Abu Ghraib In Texas - Children Jailed, Parents Seperated - Their Crime? Seeking Asylum.

From the descriptions of the facility it is Abu Ghraib right here in the Lone Star State. I am talking about a little know dirty secret here in Texas, the T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor, Texas. Hutto, is a privately run prison that contracts to the Us Immigration Service and houses families awaiting immigration hearings. These are people who came to the United States seeking political asylum, many of them are families with children, and we have them locked up in a jail.
A recent story in the New Yorker details the nightmare of an Iranian family who fled Iran after their father was caught photocopying pages of The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. His journey started when he escaped Iran and traveled to Canada. In Toronto he waited for his wife and children. After they were threatened with torture, they too fled and joined him in Toronto. They stayed there for a few years and even had a child who became a natural born Canadian citizen.

Everything seemed fine until the Canadian government denied their application for political asylum, and the family was deported to Iran. There the husband was imprisoned and tortured for over a month. The family paid a smuggler to get him out using false documents. They were returning to Canada when the flight they were on was diverted to Puerto Rico. One of the plane’s passengers had a heart attack and they had to land.

That’s where American officials figured out that the families documents were fake and so they applied for political asylum in the US. From there the real nightmare began. In Taylor, Texas the family was incarcerated in a medium security prison run by Correction Corporation of America. The mother and father were held in separate cells and the children were put in another. They could not touch or visit each other except through a glass wall by telephone. The cells are bare concrete with metal beds and the members of the family and other detainees are kept locked up for 12 hours at a time with numerous bed-checks and other harassments.

The children were not allowed to have stuffed animals, crayons, pencils, or pens in their cells. And they were not allowed to take the pictures they had made back to their cells and hang them up. Essentially they were treated like hardened criminals.

If you have the stomach, you can read the rest of the story at The New America Foundations website here.

Now my take on this crap. This is what we get when we trade liberty for security. The statue of Liberty might as well be torn down and sold for scrap. That poem at its base is a lie now. Emma Lazarus must be rolling in her grave. For those who don’t know it, here it is. Read it and weep for what we have become.

The New Colossus

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-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden
door!"

Attending The Caucus In Texas - My Experience

My partner and I attended the Democratic Precinct Convention for our neighborhood Tuesday night. Here in Texas we have a convoluted system of selecting delegates for the national convention and the Precinct Conventions which the press has been erroneously calling caucuses play a part in the process.

I had never attended one of these before since Texas rarely mattered in the nomination process. In prior elections the Presidential candidates had already been anointed by the time Texans got to vote. Now our vote counted!

To say the Precinct Convention was well attended would be an understatement. In the past our precinct had little or no attendance at these affairs. In fact we did not even have a precinct chair for the Democratic Party in our neighborhood, so everyone was surprised when 103 people showed up for the meeting.

I have heard stories of chaos and confusion, and we had our share of confusion, but things settled down and we all got a chance to meet our fellow Democrats in the neighborhood. Most of our area votes Republican so a visible Democrat is a beautiful thing! It was cordial and really felt like democracy in action.

As far as the vote went, we had slightly more folks caucusing for Clinton than Obama, but the total delegates to the state convention were split 8 for Clinton and 7 for Obama. I am proud to say I am one of those for Obama and this will be my first experience as a delegate, albeit to a local senatorial convention. I am looking forward to the experience.

The experience was a bit drawn out, but overall everyone was good natured and excited. I left with a feeling that democracy can actually work, even in a state like Texas.

Bush Lies Again, Claims US Leader In Fighting Global Warming

Our delusional Decider in Chief made another mind boggling statement yesterday when he claimed the US lead the world in fighting climate change! Say what?

In his own words speaking to the issue of the world’s view of America in regard to climate change he said,

“Now, look, I understand stereotypes are hard to defeat. People get an image planted in their head, and sometimes it causes them not to listen to the facts. But America is in the lead when it comes to energy independence; we’re in the lead when it comes to new technologies; we’re in the lead when it comes to global climate change — and we’ll stay that way.”

Perhaps Mr. Bush has been breathing too many carbon emissions or maybe he is just a pathological liar, but the truth is very different from his statement.

This is the man who refused to sign the Kyoto Protocols and according to a report on ThinkProgress.org, at the UN conference in Bali in December, the US objected to the proposal — backed by Britain and the EU — to cut carbon dioxide emissions 24-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. “We have problems with defining the numbers up front,” the White House’s head climate negotiator explained.

Six months earlier, Bush single-handedly killed a statement of commitment to halving emissions by 2050 by the leaders at the G8 summit.

This kind of wacko talk makes his endorsement of John McCain seem about as useful to the McCain campaign as a burning sack of poop!

Obama Gains Delegates In Texas Caucus Ruckus

Looking at the delegate count in Texas this morning I discovered a strange thing. It looks like Obama won the caucus delegates and edged Clinton by about 5 delegates overall. In a race result that was a slim victory for Clinton in the primary, the caucus attendance seems to have favored Obama.

Here is a news release from the Obama campaign in Texas’ State Campaign Director Adrian Saenz.

"By fighting the primary to a near-draw and earning a resounding victory in the caucus, the people of Texas have moved Barack Obama one step closer to claiming the Democratic nomination for president," said Adrian Saenz. "Texans in both parties and of all ages sent a clear message that the American people are ready for the kind of change that Barack Obama will bring to Washington, DC as our 44th President."

Because of the close finish, Senator Clinton will likely net only two delegates up-for-grabs in the Texas Primary. Based on a large sample of caucus results in all 31 state senate districts, Senator Obama is projected to post a substantial victory in the Texas caucus and, thereby, net at least seven delegates. This means that Senator Obama will win at least five more pledged delegates from Texas than Senator Clinton.

Working At The Polls - The GOP Dirty Trick

Yesterday I witnessed the democratic process from the inside. I volunteered as a clerk for a precinct polling place and spent the day signing in voters and checking ID’s. It was a very hectic day that started at 6:15 am and for me didn’t end until 6:00pm when I had to end my shift to make my local precinct convention. To say it was exhausting would be an understatement.

We had over a thousand voters in the Democratic primary in the precinct I worked. Interestingly enough, it was set up in a church gymnasium right across from the Republican primary. Their table looked bored, as a few people each hour showed up to vote in the GOP primary. The Democrat side was non-stop. We had a line at 6:30am ready to vote when the polls opened at 7:00am and it didn’t let up until almost 10:00am. Luckily there was a lull and we had time for a much needed bathroom break.

Many of the votes I met had rarely voted and quite a few were first timers. This gave me a great deal of hope for our country. Unfortunately, many of the people who showed up had no clue as to what was involved. Voter registration cards were often missing, but with the help of a data-base we could look up the voters and check their registration. A few had to be turned away because they had showed up at the wrong location and some just didn’t show up in any voter rolls at all. I guess that is par for the course, but this was my first experience behind the table and it was eye opening.

Now to the strange part. A few dozen voters pointedly asked if they could vote in the Democratic Primary even if they were Republicans. In Texas the answer is “yes” since we have an open primary system, however I had to explain to them that it would preclude them voting in the Republican Primary. Most were unfazed by this, and several expressed frustration with the GOP ticket, feeling they had a better choice in the Democratic field. Before anyone goes screaming voting irregularities, let me say that these folks told me this unsolicited and some even let me know that they were voting for Obama because he was a better candidate than McCain.

Even stranger were the people who asked pointedly if they could vote for Hillary Clinton and no other races. “Of course they could”, I replied since you can choose not to vote for any race in the primary. The real interesting comment came when some of these GOP voters told me they had been told by radio talk-show hosts to vote in the Democratic Primary for Hillary since she would be easier to beat than Obama. That happened about a dozen times. I don’t think it made any real difference in the outcome of the vote, but it does send a chilling message to the party. IN the eyes of many GOP, Hillary is a better opponent to McCain than Obama. That means they feel she would be easier to target with attack ads and the usual GOP dirty tricks. After all, they had 8 years to get that attack ready while she was First Lady and you can be assured we will begin hearing about Vince Foster and Whitewater and they whole impeachment thing again any day now.

Limbaugh Endorses Hillary?

Rush Limbaugh is urging his listeners to vote for Clinton. Really! His reasons?

"I'm asking people to cross over, and if they can stomach it and I know it's a difficult thing to do, vote for Clinton, but it will sustain this soap opera, and it's something I think we need and it'll be fun, too."

He also said he thought a win for Hillary would assure a win for McCain in November. This is something to remember when going to the polls. The GOP has long thought Hillary was an easy target to beat. They are afraid of Obama.

New Obama TV Ad - A Class Act

This ad will run tonight in very heavy rotation all over Texas. It shows exactly why Obama is the right choice for our country.

Obama Still Holds Lead In Texas & Ohio

The Zogby Poll shows Obama edging out Clinton with a 47% lead in Texas and 45% in Ohio. This seems to follow the trend for Obama in the past few elections where he gained momentum on the last few days before the election.

A similar outcome was shown in Quinnipiac University Poll showing Obama with a 49% lead in Ohio yesterday. This changed in the past weeks from a 55% lead for Clinton which has disappeared. Again evidence of a late gain for Obama heading into tomorrow’s primary.

Obama In Texas Video - Watch It!

Fear And Ricin In Las Vegas

So he was not a terrorist they say, but still no one has been able to talk to the man who had enough vials of Ricin, a deadly toxin, in his hotel room to kill hundreds of people. Police and FBI are now searching a home where Roger Von Bergendorff stayed in Utah and that of his cousin Thomas Tholen. They are also searching storage units in Salt Lake City alleged to have belonged to Von Bergendorff.

Now remember he was not a terrorist. He just had guns, an anarchist textbook that told how to make ricin from castor beans and several vials of illegal poison. Nope doesn’t sound like a terrorist to me.

The city that never sleeps, Las Vegas is undoubtedly behind the tight lips of the FBI and local authorities. A scare, even a minor one would hurt tourism there and the roulette wheels must spin! I think it would probably take a direct and very visible attack before Las Vegas would ever admit anything was amiss. Let’s hope that never happens, but until then it would be nice for the authorities to come clean with what they know. Who knows, a little more information might lead to someone who knew the suspect coming forward and spilling the beans…castor beans that is.

Dallas Morning News Endorses Obama

Today the Dallas Morning News soundly endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nominee. I am delighted and I hope it helps tip the scales in Obama’s favor. Personally I never thought the Dallas Morning News would ever endorse an African American candidate in my lifetime. I guess even the staid conservative Belo folks are moved by Obama’s inspiration.

They say he is the right candidate both on style and substance and that echoes my opinion as well. Vote in the primary and then attend the precinct caucus after the polls close. It takes both measures to make sure Obama wins the Texas primary!

Clinton Loosing Momentum - Obama Movement Continues

On this last day of campaigning before the Texas primary, I listened to Hillary Clinton’s speech in a high school in Ohio. Telling was the fact that it wasn’t a packed house. The commentator on NPR noted that many rows of seats were empty. That may be a telling sign. More telling was the tone of her voice.

I can’t mince words, she sounded shrill. I know that is the term used by people who want to use a veiled reference to a woman being the “B” word, but I can’t think of any other term. Her speech was filled with attacks on Obama and she made the statement that she wasn’t going to give people big ideas, but real solutions.

That is a mistake lots of Democrats make and it’s the way we Democrats have been losing national elections for the past few years. Democratic candidates come up with laundry lists of problems and programs, lots of facts and figures and the general public’s eyes glaze over. The sad truth is that people end up voting by their gut and their heart not their mind. It’s not a bad way to vote, since a President cannot make laws but only influence the lawmaking bodies of the Senate and House. To do that you have to be able to inspire people into action.

I will not dispute that our party has had good candidates in the past, but they concentrated on details that most voters couldn’t or wouldn’t understand instead of inspiring confidence in their abilities to lead and motivate people. In the past, the great presidents could do that. Alsop some not so great presidents got into office simply because they were likable and seemed like good folks. Either way, the winners tended to be candidates who people liked and I feel the stakes are so high this election that we as Democrats must win. To try to fall back on the old laundry list strategy will not work. It hasn’t worked in the past.

It is time we had a clear voice for the Democratic Party who can inspire and motivate people because in the end it is that motivation that will not only win the election but influence congress as well. For me, Barack Obama is that voice and I urge my fellow Texans to vote for him in the primary so we can have a Democrat in the White House in November.

Maya Angelou Speaks In Dallas

On the morning of Bill Clinton’s inauguration, I listened to Dr. Maya Angelou as she read her poem that ended with the stanzas,

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.

She was welcoming the country to wake up from the slumber of the Regan/Bush years and renew its purpose and courage. She grabbed me and everyone listening and moved us with the simple power of her prophetic voice.

She still has that power. Today at the 80th birthday celebration for her, hosted by Hope for Peace and Justice here in Dallas Maya grabbed the audience from her first words. She sang, spoke and recited poems. She told stories and she moved people in a way that only she can. She is a great American treasure and I feel privileged to have seen her and listened to her magic with language.

The Morton Meyerson Symphony Hall was filled to capacity both in the audience and on the stage where a massed men’s and women’s choir under the direction of Dr. Tim Seelig sang with more power than I have ever heard. The orchestra, the new North Texas Symphony under the direction of Kathy Brown played their hearts out and the special appearance by the First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park Men’s Choir was stunning.

It was an inaugural event for Hope for Peace and Justice and it was a resounding success. Part of the month long “Voices of Peace” event, a month-long, worldwide effort by the organization Song of Peace, which is encouraging one million people around the world to sing "Dona Nobis Pacem" (give us peace) in communities, churches, synagogues, schools, or even on street corners, proclaiming that peace in our world is of fundamental importance. More information at http://www.h4pj.org/.

More On The Ricin Found In Las Vegas - Anarchist Books Found Nearby

Oh it’s not terrorism, even though the guy whose hotel room had vials of ricin in it also contained castor beans and anarchist books that explained how to make the poison. Oh that’s certainly not terrorism!

Sounds like a home grown terrorist to me. The guy is unable to speak and still in critical condition in a Las Vegas hospital. The ricin is in the custody of the FBI and the rest of us are in the dark. Now if the guy hab worn a turban, well that would have been terrorism.

Clinton Campaign Tries Fear As A Tactic

The Clinton campaign is trying every trick they can think of. The latest is another page from George Bush’s playbook, FEAR! The TV ad showing the “Red Phone” and Clinton answering it in the middle of the night with the narrator telling the viewer that there is a world crisis and your vote decides who will answer the phone, “Whether it’s someone who already knows the world’s leaders, knows the military — someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world.”

Fear plain and simple and pretty much misleading as well. Hillary Clinton was first lady, not president and her experience as a “world leader” is circumspect at best. The campaign is trying to score with a “daisy ad” similar to the one used during the LBJ campaign years ago. It’s a cheap trick and personally I believe the country is tired of fear campaigns.

Clinton Spin Machine Trying To Deflect Attention From Falling Poll Numbers

Spin is a strange thing. Just a few days ago, everyone was saying Clinton must win in Texas to remain viable. Now the Clinton camp is spinning Obama’s lead in the polls with the same line. They now say Obama must win in Texas to remain viable.

The truth is whichever candidate has the most pledged delegates will be the real winner. No matter how you spin it, that is what really matters. Clinton’s folks are trying to raise the bar for Obama just as they are trying to lower the expectations for Clinton in the Texas and Ohio primaries. Her lead has evaporated in Texas and is dwindling in Ohio, so the spin machine is in full swing.

Meanwhile the Obama campaign continues to make slow steady progress chipping away Clinton’s lead and rallying more super delegates.

Bag Full Of Ricin Found In Las Vegas Hotel - Deadly Poison

So let me get this straight? A guy is found with Ricin, a deadly poison with no medical uses except experimental cancer treatments (very rare) and the police won’t consider the possibility of a terrorist attack?

Ever since the attacks on the subways by the Aum Shinrikyo folks in Japan, people have know about how deadly toxins like Serin and Ricin are. It comes from the Castor Bean and only a few grains can kill a person. Not the kind of stuff you would use to kill rats. They find a plastic bag of the stuff in a motel room of a man who was hospitalized for breathing difficulties and discover the bag of the poison in his personal effects.

I am not an alarmist, but that raises a few dozen red flags for me! What else would the guy have the poison for except to poison someone, and if it was a bag full of it, to poison several “someones”? The difference is it was found in Las Vegas and there with tourists being so vital to the economy, nothing is ever done that causes alarms. Money must flow to the gaming tables regardless of the risks to the public.

Comforting news for other potential terrorists, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

This Is Our America - We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For

The latest video from Obama supporters brings me to tears. Watch it!

A Nation Of Criminals - 1 In 100 Americans Is A Prisoner

Do we live in a nation of criminals? If you read the statistics we do. Latest figures show 1% of adult American’s are in prison. That is 1 of every 100 adults in the country. If you are African-American that figure rises to 1 in 15 adults and 1 in 36 Latinos. Are we that criminally inclined?

The United States imprisons more people than any country in the world, including China. Our prisons and jails are overcrowded and schools for crime. Our state budgets are being gobbled up by incarceration costs and the trend seems to have no end in sight.

Part of the glut in the prisons is the "tough on crime" stance of officials seeking reelection. Many see incarceration as an easy fix, but it is a costly fix that has questionable results. Here in Texas we have the largest prison population, 172,000. Fortunately, the state legislature finally has decided to do more than warehouse prisoners. They have enacted drug treatment programs and overhauled the parole system for non-violent offenders. Now it’s time to go further.

We have thousands of people in prison for DWI, and treatment for their alcohol abuse would seem a better use of funds. The whole idea of rehabilitation has taken a back seat to just "getting the criminals off the streets" and it shows in the recidivism rate. It’s time to reconsider the entire penal system. The problem is that such a move will take courage and careful study, and during an election year that won’t fit on a bumper sticker.

Obama Pulling Ahead In Texas

A few weeks ago Hillary Clinton had a clear lead in Texas, now that has evaporated and Barack Obama holds a 48% to 45% lead over Senator Clinton. The drops has been steady, much like the events leading up to the last few primaries where Obama’s momentum starts to rumble.

Clinton’s failure to score any big wins in the last two debates makes her task even more daunting. Lacking a major victory in Texas and Ohio, her candidacy will be hard pressed to win. Personally, I think she is looking a bit too desperate, and her “kitchen sink” approach to attacking Obama makes her look like she is scrambling.

More and Worse Pictures From Abu Ghraib

When I think of the name Abu Ghraib, the images made infamous a couple of years ago sear themselves into my mind. It is hard not to remember them. Images of prisoners being attacked by dogs, stacked like human cordwood, stripped naked and humiliates and being subjected to all manner of abuse.

Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist who supervised the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment and later wrote about the experience in his book, The Lucifer Effect has been on the speaking circuit with a presentation about the effects of power and how it corrupts people. Part of that speech are startling new photos previously unseen from Abu Ghraib and they are equally disturbing.

The depths to which people sank and the level of cruelty is stunning. One picture of a prisoner standing naked, coated in what I can only imagine is feces stretched the bounds of decency to a point where I cannot remain objective. Yet aside from the outrage, I think the new pictures highlight a bigger problem and that is what the policies of our government have spawned.

Sending untrained or poorly trained soldiers into civilian positions in a situation like running a prison lead to abuses. Why? Mainly because their training is as soldiers not guards in a penal system, especially one in a foreign country. Their situation is a sign of how little planning went into the entire Iraq operation and it is endemic of the Bush administration. Bush seems ready to “shoot from the hip” on matters that take planning and strategy. He seems more than willing to fill positions that should be occupied by career civil servants with political hacks. In his effort to politicize the entire government, he has gutted both the civilian and military’s ability to effectively plan and deal with crises. Need proof, look at Katrina!

"Virtual" Border Fence Runs Over Budget And Fails To Work!

So the whole “border fence” thing was a mystery to me until I read the news about what the Bush administration is calling a “virtual fence”.

“Gee Whizz!” I exclaimed. “That sounds all high-tech and sci-fi!”

Then my awe subsided and I looked at who was building said “virtual fence”. Boeing! Now it all made sense. The bush administration does nothing that has no benefit for a major defense supplier, and so it is with the border fence idea.

Barbed wire and chain-link are too cheep and would benefit no major contributor to his campaign, but a “virtual fence” would be a great way to squander millions and millions of dollars that might otherwise go un-scammed. So the idea to build a prototype (remember that word) high tech surveillance system that could replace chain link and barbed wire was a great idea!

Already the project is hitting snags and it’s back to the very expensive drawing board for the folks who make airplanes not fences. The problems with the system are predictable, and even the Government Accounting Office expected trouble. Now they have said the project will stretch into the next presidency before completion if even then. Now that is a great project!

This kind of system is not only untested, but far from feasible and that is why the Bush administration likes it. It is a convenient hole to dump taxpayers money and funnel it directly to a defense contractor. Among the problems is using the wrong kind of software for the project, requiring a major reinvestment in programming and deployment. Additionally, the job is taking longer than expected, 2 years longer!

All in all it is a great boon for Boeing and a terrific way to waste money and resources far into the next decade!

Bush Approval Rating Fallas to Historic Low - 19%!

Some people thought it was impossible, but Bush has proved the skeptics wrong again. His approval ratings have dropped to the lowest in the history of any American President. Beating out Harry Truman’s dismal 22%, George W. Bush now stands at a mere 19% of those polled who approve of the way he is handling his job.

The sad news for Bush is that among registered Republican voters his rating is still only 45% approval. That means he has lost his base and perhaps so has the Republican Party. The registered Democrats found him abysmal as a leader giving him only a 1% approval rating. With the primaries generating so much attention for Democrats, things would seem pretty dour for any Republican trying to hitch a ride on what’s left of Bush’s coat tails.

Rep. John Lewis Makes It Official - Backs Obama!

Rep. John Lewis of Georgia has made it official, he supports Barack Obama! A super delegate in the Democratic Party, Lewis stated, “Obama represents the beginning of a new movement in American political history" and that he wants "to be on the side of the people."

Come Back To Jamaica Unless You Are Gay - Time For A Boycott

We’ve all seen them, the TV ads beckoning us to “Come Back to Jamaica”. The reality of Jamaica is much less welcoming. For a gay man or lesbian Jamaica is a hostile and dangerous place. This island paradise is the site of repeated assault, stoning and lynching of gay men in the past few years. The latest happened just last month when a dinner gathering in the home of a gay man was interrupted by a mob of angry, homophobic thugs dragged the men from the house assaulting them with clubs and machetes. As they yelled anti-gay slurs, the mob beat them sensless and one of the victims has not been accounted for and may be dead.

This kind of violence against gays happens in Jamaica on a regular basis and it is the dark secret of the island. Because of this blogger Wayne Besen is calling for a boycott of the resort and I agree. Until legal protections for GLBT people are put in place and the country makes efforts to stop gay-bashing Americans should not travel to or spend money in Jamaica.

Because Jamaica depends on American tourism for much of its income a boycott could have an effect. Next time you consider taking a cruise, ask if it goes to Jamaica, and if it does, decline. It is ironic how an Island where pot smoking and clothing optional resorts for straight couples can be so backward when it comes to GLBT rights. Perhaps it is because they are really not ready for prime time in the world community?

William F. Buckley Dead At 82

I was watching the Democratic Convention late one night in 1968 as William F. Buckley spared with Gore Vidal. That was in the 1960’s and though I cannot remember the exact date, I remember the scene distinctly. Two of the most erudite and sophisticated pundits in the country debating the Presidential race was the kind of TV we had in those days. Buckley and Vidal made very considered statements and their debate was genuinely about issues and not posturing until that moment.

It was a defining moment in American TV when as they were discussing the actions of the Chicago police during the riots the following heated exchange occurred as Buckley called the actions of the demonstrators "crypto-Nazi".

Vidal: "the only pro or crypto-Nazi here is yourself."

Buckley: "Now listen, you queer, you stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I'll sock you in the goddamn face and you'll stay plastered."

And so the tone was set for American TV commentary ever since. Today we have no real discussions of issues on TV, just name calling and sensationalists like Ann Coulter.

Well, the man who lit that fire, William F. Buckley is dead. He will be missed by many for his wit, charm and occasional sharp tongue. Personally, I always like listening to him on his TV show Firing Line and though I rarely agreed with his politics, he was always good for interesting comments and for that he will be missed.

Banking Biodiversity To Save The World

Expect the best but prepare for the worst. That might be the slogan for the new “seed vault” which opened this week in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The facility, buried deep within the arctic tundra is designed to preserve simple seeds, but those seeds could restore the food supply for the world should a global catastrophe happen. Be it global warming or an asteroid collision the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will hold the future for the survival of human kind. The vault is meant to be the backup of last resort, stocked with copies of different crops from national seed storage facilities. It will contain one of the largest varieties of plant seeds anywhere in the world.

Though they sound like the stuff of science fiction, seed banks have already been used in modern times to help restore food crops to countries ravaged by wars, like Afghanistan and Iraq. The project is lead by the Italian based, Global Crop Diversity Trust. Its staff is working with countries across the globe to fill the repository with every conceivable seed to maintain the biodiversity of the globe.

Who Really Has More Experience, Clinton or Obama?

So let’s talk experience. A lot is being made by the Clinton campaign over Obama’s alleged lack of experience. Well that is begging the question about Hillary herself.

Clinton was elected Senator from New York in 2000. She won reelection and has since served a couple of years into her second term. Prior to being elected the junior senator from New York she held no elected office. That would be about 8 years “experience” as an elected official. To include her years as First Lady is deceptive, since that is neither an elected position nor a policy making position.

Senator Barack Obama served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004 and has been the Junior Senator from Illinois since then. That would add up to almost 11 years of service as an elected official which if my meager math abilities serve me is longer than 8 years. He also worked as a community organizer and Civil Rights lawyer which gives him a great deal of experience in the real world.

Now, if you want to throw in her years as First Lady of Arkansas and in the White House, Hillary has been around the power structure of government for a long time. The problem I have is precisely that. She is part of the Washington problem. She is deeply entrenched in politics as usual and that is precisely what our country does not need any more of.

Hillary Parsing Her Words Again - Taking The Low Road

Hillary is parsing her words concerning the photo that has been circulated recently of her opponent Barack Obama. The picture shows Obama in a turban and traditional Kenyan garb as he visited the country back in 2006. Instead of flatly denying that her campaign sent the photo to muckraker the Drudge Report she said, "I know nothing about it." Clinton told ABC affiliate WFAA, "This is in the public domain. But let's just stop and ask yourself: 'Why are you -- why is anybody concerned about this?'"

Turning the question around is a common tactic to avoid the real issue. Her campaign has already been guilty of sending out emails that characterize Obama as a Muslim. He is not, he is a Christian and member of the United Church of Christ. The turban photo is an attempt a guilt by association and for her to deny knowing any reason why it would be a problem is laughable and very telling.

Hillary’s campaign is taking the low road and it make the whole Democratic Party look bad. Shame on you Hillary!

New TV Ad Has Tough Questions For McCain

Another Obama Song!

Not nearly as serious as the previous song composed by using Barack's speech but this one is fun none the less. Again, this shows how Barack Obama's message has fired people up both politically and creatively. Join the movement, and help change America!

Romney Back In The Race? Maybe!

Just when you thought the GOP campaign for Presidential nominee was getting boring, Mitt Romney is making noises that he may re-enter the race. One of his sons leaked the information in a story in the Los Angeles Times. If you remember he said previously he was “suspending his campaign” and that sounded pretty much like legal speak to me. If he re-enters it will prove that the careful parsing of words by candidates is something to be reckoned with.

Hillary Uses Dirty Tricks Again! Who Looks Like Karl Rove Now?

Want a smoking gun in the latest dust up between Obama and Clinton? Well look at the reaction of the Clinton campaign about the photo being circulated by Clinton staffers that has the Obama people upset.

The picture taken during a state visit by Obama in 2006 shows him in traditional Kenyan garb including a turban. Why be upset? Well for a lot of folks who are not very intellectually curious, turban = terrorist. That’s the kind of reaction an opponent would want.

So what is the Hillary camp response? Well her campaign manager says, "Enough…. If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed.” Surprising that there was no denial that they had anything to do with the picture, instead they try to turn the issue back against Obama.

In December, two Clinton Iowa volunteers resigned after forwarding a hoax e-mail that falsely said Obama is a Muslim possibly intent on destroying the United States. Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ and says he has never been a Muslim, but false rumors about Islamic ties are circulating on the Internet.

Doesn’t sound very far -fetched that this is yet another scheme by the Hillary camp to win at any cost. That is not the kind of President this country needs!

Clinton Campaign Uses Another Dirty Trick - Tries The GOP Tactic Against Obama

The Clinton campaign is showing just how the “politics as usual crowd” in Washington works. IN an amazingly crass move they published a photo of Barack Obama wearing traditional Kenyan clothing that was taken a couple of years ago when the Senator visited Kenya. Why is this a big deal? Well the picture shows Obama in a turban, and though anyone with a little intelligence knows that is just another hat, the intellectually non-curious voter will no doubt make the connection that “turban = terrorist”.

If that was not the intent of the Hillary camp, why did they publish the photo?

They are stooping to the kind of smear tactics that really show what kind of leader Hillary would be. She is willing to use any tactic necessary to win, and that puts her squarely in the George Bush/Karl Rove school of politics. Though she claims to be an agent of change, this kind of crap tells the truth about her. She is just another slick politician and that is exactly what our country does not need. We have had one dynasty after another of slick politicians and now we need a leader.

Hillary, you should be ashamed of yourself and more specifically, you should not be President of the United States!

80th Oscars - Catty Comments

OK, I just can’t resist making a few catty comments. Hey, it’s the Academy Awards!

Worst Dress - Tilda Swinton, winner of the best supporting actress, should win the award for the worst dress. Looking like she was outfitted in a black plastic trash bag with a hair style that seemed as if the stylist was interrupted while working.

Best dress - Marion Cotillard in a fabulous white gown that out glamoured any other so far.

Worst Hair on a Guy – Colin Farrell – with long shaggy hair that looks like something a homeless person would wear. Why do the really handsome guys have bad stylists?

Worst Jewelry – Nicole Kidman, wearing what looked like pieces of a chandelier casually strung across her chest.

So many more, but it’s late!

Video Clip From Obama Rally in Dallas

Glad I was able to be there to see Barack Obama in person. His speech was not just inspiring but filled with specifics and policy points. The Clinton campaign keeps saying he is devoid of substance, but I find Obama has both good ideas and the ability to inspire his supporters. That is a recipe for success in Washington.

Hillary Loses It - Mocks American's Who Believe Change Is Possible

Hillary is losing it. She went way over the top in her campaign appearance in Providence, Rhode Island and mocked Barack Obama’s message of hope. She sounded more shrill than ever as she characterized his message as “the sky will open and everything will be better”. Not only was it broad, it was pretty much an outright lie.

Her mocking riff on Obama stated that she has little hope for America changing course. She even said so “you are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear.” Indeed they won’t especially under a Clinton administration. She is the recipient of lots of special interest money, as the lobbyists have already lined up to contribute to her campaign.

As far as Obama, he has never promised things would be easy, in fact he has said it will take hard work. What she objects to is his ability to inspire people and motivate them to vote and work to change things. Hillary would do better to find a little inspiration of her own instead of trying to belittle the thousands of Americans who believe that Barack Obama and his message of hope is what America needs.

Ralph Nader Is Running AGAIN!

When I was growing up, Ralph Nader was a hero. His work to bring about safety standards for autos has saved thousands of driver’s lives. Somewhere along the line, he must have began reading his own press releases and he became so full of himself that he decided he could run for president. It is his right to do so, but I sincerely believe Mr. Nader has become delusional.

He announced today that he is running for president on the Green Party ticket, again. The problem is that in the past his runs have only diluted the vote for a Democrat and assured the GOP of winning the White House. Unfortunately Mr. Nader has been duped in the past and his campaign was sponsored by Republicans hoping to blunt the Democratic chances. It worked in 2000 but in 2004 his campaign was not a factor.

I suspect it will again be a nonissue, but it is still sad to see him flailing about believing he is doing the right thing when he is only distracting the country from what could be a historic moment. The GOP must be tossed out of the White House and any distraction from that is a disservice to the country. Is my partisanship showing?

Mike Huckabee on Saturday Night Live

Just watched Mike Huckabee on Saturday Night Live explaining why he was still running in the Republican race. He has a great sense of humor, something McCain really needs and is lacking. As a coda to his appearance, he would not leave the segment, much like he won’t leave the GOP primary race.

Funny stuff. I only wish Huckabee wasn’t so right wing, he is a likable guy.

McCain And His Lobbyist "Friends"

Friends of John McCain! Watch it.

Bush Library Going Up At SMU

I drove by the area where ground is being prepared for the George W. Bush Presidential Library. It was a walled off piece of land on a back road at SMU. I suspect there had been nice little homes there prior to the demolition. Perhaps there were even almost middle class people living in them, though in University Park that term “Middle Class” is somewhat misleading. I am delighted that it will be relatively inaccessible from any direction I travel. Hidden behind a large concrete wall off Central Expressway US75, and out of my sight until it rises above a couple of floors is just fine with me.

The idea of building a presidential library for a person a secretive as Bush is silly. Might as well just dig a hole and bury everything in it, because he will never allow anything to be made public. Why? I can only speculate that what he has actually done makes what we as the public see pale in comparison. The real purpose of the building will be his foundation, another right-wing think tank. Just what our world needs!

Bush will likely retire here to Dallas, and clutter up our lives locally with lots of security and needless motorcades. I can’t wait!

Hillary Takes A Cheap Shot During Debate - Looks Really Bad!

I was watching the CNN Democratic Debate tonight wondering if Hillary or Barack would stumble, and I just saw Hillary trip big time! In discussion of the “controversy” over Obama’s alleged plagiarism, Hillary took a hard swipe at him by saying he was offering not “change you can believe in but change you could Xerox”. Reporters and Obama moaned at that remark, and well he should have. Until that point the discourse had been civil.

Hillary’s comment was trite and a cheap shot, and it made her look nasty and lowbrow. That can only play into the hands of people who would characterize her as “shrill” and “strident” both code words for the “B” word. She did herself no service with that cheap shot.

Change To WIn - Endorses Obama - More Labor Unions Move to Obama Camp!

Barack Obama now has another endorsement from labor. The organization Change to Win, a partnership of seven unions representing the Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Laborers' International Union of North America, Unite Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and United Farm Workers of America has endorsed Senator Obama for the Democratic Party presidential nominee.

This endorsement and that of the Teamsters yesterday give Obama important allies for the primaries in Texas and Ohio. Labor, once considered Hillary Clintons base, seems to be shifting to Obama.

McCain Protesteth Too Much?

Though John McCain denies any wrongdoing, one of his closes aids until he left the campaign last year, John Weaver has a different story. (Washington Post has more.) Seems he met with Vicki Iseman at the Center Cafe at Union Station and urged her to stay away from McCain. His fear was that the close association between them would not play well for a candidate who claimed opponent of special interests.

Since the New York Times broke the story, McCain’s relationship with the attractive lobbyist has been on the front burner of the media stove. In a side note, here profile has been removed from her company’s website. Seems there is an effort to blunt or just plain cover up what may have happened. More as it develops.

World Feast - How We Eat

I first began understanding the bounty we are blessed with several years ago when I attended a World Feast, where ten people out of the hundred attendning were seated at a head table and served a sumptous banquet. The rest of us ate a bowl of white rice and water.

The point was to show how the vast majority of the world eats and how much food we in the developed nations consume and waste.

I received these pictures and notes from a good freind in an email. I sincerely hope I am not violating any copyrights by reprinting theme here and even more sincerely hope my readers will get the point!

__________________________________________________
Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (Sure hope most AmericanFamilies eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less junk food than this family.)
Food expenditure for one week $341.98

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.

Obama WIns 11th Primary - Democrats Abroad Vote

Make that 11 wins in a row for Barack Obama in the Democratic Primary race. He won the “Democrats Abroad Global Primary" Thursday. This is a vote by the over 20,000 American’s living abroad and is conducted by mail, in-person and online. Obama won 65% of the votes which were collected between Feb. 5 and Feb. 12.

Though the win only gives him a handful of delegates now he can expect more during the Democrats Abroad convention in Vancouver Canada in April. The GOP has no such provision for party members living outside the country.

Johnny Walker "L" Word Ad - Why Not Show It In US?

This ad really is great. Though I am not a fan of Johnny Walker, it's a positive ad that treats the subject of same-sex marriage with taste and sentiment.

US Army Blocks Access To Public Documents On-Line

The Internet has provided unprecedented access for millions of Americans. Through web sites and data bases, our government has made official records and documents available to everyone. For those who have never experienced it, the Library of Congress has a site that allows visitors to browse their extensive collections of photographs, documents and other media. It is a great research tool and a stirring experience for anyone interested in history.

Likewise the US Army had posted its printed documents, manuals and other unclassified materials for the use of the public and researchers. The collection is vast and its publication online was a great public service. Now that resource has disappeared.

The Reimer Public Library collection, a trove of documents that are all declassified and are approved for public release have been locked behind a password protected firewall. (http://atiam.train.army.mil/)
This is a troubling step by an administration whose preoccupation with secrecy borders on a fetish. Why should documents paid for by the American people whose contents have been cleared for public distribution, now be made “secret”.

Historians and researchers are upset as are open-government advocates. All Americans should be upset as well. The troubling trend toward secrecy by this administration hides the real workings of the government behind a veil. This kind of cloaking goes against the very principles on which our country was founded and that should sent an urgent message to everyone.

Thousands Attend Obama Rally in Dallas - Thousands Turned Away - Arena Filled To Capacity

My partner and I figured arriving aty Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas around 9:00am would be plenty early for a political rally that was scheduled at noon. For just about any other politician, that might have been true, but this rally was for Barack Obama and as we approached the area from the train station we saw that a few other people had the same idea, about 17000 of them.

We walked for 6 or 7 blocks through the snaking lines before finding the “end” where we took our place among the throng. Spirits were very high and the political chatter was intense. Most impressive was the crowd itself. I stood next to a man from Garland who had been an Obama supporter for a long time, next to him was a young white man still in college. This was his second election and he was stoked. Nearby were a couple of African American women who had ridden on the train with us, and beside them was an older white couple with a homemade sign reading “Ready for Change”.

The crowd was multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, all ages and incomes. It was truly a cross section of America and that is what I found so encouraging. We waited standing for almost 3 hours before the lines even started to move, and yet everyone was cheerful and excited. Few complained, even when the crowd pushed forward toward the narrow entrance of Reunion Arena.

Apparently the Secret Service was overwhelmed by the size of the crowds. They had set up screenings, but by the time our group made it to the door they were already packing their equipment. I suspect the campaign encouraged them to withdraw to allow the huge volume of humanity into the hall before the speeches started. According to news reports several thousand people who arrived late were turned away as the arena was filled to capacity.

We found seats on the upper deck in what would have been the end-zone for a sporting event. The view was good, if a little far from the action. As the speeches began, and former Mayor, Ron Kirk welcomed the crowd, people continued to stream into the arena. Almost every seat was filled by the time Senator Obama appeared. He was preceded by a rousing endorsement by former Cowboy Emmet Smith who got the crowd whipped into a frenzy.

When Obama finally did appear the standing ovation lasted for several minutes. The crowd seemed more like they were at a rock concert than a political rally. Enthusiasm was the mood of the day as Obama spoke about his plans for America. Much of his speech was from his standard stump speech, but several points were in direct response to attacks by Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He specifically addressed the criticism that his campaign is big on talk but not ideas. His proposed programs to improve education, health care and stem the outsourcing of US jobs were met with standing cheers. The biggest ovation came when he outlined a plan to provide an education to all Americans, even through college. The costs would be offset by a specified number of hours in public service from the students in exchange for their education. Cheers rung through the arena on that suggestion, and mostly from young people who would be affected by it. That is encouraging. It means that these young American’s are willing to serve their country in exchange for an education and that means they are motivated.

It has been a tough road for Obama in this primary season and it has affected his health. He was suffering from a cold, and even had to pause to blow his nose. That act even brought a round of applause. When is the last time a politician could say that?

By the end of the speech which lasted almost an hour, the crowd was motivated and ready to win the primary for Senator Obama. In Texas that means not just voting in the primary, but going to the precinct conventions after the polls close to pledge as delegates. It’s a strange system, but hey, this is Texas! This year, since we are a very important state in the run up to the general election, every vote counts. If you are a Texan and you are voting in the primary, ask at the polls where the precinct convention is and attend after the polls close. Without this support it could be possible for the outcome of the election to be “politicked” and that would be a bad thing for Texas and the Obama candidacy.

Clinton Fingerprints All Over Obama Plagiarism Charges

Though the Clinton campaign quickly pointed to the press when charges that Obama had shared lines from speeches of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick it was the campaign that first posted clips on YouTube to highlight the similarities.

What Clinton Spins: "It's not us making this charge, it's the media," Clinton told Honolulu television station KITV Tuesday. "The media is finally examining my opponent which I think is important. We're trying to pick a president, someone for the toughest job in the world."

Fact Check: The New York Times reported the speech similarities Monday, having looked into them the day before. The Times story said the similarities "were highlighted by a rival campaign that did not want to be identified."

Seems like more of the same tricks Washington is filled with. More at Huffington Post.

Barack Obama In Dallas Today!

I’m on my way to the Obama rally today. Taking the train down to the Reunion Arena since I suspect it will be a madhouse there. Obama speaks at 12:00 noon, but the doors open at 10:30am. My partner Patrick and I plan to be there by 9:30am, it’s gonna be crowded!

Obama Wins Wisconsin!

Barack Obama wins Wisconsin, according to CNN projection with 30% of the votes in. Obama got 56% as of 9:00pm Central Time. Just saw the results on TV.

Blogging Live From Barack Obama Headquarters in Dallas!

Standing in the Barack Obama campaign headquarters in Downtown Dallas feels like going to a grown up high-school prom decoration event. People are everywhere making signs, handmade and sometimes not very well art directed, these signs reflect the genuine grass roots of the campaign. The slick printed signs and bumper stickers are on back order there is so much demand, but that doesn’t stop these people.

The media is here in abundance, interviewing volunteers and capturing the activity. There is a palpable feeling that everyone is doing something to help. Their faces reflect an optimism I haven’t seen in a long time and that is a good sign for America!

Located in the South Side Building on Lamar Street, a place now bustling with young professionals and the new urbanites who live in the lofts above the offices , Obama headquarters occupies a large storefront. It’s devoid of much décor save for the large posters of Barack and the dozens of laptop computers volunteers have brought for the business of getting out the vote.

I find the location of the place a bit ironic. When I was a child, this building housed a big Sears & Roebucks store and a catalog warehouse. The irony comes from my memories of that place. It was here that I wandered into a “colored only” restroom. Not being able to read at the age of 5, I just followed several boys into what I figured was a restroom. It was, but not nearly as nice as the ones I had been in at the store previously. That experience with segregation and its inequalities stayed with me, and even as a child I delighted in drinking from the black pedestal drinking fountains just because it made grown-ups very uncomfortable. Now that same store houses the headquarters for the man who may well become the first African-American president of the United States.

Sometimes I feel like my grandfather who used to shake his head and marvel at the changes that happened in Dallas over his lifetime. Now I shake my head and feel the same amazement. It’s time for this change, just as it was time for segregation to fade away in my childhood, it’s time for the old power structures to do the same.

Tomorrow I plan on attending the rally and listening to Barack Obama in person. It is my hope that I will be hearing the words of the man who will be president in a few short months!

Undersea Cables Interrupted - Accident or Sabotage?

I always find it interesting when the press fails to connect the dots that seem so clearly laid out. In the case of the undersea cables that have mysteriously been “accidentally” cut in the past few weeks. On cable cut accidentally seems reasonable. Two cut seems a little odd, and 5 would really go against any laws of pure chance!

Finally, someone is taking notice and speculating that the cable breaks could be sabotage. This seems increasingly likely sine all the cable in question serve the Middle East or South Asia. These communications cables carry Internet and high speed communications and are laid deep in the ocean to prevent accidental snags or cutting.

Why would someone want to cut them? I can think of at least one reason. To limit contact between factions in the Middle East and the rest of the world. That could be a goal of both governmental and terrorist organizations. This story begs more investigation and I hope some in the press will take more notice.

Clinton Camp Looking Desperate

The Clinton camp seems increasingly desperate. They have been circulating material calling Obama supporters “cultish” and “creepy”. That sounds like the kind of tactics a campaign on the ropes would pull. Clinton was expecting to walk away with the votes in the primaries so far and spent a mind blowing $130 million to end up in a neck and neck race. The Obama team is better organized and fired up with the kind of enthusiasm Hillary can’t match.

Clinton is looking more and more like a bully as she tries to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan even though those states broke Democratic Party rules and had their delegates revoked. Candidates eschewed those states, but Hillary’s team made a quiet effort to keep her name on ballots and get voters to the polls.

What dirty trick will she pull next?

MSNBC Slanders Obama With Bin Laden Graphic

MSNBC has once again started smearing Barack Obama by "unintentionally" confusing his name with Osama bin Laden. I put the word "unintentionally" in quotes because this latest smear was in the form of a well executed graphic that appeared over the shoulder of Chris Mathews shoulder while talking about the alleged controversy of plagiarized a speech by Obama. This is old news and was cleared up back in 2007, but the Clinton camp has resurrected it again as they see their lead trailing away.

The graphic was a picture of Osama bin Laden with the title "Word Over Words" below it. Hardly a mistake! Though Mathews apologized for the gaff, it is obvious it was intended to create that imprint of an association between Barack Obama and the Muslim radical.

MSNBC has long had a conservative leaning, but now they are aligning themselves with the yellow journalism of Fox News. At least I now know who to trust and who is willing to lie in the interest of their political agenda.

It's The Gay Penguins Again!

Those darned gay penguins again! Seems the children’s book “And Silo Makes Three” about the real life penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo is getting banned in Loudoun County, Virginia. The story about two male penguins who began building a nest together and eventually nurtured an abandoned egg through hatching just seems too much like the Gay Agenda to the folks in Virginia.

In spite of winning several national book awards, it has also been restricted in schools in Shiloh, Illinois, and pulled entirely from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district in North Carolina. Those darned Gay Penguins and their agenda!

Hillary Theme Song Video - OMG!

OK, I guess it had to happen after Obama's super-hit video that is sweeping YouTube. Hillary Clinton's folks made a music video. Here's the problem, it looks like an old "Up With People" routine set to a neo-motown track. My advice? Stick to talking and stop the music!

(In the interest of full disclosure, I am an Obama supporter, but still, puleeze!)

Cab Calloway & The Nicholas Brothers - Great American Entertainers

Taking a break from politics and current events. I was cruising YouTube and ran across a clip of three of my favorite performers, Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers. This clip is from the movie, Stormy Weather, and it shows just how amazing tap dancing can be.

I was lucky enough to see Cab Calloway live once a few years before he died and he was amazing even then. Fred Astair called this number he "greatest dance number ever filmed." Enjoy and appreciate a truly American art form!

Diseased Cattle On The Menu - Another Stunning Meat Recall

The video shows sick cattle, so sick that they cannot stand up being prodded and shoved in one case by a fork lift toward the slaughterhouse. When cattle loose the ability to walk, they are sick, in some cases sick with diseases like Mad Cow Disease that can be transmitted to humans. That is why it is illegal to slaughter what are called in the industry "downer cattle" for consumption. Beyond that, the treatment of the cattle is inhumane.

Was this cruelty and health hazard caught by government inspectors? Nope, by the Humane Society in an undercover sting operation. Now the government has stepped in and is forcibly recalling 143 million pounds of beef much of it bound for school lunch programs. The problem is much of it has already been cooked and served.

The systematic gutting of the country’s food inspection system by the Bush administration may well be one of the most devastating legacies of a horrific presidency. At the bidding of big business, Bush and his cronies have cut back regulations everywhere, even when they are directly protecting the public health of millions. That is almost criminal.

Now another meat packer very well may go bankrupt. Like the now closed Topps Meat Company whose fortunes evaporated when a massive recall was issued because of lax health inspections and poor manufacturing processes, Hallmark Meat Packing will have a tough time weathering this storm. I have to wonder how it helps businesses to let them get in so deep because of lax regulation that they fail.

Obama Rally Sunday In Dallas

For you Obama supporters out there....

Sunday February 17, 3:00pm

Fair Park - Hall of State
3939 Grand Ave.
Dallas, TX 75210

There will be lots of supporters there, so wear your Obama gear and bring signs. Barack Obama will NOT be at this event, however the media will.

Hope to see you all there.

Major Union Endorses Obama

The Obama campaign got another major endorsement today. The 1.9 million member Service Employee International union endorsed Obama Friday afternoon.

“We have an enormous amount of respect for Senator Clinton, but it's now become clear members and leaders want to become part of an effort to elect Barack Obama the next president," said SEIU president Andy Stern.

Superdelegates Move To Obama - John Lewis Joins The Obama Camp

One of my heroes, Representative John Lewis has switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. Why is that important? Well Lewis is a Superdelegate and as such can sway a lot of power during the primary. He joins a growing number of African-American superdelegates who are moving into the Obama camp after the way Clinton has handled herself in South Carolina.

"In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit," Lewis told The New York Times. "Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap."

My sentiments exactly!

Judge Wants Answers - Justice Department Wants No More Questions!

Seems the Bush folks just can’t have enough secrecy, even when the cat is out of the bag. Those destroyed tapes showing CIA torturing detainees are in the news again. A federal judge ordered the White House to tell him whether the tapes that were destroyed were relevant to a case before him. The reply from the White House, or in this case the Justice Department?

Stop asking questions!

According to the Washington Post, the Justice Department has encouraged judges not to seek information about the tapes. US District Judge Richard Roberts is not impressed, and has ordered the Justice Department to turn over evidence. The deadline was yesterday, and the DOJ has asked for an extension of the deadline.

Such petulance to give evidence suggests guilt to me. No surprise since the administration has consistently tap danced around these issues from the beginning, first denying torture, then admitting it. Sounds like at least one judge wants a real answer.

Victim Of Hate Crime - Now Brain Dead in LA

If you ever needed an example of how hate can destroy people, consider the case of 15 year old Lawrence King of Oxnard, California. Lawrence often dressed in effeminate clothes and wore make up occasionally as well as feminine jewelry. His gender bending did not go unnoticed, and he was often taunted by schoolmates. That al culminated in an argument with a boy at the school. The result was Lawrence being shot in the head and back as he was sitting in the school’s computer lab. He now lies in a hospital on a ventilator, clinically brain dead.

Lawrence was open about being gay, and for some students that was just too much. His assailant has been apprehended by the police and will now probably be charged with a hate crime and first degree murder.

Hate has destroyed not just the victims life, but that of his assailant and both families and friends. Like a virus, hate infects everyone it touches and the results are often tragic. Perhaps the people who preach hate will consider the long term effects evident in this case before continuing to encourage people in their prejudices.

Litany Of Lies - The Bush White House - Video Proof!

Condi Rice - Consummate Liar! Amazing Video As She Lies To Congress Again & Again

Want to know how many lies the Bush White House told before the Iraq war? 935+ is the total sighted by Congressman Robert Wexler in hearings today as he questioned Condi Rice. Yet, she sat there and denied that she lied, even when it was quoted to her again and again. I guess Rice believes that if you keep saying it, it will eventually be true. I think she will have to say it a whole lot more for that to work.

Watch it and be amazed by her hubris and blatant lying!

McCain Approves Use of Waterboarding - Votes Against Torture Ban

John McCain, former “maverick” of the GOP now marches in lock step with the Bush Administration. He voted against banning the torture known as “waterboarding”. His vote, a strange on coming from a former POW shows how much he has fallen in league with Bush. First he wants to stay in Iraq for a hundred years and now torture. What’s next John?

US Court of Appeals Throws Out Texas "Dildo" Law!

The most ridiculous law to grace the books of the State of Texas in quite a while has been tossed out by the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The infamous “Dildo Law” making possession of 6 or more “obscene devices” a crime has been declared unconstitutional. By a vote of 2-1, the appellate court holds that "the statute has provisions that violate the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

The majority opinion follows:

Because of Lawrence, the issue before us is whether the Texas statute impermissibly burdens the individual's substantive due process right to engage in private intimate conduct of his or her choosing. Contrary to the district court's conclusion, we hold that the Texas law burdens this constitutional right. An individual who wants to legally use a safe sexual device during private intimate moments alone or with another is unable to legally purchase a device in Texas, which heavily burdens a constitutional right.

What it means is that boutiques and adult stores can now legally sell sex toys without having to hide them behind the guise of “for novelty only” or calling them as one store actually called them, “cake toppers”.

Bush Administration Shuts Down Website Tracking U.S. Economic Indicators

I have been reading the book, Censoring Science, about the attempts by the Bush administration to stifle James Hansen’s work on global warming . It is a telling tale, that shows an administration who fears truth whenever it differs with what they “believe”. An example from the book is when NASA or GISS or NOAA found bad news about the climate and CO2 emissions, the government would censor the reports. When they could no longer do that they often cut off funds and just stopped reporting all together.

Now Bush and his cronies are trying the same tactic with the economy. Economic indicators show us sliding deeper and deeper into a recession, so the Bush administration tries cutting off funds and stopping the reports. The web site http://www.economicindicators.gov/ , once awarded a “Best of the Web” award by Forbes Magazine is being shut down as of March 1. If the news is bad, just stop the reports seems to be the prevailing attitude in this administration.

This site is maintained by the Economics and Statistics Administration and combines data collected by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, like GDP and net imports and exports, and the Census Bureau. It includes valuable information like retail sales and durable goods shipments. Now all that information will be unavailable on-line.

Let’s face it, the Bush administration has taken the example of Joseph Stalin when it comes to information. Control the flow and you control the country.

New TV Ad For Obama

Burnt Orange Texas Progressive Blog Endorses Obama

I rarely reprint press releases, but this one is worthy!

The editorial staff of the popular Texas political blog, Burnt Orange Report announced on their website Monday that they will endorse Senator Barack Obama for United States President. The full text of their endorsement is below, and may also be found on their website - http://www.burntorangereport.com/:

Our hope for our country is that people will once again believe that government can be an instrument of good.

Our hope for our country is that people will set aside their fears of progress to see that we are all capable of good.

Our hope for our country is that people will remember that though we are many voices, we are all one body and one spirit, united in the common pursuit of an American dream where there are no limits to what we can achieve when we work together for the good of each other.

Senator Barack Obama understands these hopes. He believes in these hopes, and he is mobilizing a nation to achieve these hopes together. Burnt Orange Report endorses Senator Barack Obama for United States President, and the hope he brings to our country.

President Bush - a fellow Texan - has led our country down the wrong path. He lied to us, spied on us, and divided us. His mark on the Office of the President is not so much a footprint, but a long spur-treaded line splitting our country into millions of single units for his own control, his own failed ideas, and his own power.

President Bush turned this country against itself, and the first thing that must be done on January 20, 2009, is for the American people to realize that we can become one again. Senator Obama will make that happen.

Senator Obama's message of hope and change has given all of us something to believe in. Voters are coming to the polls in record numbers not because there is an African-American on the ballot, or because there is a woman on the ballot, but because they see change on the ballot.

The change we desire is meaningful. Trading Republican lobbyists and insiders for Democratic lobbyists and insiders is not change. Putting "me" before "we" in a discussion about who can best lead the country is not change.

For too long, Americans have sought out and voted for "leaders" who do little more than provide technical fixes to complex solutions. A technical change cannot heal our country.

The change we need must be adaptive. It must be a change that challenges Americans to look at the loyalties in our lives and, more importantly, the loyalties in the lives of those around us. It must be a change that looks into the hearts and minds of the American people, brings all the factions to the table, and helps us remember how to work together. It must be a change in how we define Presidential leadership.

Presidential leadership requires not a singular individual in the Oval Office, but an entire country mobilized behind an idea.

Presidential leadership is more than a vision; it is a system of actions that deliversprogress for everyone. Presidential leadership must bring everyone together to believe that YES WE CAN provide health care to every American, YES WE CAN solve the crisis of climate change, YES WE CAN live in a global world where America is the ally, and not the enemy, of our foreign neighbors, and YES WE CAN dream again of an America we are all proud to call our home.

Our next President must demonstrate the leadership to show Americans and the world that YES WE CAN believe in the best of each and every one of us. Senator Barack Obama is that leader, he will make that change possible, and he is the candidate we endorse for the next President of the United States of America.

P.S. A poll of Burnt Orange Report readers show over 75% support for Barack Obama.

Writer's Strike Ends!

Members of the Writer’s Guild of America overwhelmingly approved a new contract with producers and return to work today. The 100 day strike put many TV shows on hold and some may not return until next year. Other shows are rushing back into production to try to finish out what’s left of the season.

The strike ending also means that the Academy Awards will go on as scheduled. That program was in doubt had the strike continued. Few if any actors were willing to cross picket lines to attend, and without the star-power the show would have been pretty dull.

Next contract up for negotiations in Hollywood is that of the Screen Actors Guild. Many of the same issues that faced writers will be facing actors, including "new media" or internet delivery of programs.

Spielberg Pulls Out Of Beijing Olympics

Steven Spielberg had hoped his involvement with the Beijing Olympics as artistic advisor could lead to positive action on the part of China’s President Hu Jintao in Darfur. China holds a great deal of sway in that region and their economic and military contributions could give them a real opportunity to enact a policy change there.

Spielberg’s withdrawal from the Olympics will tarnish China’s star as it heads into a final period of preparation for the event. As China takes the world stage with the Olympics, it has hoped to sweep any human rights issues and foreign affairs problems under the rug. Several groups have been pushing for action ranging from protests to outright boycotts of the games.

Clinton Axes Another Staff Member

Now the Deputy Campaign Manager for Hillary Clinton’s campaign has left. This on the heels of her campaign manager being forced out following the Obama sweep of the last few primaries.

These are not the kind of moves a winning campaign makes when it is winning. Hillary now concentrates on Texas and Ohio. The problem is that Obama has momentum and he is very successfully eating away at Hillary’s base. That is good news for the Obama camp and personally I am delighted!

Obama Wins Maryland & DC!

Watching Obama speaking on CNN after winning DC and Maryland. He speaks like a president. He talks to the hearts and minds of voters and that is why he is the right person for the job. I watched a few minutes of Hillary’s speech in El Paso and she is just not anywhere near the presence Obama is. She gives laundry lists of problems and solutions while Obama gives ideas, hope and inspiration. That’s what our country needs. He has solutions, but he has heart as well and that is the strength of his campaign.

Obama Takes Virginia - CNN Calls It

The polls just closed in Virginia and CNN is calling it for Barack Obama! More later. I expcet to see Barack Obama win all three primaries tonight. Interesting note, Obama got 51% of the white vote in that state, a surprise to the Clinton campaign.

Oh yes, and McCain and Huckabee are fighting it out in Virginia. Too close to call.

Time For Hope - Living In A Historic Time

I just wiped a tear from my eye. I was crying because I sincerely believe I am about to see a very historic day. A day when our country, languishing in the grip of irrational fear and the politics of hate, is standing up and demanding that things change.

What stirred me was reading the text of a speech delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Day. It brought back memories I hadn’t recalled in several years. At the risk of being overly nostalgic, I’ll share them with you.

I remember sitting in the den of my home as a young boy. I was home because it was summer, but I was inside because I had been having one of my many bouts with asthma. I was seated in front of our black and white television, watching the news. Even as a child the events of the day fascinated me, and since I was to be soon entering middle school, knowing current events was important.

My family had a housekeeper who came once a week to help my mother with ironing and cleaning. She was a wonderful woman named Clara, who worked not only for my family, but for my grandmother, uncles and aunts. I had known her most of my life and she played a big part in my childhood. Clara was African-American, though she called herself “colored”.

That morning Clara was ironing clothes in the den watching the news with me. It was August 28, 1963 and the news that morning was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his amazing “I Have a Dream” speech that day and I remember seeing Clara cry as she listened. Before it was over, I was crying, too. I knew I was watching something historic.

Here is the text of the speech delivered by Barack Obama January 20, of this year. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me. If you find yourself waxing nostalgic, you are not alone. That nostalgia was for a period of greatness in our country, when American’s began standing up to the climate of fear and institutions of racism. Today, I am grateful that much of that oppression is behind us, but the climate of fear has ruled our nation for the past 8 years. Now it’s time to give hope a try.

High School Student Stumps Karl Rove - Now If The Press Would Start Asking These Kinds Of Questions...

So the question is, “If a High School student can see the flawed logic in anti-same sex marriage laws, why can’t the rest of the American public?”

At a speech Choate Rosemary Hall prep school in Wallingford, CT, former White House “Svengali” Karl Rove found he couldn’t answer a question by a thoughtful student. She asked him, “to explain how giving gay people the right to marry would endanger other people.” Rove tried tio move on to other topics, but Marla Spivak, a senior at the school, pressed on “You never actually answered, how does it threaten anyone?”

Rove asked, “what's the compelling reason to throw out 5,000 years of understanding the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman?”

"What," Spivak countered, "was the compelling reason for society to allow interracial relationships when they had once been outlawed."

Then Rove invoked the Declaration of Independence before Spivak interjected that its reference to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" seemed to support her claims.

Rove could only end the uncomfortable moment with an attempt at humor, “When do you plan to run for political office?” he quipped.

The whole incident shows me two important facts. One that our press in this country does not ask politicians tough enough questions, since this obvious line of questioning has not been raised by the media. Two, there is hope for our nation if we are raising high school students who have the guts to stand up and speak truth to power like Marla Spivak.

Log Cabin Republicans And Other Myths

I was reading a story about Log Cabin Republicans and I decided to look at the GOP platform for the State of Texas. After reeling from the array of mean spirited and discriminatory planks in this document I have to wonder what kind of pathology affects gay and lesbians who identify as Republicans? The platform states in clear black and white that the Republican Party of Texas wants nothing to do with GLBT people and absolutely wants any rights taken away.

For my GLBT brothers and sisters who are still living in the fantasyland that is the Log Cabin Republicans, here is a direct excerpt from the 2006 Texas Republican Party Platform.

Marriage Licenses - We support legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and for any civil official to perform a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple.

Homosexuality - We believe that the practice of sodomy tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases. Homosexual behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual “couples.” We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, recognition, or privileges including, but not limited to, marriage between persons of the same sex, custody of children by homosexuals, homosexual partner insurance or retirement benefits. We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.

Texas Sodomy Statutes - We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy.

Now what part of that do you not understand? Meanwhile, I invite recovering “Log Cabinites” to join the Democratic Party which not only welcomes you but is working to defend your rights. We Democrats really do have the Big Tent!

Huckabee Courts Falwell's Church - Falwell Endorses From The Grave!

It’s good to know the radical fundamentalists can be counted on for interesting quotes. Now comes this one as Jerry Falwell endorses Mike Huckabee from the grave. "My father supported Huckabee before he was number two in the polls," Jerry Falwell, Jr. announced in November. Now the chosen candidate is stumping in Falwell territory and telling listeners that, “There are only 10 basic laws that we need ….” Referring to the 10 commandments.

Huckabee went on to say our country needed less laws, alluding to his statement in Michigan back in January when he stated that we need, "to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

Huckabee was appearing at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia home of the late Jerry Falwell. After his speech, he played bass guitar with the orchestra. His appearance is part of his campaign push in the GOP Virginia primaries this Tuesday.

Obama Music Video Spawns Parody! Watch It.

The viral music video that is sweeping the internet for Barack Obama has spawned an imitator and it’s choice. I think the same folks did this one but to the words of McCain. Watch it and laugh, then watch the original and get motivated to work to change our country. Yes we can!

The Original!

Obama Takes More States Over Weekend

The Obama movement moves into the Potomac region after a triumphant weekend in Democratic caucuses and primaries in Maine, Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tuesday contests in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia are also looking like Obama prizes. His momentum should carry his campaign well into Texas and Ohio in March, where the deciding battle for delegates is shaping up.

For us here in Texas it’s a strange position. In the past it was all over but the shouting when the Texas primary came around. The pig surprise is that even after so many states pushed up their primaries, that Texans votes will make a difference.

Personally, I am working for an Obama sweep, but I know Clinton will campaign hard here and her voice rings with Hispanic voters. My hope is that Obama will make some appearances here to try to sway a few more Latino votes.

Right now the Clinton camp is shaken, and has changed campaign managers. I suspect we will se some tougher tactics from her side soon.

Clinton Campaign Manager Is Ousted

After Obama has taken Maine it seems that the Clinton Campaign has blinked. The seemingly unwavering Clinton machine has hit a snag and is changing leadership to try to revive things. Patti Solis Doyle has stepped down as Senator Clinton’s campaign manager and will be replaced by Maggie Williams, a senior Clinton adviser.

From my experience campaigns do not make these kind of changes unless things are not going well both in public and behind the scenes. Stay tuned, I think it’s going to get exciting.