Friday, November 30, 2007

Obama wins Iowa

If that happens, all bets are off. For that midwestern, practical state to chose Obama over Clinton and Edwards will be a clarion call to every American that this is a new era, a new time to acknowledge that we have a great leader in our midst.

When I honestly think about what kind of President each person could be, the policies become less important. Carter and Clinton were both Presidents that couldn't get their progressive agendas promoted. I could see Kucinich, Edwards and Clinton suffering the same fate VERY easily. But with Obama; I see Lincoln, I see Kennedy, I see greatness in this very human man.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Making an "other"

One thing I really relate to with Obama is that he sees himself as a person who's always felt like he was a bit of an outsider. I moved from England to a small, southern style town in the midwest before the age of 10, the daughter of a liberal Christian minister in a conservative, Catholic, farm town. I never "belonged." I rarely go back. But that town and those people are very much a part of the American that I've become.

Barack Obama is as American as anyone. Only Indian Americans can claim native pedigree. The rest of Americans can only claim deeper generations than others; I see that Obama's pedigree goes at least as far back as Cheney's, so there's no competition there.

In my town there was a distinct line between black and white America. This is the most divisive thing about Obama's candidacy. Even black Americans don't think he can win. I know liberal Americans who don't think he can win. But if not this black American, who? If not now, when?

I'm not aware of anyone (maybe Pat Robertson) who says Obama can't win because he's black in public--but it's probably a fear of every one of his supporters. Instead, there seems to be a different kind of "othering," attempt, tying him to the Muslim other. Perhaps it is a more accepted form of bigotry. The article above should immediately define Obama as the Christian he has CHOSEN to be (not just a "member" of "blank"). But there is an effort to make him foreign, unlike you, unlike America. These are the people who are making intelligent, patriotic American leaders _our enemy_. These people don't just come from the right.

The Judges

I didn't see the debate but this looks like a very salient analysis of the hearts of Republicans.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Hearsay

Yes, this is all conjecture, opinion and suspect. But I just can't help thinking:

WE DO NOT HAVE TO ELECT THE CLINTON SAGA.

The President did lie under oath. He had a choice.

Sex sells on the Red Network

Here we have Fox caught with their lenses on exploitation. Particularly disturbing to me is the exploitation of women's bodies on sexual show while they discuss violent crimes against women. That this is practiced regularly and consciously is a reprehensible, misogynistic attack against women's sexuality; particularly Western women.

Friday, November 16, 2007

I'll wait for the right woman to break that glass ceiling

My husband just reminded me of what Thurgood Marshall said about Clarence Thomas:
Shortly before he died, in 1993, he warned against "picking the wrong Negro," adding "there's no difference between a white snake and a black snake. They'll both bite...."

Last night, Barack Obama correctly showed how Hillary Clinton's argument about not raising taxes was exactly the kind of number twisting that we could expect from a Republican. Do you know any Firemen who make over 100K? They should, but even if such a situation does exist (in her part of the country, I guess) it still puts Mr. Fireman in the top 6% of Americans, and as Obama made clear, that is not the Middle Class.

Today it appears that the elite on the left in this country, including bloggers, are going with Hillary's answer over Obama's, her first response was "That's a tax increase." Hi Ms. Republican--you're equally comfortable sheltering America's top 6%!!

I hear no substance from Hillary Clinton that makes me think her policies are going to be any less hawkish than the neo-cons (e.g. her recent vote on Iran, and her defense contractor lobbying money), or any more economically progressive than Margaret Thatcher (she has all kinds of multi-national corporate support). I quite suspect that she will be very militaristic and in favor of privatizing any number of social programs (Medicare, Social Security, schools, etc.). Her universal healthcare proposal sounds just like No Child Left Behind; a federal mandate without funding.

The only reasons I find people justifying their support for her is because of 1) Bill Clinton; 2) Bill Clinton's cabinet and staff 3) Breaking the ultimate "glass ceiling" 4) She gets along with Republicans and they might vote for her (isn't that nice that they like her now?!

These are the liberals, like Hillary, who think that getting along with others is the most important value we have; never mind that other important principles have been subsumed by this one and that conservatives don't honor "getting along with others" at all.

Peace.

I'll add another reason to paragraph 5, 5) The person supporting her is IN the upper 6% of income earners/inheritors.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Bush, Cheney and the U.N. override Iraq's representative government

Thanks, Vigilante. I think every American should understand what's happening here.

Victimization Appeal

I get an e-mail from Hillary Clinton's campaign asking for cash before the next Democratic debate to show her a "massive" show of support since she's "under attack." Does that appeal to women? If so, YUK. This on the day after I read the intro to Edwards moving 70+ page plan for America that he's distributing to every Iowan (I think that's who). What's your plan, Hillary? She sounds like Nixon, "...she's attacking the problems facing America." Like what? Iranian terrorists? So I gave $15 to Howard Dean to get more Californians donating to help our state elect Democrats (his Democrats, preferably).

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Keeping the real Rudy in the press...

We can have all kinds of friends, but who do you hire?

Money in Politics, who's winning in the House?

Transcripts with links to actual debate footage.

A handy reference for Presidential Candidates.

Good Stuff

An anti-caging law!

Making Contact to Impeach!!

Impeachment has started in Congress, they need to hear from their constituents! If you want to support this process, here's a link to an easy form that will alert all of your Congressional reps and newspapers, if you want to check all those options. I also called Speaker Pelosi to voice my support to impeach Cheney (and Bush) at 1-202-225-0100; since the Democratic leadership appears to be out to lunch when it comes to defending our Constitution.

Although this story reports the poll that shows most Americans support impeachment, few media stories actually report that poll and instead quote House Republicans who think that Americans will be embarrassed by Democrats wanting impeachment. In other words, the media creates the "news" they want to "report." They are hardly representing Americans’ opinions anymore than the President does.

In my opinion, at the very least, Vice President Cheney committed treason when he revealed the American CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, risking her life and those who knew her. This crime is just the tip of the iceberg for this administration, now making their way to war with Iran even though they've fumbled Iraq (don't trust your own eyes, they say!).

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Impeachment Now!

I called the Majority Leader's office and got right through. I just told them that I was calling to voice my support for impeachment of Bush and Cheney. They asked me where I was calling from and thanked me. I e-mailed Pelosi at AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov. I still need to contact our local reps; but I think it's important that we communicate with the House leadership right now!!

Bill Clinton

Sure, he's a wonderful communicator and he has sex appeal.

Why do women and even some men want this charmer back in the White House?

It's like the stereotype of a woman wanting the man that keeps cheating on her. Not only is he literally a philanderer, he's also been unfaithful to gay issues and progressive economic policies. Don't Ask Don't Tell; NAFTA; Welfare to Work; etc. And I think he's the friendly side of the Clintons--but he won't be in charge.

Wake up, people.

Gender and humility

I've never read a comprehensive biological study of gender but I'm eager to. I got caught at a mother's meeting last night throwing my son into a stereotype of "male behavior" along with other kids. Ironically, I'm usually the first one to point out that girls can be like boys, and boys like girls, but it was easy to just lump everybody together last night in "defense" of my son's particular personality (highly energetic, not much for the sit-down activities; yet a softie with kittens and manners). This when I have a close friend with a son who will sit through library readings, and a cousin with a girl that runs as fast as my kid.

Anyway, I was reminded in a very kind way that boys and girls overlap in so many ways and traits that it's pointless to assign any trait to their gender...those traits just are. So if I'm ever fighting his elementary school to include more physical activities, I hope I remember this.

Peace.

Friday, November 02, 2007

What really happened?

To me, it sounds like this Republican got robbed while he was cross-dressing and hiring a gay prostitute--and he wanted to report it without revealing he was gay (or something like being gay). This is just stupid and sad! Be free, Republican people!

Update: Okay, so the prostitute claims that Curtis gave him his wallet!! That cracks me up that people are just believing that! Oh yeah, we gotta believe the prostitute because he's out?! Again, this is just stupid and sad. The reporter says, "What's going on?" as in, what's going on with Republicans getting involved in gay sex scandals right and left? SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL REPRESSION! It's part of the conservative world view. Like I said, be free, people!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

The Hillary Debate

I had heard some analysis of the last Democratic debate before I actually saw it. Most of what I had heard seemed off!

People on the radio were saying that they were disappointed that Obama didn't attack Hillary. Hardly! His opening remarks were scathing and opened her up for the rest of the evening.

Which, by the way, seemed to be the focus of the debate. I agree with my husband that giving Hillary such fearsome attention empowers her campaign...but I also agreed with most of the criticisms. I think she's got a bit of the war disease George Bush has when it comes to assessing threats...and that she's a hawk despite her "diplomatic" rhetoric. The case in point is her very undiplomatic vote to define Iran's army as terrorists. Even if that's technically true, I think Biden was right about the dangerous message it sends to our enemies. The saving grace might be that even though she herself likes missiles a lot; her staff would probably (hopefully) be more diplomatic than she.

Another analysis I heard on NPR said that the differences between candidates was subtle and not important. For instance, they said there was little difference between getting troops out of Iraq and keeping troops in the region. No difference? So then these guys probably think there's no difference between compromising with HMOs and eliminating HMOs...or say, passing Bush's agenda or voting against Bush's nominees.

I seriously despise the way the press tries to manipulate our opinions of these people...just that facts or even just the policies, please.