Iraq Government Wants US Out Of Iraq

Remember back when President Bush was asked how long we would be in Iraq and he responded with a declaration that we would be there as long as the Iraqi government saw fit. Well guess what? The following is from a press release by Center for American Progress.

On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki raised the prospect of "setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington." During an official visit to Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates, Maliki told a gathering of Arab ambassadors, "Today, we are looking at the necessity of terminating the foreign presence on Iraqi lands and restoring full sovereignty."

Sovereignty, that was the word Bush had so much trouble defining in one of his speeches, I guess now I know why. The Bush administration seems content to occupy Iraq. As many people in that country see it, we are trying to colonize Iraq. Perhaps the best insight into the whole thing was the first name for the military action that started all this. At first the Pentagon called it "Operation Iraqi Liberation" but then someone saw that the acronym would be OIL. I guess that was too close to the truth for even the Bush bunch.

Huckabee Loved Racist Jesse Helms!

While trying to smear Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee spoke lovingly about the dead bigot Jesse Helms. He spoke of how he admired Helms whose history of being racist and homophobic are legendary.

"The thing that many of us loved and admired about Jesse Helms was that, here was a guy, he didn’t care what you thought about his view, but you were going to always know where he stood because he stood for something and he stood clearly."

Well Mike, I always knew where Hitler stood but I didn't admire him!

G8 Fails Climate Change Challenge

The G8, acting much like a corporate ostrich has once again done nothing about climate change.Like the big corporations such as oil companies, they have pushed the idea of reducing greenhouse emissions off onto a future generation. The problem is, by then it will be too late.

The result was a "target" of reducing emissions worldwide by 50% by 2050. The Kyoto Protocol sought a 5% reduction below the 1990 levels for each country. This "target" simply pushes the problem back and refuses to take immediate action.

Though there was much discussion of how to help India and China as well as other developing countries, nothing of substance really got done. Typical!

McCain Becoming Senile? Victory In Iraq Will Pay Off Our Debts?

After watching and listening to John McCain for a few weeks, I have come to the conclusion he must be suffering from early-onset dementia. I mean first he wants us in Iraq for 100 years and now he says the "victory in Iraq" will somehow magically pay off our deficit.

It certainly has paid off any debts the defense contractors had, but as far as helping out national debt, I am befuddled. I have to believe he has been having trouble focusing on reality. Of course that is a problem all Republicans have. Maybe he really is getting senile?

Indict Bush For Murder - Former Prosecutor Says

Vincent Bugliosi thinks George Bush should be prosecuted for the murder of our troops in a needless war. He gives a detailed account and rationale in his new book, “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder.”

The book seems to be pretty good, but right now no cable news organization will touch an interview with Bugliosi, the man who prosecuted the Manson Family and author of several best selling books.

Get the word out about his new book, somebody has to hold Bush accountable.

Gasoline Shortages in Iraq - Who'd a Thunk?

The situation in Iraq for the civilians living there is abysmal. I just read a post from my friend Muhammad, a dentist in Baghdad. There was a sandstorm going on a couple of days ago, so his frustration level was pretty high, but the story is sobering.

Electricity has become so scare in Baghdad that there is none for several days at a time. Gasoline is almost non-existent. Lines at gas stations stretch for blocks and prices are through the roof. This in a country where American oil companies are getting big deals to drill and export oil. If any Iraqi ever wondered why the US was occupying Iraq, the answer is pretty clear.

Read his blog and then complain about the $4.00 a gallon gas here.

4th Of July Fireworks At Fair Park - Dallas

It is fast becoming a civic tradition in Dallas to spend the evening of the 4th of July at Fair Park. This year, like last the city put on a big Independence Day party and thousands of Dallasites attended.

Fair Park, site of the yearly State Fair of Texas is one of the largest collection of Art Deco exhibition buildings in the world. Most of the park was rebuilt for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exhibition, often noted as one of the unofficial world's fairs of the 1930's. The park is spacious, beautiful and right in the middle of town. As a side note, the park is something I know a lot about since I did a documentary film on the fair and the behind the sceens activities that make it run.

Sitting in our portable canvas chairs, my friends and I enjoyed the evening performance by the Dallas Wind Symphony followed by a fireworks show put on by the famous Grucci family of Long Island.

The music was a medley of every patriotic song we could imagine, and the fireworks were spectacular. The Gruccis have a way with pyrotechnics. Their shells are delicate and -surprising. The multi-color bursts and the multi-stage and color shells got a fair share of "oohs" and "ahhs" But the brilliant orange and rich lilacs they achieve were really art painted in fire across the sky.

It was not the most elaborate show I have seen the Grucci's do, but for a free city sponsored event it was damned good. We didn't have time to getdown to the midway where for the first time in many years rides were open for the occasion, but I understand it was fun as well.

I really like the fact that our city is starting to have these kinds of events. They are not only fun, but they make me feel like I am actually part of a community. The variety of citizens that turned out was wonderful. Rich, poor and everyone in between shared the common experience of the music and fireworks and enjoying one of our city's treasures, Fair Park.

"Mission Accomplished" For Bin Laden!

So who is really winning the "war on Terror"? Looking at the score card, I would say Osama bin Laden pretty much has the most numbers in the win column. The folks at Think Progress came up with a great statistic that really should give anyone who supports the Bush cabal pause.

Back in 1998, Bin Laden ranted that oil, then priced at %11 a barrel should go for $144 a barrel. One of his big beefs against the west was that he claimed we had"stolen $36 trillion from Muslims" in the Middle-East buying oil at cheap prices. At the time of the 9-11 attacks oil was six times cheaper than now.

Now considering that Bin Laden, the planner of the attacks is still at large and our country is out BILLIONS of dollars and THOUSANDS of lives, who is winning this alleged war?

A Personal Rant - Death, Newspapers & HIV

OK, I just looked at the last three entries on my blog and I sound like my grandmother. Seems all I have been talking about its who died. I guess I have been reading the internet equivalent of the obituaries in the newspaper. You remember newspapers don't you? Those things that were published daiuly and got ink all over your fingers.

Speaking of newspapers, my column in the Dallas Voice is about a very serious issue in the gay community. HIV infection rates are up 12% among young gay men. This means all the work and education we did during the 1980's has been forgotten or is no longer working. Time for another gearing up of the message, and despite what the drug companies would tell you, HIV/AIDS is NOT just a chronic condition like diabetes. It is mostly fatal and costs millions in medical expenses and drug bill per year.

Don't believe the advertising that all you have to do is takle a simple pill once a day. Bullshit! That simple pill, first of all will cost you sometimes over $1000 per month and without the really good insurance, you just get sick and waste away. Sorry to be so crass, but it's time we stopped sugar coating this epidemic. Want to see what AIDS does, look at the pictures of African patients.

For more of this rant, read my column in the Dallas Voice.

Kermit Love Dead At 91

The man who created Big Bird with Jim Henson is dead, long live Big Bird!.. Damn. People I knew in my early career in TV are dropping like flies!

Kermit whose white flowing beard garnered him lots of "Santa Clause" jokes was a timeless man. His wit and humor endeared him to everyone. His genius will live on in his characters and his work on film and TV.

Mr. Bozo, Larry Harmon Dies At 83

My first paying job in television was playing Professor Tweedy Foofer on the local Bozo TV show here in Dallas. At that time it was live TV and on Channel 39 the first UHF station in the area.

During my stint as the Professor and in my other job as cameraman at the station I got to meet and work with Larry Harmon, the man behind the Bozo franchise. Larry lived, slept, and breathed Bozo. He was the first "Type A" personality I distinctly remember meeting.

Though he didn't invent the character, Larry made Bozo a household word. The late Pinto Colvig created the voice, he's the same man who did Goofy for Disney. He recorded the Bozo series for Capitol Records under the creative talents of Alan Livingston the creator of the character.

Larry bought the Bozo concept from Capitol and rolled it into a national phenomenon. He franchised Bozo's in TV stations across the country and before long the clown was entertaining thousands of children every day both live in the studios and on TV.

Our little show in Dallas became so well organized that Larry began using us as the Bozo University to trian clowns for shows across the country. The talents of Paul Osborne, who played the Ringmaster as well as did all the graphics for the show and Doug Lytton who was Bozo himself helped train dozens of Bozos over the years. Part of that training was the Bozo voice.

Larry could never reproduce Pinto Colvig's trademark characterization and so he changed Bozo's voice to a more easily mimicked voice with a foggy quality to it. My favorite thing to do was to torment Larry by doing my impression of Pinto Colvig, who I can almost duplicate, and watch Larry grow speechless. That was a rare thing for Harmon, who was rarely at a loss for words.

Larry was a tireless entrepreneur and pitchman and the world will be a little less bouncy because of his loss. Harmon died at 83. My best wishes and sympathy to his family and friends.
Even though I haven't seen Larry in many years, I will miss him.

Biggot, Homophobe, Ex-Senator Jesse Helms - Dead At 86

Unrepentant racist and enemy to the entire LGBT community Jesse Helms has finally left the building. The former Republican Senator from North Carolina died today.

I am sure the GOP will start with their lofty praise for this mean old fart, but as for me, I can't celebrate the life of anyone so downright nasty. Here is a sample of Helm's quotes:

In a response to a fictional character in one of his newspaper clumns Helms wrote, "To rob the Negro of his reputation of thinking through a problem in his own fashion is about the same as trying to pretend that he doesn't have a natural instinct for rhythm and for singing and dancing."

As far as AIDS was concerned, " "There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy."

I could go on but I would lose my appetite for the 4th of July hot dogs I am about to cook. Americablog.com has many more.

Happy July 4th!

Sometimes it's good to go back and really understand why our country came to exist. I took a few minutes to read the Declaration of Independence this morning and I wanted to share it with you. Don't get discouraged that it isn't a snappy little paragraph, but take time and really read it. Then try to remember it when you vote in November.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

AFA Wants To Boycott McDonald's - Another Good Reason To Order A Big Mac!

I am no fan of McDonald's Hamburgers. That said, since hearing the American Family Association has launched a boycott of the fast-food chair, I will try my best to stop in to Mickey-D's for coffee whenever possible.

The new McCafe that just opened near my house has pretty good coffee and free WiFi wo hey, whats not to like?

The AFA is boycotting McDonald's because of, you guessed it, the gay thing! Their reason? Seems McDonald's Vice President of Communications Richard Ellis will serve on the Board of Directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). To the God Fearing and Homo-Fearing folks at the AFA that is tantamount to joining NAMBLA.

So to all my gay readers and friends, stop into Mickey-D's for a Happy Meal today. To the right-wing wackos at the AFA, get over it!

Rove Now In Control Of McCain Campaign

The folks at Americablog.com called it. They quote an article by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune when discussing the elevation of Steve Schmidt to McCain campaign head as follows:

"The elevation of Steve Schmidt -- who worked closely with Karl Rove -- at McCain's headquarters represented a sharp diminishment of the responsibilities of Rick Davis, who has been McCain's campaign manager since the last shake-up nearly a year ago.

The move is the latest sign of increasing influence of veterans of Rove's shop in the McCain operation. Nicolle Wallace, who was communications director for Bush in the 2004 campaign (and in his White House) has joined the campaign as a senior adviser, and will travel with McCain every other week. Greg Jenkins, another veteran of Rove's operation who is a former Fox News producer and director of presidential advance in the Bush White House, was hired by Schmidt last week after a series of what McCain's advisers acknowledged were poorly executed campaign events."

So for all those folks who though McCain was anything but a George Bush clone, think again. Looks like Karl Rove will be guiding the campaign from behind the scenes as well as an on-camera figure on FOX. Look for dirty politics, racial slurs and buisness as usual from the GOP.

McCain Campaign Staff Shake Up!

McCain has had a major shake up in his staff. Rick Davis is being booted and replaced by Karl Rove acolyte, Steve Schmidt. Though the McCain campaign says it isn't a shake up, it seems strange that Davis who was hired less than a year ago is being moved from such a critical positino at this time.

Schmidt will take over day to day operations of the campaign. This seems to be a shift on strategy and I would look for lots of Rove style dirty tricks!

Bush Stimulus Checks Stimulate Porn Biz

I really love the "law of unexpected consequences". An interesting statistic was released today by the Adult Internet Market Research Company. These are the folk that track trends in the erotic and adult film industries. They discovered a bump of 20 to 30% since the economic stimulus checks started going out! Glad to see someone is profiting from Bush's lame brained plan.

Think this is a fluke? Well according to the research group, “thirty two percent of respondents referenced the recent stimulus package as part of their decision to either become a new member, or renew an existing membership.”

Face it, America loves porn!

Right Wing Talk Show Host Says McCain Would Be Just More Bush!

Things in "Right Wing World" must be getting pretty bad when even conservative talk show hosts are telling the truth! Yesterday far-right talker Michael Smerconish was sitting in for Bill O'Reilly. He opened a segment by saying, “I’m going to tell you something else many of you are not going to want to hear."

"We’ve squandered resources in Iraq."

Then, he went on to detail why John McCain would be just acontinuation of the failed Bush presidency.

"To the extent that John McCain is representative of a continuation of the current Bush policy, I think it’s a huge impediment to his campaign for President of the United States. And I told him so. My feelings about this issue are so strenuous, are so strong, that it may represent a break point between yours truly and the Republican party in terms of the candidate on the top of the ticket. … I have never voted for a Democrat for President. I could do it on the strength of this issue alone because of my disagreement with the Administration and my fear that John McCain represents more of the same."

Think Progress has more and a video clip. Watch it and just imagine a talk show host saying this a few years ago. Unthinkable.

Tesla Motors To Build New Electric Car In Bay Area

I've been watching Tesla Motors for a few years. Their all-electric cars have shaken the auto industry who have long claimed electric cars were slow, impractical and always something "just a few years away". Tesla created a hand built sports car with the power and performance even a Ferrari can't match. Their all electric 2008 Tesla Roadster is a hot car, but the $109,000 price tag makes it inaccessible for all but the ultra-rich.

Now Tesla has announced they are building a plant in the San Francisco Bay Area to produce a lower cost vehicle. Still not a bargain car by any means the $60,000 five-passenger electric sports sedan will put more of these zero emission vehicles on the streets.

Tesla announced plans for the new factory yesterday with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in attendance. The plant had been planned for New Mexico, but the state of California gave some hefty tax incentives to attract the new industry.

"We want these cutting edge companies not just to start in California and do their research and development here. We want them to build in California," siad Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Now if we can just get GM and Ford to put their electric vehicles back in production we might have a chance to reveve the sagging US car industry and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

Obama On Patriotism - A Moving And Great Speech

I listened to the speech Barack Obama made in Independence, Missouri today. Once again he delivered a great piece of oratory. It was a great speech for the week of July 4th and an even better one for a candidate that has been wrongly accused of being unpatriotic because he didn't wear a cheezy flag lapel pin.

This is one of my favorite passages from the speech.

I believe those who attack America's flaws without acknowledging the singular greatness of our ideals, and their proven capacity to inspire a better world, do not truly understand America.

Of course, precisely because America isn't perfect, precisely because our ideals constantly demand more from us, patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader or government or policy. As Mark Twain, that greatest of American satirists and proud son of Missouri, once wrote, "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." We may hope that our leaders and our government stand up for our ideals, and there are many times in our history when that's occurred. But when our laws, our leaders or our government are out of alignment with our ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expression of patriotism.

Read the entire speech here.

McCain's Lack Of Tech Savvy A Problem

In the 21st Century anyone who thinks a candidate for president can be computer illeterate and still govern our country needs a wake up call. Those are the phone calls hotels used to make instead of expecting you to be able to operate an alarm clock.

John McCain admits he is a "computer illiterate" and "aware of the internet". As a candidate trying to appeal to a country where even the most remote towns and burgs have internet access and Ma and Pa are making a few extra bucks selling antiques on Ebay it sounds like McCain is not exactly up to date.

If the GOP hopes to recapture the youth of America and not just fade away (something I wish they would do), they need to get McCain up to speed and online. Yeah, like that's going to happen!

Is John McCain The Manchurian Candidate?

If I was a sneaky bastard, like the folks spreading the rumors about Barack Obama, I’d make sure everyone saw the movie Manchurian Candidate. In it a former prisoner of war is psychologically programmed to commit an act of treason.

While John McCain was being tortured, was he being programmed? Is there any way to know for sure. We can only take his word for it and if he was programmed, well he would be trained to lie.

See how easy it is to start a rumor? Now it is up to the McCain forces to prove me wrong. Except, they can’t, McCain may be programmed to lie about it so how can you trust him?

So let’s just stop this rumor crap before it becomes a big problem for everyone. Remember, the American people are good, honest and hard working and gullible as can be! Didn’t they buy a war with Iraq and believe Sadaam was responsible for 9/11?

John McCain Home Tour - Elitist?

So, I guess having 10 to 13 homes across the country really doesn't make you an elitist. At least that's the reasoning of the GOP who has been throwing that term at Obama lately. Meanwhile, John McCain and his wife own prime properties in the most exclusive areas of the country.

The Jed Report made a nice Google Earth tour.

Baptist Scholar Says Wives Bring On Abuse Themselves

Sometimes I just have to marvel at the insipid interpretations of the Bible fundamentalists come up with. They claim they believe in "literal interpretation' of the Bible but when pressed on issues of conflicting stories in the bible, they resort to interpretive meanings.

Beyond that kind of minutia, are the just plain wacko fundamentalists who find verses and justifications in the Bible for anything they want. Take Reverend Bruce Ware of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

From the pulpit in Denton, Texas he gave men who abuse their wives a free pass. He puts the blame squarely on the wives for their abuse.

“And husbands on their parts, because they’re sinners, now respond to that threat to their authority either by being abusive, which is of course one of the ways men can respond when their authority is challenged - -or, more commonly, to become passive, acquiescent, and simply not asserting the leadership they ought to as men in their homes and in churches,”

Its good to know that Ware at least acknowledges these men are "sinners", though he gives them a free pass because their wives "made them" do it. Give me that Old Tyme Religion!

Note: I consider myself a liberal Christian. If you want more information of people who follow Jesus and are not intolerant or trying to live in the stone age, check out my church's denomination, the United Church of Christ.

McCain's Home In Default For 4 Years Of Unpaid Taxes

As the real John McCain becomes more and more evident, the maverick seems more like a scofflaw. Huffington Post has discovered that John McCain has been shirking taxes on his condo in La Jolla, California. He is four years behind in tax payments and the property has gone into default.

I guess it’s understandable that you could forget one home when you own seven of them. Not surprisingly, as Newsweek was about to release the story, McCain suddenly paid the back taxes.’

I guess if you are poor, you just lose your home, but if you are rich you can ignore the law and then jump in at the last minute and try to erase the evidence. In this time when so many people are losing their homes and mortgage companies going belly-up, it’s more than ironic that McCain and his wife are playing games with the real estate holdings. The problem is they have the money and could have kept the taxes current, they just chose not to. Now that’s a maverick!

McCain Pledges To Be More Anti-Gay!

I hate to belabor the point but the meeting between John McCain and the Log Closet Republicans last week apparently had an interesting effect. Today McCain met with a group of Ohio conservatives and promised to be more vocal on his opposition to gay marriage. In addition he told the group he would pick an anti-abortion running mate.

Yup, the LCRs are really having an effect on the GOP. They provide comic relief from the dour business of appeasing the religious right. Time for the people who are suffering the self-deception of being "gay Republicans" to get into counseling. There is a better way!

John McCain On Gay & Lesbian Americans

Stonewall Democrats, an organization I am proud to be part of cut together this little music video of John McCain's record on LGBT rights. Nice work!

Michelle Obama Addresses Gay & Lesbian Gala

While McCain meets in secret with the Log Closet Republicans, Michelle Obama is the Keynote speaker for the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Gala Thursday night at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Other Democratic luminaries attending will be, Howard Dean, New York Gov. David Paterson's wife, Michelle and President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors David Cicilline.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Handgun Ban

Here in the wild west of Texas having a gun has always been seen as just a fashion accessory. The problem with them is that they keep going off and killing people. Oh well, fashion knows no pain!

Now the Supreme Court has affirmed the right of individuals to own handguns for the first time since the second amendment was written. There is that pesky part about a "well-regulated militia", but who cares about that.

The ruling strikes down Washington, DC's 32-year-old handgun ban. Now I do have to ask if that ban has made DC any safer? Somehow I doubt it, yet I have to believe that should a sudden proliferation of handguns occur, many of them will find their way into the hands of criminals. Oh boy! More criminals with guns, too! Heck, in Texas that sounds like a party, just add some booze!

Cynicism aside, I believe the country has been made less safe by this ruling. I have owned guns in the past. That past tense is because my house was burglarized and the thief stole them, along with almost everything else. That was many years ago and I haven't had a gun since. I have a burglar alarm system now.

The ruling thankfully, did not prevent states from requiring permits to carry guns. Let's hope that small measure of sanity remains in place.

Bush Administration Wants To See You In Your Yard!

Not content with invading the privacy of Americans in just about every place but the toilet, now Big Brother Bush wants to use spy satellites to spy on Americans. Consider how much you can see just using the publicly available sources like Google Earth.

The picture above is of our house. The greenhouse in the back yard is clearly visible as well as the sun room where our hot tub is. Had we been in the tub, a more powerful lens could see more than just the bubbles.

Consider that when you decide to go for a skinny dip in your fenced in backyard pool. Consider it when you decide to visit your local adult video store or when you travel to work. You could be watched, and there would be nothing you could do about it. Disturbing?

Well I am not overly modest, but I don't want Bush or his henchmen watching me go about my daily activities. Personally, I don't even want to think about them watching...but if they get their way, privacy will be a thing of the past, at least outdoors. Next, expect the thermal imaging and Xray cameras in the streets to see inside your house as well.

So what are a few rights compared to the threat of terrorists! Heck maybe we would be safer if we all lived in barbed wire surrounded camps under the watchful protective eyes of garmed guards?

Ralph Nader - Still Crazy After All These Years

Ralph Nader is so 30 minutes ago! He hasn’t done anything worth talking about since his book “Unsafe at Any Speed”. His runs for president have worked only to assure a conservative gets in the White House and though I suspect this year he will get about as many votes as Pat Paulson, he is at it again.

This time he is bashing Barack Obama and using race as his bludgeon. He accused Obama of trying to “talk white” and went on to disparage his mixed race background. Seems Nader has drifted completely into the realm of crackpot and for someone who once actually made a difference that’s sad.

The Obama campaign has responded with, “We are obviously disappointed with these very backward-looking remarks.” That is a very polite and reserved way of saying Nader is a jerk. But anyone who would insist on running just to split what few votes he could from the Democratic Party without regard to the mess it could put the country in is running purely for his own ego. Nader has no chance of winning, yet he continues to run as though he will.

Time for a reality check, Ralph. It’s over for you and has been for years. Why not do something that will actually promote the causes you claim to represent and get involved in the solution instead of seeking personal fame and aggrandizement? Take a clue from Al Gore, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for President, was cheated out of the win by the Supreme Court and still went on to win a Nobel Prize. He is doing something to make a difference. Think about it!

Log Cabins Meet With McCain - What WIll The GOP Base Think?

People have asked me why I write about Log Cabin Republicans. The short answer is I find them strikingly amusing. To me, they are like those handful of African-Americans who actually supported George Wallace when he ran for president. They are a walking oxymoron at odds with their very existence,

Now comes the news that McCain secretly met with the Log Cabin folks earlier this week. McCain apparently has scraped the bottom of the barrel when it comes to support. He seeks support from a group his party ignores and whom he actively works to deny rights. What gives?

Personally, I think this offers a great opportunity to promote the meeting with the GOP base. They will be outraged that McCain even acknowledged that gay people even exist much less are worthy of being talked to. McCain can't have it both ways. He will either alienate the GOP base of bigots and home schoolers or he will pry open the closet of the Log Cabins and look like he is pandering for votes. Oh wait, I guess he already is!

Log Cabin Republicans And Other Strange Syndromes

Sometimes I have to wonder what makes a gay man or lesbian become a Republican. It must be some strange compelling mania that overtakes them when they are young. Perhaps they are tempted into the Republican lifestyle by offers or money or lurid promises of big fancy cars. Who knows?

All I know is that it must be some kind of sickness that has yet to be addressed by the medical community. We need a “Manhattan Project” to cure Gay’s of the Republican lifestyle!

Consider the strange Log Cabin Republicans. This group claims to be working from within the party to change it. I guess in Texas they have not had much success, ever!

Here is a very telling passage directly lifted from the state’s Republican Party Platform.

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.

I will spare you the clause about marriage being between a “natural man and natural woman”.

So why are there such strange creatures as Log Cabin Republicans? The world may never know.

Tainted Beef in Ohio and Michigan Causes Illness

Deregulation and lax regulation has lead to another exciting benefit of free market economics. A big boost in health care costs.

Take the example in Ohio and Michigan this week. Beef tainted with e-coli has popped up. 19 cases of illness atributed to the contaminated beef have been identified in Ohio and Michigan.

According to Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Robert Boggs, "the department is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to perform a trace back investigation to find the source of this ground beef." Funny how it's always tracing backwards and not preventing in advance?

Lieberman Needs To Go!

Limbaugh Calls "Blacks And Gays...Kooks"

I am reminded of the joke, “what is the difference between Rush Limbaugh and the Hindenburg?”

“One is a Zeppelin and the other is a flaming Nazi gas bag!”

As further proof of that analogy, Limbaugh yesterday called all “blacks” and “gays”, “kooks”. Not only did he smear minorities, but he went on a rant explaining that the Democratic Party is full of “fringe based kooks” and… Oh heck, why not listen to it yourself!




How can this idiot keep spouting his hate-speech on radio without the station losing its license? I guarantee if he was African-American doing the same kind of thing against whites he'd be off the air in a heartbeat. I think it's time to start a campaign to get Limbaugh off the public airwaves.

Big Gay Smootch On Letterman?

Sorry, but this image was just too good not to pass on. Last night on Letterman, Will Smith appeared thumping his new movie. They greeted with a kiss...say what! Thanks to Towleroad for find it.

Broken Government By John Dean - A Must Read

I just finished reading John Dean’s latest book, “Broken Government, How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches”. It is not light reading, but it is enlightening.

Dean carefully details the long slow demolition of our government by the Republican Party. He starts with Regan and works carefully up to the current administration and the evidence is very startling. Though they may have moved at a glacial pace, the GOP has systematically dismantled the three branches of our government and molded them into something our founding fathers would scarcely recognize.

At least one quarter of the book is notes and appendices chocked full of facts that support Dean’s premise. Starting with the legislative branch, which he calls “broken but on the mend”, he shows how political rancor and ham handed politics has replaced the collegial attitudes that the legislature once had. The Republicans, once in control, shut out the democrats and any opposition to an extent that is shocking. Only now, with the Democrats back in the seat of power has some of the bipartisanship returned.

In the Executive branch, one that Dean lists as completely broken, the powers of the President have expanded enormously. The “unitary executive” theory has governed the GOP’s ideology for many years and steadily the executive branch has become primary in the governmental process. This is extra-constitutional and not at all the role you might have learned in school. The president, through use of signing statements and raw power grabs resembles more of a dictator than the second branch of our government.

Finally the Supreme Court and the judicial branch is in sore need of repair. The shift of judges especially on the Supreme Court toward a judicial fundamentalism has and will change the freedoms of our country. The next president will most likely be appointing one of two justices and their ideology, which was once not supposed to be an issue, could change everything. This alone is a strong argument against John McCain.

Dean’s book is not an easy read, but for anyone who has been following the process of our government, it is a must. He is scholarly yet readable. Unlike his previous books, this one has an earnestness of a man on a mission. His mission is to pull our country back from the brink of something very different from the democracy we grew up with. That alone should make you nervous and willing to devote a few days to reading his book.

Obscene? How About The Google Defense!

Anyone who has half a brain knows that lots of people regularly view and enjoy adult videos and photographic material. When I say "adult" I mean what most people would call porn. I try not to use that term and here is why.

Porn or pornography is connotative of something illicit or immoral. I have long contended that viewing such material is neither illicit or immoral as long as all the participants are conscenting and of legal age. Adult oriented videos and photos and stories are simply expressions of sexuality. They arouse, titillate and enhance sexual experiences for many people and in some cases are an alternative to unsafe sexual practices.

So now that you know where I am coming from you will see why this article in the New York Times is so interesting to me.

An adult web site operator in Pensacola Florida is using an unusual defense argument. Since the measuring stick for what is and is not pornographic in the eyes of the court is that vague "community standards" clause, the defense has expanded the scope of community. Thay are showing records of searches in Google from the area to present community standards. Seems the folks in Pensecola search for the term "orgy" many more times than they do "apple pie".

It will be very intersting to see if the defense works. Personally, I feel it is long overdue. America is far to closeted about sex. We seem obsessed with hiding the fact that we like adult films and photos, otherwise it would not be the billion dollar industry it is. As Stephen Colbert would say, "the invisible had of the market has spoken!"

McCain Advisor Sees A New Terrorist Attack As "Advantage To McCain"

John McCain’s advisers are really sick puppies. McCain's chief strategist, Charlie Black, told Fortune magazine, that a terrorist attack before the elections would be, and this is the real quote, “…it would be a big advantage to him.”

So the McCain camp sees terrorists attacks on the US as a political leverage, not as what it would be, a horrific tragedy. This is the same kind of thinking Bush/Cheney used after 9-11 and it is the kind of thinking that has brought our nation to the brink of disaster.

To openly admit that your campaign would use a terrorists attack as an opportunity for electioneering is outrageous. Anyone who considered voting for McCain should read this and understand that McCain is cut from the same cloth as Bush and Cheney. He is a despicable opportunist who will use anything, even a national tragedy to political advantage.

ElBaradei Says He WIll Quit IAEA If Iran Attacked Now

With all the hubbub over the elections here few folks have been watching what is happening in the Middle East. Seems like Israel is practicing military maneuvers for what appears to be an attack on Iran. Suspicions are running high that they might plan a bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities much like the one they carried out on Syria several years ago.

Meanwhile, in an interview with IAEA’s General Mohammad ElBaradei the agency’s director says he will resign should an attach be carried out against Iran at this time. He said, “I don’t believe that what I see in Iran today is a current, grave and urgent danger. If a military strike is carried out against Iran at this time … it would make me unable to continue my work.”

Furthermore ElBaradei predicted that the Middle East would “become a fireball” should Iran be attacked when they are clearly not a present danger.

To think that Israel will be attacking alone is ludicrous. The Bush administration has been overtly and covertly encouraging such actions for months. It is time to write your congressperson and the President and tell him how you feel. Not that the president will listen, but at least you can know you made your objections clear!

McCain Says Roe Vs Wade Should Be Overturned!

For those of you who have told me they would vote for McCain since Hillary wasn't going to be the nominee for the Democrats, I thought this little clip courtesy of The Jed Report would be instructional.

Islamic Reform And American Media

I doubt if many Americans consider the religious diversity in our country. We are told the lie that America is a "Christian Nation". Few things could be further from the truth. Many of the founding fathers were deists who declared no specific religion. Children who have taken American History will remember many of the first settlers came to this nation to escape religious persecution.

That said, it is not surprising that the Muslim community in America is often invisible, ignored or worse, feared. It is unfortunate that the words "Muslim" and "terrorist" seem to have become synonymous in our lexicon. That, I suspect is because of media images and racism both subtle and not-so-subtle. Hate radio talkers like Rush Limbaugh have painted the entire religion as something to be feared. Their limited understanding, or worse, their purposeful characterizations have affected the nations psyche. We have a hard time separating the majority of the followers of Islam from radical fundamentalists.

It is no surprise that a new movement has begin in this country and worldwide as well. It is a movement to reform Islam and to demystify it for the non-Muslim community. The Muslims Against Shaira is a group dedicated to moving Islam into the 21st century. They are rational and seem very dedicated to their task. The goals of the group as stated on their web site are as follows:

• to educate Muslims about dangers presented by Islamic religious texts and why Islam must be reformed
• to educate non-Muslims about the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. Islamic Religious Fanatics, Radical Muslims, Muslim Fundamentalists, Islamic Extremists or Islamofascists)
• to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Moderate Muslims are also targets of Islamic Terror

As you can see, they have few illusions about how Muslims are viewed in the eyes of the world and they intend to take responsibility to change the image and even some of the ideals that have come to be associated with Islam.

I became aquainted with the group when a member posted a comment on this blog. He was responding to the story about Barack Obama's web site that was designed to fight the smears being aimed at him. Rightly so, the comment said thet the term "Muslim" is not a slur and treating it as such validates it's defamatory power.

I would invite all my readers to check Muslims Against Sharia and read for yourself what this group is doing to reform the religion and societies views of it. I found their message to be encouraging and hopeful. I have several Muslim friends who have told me many of the same things I read on the website. It's something every American should understand. Just as fundamentalist Christianity is not the only face of the religion , fundamentalist Islam is not the only face of Islam.

I am a Christian, but I was raised a Jew. I made my decision to convert after a lot of research and careful consideration. In my search for a church I read much about Islam, Judaism, Taoism, Hinduism and more. I really found it enlightening not only in making my choice, but in understanding the diversity of beliefs in the world. I would encourage everyone to do the same.

Mars Probe May Have Found Water On Red Planet!

So I am sitting here looking at an image posted on NASA's web site that gives me chills. Its of the trench dug by the Mars Phoenix Lander. So big deal it's a trench...Well they posted a moving image that shows the trench over a 3 day period and guess what? Stuff in the trench disappears!

Clumps and what appear to be rocks vanish over three days. Unless there are little Martians hauling the rocks away it means these clumps sublimated. That means they were held together by water and it turned to gas, basically evaporating from the surface. Finally, proof that there is water on the surface of Mars!

That is huge news. From recent research here on earth we have found that almost everywhere there is water, there can be life and though it might be microscopic that life, if it exists on Mars, is first contact!

That is really exciting to me. All my life I have dreamed of finding life on another planet and though it isn't little green men, it might just be a clue as to the prevalence of life in the universe.
Now that is really cool!

Scott McClellan Testifies Before Congress

Scott "the pinata" McClellan is taking a minor beating this morning as he testifies before Congress, but this time he doesn't have to lie any more. Former White House Press Secretary sat before a House Judiciary Committee today and spilled the goods. Reiterating many points he made in his tell-all book McClellan directly implicates the Bush administration in the Valeria Plame cover-up.

More specifically, he said Bush and Cheney asked him to lie that the staff wasn't involved in the outing of a CIA covert agent. That's pretty damning, and I have to wonder how much longer House Speaker Pelosi can stonewall impeachment.

He further implicates White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card as tellig him to say Scooter Libby was not involved. If you have seen a news report in the past 5 years you know Scooter Libby was convicted of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI during its investigation of the leak.

Not surprisingly, Bush commuted Libby's sentence and he never served a single day of his two and a half year prison sentence. Where is the outrage folks?

Fort Worth Baptist Minister Arrested In Child Sex Case

Once again those dangerous heterosexuals are at! Seems this time the pastor of Southwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas has been arrested on charges of sexual assault of a child.

The charges were prompted by a complaint by the church's former Youth Minister. She claims they had a sexual relationship and that they engaged in sex both at the church and at his home.

Pastor James Virtue Robinson IV denies the charges and says he will be proven innocent. The accuser was 16 at the time of the alleged assaults. Pastor Robinson is free on bail, but the church website has disappeared from the Internet and according to press reports his phone number has been disconnected.

New Barack Obama General Election TV Spot

The Obama '08 Campaign has started running TV ads in 18 states, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia. Its a good ad, and speaks directly to the key issues both in his campaign and the areas it is running in.

Just Got Off The Air! Sirius Radio Interview Wrap Up.

Well I just got off the phone with the Blog Bunker on Sirius Satellite Radio. Had a great interview and got to rattle on about my views on the recent Quinnipiac University Poll that shows Barack Obama leading McCain in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as Mike Huckabee's admonition to the GOP to not "demonize Obama".

I think I managed to get through it without embarrassing myself too much and the host and I hit it off pretty well. One of the last things we discussed was the possibility of a 3^rd part candidate being a "spoiler" in the campaign. My money is on Ron Paul. Even though he is not the libertarian candidate, he has a really loyal following and it might be strong enough to siphon of some GOP votes. It would be nice to see that after the years of Ralph Nader doing the same for the Democrats.

If any of you heard the interview, let me know what you thought. I don't have Sirius, so I couldn't record it. Oh well, I hear myself talk enough. Besides, the last thing my partner needs is to have to listen to me rant on the radio, he gets enough of my pontificating live and in-person.

Happy Juneteenth!

One of my favorite holidays here in Texas. Juneteenth! Or June 19th to you non-Texans. This day is when emancipation finally reached Texas some two years after it was declared. That was back in 1865 when the Union Army lead by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas.

Today it's a worldwide holiday of emancipation and freedom.

Why does a white guy from Dallas celebrate it? Well I sincerely believe "until all are free none are free", and emancipation freed the citizens of Texas from the oppressive spirit of slavery.

Freeing the slaves freed the slave owner as well, though few celebrated it at the time. From my childhood I remember African-Americans celebrating the day with picnics and feasts. Now I join my African-American friends in that celebration and we chow down on some great food with good friends.

Looking forward to some of that this weekend!

Rep. Pete Sessions - "Oil Companies Are Our Friends"!

Here in Dallas we know Pete Sessions (R-TX) very well. This Representative has taken bundles of money from oil companies in the past and by the sound of his rhetoric on the floor of the House he intends to in the future. The best Congress money can buy, that's the Texas motto!

Obama Rumor Monger Arrested In DC

Well our friend Larry Sinclair, if you remember my last blog about this guy, he is one of people spreading outrageous lies about Barack Obama, is in the news again. I suspect he has the IQ of a newt! You see, Sinclair aside from trying to gain more than his 15 minutes of fame, has lots of outstanding warrants against him.

Who, but a certifiable moron, calls a press conference with outstanding warrants in the District of Columbia? He had intended to legitimize his wild stories by telling them to an audience of interested reporters. Instead he stepped before a small group of spectators, all primed for a show.

According to David Weigel of Reason Magazine, Sinclair, his kilt-wearing lawyer (disbarred in DC) and a few other assorted odd, and I really mean odd folks showed up to conduct the conference. Sinclair attempted to answer questions, but failed to keep even the dates and times of his alleged encounters with Senator Obama straight.

Finally he unceremoniously left the room where he was promptly arrested by Washington DC police as a "fugitive from justice".

All in all it sounds like a good side show with the only news worthy event being Sinclair's arrest. Not that I expected anything more.

Worse still was the notice posted about the event which purported to be the "truth about Barack Obama". This was at the National Press Club after all, you would expect at least a little truth about the real nature of the event. Perhaps the notice should have read, "Fugitive Criminal and Pathological Liar Holds Event for Those Easily Amused".

Bush Administration Accused Of War Crimes!

Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba the man who investigated the Abu Ghraib scandal is now retired. No longer under the command of President Bush, he has come forward in a new report with startling conclusions, at least to anyone who has been living under a rock.

"After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes," Taguba wrote. "The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."

Now all that is needed is a Congress and Attorney General willing to prosecute the criminals.

Michelle Obama On The View - Does The "Fist Bump"!

Michelle Obama co-hosts the view with Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Sherri Shepherd.

Huckabee Warns GOP To "Not Demonize Obama"

Say What!

CNN reported that Mike Huckabee in a speech in Tokyo at the Foreign Corrispondents Club said, "Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonizing Barack Obama.”

He went on to call Obama's victory as a “ landmark achievement”. He emphasized that he hopes John McCain beats Obama in November, but that Republicans should focus on policy differences, not race.

Perhaps he should tell this to the people circulating those hate-emails about Obama?

New Poll Shows Obama Leads In Florida, Ohio & Pennsylvania!

So people have been chattering that without Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, no Democrat can win the presidency. This was the big argument for Hillary Clinton. Her supporters said that Senator Obama could never carry the swing states, yet today comes the news of the Quinnipiac University Swing State polls. These new figures show Obama ahead of McCain in all three states.

• Florida: Obama edges McCain 47 - 43 percent;
• Ohio: Obama tops McCain 48 - 42 percent;
• Pennsylvania: Obama leads McCain 52 - 40 percent.

A breakdown of the numbers in the three states shows Obama leading McCain 10 to 23 percentage points among women. Obama trails among white Florida and Ohio voters, but gets more than 90 percent of black voters in each state. More importantly he has double-digit leads among young voters in each state.

Liar Who Started Obama Drug Rumors Is At It Again

Ben Smith over at Politico.com has an interesting tidbit. Seems Larry Sinclair, already having used his 15 minutes of fame, wants more. For those of you who don’t know, Sinclair is the man who started the wild internet rumors about having sex and drugs with Barack Obama. Those accusations turned out to be outright lies with no substance at all, yet now he is trying again.

He has reserved the Holeman Lounge at downtown Washington's National Press Club to try to spread his story to the mainstream media. The problem is that Sinclair has a 27 year rap sheet with criminal records including convictions for forgery and a 16 year prison sentence. There is also an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Pueblo County, Colorado. I have to wonder if he won’t find a sheriff waiting for him at the alleged press conference?

Sinclair has already failed a polygraph test which he took after an offer from a website of $100,000 if he passed it. Now he is trying one last time for fame and fortune. I suspect the Fox News folks will be on hand and a variety of far right bloggers and once again he will be a blip on the radar screen.

Why a news outlet would let a man with 16 aliases in his arrest record have a single moment of air time is a mystery to me. Any news group who covers this fiasco deserves any derision they get. The sad thing is it will once again stir the hate jabbers on the internet and the rumor will make the rounds once again. Where are the wackos claiming they had sex with McCain? Oh yea, they are probably already in nursing homes! Sorry I had to do it, just too easy a joke.

Anti-Obama Hate Videos - A Virus You Can Stop

I got a sad video this morning from a friend who thought I might find it interesting. I found it infuriating. The video was a ham-handed edit of a bunch of news clips and pundits emphasizing Barack Obama’s middle name. It was also liberally laced with clips of Reverend Wright making incendiary comments (taken out of context of course).

The video was designed to do exactly what it did. It spread like a virus. It was emailed to me and several other people by someone who thought it was appalling. It was, but the problem with sending it to a whole raft of friends is that they will do the same and somewhere down the line it will land in someone’s mailbox who believes the innuendo and racist crap it was designed to promote. It is those people who will spread it to their friends who are perhaps fighting their own fears and before long it’s a big internet hit!

These viral videos work. I remind you that the clip of Rev. Wright started that way. Unfortunately for Senator Obama, his former reverend saw the publicity as his 15 minutes of fame and ran with it. Now that clip gets hacked even further and only the most fiery words remain. Sprinkle them in a series of cuts of GOP pundits calling Obama “Osama” and a few photos of smiling black faces of people that are purported to be Obama’s family in Kenya and you have a recipe for fear and hate.

The sad truth is that in our country racism is hidden under a very thin veneer of civility. It only takes a tiny scratch to see the ugly fears. I do believe most people sincerely try to avoid racist remarks and beliefs, but I am not a Pollyanna. I grew up hearing people use the “N” word with impunity and watched riots in the streets of LA and Detroit. My family made a conscious effort to raise me with an unbiased view of people no matter what their color, but societal influences still took their toll.

It is almost impossible for a person of the baby boom generation to not have at least a few dark places in their mind where racist fears can still fester. I am not a bigot by any means, but sometime I have to hold back the knee jerk reaction that is ingrained by those societal impressions. It is not fun and I don’t act on them, but I suspect if I was bombarded with enough racist crap I might be influenced. Just a little, and that little is all it takes for these kind of viral campaigns to be effective.

The same tactic has been used against the gay and lesbian community for years as well, and I have watched people say amazingly ignorant things about my lifestyle. I suspect they are really just average folks who have had their fears supercharged by repeated exposure to hate speech. Words are really powerful things. Videos are even more so.

So here is my plan. I will not circulate any video like this that is sent to me and I encourage you to do the same. Don’t forward it, don’t post it on a MySpace page, don’t participate in the hate campaign. We can stop this crap and help change our country.

Now go out and start working to elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States, I know I will.

Toyota Can't Meet Hybrid Demands - Detroit Still Clueless

According to a story in MSNBC, Toyota is having trouble keeping up with the demand for hybrids. Meanwhile Detroit is still making big, gas-guzzling SUVs that are sitting on car dealer’s lots gathering bird droppings. You have to wonder why the executives at GM and Ford are not run out of Detroit on a rail?

There will likely be a crunch for Toyota Hybrids for the remainder of the model year since battery production is the bottleneck. In that respect, even though Toyota increased production of models like the Prius, they failed to anticipate just how great the demand would be. Detroit on the other hand just failed.

Meanwhile, Honda introduces its new all electric Hydrogen fuel cell car. It’s scheduled for delivery in California to some high profile drivers as a promotional stunt, but later in the year more will become available on a lease basis only right now. The company also will introduce a gas/electric model of the same car next year as well.

For more information go to MSNBCs website. I will not include a link because of the Associated Press content restrictions and failure to respect "fair use" conventions.

Texas Lawmakers Cast Fraudulent Ballots - Regularly!

I know this is an old story, but it still gets my goat. Sure wish Molly Ivins was still around, cause she would have a fit!
Watch it and see how our state legislature casts votes for not only themselves but for absent representatives. It's a clear case of voter fraud and yet, the legislature gets away with it.

Thanks to bayareahouston for the link!

Obama Shows Up To Help Sandbag In Illinois

OK, it's a photo-op, but instead of just being lead around by a handler and nodding with a concerned look like some politicians, Obama rolled up his sleeves and shoved sand into bags in preparations for the flooding in Quincy, IL. Better than Bush looking out the window of a jet flying over New Orleans.

McCain - Makes Bush Look Almost Presidential

It didn't take long for the folks over at jedreport.com to put together a reel of McCain sounding like a confused and doddering version of George Bush.

Barack Obama On Father's Day

Here is just another example of why this man needs to be our next president. The speech was delivered at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago on Sunday. It could be dismissed as a sermon, but it is much more than that. Read and enjoy!

________________________

Good morning. It's good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closes by saying, "Whoever hears these words of mine, and does them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock." [Matthew 7: 24-25]

Here at Apostolic, you are blessed to worship in a house that has been founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. But it is also built on another rock, another foundation - and that rock is Bishop Arthur Brazier. In forty-eight years, he has built this congregation from just a few hundred to more than 20,000 strong - a congregation that, because of his leadership, has braved the fierce winds and heavy rains of violence and poverty; joblessness and hopelessness. Because of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church. There are more homes and fewer homeless. There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier continued the march for justice that he began by Dr. King's side all those years ago. He is the reason this house has stood tall for half a century. And on this Father's Day, it must make him proud to know that the man now charged with keeping its foundation strong is his son and your new pastor, Reverend Byron Brazier.

Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.

But if we are honest with ourselves, we'll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing - missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.

You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled - doubled - since we were children. We know the statistics - that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.

How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?

Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more afterschool programs for our children. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.

But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child - it's the courage to raise one.

We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves; the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do. So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support. They need another parent. Their children need another parent. That's what keeps their foundation strong. It's what keeps the foundation of our country strong.

I know what it means to have an absent father, although my circumstances weren't as tough as they are for many young people today. Even though my father left us when I was two years old, and I only knew him from the letters he wrote and the stories that my family told, I was luckier than most. I grew up in Hawaii, and had two wonderful grandparents from Kansas who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me - who worked with her to teach us about love and respect and the obligations we have to one another. I screwed up more often than I should've, but I got plenty of second chances. And even though we didn't have a lot of money, scholarships gave me the opportunity to go to some of the best schools in the country. A lot of kids don't get these chances today. There is no margin for error in their lives. So my own story is different in that way.

Still, I know the toll that being a single parent took on my mother - how she struggled at times to the pay bills; to give us the things that other kids had; to play all the roles that both parents are supposed to play. And I know the toll it took on me. So I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle - that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls; that if I could give them anything, I would give them that rock - that foundation - on which to build their lives. And that would be the greatest gift I could offer.

I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father - knowing that I have made mistakes and will continue to make more; wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now. I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect, even as we face difficult circumstances, there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers - whether we are black or white; rich or poor; from the South Side or the wealthiest suburb.

The first is setting an example of excellence for our children - because if we want to set high expectations for them, we've got to set high expectations for ourselves. It's great if you have a job; it's even better if you have a college degree. It's a wonderful thing if you are married and living in a home with your children, but don't just sit in the house and watch "SportsCenter" all weekend long. That's why so many children are growing up in front of the television. As fathers and parents, we've got to spend more time with them, and help them with their homework, and replace the video game or the remote control with a book once in awhile. That's how we build that foundation.

We know that education is everything to our children's future. We know that they will no longer just compete for good jobs with children from Indiana, but children from India and China and all over the world. We know the work and the studying and the level of education that requires.
You know, sometimes I'll go to an eighth-grade graduation and there's all that pomp and circumstance and gowns and flowers. And I think to myself, it's just eighth grade. To really compete, they need to graduate high school, and then they need to graduate college, and they probably need a graduate degree too. An eighth-grade education doesn't cut it today. Let's give them a handshake and tell them to get their butts back in the library!

It's up to us - as fathers and parents - to instill this ethic of excellence in our children. It's up to us to say to our daughters, don't ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for those goals. It's up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we live glory to achievement, self respect, and hard work. It's up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.

The second thing we need to do as fathers is pass along the value of empathy to our children. Not sympathy, but empathy - the ability to stand in somebody else's shoes; to look at the world through their eyes. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in "us," that we forget about our obligations to one another. There's a culture in our society that says remembering these obligations is somehow soft - that we can't show weakness, and so therefore we can't show kindness.

But our young boys and girls see that. They see when you are ignoring or mistreating your wife. They see when you are inconsiderate at home; or when you are distant; or when you are thinking only of yourself. And so it's no surprise when we see that behavior in our schools or on our streets. That's why we pass on the values of empathy and kindness to our children by living them. We need to show our kids that you're not strong by putting other people down - you're strong by lifting them up. That's our responsibility as fathers.

And by the way - it's a responsibility that also extends to Washington. Because if fathers are doing their part; if they're taking our responsibilities seriously to be there for their children, and set high expectations for them, and instill in them a sense of excellence and empathy, then our government should meet them halfway.

We should be making it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid them. We should get rid of the financial penalties we impose on married couples right now, and start making sure that every dime of child support goes directly to helping children instead of some bureaucrat. We should reward fathers who pay that child support with job training and job opportunities and a larger Earned Income Tax Credit that can help them pay the bills. We should expand programs where registered nurses visit expectant and new mothers and help them learn how to care for themselves before the baby is born and what to do after - programs that have helped increase father involvement, women's employment, and children's readiness for school. We should help these new families care for their children by expanding maternity and paternity leave, and we should guarantee every worker more paid sick leave so they can stay home to take care of their child without losing their income.

We should take all of these steps to build a strong foundation for our children. But we should also know that even if we do; even if we meet our obligations as fathers and parents; even if Washington does its part too, we will still face difficult challenges in our lives. There will still be days of struggle and heartache. The rains will still come and the winds will still blow.

And that is why the final lesson we must learn as fathers is also the greatest gift we can pass on to our children - and that is the gift of hope.

I'm not talking about an idle hope that's little more than blind optimism or willful ignorance of the problems we face. I'm talking about hope as that spirit inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us if we're willing to work for it and fight for it. If we are willing to believe.

I was answering questions at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin the other day and a young man raised his hand, and I figured he'd ask about college tuition or energy or maybe the war in Iraq. But instead he looked at me very seriously and he asked, "What does life mean to you?"

Now, I have to admit that I wasn't quite prepared for that one. I think I stammered for a little bit, but then I stopped and gave it some thought, and I said this:

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me - how do I make my way in the world, and how do I become successful and how do I get the things that I want.

But now, my life revolves around my two little girls. And what I think about is what kind of world I'm leaving them. Are they living in a county where there's a huge gap between a few who are wealthy and a whole bunch of people who are struggling every day? Are they living in a county that is still divided by race? A country where, because they're girls, they don't have as much opportunity as boys do? Are they living in a country where we are hated around the world because we don't cooperate effectively with other nations? Are they living a world that is in grave danger because of what we've done to its climate?

And what I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children - all of our children - a better world. Even if it's difficult. Even if the work seems great. Even if we don't get very far in our lifetime.

That is our ultimate responsibility as fathers and parents. We try. We hope. We do what we can to build our house upon the sturdiest rock. And when the winds come, and the rains fall, and they beat upon that house, we keep faith that our Father will be there to guide us, and watch over us, and protect us, and lead His children through the darkest of storms into light of a better day. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father's Day, and that is my hope for this country in the years ahead. May God Bless you and your children. Thank you.

Who Is Amy Winehouse And Why Should I Care?

OK, so I guess I have really lost touch with pop-culture. Who the hell is Amy Winehouse and why would a Russian billionaire give her $2million to appear? According to a story in NY Daily News, the performer, who apparently is a singer, showed up for the gig completely blotto (that’s drunk for you under the age of 20).

I would think if I were a pop celebrity, knowing that such fame is fleeting as best I would at least stay sober long enough to pick up a $2 million paycheck for a single nights performance.

According to one report, this celebrity diva staggered through her songs and occasionally flashed the front row with her lack of underwear. Maybe that is why she is famous? God knows the world can always use another sleazy pole-dancer.

The above post has no known Associated Press content.

Goodbye Associated Press! AP Cracks Down On Blogs

I understand intellectual property concerns. I have had not only excerpts of my material quoted, but a few times my entire work, in this case a book, was published in-line without permission. I do not worry about people quoting my work in reviews or news blogs so long as there is a attribution to me as the author and/or a link to my works online.

That said, I find it pretty odd that the Associated Press has begin cracking down on bloggers using quotes from AP stories online. When they hit the Drudge Report for a 39 word excerpt it got my attention. I often quote news stories in my blogging and editorial writing for publications. It falls under the category of “fair use” as I understand it. Apparently, AP wants a “no use” policy in the future.

Such a draconian restriction will severely limit the spread of news and information. I always link to the original article and try to give proper attribution to excerpts. To deny bloggers the use of this will have a chilling effect on the entre free flow of information in blogs. I would not be surprised if the traffic to AP’s affiliates web sites will drop and with that drop a fall in ad revenues as well.

I will respect the wishes of the Associated Press and try to refrain from ever using a quote from an AP story. I will continue to use AP stories as source material, and that is as it should be, but I will no longer link to any articles that bear the AP brand. I hope my readers will have the intellectual curiosity to seek those stories out on their own. Meanwhile the blogosphere will continue with or without the Associated Press.

Interested readers may go to the New York Times and read the article entitled: "The Associated Press to Set Guidelines for Using Its Articles in Blogs " No link included to assure there will be no copyright infringement.

McCain Debates Himself! More Green Screen Madness

McCain Says It's Tough To Be Proud Of America!

What’s good for the goose is good for…well you know the saying. Right now, McCain is looking like that big fat gander, After roundly having his surrogates at Fox News and others in the GOP (they are one and the same) criticize Michelle Obama for saying she was finally proud of America, McCain slings the same line himself.

“How can I be proud of my country?" he was asked at a town hall meeting.

"I'll admit to you that it's tough, it's tough in some respects," McCain answered. He then went on to say America needs to be "more humble, more inclusive."

McCain is saying the same thing Michelle Obama was saying in her appearance, but for some reason, Fox and the right wing talk radio folks haven’t condemned him. I wonder why?