Category: News & Comment

In a commentary piece for something called the Creator’s Syndicate, Bill O’Reilly urges us to “Keep ‘diversity’ books out of kindergarten.” He frames his argument with gilded memories of a halcyon youth spent climbing trees, stealing second base and learning to read “Dick and Jane” books. Then, Bill recounts a recent news event that illustrates how lost our society has become.

Today, in Lexington, Mass., 6-year-olds have another book. It is called “Who’s in a Family?” This book features not only Dick and Jane but also Jennifer and Lauren and Charles and Henry. The pages tell little kids about different kinds of families: mixed-race, gay and lesbian, and even traditional family units. They are all discussed in very positive ways.

A father named David Parker took one look at the same-sex part of the book and made an appointment to see the principal of Estabrook Elementary School, a woman named Joni Jay. Parker asked Jay to inform him when the gay family stuff was going to be presented because he felt his little son was too young to learn about homosexuality, and he would keep him home that day. Sounds reasonable, right?

Not so fast. Jay informed Parker that the family book had nothing to do with sexuality, so he was not entitled under the Massachusetts sex education law to get a heads-up. When Parker pointed out that same-sex situations contain the word “sex,” he was asked to leave the principal’s office. He refused. So the Lexington police arrested him on trespassing charges. See Dad get arrested. What does Jane think?

O’Reilly sees this as a symptom of “a massive mission of indoctrination going on in America.” He rails against 9-year-old girls with bare midrifts and third-grade boys wearing gold chains.

I think both Dick and Jane would agree that we should all back off and give the kids a break. Let’s bring back childhood in America, OK? No more “diversity” books for kindergartners ….
The world is a tough, nasty place, and children will learn that soon enough. Shouldn’t we make their first years fun years, free of political and social agendas? Why do some little kids these days look like Britney Spears and Kid Rock? What the deuce is wrong with us?

What’s wrong, Bill, is that Howdy Doody is off the air, coonskin caps are no longer in fashion and Beaver Cleaver is a chubby middle-ages has-been. This isn’t and can’t be the 1950s.

What’s right with us, Bill, is that white children go to school with black children, gay and lesbian couples can raise their own kids and even get lawfully wedded in some places, races and cultures are mixing in new and interesting ways, and the world is much more complicated and diverse than it was when “Father Knows Best” was popular.

Dick’s mommy has a new Latino boyfriend and his daddy only gets to see him every other weekend, while Jane has two mommies. Dick and Jane play “Grand Thefy Auto” on the computer and listen to Dirty Ol’ Bastard on the radio. Your nucular threat of the ’50s has been replaced by the terrorist threat of the 21st century. The world’s a far different place than when Sister Lurana taught you to read. Catch up, Bill.

Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez – or “S.Lo” as he’s sometimes known – has put together a quiz on today’s mayoral election run-off in L.A. Here is an excerpt:

In national, state and local elections, it’s good to throw the bums out now and then because:
A: Fresh ideas are always welcome.
B: We have to let politicians know who’s in charge.
C: It’s time for a new set of crooks.

When it comes to municipal corruption, Los Angeles:
A: Is clean as a whistle.
B: Is in the minor leagues.
C: Could kick Chicago’s butt halfway to New York.

In Los Angeles, you’ve really struck it rich if you:
A: Have a screenplay aimed at the right demographic.
B: Invested in real estate 10 years ago.
C: Know somebody on the airport commission.

An L.A. mayor’s primary function is to:
A: Instill trust and leadership.
B: Keep hope alive.
C: Ignore the San Fernando Valley.
D: Always keep a safe distance from his bag men.

Mayor James Hahn’s nickname is:
A: Crazy Legs.
B: Mr. Saturday Night.
C: Slim Jim.

Hahn often does the town in the company of:
A: J. Lo.
B: S. Lo.
C: [City Controller] Laura Chick.
D: His sister, Janice.

The name Villaraigosa is pronounced:
A: Vee-ya-ga-rosa.
B: Vig-a-la-rosa.
C: Vira-la-gosa.
D: Don’t know.

After giving Hahn a well-deserved beating for what he saw as pay-to-play politics, Villaraigosa pocketed donations from Floridians whose boss used to have an LAX concession contract. Asked to explain why Floridians would send him money, Villaraigosa said (just before he returned the loot):
A: They liked his smile.
B: Hard to tell one palm tree from another.
C: No hablo ingles.
D: Florida believes the Hahn administration is adrift.

Hahn is behind in the polls, but he can still win if:
A: The City Hall corruption probe doesn’t produce any indictments between now and Tuesday.
B: He gets caught in the back seat of a car with a stripper.
C: He has persuaded enough voters he’s a trustworthy conservative and that Villaraigosa’s deputy mayors will include gangbangers and child killers.
D: All of the above.

Villaraigosa will breeze to victory if:
A: White voters embrace a new day.
B: Latino voters forget that he ignored them.
C: The outcome isn’t based on big ideas.
D: All of the above.

Best reason to vote in the mayoral election:
A: Takes less time than ordering a latte.
B: You can be the only one on your block.
C: No threat of insurgent attacks.
D: If we double the 26% turnout in the March mayoral race, we’ll be closing in on the voter turnout in Iraq.

If you picked the last answer to each question, you scored perfectly and are qualified to become a Los Angeles voter.

As has been noted, we here in the Left Coast offices of the PR are big fans of “The Countdown,” with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, but last night’s show was a real corker. Keith predicted the resignation of Press Secretary Scott McClellan, for starters, and laid out the Bush Administration’s flip-flops over the Newsweek report that copies of the Qu’ran were desecrated by U.S. interrogators in Guantanamo.

Amid all the coverage of the controversy yesterday, only Olbermann pointed out that as recently as last week, the Bush Administration, in the person of Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the rioting in Afghanistan was more related to “the on-going political reconciliation” than the Newsweek story.

But Monday afternoon, while offering himself up to the networks for a series of rare, almost unprecedented sit-down interviews on the White House lawn, Press Secretary McClellan said, in effect, that General Myers, and the head of the after-action report following the disturbances in Jalalabad, Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, were dead wrong. The Newsweek story, McClellan said, “has done damage to our image abroad and it has done damage to the credibility of the media and Newsweek in particular. People have lost lives. This report has had serious consequences.”

Whenever I hear Scott McClellan talking about ‘media credibility,’ I strain to remember who it was who admitted Jeff Gannon to the White House press room and called on him all those times.

Whenever I hear this White House talking about ‘doing to damage to our image abroad’ and how ‘people have lost lives,’ I strain to remember who it was who went traipsing into Iraq looking for WMD that will apparently turn up just after the Holy Grail will – and at what human cost.

Whereas I look at this story and just see typical GOP mendacity – the Republicans can never lose when they’re pumping up the Librul Media boogeyman they have invented – Olbermann probes deeper into the story. He suggests a scenario beneath this story in which:

The news organization turns to the administration for a denial. The administration says nothing. The news organization runs the story. The administration jumps on the necks of the news organization with both feet – or has its proxies do it for them.

That’s beyond shameful. It’s treasonous.

Olbermann concludes by saying that Scott McClellan should resign because of his ” tasteless, soul-less conclusion that deaths in Afghanistan should be lain at the magazine’s doorstep.” That – and the fact that he’s a serial liar. (I know, I know. It’s in his job description.)

Btw, I’m glad to see that Olbermann’s post has been picked up by Buzzflash and Atrios.

“He who has ears, let him hear.”
– Jesus

The image of the boy with his fingers stuck in his ears to the right says a lot about what United American Technologies is up to. The company provides “filtered” internet access to the pious who are either so computer illiterate as to not understand simple parental controls, or who think that the Internet is Satan, period, and the only way to keep him off the family computer is through divine intervention.

Are you beginning to feel like you need to be protected when on the Internet? United American Technologies is dedicated to providing the luxury of the Internet without the hassle of unwanted content and information. We provide a clean outlet to the Internet for family, friends, employees and students.

UAT offers “DSL speeds at the price of dial-up,” as well as “filtered web browsing from pornography and other unsuitable content; filtered email from pornography and other unsolicited marketing emails; pop-up protection available with our High Speed Dialup service; unlike many of our competitors, we do not offer unfiltered Internet access for a single subscriber. We do not have double standards and do not support pornography in any way.”

But it is in the company’s telephone solicitations that their true intentions become clear. A fellow named Eugene Merman called an anti-gay marriage group and learned about UAT. For quality-control purposes, he recorded his conversations.

Merman called in to something called the Faith, Family and Freedom Campaign, whose prerecorded hold message says, in part: “Please do not hang up. Listen to my brief message and find out how you can help. This information will explain how the ACLU and gays are getting gay marriage in every state.”

The operator breaks in at this point, identifies herself as what sounds like “Kewpie,” and asks, “Eugene, did you press one to oppose same-sex marriages?”

After Merman has her on for a bit, and it’s clear that he is playing it to the hilt, Kewpie gets to the real pitch: “Mr. Merman, also, our organization is dedicated to people such as yourself that want to stop same-sex marriages and to quit doing business with companies that promote and profit from the homosexual lifestyle.”

She then goes on to smear the competition, claiming that AT&T owns the Hot Network, “which is a hard-core pronography channel,” and “they also give millions of dollars to the gay and lesbian alliance groups.”

Then Kewpie gets to the point: “Mr. Merman, there is a Christian-based telehone company in your area called United American Technologies … UAT, Mr. Merman, is the only carrier taking an active stand against same-sex marriages and hardcore child pornography.”

Kewpie goes on to explain how MCI “sponsors child pornography” through a Montreal-based “pedophile” Web site called MenWhoLoveBoys, and Verizon “trains their employees to accept the gay and lesbian lifestyle.”

All of which leads the feckless Mr. Merman to breathlessly exclaim, “Basically, God hates AT&T, MCI and Verizon!”

“Yes,” accedes Kewpie.

And Jesus said, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

• Listen to Tape 1
• Listen to Tape 2

Washington Blade

With bright red shirts and blaring religious music, Christian protesters mingled with attendees of the Charlotte Pride festival Saturday, the Charlotte Observer reported. “We don’t enjoy getting cussed out,” said one conservative activist , Shanna Carlan of Matthews. After a pause, she added, “Our flesh doesn’t enjoy that, but for the cause of Jesus, it’s worth it.” Those attending the festival sometimes debated and other times just ignored the protesters, according to the Observer. “Do something constructive with your time instead of telling us we’re going to hell,” Sherry Welpe of Charlotte told the protesters.

Southern Voice:

The push for gay marriage was not to blame for President George W. Bush’s re-election, top Democratic political strategist James Carville told those attending the 18th annual Atlanta Human Rights Campaign last weekend.

“I understand you feel frustrated. And some blame you,” Carville told the mostly gay audience at the May 7 dinner at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta.

“You’ve got a good campaign — you’re asking for equal rights. Don’t let what happened frustrate you. It was not you. Understand that,” he said. [It] was simply poor Democratic campaigning that put Bush back in the White House.

“Bush thought the country was re-electing him. Actually, it just wasn’t comfortable electing John Kerry,” Carville said to cheers.

President Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 because he fired his own cabinet member, Secretary of War Edward M. Stanton. President Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998-1999 because he lied under oath about an extramarital affair.

And yet today the conventional wisdom says that the fact that President George W. Bush, in a concerted effort with his top aides and government officials, including the Vice President, engaged in a conspiracy to deceive the American people in order to engender public support for going to war to remove Saddam Hussein from power does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.

If a conspiracy to lie about the reasons for taking the country to war – at a cost of thousands of dead and wounded American military personnel and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi babies, children, grandmothers and grandfathers, fathers and mothers, not to mention hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars – is not a high crime or misdemeanor, then what is?

The other SCLM take on Bush’s campaign of lies in the run-up to war is that whatever he did in 2002 was nullified by the elections in November 2004. But Bill Clinton won re-election in 1996 in a landslide (49%-40%) compared with Bush’s 51%-48% margin over John Kerry. And Clinton’s re-election came after millions of dollars had spent investigating him and his associates. However, this virtual referendum of support Clinton received from 47 million voters did not stop the Republicans from proceeding to try to destroy his presidency over personal issues.

The Downing Street Memo offers a glimpse into the reality behind the Bush campaign to take the country to war under false pretenses. It says that the Bush Administration’s justification for war was “thin,” therefore ” the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.” This may not be the smoking gun that proves Bush & Co lied about the war but it unquestionably emits the odor of a freshly fired bullet. And now no one can say that the evidence Bush lied simply doesn’t exist.

The fact is, the Republicans who control the Congress are just as corrupt as the ones who run the Administration. They have stood in the way of George Bush being held accountable for the blood on his hands – and will likely to continue to do so. But remember it was the Republicans in Congress who forced Republican president Richard Nixon to resign rather than face impeachment in 1974.

Every patriotic American ought to be outraged about the conspiracy by George W. Bush and his supporters to take this country to war under false pretenses. The rest of the world knows what the American rightwing and its supine media lackeys will not admit – Bush’s lies about Iraq have destroyed America’s credibility in the world.

History shows that military might alone is not sufficient to sustain an empire – or a superpower. Our strength comes from our integrity, and it is based on a moral view that dictates fairness and justice. Even if Iraq becomes a shining beacon of democracy in the Middle East – and that is a huge “if” – its path to freedom will be stained by these lies and this treason and by the lives of the brave and the innocent that were lost because a group in the White House decided that the political advantages of going to war outweighed the costs in blood and treasure to their own country.

This matter will not get a full airing unless the leaders of the House hear from you. Any member of the House can draft impeachment charges, so write your Representative and suggest that he or she do so. Otherwise there are two committees that principally deal with matters related to impeachment, the House Judiciary Committee and the House Government Reform Committtee. I’m writing letters to the chairmen and ranking members of both these committees to encourage them to look at this matter, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans.

House Judiciary Committee:

House Judiciary Committee Email Form

Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (Republican)
Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary
2449 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5101
sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov

Honorable John Conyers, Jr. (Democrat)
Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary
2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov

House Committee on Government Reform:

Committee on Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
2157 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
By Phone:
(202) 225-5074
By Fax:
(202) 225-3974

Honorable Tom Davis
Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4611
Phone: (202) 225-1492
Fax: (202) 225-3071
(Chairmain Davis does not accept email.)

Honorable Henry Waxman
Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3976 (phone)
(202) 225-4099 (fax)
Form to Send Message to Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee

There is also a very good site up now about the memo – The Downing Street Memo – that also provides a resources page on taking action.

I’m scratching my head over a report in the St. Petersburg Times about a crackdown on sexually explicit email at Florida government agencies. Fourteen employees in four departments were fired, while many more were suspended and reprimanded.

The fired employees seem to be overwhelmingly female, judging by the names printed. That’s odd enough but what I’m really wondering about is the contents of the email.

Some of the e-mails included nude photos of men and women and some included videos, profanity and suggestive remarks. One animation portrayed former President Bill Clinton at his desk with Monica Lewinsky and another included Barney, the purple dinosaur, and children dancing to profane and violent gangsta rap.