Month: March 2006

If You’re Gay, BMW Wants Your Money. But Forget About Those Employee Benefits

Trish

It takes more than targeting ads to gays to make a company gay-friendly. Ad Age is reporting that gaywheels.com is calling BMW out for soliciting gay sales but failing to provide benefits for partners of gay employees.

In an article called, “What is the German Word for Hypocrisy?” Joe LaMuraglia says both BMW and publications like “Out” and “The Advocate” that accepted the ad money, are at fault.

Our goal is not to incite a boycott of BMW’s cars, but rather to arm you, our readers, with awareness of the company’s actions as well as of those of the media outlets that published the ad. Speaking of which, one would hope that the publishers of GLBT-owned magazines and web sites would have higher standards than to accept advertising from a major, multinational corporation whose policies discriminate against the very audience that those publications were created to serve.

According to Ad Age, BMW claimed that since it is headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, it is just following Garden State laws.

The site goes on to list companies which are — and which are not — gay-friendly.

Gay-friendly:
DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz and Maybach
Ford MotorCo.’s Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Aston Martin and majority-controlled Mazda
Toyota Motor Sales USA’s Toyota, Lexus and Scion
General Motors Corp.’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn
Volkswagen of America’s Audi, VW and Bentley
Subaru of America
Isuzu Motors America
Mitsubishi Motors North America

Non-gay-friendly:
American Honda Motor Co.’s Acura and Honda
BMW’s Mini and BMW
Hyundai Motor America and affiliate Kia Motor America
Nissan North America’s Nissan and Infiniti
American Suzuki Motor Corp.

Candidate Who Faked ‘Calm and Stable’ Iraq Photo Was Architect of Davis Recall

Jon Ponder

GOP Candidate to Succeed Duke Cunningham Falsified Evidence of Media Bias Against Iraq War

Before he was disgraced today by liberal bloggers, you had probably never heard of Howard Kaloogian. But here in California he is a notorious GOP operative who made his mark in the 2003 campaign to unseat Gov. Gray Davis.

Kaloogian said the photo of peaceful Baghdad proved the media lied about conditions in Iraq because “journalists are opposed to the U.S. effort to fight terrorism.”

A one-time back-bencher in the Assembly, Kaloogian was a mastermind of the recall election that removed Davis from office and replaced him with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Now, as a candidate in the special election in San Diego to replace former Rep. Duke Cunningham, who recently began serving time for bribery and corruption, Kaloogian has been nailed trying to defraud the public and with an attempt at classic Bushista disinformation meant to prop up support for the war:

[Kaloogian] posted on the official Web site for his campaign a picture [see above] taken in “downtown Baghdad,” he said, during his visit to the city, which supposedly indicated that the media was wrong about the level of violence in the city. “We took this photo of downtown Baghdad while we were in Iraq,” he wrote. “Iraq (including Baghdad) is much more calm and stable than what many people believe it to be. But, each day the news media finds any violence occurring in the country and screams and shouts about it – in part because many journalists are opposed to the U.S. effort to fight terrorism.“

The photo didn’t look right for Baghdad to some liberal bloggers. Women were seen in western clothing and people were holding hands:

In less than a day, it was over. “Jem6X” at the popular DailyKos blog confirmed the street scene was in Istanbul, not Baghdad.

Tipped off by someone who recognized the actual intersection in Istanbul, Jem went through online photo galleries and in a matter of minutes today found a snap taken by a “Faruk” that lined up with the “Baghdad” photo in numerous conclusive ways. Game, set, and match to the blogosphere.

Gray Davis was not a masterful politician but this fraud is more proof that his recall was just another needless and costly Republican sham.

Abramoff Sentenced to Over Five Years in Fraud Charges

Jon Ponder

This is separate from the sentences he’ll receive for bribing Ohio Republican congressman Bob Ney and possibly Tom DeLay and others:

Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a business partner were sentenced Wednesday to five years and 10 months in federal prison, the minimum they faced for fraud related to their 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.

Abramoff and Adam Kidan both pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud, but they won’t have to report to prison immediately….

Abramoff and Kidan admitted concocting a fake $23 million wire transfer to make it appear they had made a large cash contribution to the $147.5 million purchase of SunCruz Casinos. Based on that fake transfer, lenders provided the pair with $60 million in financing.

The same week Abramoff pleaded guilty to the SunCruz fraud, he entered guilty pleas to three federal charges as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe that could involve up to 20 members of Congress and aides, including former House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

The two also face questioning regarding the mob-style murder of the owner of SunCruz, Gus Boulis.

‘NY Times’ Resists the WH Spin

Buck Banks

Attaway: The “New York Times” Washington Bureau chief refused to participate in President Bush’s informal, off-the-record chats with the White House press groupies. This series of informal meetings follows the infusion of several new (read: naive) reporters from major news outlets into the White House beat.

Here’s how the “Times” explained the decision:

Philip Taubman, the Washington bureau chief for The Times, said in a statement last night: “The Times has declined this opportunity after weighing the potential benefits to our readers against the prospect of withholding information from them about the discussion with Mr. Bush. As a matter of policy and practice, we would prefer when possible to conduct on-the-record interviews with public officials.”

Way to resist the Dark Side, Phil!

The Perils of Cronyism

Buck Banks

The following is a statement from one of my favorite wingnuts, Richard A. Viguerie, posted on ConservativeHQ Alert:

“Fortunately for the Bush family, Ronald Reagan put a premium on loyalty to Republican principles, not to himself personally. Otherwise, Reagan would not have selected George H.W. Bush as his vice president, and the first President Bush could never have made it to the White House on his own.”
— Richard Viguerie

It’s good news that Andy Card has resigned as President Bush’s Chief of Staff.

The bad news is that President Bush’s DNA apparently won’t allow him to associate with anyone who is not a longtime Bush family loyalist – thus Josh Bolten’s appointment as Card’s replacement.

Fortunately for the Bush family, Ronald Reagan put a premium on loyalty to Republican principles, not to himself personally. Otherwise, Reagan would not have selected George H.W. Bush as his vice president, and the first President Bush could never have made it to the White House on his own.

America has been poorly served because both President Bushes apparently are comfortable only with those who have pledged lifetime loyalty to the Bush family.

“Personnel is policy.” Non-conservative personnel results in non-conservative policies. President Bush has not governed as a conservative and will not govern in the future as a conservative as long as he insists on surrounding himself with moderate to liberal big-business, big-government Republicans.

And, conservatives will only support President Bush if he actually governs as a conservative.

The New Colossus

Jon Ponder

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

— Emma Lazarus – 1883

Pensito Review: Off the Wires

Buck Banks

China Intervenes in Organ-Sale Business
SHANGHAI, China – China’s Health Ministry has explicitly banned sales of human organs in an apparent attempt to clean up the country’s lucrative but laxly regulated transplant business. How little progress China has made away from its communist roots — if it were a capitalist country, they’d figure out how to tax the transplant biz.


Why Do Some Dictators Escape Justice?
JAKARTA, Indonesia – The spotlight of international justice has shone on Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic to hold them accountable for alleged war crimes. But many are asking: What about Suharto in Indonesia, Gen. Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Charles Taylor of Liberia? And what about George W. Bush?


Berlusconi Warns Against Multiculturalism
ROME – Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he does not want Italy to become a multiethnic, multicultural country, drawing plaudits from a right-wing ally and criticism from center-left opponents. The rest of Europe quickly rallied behind Berlusconi, mounting a campaign called “Leave Italy to the Italians!”

Arab Nations Urged to Enter Nuclear Club
KHARTOUM, Sudan – Secretary-General Amr Moussa called on Arab leaders Tuesday to move toward a goal of “entering the nuclear club” and making use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. By “peaceful purposes,” Moussa explained, he meant “blow Israel to Jehovah’s doorstep.”

Ex-Liberian President Taylor Disappears
ABUJA, Nigeria – Liberian warlord Charles Taylor, wanted for war crimes, has “disappeared” from the haven Nigeria had granted him, Nigerian officials said Tuesday. Surprise!

And, in unrelated dematerialization news:

Afghan Convert Is Released, Then Vanishes
KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan man who faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity will be freed from prison and has asked for asylum in another country, U.S. and U.N. officials said Monday. Let’s just hope he can run faster than a fatwa.

McCain Taps His Inner Wingnut, Flipflops on Gay Marriage, According to Falwell

Jon Ponder

Don’t Call Him a ‘Moderate’ Anymore

In today’s Washington Post, EJ Dionne speculates that in order to win his party’s nomination in 2008, Sen. John McCain will have to run so far to the right that he’ll alienate independent voters, an essential group of supporters who strongly identify with him as one of their own: conservative on fiscal issues and liberal on social issues.

Falwell said McCain has expressed a willingness to support a Federal Marriage Amendment, a flipflop from his earlier position that marriage was an issue best left to the states.

If Rev. Jerry Falwell is telling the truth, Dionne can stop speculating. The hillbilly mullah told his hometown newspaper that McCain recently assured him that he has reversed his position on gay marriage:

Falwell said McCain has expressed a willingness to support a Federal Marriage Amendment, an issue dear to conservative Christians. The amendment would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Christian conservatives, including Falwell, are concerned about efforts by homosexual groups to have civil unions between same-sex partners recognized as marriages. McCain previously has said the matter of defining marriage should be handled by state legislatures, but now concedes that a federal statute may be necessary, Falwell said.

It is unclear whether the Lynchburg News-Advance sought a confirmation of Falwell’s claim from McCain or his office.

In 2000, McCain won the New Hampshire primary against George Bush, the Texas governor, but when the campaign moved to South Carolina, McCain suffered a self-inflicted wound when he criticized the religious right, mentioning Falwell specifically:

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right,” McCain said at the time.

McCain lost big in South Carolina and Virginia and was soon out of the race, clearing the field for the Worst Presidency Ever.

Now all is forgiven between Falwell and McCain, according to the reverend. He has even invited McCain to speak at Liberty College in May:

“I was in Washington with him about three months ago,” Falwell said. “We dealt with every difference we have. There are no deal breakers now. But I told him, ‘You have a lot of fence mending to do.’”

Another issue McCain will have to confront is his advanced age. He will turn 72 in 2008, making him three years older than Ronald Reagan when he elected in 1980. He would be 77 at reelection time in 2012, and 81 if he finished a second term.

Bush Holds Secret Meetings with White House Press Corps

Jon Ponder

The White House press corps spent the first term of the Bush presidency in nearly complete deference to George W. Bush. They knew before the public did that Bush was in way over his head, that he and his flying monkeys continuously shaped falsehoods into truth and that Bush’s very presence in the Oval Office was a threat to U.S. security and world peace.

The White House press treats Bush with deference because he his an aristocrat, and so one of their betters.

And yet they said nothing. Why?

Contrast their acquiescence towards Mr. Bush — who lied the nation into war based on nothing more than his personal whim — with their harsh treatment of President Clinton, whom they skewered daily for every fault and foible. What is the difference between the two men?

Bush is an aristocrat, who was awarded the presidency based solely on his family lineage. (Remember, he’s a descendant of two presidents — his father as well as Franklin Pierce.) Clinton was just a striver up from the bottom rung of society.

Clinton came from the lower middle class in a flyover state. He was no better than they were, or so they thought.

Now that Bush’s poll numbers are down, the White House press corps has been in a scrum trying to cover their collective behinds. A few of them have grown spines — but the White House has used soundbites of hot exchanges between media types and po’ old Scott McClellan to rally the GOP base.
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