Saturday, January 30, 2010

"Liberal Media Bias" ?

The wing-nuts constantly whine about "liberal media bias," the actual facts suggest the exact opposite!

Most recent examples of media "bias":

NPR Allows Conservative David Horowitz to Trash Radical Historian Howard Zinn

Contrast this to the death of conservative neo-fascist William F. Buckley, when NPR only aired praise for Buckley, with not one liberal or left critique!

Now CBS is going to air a "pro-life" ad for the Super Bowl, but rejects and gay dating site ad.

Tim Tibow Super Bowl Ad May Be Based on Falsehood

Mancrunch Super Bowl Ad Rejected

Why is CBS In Bed with the Religious Right on Super Bowl Sunday?

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Obama's SOTU


With his healthcare reform in shambles and the big defeat of Democrats losing Ted Kennedy's Massachusetts senate seat, President Obama is expected to switch gears in his Wed. State of the Union speech and try to appeal to middle class working folks and independents by proposing a three year spending freeze on non-discretionary spending (except of course military and "homeland security," and Veteran's programs).

The spending freeze is getting a cold shoulder from the right and the left. Conservatives will argue it doesn't go far enough--they want big cuts in Social Security and entitlements. (A special deficit task force is being floated by conservatives for the purpose of forcing cuts in SS and medicare.) Progressives don't support it because the lessons of the 1930s during the Great Depression is that you do NOT cut government spending during an economic depression. Hoover did it (and helped create the Great Depression) and FDR did it again in 1937 and prolonged the depression. Obama, like FDR, is giving in to the deficit hawks too soon.

Perhaps one good thing to come out of the SOTU speech will be to finally call for an end to the military's anti-gay Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. The Hillis reporting that the White House has asked the top Senate Democrat on military affairs to postpone announcing a hearing that would explore repealing the controversial law that bans openly gay people from serving in the military.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was expected to have Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen testify before his committee on recent calls to end the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

The hearing had been expected at the end of January. Now the target date is expected to be Feb. 11, a source said.
Levin was told to hold off on announcing the hearing until after the president’s address Wednesday, according to a Senate aide. Levin was also told that Obama will address the issue of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” in his speech on Wednesday, but Levin does not know what’s in the speech.

A source familiar with some details of the initial draft of the State of the Union said it would address the repeal of the controversial law. Obama has made it his campaign promise to repeal the Clinton-era law.

UPDATE: I thought the SOTU speech was very good, even though Obama's policy proposals don't go nearly far enough, especially "health insurance reform," but it was like his campaign speeches and he gave a good sermon to Congress and poked a few republicans (and the Supreme Court) in the eye--with a big smile. Only a brief mention of gays rights, another call to end Clinton's anti-gay DADT military policy, but its not like to get passed, nor is any real healthcare reform.

No mention of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or repeal the "Defense of Marriage Act." ENDA should be a higher priority than repealing DADT.

Republicans looked like goons, as usual, not even applauding to make the big banks pay back the money we loaned them to save their asses. How can the Republican Party be taken seriously as a "populist" party??

Robert Scheer: The Sorry State of Our Union

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Goodbye Democracy--Hello Fascism!



Kiss democracy goodbye! By a 5-4 decision, the conservative Supreme Court justices have ruled that coprorations are entitled to the same rights as real people, rolling back restrictions on corporate spending on political campaigns. Corporations now control our government. They control both political parties, and have killed healthcare reform and will kill financial reform and legislation to save our environment from their pollution.

Welcome to fascism, brought to you by the Republican Party, and their corporate allies in the Democratic Party and the corporate controlled media. When will the American people wake up and take back our government?

I agree with many of the "tea party" protesters, but they have been duped into supporting the corporatocracy (e.g, insurance companies). The enemy is not "big government," it is government owned and controlled by the corporate rich. If tea-baggers would like to join us on the left and protest the corporate takeover of our government, we can work for a real revolution.

Supreme Court Rolls Back Corporate Campaign Finance Restrictions

In a related note, Air America radio is shutting down today... it is filing chapter 7 bankcruptcy, so the total control of the media, especially radio, by the neo-fascist radical right is almost complete.

Fascism and the Corporate State

Move to Amend!

Funny that the Supreme Court ruled that there is no "freedom of speech" in the case of broadcasting the Prop. 8 court case in California, but that corporations are "people" endowed with the "freedom of speech" to spend all they want to influence elections.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

MLK's Dream


We've come a long way on race, though racism is still alive and well in the U.S., but the central vision of social justice and economic equality, Dr. Martin Luther King's dream is a long way off even today. While he is honored by most political leaders today, he was demonized as an "anti-American," and a "communist" during his struggle against racism, economic inequality and militarism. Today we have nearly 20% REAL unemployment, and the military machine rolls on, killing every chance of economic justice at home.

The State of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream in 2010

If MLK Were Around, He'd Be Talking About Poverty

Dr. Martin Luther King's Economics: Through Jobs Freedom

MLK: Let Justice Roll!

The King They Won't Celebrate

Chris Hedges, Turning King's Dream Into a Nightmare

Billy Wharton, co-chair Socialist Party USA, Why We Can't Wait: Reading Dr. King in the Age of Obama

Monday, January 11, 2010

Now Harold Ford Jr. Backs Gay Marriage


Now that he is running for the U.S. Senate in New York, against a candidate that support equal rights for LGBT people, Harold Ford Jr. Backs Gay Marriage


"In what will likely be read as another sign of his interest in running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in this year's Democratic primary, ex-Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. publicly said for the first time that he was in favor of same-sex marriage.
"He supports gay marriage, in the interest of fairness and equality," Ford spokesman Davidson Goldin told The Post.
Ford backed up that statement himself this morning on the "Today Show."
Host Matt Lauer asked, "So you're now in favor of same sex marriage?"
"Civil unions and same-sex marriage, yes," Ford said.

Ford also said there's a "fiction" in language between civil unions and same-sex marriages, and that he now supports gay nuptials because it's the best way to keep equal benefits flowing.
Saying he supported civil unions when he ran for Congress in Tennessee in 1996, Ford said, "My support for fairness and equality existed long before I moved to New York."
Asked by host Matt Lauer if it was a "change" in position, he invoked Chuck Schumer and Bill Clinton, saying:
"Maybe in the language. But I'm a believer that benefits should flow to same sex partners and if indeed the fiction of the language, the title, should be changed, much like Chuck Schumer who changed his mind on it and Bill Clinton's evolved, I'm of the opinion now that nothing is wrong with that."

This is the same Harold Ford Jr. who wan for the Senate in TN by trying to go to the right of his GOP opponent Bob Corker, and spent much of his campaign trail attacking same-sex marriage to win the TN redneck vote. To great applause, from one barnyard haystack to another, he preached against gay marriage, and proclaimed the gospel of "family values"

Harold Ford Jr.
"I will continue to be pro-family, including supporting a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, without taking away the civil rights of gays and lesbians."
Harold Ford Jr., "My Faith as My Guide" on HaroldFordjr.com

I welcome HRJ's change of heart, now I think he owes gays and lesbians in Tennessee an apology.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Marriage Equality Set Backs (and Gains)


The fight for marriage equality too a few steps back in the U.S., but seems to be advancing in other countries.
New Jersey Defeats Gay Marriage Bill
The State Senate on Thursday rejected a proposal that would have made New Jersey the sixth state in the nation to allow marriages involving same-sex couples. The vote was the latest in a succession of setbacks for advocates of gay marriage across the country.

Hill Republicans Join Fight Against D.C. Gay Marriage
Republican congressional leaders have joined local activists in a court fight to allow voters to decide whether same-sex marriage should be legal in the District, underscoring the continued uncertainty surrounding the issue.
Thirty-nine GOP legislators, including 37 members of the House and two senators, James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), have filed an amicus brief supporting a public vote on the issue. The House members include Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.).

While anti-gay groups and Republicans continue to fight marriage equality in the U.S., other countries are taking the lead to legalize gay marriage:

Portugal Approves Gay Marriage
Portugal's parliament Friday approved plans to legalise gay marriage, less than three decades after revoking the country's ban on homosexuality, but rejected proposals to allow same sex couples to adopt.
The bill passed with limited public controversy in what has traditionally been one of Europe's most socially conservative countries.

Catholic Portugal Legalizes Gay Marriage

Citizen Crain: Latin States of America Lead US of A

Will most of the Western democracies legalize marriage for gays and lesbians before the U.S.??

UPDATE: Gay Marriage Ban Goes on Trial in CA

Friday, January 08, 2010

NARAL Attacks "Pro-Life" Harold Ford Jr.

Gays are not the only group in New York not happy with the prospect of Harold Ford Jr. being their Senator...

NARAL Attacks "Pro-Life" Harold Ford Jr

Whatch this video and see what a two-faced lying politician Harold Ford Jr is!



Oh the tangled web he weaved when he ran as a conservative in TN to win the bubba vote by attacking gays, feminists,non-Christians, etc.

Harold Ford, Step Out of Senator Gillibrand's Way

New York LGBT Activists Balk at Harold Ford Senate Candidacy

NY "Senator Ford" Would be A Disaster

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

New York--Stop Harold Ford Jr.!


Harold Ford May Challenge Gillibrand for New York Senate Seat

Harold Ford Jr., the former Representative for the 9th District in Tennessee, ran a conservative, anti-gay race for the U.S. Senate in 2008, and became the chair of the conservative Democratic Leadership Council. Now he is going to try to run for the Senate in his new home state, New York.

Don't be fooled New York! HFJ ran as a conservative in Tennessee, even backing away from his promise to vote against the Marriage Protection Act. Yes, he voted FOR the right-wing amendment that would have engraved discrimination against gay citizens into the U.S. Constitution. Because of his act of political cowardice and betrayal of the Tennessee gay community, I ran as a write-in candidate against him in his last campaign for the House of Representatives!

And that ain't all, look at his record! I've kept a running list at Stop Harold Ford Jr.

Spread the news in New York--STOP HAROLD FORD JR.!

Looks like Harold Ford Jr's betryal of gays and lesbians in Tennessee will haunt him if he challenges Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in New York. Gillibrand has been a strong advocate and defender of LGBT equality, and HFJ will not be able to get away with his anti-gay campaign in Tennessee in New York!

The Agenda: No Contest--Gillibrand is Exponentially Better than Harold Ford Jr. for LGBT New Yorkers

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The Lost Decade



The past decade was a rough one for American workers. Wages have declined, and millions of jobs disappeared. We can thank George W. Bush and the Republicans for most of the misery, though the corporate wing (and breast) of the Democratic Party is also partly to blame (NAFTA, etc.)

Here's the consequence of Reagan--Bush onomics:
"The past decade was the worst for the U.S. economy in modern times, a sharp reversal from a long period of prosperity that is leading economists and policymakers to fundamentally rethink the underpinnings of the nation's growth.

It was, according to a wide range of data, a lost decade for American workers. The decade began in a moment of triumphalism -- there was a current of thought among economists in 1999 that recessions were a thing of the past. By the end, there were two, bookends to a debt-driven expansion that was neither robust nor sustainable.

There has been zero net job creation since December 1999. No previous decade going back to the 1940s had job growth of less than 20 percent. Economic output rose at its slowest rate of any decade since the 1930s as well."

No wonder, Americans' Job Satisfaction Falls to Record Lows


Friday, January 01, 2010

Bye Bye 2009

2009 could not end soon enough! Let's say good-bye to the Bush/Cheney decade of stolen elections, illegal wars, corruption and greed!