Category Archives: politics

politics

MORMONS! Our next prez?

April 13, 2012 – 10:15 pm

(I think I have an especial soft spot for this reporter after the Scientology docs he did)

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politics What he/she said:

What he said:

August 22, 2011 – 12:42 pm

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

Jack Layton, July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011

 

Sad today, because Canada lost one of its best politicans — and someone who I would have loved to have voted for.

Go read his last letter to Canadians, and you’ll see why.

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politics social justice

How did I spend my Saturday morning?

December 18, 2010 – 11:27 am

Not watching cartoons or sports, but watching the Senate edge even closer to ending a discriminatory policy.

Final vote on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is expected at 3pm EST today.  I’ll be watching.

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politics

Failing the midterms

November 3, 2010 – 11:02 am

So last night was a bit of a bomb for the Democratic party (and, I’d argue, the well-being of the entire country).   The GOP (read: Tea Party Party) took over control of the House of Representatives, though thankfully didn’t take over control of the Senate.  Also, thankfully, Harry Reid didn’t lose to Sharrrrrrron Angle in his district, which would have made the Repub gloating all the worse on the day-after media circuit.

While I’m disappointed in the results, I’m not that surprised or that dismayed.  While it’s going to be PAINFUL to have to watch John Boehner as Speaker of the House, I don’t think the GOP can inflict much damage in their majority capacity.

If anything, it will be interesting to see how the Republican party will have to step up to actually get something done for a change — rather than all the childish, slamming of feet, saying “NO!” that they’ve accomplished during the last 2 years.

I love how, last night in his “victory” speech, Boehner said that it’s now time for him to “roll up his sleeves” and get some work done in the House.  If only he had that attitude for the last 20 years he’s served as a Representative.

Stay tuned, this political ride is going to get bumpy, methinks.

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politics What he/she said:

Enough of the Hitler referencing.

October 22, 2010 – 9:33 pm

Oy, if I hear someone else break out ye ol reductio ad Hitlerum argument one more time, I’m going to scream.  An old Mediaite post reminded me of this soundbite from Robert Gibbs (who I still haven’t forgiven for the “professional left” remark):

You hear — in this [healthcare] debate you hear analogies, you hear references to, you see pictures about and depictions of individuals that are truly stunning. And you hear it all the time. People — imagine five years ago somebody comparing health care reform to 9/11. Imagine just a few years ago had somebody walked around with images of Hitler. Hopefully we can get back to a discussion about the issues that are important in this country, that we can do without being personally disagreeable and set up comparisons to things that were so insidious in our history that anybody in any professional walk of life would be well advised to compare nothing to those atrocities.

[link]

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politics

It gets better

October 22, 2010 – 8:22 am

Adding his voice to Dan Savage’s campaign of “It Gets Better,” here’s President Obama:

My frustrations are pretty clear in the post below this one — but I think Rachel Maddow summed up the significance of the video well:

Americans who care about the rights of sexual minorities have plenty of reasons to be frustrated and even angry with President Obama and his administration. Still, I’m trying to think of another American president who could have given this talk — and it is a talk, not a speech. This is a president, a father, talking to kids the same age as his daughters. President Lincoln in the YouTube age? President Clinton, plus 15 years? In a time when progress feels painfully slow, this counts.

link

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politics

Yes, We Can — but won’t.

October 21, 2010 – 5:15 pm

Right now one of the bigger issues playing out on the political hometurf is the issue of ending the useless “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military.  The policy itself is in its death throes — from all the polls, it’s clear the American public doesn’t support it AND courts all over the country are finding constitutional issues with how the policy itself is executed.

So, you’d think it would be a NON-ISSUE for a President and his administration — one that was elected on a LGBT-friendly political platform and with their support — to go ahead and put this discriminatory policy out of its misery and end its enforcement.

Not exactly the case — the way this story has played out over the last few months  makes the entire presidential administration look downright schizophrenic when it comes to DADT.

First a court rules against the military policy, and issues a stay against its enforcement.  The president then says on the campaign trail that the policy will be “ended on [his] watch”, while meanwhile his Department of Justice challenges the court-imposed stay on DADT, so they can keep enforcing the policy on military service people?!

And now today the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates issued a directive that will make any enforcement of the policy contingent on the “personal approval” of his office first.

Can you see why I’m confused?  We have a president who’s against the policy, but a justice department who’s seeking to keep it in place.  Then there’s a Secretary of Defense who’s spoken out against the policy, and now looks like he’s attempting to make it even more difficult for it to be enforced on service men & women — SO WHY NOT JUST END IT ALREADY?

Lt. Choi articulates my frustrations well (and from a position where he’s completely entitled to feel such frustration):

Mr. President, justice delayed is justice denied.

EDIT: Valerie Jarrett responds to Lt. Choi (and I’m not persuaded by her argument):

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