Washington In and Out

IN:

Leon Panetta:

Obama Seeks to Mend Rift Over Panetta Pick

Feinstein’s O.K. With Panetta at C.I.A.

Roland W. Burris:

Senate Democrats Now See a Path to Seat for Burris

Burris To Be Seated?

OUT:

John O. Brennan:

Candidate for C.I.A. Post Withdraws His Name

George W. Bush:

A President Forgotten but Not Gone

UNDECIDED:

Al Franken:

What About Minnesota?

Coleman sues over Minnesota Senate recount result

Caroline Kennedy:

Did Caroline Campaign Too Much?

Another one bites the dust ...

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert officially resigned today. I wonder if he and Lott discussed their plans before deciding today would be the day!

Hastert had announced earlier that he did not intend to seek another term, and told colleagues days ago that he was planning on leaving the House.

There is certainly lots of speculation surrounding Lott's quick announcement. You can read more about it here and here.

Hastert would like you to believe his decision is based on what is best for the voters in his district. If you believe that ... .

The bottom line for me is that Hastert is a Republican, and I don't trust anything they say. As I mentioned in my previous post about Lott, I wonder what's up!

Busy day trying to save the world ...

But a few things did catch my eye that I wanted to comment on. First, another Republican bites the dust. Sen. Trent Lott announced today that he is leaving the Senate at either the end of December, or in January. That's right, BEFORE his term ends.

Wonder what THAT is all about? Is something big about to break and he wants to avoid the fall out? Or is he simply trying to cash in on his last chance to earn the big bucks before the White House changes hands? This could be fun to watch!

And just when Trent thought he was going to be the top story of the day, Dick knocks him off the top page with an irregular heartbeat. Who knew Cheney had a heart? That Dick will do anything for attention!

And speaking of being a Dick ... Wasn't it fun that the Prez had to be nice to Al Gore today!

Talk about an inconvenient truth. Al Gore finally won his place in the Oval Office on Monday -- right next to George W. Bush. Forever linked by the closest and craziest presidential race in history, the two men were reunited by, of all things, White House tradition.

Gore was among the 2007 Nobel Prize winners who were invited in for a photo and some chatter with the president; Gore got the recognition for his work on global warming.

Oh, man I would have liked to be a fly on the wall when Duyba realized he would be hosting Gore! And for winning the Nobel Prize for global warming! Yikes!

The two men stood next to other, sharing uncomfortable grins for photographers and reporters, who were quickly ushered in and out.

"Familiar faces," the former vice president said of the media. Bush, still smiling, added nothing.

Which, as coincidence would have it, has also been his contribution as president.

Let's talk about sex!

Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective held their 2nd national conference in Chicago this weekend. The theme for the gathering was "Let's talk about sex!"

More than 800 women and men attended the four day event, along with featured speakers including Byllye Avery, founder of the Black Women's Health Imperative, Dorothy Roberts, the Kirkland & Ellis Professor at Northwestern University School of Law, and Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General and now a Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Arkansas School of Public Health and a Distinguished Professor at the Clinton School of Public Policy.

The plenary sessions and workshops were thought-provoking and inspiring. Dr. Elders delivered some of the best quotes, however.

Talking about the current controversy surrounding the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Dr. Elders said: "We insure our house, we insure our car ... but we don't want to insure our daughters against cervical cancer." She accused politicians of playing: "Vaginal politics -- using women to get elected." And she spoke about the challenges facing African American men, and how the government could "send kids to Harvard for less than what we spend incarcerating them."

My favorite comment came when she launched a verbal attack on "abstinence only" education. Dr. Elders noted that the argument most often used by advocates of abstinence only education is that condoms break. Her response was: "Yes, condoms break -- but the vows of chastity break far more easily."

Our children need to know how to protect themselves.

In her final swipe at the current administration, Dr. Elders noted: "Not to know is bad ... not to want to know is worse ... but not to care is unforgivable."

It's too bad that Bill Clinton caved under pressure from religious right leaders and forced her to resign. Dr. Joycelyn Elders is just the kind of Surgeon General we need.

Blog Round Up -- posts too good to miss!

from The Carpetbagger Report

Conservatives, campaigns, and creationism … oh my

In what has turned out to be the most memorable moment of Thursday’s Republican presidential debate — “Is there anybody on the stage that does not believe in evolution?” — an interesting discussion has emerged about the right, science, and modernity.


This Week in God

First up from The God Machine this week is a recognition of an annual “holiday,” established about a half-century ago, called the National Day of Prayer. It’s basically an official, symbolic slap in the face to church-state separation — every year, the president issues a proclamation promoting the value of prayer and encouraging Americans to honor the day. Like most presidential proclamations, this is generally ignored.


from Tennessee Guerilla Women

Bush at 28% - Republicans Vanishing Like Honey Bees

Not only has Bush's job approval fallen to a miserable 28 percent, nearly two out of three Americans view the Commander Guy as "stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes."


from Wonkette

too much too soon dept.

Florida Still Ruining Democracy For the Rest of Us

The Florida legislature voted to move their Presidential primary elections up to January 29, throwing the nomination process into even more chaos. If Ohio tries this shit, the 600 people running for President will probably replace their canvassing staffs with teams of expertly trained CIA assassins.


from Crooks and Liars

Republican Law and Disorder

Bush to Congress: "I'll compromise, as long as we do it my way"

As a general rule when someone says they are willing to talk out differences it implies they might be willing to compromise. Not so with the Commander in Chief!

The WaPo reports:

In a somber statement on the South Lawn of the White House before leaving on a trip to New York, Bush said he was willing to meet with Democratic leaders "as many times as it takes to resolve our differences," but he signaled no intention to compromise with them on the funding bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Democrats simply need to hang tough on this. The American people are with them. Everyone can see through the lies told by Bush and Cheney -- especially Cheney. Every time they are given an opportunity to voice their opinion, the public has denounced the administration's policy in Iraq.

Vice President Cheney and Democratic leaders traded barbs over the $124 billion emergency war-funding bill, a day after Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) described Cheney as the Bush administration's "chief attack dog" against the Democrats' plan to end the war in Iraq. Reid said yesterday that Cheney lacks credibility and has offered "wildly irresponsible and inaccurate attacks on us and our strategy."

Cheney has NO credibility, and Bush can threaten veto all he wants. If he does veto the bill, and the Republicans refuse to override his veto, it will seal the deal for Democrats in 2008. Any "thinking" Republican must surely know this.

In Memoriam - Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald

Ellen R. Malcolm statement on the death

of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald

“A leader and relentless advocate for women, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald had a tremendous impact on the women of the United States. Her sudden loss to cancer will be deeply felt throughout California and the nation.

“Rep. Millender-McDonald was an EMILY’s List woman in every sense of the word. She worked tirelessly to promote the advancement of women in politics and business while encouraging women to use their vote to enact change in their communities.

“This outstanding woman knew firsthand how important it is for women to participate in politics. A teacher and school administrator, she started her political career 17 years ago when she ran for and won a seat on the Carson City Council. She served as mayor of Carson City and as a member of the California State Assembly. Finally, in 1996, her ambition and passion helped her win a hotly contested special election for the United States House. For 11 years in the House, she championed policies to strengthen communities and protect families. Rep. Millender-McDonald held her seat with dignity and enthusiasm.

“Rep. Millender-McDonald’s aptitude for leadership was immediately recognized during her tenure in the California State Assembly and continued during her years in the United States House. She served as the Democratic chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and as a regional Democratic whip. A trailblazer, she became the first African American woman chair of the U.S. House Administration Committee when Democrats reclaimed control of Congress.

“From her work on behalf of women and families in the U.S. to her contributions to international justice and human rights, Rep. Millender-McDonald was a voice for those who truly needed an advocate. To lose such a strong and likeminded ally so suddenly is a considerable loss for the EMILY’s List family. She will be deeply missed.”

Happy Earth Day

Scissorheads Rock!

It Must Be Friday Evening


Because some officials in the White House just said
Abu G should step down.



















Posted by Morse, at one of my favorite blogs ... Mock, Paper, Scissors!

Sunday Funnies

Thanks to all who Blogged Against Theocracy

If you haven't yet had an opportunity to read some of the posts, please do. The content was excellent, as were many of the comments. The blogswarm even managed to attract some detractors -- which is always a good sign. It means the word is getting out there.

It's also affirming to see individuals from both ends of the spectrum -- people of faith and atheists -- engaging in meaningful, respectful exchanges. That doesn't always happen when talking about one of the two topics people are warned NEVER to talk about in public ... namely, religion and politics.

The exchanges that took place are EXACTLY what the founders had in mind when they gave us a Constitutionally guaranteed separation of church and state.

Church-state separation allow people to make up their own minds about religion. You can decide to follow a faith tradition, you can later choose to change to another one, or you can decide that holding a religious belief is not for you. We get to make those decisions in America. And we have very little religious conflict because of that freedom.

But we must keep in mind there will always be those bullies who believe that everyone must think as they do -- and will do everything possible to try and force their beliefs upon you by law. Which is why we must be vigilant.

First Freedom First offers a way to get involved, at what ever level you feel comfortable being involved. You can simply add your name to the petition. That's an excellent way to help. You can encourage others to do the same -- another excellent idea. You can volunteer, which is MOST excellent. And you can continue to keep the conversation going long after the Blog Against Theocracy ends. That's one of the most important things of all.

The 2008 race for the White House is well under way. What are the candidates thoughts on safeguarding separation of church and state? It's a question we must ask them at every stop.

There are going to be races for everything from local school board to the US Congress. How do those candidate approach church-state separation? Anyone who cares about the issue needs to ask.

Thanks to everyone who participated. It's been fun getting to know a few of you. I hope we can all keep in touch!

Money, money, money

Get out your pocketbook Ethel, it's gonna be an expensive race to the White House!

Looks like the new kid on the block is doing okay in the fundraising department. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign announced that he's raised at least $25 million for his presidential campaign in the first quarter of the year, putting him just shy of Sen. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner, who made a splash with her announcement Sunday that she had drawn a record-breaking $26 million.

Obama appears to have surpassed Clinton in several ways: He reported donations from 100,000 people, double the 50,000 people who gave to the New York senator's campaign. He raised $6.9 million through donations over the Internet, more than the $4.2 million that Clinton raised online.

Donors can give a total of $2,300 for the primary and $2,300 for the general election, and you can bet the candidates will be seeking every penny they can get.

Politics is an expensive business, and individuals with the big bucks can change the political landscape faster than you can say "Quark"! Just ask Colorado entrepreneur Tim Gill -- the founder of Quark, a desktop publishing software company.

Gill, a 53-year old snowboarder, retired a few years ago and has spent much of his time -- and money -- advocating for gay rights.

After selling the firm, he started the Gill Foundation, which has invested $110 million nationwide in gay causes over the past decade. The Gill Action Fund threw $15 million into a dozen states during the 2006 midterm elections, targeting 70 politicians regarded as unhelpful to gay causes: 50 went down. And the fund is helping transform the political face of Colorado.

Impatient with the lack of gay rights progress this past decade, Gill is pushing hard to end injustice and inequality by the end of the next decade. And recognizing that most anti-gay initiatives are born at the state level, Gill has developed a national political strategy based on successes in Colorado. "They've taken an in-state model and applied it to the entire country," says Denver political analyst Floyd Ciruli. "Gill [and his people are] incredibly strategic. They simply don't waste money. They put their funding where they can take control of legislatures." ... They're taking significant contributions and putting them brilliantly in legislative environments where a few seats changing will change the entire control of a state."

So there you have it ... from the highest office in the land, to a state legislature money talks! I still have to believe that individuals can, however, make a difference -- if they are motivated to do so. Because in the end, when you stand in the voting booth to cast your ballot, we are all equal .... well, unless the vote you cast is via Diebold.

... to be continued!

Rove and the Secret Email Account

Karl Rove is so intimately involved in everything Bush ... Bush & Co. are so corrupt ... Rove is so slimy it's hard to imagine how he's been able to escape prosecution. He's managed to take the Teflon tag away from Ronald Reagan!

Here is a summary provided by Lambert at Correntewire.com:

Rove wanted to put all White House electronic communication beyond the rule of law. So he privatized it. End of story. And if we can get our hands on it, the whole secret history of the administration will be ours. What we're after is the details on how the privatization was done -- the vendors and the technical detail.

And it's very very interesting that Rove is PERSONALLY involved.

For the latest Rove escapade, follow the yellow brick link!

Why I like Rachel Maddow

Bill Maher to George Bush: "Don't question my patriotism"

Sunday Funnies

Lead, follow, or get out of the way

BUSTED! Tom DeLay clearly didn't write or READ his book

Faces of the Fallen

These four men were chosen for two reasons, they are from my area -- and none of them had voting representation in Congress ... oh, and one more reason ... all of them are dead.

By State or Territory / District of Columbia

Spec. Darryl T. Dent
21 years old
Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
Died: August 26, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.



Lt. Col. Paul W. Kimbrough
44 years old
Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
Died: October 3, 2003 in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Gregory E. MacDonald
29 years old
Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
Died: June 25, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Maj. Kevin M. Shea
38 years old
Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
Died: September 14, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It's important that we keep faces attached to this terrible war, if only to remind us that we must continue to do all we can to stop it. These men didn't have voting representation in Congress ... so if you do, call them immediately and tell them you want this war stopped. Do it for Darryl and Paul and Gregory and Kevin ... and all the men and women from your area who have been lost because of our idiot president.

Fertility and the Religious Right

"Should teenage girls be taught to recognize the physical signs that indicate when they are most likely to become pregnant?" Seems like a good idea, but this is about sex, teenage girls, and comprehensive sex education -- so of course it's controversial.

Health educator Toni Weschler, who wrote "Taking Charge of Your Fertility", received hundreds of letters from women who read the book and said they wish someone had shared the information with them sooner. Imagine, empowering women and girls about their sexuality -- run for the hills!

Weschler's response was to publish a teens version of her book titled: "Cycle Savvy: The Smart Teen's Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body"

"You can't imagine how challenging it was to do in a way that respected the intelligence of teens," Weschler says. "All I can say is, I will never be a politician."

Reaction to the book tends to fall along the expected political lines, and how the person/group views comprehensive sex education vs. the abstinence-only approach.

Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, takes the line that better-informed teenagers make better decisions: "Time and again," she says, "research has shown that giving information to adolescents about reproduction and sexuality will not lead to promiscuity and will only arm teens with information that they need whenever they decide to become sexually active."

But Janice Crouse, senior fellow at Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute, disagrees. "I think it is inappropriate. Instead, I think that we need high ideals for our teenagers, to teach them the value of self-control because those are disciplines that you need for your whole life. Providing this type of information says that teenagers are hostages to their hormones."

In what I think is a surprising response, Carrie Lukas of the Independent Women's Forum -- a fake feminist organization -- says:

"Any time you give young people information, there is the potential for them to misapply that knowledge," Lukas says, "but that is not a reason to warn people away from this book."

I'm sure she will take heat for her comment at the next IWF meeting.

--------------------

And speaking of controversy, it seems there is more than a little controversy brewing among religious right activists. It seems the big debate is about whether or not to keep the movement's focus on abortion, marriage and sexual chastity -- or scrap that approach as too narrow.

The founders of the religious right, now in the twilight of their leadership, see even the suggestion of expanding the agenda as a dangerous distraction. In public, and sometimes in personal ways, they are trying to beat back the challenge.

Reminds me of the song "What's the matter with kids" from Bye, Bye Birdie. Can't you just see Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson singing it as you read this!

Pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren got a slap on the wrist for inviting Sen. Barack Obama to speak at an AIDS summit at his church. Obama does, after all, support abortion rights.

And Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, and other conservatives, pressured the National Association of Evangelicals to silence its Washington director, the Rev. Rich Cizik. What had he done that needed to be silenced? Cizik tried to convince evangelicals that global warming is real, and something they should be concerned about.

Dobson's tactic not only failed, it seemed to backfire. The NAE not only stood by Cizik, but it endorsed a critique of U.S. policy toward terror detainees called "An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture: Protecting Human Rights in an Age of Terror."

This is kind of amazing when you consider these are conservative evangelicals speaking out against the policies of a Republican president when the country is at war. No wonder Bush's approval rating is so low.

If religious right evangelicals keep this up presidential hopefuls like McCain, Giuliani, and Romney are going to have to visit every mega-church in the country just to have a chance of winning the nomination.

Don't count Jerry, Pat or James out completely. They still hold sway with politically active evangelicals. And we all know that once the Republicans select their nominee, that person can pretty much count on evangelical support.