back for "Old-time religion : Long before the age of Falwell and Robertson, evangelical Protestants from William Jennings Bryan to Billy Graham were anything but right-wing zealots. Today, a new generation of evangelical leaders are rediscovering their progressive roots."

This is a good primer on both the history and current situation in the Evangelical movement, at least in more urban areas, that I encourage folks to read. There's more to the story but it is a good start. I certainly thought back on my hard core Republican nephew-in-law claiming just this weekend that the Democratic Party could never reach the "faith community". I'm rather sure he's locked down on choice and same sex issues. I told him bluntly that "faith" doesn't equal "fundamentalism" yet who knows what some of the Christianists community are thinking.

Finally, a tip of the tam to Jonathan Teller at Chelsea Green's Flaming Grasshopper for the link. Peace ... or War!

Tony Campolo's "An Open Letter to Evangelicals"

2006-07-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

Posting at HuffPo, Tony Campolo asks Evangelicals why they don't confront Bu$hCo over some of his policies. I politely listened to a few conversations of some family members, and my if they aren't serious Evangelicals, just this past weekend. Scary "thinking" at times. I'm wondering on many of the same things that vex Dr. Campolo. Peace ... or War!

Peace from "Weapons of Mass Reproduction"?

2006-07-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

Via HuffPo, Patrick Dall'Occhio puts his comedic touch to both the Bu$hCo stem cell veto and his radically limited response to the death and destruction resulting from the conflict at the Israel-Lebanon border. Since Bu$h is so concerned with the sanctity of human life at the blastocyte stage Patrick ponders if perhaps we should deploy the "Frozen Chosen"? Mike Lane's cartoon above comes via Daryl Cagle's MSNBC syndicate. Peace ... or War!

Bu$hCo Marriage Czar Supports Ministry Welfare

2006-07-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ron and Joan McLain, founders of Marriage Mentoring Ministries, Inc. of Fresno County, California, are pictured to the left. Mr. McLain is referenced at the start of an AP/MSNBC piece entitled “Marriage programs to get a boost from feds: Congress to spend $750 million to promote marriage, better fathers” that confirms what has long been known by people following Bu$hCo and the modern GOP. The McLain’s operation would I’m sure benefit from $800,000.00 of our money.

The articles also has coverage of Dr. Wade Horn, who first came to my attention back in early 2005 when press coverage revealed he had used $21,500.00 in taxpayer funds to hire syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher to shill Bu$hCo proposals on “strengthening marriage”. There was an additional $20,000 in grant money paid in 2002 and 2003 by Bu$hCo to have her write a report for a private organization called the National Fatherhood Initiative. This group was founded and lead by Dr. Horn before he began working for Bu$hCo. Ms. Gallagher is also President of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy. Ties with Regnery Publishing, Human Events, The Manhattan Institute, … suggest Maggie’s always going to have a place on the wingnut welfare circuit.

California Congressman Wally Herger (father on nine children!) supports Dr. Horn’s efforts, although he was only one of thirty three Congressmen that did not support extension of the Voting Rights Act. As for Dr. Horn, Bill Berkowitz reveals much about the man he describes as the “marriage maven”. David Salyer offers that the name “Wade Horn” sounds like that on a porn star yet does also allege that the media has labeled him as the “chastity czar” for his support for abstinence-only sex education. Feminist and poverty organizations were hardly thrilled to have Dr. Horn nominated to his position with HHS. His connection with The Hudson Institute is also revealing. As for the porn star handle, Susan Wieler of The Washington Monthly reveals much about the actually rather pragmatic Wade Horn in explaining why he’d “gone soft” once over at HHS as an Assistant Secretary.

Concerns that at least some faith-based initiatives might violate the First Amendment remain yet the idea that these “marriage” programs will be effective seems tenuous at best. David Fein is quoted in the report and indeed his research does support the idea that financial stress and strain, plus the lack of resources for poor people when troubles do arise, often do lead to barriers to poor people getting or staying married. His “The Determinants of Marriage and Cohabitation Among Disadvantaged Americans: Research Findings and Needs” mentions many “determinants” and leaves many research needs for exploration.

Dr. Horn, who is neither a porn star (or even seemingly an expert on kids that run away or family abuse or …,) is quoted in the above AP/MSNBC piece as follows:

“Children who grow up in healthy, stable, married households don’t wake up one day and decide they want to run away to Hollywood and become street prostitutes,” said Wade Horn, the Bush administration’s point man for welfare reform. “Couples in a healthy, stable married relationship don’t come home one day and decide they want to abuse their children. This, in my view, is an exercise in limited government.”

The “… don’t wake up one day and …” offers a “simplistic” view that should work well for Bu$hCo and the “faith community” yet Ms. Wieler’s piece suggests he’s just playing the name game. Talk the Code maybe? Keep the base happy? Pass the tax cuts and deregulation and … for the Big Mules but throw the church folks some crumbs? If he’s actually serious, “healthy” could perhaps mean families where affordable health care is readily available and “stable” might mean when the economy is working for regular folks. I wonder what this advocate for fathers thinks of the soldiers that keep being sent on tour after tour to Iraq? This guy demonstrates his Bu$hCo bona fides as Horn even got a dig in at Hollywood! Karl Rove salutes you!

Obviously folks like the McLain duo are benefiting, or at least potentially could, from this “social policy”. I expect if you wanted to attend this conference you’d hear plenty of people (the links to just those presenting is massive!) salivating over the financial potential. Ministering on our dime … indeed The Lord has blessed! I expect some would be happy to provide support for Bu$hCo and the GOP as long as the money keeps coming. Saving souls from eternal damnation requires compromises I guess?

Having our tax dollars supporting Christianists and at the same time perpetuating Republican dominance truly chaps my hide. As the WaPo’s Michael A. Fletcher reminded us on Wednesday, “Bush's Poverty Talk Is Now All but Silent : Aiding Poor Was Brief Priority After Katrina”. Peace … or War!

The Base Celebrates Stem Cell Veto with Bu$hCo

2006-07-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm watching Bu$hCo and what looks like tons of folks, including at least a couple of daycare classes it would seem given all the kids there, celebrate Dubyah's first veto, or more accurately legislation that prohibits "fetus farming". That "fetus farming" is not an issue, certainly not so here in the U.S., mattered not to those folks pushing for this legislation. Why they were there actually mattered not as they applauded when Bu$h explained his principled veto.

Linda Feldmann, of The Christian Science Monitor , seems to be the first with a report entitled "Bush makes first veto on stem cells - Democrats pledge to make stem-cell research, which a majority of the public backs, an issue in the fall elections." I'm looking forward to the transcript as I've already caught several blatant misrepresentations of science, the views of most Americans, his leadership in the past, etc.

In case you aren't aware the above image is of a stem cell, with enhancements by certain dies and photographic techniques. Peace ... or War!

Study that contradicts right's message on public education hidden by Bu$hCo DOE

2006-07-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Not exactly part of the "culture war", even though just yesterday I tackled Jeb's Florida "just the facts" approach to history, but this allows me to me put something up on Jimi. I just posted on Dubyah rubbing on German Chancellor Merkel yesterday but here he is smootching on his Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. Laura's going to have to reel old George in! There's always Condi, who knows "grotesque", to throw some water on him if the Librarian isn't up to the task.

I've posted before on how Bu$hCo takes care of his team via the DOE but they take care to avoid distracting the public from the right's false message regarding public education as well it seems.

I've looked on the DOE's "press release" section and can't find the report mentioned by Greg Anrig, Jr. in his TPM Cafe piece entitled "The Right's Education Misdiagnosis". Since the report confirms what research has long shown, that being that public schools do no worse (and in fact bettter by some analysis) than private charter schools once demographics are controlled for, that simply destroys one of the right wing's main positions, I'm hardly surprised. Dropping the report on a Friday afternoon is SOP when you want to avoid the press yet the research is being covered up to a point. Here's Mr. Anrig's opening salvo:

The entire argument for vouchers and charter schools rests on the premise that public education bureaucracies and teacher’s unions are responsible for the system’s sundry real and imagined failings. That’s the spiel the Right has pitched from Milton Friedman to John Chubb and Terry Moe’s work to the Edison Project to the phalanx of movement think tanks feeding their talking points to Republicans (and some Democrats) running for office at all levels of government. It was a plausible theory and one that had considerable political appeal. But it turns out to be wrong, according to all available evidence. No doubt public education bureaucracies and teachers’ unions have plenty of imperfections. But if schools operating in the absence of those demonized institutions aren’t performing any better, then educational reformers have spent the last 20-plus years fighting the wrong enemy.

It's the poverty stupid! Now I'll take exception to Mr. Anrig that the real problem is in urban schools systems that serve kids from low income families as I can vouch for my experiences in poor rural schools. I'll stack local poverty in Heard County plus other places in my neck of the woods against nearly any system. Once a school gets above 40% free and reduced lunch ratios then learning becomes an uphill battle.

I'd also caution Mr. Anrig on NCLB. I agree with his point that measurement has a place in education simply to know if every child is learning. However, NCLB is an unmitigated disaster. My "NCLB - Four Years and Doubting" post has some of my rantings on this fatally flawed Federal legislation.

That Bu$hCo campaigned partly as the "Education President" on his alleged successes in Texas seems rather dated now doesn't it? That success was a lie of course, which is SOP for this administration, and perhaps our first example of how Bu$hCo is willing to use flawed data and intelligence. Ms. Spellings was right there with Dubyah for that fantasy and she's still doing her part now as a loyal Bu$h team member.

Finally, a cousin of mine married a DOE bureaucrat that got the job via his many GOP connections and darned if I might see him this weekend as some of my late mother's family will be about the maternal manse. The last time he was about, we had a brief bump over NCLB and Bu$hCo. I'll have to decide if I mention this latest research, plus how it has been released on the sly, should they make the trip down. I seldom start anything but if he throws a jab or two I might have to reply. I'm sure it will be my fault if there are "tensions". I stay in the doghouse with my Christianist sisters and some of their broods so maybe there is little left to lose. Peace ... or War!

Dumb & Dumber - The World According to Jeb

2006-07-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

I saw the following a few weeks back yet the coverage continues so I'll post on the issue. That the Bu$hCo boys managed to become Governors of two of our larger Southern states revelas much. Jeb is smarter, actually has some power over Florida when Dubyah had little in Texas, and has less swagger.

Jeb's Florida Legislature has passed a rather bizarre package of education legislation that seems to destroy critical thinking in Florida's public school history classes. The Legislature "thinks", or at least legislates, that history must be taught according to the official version mandated by the powers that be. Here's the language:

American history shall be viewed as factual, not as constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation based largely on the universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.

I'm hoping that anyone with even a moderate level of exposure to history knows interpretations of "facts" are much of the discipline. History News Network gives J.L. Bell space for "History 101: Florida's Flawed Lesson Plan" is devastating in the anaysis of Florida's "constructing" but the ending is shared as follows:

I’ve long felt that if schools teach American history accurately, including the fact that there are different ways of viewing the past, the U.S. of A. will get the respect it deserves. Florida’s lawmakers obviously don’t have the same faith.

Robert Jensen appears on Common Dreams with "Florida's Fear of History: New Law Undermines Critical Thinking" with the beginning being the preferred portion to share.

One way to measure the fears of people in power is by the intensity of their quest for certainty and control over knowledge.
By that standard, the members of the Florida Legislature marked themselves as the folks most terrified of history in the United States when last month they took bold action to become the first state to outlaw historical interpretation in public schools. In other words, Florida has officially replaced the study of history with the imposition of dogma and effectively outlawed critical thinking.
Although U.S. students are typically taught a sanitized version of history in which the inherent superiority and benevolence of the United States is rarely challenged, the social and political changes unleashed in the 1960s have opened up some space for a more honest accounting of our past. But even these few small steps taken by some teachers toward collective critical self-reflection are too much for many Americans to bear.

Jensen's piece is very solid in ridiculing the Florida legislature's arrogance and lack of understanding.

Can't wait to see how the textbook companies handle this one. Florida and Texas and California and ... the larger states often create the markets that the smaller states must accept. Also, I'll offer that teaching one damn fact after another is par for the course in today's standardized test world. Another damage to public education courtesy of the right wing. I expect this legislation makes Lynne Cheney proud. Peace ... or War!

Better To Avoid Than Confront Confinement

2006-07-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons has released a report entitled "Confronting Confinement". The report is described as follows:

On June 8, 2006, the Commission released Confronting Confinement, a report on violence and abuse in U.S. jails and prisons, the broad impact of those problems on public safety and public health, and how correctional facilities nationwide can become safer and more effective. The report reflects the Commission's work over more than a year — an inquiry that featured four public hearings in cities around the country where nearly 100 people testified, visits to jails and prisons, conversations with people about their experience of life behind bars, discussions with current and former corrections officials and experts working outside the profession, and a thorough review of available research and data.

I appreciate the concerns expressed by Ronald Fraser, Ph.D., who writes on public policy issues for the DKT Liberty Project (no link available - Sorry), in today's Anniston Star entitled "Speaker's stand ... A fix for Alabama's prison woes". The writing talks about the financial and social costs of our nation's tendency to lock folks up. He ends his work with:

Overcrowded, violent and disease-filled prisons and jails are here to stay as long as the number of inmates sent to prison goes up year after year. As a society, we are quick to needlessly fill prisons with nonviolent inmates, and too slow to find alternative ways to punish and rehabilitate them.
We now need a second commission to finish the job, and publish a step-by-step road map for ending America's “unprecedented reliance on incarceration.”

A solution to this problem is complex yet as an educator and criminal defense lawyer I continue to fall back on avoiding the troubles with solid teachers and decent parents enabled. Knowing my friend in Probabation and Parole, plus my time working with many POs back in the day, convinces me that good alternatives via supervision and support exist. I know judges like having a "carrot and stick" to keep convicted people in line yet darned if that's not an expensive solution for both society and the individual plus often his or her family. I am certain that non-violent or pseudo-criminal conduct should seldom if ever result in incarceration. Peace ... or War!

Wingnut Welfare Stem Cell "Research" Challenged

2006-07-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Dr. David A. Prentice is pictured to the left. At The Family Research Council (see PFAW's Right Wing Watch for more on FRC), Dr. Prentice serves as Senior Fellow for Life Sciences, Center for Human Life and Bioethics. His Ph.D. in Biochemistry was earned at Kansas. He was formerly Professor of Life Sciences at Indiana State University and is now Adjunct Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics for Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM has him listed as secondary faculty at Terre Haute).

Dr. Prentice is also an Advisory Board Member for Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. (I think just a bad picure, but that mustache hardly represents "human dignity". ) He is a founding member (along with maybe a zillion others from pastors to patients to John Birchers to ...) of "Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics" (Their URL is http://www.stemcellresearch.org/) plus he serves as a Fellow of both the Wilberforce Forum Council for Biotechnology Policy (A Chuck Colson, Nixon's "evil genuis" sent to the slammer for Watergate but guilty of plenty more, operation) and the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future.

I've at least mentioned Wingnut Welfare before as Captain Plaid yet the PFAW's "Buying a Movement" is always a great place to start in examing how the Big Mules get and hold power. Jane's FireDogLake work on Pajamas Media shows how the right tries to stay ahead or at least caught up with all forms of information/media. That "research" is provided by Big Oil and other polluters to muddy the water on climate change should no surprise but this pseudo-science is about getting votes from the Evangelical and related "values voters". Having seemingly legit science behind the politicians and pundits let them play the Mighty Wurlitzer much easier.

Here, finally the readers exclaim, is the inspiration for the post. Rick Weiss of the WaPo gives us "Clash Over Stem Cell Research Heats Up: Scientists Dispute Claims of Leading Foe of Bill to Ease Embryo Restrictions". The article contains the following:

The letter to the journal focused on David A. Prentice, a scientist with the conservative Family Research Council. Prentice has been an adviser to Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) -- a leader in the charge to maintain tight restrictions on the research -- and an "expert source" often cited by opponents of embryonic stem cell research.
Prentice has repeatedly claimed that adult stem cells, which can be retrieved harmlessly from adults, have at least as much medical potential as embryonic cells. He often carries a binder filled with references to scientific papers that he says prove the value of adult stem cells as treatments for at least 65 diseases.
In the letter to Science, however, three researchers went through Prentice's footnoted documentation and concluded that most of his examples are wrong.
"Prentice not only misrepresents existing adult stem cell treatments but also frequently distorts the nature and content of the references he cites," wrote Shane Smith of the Children's Neurobiological Solutions Foundation in Santa Barbara, Calif.; William B. Neaves of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Mo.; and Steven Teitelbaum of Washington University in St. Louis. ...
"By promoting the falsehood that adult stem cell treatments are already in general use for 65 diseases and injuries, Prentice and those who repeat his claims mislead laypeople and cruelly deceive patients," the scientists wrote.
Prentice, in a brief voice message left for a reporter as he embarked on a trip yesterday, said, "I appreciate them pointing out some of the things . . . that need to be changed and updated." But he accused the letter writers of "mental gymnastics" by focusing narrowly on proven therapies, as opposed to the large number of diseases for which the value of adult stem cells is now being tested.

Mental gymnastics indeed. I recently watched J.C. Watts shilling perhaps Dr. Prentice's own "research" and thought of Watt's athleticism qualifying him to play pundit now. He's earned his cred with time in DC. JC had the talking points ready. Just like playing QB at Oklahoma. Coach Rove calls the plays and JC does the rest. And we must give a big shout out to "God's Senator" Sam Brownback. "I am Sam" needs to read this PDF file before citing the "research" on adult stem cells. What's the matter with Kansas most certainly comes to mind with the Sam and Pat show.

Neo-con Bill Kristol's Weekly Standard writing on stem cells was referenced in the reporting. I believe this "Stem the Tide" might be the piece but, if not, it is close enough to reveal his "thinking". Getting us into the Iraq disaster wasn't enough for Bill as he's working on Iran I fear next yet to have him lecturing on "morals" makes me want to Ralph.

On Monday I'll try to call Representative Mike Rogers and Senator Richard Shelby and even Senantor/Presidential draftee Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (maybe Stormie will answer the phone?) to register my position. I'm not optimistic yet we'll hope. I do think that a veto might be a "silver bullet" for the Democrats this fall so at least we might get that from Bu$hCo. Rove can energize the wingnut base for 2006 in a hope to avoid one chamber getting investigations going with subpoena power but this may be a costly move. Peace ... or War!

The Christianists of Rapture Ready

2006-07-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus would certainly not be a Democrat, nor even a Republican, although the Rapture Ready crowd certainly favors the GOP. Here's the scariest portion:

... Even within a republican form of democratic government, such as America's, majority input is supposed to serve as society's guiding principles. With 90 million claiming to be evangelical believers, those Christians have a constitutional right and a moral responsibility to demand that Christian values be reflected in American society.
Tragically, rather than exerting stronger influence on culture, evangelical Christianity seems to be losing the battle in producing godly results within the American political process. This is due primarily to many federal judges of this nation being allowed to legislate from the benches of the courts they have given over to the humanists.
Thankfully, one day, when Christ reigns and rules on earth, the humanistic form of governance will be a long-past memory. ...

.... Because we all will have to give an account of our lives, it is very important to realize the choices we make in the privacy of a voting booth will someday need to be defended before the open throne of God.
All end-time minded Christians should know that at some point freedom and liberty will be surrendered to a global government.
The Bible tells us the God of this world is the devil. The influence of Satan is the reason 90 percent of the press and Hollywood elite are liberals who vote exclusively for the Democratic Party. The one-minded eagerness of the left to influence the electoral process should act as a warning sign to the conservative base of this nation.
You can be a perfectionist and find a hundred things wrong with the Republicans. It is serious error to try compare a floundering friend to a deadly enemy.
Human government never will be able to solve the world's problems. There never will be true peace until the Prince of Peace establishes His Millennial Kingdom. That understood, until the Lord Jesus comes for His Church in the rapture -- presuming both major political parties in America continue to hold to their present party lines -- it is the view of Rapture Ready that Republican values are America's best political option.

I noted some of these folks are orgasmic about Israel and Hezbollah squaring off on various message board posts at Rapture Ready. These people seems totally whacked to me and yet I know some polls suggest something like over half of Americans think Jesus will come back soon. I expect down here in the Heart of Dixie in the Bible Belt the numbers are even scarier. Peace ... or War!

Loretta Nall's "Lower than Dogs" Blog Post

2006-07-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Loretta Nall is running for Governor in Alabama. Show her some love although I'm thinking she's no longer doing the "flash for cash" stunt. Ms. Nall's blog has "Lower than Dogs" telling of her experience with "Don", a 56 year old from South Alabama dealing with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma, diabetes and neuropathy. Collared by "The Man" for marijuana, Ms. Nall drove down for Don's "rights hearing" in Butler. Good writing. Here's hoping Don gets a scrapper for a lawyer. We'll all want to consider keeping up the fight as Ms. Nall has yet I appreciate her efforts. She's got an open invite for "Thursday Night Happy Hour" up here in The Highlands. Peace ... or War!

Bu$hCo's first veto may be on stem cell research

2006-07-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Laura Bu$h taking a break from smoking on the campaign trail perhaps?

Karl Rove is telling a Denver paper that Dubyah will veto the stem cell legislation poised to pass Congress.

The package will increase funding and apparently remove the "existing lines" straddle that Bu$hCo used back when their right wing base wasn't so critical.

Here's my favorite from divide and conquer Karl:

He said research shows “we have far more promise from adult stem cells than from embryonic stem cells.”

Having Karl Rove cite research is sort of like Laura Bu$h formulating educational policy. Dead wrong on that one Karl as research concludes just the opposite. You guys deny climate change based on bogus research but I'm not sure you've even got any pseudo-think tank deep lobbying stuff to fall back on here.

Micheal Kinsley (yes I'm do a rare link to Slate) summed up Bu$hCo's stem cell position way back in 2003.

If he's got both his facts and his logic wrong—and he has—Bush's alleged moral anguish on this subject is unimpressive. In fact, it is insulting to the people (including me) whose lives could be saved or redeemed by the medical breakthroughs Bush's stem-cell policy is preventing.
This is not a policy disagreement. Or rather, it is not only a policy disagreement. If the president is not a complete moron—and he probably is not—he is a hardened cynic, staging moral anguish he does not feel, pandering to people he cannot possibly agree with, and sacrificing the future of many American citizens for short-term political advantage.
Is that a good enough reason to dislike him personally?

There are plenty of good reasons to dislike this President. I'm a Bu$h hater for his policies and posturing. It is hard to not loathe him as a person. Peace ... or War!

Alabama Same-Sex Partner Adoption Denial to come before Court of Civil Appeals

2006-07-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

With a tip of the tam to AP' s Robb Cobb for the image, to the left you see Cari Searcy holding Khaya Ray Searcy who is the biological child of Cari's partner Kim McKeand. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals will be addressing the denial of Cari's petition to adopt Khaya by a Mobile Probate Court.

The AP's Amanda Thomas piece "Same-sex partner suing for parental rights" appears in The Decatur Daily. Good writing and don't you love that image. The couple met at school in Texas and have been in Mobile for five years. It appears they are well accepted in their community.

I hope they are getting some help in the case. If I were still practicing I'd be pleased to help. Ought to be an interesting case. If this couple is willing to be in the press as faces for the issue I'd like to think all the Amicus Curiae briefs from the social conservative groups that might very well attack will matter not. Peace ... or War!

UPDATE - 8:50ish - Tax guru Wheeler at Alablawg isn't optimistic about their chances yet celebrates their love and this child. The court might take a narrow view indeed yet I'm not so certain it fails on "Any adult or husband or wife jointly". I thinking the Code simply doesn't cover this situation so the Court is going to able to go either way. I wasn't going to mention the fact that five white church going (two Baptist deacons!) Republican men will decide this case but I'm afraid those factors could have more to do with the outcome than the statutes. Cari has a tough venue is one certainty I'd offer. I hope they'll give her a chance and perhaps the "Power of Love" can prevail. If they did rule in her favor would the Supremes be able to step in? Will this case become a campaign issue?

WaPo Editorial Board on NY Gay Marriage Ruling

2006-07-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

The WaPo seems correct, or at least close enough, in their "'Gettysburg' for Gay Marriage? : The decision by a New York court changes little." editorial from today's paper. Here is what I wanted to share:

... the most a state court can do is change the legal baseline. State laws, and even state constitutions, are generally easy enough to change that courts cannot force same-sex marriage on an unwilling populace. The fight for marriage equality in New York will simply move to the legislative arena.
So the task for Americans who support same-sex marriage, as we do, has not changed. It is to convince a majority that couples who love each ought to have the state's recognition for lifelong relationships -- and that such recognition poses no threat to heterosexual marriage. Once that happens, it won't matter what the New York court thinks.

I will add that I think the court's decision is a bit Gettysburgish plus I want to stress that courts are simply required to follow the law. I also thought of how courts had (have?) to force the South to do certain things related to Civil Rights when the majority of the electorate was hardly a willing populace. However, I do think the wise policy is to focus on changing minds and hearts. I don't however think that means you abandon the fight in the courts. Here in the Bible Belt I also think settling for "Civil Union" recognition might be the wise strategy. Peace ... or War!

Sam Harris - The End of Faith

2006-07-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

After dogging out James Dobson earlier today I'll counter with Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith : Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason. Salon's Steve Paulson (it will cost you an ad) gives us "The disbeliever : Sam Harris, author of "The End of Faith," on why religious moderates are worse than fundamentalists, 9/11 led us into a deranged holy war, and believers should be treated like alien-abduction kooks." A good interview with substance that ought to be considered.

I thought I'd given us a TruthDig piece on Sam Harris earlier yet can't locate post in archives just yet. I'll give you a Council for Secular Humanism effort that Mr. Harris titled "The Myth of Secular Moral Chaos" and then another from the same source entitled "Reply to a Christian", which I understand is essentially the theme of his next book. Peace ... or War!

Dr. James Dobson Shills for God's Own Party

2006-07-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve been slacking in posting recently although some of this time had me working with the rather long post to follow. Suffering from blog withdrawal symptoms as truly the process of posting is somewhat therapeutic. I’ve been reading and listening and thinking so there is a fair amount of material I'd like to share. We’ll see how much I actually get blogged. Again, regrets on going silent but lots of work about the place has taken much of my time. I'll post this initially on Captain Jimi but may cross post on the other blogs rather than just link.

Just recently the Christian Right’s James Dobson offered “commentary” in CNN that was entitled “Media provides cover for assault on traditional marriage”. I’d have suggested an alternative title might have been “Traditional Marriage Amendment provides cover for failed Republican policies” yet doubt Dr. D would admit or even agree. I regret many of my Evangelical family could get steamed by my confronting Dr. Dobson yet I feel reasonable and rational in doing so. If I earn their wrath or even a simple “Poor baby!” by questioning a dangerous pattern in American politics then I’ll just have to risk.

James Dobson not only twists the facts but I’ll argue he outright lies (either by a sin of commission (on purpose) or by a sin of omission (being willfully ignorant) in his shilling of radical right “thinking”. Twisting or fibbing, he’s simply wrong.

The writing of Dr. Dobson, of “Focus on the Family” and its political arm “Focus on the Family Action”, will follow with my commentary dropped in as appropriate:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- On June 7, the U.S. Senate voted for a second time on an amendment to define marriage in the U.S. Constitution as being exclusively between one man and one woman.
Again this year, the amendment failed to pass by a wide margin, falling 18 votes shy of a required two-thirds majority. The final tally was 49 in favor, 48 opposed.
Rarely has there been a greater disconnect between members of the Senate and the American people who put them in power. With the help of the media, which laid down "cover" by claiming voters didn't care about marriage, 40 Democrats, one Independent and seven Republicans turned their backs on this most basic social institution.
Let's examine the claim that traditional marriage lacks support in the court of public opinion. As it always does when conservative issues are being debated, the liberal press produced a series of trumped-up polls indicating the issue was of no interest nationally. However, there was another "poll" that the media completely ignored. In fact, there were 19 of them. They represented the 19 states in which voters overwhelmingly defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.

“Trumped up polls” presented by “liberal media”? You write of “disconnect” but do you mean like that evidenced by a majority of Americans wanting to “cut and run” (You love those Rove talking points don’t you Dr. D!) from Iraq only to have the GOP game the debate on Iraq? Of course the Republican Party and Bu$hCo is rather disconnected from even General Casey on Iraq it seems. God’s Own Party is ignoring the polls on Iraq policy, which might be appropriate given the lack of understanding repeatedly demonstrated by our public, yet isn’t the irony rather tasty. The Marriage Amendment was distraction, sort of like bashing the New York Times. It was also pandering to the base, sort of like Terri Schiavo. I’d also add that it was well into the seventies before a majority of Americans believed interracial marriages ought to be legal. Would you deny that relying on polling data can be rather dangerous given this fact?

Not one state has chosen by popular vote to permit marriages between homosexuals. Support for the family has been affirmed in every instance.

“Support for the family” on various state amendments that matters only to fundamentalist is hardly demonstrated. The Christianist church leadership rallies the base to go vote and many folks simply don't give a darn one way or the other. A real vote on simply fairness to individuals might reveal another pattern. Once again, the polls have seemed rather consistent. God’s Own Party has done more damage (rather than support!) to “the family” over these last twenty five years. Working families are increasingly pressured. The Clinton years were at least marginally better, despite Newt and the GOP in control, yet the reality is I’d argue indisputable ... unless you John Stossel the figures.

In Mississippi, traditional marriage was approved by a whopping 86 percent majority. Other state votes registered similar wide margins: Nevada (70 percent), Arkansas (75 percent), Georgia (77 percent), Kentucky (75 percent), Louisiana (78 percent), Nebraska (70 percent), Missouri (71 percent), Montana (66 percent), North Dakota (73 percent), Ohio (62 percent), Michigan (59 percent), Oklahoma (76 percent), Utah (66 percent), Kansas (70 percent) and Texas (75 percent). Even states considered to be more liberal voted for traditional marriage, including Hawaii (69 percent), Alaska (68 percent) and Oregon (57 percent).

Although I’ll cover Alabama’s 81 to 19 percent split in just a bit on Amendment One, the idea that these votes are “polls” is staggering. The Montgomery Advertiser, hardly a bastion of liberalism, simply calls interpretations “highly misleading”.

Indeed, on the day before 48 senators bailed on marriage, a 20th state voted on its own constitutional amendment. It was Alabama, which supported traditional marriage by 81 percent to 19 percent! A search of the database Nexis revealed that not one reference to this dramatic vote in Alabama was published in the print versions of The New York Times or Washington Post. There was virtually no mention of the story in other national newspapers. Yet, each of them devoted considerable coverage to the Senate's defeat of the Marriage Protection Amendment.

Dr. Dobson, I know you aren’t stupid, although your radical religion/politics surely seems odd, so to suggest the NYT or WaPo left this out as some sort of scheme is revealing. The NYT has this article behind the Select service now yet the International Herald Tribune, passing along the reporting of NYT reporter Jim Rutenberg, reveals at least the run up to the issue in Alabama plus other states. You and yours likely consider The Moonie Times as authority and they came through for you with this June 8th article. Holding Alabama up as a measure of the pulse of America is straining. Everybody knew that down here in the Bible Belt this thing would pass. We barely passed an amendment blessing interracial marriages and failed to pass one clarifying that segregated schools aren’t kosher yet we’ll surely not have boys marrying boys.

CNN and the mainstream televised news networks uttered hardly a peep about the Alabama decision. Why was the issue buried? Because the "poll" in Alabama and 19 other states didn't match the template put forward by those who wanted the amendment to be crushed. Their bias against the family is breathtaking.

“Breathtaking” and “bias” and “buried” and … Since McCain, Giuliani, and Gingrich have had so many different families perhaps they can do something about “the bias against the family”? Your boy Ryan is on #2 I think as well. At least he learned tolerance, or rather the lack of it, from you.

As for the senators who voted against the amendment, the excuses they gave were pitiful. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island, Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minnesota, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire, and many others thought they had the perfect alibi. They claimed that the issue should be handled at the state level. What hypocrisy!

“Hypocrisy” and “pitiful”? CBS reports, “Forty-five of the 50 states have acted to define traditional marriage in ways that would ban same-sex marriage _ 19 with constitutional amendments and 26 with statutes.” They also cite a recent ABC poll revealing that barely 40% of Americans favor a Constitutional Amendment on this “issue”. With these facts, which are indeed “stubborn things” per Reagan, the folks voting for including discrimination in the U.S. Constitution are the ones needing the alibi!

All of these senators are smart enough to know that, first, it would create utter chaos to have 50 different definitions of marriage in one country, where every state is required by the Constitution to support the laws of the other 49. Come on, Senator McCain and company. You and your colleagues know better than that.

Comity is beautiful concept Dr. D but I’ll not bother explaining. Historically states have always made the call for marital ages of consent, divorce laws, etc. and things seem to be working. Hell, even your fellow travelers at Faux News share a recent poll (5th page and a PDF warning!) with 48% of Americans thinking marriage ought to be a state matter. Only 38% (with just 45% of Republicans taking an affirmative position!) think it is appropriate for the federal government to be involved. By the way, the “Red States” seem to have lots more divorces than the “Blue States”.

Second, senators wanting the states to define marriage are fully aware that the people will not be permitted to make their own decisions. Arrogant activist judges, most of them appointed by President Bill Clinton or President Jimmy Carter, will simply overturn the will of the electorate.

“Arrogant activist judges”? If “arrogant” is following the law, or attempting to do the best they can with often rather complex legal issues, maybe that works yet you are simply being Karl Rove’s mouthpiece here Dr. Dobson. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in Goodrich vs. Dept. of Public Health (2003), which is likely the case you have the biggest beef with, was a 4-3 opinion written by Margaret Marshall. Justice Marshall was appointed to the court and then named as Chief Justice by two Republican governors. It would appear that all the Justices on this Court were appointed by Republicans save Justice Greaney since Michael Dukakis was the last Democrat serving as Executive way back in 1991. This is a STATE court interpreting their Massachusetts Constitution. Additionally, if you assume half of Americans are opposed to same sex marriages and also that only perhaps 5% of Americans are homosexual then perhaps you’d see why the courts have to get involved. Politicians like to dodge the tough stuff often. Courts unfortuantely have to act on matters that elected officials fail to address.

It has already happened in Nebraska, Georgia and Louisiana. Furthermore, nearly 20 cases in 10 states are currently pending that challenge the traditional definition of marriage. For example, a federal judge in Washington state is considering a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. And finally, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority in Lawrence v. Texas, made it clear that he and his colleagues are likely to redefine marriage when given an opportunity.

I’m glad you know about DOMA. It seems like plenty in DC think that the feds do have a role in marriage after all. I’m confused about your trashing those Senators that didn’t want to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution. Why do you/we need a Constitutional Amendment with DOMA already federal law? I know it is likely bad law but it has stood for many years now. Justice Kennedy, via Lawrence vs. Texas, is going to redefine marriage? Huh? The issues in Lawrence are indeed complicated and his rationale did deviate at least partially from the line of cases flowing from Bowers. Still, “that dog won’t hunt” Dr. Dobson. By the way, Justice Kennedy was nominated by Ronald Reagan.

As for "It has already happened in Nebraska, Georgia and Louisiana," I’m not sure what “it” is. In that you likely are talking about “liberal activist judges” striking down bans on same sex marriages, indeed U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon of Nebraska was appointed by Slick Willy. This case was appealed to the Circuit Court with no opinion issued as best as I can tell from a quick search. On appeal means “it doesn’t count yet” Dr. Dobson.

As for Georgia, this is STATE court with DINO Zell Miller, a crazy and lying son of bitch indeed that you Republicans are welcome to have, appointing the perpetrator, who ruled merely on a technical problem with how the state’s Amendment was presented. Again, this case, like the last, is on appeal. The Court had even agreed to rule in an expedited fashion so Governor Sonny Purdue can call an expensive special session (before the November election!) to solve this pressing issue should the court rule against the State. Yesterday, Georgia's Supreme Court reversed the trial judge and found the narrow "single issue" is not fatal to the Amendment. New York's Supreme Court also issued an opinion that I think you'd also approve.

In Louisiana, another STATE court, the opinion was authored by an elected Republican judge. The law that District Judge William Morvant found bothersome, merely in the fact that is was viewed as violating the “single subject” requirement, as was the ruling in Georgia, has been found acceptable by the Louisiana Supreme Court. I’m not sure why you would cite a case that is reversed as authority for your CNN piece.

What I’d really like to know if why in the hell you, with a massive budget at Focus on the Family and related efforts with Lord knows how many acolytes bouncing around, can’t do some basic fact checking before you shovel this stuff? You took in $140 million last year James! You can afford to be at least relatively accurate. You were blaming Clinton and Carter yet only one case you cited involved either. And that case is on appeal! Liar? Sloppy? Does it even matter?

The senators who voted against marriage this month knew exactly what they were doing. The truth is they don't give a hoot about the traditional family. The majority of them have voted repeatedly to weaken or undermine this great institution. Check the record.
Most of them consistently supported the marriage penalty tax, which for 32 years (1969 to 2001) imposed a heavier financial burden on moms and dads struggling to feed and nurture their children. Liberal senators are still trying to re-impose that outrageous surcharge even today.

What "Marriage Penalty" tax? Years old false argument that you are still shilling for God's Own Party! Struggling moms and dads might benefit from a more family friendly fiscal policy than your GOP buddies have handed us. I'd love a comparison of real "liberals" love for the average American with "conservatives" love for big business and the investor class. He's gone now (the good do die young it seems) yet Paul Wellstone was certainly a liberal. Here was his suggestion on the "marriage penalty" yet the GOP dared not mess with the Big Mules corporate welfare. I long to see you and your wing nut buddies defend the Bu$hCo approach against a solid proponent of a real family friendly approach that favors the lower and middle class rather than the Big Mules. Citizens for Tax Justice have just released a report that claims 99% of Americans are worse off after the Bu$hCo tax plan than they were before. You wing nuts would wither under facts and common sense. I’d think David Sirota would be a good person to face. Bring all your Reich Wing Taliban and simply face David. David and Goliath(s) Version 2.0? He’d smote you!

So where does the issue go from here? Time will tell. It took William Wilberforce more than 30 years to bring about an end to Britain's slave trade in the 1800s. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of a protracted victory.

You dare compare sexuality to slavery? Even for a fundamentalist wingnut, like you have often demonstrated yourself to be, this is outrageous! What “the luxury of a protracted victory” means is perhaps beyond me yet the “rapture” is my guess! Most Protestant evangelicals are “pre-millennial dispensationalists”. This means they are figuring Christ will come back with Armageddon soon to follow with a thousand years of peace before the final judgment. Dr. Dobson however seems to be a post-millennial dominionist. Dobson and his merry band of wing nuts apparently think they’ve got to get the thousand years of Christian control before JC will come back. BeliefNet might be a decent starting point to understanding this portion of Christian belief for those that aren’t steeped in the “thinking”.

If the battle to protect marriage takes even five more years, liberal judges and activists will have destroyed this 5,000-year-old institution, which was designed by the Creator, Himself. Even now, they are close to achieving that coveted objective.

It reveals much that you think, or are willing to shill, the idea that "liberal judges" have a coveted objective to destroy marriages. Activists are simply seeking fairness under the law and could even perhaps demonstrate their respect for marriage by seeking that status. I love the five years angle as well. Rally the troops for 2006 and 2008!

Dr. Dobson, your argument on a 5000-year old institution simply doesn’t hold up when compared to history. How many wives did those Old Testament guys have? Mitt Romney might be your boy after all? If you assume the earth is only 6000 years old, like some wingnuts do, I guess I can ask if Adam and Eve were even married? I've read some of the Old Testament and it hardly seemed like a good arrangement, especially for women. I also know women in rather recent often couldn't hold property in their own name. Or vote. Or .... Of course since you and the Southern Baptist favor submissive women, perhaps that doesn't trouble you. In that you hold a doctorate from USC you’d think you were better informed. The work of social historian Stephanie Coontz will hardly set you back a Jackson. Here’s how Publishers Weekly reviewed:

When considered in the light of history, "traditional marriage"—the purportedly time-honored institution some argue is in crisis thanks to rising rates of divorce and out-of-wedlock births, not to mention gay marriage—is not so traditional at all. Indeed, Coontz (The Way We Never Were) argues, marriage has always been in flux, and "almost every marital and sexual arrangement we have seen in recent years, however startling it may appear, has been tried somewhere before." Based on extensive research (hers and others'), Coontz's fascinating study places current concepts of marriage in broad historical context, revealing that there is much more to "I do" than meets the eye. In ancient Rome, no distinction was made between cohabitation and marriage; during the Middle Ages, marriage was regarded less as a bond of love than as a " 'career' decision"; in the Victorian era, the increasingly important idea of true love "undermined the gender hierarchy of the home" (in the past, men—rulers of the household—were encouraged to punish insufficiently obedient wives). Coontz explains marriage as a way of ensuring a domestic labor force, as a political tool and as a flexible reflection of changing social standards and desires. She presents her arguments clearly, offering an excellent balance between the scholarly and the readable in this timely, important book.

Returning to Doctor Dobson's directives to his Christianist Soldiers:

I ask my fellow Americans to note the senators who did and did not defend marriage in its hour of need, and then to "vote their consciences" in 2006 and 2008. If large numbers of them do so, there could be some new faces in the Congress soon.
The angst of voters could also result in the election of a president who will fight for the preservation of the family. That would be sweet, indeed.

Again, preserving the family means so much more than what you are imagining. Preserved families don’t have Mom and Dad sent to fight a war of choice. Thousands of innocent Iraqi families might have also been preserved if another administration had been running the show. Living wages allow parents to have some time for the children. Universal health care seems rather preserving. Clear air and water plus accepting that climate change is reality might be a good move. Deficits have created a burden of at least a hundred grand for each of our families. To have the Big Mules rewarded by Bu$hCo on the backs of families seems undeniable. I do like the fact you realized you got used once again. Thomas Frank argues you guys vote for family values and get tax cuts for the millionaires. Wake up Dr. Dobson and quit helping these crooks! That would be sweet!

I’m going to drop several comments in as well. Revealing indeed the support from Alabama!

Hear! Hear! First smart thing I've read in a very long time. Kathy, Birmingham, Alabama
James Dobson says the country wants marriage between a man and a woman and faults senators for not listening to their districts. But what if it were reverse? What if Americans did want gay marriage allowed? He'd fault the American citizens and be angry at senators for going against "traditional family." Josh, Columbus, Ohio
James Dobson is right on. Even though I live in conservative Oklahoma we do business from coast-to-coast and this is one issue I have found very little disagreement on except from "gay agenda" friends. I wish Washington representatives would truly reflect the majority of their electorate. What a shock and surprise that would be! David McReynolds, Edmond, Oklahoma
The media is not biased against family; it's biased against bigotry and discrimination. As any decent, compassionate person should be. Meriwether Broaddus, Richmond, Virginia
Wow -- Kudos to you for: 1) Publishing the piece and 2) Having the guts to post its link on your home page. Not a CNN fan but I love it when media prints opposing views. It lends credibility to your news organization. Wes Perry, Methuen, Massachusetts
Whose marriage needs protecting from homosexuals? Not mine, certainly. As far as the state is concerned, marriage is a contract. It's not the job of any government official to say whether or not it gets God's stamp of approval. That's for religions to decide, and even Christian churches are not unanimous on the subject. James, Arlington, Virginia
Excellent! One of the best commentaries I have read on the CNN web site. It contains truth, plain truth. The media views its job to promote their agenda. Reporting the news is secondary. Paul, Appleton, Wisconsin
Here's the thing. If you don't want to marry a person of the opposite sex, don't. If you do, you should be allowed to. No it is not the same as dating your sister or a dog. Science has proven that being gay is no different from being blonde. It is pre-determined. Logan, New York, New York
Thanks for speaking the mind of the majority in America. Since when does Congress think our votes won't matter when it comes to marriage? Wake up senators, your days are numbered. Donna, Montgomery, Alabama
In all the arguments regarding gay marriage I have yet to hear how exactly this impacts heterosexual marriage. James Dobson raises the tired old "defense of marriage" cliche but never says how or why it needs defending. Gay marriage actually would strengthen the institution of marriage by making it the vehicle by which all families are structured. Steve Marchillo, Claremont, California

No doubt Kathy makes a fine Alabamian. Very long time indeed I’d expect on the smart reading. David, you Oklahoma folks have elected this fine representative. Heck of a job David! As for Paul, I recall reading, you do know how that works don’t you Paul, about George Wallace being warmly received in Wisconsin. I imagine you are not going to be a Feingold supporter. You really don’t deserve him. I’ll trade you both Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby for Russ. Donna, your Senators from Alabama, not mine mind you as I will claim neither, are on board with the radical right. They’ll support this American Taliban although Jeff has it seems a thing for pretty young gals. I’ve always heard rumors about Senator Shelby’s “appetites” but you can count on them speaking for your stand on “marriage”. Notice also that nearly all the wingnuts above know the GOP "talking points" on "liberal media" and the like. Logan of NYC, "science" isn't exactly authority for the Christianist community so that might not matter. Plus, they've got some "research" arms that will supply them with "science" more to their liking when push comes to shove.

I’ve spent some serious time with James Dobson over this post. He’s due plenty more yet I’ll stop with this. Could very well come back and update or drop in some more links at least. That he reaches such a large audience that swallow pretty much whatever he feeds them makes it necessary to confront his “logic”. Peace … or War!

"Family Activist" Defends Ozzie Guillen "Fag" Slur

2006-06-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Bob Cook via MSNBC suggests "Guillen must learn any slur unacceptable : MLB sends a message, hopefully it will get through" yet "family activist" Pete LaBarbera weighs in via Jim Brown's Agape Press reporting another view with "Baseball Strikes Out in Reacting to Guillen's Comment, Says Family Activist". To have this wing nut defending Guillen, described by Mr. Cook as " ... Guillen launching enough f-bombs to require United Nations consideration of authorizing an anti-profanity peacekeeping force." seems like rather a stretch, as does The Illinois Family Institute. I understand Ozzie has a history in this type of slur and yet his actions are hardly worth a statement by Mr. LaBarbera. Peace ... or War!

The Modern GOP - Masters of Distraction

2006-06-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Tip of the Tam to Mike Keefe of The Denver Post for the above with the image supplied by Daryl Cagle's Professional Carton Index on MSNBC. Be sure to check out my Captain Plaid post on Mark Fiore for the alternative distraction of boys marrying boys. Shame on any Senator, and that includes you Senator Clinton, that supported this legislation. To join Cuba, China, Iran, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein in this type of restriction shows your enlightenment. Peace ... or War!

Captain Plaid - Why I'll Continue Blogging!

2006-06-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve been busy lately but I’m getting a fair amount done around the property. Time is scarce even with the summer vacation from “teaching” the “scholars” I was working with this past year. I’ve also had some flack from my conservative/evangelical family on my blogging and the rare “Letter to the Editor” to my local rag, even those that were mistakenly viewed as such. My ex-wife has gone on the warpath to boot! I have several projects that are going to take some serious effort and time, plus I’ve got to figure out how to start making a living this Fall. I’ll admit I’ve pondered dropping the whole blogging enterprise. I’d continue to read as much as I could but might stop posting. But I’m not, at least not just yet. Here’s why:

Blogging gives me a chance to vent. “If you aren’t outraged then you aren’t paying attention!” seems to work for me. I am often amazed at the lack of understanding in our “leadership” from the national to local level. Journalist and pundits disappoint me as well at times yet the pseudo-commentators and Astroturf organizations and those playing The Mighty Wurlitzer deserve my/our scorn.
Blogging lets me communicate and connect. I do read several major and also a few minor blogs yet rarely comment. However, I can feel connections with others that are concerned enough to share. I’m stuck here in the boonies of East Alabama with less human contact than might be ideal. I like being alone at times yet admittedly enjoy intellectual discourse and basic banter about the things of life. Sharing ideas and thoughts seems so human. Blogging, both reading and writing posts, seems very suitable for that process.
Writing, and thinking for that matter, can be a creative release. I like to build and do. I am sure my mind is improved from the process. Seems harmless at least. I’d love to be able to profit financially from the work yet doubt that will happen. But I do profit in other ways.
I truly learn from reading and thinking. Blogs, plus the links and resources they’ve sent me to as well, have taught me so much. I am learning how to be a better writer, with a long ways to go admittedly, yet even this relatively well-educated man learns plenty every day from reading the posts of some super smart folks. I believe we should learn until we die. When we stop learning then we might as well check out. I’m just forty. I think often that a well seasoned man could contribute to this sort of effort even it he can’t work like a young man.
This blogging seems so democratic. Regular folks are able to challenge the authorities and powerful and those with an audience. The marketplace of ideas on steroids it seems.
Blogging is a bargain. A high speed line tied to an admittedly old computer and I’m there. Lots of bang for the buck it seems.
Blogging expands my world. I get to read ideas from people around the planet that I’d otherwise never know. I get views certainly from locations that I’m not likely to visit. I hear from the Left Coast to DC to Philly to NYC to The ATL to Colorado to …
I feel more patriotic by blogging. I’m connected to a group that cares about our nation. We often are critical of our governments yet I think that is the ultimate sign of patriotism. We seek the ideal that this country can be. I believe in the work of the ACLU and other groups that seek the protections of those freedoms and traditions that makes this nation still worth saving. I believe in social justice and these efforts allow me to work in those fields.
I like politics and public policy. Armchair wonk? My four main blogs had been thought out as “thinking globally and acting locally”, with Marque Stuart being an aside that I hope to return to as able. Captain Plaid (nation/world) to Captain Bama (region) to Tin Shop Tartan (local) work in that continuum. Captain Jimi lets me fight the culture war in one location yet I continue to believe there’s often overlap in all areas. I still think Progressivism may best be "sold” through local applications. Fighting back against conservatism’s powerful message machine almost requires insurgency on the local level given how the mainstream media and some Democrats continue to let them get away with distortions and talking points. Also, some centrist Democrats are nearly as bad at the GOP with their allegiances to The Big Mules very certain. Progressives have few leaders on the national stage, with Russ Feingold being one exception it seems. In Alabama and locally, Lefty Progressives are even more rare.
Finally, I blogged on Howard Zinn via Captain Plaid just yesterday. One segment he wrote was “…we still might accept as our civic duty the responsibility to buttress our fellow citizens against the mendacity of our high officials.” So I’m carrying out my “civic duty” perhaps? “Responsibility” is a good word. We do the painful at times due to duty. Nothing could be more important for citizens of our world than to engage and care. I do.

I’ll soldier on, as always. Peace … or War!

No glove? Then No Love! HPV risks reduced by half simply by doing the jimi thing!

2006-06-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Sarah Goldstein via Broadsheet on Salon reports "News flash! Condoms protect against HPV" citing a new and apparently solid study done at the U of Washington and funded by the feds National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Not a perfect solution but a good start and I'd rather cut risks by half than not.

With the new HPV vaccine coming on to the market the combination sounds promising yet the next battle is whether it will be mandatory and paid for by insurance and/or the government. I'd love to see this of course yet if parents decide to opt their kids out of the vaccine I can live with that, as long as they are given the full information before they make their decision. If this "education" is required of women in some locations before they can make their own reproductive decisions then I'd think the logic could be extended in the other direcction. As a bonus, the information conveyed might convince the kids to keep their clothes on a little longer! Or at least strap on jimi before they they get busy.

Of course the Dobsonites and other Reich Wingers preaching "abstinence only" approaches, including the Bu$hCo cabal, will continue to live in fantasy land I fear. While part of their "thinking" resonates with me, the manner in which they wall off the need for comprehensive sex education quickly gets my Scots up. Peace ... or War!

The Father, Son, & the Holy Ghost 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 ...

2006-06-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Wheeler at Alablawg has made me chuckle! His In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti is priceless. Wheeler's link to the B'ham News coverage of The Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly assembling, in High Jefferson style I'd bet, up in his neck of the woods is also worth a visit. Peace ... or War!

So How Does the Big Mule GOP Stay in Power?

2006-06-21T04:45:00.000-07:00

I'm borrowing this from MSNBC's Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonist Index, one of my favorite sources for some time.

The actual artist is Richard Crowson of The Wichita Eagle, Kansas. Kansas as in "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."? The heart of the Heartland? Indeed so it appears. Actually, Kansas immediately came to mind when I saw the image. This is because I've read Thomas Frank's "What's the Matter with Kansas : How Conservatives Won the Heartland of America"

I'm not sure what Mr. Crowson has in mind with the critter he has harnessed up and pulling the GOP but he's labeled the equine as "Conservatives". If we accept the animal doing the pulling as at least Donkeyesque then I'm certainly able to work with that, mostly from Mr. Frank's work plus that of Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders in their South-oriented "Foxes in the Henhouse" as well.

Here's how I deconstruct the cartoon. Big fat traditional GOP business and monied class has no prayer of getting elected if people were aware of how Washington (or Montgomery or Atlanta or ...) truly worked. Numbers of working class Americans are increasingly not being served by the GOP, and some "centrist" Democrats as well.

Furthermore, some folks from the heartland are often feeling threatened by economics and change and ... Richard 's Hofstader's "The Paranoid Style in American Politics", published the year before I was born, has helped me in getting a handle on this theory that extremist could and would exploit fear here. This has often worked in our society, scared and anti-intellectual being our default settings perhaps, according to this top-drawer historian. (Hofstader was thinking about radicals like Goldwater Republicans and The John Birch Society ... Tim LaHaye of the Left Behind duo was a Bircher by the way... using the fear of Communism and the like to gain power. I think his ideas certainly apply to the modern blend of social and paleo conservatives making up the base of the GOP these days. Throw in race and darned if the last forty years haven't been a wild ride on the Paranoid Pony!)

Using often emotional tactics and "wedge issues", bolstered by an impressive infrastructure started way back in the early 1970s, Big Mule Republicans have gained and retained power with this bait and switch approach. I'll let Professor Alterman and Paul McLeary explain the structures in more detail. Thomas Frank wrote something like "Vote for The Culture of Life and get what benefits the Country Club Capitalist Class."

When the going gets tough, the tough get divisive? Karl Rove and many of the Atwater sytle GOP operatives learned to use division of the electorate to get 50% plus 1. "Just win baby!" Like deploying the National Guard to the southern border to soothe the paleo-conservatives, there can be no doubt that this Marriage Protection Amendment foolishness is for rallying the evangelical base this November. Social Conservatives helped old Dubyah out in 2004 so why not go to the well one more time?

A bonus is that this legislation facade is distracting some of the American public from Iraq, the economy, twenty five years of a growing gap between the haves and have nots, scandals from Abramoff to Libby to DeLay to ..., climate change, Katrina chaos, energy woes, cronyism, budget deficits, torture, domestic spying, pulling most troops from Afghanistan to go a neo-con crusade, allowing North Korea and Iraq to go bolder as we are bogged down in Iraq, corporate scandals, environmental troubles, dreadful results of No Child Left Behind, etc. Before I leave this line of reasoning, please notice the blinders on the bridle. "Blinded by the Right" can be our theme music. Regrets to Manfred Mann, whom I once did a real estate closing with by the way.

I used to talk to my students about "Two ways to get what you want. One's a carrot and the other is the stick." What is the stick? Right now it seems the stick approach is to flair the fear. Bu$hCo needs to remain in control of both houses. See if one just one falls into control of the Democrats then real investigatation might result. Legislation might then flow from the Democrats instead of being bottled up by the Majority Party. The Rove approach is present in ... "If you think we suck then think what might happen if those lefty Democrats get power!" They'll hold hearings or even try to impeach "Our Leader". Boys will be marrying boys! Taxes will go through the roof! They'll take your property to build abortion clinics! They'll make us all learn Spanish even though they really want us to learn French! They'll not bring bin Laden to justice ... er ... Well they'll take ten years when we've only been at this for five. They'll have us fighting the terrorist here while Our Leader has been fighting them there. And my favorite, stright from Bu$h's Brain Karl Rove is of course "They'll 'cut and run' in the Global War on Terror!" Expect more "Orange Alerts" this fall folks!

Simple approach for simple people? Noise and emotion? Divide and conquer? Peace ... or War!

Women Deserve Better from Alabama Legislature

2006-06-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Sabel, acting president of the Montgomery chapter of the National Organization for Women, appears in The Montgomery Advertiser with an op-ed entitled "ALABAMA VOICES: Bill pushes women into second-class citizenship" tackling the proposed abortion ban that Fundamentalists tried to get through the Alabama legislature this year. Ms. Sabel builds off figures that suggest that 80% of all rapes go unreported and the certain fact that 100% of rapes undoubtedly makes women victims. Wing nut Hank Erwin, who credited New Orleans' sins for attracting Katrina's wrath, plus John Giles of the radical Alabama Christian Coalition, and finally Rev./Dr. Dan Ireland were quoted. Ms. Sabel closes with

A society that does not respect and value its women and preaches the Dark Ages mentality of women being subservient, powerless and unequal is doomed. Women are one-half of humanity. We must unite and stand shoulder to shoulder, demanding justice for girls and women, and rejecting that Dark Ages mandate that women must "submit" to men, which continues to be used to attempt to make us second-class citizens, rather than equal partners in our society. There can be no compromise.

Dark Ages mentality indeed and submit my ass. I want a partner not property. We can make abortion safe, legal, and very rare. The best way to create a culture of life is with economic policies and good health care and access to contraceptives and education and ... but these fundamentalist seem to always focus on taking away a woman's right to control her own body. I'll show that I value women by hoping we'll provide the newly approved HPV vaccines for girls and young women should the costs, I think around several hundred dollars a person, be too much. I've claimed it before and I'll claim it again by offering "If men could get pregnant then abortion on demand would be the law of the land." Well done! Peace ... or War!

Is Lynn Westmoreland dumb as a bucket of spit?

2006-06-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

I'm cutting much of my original post in that I later expanded my "thinking" on Congressman Westmoreland's Four Commandments. I also decided I'd drop the work on Captain Bama as "Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert gets to know yet another Georgia Gooper" Blogger is being contrary, as usual, on letting me post an image so I wound up putting a related photo here. Peace … or War!

I knew there was something fishy about Ann!

2006-06-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

Tip of the tam to Jesus General for the link. Please show Mike Tidmus some click through love for his work on "Crazy as a run over dog!" Ann Coulter. Mary Cheney's cover is likewise priceless but I'm making you hunt for Spawn of Dick. I know Angry Ann's holding a trout yet we have to admit finding cod graphics can be a real chore, even across the pond. From a quick dash about his site this guy seems really talented, in his design work and snark and ... If noted by J.C. Christian I'm sure there's plenty more. Peace ... or War!

Rubber Stamp Congress Again Covers for W

2006-06-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

Karl Rove Suggests "Dubyah's Distraction"

2006-06-13T01:45:00.000-07:00

Ann Coulter's America as seen across the pond

2006-06-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

With a tip of the tam to Professor Eric Alterman, whom I credit for keeping me convinced I wasn't totally insane until I discovered the lefty blogosphere and other Progressive resources that I'd admittedly missed for too long, The Guardian serves up Gaby Wood's "Lethally Blond", which appeared in Sunday's Observer. It is interesting how Ann Coulter is viewed by people from other cultures and nations. Gaby Wood wrote of Ann's "puppy" traits and I nearly fell out my chair! (Personal note to our old collie - It is good to know you are getting to eat beef at least. Old Ralph would have wanted it that way as well!) Her "popularity" says much about our nation I fear. She's combative by default, often dead wrong, lacking in any measure of tact, and seemingly nuts! Our society, and I certainly include the so-called liberal media in the mix, is nearly as nuts to give her even a partially legitimate venue to shill her hate and foolishness. That she has an action figure as pictured above is likely appropriate for a symbol of just how far we've lowered the bar. (Speaking of the bar, I still would not be surprised if Ms. Coulter had not just closed one down when she appeared on The Today Show with Matt Lauer just recently.) At least the 101st Fighting Keyboarders have someone to talk with when they serve "Our Leader". Peace ... or War!

OUR Daily Bread, Crazy Ann Coulter, and Christian Nationalism

2006-06-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Knocked off my alleged high horse perhaps, as I'm sure my "enlightened" family might prefer to think I'm on, or maybe just tired, I've admittedly been slack this weekend. Reading lots as I take a break from being out in the heat and humidity and dust (damn it is dry in the highlands!) so I've got material. Let's start with Bill Moyers' "Pass the Bread" which is the Baccalaureate Address he delivered at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York back on May 20th. Common Dreams serves this up as one of the most emailed stories. I read some time back yet it loved the part about about "Give US OUR daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer.

And then Common Dreams provides ink and space (or maybe just bytes and bandwidth?) for Tony Norman's "If Ann Coulter's a Christian, I'll Be Damned". I'm with you Tony! She's hardly disowned by today's ReThuglicans as she's feeding their often radical and ignorant base. Her ideas about "liberalism" as ignorant indeed yet I'd rather be in that church than the one that hasn't tossed her out on her narrow ass.

Finally, I think at least somewhat related to the above, I finished Michelle Goldberg's "Kingdom Coming : The Rise of Christian Nationalism" this weekend. Very fine work and yet much of what she writes on I fear will continue to hardly get any coverage from the mainstream media. That we are in this place as a nation today where radicalism seems the norm says much.

I'll try to get back in gear this next week. Comments, encouragement, corrections, links ... are always appreciated. Peace ... or War!

More On "Left Behind: Eternal Forces Video Game

2006-06-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

While I'd posted just yesterday on the Left Behind : Eternal Forces video game, Mark Morford of SFGate (The San Francisco Chronicle) gives us "Jesus Loves A Machine Gun : It's the new "Left Behind" video game, where you maim and murder and hate, all in God's name. Praise!" that has me rolling in the floor nearly. Wicked good! The LA Times Dawn C. Chmielewski's take on this isn't too shabby as well. On behalf of "fly over" land "I'm sorry" is all I can offer to the Left Coast. Peace ... or War!

Purpose Driven Jihad? They Can Kiss My Behind!

2006-06-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

American Taliban? I'm still reeling over this discovery. Since I've been slack lately with the Alabama primary (my girls won!) and some family issues I've been out of the loop. With a tip of the tam to Crooks and Liars, here's the first link from Jonathan Hutson at Talk to Action entitled The Purpose Driven Life Takers (Part 1). Here's the "trailer" from"Eternal Forces" as provided by Bruce Wilson at Talk to Action. Violent Video Game Marketed Through Mega-Churches (Part 2) comes in via Jonathan and finally Revelation and Resignation (Part 3) reporting the resignation of Mark Carver as Executive Director for Purpose Driven Church, apparently one of the "brains" behind this outrage. LaHaye's Left Behind Games will likely scoop up this "talent". Peace ... or War!

Should Our Soldiers Holster Their Little Soldiers So They Can Focus on The Weapons of War?

2006-06-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

Tip of the tam to General Jesus for sending us to Station Charon where I swiped the graphic. Bu$hCo is openly pandering to his radical base of Bible Thumpers. Michelle Golberg at HuffPo (I'm reading her book right now!) is a good view of that base. Here's Kos suggesting this pandering might come back to bite Bu$hCo in the butt thought. And here is Kos telling the politicians what would really protect marriage. Peace ... or War!

"Crazy as a Run Over Dog" Alert! Is Campus Crusade for Christ an Instrument of Ann Coulter?

2006-06-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

RJ Eskow via HuffPo gives us "The Evangelighouls - How The Christian Right Exploits War's Youngest Victims" and darned if I didn't think of Ann Coulter's writing at National Review Online just after 9-11. Angry Ann wrote, with my emphasis supplied, the following:

... We don't need long investigations of the forensic evidence to determine with scientific accuracy the person or persons who ordered this specific attack. We don't need an "international coalition." We don't need a study on "terrorism." We certainly didn't need a congressional resolution condemning the attack this week.
The nation has been invaded by a fanatical, murderous cult. And we welcome them. We are so good and so pure we would never engage in discriminatory racial or "religious" profiling. ...
We know who the homicidal maniacs are. They are the ones cheering and dancing right now.
We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war.

"Crazy as a Run Over Dog" Ann Coulter has apparently found these young Crusaders to carry out her own form of jihad. In the above "writing" of course one would have enjoyed hearing how bombing of Germany's massive industrial war machinery making capacity compares to Ann's suggestions. Plus now that we know most of these non-state actors were from Saudi Arabia I'd be interested in how Ann's "thinking" has evolved. Peace ... or War!

Brit Karen Armstrong Tackles Religion at Salon

2006-05-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

Steve Paulson of Salon gives us "Going beyond God : Historian and former nun Karen Armstrong says the afterlife is a "red herring," hating religion is a pathology and that many Westerners cling to infantile ideas of God." that is a good read for an alternative take on religion. She's a "freelance monotheist" by her own description. No patience with literalism yet likes the myth and poetry. Abandon self. Transcendence. Might need to look Ms. Armstrong's work up? Peace ... or War!

WaPo Agrees - Here's To You Mighty Wingman!

2006-05-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

While I don't buy from Coors when possible, their Mighty Wingman commercial was an instant classic. Today, with the WaPo's Laura Sessions Stepp giving us "A Bud for The Ladies : Fly Solo, and a Guy Can Get So Shot Down. Wingman to the Rescue!" I couldn't help but send you to the video. Thank goodness she's writing in Arts and Living yet Ms. Stepp writes

... This is a generation that, in large part, dismisses the idea of courtship. Many move fast through relationships: face-booking, instant-messaging, text-messaging. ...

Am I officially old when this sort of thing bothers me? Mercy if I'd want to start over in this type of environment yet I still think there are plenty of young, smart, decent kids out there that don't use or need this sort of approach. Oh, I sure hope this reporter isn't related to Alabama's Senator Jeff Sessions. Yet, if she is I bet Session's Stormie would have been happy to have helped her out on background and perhaps even in the field. Peace ... or War!

Blue Gal Urges & Provides Reframing of Abortion

2006-05-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Birmingham's own Blue Gal serves up "The mainstream on abortion and why we're out of it..." which I highly suggest. Peace ... or War!

Ralph Reed - Religious Right's Posterboy

2006-05-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

ReddHedd/Christy Hardin Smith at FireDogLake gives us Praise the Lord and Pass the Collection Plate that is good for a quick post at Jimi. Ralph Reed is such a tool! Peace ... or War!

Is It Really Just The Identity (Tribe) Stupid?

2006-05-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

I started working and thinking on this first from reading ReddHedd/Christy Hardin Smith at FireDogLake and then Digby, posting a long comment (#172@FDL) on each, but it started with Chris Bowers at MyDD. Great post and map(s) that makes a culture warrior, especially one fighting behind enemy lines here in the Bible Belt, think long and hard. More to come maybe yet they've all said much I think that is worth pondering. Tip of the tam to all! Peace ... or War!

Does anybody miss the Jimi Thing?

2006-05-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

I regret going silent these last few days. Grumpy gut and closing down the classroom and summoned to the hayfields and … I’ll be back in the saddle surely this evening. Hope to even get something up on Marque Stuart given my labors about the property. Give me some comments, suggestions, challenges, … on any of my five blogs listed below. Peace … or War!
Captain Plaid - Progressive Scot
Captain Bama - Southern Scot
Tin Shop Tartan - Localism
Captain Jimi - Culture Warrior
Marque Stuart - Home & Garden

1 in 136 Americans in Jail or Prison in a Year!

2006-05-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

TruthDig gives us the reporting from AP's Elizabeth White. The "War on Drugs" is likely a good point to start figuring out these numbers. Highest per capita rate in the world. Here's some reporting from Ms. White's work:

... The states with the highest rates were Louisiana and Georgia, with more than 1 percent of their populations in prison or jail. Rounding out the top five were Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
The states with the lowest rates were Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Men were 10 times to 11 times more likely than women to be in prison or jail, but the number of women behind bars was growing at a faster rate, said Paige M. Harrison, the report's other author.
The racial makeup of inmates changed little in recent years, Beck said. In the 25-29 age group, an estimated 11.9 percent of black men were in prison or jails, compared with 3.9 percent of Hispanic males and 1.7 percent of white males. ...

Peace ... or War!

TVC's Louis Sheldon Courts ATL Kingdom Builders

2006-05-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

A wingnut site of note that I thought I'd share today is the Traditional Values Coalition. Executive Director Andrea Lafferty (who is the daughter of Founder Rev. Louis P. Sheldon) is rather attractive I'll admit. They'd surely appeciate a red blooded heterosexual ogling the merchandise. (I also do wonder if Dad likes to wear her heels. Would get him up to eye level perhaps?) People for the American Way gives the TVC the treatment here. With a tip of the tam to Pam at Pandagon, Reverend Sheldon is apparently heading to The ATL this next weekend to visit Kingdom Builders yet their site is not showing the events as best as I can tell. No doubt Karl and Ken need all the help they can get for this fall. Peace ... or War!

Southern Fried Snark from Jeremiah Bullfrog

2006-05-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

With a tip of the tam to Wheeler at Alablawg, I'll send you to Jeremiah Bullfrog posting at "Goddamn I love America!!" providing a patriotic perspective from Pig Fork, Tennessee. Mullets do make the man! Peace ... or War!

Youth Culture - Putting on the Ditz?

2006-05-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Traister of Salon (I'm a member but I think viewing a mere advertisement can get you a day pass) gives us "Return of the brainless hussies: From "American Idol" to Paris Hilton to an army of jiggly video stars, vapid females seem to be everywhere these days. Have we really gone this far backward, baby?" that is worth a visit. Not great yet solid. While Ms. Traister focuses on young girls/women the same could perhaps be said for the roosters. Parents and corporations looking for sales and/or ad dollars have plenty of the blame. Not that all kids are idiots as some, such as Alabama's own Ava Lowery, are doing great thinking and work. Yet, does our mass culture really reward that sort of conduct? Has it ever? I still think the PBS "Merchants of Cool" series is as solid as anything I've yet to run across on this issue. As an educator working in the trenches it often seems like kids that have "it" are really special but also that the vast majority are incredibly limited in range and talent and capacity and ... The thing is that often our teachers can't really run with or push the truly talented as we are so caught up in dragging the wounded along in our often misplaced efforts at "no child left behind". Peace ... or War!

Arlen Once Again Hands One to The Radicals

2006-05-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

I used to sort of respect this guy and yet he keeps flip-flopping about. Talks a little tough and then fades when things get to the end. As to why, five theories follow:

#1 - He wants to keep the majority in the Senate. Patrick Leahy would take the Chair if the ReThuglican are in the minority and I think Old Arlen likes calling shots.

#2 - Rove has some dirt on him and he'll remind him everytime he gets contrary.

#3 - He's covered for Bu$hCo so long his reputation will be destroyed if meaningful hearings result should the Democrats gain subpoena power after 2006's elections.

#4 - Aging a bit, plus drained by battle with cancer, Arlen might have lost some of the fire.

#5 - Arlen Specter puts party loyalty over principles as do unfortuantely many Republicans these days. Chuck Hagel and Susan Collins and ... come to mind.

According to Laurie Kellman of the AP, reported by the Houston Chronicle, Arlen Specter and Russ Feingold tied up as Feingold walked out of the closed hearing on "gay marriage". Here's the coverage:

WASHINGTON — A Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage Thursday, after a shouting match that ended when one Democrat strode out and the Republican chairman bid him "good riddance."
"I don't need to be lectured by you. You are no more a protector of the Constitution than am I," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., shouted after Sen. Russ Feingold declared his opposition to the amendment, his affinity for the Constitution and his intention to leave the meeting. "If you want to leave, good riddance," Specter finished.
"I've enjoyed your lecture, too, Mr. Chairman," replied Feingold, D-Wis., who is considering a run for president in 2008. "See ya."
Amid increasing partisan tension over President Bush's judicial nominees and domestic wiretapping, the panel voted along party lines to send the constitutional amendment _ which would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages _ to the full Senate, where it stands little chance of passing.
Democrats complained that bringing up the amendment is a purely political move designed to appeal to the GOP's conservative base in this year of midterm elections. Under the domed ceiling of the ornate and historic President's Room off the Senate floor, senators voted 10-8 to send the measure forward.
Among Feingold's objections was Specter's decision to hold the vote in the President's Room, where access by the general public is restricted, instead of in the panel's usual home in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Specter later said he would have been willing to hold the session in the usual room had he thought doing so would change votes.
Not all those who voted "yes" support the amendment, however. Specter said he is "totally opposed" to it, but felt it deserved a debate in the Senate.
"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman," reads the measure, which would require approval by two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states.
"Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman," it says.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has scheduled a vote on the proposed amendment the week of June 5. ...

"Deserves debate on the Senate floor" is what Arlen offers. No investigations on anything of substance as to Bu$hCo yet this deserves floor consideration? Right? Red meat for the Dobsonites?

"American Fundamentalist" by Joel Pelletier

2006-05-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

As best as I can tell the creator Joel Pelletier appears before his massive effort. Here's the story. I've copied much of it below:

This full-size acrylic adaptation depicts current American religious, corporate and political fundamentalists and their lackeys whooping it up in a big parade celebrating the return of Jesus, as 2008 Washington burns, the sky is a permanent nuclear red, and everywhere snipers and military aircraft stand guard. Designed to roll up and be easily transported, he is touring the United States showing and discussing the painting, its depicted event, the depicted participants, and the ramifications to American democracy and freedom of faith.
One major addition to Joel's version of Ensor's painting is the lack of spectators in the parade: the current popular interpretation of the second coming of Christ follows a disastrous World War and genocide of most of the population on the planet. In this interpretation of the Armageddon myth most of the planet's cities, culture, animals and people are lost in a firestorm which ends in the few, chosen leaders ruling over the what's left for a thousand years, with Jesus as King. To a skeptical freethinker, the idea that some within the current American political and military establishment, and many who vote or financially support them, actually believe in this "happy ending" is beyond worrisome. More than the freedom to choose or not choose faith is threatened by these current political and cultural movements - ALL life on this planet, based on a dangerous modern interpretation of an ancient myth, is endangered in the real world by real people with the power to act.
The rise of American political, economic and religious fundamentalism is unique to world history, with foundations in the Pilgrims and the Virginia Colonies, "Manifest Destiny," free market capitalism and the rise of corporate media. Although each movement has its own goals, they have formed bonds and coalitions to achieve and dominate power, money and cultural influence today. No one person or movement can ever totally agree with the others, but (when necessary) they use each other's power and money to help achieve their goal - of "winning", once and for all, ideological, economic or political struggles that have characterized American history.
This desire to "win", to KNOW that only their plans and ideas are RIGHT, is the definition of Fundamentalism, and is by its very nature anti-democratic, anti-pluralistic and anti-American, threatening the very strength of American culture and civic life. The freedom to think, choose and disagree is the foundation of our shared cultural "bible", the Constitution of the United States of America, the very document a President swears to protect and defend. The unique convergence of modern political, economic and religious American Fundamentalism has no interest in what we, as Americans, have in common - our diversity.

Interesting! A great conversational work that might get some folks thinking. I've ordered a poster via Pay Pal for a mere $13.00. Peace ... or War!

Is Left Coast Education "Leave No Group Behind"?

2006-05-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

The AP via MSNBC reports "California might honor gays in textbooks - State Senate passes bill that would also bar negative portrayals". California is number one in the textbook market in the US. The report reads, in part, as follows:

California children would read about homosexuals' contributions to history under a bill approved by state senators who often drew on their own childhood experiences in supporting the measure.
The bill would require California's social science textbooks to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to the state and nation's history. ...
The measure passed Thursday 22-15, with no Republican votes. It heads to the Assembly, where opponents vowed another fight. ...
The bill — introduced by Democratic Sen. Sheila Kuehl, the state's first openly gay legislator — also would bar textbooks and other instructional material that portrayed gays in a negative light. ...
Two of three gay students are verbally harassed and one of six is physically harassed, said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, which sponsored the legislation. "The invisibility that currently exists (in textbooks) contributes to that," he added.
Other women senators drew parallels to the lack of female or minority role models they saw in history books as children.
Sen. Bill Morrow disputed the comparison. "If you are a black American, you can't help it, you were born that way," he said. "There is not one scintilla of credible scientific evidence that suggests that homosexuality is biological in origin..... It is behavioral; it is not racial."
Sen. Richard Alarcon disagreed. "This is the way ... God made people," said Alarcon. "Let's stop trying to hide this reality."

One thing I immediately thought is how conservative states like Texas might require an alternative version. We could have an Alabama version that required Bear Bryant to be positively mention but the Georgia text could not reference banjo music in Appalachia.

Is Senator Morrow's "logic"really that "you can't help it" if born black? I would also refer the learned Senator to this fine Boston Globe effort by Neil Swidey. Very interesting and certainly enough to qualify for "scintilla" status. It is refreshing to see not all the stupid politicians are here in Alabama.

As for the decision, I'm not very certain that a text is where to start. Mentioning that Langston Hughes, or another significant historical figure was gay, seems appropriate perhaps yet so often it seems like these textbooks, often written via "group think" for "canned curriculum" application, provide contrived examples to meet the requirements of more "group think".

The best place to start might simply be with teachers trying to model appropriate attitudes and allowing them freedom and flexibility in covering material. My son will likely grow up to be a tolerant man yet it will be more likely because I've influenced him more than popular culture or his peers or ...

A final thought is that this will give the Conservative GOP yet another weapon in their need to "fight the culture war" to get regular Americans to vote against their real interests. I can imagine sermons and direct mail and ... being prepared already about the Godless liberals trying to promote their homosexual agendas. Karl Rove ought to send the California Democrats a "Thank You!" note.

Peace ... or War!

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Mohler Thinks Birth Control Pill Has Had Greatest Impact on Human History Short of "The Fall"

2006-05-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Russell Shorto of The New York Times Magazine serves up "Contra-Contraception" which made me think long and hard about the direction of our country. Walking us from early 18th century England to the modern USA controlled in large part by conservative wingnuts and then back to Europe, this article, and it is admittedly a monster of one, offers much. Peace ... or War!

Mandatory cervical cancer vaccine may be resisted by Dobsonites on "conflicting messages" grounds!

2006-05-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Tristero via Dgby's Hullabaloo gives us another installment of "The War on Fucking" where he points out the likely opposition to Merck's newly developed vaccine that targets the human papilloma virus. Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by some strain of this virus, known as HPV. It's very common among both men and women, and is transmitted by sexual contact. The ideal age for the vaccine to be administered is when a girl is between 10 and 11. Steven Groopman at TNR previously gave us "Conservative Christians and HPV - Blind Faith" that likewise covers the health policy issues in play here. Newsweek's Claudia Kalb and Karen Springen also gave us "The War on HPV - A new vaccine that prevents cervical cancer could be available soon" recently that covers the effort. Many of the religious right would apparently oppose the mandatory vaccination of young girls even though statistically and logically that is the wrong call. Like abstinence only sex education, I fear the radicals will wind up killing people in their goal to bring their "morailty" to dominate our public policy. Peace ... or War!

INTELLIGENT THOUGHT by EDGE contributors

2006-05-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

I added EDGE to my links to the right. The above may be purchased at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or ... A link to EDGE discussing the text is worthy of a visit as well. Nice effort it seems. I agree that it is time to fight back against these activist fundamentalists. Peace ... or War!

The Rich get Richer & The Poor get ... Pregnant?

2006-05-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Guttmacher Institute releases A TALE OF TWO AMERICAS FOR WOMEN -
Low-Income Women's Unplanned Pregnancy and Abortion Rates are Increasing As Better-Off Women Continue Three Decades of Progress. Here's the good stuff,

“Effective contraceptives backed up by safe and legal abortion have allowed American women to become equal partners with men in modern society and must remain an integral part of health care for all women,” says Dr. Camp. “Sadly, although abortion remains legal, a two-tiered system is already emerging in our country. Wealthier women have quick, convenient access to contraceptives and safe, early abortions, while poor women are less able to prevent pregnancies through contraception and are then forced to jump over a series of obstacles in order to obtain an abortion. This is turning back the clock on all the gains women have made in recent decades. We need to do more, not less, to give women control over their reproductive lives.”

"Family values" and "culture of life" indeed. Peace ... or War

Feminism - Forward Fundamentals Please Folks

2006-05-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Caitlin Flanagan recently wrote in Time an essay entitled, "We're Here, We're Square, Get Used to It - Why the Democratic Party is losing the housewife vote" where she writes, in part, with my emphasis supplied, the following:

... there is apparently no room for me in the Democratic Party. In fact, I have spent much of the past week on a forced march to the G.O.P. And the bayonet at my back isn't in the hands of the Republicans; the Democrats are the bullyboys. Such lions of the left as ... have made it abundantly clear to me that I ought to start packing my bags. I'm not leaving, but sometimes I wonder: When did I sign up to be the beaten wife of the Democratic Party?
Here's why they're after me: I have made a lifestyle choice that they can't stand, and I'm not cowering in the closet because of it. I'm out, and I'm proud. I am a happy member of an exceedingly "traditional" family. ...
As far as I can tell, every reviewer and reporter who has encountered my book has assumed that I'm a conservative Republican. At the end of an interview on a national TV network, a reporter said, "Caitlin, I can't let you go without asking you one question." Here was her question: Was it really true that I'm a Democrat? Those reporters' assumptions don't tell you anything about me, nor do they tell you much about the reporters themselves: they made an honest mistake. What it tells you a whole lot about is the Democratic Party and the face it projects to the world. It's a party that supports gay families, as I do, and has vast sympathy for many other kinds of alternative lifestyles. But we let the Republicans have complete ownership of the image of the traditional family. And that's one reason we keep losing elections.
Most of the 60 million people who voted against George W. Bush have lifestyles more like mine than the Democratic Party would like to admit. Most of us aren't the Hollywood elite or the nontraditional family. Many of us do what I do, which is go to church on Sunday, work hard and value my marriage. Again, it's not so much my party's platform that rejects the family; God help us all if Bush's brutality to the poor continues much longer. It's a small but very vocal minority, the Democratic pundits, who abhor what I represent because it doesn't fit the stereotypical image of the modern woman who has escaped from domestic prison. ...
The Democrats made a huge tactical error a few decades ago. In the middle of doing the great work of the '60s--civil rights, women's liberation, gay inclusion--we decided to stigmatize the white male. The union dues--paying, churchgoing, beer-drinking family man got nothing but ridicule and venom from us. So he dumped us. And he took the wife and kids with him.
And now here we are, living in a country with a political and economic agenda we deplore, losing election after election and wondering why.
It's the contempt, stupid.

Ms. Flanagan has recently released "To Hell with All That : Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife" and apparently she feels that she's been savaged by the left, or maybe she is wanting to get press to boost sales. I'd honestly not been aware of her work and past yet she's apparently talented even if rather frustrating to many people working from a feminist position. I did however enjoy your idea that "serfdom" enables some of the "do it all" types, both male and female I'd add.

Forty four years old so you came along Mrs. Flanagan just a little before me. Neither of us remember JFK being killed but we've got memories of Vietnam and certainly Watergate. The thing is that you are falling for a trick, or worst yet, enabling the ReThuglicans to continue this foundational lie. They've created this lie that the Democrats are radically against the traditional family. Few of the lefty class has done anything that you've described so to have you get ink in and bytes on Time to forward that tired yet tried and true right wing saw gets my Scots up.

Republicans learned they can't win on many issues after the Civil Rights movement empowered a group naturally attracted to Progressive ideas so they borrowed a tactic from how Southern Democrats destroyed fusion efforts of poor whites and blacks. Divide and distract. Wedge and widen. Ridicule intellectualism and tolerance. Scare the hell out of easily scared people. By the way, nobody is "after you". They are engaging your position and arguments. Religious Right shilling of GOP talking points can be expected often these days yet you are working at high brow posts that would suggest to me that would expect a little more. You deserved scolding perhaps and to see you react by attacking the Left was wrong and it is going to get worse unless you make amends. And I'll offer why you might want to do this at the end of the post, and maybe even explain why I titled this missive using "Fundamentals".

I like zuzu's post at Femniste yet "vile" might be too strong for a Southern gent. Shill, hypocrite, confused, opportunistic, conflicted, out of touch, ... Echidne knows a good myth of course and she does a tolerable Thor on Ms. Flanagan. The above minor Greek Goddess has known you for some time it appears. I'd perhaps begin, which of course explains why I put the link here at the end of my post, with Salon's Joan Walsh review as she might have started this latest fracas, with I think a very solid and reasoned review.

I whipped out my feminist collection just this last week. Andrea Dworkin's "Intercourse" and a few other classics in essays assembled in "Transforming a Rape Culture" were carried across the river to my school. I was motivated to do this by several things. I have been allowing some of the little girls in my room to look at and/or listen to some music videos recently. Earlier in the week they pulled some hip hop stuff that was very sexist and degrading. They were really into the language and it was admittedly minimal compared to some stuff I've seen. Thugs with their "bitches and hoes" in skimpy stuff grinding and bootie shaking. When I was trying to get them to stop I wound up cutting a deal. Finish but you've got give me three to five minutes to deconstruct what you've been saying and seeing and doing the very next morning.

I showed my whole homeroom the books, talked about feminism and even my friend Red Crowley's "The Lie of Entitlement", and generally got them thinking just a touch. I talked with another "aspiring model" who has a fall back strategy of marrying money later in the day, getting a few other kids, both hens and roosters, in the mix. I've left the books where some will pick them up. Have used as bait maybe. The thing is that so few of my kids, as is true I regret for many ideas, have been exposed to the fundamentals of feminism. And they need this as I hope nearly any reasonable person can agree. So if we can ratchet the fuss above back to getting the message back where it needs to be then I think we'll do more good. Having a guy "pissing contest" or a gal "cat fight" is of little harm, and appropriate at times, yet remember the fundamentals folks. It is the next generation that really counts. Peace ... or War!

Papal Bull - "Before you tap it ... jimi cap it!"

2006-05-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Will "love gloves" for married couples finally be accepted by The Catholic Church? Christopher Dickey of Newsweek gives us the reporting yet officially one partner has to be infected with AIDS. Seems common sense enough and that they are even having the debate is bizarre, even to this recovering Southern Baptist. We can't dance but if couples do the horizontal bop they can strap one on. Crazy mess of theology when reason is ignored. Peace ... or War!

Evil Liberals with their Blogswarms?

2006-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'll drop here on Jimi as this is a much a part of the "culture war" as anything. Digby rolls them really fine with this post labeled "I Can't Hear You" where he tackles the right wing Wurlitzer and the so called liberal MSM and ... Indeed most of the left deals in political outrage rather than personal attacks. Ideology not personality. I think it grand that the MSM is writing about the lefty blogs. First they laugh at you, then they ... Soon!

Also, tip of the tam to Tristero in his smack down of Snitchens and his enablers such as Kenny Boy Pollack. Translating Bu$h to English is tough enough brother! Farsi could perhaps work just as well?

Further, Juan Cole has destroyed you Snitchens. Stay in the bottle or fight your way from the dark side. Smarts for certain yet you've been in the Kool Aide for too long maybe.

Time for Stewart and Colbert. Peace ... or War!

GOP is "The Party of Life" ... Until You Are Born

2006-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Most progressives favor some type of universal or single payor or national or ... health care. The GOP is tied to Big Pharma and Big Insurance for certain. Whatever they lack in ideas, the ReThuglicans can divide on a "wedge" issue such as "threats to the family" or "respect for the culture of life" or ...

But even the Brits are doing a better job it seems with their health care than the market based personal responsibility crowd might care to admit. Here's a link to Financial Times where Clive Cookson reports "England beats US in health stakes". A portion of the writing indicates,

Middle-aged English people are “much healthier” than their American counterparts, even though the US spends far more on medical care than the UK, according to a large international study published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ...
As expected, people with higher socio-economic status, as measured by their income and education levels, tended to enjoy better health. But because the national differences were so great, those at the top of the education and income scale in the US suffered diabetes and heart disease at a similar rate to those at the bottom of the scale in England.
The researchers are struggling to explain their findings. Their analysis shows that lifestyle factors – particularly the fact that Americans are more obese and take less exercise – cannot account for the whole discrepancy. though they may provide a partial explanation.
Different health systems may also be part of the story. The researchers note that the US spends $5,274 per head on medical care while the UK spends $2,164, adjusted for purchasing power. But Britain’s National Health Service provides publicly funded medicine for everyone, while Americans under the age of 65 have to rely on private insurance.

I can recall several years ago a little eighth grade kid railing against socialized medicine when it came up in class. She had the talking points down pat. Not a strong student nor well informed yet she had been indoctrinated fully. Church shirts nearly every day. Snarly at times. Often unprepared. Yet she was a full right winger in her politics, with health care being something she liked to use for her ammo. I wonder how she would handle the above?

A "culture of life" would I think value a "healthy" life. Don't get me started on how the GOP treats kids with poor parents/caregivers. Peace ... or War!

Racism, nativism, facism, ... Conservatism?

2006-05-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

David Neiwert of Ornicus is one of my main authorities on neo-facism and racism and hate and ... Today he gives us "The end of the end of racism". Faulkner is always a good start. Long yet solid. I'd add that Chavez was thinking on the idea of organizing labor in his negative ideas on "illegal" immigration. Read this work and return to Ornicus often. I've pondered long and hard on his ideas of neo-facism. Peace ... or War!

Are Democrats MIA in Gay Marriage War?

2006-05-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Egalia crossposting at Tennessee Guerilla Women and subbing for Jesus General gives us "Who's Missing in Action in the Gay Marriage War?" where the "Gay Marriage" issue is tackled. Nice graphic yet more details would be helpful. My angle is fairness, at a minimum via something like "Civil Unions". I'll vote "No" simply for the statement in Alabama's elections. Peace ... or War!

Rush Limbaugh - Lemonade from Lemons?

2006-05-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

While I'm nearly convinced Rush Limbaugh is Satan, John Ehinger of The Huntsville Times reminds us of the disaster that "The War on Drugs" has been in examining Limbaugh's sweetheart deal in Florida. He urges Rush Limbaugh to use his position of influence for good. That's where you've lost this one Mr. Ehinger. Limbaugh has already talked of sending drug addicts up the river. Rush Limbaugh is indeed "a big fat idiot" that shills wing nut conservatism not logic or reality. He's the chief player of the "Mighty Wurlitzer". He's selling "Club Gitmo" shirts. He lies, twists, shouts down logic, ... and smiles all the way to the bank. He and his sponsors and imitators have created a legion of dittoheads that are a modern form of brownshirts. I fear it is wishful thinking that BFI will do anything for the good of society. Peace ... or War!

Wealth and Poverty - Morality Meets Money

2006-04-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ethan Heitner via Tom Paine gives us Bootstraps Don't Beat Trust Funds working off several recent reports that confirm the reality that wealth is mostly a matter of the rich getting richer. Of course the Bu$hCo administration has made this even more certain. About the only new money they've created is perhaps to new kids on the block defense contractors yet more than likely contracts have gone to the usual suspects. Heck of a job Bushie! Peace ... or War!

Fighting in the "Culture War" against those armed with a "Monolopoly on Truth"

2006-04-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Jon Meacham writes in Newsweek, "Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have a monopoly on truth. A little humility and a sense of history could move us all forward." I concur! Good read! Peace ... or War!

Will Southern Baptists Bolt Public Schools?

2006-04-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine the level of wingnuttery that has taken a hold of the SBC? Reports are indicating a strong resolution is being floated to urge Southern Baptist remove their kids from public schools. Peace ... or War!

Plan B - Meet Whacky Wingnuts at CWfA/FDA

2006-04-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Digby tackles FDA seemingly channeling Concerned Women for America on rejecting/delaying "Plan B" Contraceptives due to pulling a fear of "teenage sex cults" apparently from the "talking points" of this CWfA wingnut organization. Should be some exciting depositions on this disaster of the Bu$hCo administration where political goals routinely trump science. The WaPo's Marc Kaufman, along with many other mainstream media outlets, has reported on the "unusual" actions of FDA political appointments on this issue. And don't forget Alabama's DVM Lester Crawford's brief tenture at FDA and how he's landed on his feet with a plum lobbying job. Of course his wife's massive Big Pharma stock holdings would have likely keep Dr. Crawford on his feet. Peace ... or War!

Alabama Taliban Declares Jihad on Trial Lawyers

2006-04-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

The Alabama Christian Coalition recently sent a mailer to Alabama voters that attempts to scare their flock with “liberal trial lawyers”. PDF file here but I’ve copied portions below, with my emphasis supplied for portions that I thought were especially dreadful. (My comments will appear parenthetically.) The mailer has very slick lawyers apparently representative of these evil forces.

Trial Lawyers are behind the forces undermining our rights and our beliefs. (Forces sounds really "evil" doesn't it? "Rights" to be intolerant idiots that don't know a goddamned thing about our Consitutions?)

Your Christian beliefs and rights as an American are being systematically undermined by liberal trial lawyers. Huge payoffs from lawsuits are extracted by trial lawyers, who then fund ultra-liberal politicians and judges. Lawyers are filing frivolous lawsuits across America to remove God from our schools and court houses, impose gay marriage on society, and force churches and religious not-for-profits to accept homosexuality. (Many liberals simply advocate fairness. If an organization takes government money then they should follow civil rights laws.)

Trial lawyers also funded politicians who, once elected, attack Christian beliefs and try to exclude conservative justices from our courts in order to push their liberal, anti-Christian agendas. (Radical theories like "unitary executive" and strip searching ten year old girls did it for many as to Alito. If people disagree with your ideas then they are anti-Christian?)

Trial lawyers funded politicians who:
• Opposed judges by using Roe v. Wade as a “litmus test”
• Support taxpayer funding of abortions
• Promote “gay marriage” and adoption
• Believe God should be excluded from our schools and public places
• Block appointment of conservative judges who promote traditional family values (I thought God was everywhere? He/she/they can't be excluded. Judges just judge and they don't promote.)

Supporting Liberal Extremists - Trial lawyers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic National Committee and their liberal agenda. Trial lawyers are the ones who were big contributors to politicians like Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton and also funded John Kerry’s campaign in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000. (Non partisan?)

Becoming Liberal Judges - Trial lawyers are also infiltrating our courts by making sure their own are appointed to as many judgeships as possible. The Chief Justice of the court that decided the Terry Schiavo case and who over-turned Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s school voucher program because it allowed students to attend Christian schools was a trial lawyer before being appointed to the Court. (I actually looked up her record and have read summaries of the reasoning of both decisions. They followed the law. Not sharia law. Not the Dictates of Dobson. Just our law.)

Our Values - Liberal trial lawyers and the politicians they support are trying to fill the courts with judges that support their anti-Christian causes. In the cases of now Justices Roberts and Alito, trial lawyer-backed politicians attacked the religious beliefs of two potential judges in an attempt to exclude them from the Supreme Court. Trial lawyers are using tactics to exclude Christians from serving on juries. A recent handbook published by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) advises trial lawyers to dismiss jury members who profess a strong belief in God or Christianity because their beliefs make them unable to hear a case impartially. (I'm wondering if this brochure would not be exhibit A for that idea. 6000 year old earth and propaganda that is designed to scare the hell out of "Christians" and ... I rest my case.)
"Trial lawyers are one of the biggest threats to the erosion of our U.S. Constitution, traditional family values and religious freedoms in Alabama and America today.”
—John Giles President, Christian Coalition of Alabama
Trial lawyers are getting rich and funding the forces attacking our Christian values.

The Birmingham News has Nick Foster, Director of the Inter-faith Alliance of Alabama, providing an Op-Ed dated Sunday, April, 23, 2006 entitled “Christian Coalition should be forthcoming”. Mr. Foster questions the CC’s “logic” and “non-partisanship”, plus rightly points out that many trial lawyers are motivated by faith in helping the little man fight big business abuses. He also asks why the Alabama Christian Coalition refuses to disclose their funding sources. Margaret Ebrahim, wring in Mother Jones, reports that efforts such as these are increasingly common from fundamentalist leaning organizations.

I’m not sure where to begin on all of this yet the main effort for blogging is challenging fools with facts. James Dobson and the Religious Reich has to be challenged. “True believers” will continue "drinking the kool aid" yet reasonable people will push back and reduce their effectiveness. Political-religious radio and media, like the conservative media machine built off talk radio, has to be confronted. As more and more people realize just how extreme and bizarre many of these groups are they will perhaps lose their legitimacy. Peace … or War!

Gwinnett County GA Missionary Mom Battles the Evil of Harry Potter

2006-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

John Sugg writes in The Gwinnett Daily Post "‘Potter’ fight reflects religion’s growing role in public debate" where he perhaps gives Laura Mallory more credit than she deserves in her efforts to remove the Harry Potter series from the libraries of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Gwinnett is the largest school system in Georgia. The pace of growth in this suburb of Atlanta is dreadfully fast. I also seem to recall this county, or perhaps one area there, yielding one of the top Bu$h voting percentages from 2004. John Sugg is a smart man and a wonerful writer that I have often enjoyed.

I'd like to add is that many of Ms. Mallory's arguments seem to come straight from Beverly LaHayes's Concerned Women for America effort. This massive organization, and the varied branches of CWFA, appears rather paranoid and often radically wrong. Mrs. LaHaye is of course the wife of Tim LaHaye who has been a part of the “Left Behind” series, perhaps the nastiest wingnut religion fodder of all time. As for Ms. Mallory having courage, I'm not so sure. Perhaps she wants to establish some street cred in the gang of wingnut warriors? I also expect the GOP's Mighty Wurlitzer has helped provide the poll numbers you cited where many Americans feel religion is being slighted.

Don't cut any of these shills, even if they are perhaps "courageous" or simply being used, too much slack Mr. Sugg. If they truly want to fight in their made up "culture war" then let's make them retreat at least a little bloodied. Peace ... or War!

The Anniston Star Confronts God's Ordained Party

2006-04-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

The Anniston Star of April 21, 2006 went two for two in getting after the ReThuglicans. First, in "Politcs in 3G" they write in part,

God, guns and gays … again. All the signs for the November elections point to a Republican revival of the election strategy that has kept them in control of Congress for the past 10 years. ...
Don’t look over there, the GOP strategists will say. Instead, they will trot out the old culture war standbys that fire up their base of religious fundamentalists. ...
GOP leaders would have us believe the judge in the Terri Schiavo case is a bigger threat than Osama bin Laden. That a homosexual couple moving in next door is more of a danger to citizens than the poorly planned and awfully executed reconstruction of Iraq. ...
That an angry protester torching an American flag is a bigger threat to the nation than the damage done to our reputation in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, Bagram Air Base and the secrets places where American ideals against torture or abuse are betrayed. ...
Not surprisingly, the GOP is back to old faithful. The party’s politicians will spend the next seven months campaigning that the heathens will take over if they aren’t returned to power.
Someday, somewhere, we expect a thoughtful voter to ask a pointed question of these Republicans: If you control all levers of the federal government — and have done so for the past five years — why haven’t you won the culture war already?

Of course The Star knows there is no "culture war". "What's the Matter With Kansas" by Thomas Frank is perhaps the best illustration of how the boardroom knows they can't get the heartland to vote with corporate interests. So they trot out these "values" issues to get the little man to vote against his own financial interests.

The Star, in "A Bad Repeat", then tackles the proposed Constitutional Amendment banning same sex marriage that we'll be voting on in the June 6th primary. The writing, portions selected, below, points out,

Alabama gets its 2006 shot in the culture war early. In the June 6 primary, voters will have their say on a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
While Alabama could not manage to take segregationist language out of the state Constitution in 2004, it will most likely pass a ban on gay marriage.
Well sure, the typical Alabamian might say, there ought to be a law defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. But such a law already exists in Alabama.
In 1998, Montgomery passed precisely such a law. It remains on the books today and has withstood legal challenges. (A similar federal statute — the Defense of Marriage Act — is the law of the land and has been so since 1996.) ...
That the state is redundantly voting on gay marriage and not on streamlining our governing document says more than we need to know about Alabama and its problems.

I'll of course vote against the Amendement as to me this is simply a civil rights issue. I could live with a Civil Union approach as a compromise yet marriage is something that government recognizes for certain benefits to each partner. Churches can make their own decisions. I'll follow the Constitution and reasoning. Peace ... or War!

"Stars Fell on Alabama" or "God Bless America?"

2006-04-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Alabama legislature essentially (125-1) unanimously approved giving Alabama motorists the option to choose those slogans on their tags. This makes Alabama the first state to have that available on non-specialty tags. Folks wanting one before their tag rolls around for renewal only will have to cough up $1.25 for the God Bless version.

The Christian Post reports, "Ala. Legislature Votes Unanimously for ''God Bless America'' Plates" although one representative voted against the legislation. If I've interpreted the ALISON information correctly our lone politician with a brain and some courage was Representive Joseph Mitchell. Not bad for a Lowlander from Mobile Sir! The Montgomery Advertiser also gets a salute from The Captain.

You'd have thought these pandering politicos could have found something else that needed doing on Goat Hill don't you? Peace ... or War!

Three Alabama Editorials on Easter

2006-04-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

The Birmingham News gave University of Alabama Journalism Professor David Sloan editorial space to publish "Evidence supports resurrection did occur".

The Sunday edition of The Decatur Daily opined "‘Hurry please it’s time’ died on Easter morning"

Compare the above two literalist, fundamentalist toned efforts to The Madison Record allowing Alabama Democrat Representative Sue Schmitz to write "Easter is a time of new beginnings" where she reminded us of real Christian Values.

I know which approach I liked. Doctrinally I'm not so sure it matters one way or the other if Jesus "arose" or even existed as the basics of the faith, and in fact most of the major world religions, can work for positive good. Whatever gets you through the night is fine for me yet spirituality is about good works and caring and sharing and ... Peace ... or War!

Pseudo Christians and Science in Sunday School

2006-04-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Tony Hendra of Spinal Tap fame writes at HuffPo on the Christian Right. You might want to buy his book? DarkSyde at Kos then takes us to "If I were a Christian" that made me think. Peace ... or War!

Alabama's Rising Theocrat Judge Tom Parker Gets Tacky on "Good Friday" & is Elected to CROD!

2006-04-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I put the post over on Captain Bama yet wanted to share these Red State Christian values on my jimi thing. Some good patriot might want to alert Faux News as this almost sounds like part of the War on Easter. Peace ... or War!

Stupid, Mean, Scared ... You're Republican Material

2006-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

I once read or heard something like "Not all Republicans are stupid but most stupid people are Republicans. " FireDogLake has a few guest posters dropping in some gems today that seem to play into all of that, with the addition of some fear and hate and racism and ...

Kevin C. of Catch fame gives us Late Night FDL : Fear and Loathing in the Nuttersphere and Taylor Marsh gives us Chocolate Eggs, Faith and the Democratic Party . If you head over to Taylor Marsh you can get another take on Democrats and Faith with an opening quote that I liked, repeating hereafter,

At the center of this early evangelical doctrine (1820s - 1830s) was the idea of original sin: we were all born stained by corruption and fleshly desire, and the true purpose of earthly life was to redeem this. The trials of economic life--the sweat of hard labor, the fear of poverty, the self-denial involved in saving--were earthly tests of sinfulness and virtue. While evangelicals believed salvation was ultimately possible only through conversion and faith, they saw the pain of earthly life as means of atonement for original sin. These were the people that writers like Dickens detested. ... Evangelicals interpreted the mental anguish of poverty and debt, and the physical agony of hunger or cold, as natural spurs to prick the conscience of sinners. They believed that the suffering of the poor would provoke remorse, reflection, and ultimately the conversion that would change their fate. In other words, poor people were poor for a reason, and helping them out of poverty would endanger their mortal souls. It was the evangelical who began to see the business mogul as an heroic figure, his wealth a triumph of righteous will. LET THERE BE MARKETS The Evangelical Roots of Economics, by Gordon Bigelow (Harper's Magazine)

This sort of work helps us see how the market "ideas" of the right are even formed on misinterpretations of morality/religion. Social justice is really the best part of the Christian faith and yet so little of that is offered by the local churches in my area. Certainly I know some few true conservatives and libertarians that are reasoned in their positions and rather "compassionate" yet they are rare. Peace ... or War!

Easter & Resurrection - Eyes and Mind Wide Open?

2006-04-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

United Church of Christ Minister Madison Shockley tackles this thorny issue at TruthDig with his piece "You Mean Jesus Didn't Have a Bodily Resurrection?". Some of his writing states,

According to Burton Mack, this spiritualization of the Resurrection was in keeping with the Greek sensibilities of the Gentile Congregations of [the] Christ that were springing up in the eastern Mediterranean regions of the Roman Empire. Greek notions of immortality did not include the body. Immortality was more a matter of the mind or spirit leaving the body to experience eternal existence ...
So all you progressive Christians rest assured as we celebrate Easter, we are in good (if unexpected) company as we continue to ask questions, challenge dogma and seek to understand God not through blind obedience to tradition but with our eyes and mind wide open.

Peace ... or War!

12 Frames in "Home Movie" of 6 Million Years

2006-04-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

The science of human evolution has gotten a big boost by recent discoveries in the Middle Awash in Africa. Seth Borenstein of the Associated Press via MSNBC reports "Fossil discovery fills gap in human evolution" with the quote of ‘We just found the chain of evolution, the continuity through time’ as his byline. Comments from Alabama's favorite theocrat Roy Moore are awaited. Peace ... or War!

So the "Secular Socialists" Are Against Roy Moore?

2006-04-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

A Texas man named Mike Sutton, claiming to be a son of Alabama, wrote to my local paper urging locals to vote for Roy Moore in Alabama's Republican Primary on June 6th. Here's a portion of his "logic":

I hear the same mantra over and over from those who oppose Judge Roy Moore. "He broke the law, he broke the law because he refused to remove the Ten Commandments from the courthouse." Nonsense! Judge Moore was the one who stood for the law and the truth. And the law he supposedly broke was no law at all. It was a ruling by Myron Thompson, an arrogant, unelected federal judge who holds in contempt America's foundation principles. ...
On Jan. 21, 1973 the law in America protected unborn babies. The very next day Hugo Black, a misguided U.S. Supreme Court judge from Ashland, Ala., ruled that the law allowed the wholesale slaughter of these same babies. Similarly, throughout history man's laws separated from God's law have led to oppression, bondage and genocide. And throughout history cowardly men have used the word law as an excuse to avoid taking a stand on critical issues. Too often these men are preachers who wrap their cowardice in pious rhetoric, causing their congregations to buy into their treachery.
Thomas Jefferson is the patron saint of those who are feverishly working to separate America from its Christian roots. The historical reality is that Jefferson was an arrogant, slave raping elitist who set about to establish his own scripture because he didn't like some of the more spiritual parts of the Bible. But the last time anyone checked Jefferson's bones were still rotting somewhere in Virginia.
On Easter Sunday most Americans observe the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the man whose teachings have formed, built, and sustained America since the day the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. It is these teachings that the secular socialists so despise, exposing their contempt for America's past and present, exposing themselves as the greatest threat to America's future.
It is your call Alabama. Whose vision of America will prevail on June 6? Will it be politics as usual with Bob Riley, or will you stand with Judge Roy Moore, a man you know you can trust to stand for the principles you hold dear. Will you stand with Judge Moore and send a strong message to the secular socialists that the defense of America's Christian heritage begins in Alabama.
Judge Moore's stand broke the law? No! Hitler's law broke the law. The Dred Scott Decision broke the law. Hugo Black's ruling broke the law. Myron Thompson's contempt for our foundation principles broke the law.
As June 6 approaches I beg you to consider what the future will be like for our children and grandchildren if we allow the secular socialists to rewrite our history and tear America away from its roots. As a son of Alabama I beg you to stand with Judge Roy Moore and let the battle for America's future begin with you.

"A position not founded upon reason cannot be swayed by argument." so I'll not offer a response beyond some likely wondering where the "socialist" portion of his label comes from. At best this is a decent illustration of the "thinking" of the extreme right wing. Maybe you and Reverend Roy can get together and figure out how to ignore this latest evolution support? I know the fossil is fragmented into many pieces, sort of like the Judge's campaign. No wonder Dubyah was elected as Governor of Texas with folks like Mike Sutton out there. On behalf of Alabama, I'm sorry. You can keep him. Peace ... or War!

Do Christians have the right to practice intolerance?

2006-04-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

The LA Times Stephanie Simon reports "Christians Sue for Right Not to Tolerate Policies : Many codes intended to protect gays from harassment are illegal, conservatives argue. Citing circumstances at several colleges and workplaces, including Atlanta's GeorgiaInstitute of Technology, Ms. Simon reports on this disturbing movement. She writes,

The Rev. Rick Scarborough, a leading evangelical, frames the movement as the civil rights struggle of the 21st century. "Christians," he said, "are going to have to take a stand for the right to be Christian."
In that spirit, the Christian Legal Society, an association of judges and lawyers, has formed a national group to challenge tolerance policies in federal court. Several nonprofit law firms — backed by major ministries such as Focus on the Family and Campus Crusade for Christ — already take on such cases for free.
The legal argument is straightforward: Policies intended to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination end up discriminating against conservative Christians. Evangelicals have been suspended for wearing anti-gay T-shirts to high school, fired for denouncing Gay Pride Month at work, reprimanded for refusing to attend diversity training. When they protest tolerance codes, they're labeled intolerant.

Ms. Simon continues,

A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League found that 64% of American adults — including 80% of evangelical Christians — agreed with the statement "Religion is under attack in this country."
"The message is, you're free to worship as you like, but don't you dare talk about it outside the four walls of your church," said Stephen Crampton, chief counsel for the American Family Assn. Center for Law and Policy, which represents Christians who feel harassed.
Critics dismiss such talk as a right-wing fundraising ploy. "They're trying to develop a persecution complex," said Jeremy Gunn, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
Others fear the banner of religious liberty could be used to justify all manner of harassment.
"What if a person felt their religious view was that African Americans shouldn't mingle with Caucasians, or that women shouldn't work?" asked Jon Davidson, legal director of the gay rights group Lambda Legal.
Christian activist Gregory S. Baylor responds to such criticism angrily. He says he supports policies that protect people from discrimination based on race and gender. But he draws a distinction that infuriates gay rights activists when he argues that sexual orientation is different — a lifestyle choice, not an inborn trait.
By equating homosexuality with race, Baylor said, tolerance policies put conservative evangelicals in the same category as racists. He predicts the government will one day revoke the tax-exempt status of churches that preach homosexuality is sinful or that refuse to hire gays and lesbians.
"Think how marginalized racists are," said Baylor, who directs the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom. "If we don't address this now, it will only get worse."

Indeed one could ask Reverend Scarborough about the morality of Hot Tub Tom DeLay. Also, I've learned the student at Georgia Tech asserting her right "as a Christian" to be intolerant is somebody I've blogged on before, namely Ruth Malhotra. Ms. Malhotra also earned the attention of Jesus General for her remarkable lawsuit. What a bizarre bunch of wingnuts! Might Wurlitzer is really working well in the evangelical community. Peace ... or War!

Christian Coalition Wandering in the Wilderness?

2006-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

Alan Cooperman and Thomas B. Edsall of The Washington Post reports "Christian Coalition Shrinks as Debt Grows" with everyone from Pat Robertson to Ralph Reed to Bill Clinton to the IRS to ... blamed. Now if we can just muzzle John Giles and the Alabama Christian Coalition! Peace ... or War!

USNWR - James Tabor's "The Jesus Dynasty"

2006-04-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Jay Tolson of U.S. News and World Reports, the favorite news mag of the Captain's sire, gives us "The Kingdom of Christ : A bold new take on the historical Jesus raises questions about a centuries-long quest". Long piece but very interesting. Mr. Tolson writes,

" ... The investigator in this case is James Tabor, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. And his provocative new book, The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity, takes the search for the historical Jesus to a bold--some would even say fanciful--new level. According to Tabor, Jesus, in partnership with his cousin John the Baptizer, saw himself as the founder not of a new religion but of a worldly royal dynasty. Fulfilling ancient prophecies, the dynasty, descended from King David, was destined to restore Israel and guide it through an apocalyptic upheaval culminating in the Kingdom of God on Earth. And all of this was to happen not in the distant or metaphorical future but in the very time in which they lived. Although their message was one of peaceful change, Jesus ..."

The article ends with,

" ... That is the great argument of our time, the cultural, intellectual, and social debate pitting religion against science, faith against fact. But perhaps the many conclusions coming out of the quests for the historical Jesus suggest that none can ultimately claim to find the "real" or "true" man. It may be that the elusiveness of Jesus, his life and his meaning, is part of his enduring power and mystery."

Worthy of a look. Peace ... or War!

Vast Anti-Christian Conspiracy Takes Down DeLay

2006-04-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Plenty of bloggers and traditional media are covering the inconsistencies of Hot Tub Tom DeLay's talk and walk but Robert Scheer writing at Truth Dig is a fine place to start. Peace ... or War!

Virginia Culture Warrior/Senator George Allen says, "Onward Christian Soldier "

2006-04-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Virginia Senator George Allen is wanting the Pentagon to tap Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin to lead the U.S. Special Forces Command. General Boykin first came to the attention of many of us, and certainly the Christian Right, for his controversial comments, many made while in uniform in various evangelical churches, that linked Satanic forces to Islamist and other enemies of the United States. Liz Sidoti of the AP, appearing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, tells us in "'War on Satan' general pushed for top post" that

In a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Sen. George Allen, R-Va., recommended Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin, now the Pentagon's deputy undersecretary for intelligence, for the post at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
The current commander, Army Gen. Bryan "Doug" Brown, is retiring. ...
"I am told, and I believe it to be true, that no special operations officer currently on active duty is more highly respected or admired by his superiors, peers or subordinates alike, than Jerry Boykin," Allen wrote in the letter dated March 31 and obtained by The Associated Press.

General Boykin comes across as a genuine beliver in this interview and is certainly an asset to our nation, despite of (or perhaps because?) of his faith. Would Senator Allen be seeking even more support from the Evangelical Right with this move? Since the idea of moving the General up the line is foundationally stupid from a geo-political view, Allen is either pandering or he is perhaps as clueless as Dubyah and balance of Bu$hCo. William Fisher appearing in Truth Out hits the nail on the head when he writes

But there is a much larger point here. Even if we forget what Gen. Boykin believes, the Muslim world will not. They remember Abu Ghraib. And they remember, as reported by the New Yorker's Seymour Hersh, that the prison abuse scandal grew out of a decision to give greater influence to the Defense Intelligence unit, led by Stephen Cambone, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence - and his deputy, guess who? Lt. General William G. "Jerry" Boykin.
They know all about the CIA's private airline carrying out US kidnappings of suspected terrorists and their "extreme renditions" to black hole prisons in Eastern Europe, and to such pillars of democracy as Egypt, Syria and a host of other hospitable venues.
They know all about the "diplomatic assurances" the US gets from these countries, which routinely vow not to torture or abuse those we deliver into their gentle hands.
They know about Guantanamo Bay. They know about Bagram. They know about our then-attorney general, John Ashcroft, rounding up anyone who looked like "a Middle Easterner" after the 9/11 attacks, convicting no one of any terror-related crime, but deporting many.

Bunch of idiots! I've been watching Senator Allen for some time. He's certainly a candidate that might appeal to the Dobsonites. He and Kansas Senator Brownback may fight over the "true believer" Evangelical vote. At least one of them would likely be tapped as VP should a more mainstream candidate like McCain get the GOP nomination. Peace ... or War!

Scientists Nail Down Fish to Land Link

2006-04-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Check out the WaPo's Guy Gugliotta's "'Link' Between Fish and Land Animals Found : Discovery Called Key Evidence Of Vertebrates' Ocean Origins". Here's the bottom line,

The discovery provides the best evidence yet that fish emerged from the oceans and rivers of the early Earth between 380 million and 360 million years ago and evolved into terrestrial vertebrates beginning with amphibians and reptiles, and ending up with mammals and, ultimately, humans.

Darwin rules! Peace ... or War!

Russ Feingold Speaks The Truth - Twice

2006-04-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold doesn't hold back away from what he believes. Accordingly, that might cost him some votes. Yet it might earn him some as well. On the issue of same-sex marriage, according to reports rolling out today with The Captain using Dan Balz's "Feingold Backs Legalizing Same-Sex Marriages", Feingold is quoted as follows:

"Obviously, it's a very difficult issue and evokes a lot of emotions," Feingold said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I think it's something ultimately that people throughout the country will accept, but it's not an easy issue." He accused the Bush White House and the Republican Party of using same-sex marriage as a wedge issue "to hurt Democrats who are against discrimination."

He nails first the issue as one of discrimination, with me telling folks that men or women ought to be able to make their own personal choices as far as partnering up and then having the benifits that traditional Americans have, and then Senator Feingold also points out a second truth that the ReThuglicans wedge the electorate via this "moral" issue. If he's in the race I'll likely support. Peace ... or War!

Al Franken Bitch Slaps Ann Coulter!

2006-04-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Head over to Al Franken's Midwest Values PAC for his opening statement in a recent "debate" with "Crazy as a Run Over Dog" Ann Coulter. She's vile Mr. Franken and yet so useful for showing what is wrong with the Reich Wing ReThuglicans. It will take time and work to expose her and Rush Limbaugh and Mad Michelle Malkin and ... This Scot will help you and other true patriots fight the "Culture War" against these flaming idiots. Peace ... or War!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your God ...?

2006-04-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

Digby, recalling an interview with Oklahoma's Mary Fowler from last year, tells us that simple Evangelical foot soldiers can be told to lay down their arms and return to their churches if we reveal the phony Jesus pimps for what they are. Liars and hardly Christians! Sinners even! Exhibit A is Tom DeLay. Peace ... or War!

Holy Hammer! Will Hot Tub Tom Go Colson?

2006-04-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Digby is thinking he'll be a preacher or at least play one on GOPTV/Faux News for the Values Voters project. Or maybe he'll just golf? That is if he stays out of Club Fed! Peace ... or War!

"Lock and Load!" if you love Jesus!

2006-04-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've already posted today at Captain Plaid on some work of People for the American Way regarding the "Imperial Presidency" of King George Bu$h. However, PFAW also provides a superb piece via their "Right Wing Watch" entitled The Liberal “War” On Christians and Values Voters - Hysterical Females, Perverted Sodomites, and the Collapse of “Christian America” covering the recent DC meeting hosted by Vision America. I'd previously posted on Jimi about this "conference". Scary stuff! Peace ... or War!