The enigmatic Stephen Colbert has landed in Iraq for a USO tour entitled "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando." He will perform his shows in front of the troops for the next week, according to Comedy Central.
Colbert and several other Comedy Central notables have traveled to war zones to entertain the troops. Previously Rob Riggle of the Daily Show broadcast reports from Iraq, though Riggle is an officer in the Marine Reserves, Colbert is strictly civilian.
I find it interesting that liberal-leaning comedians like Colbert, Riggle and Al Franken hove done USO tours in war zones, yet outspoken supporters of war like Sean Hannity have not.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Women's Tackle Football - Dallas Diamonds!
Years ago I used to attend the Dallas Diamonds games when they were a women's professional basketball team. Sadly those days are no more, but the name Diamonds has reemerged. This time it's the International Women's Football League team and they are doing very well.
With their win over the Miami Fury, the Diamonds remain undefeated and apparently their games are a blast. The team plays at Pennington Field in HEB and the games look like a fun evening. Check them out here.
With their win over the Miami Fury, the Diamonds remain undefeated and apparently their games are a blast. The team plays at Pennington Field in HEB and the games look like a fun evening. Check them out here.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Limbaugh Admits He Is Unpatriotic
For the Bush years right-wing talkers on radio characterized anyone who dissagreed with the President as unpatriotic. Now Rush Limbaugh finally admits he is unpatriotic as well.
On Sean Hannity's show he confirmed that by frankly declaring, "I don’t hide from it, I do want and I still want Obama to fail."
That kind of talk would have been classified as treason by the GOP last year, and yet now, the rules seem to change. One more example of just how self-serving and unpatriotic these guys really are.
On Sean Hannity's show he confirmed that by frankly declaring, "I don’t hide from it, I do want and I still want Obama to fail."
That kind of talk would have been classified as treason by the GOP last year, and yet now, the rules seem to change. One more example of just how self-serving and unpatriotic these guys really are.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
When The Wedge Dosen’t Work
The news that Dick Cheney, dark lord of the GOP even supports gay marriage, the signals are clear, the old wedge issues held so dear by the GOP operatives are no longer working. Yes abortion still rings a bell for some folks, but the recent murder of Dr. Tiller is a frightening example of just for whom that bell tolls.
No longer can the Republican Party rally its troops with these issues. Even conservatives have begun to understand that same-sex marriage is a basic right of citizenship and that abortion is not so black & white an issue. When states like Iowa make gay marriage legal, and conservative lawyers like Ted Olson (who argued for George Bush in the Bush vs. Gore case), are willing to team up with former opponents to take gay marriage to the Supreme Court, it’s a sign things are changing.
More to the point is the issue of health care. Years ago the GOP and health care insurers teamed up with the “Harry & Louise” ads. They successfully scared voters into resisting efforts to solve the national health care problem. Today, that tactic isn’t working as well.
Many Republicans as well as Democratic lawmakers are willing to take a long hard look at the broken health care system without fear of offending the base.
The playbook of the right-wing is getting pretty thin, and when they loose the tried and true wedge issues like gay marriage, health care and maybe even abortion, there won’t be many pages left.
That is a bad and a good thing. Good because they will have to argue issues based on facts rather than fear. Bad because they will look for other ways to push the panic button.
Terrorism is still a workable tactic. Should another terrorist attach take place on American soil, the GOP will exploit it as robustly as they did 9/11. It is unfortunate that the Democrats don’t remind people that terrorists have already attacked, just this week when Dr. Tiller was murdered in his church. That was an act carried out by a radical fundamentalist, driven by ideology and fueled by hate. The only reason the Democrats won’t call him a terrorist is his religion. For many Americans “Muslim = bad” and “Christian = good” no matter what despicable acts are carried out in their God’s name.
The other remaining wedge is racism. I know some think we live in a post-racial society, but just bring up “illegal immigrants” and the racist language starts flying. Look at how Judge Sonia Sotomayor is being portrayed by the right-wing talking heads. Now that we have an African-American President, brown is the new black.
If a few Democrats in congress would grow a pair and break these last two wedges by speaking the truth we might see a better America where all people really do get to live out their dreams and pursue happiness.
No longer can the Republican Party rally its troops with these issues. Even conservatives have begun to understand that same-sex marriage is a basic right of citizenship and that abortion is not so black & white an issue. When states like Iowa make gay marriage legal, and conservative lawyers like Ted Olson (who argued for George Bush in the Bush vs. Gore case), are willing to team up with former opponents to take gay marriage to the Supreme Court, it’s a sign things are changing.
More to the point is the issue of health care. Years ago the GOP and health care insurers teamed up with the “Harry & Louise” ads. They successfully scared voters into resisting efforts to solve the national health care problem. Today, that tactic isn’t working as well.
Many Republicans as well as Democratic lawmakers are willing to take a long hard look at the broken health care system without fear of offending the base.
The playbook of the right-wing is getting pretty thin, and when they loose the tried and true wedge issues like gay marriage, health care and maybe even abortion, there won’t be many pages left.
That is a bad and a good thing. Good because they will have to argue issues based on facts rather than fear. Bad because they will look for other ways to push the panic button.
Terrorism is still a workable tactic. Should another terrorist attach take place on American soil, the GOP will exploit it as robustly as they did 9/11. It is unfortunate that the Democrats don’t remind people that terrorists have already attacked, just this week when Dr. Tiller was murdered in his church. That was an act carried out by a radical fundamentalist, driven by ideology and fueled by hate. The only reason the Democrats won’t call him a terrorist is his religion. For many Americans “Muslim = bad” and “Christian = good” no matter what despicable acts are carried out in their God’s name.
The other remaining wedge is racism. I know some think we live in a post-racial society, but just bring up “illegal immigrants” and the racist language starts flying. Look at how Judge Sonia Sotomayor is being portrayed by the right-wing talking heads. Now that we have an African-American President, brown is the new black.
If a few Democrats in congress would grow a pair and break these last two wedges by speaking the truth we might see a better America where all people really do get to live out their dreams and pursue happiness.
Monday, June 01, 2009
O'Reilly's Hate Speech Fans The Flames Of Terrorism
If you don't think people like Bill O'Reilly have an effect, consider the murder of Dr. Tiller by a domestic Anti-Abortion Terrorist. Wonder where he got that idea?
Terror Suspect Arrested - Claims To Be Christian?
The terrorist who killed the Doctor in Kansas has been identified. Here is a short quote from McClatchey News:
They cannot hide behind an the mask of religion forever. What part of Jesus teaching says "kill people"? As a Christian I am appalled at the kind of folks who adorn themselves with crosses and fish and claim to follow the Prince of Peace. They are not followers of any Jesus I know.
Now it's time to call a terrorist organization a terrorist organization. The anti-abortion groups who advocate murder must be considered armed and dangerous. We should treat them just like any other radical fundamentalist group. That means surveillance and arrest when necessary.The suspect in custody for the slaying of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller was a member of an anti-government group in the 1990s and a staunch opponent of abortion.
Scott P. Roeder, 51, of Merriam, Kan., a Kansas City suburb, was arrested on Interstate 35 near Gardner in suburban Johnson County, Kan., about three hours after the shooting. Tiller was shot to death around 10 a.m. inside Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita.
In the rear window of the 1993 blue Ford Taurus that he was driving was a red rose, a symbol often used by abortion opponents. On the rear of his car was a Christian fish symbol with the word "Jesus" inside.
Those who know Roeder said he believed that killing abortion doctors was an act of justifiable homicide.
They cannot hide behind an the mask of religion forever. What part of Jesus teaching says "kill people"? As a Christian I am appalled at the kind of folks who adorn themselves with crosses and fish and claim to follow the Prince of Peace. They are not followers of any Jesus I know.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Domestic Terrorist Attacks Church - Kills One
A domestic terrorist attacked a man in a church in Wichita, Kansas, killing him in the lobby of the building. The victim, a member of the Reform Lutheran Church, was George Tiller, age 67. Tiller worked with Women's Health Care Services at 5107 E. Kellogg and was targeted because he provided abortion services.
The terrorist who shot him is in custody. The clinic where Tiller worked was bombed previously in 1986 and has been the target of terrorist threats before. Today's killing is a sad example of why militant anti-abortion groups should be included as domestic terrorist organizations.
No arrests were made in the 1986 bombing.
Anti-abortion organizations, though they do not specifically endorse violence, use high powered rhetoric when characterizing abortion service providers as "murderers".
Free speech is one thing, terroristic hate speech is another!
The terrorist who shot him is in custody. The clinic where Tiller worked was bombed previously in 1986 and has been the target of terrorist threats before. Today's killing is a sad example of why militant anti-abortion groups should be included as domestic terrorist organizations.
No arrests were made in the 1986 bombing.
Anti-abortion organizations, though they do not specifically endorse violence, use high powered rhetoric when characterizing abortion service providers as "murderers".
Free speech is one thing, terroristic hate speech is another!
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