Need A Job? Send Gov. Rick Perry A Bushel Of Bucks.

Rick Perry must have gone to the Jack Abramoff School of Politics. He has given 10 of his top donors plum contracts or choice appointments with the state of Texas. Though Perry denies a pay-for-play scenario, it doesn’t take a genius to figure this scam out. Case in point, even the right-wing rag The Dallas Morning News calls this action questionable. And in an election year, the Dallas News running any negative stuff on a Republican is very unusual.

Though personally I find Kinky Friedman appealing, I am going to vote for Chris Bell this year. We need all the registered Democrats we can in Austin. The "ledge" has been out of control for long enough. Time to reign them in.

Free Market Works, Afghanistan Opium Production Hits Record High

Under the Taliban, opium production was eliminated, but now under the benevolent gaze of the free market, it's back and bigger than ever! The production is up over 40% since 2005 hitting a record high, accounting for over 90% of the world’s supply. And for Afghanistan? Well opium now makes up over 52% of the country's gross national product.

Congratulations to all the people in the Bush administration for creating another narco-state! Wonder how bad we can screw up Iraq?

And for those folks who think I am glorifying the Taliban, here’s my answer. They were a bunch of religious zealots and extremists. I have little sympathy for them and pity the Afghan people who had to live under such a repressive regime. Theocracies are always a bad thing; not one has ever worked out well, and most end up committing atrocities in the name of their God. Something to remember here in this country as well.

Homeland Security Chairman Calls For Ethnic & Religious Profiling

Well, yesterday it was a trial balloon on Faux News, today it’s for real. The chairman of the House Homeland Security Commission is calling for extra screening for people of Middle East or South Asian descent. Peter King (R-NY) made the suggestion even though most law enforcement agencies dismiss such and idea.

I suspect the Neocon think tanks have issued this new call in one of their talking point faxes and being a good Republican clone, King is just marching in goose-step with the party line. Coming up next, resettlement communities also known as concentration camps.

Fox News Pundit Calls For "Muslim Only" Line At Airports

The NeoCons have a test site for their wacky ideas to see if hey have any merit at least with possible voters and more importantly campaign contributors. It’s called FOX News. More than once I have seen wacky far right ideas floated by FOX pundits. Some eventually reach the mainstream, while others dies as quickly as they were born.

The latest trial balloon comes from right-wing radio host Mike Gallagher, a guest on "Dayside". He proposed "Muslim Only" lines at airports to assure the screening of Muslims while traveling. Furthermore he said, "most Americans want prejudice. Let’s be prejudiced against those who want to slaughter innocent American men, women and children. It’s time we start exercising some prejudice and stop these bloody terrorists."

To be fair, something FOX rarely does, the host seemed dismayed at his suggestion, but as most people who follow the media know, FOX News does almost nothing that is not carefully scripted or influenced by the Republican spin machine. Was his remark a fluke? Not a chance. This was the old tactic of running it up the flag pole and seeing who salutes. My hope is that America will not fall for this ploy. It’s ultimate extension would be internment and perhaps worse, and that would be about as un-American as things could get.

Bush Cuts Back Presence at World AIDS Conference - Affraid Of Dissent

With the biggest AIDS conference ever in Toronto, in typical Bush fashion, our government cut back out presence from 230 to 50 attendees from the HHS department. The reason? Well seems like Tommy Thompson, HHS director in 2002 was booed by critics because of the meager contributions of the US to the Global AIDS Fund. Guess they don’t like appearing in front of an audience that isn’t hand picked by the GOP to eliminate dissenters.

Lie Detector Tests To Sceen Passengers At US Airports

The Transportation Safety Administration is testing automatic lie-detector booths for possible use in airports. The booths designed in Israel are being tested in the Knoxville, TN airport. I am reminded of the movie "Minority Report" and have to wonder when the psychics will be put into play to detect intent of possible terrorists. Who hates freedom? Funny, looks like the US is behaving that way.

FBI Clears Men Michigan Says Are Terrorists.

So who is telling the truth? Well the FBI now says the 3 Texas men arrested in Michigan with 1000 cell phones have no ties to terrorism. Local prosecutors in Michigan have charged them with terror related activities. Gonna be a hard case to prove with the FBI ringing in like that. Of course they could be held as "enemy combatants" forever and then no one could say anything. Wonder if local folks in Michigan know about that little loophole?

Wonder how many free minutes they have?

Bigots Loose attempt To Get Anti-Gay Initiative On Illinois Ballot

It seems like a small thing, but maybe it’s the beginning of a change in the political wind. Illinois neocons failed to get an initiative banning gay marriage on the November ballot in that state. Of the signatures raised, only 91% proved to be valid and failed to meet requirements for the election.

Ultra right-wing activists with the so called Illinois Family Institute have filed suit against the state saying the process is burdensome and unconstitutional, however observers say getting this discriminatory initiative on the ballot will be impossible this time around.

Now I admit, Illinois is already a pretty blue state, but the radical right insists on beating the God, gays and guns drum for every election. I suspect the nation is starting to march to a different beat, one that wants real issues, like health care, education and real homeland security. Let’s hope real American values win out. Values like tolerance, honesty and fair mindedness.

Bush Approval Back In The Low 30's

Looks like the president has failed to boost his numbers this summer. I hope he thinks about what he has done over his vacation in Crawford. According to a new AP poll he is back down to 33% approval rating, matching his low rating in May of this year. This and his continued poor judgement on almost every international issue has caused many even in his own party to shy away from him.

Guess Joe Lieberman must be feeling a little lonely right now as well.

30% Of Americans Are Brain Dead

OK, so our country is hopelessly stupid. I rarely like to generalize, but when a recent poll showed 30% of Americans can’t remember the year 9/11 happened, we are in big trouble. The attention span of Americans is apparently only a few minutes, so no wonder our leaders lie, cheat and commit war crimes and no one seems to hold them responsible. The awful truth is: THEY CAN’T REMEMBER!

I have to ask myself, is this the result of home schooling, or has the government been putting something in the water?

Justice Kennedy, "The Freedom Of The Next Generation Hangs In The Balance"

When a Supreme Court Justice makes statements like, "the freedom of the next generation hangs in the balance"; my ears automatically perk up. What’s more, when he is speaking to the American Bar Association he is not just using rhetoric.

Justice Kennedy further stated, "We are at another turning point in the history of the law," discussing the independence of the Judiciary branch of government. Sounds to me like we should be concerned.

You can view a video of the speech here.

A New Mexican Revolution?

During the early eighties, I lived in Mexico City. I worked for the a television network, the largest media conglomerate in Mexico at the time. I fell in love with the city and it’s people. Mexico City is like Hollywood, New York Paris and Washington, DC all rolled into one, with no parking and wall to wall pollution. It is like no other city on earth and even though it has monumental problems, it’s still an incredible place.

The reason I left was two-fold. One, my partner at the time lived in Texas and commuting was really putting a strain on our relationship. Two, I saw the incredible poverty and inequity in a frantic economy that left millions to live in cardboard shacks with no water, sewers or electricity. All this in the world’s biggest city in what was touted as a burgeoning first world country.

The truth of Mexico is less romantic than the images we see in tourist publications. If you are well off in Mexico, life is pretty good. You have access to cultural institutions, world class cusine, fabulous housing and all the luxuries life can offer. If you are poor in Mexico, it's a different story.

Every upper class house has a second family living there, they live out back and take care of the house and grounds. They are called housekeepers or gardeners, but they are almost indentured servants who owe the very roof over their head to the houses owner. We even had them at our offices, living in a small building behind the main office.

If you are rich, and there are those who are fabulously wealthy in Mexico, you live like royalty. You never get a traffic ticket, police bribe easily. You drive 8-cylinder gas guzzling cars that are illegal to import, but for the rich nothing is forbidden. And politics? Well, as long as you support the government, at that time the PRI, you could do no wrong.

I found myself on pins and needles waiting for the next revolution that I was sure to come any day. That was over 20 years ago and today it looks like that revolution might just happen. The recent highly disputer election is threatening to wake Mexico from it’s slumber and unleash the millions of ordinary folks who are being used by the corrupt system.

According to an article in Truthout, presidential candidate "Lopez Obrador vowed to defend Mexico's democracy by transforming the country's institutions, which he said have always been subjugated by "money and power." He urged supporters to keep the acts of civil disobedience he began on July 30 peaceful." They are starting to turn ugly, and that will bear watching.

I am torn by all this. On one had I want to cheer on the protests, but on the other hand I know they could tear the country apart. I only pray the Mexico can work through this rough patch and become a true democracy. They have the potential for real greatness, and I will always love the land and people living to my state’s south.

Bob Ney Says Nay To Reelection

I rarely quote scripture, but today seems like a good day for it. Romans 6:23 – "For the wages of sin is death…" Well, at least political death for Bob Ney. The man who got a standing ovation from fellow Republicans when he refused to resign even if indicted in the Abramoff scandal. Well today, 90 days later he has withdraw from the reelection race in Ohio.

Wonder if Conrad Burns of Montana is thinking the same way? He took over $150,000 from Abramoff, more than any other congressperson. "Vengeance is mine," sayeth the voters.

New Survey Shows 50% Of Americans Believe Anything They are Told

Let’s cut to the chase: THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ. So for those 50% of Americans who just can’t seem to figure out the difference between the lies spouted by right-wing talk shows and the lies spouted by our President, the deceiver here it is again. The US, that would be you and me, Americans, funded a 16-month, $900-million-plus investigation. The U.S. weapons hunters known as the Iraq Survey Group declared that Iraq had dismantled its chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs in 1991 under U.N. oversight.

Get it? We searched for 16 months and found ZIP! So screw your head back on straight, (not a sexual reference) and repeat after me, "There were no WMDs".

I guess it’s true, that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.

Santorum Signs Gay Rights Pledge - Hell Freezes Over

Rick " Mad Dog" Santorum (R-PA) signed a pro-gay rights pledge today affirming that his office does not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. As the lake of fire fizzled under the advancing sheets of ice, Satan mused, "Well I guess we all knew this day would come, I just hope global warming will have an effect down here."

On a serious note, it is amazing that Santorum so willing signed the document that assures a basic right his state denies. One has to wonder if he intends to really stick by this statement or is he just doing it to get the advocates off his back so he can really discriminate against gays. Remember this is the same Rick Santorum that compared homosexuality to incest, bigamy and adultery.

Bush Seeks Military Courts For Any Offense He Sees Fit

In a move that is suspiciously open-ended, the White House is floating a bill to include more than just international terrorists in its special military courts. The bill as envisioned lets the Attorney General decide what offenses would fall under this rule, basically short circuit the due process on any case they see fit.

This smacks of another attempt to grab absolute power, something the Bush administration seems determined to do. Comparisons to Nazis, though politically charged, are certainly in order. Bush continues to try to assert his authority as a dictator and the rubber stamp congress continues to let him do it. Write your congressperson and tell them to start doing their job!

Evolution Might Survive Kansas Board Of Education

So the state which contains the oximoronic cities such as Liberal, Kansas may have actually moved into the 21st century. Moderates are once again in the majority on the Kansas State Board of Education. This victory in the elections may translate into a more serious curriculum for Kansas students who are now taught the laughable myth of Intelligent Design as though it were real science.

For the sake of the country and our future, I sincerely hope the change happens. Faith driven zealots pushing fake science such as "Intelligent Design" are trying to move our country toward a theocratic society. Take a look at past Christian theocracies. They have never turned out for the good. Theocracies in general become authoritarian repressive states and our founding fathers sought to escape their grip, not create another.

Time for real education and teaching critical thinking.

Mel Gibson Booted From Holocaust Mini-Series

ABC television came to it’s senses and pulled the mini-series on the Holocaust from anti-Semite director Mel Gibson’s production company. They say his arrest and rant about the "f&*king Jews" had nothing to do with it, but you have to believe that the thousands of blogs like this one who picked up the hypocrisy of the project were the real cause. In Hollywood, they hate to be seen as stupid.

Additionally the project seemed really far-fetched, seeing as how Gibson is a devout Catholic and has a father who is a holocaust denier. Go figure.

Latest Bug In Electronic Voting Machines Makes Election Rigging A Snap

Diebold voting machines apparently have a switch that can make them operate in a completely different manner than intended. The hidden switch allows anyone with a screwdriver to tamper with the machines and potentially rig an election circumventing any procedures examined in the certification process for the machines. In other words, any geek with a pocket protector can rig the election.

This should put the nail in the coffin of electronic voting, but only if enough Americans refuse to be led down the path of crooked elections that the GOP and legislators are leading us.

Again, what is wrong with paper ballots and scanners? They are reliable and can provide an accurate paper trail for a recount. Enough election tampering by these folks, call or write your congressperson and alert them to this latest in a series of flaws in the Diebold machines.

Anti-Semitic Director To Film Holocaust Mini-Series

Mel "Mad Max" Gibson, notably arrested while driving under the influence of alcohol, will still helm the upcoming mini-series about the Holocaust. Strange that the man who screamed "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world", during his arrest and who directed the "Passion of the Christ" a largely anti-Semitic account of Jesus’ last hours would take on this project. Apparently ABC TV sees no problem with the dichotomy and is plugging ahead with the show.

So to all those right-wing pundits who claim that the Jews run the media...what gives? Would Jews hire this drunk to do such a project? I gotta think not.